Part 26 (2/2)
”Trying to save you!”
”Oh? How?”
”Like this!” He flung himself at her and returned her to the floor as the papers made their second pa.s.s. The edge of an envelope opened a small cut on his cheek.
”Get off me!”
”