“We can’t help you on this,” said SK. “We won’t.”
“Did I ask you?” said Livvy.
“I can’t be there to watch your back,” said Min, her voice rising. “What about Dominique?”
Livvy glanced at the nkondi on the table, as did Min and SK.
“I can handle Dominique,” said Livvy.
“I don’t think you can,” said SK.
Was that a challenge in his tone? Did he really think her not capable?
“You’ll be distracted,” said Min. “Someone has to watch your back.”
“I guess that’ll have to be my mom,” said Livvy.
“You need another shaman,” declared Min.
Livvy sighed and felt her shoulders sag. It wasn’t like she wanted to conjure her mother’s spirit permanently. She was only doing it because they couldn’t be together for more than a minute in the Multiverse. It wasn’t what she wanted. It was what she needed, just for a little while.
“Can’t you guys trust me?” she muttered, looking from one to the other. “Even just a little bit?” She shook her head, tired.
“It’s not about trust,” said SK.
“Really?” said Livvy. “Cause it sure feels like that.”
“We’re worried about you,” said Min. “Because we care about you.”
“We don’t want to see you get hurt,” said SK.
We, Livvy thought. What about you?
“Well, unless you’re going to forcibly retrieve my goggles…”
The impasse had been reached and the room was quiet. There was no thunder, no lightning, not even any rain. The evening outside was black and still.
Min seemed at a loss for words and sat staring. Finally, she looked at SK and shrugged. He shook his head and looked at the ground before looking up to Livvy.
Their eyes met but no words were exchanged. Then he turned to Min. “Could you give us a minute?”
Min glanced from one to the other. “I’ll wait in the car,” she said and got up. She looked down at Livvy and the nkondi but didn’t pause. In a few moments, Livvy and SK were alone.
CHAPTER FIFTY-EIGHT
“WILL YOU AT least sit down?” Livvy said.
SK looked at the chair as though the decision took a lot of thought. “I shouldn’t,” he said.
Since their meeting with Alvina, they hadn’t talked about them. Except for the silent car ride back from Palm Springs, they hadn’t even seen each other.
“I guess we do a lot of things we shouldn’t,” she said. “Why stop now?”
He just shrugged and stood there.
“How’s the window?” she tried.
“Liv, I don’t think we can continue seeing each other,” he said quietly.
“Oh,” she whispered.
So that was it.
“Don’t I have some say in it?” she asked.
“Do you think it’s what I want?” he shot back.
There was a long silence.
“Then let’s try to work it out,” she said.
He shook his head. “You heard what Alvina said.”
“I won’t use the speed. Only my spirit helper.”
“It may not be enough,” he said.
Alvina’s last words seemed to hang in the air between them. The only guarantee was for Livvy to give up shamanism.
“I’m not going to ask you to do that,” SK said.
“We’re not even there yet,” said Livvy quickly. “Let me stop the speed, stop the changes in the Multiverse. I can do that.”
He deliberately shook his head.
“Can’t we even try?” she said.
“Liv, I won’t risk hurting you,” he said. “Even without the flying glass, you hit the floor and were completely unconscious. Who knows what could happen?”
“Maybe Alvina is wrong,” Livvy said, but even as the words came out she knew how weak they sounded, even to her.
“I can’t risk it,” he said with finality. “And I won’t.”
“So that’s it?” Livvy asked, though she knew the answer.
“Not exactly. I don’t think we should see each other…at all.”
“What?”
Not at all?
“You mean like–”
“Like not working together anymore,” he finished for her.
“But why? Alvina said we were the perfect team. The water baby and the lightning shaman.”
“Yeah, look at us.” He shook his head. “We crossed a line,” he said quietly. He stared at the floor as though he could see it. “A line we didn’t even know was there.”
He looked up at her. “Can’t you feel it, Liv?” His eyes searched her face.
She did feel it. She’d felt it at Alvina’s but couldn’t bring herself to say it–not then and not now.
“It’s a point of no return, isn’t it?” he continued. “How could we go back to what we were before? Pretend there’s nothing between us?”
No, thought Livvy. This can’t be happening.
“Gods, I wish I could do that but I can’t,” he said. “I don’t have it in me.”
Say something. He’s about to leave. Say something!
There was nothing to say, though. She couldn’t pretend either.
“I’m sorry, Liv.”
Then he turned and left, without a moment’s hesitation or a look back.
He was gone.
“I’m sorry too,” she whispered.
CHAPTER FIFTY-NINE
REALLY, I SHOULDN’T be so surprised, thought Dominique.
“Let’s talk outside,” she said.
Mamacita looked past her into the large expanse of the loft. Shamans milled around everywhere and Dominique could hear whispers of “That’s Mamacita” and “Look, it’s Mamacita.”
Dominique closed the door behind her.
“Other than Liver or SK,” said Dominique, standing on the small landing with Mamacita, “you’re the last person I’d expect to see here.”
“Mayet gave me the address.”
Mamacita was taller than Dominique would have imagined. Maybe it was the lack of that enormous counter or the fact she was standing.
“He won’t be back,” Mamacita said.
Dominique had always assumed he wouldn’t be.
“It’s not like we need him,” said Dominique, leaning back against the railing.
“Oh I can see that,” said Mamacita, nodding at the door to the loft. “And that’s why I’m here.”
“You’re wasting your breath. This operation is going forward.”
“Oh, I’m sure,” said Mamacita. “And you’re going to win.” She paused. “Because I’m going to help you.”
Dominique scowled at her. “Really,” she said.
“Mmm hmm,” Mamacita hummed and opened the canvas tote bag for Dominique to look inside.
Instead of the knitting needles and yarn she had expected to see, there was a sleek, shiny, black box. On its front panel were several indicator lights and switches and on the top were rows of input jacks. It was a goggle network box–a sophisticated one.
“What is this?” Dominique asked slowly, squinting at it and then at Mamacita.
In answer, Mamacita closed the canvas bag. “I have one condition,” said Mamacita.
A network box like that would mean Pipsqueak, the entire shaman squad, could be ready in less than an hour.
“Wait a minute,” said Dominique. “Yesterday you declared your undying love for Liver and today you’re going to help me destroy her?”
“You haven’t heard my condition,” said Mamacita. “I’m not going to help you destroy her. You,” she said pointing at Dominique, “are going to help me save her.”
“Really,” said Dominique. “How do you figure?”
“You know what she’s trying to do over there and so do I. Well, I want it stopped.”
“You want me to stop the conjuring,” Dominique snorted.
“And that’s all,” said Mamacita. “I want it stopped and I don’t want
any harm done to Livvy.”
The old fool.
“If I have this,” she said, pointing at the bag. “And I have them,” she said pointing at the door. “What’s to stop me?”
“Well, you might start by offering your word. You’ll stop because in exchange for this, you’ll give me your word that no harm will come to Livvy and the conjuring will be prevented.”
“Okay, sure,” said Dominique, reaching for the bag. Mamacita let it go. “You have my word.”
“Now, I know you don’t take Mamacita for a fool,” she heard Mamacita say as she peered at the new box. “So let there be no doubt that if anything should happen to Livvy, you and the other vermin in there won’t find a rock big enough.”
Dominique finally tore her gaze from the box. Vermin? A rock? Did I hear her right?
Mamacita was smiling at her and Dominique cocked her head.
“You see, Dominique,” Mamacita continued. “You are playing in my sandbox.” Mamacita’s smile slowly disappeared and her upper lip curled into something feral as she stepped forward. Suddenly the landing was too small as Mamacita’s girth loomed.
Her voice dropped an octave. “You don’t know my world. You couldn’t possibly. But now that you’re here, I want something clear. The only thing that need concern you is me. You are one step away from crossing a line. It separates my good side from–let’s just call it the other side. I can promise you that the other side is a place you do not want to be, even in the tiny amount of time you’d have to think about it.”
Dominique automatically leaned back and felt the door behind her but couldn’t take her eyes off Mamacita’s face. If she didn’t know any better she’d say Mamacita was about to pull a knife. She blinked.
Mamacita withdrew slowly. Then her smile was back and her eyes had their familiar shine. “Mmm hmm.”
She moved past Dominique to the stairs and put her hand on the rail. “I’m so glad we understand each other.”
CHAPTER SIXTY
NO MORE GUILT, no more nightmares. It would be such a relief.
Livvy stood in the living room staring down at the leather pouch on the coffee table. She’d need the same artifacts for the conjuring as she had for the summoning. Then she looked at the goggles in her hand, gazing into the bulbous silver lenses on the front.
“Everybody loses a parent,” she murmured, echoing Min, but not everybody kills their mother.
The small candles in glass holders ringed the protective circle and cast a calming, almost meditative light. There were twelve, stationed at equidistant intervals, with thin red arcs of powdered ochre between them. In the center was her mat and small pillow.
She became aware of the quiet of the room–and the emptiness. There’d be no one to help with this. Mamacita had tried to stop her, and then Min and SK.
Then he had left.
She imagined him standing where she was standing now.
“I can’t go back either,” she said, picking up the pouch.
She felt its taut contours. With the syringe of blood added to it, it was nearly full.
Livvy moved over to the nkondi and crouched down in front of it. The unearthly eyes seemed to flick toward her as she glimpsed her reflection moving by. She lightly skimmed her fingers across the tops of the nails.
Yes, it would help to know what Dominique was doing and where she was in the Multiverse but…Livvy recalled the photo of Nicole. Tamara had called her Dominique’s weakness but, in truth, she was an unknown–except for the fact that she probably wasn’t well. Not even Ursula knew what effect her belongings would have on the nkondi except that it would be stronger. It made Livvy uneasy but it would be good to have the advantage for a change. She looked into the horrific face.
“Stronger how?” she asked it, but there was no answer.
She hadn’t expected one.
CHAPTER SIXTY-ONE
“YOU WON’T BELIEVE this, Nicole,” said Dominique.
She closed the door behind her. Nicole was painting at an easel and didn’t turn to look, though Dominique hadn’t expected her to.
“Mamacita has thrown in with me,” she continued, almost breathless.
She rushed over to the broom closet, opened it and fetched a few plastic bags from the floor.
“I gave her my word I wouldn’t harm Liver,” she said, setting the bags down on the kitchen table. “For what that’s worth!”
The old woman couldn’t be serious about threatening her.
“Pipsqueak is almost done, so I’ve got to hurry.”
She searched one plastic bag after another. Here we go, thought Dominique. This pair of goggles ought to do nicely.
She snapped on the power button and they buzzed to life, though the pitch was too high. Right, these weren’t the best pair. She shut it off and picked up another pair out of the same bag and turned them on. They sounded better.
“Somebody’s goggles went bad–” She stopped when she realized what she was saying and jerked her head up to see Nicole.
Nicole had frozen, with her brush still on the palette. She was staring at the goggles. Dominique quickly thumbed off the power switch and jammed them back down in the bag. Nicole went back to painting.
“Hey,” said Dominique. “Are you finally getting used to them?” Nicole didn’t look over. “Maybe you are.”
Everything is going right today.
“Look, I’ve got to go,” Dominique said, transferring the goggles to her bag. Nicole paid no attention. “But I’ll be back soon.”
She strode back to the door and turned around. “This is it, Nicole. I’m going to crush Liver this time. There’s no way I can lose.”
She watched Nicole painting for a few moments.
“I wish you could see it,” she said quietly. Then she nodded. “All right,” she said. “I’ll be back soon and, when I’m back, it’ll be a new shaman world in L.A.”
CHAPTER SIXTY-TWO
SK SILENTLY SLID the key into the lock and turned it.
Min had left more than an hour ago. He had waited in the lobby and then dialed Livvy. After a few calls with no answer, it was time to come up.
The entry was dark but he knew she had to be home. He’d have seen her go through the lobby if she’d left. It would have been better if she had, he thought. The fact that she didn’t answer her phone only meant one thing: she’d gone to the Multiverse.
The light from the candles caught his attention, and he closed the door. She was lying on her mat, goggles on. Nacho sat on the floor next to her but immediately ran over, meowing the entire way.
“You keeping watch too?” he asked, scratching him behind the ears.
Nacho answered by trying to move his head back and forth under SK’s hand.
SK turned his attention to Livvy and approached the circle. He gazed around at it but never even paused. He’d already made that decision. He stepped over and in and then sat on the floor next to her.
She was lying comfortably, her breathing normal, as though she were in a deep sleep. He gently moved a lock of hair away from her neck. Her jugular was pulsing steadily but not overly strong. Everything seemed to be all right so far. Some tension released from his shoulders.
“Not that I don’t trust you,” he whispered. “But I had to make sure you were all right.”
He paused, his eyes lingering on her lips, though he hadn’t expected her to speak. He looked at the small leather pouch grasped in her hand.
“I know what you’re doing over there and you know I don’t approve,” he continued. “But,” he stroked the hair at her temple. “I’m not going to leave you, Liv. I love you.”
He gave her a little smile.
“I know you can’t help trying to be with your mother.” He lightly brushed the back of his fingers along her jaw line. “But I also know you can’t defeat Dominique,” he said. “Not because you don’t have the power but because you just don’t have it in you to hurt people. It’s one of the things I love about you the most.”
“But–”
Wait a minute. He stared at her goggles. They weren’t connected to the network box.
He straightened and turned around, startling Nacho who leapt away. The network box and nkondi were on the coffee table. She had decided not to use them. She would not be able to avoid Dominique in the Multiverse nor would she have the advantage of surprise.
Dominique would.
He took out his phone and did a quick dial. An eternity seemed to stretch for each ring. He glanced at the network box and considered hooking her goggles up to it but there was no way to know what effect that would have while she was in mid-journey.
“SK?” answered Min, finally.
“Go,” he said. “She’s already there.”
CHAPTER SIXTY-THREE
“LIVVY!” EXCLAIMED HER mom.
As Livvy landed in the plaza of the Underworld, she gave it a quick check. Her mom was here but, other than that, they seemed to be alone. Before the plaza could tilt or do whatever else the Multiverse might throw at them next, she intended to get in, get done, and get out.
“We’ve got to hurry,” Livvy said, giving her a brief hug.
She knelt next to the fountain. “I think I’ve got this figured out.”
She arranged the items as she had for the summoning but on the ledge of the fountain instead of the ground.
“I’ll call down lightning on the pyramid but instead of you being summoned forth in the beam of light that comes out, we’ll both step into the light together. I’ll take you through the fountain and then into the real world.”
“Ready when you are,” said her mom.
“Okay,” said Livvy, stretching her hand up. “Give me some space. You don’t want to be standing too close when the lightning strikes.”
Her mom nodded and took several steps back.
Livvy turned her face up to the whirling clouds, as did her mom. “Lightning,” she said.
Nothing.
Gods no, not now!
Her mom waited expectantly and Livvy reached her hand higher, glaring at the sky. She had been about to try again when she saw that same strange pattern in the clouds. They were swirling and bubbling with patches of gray, white, and black that flowed into one another. In the center, though, was what looked like an enormous globular cell just before it divided, with a faint line down the middle.
Olivia Lawson Techno-Shaman Books 1 -3 Page 54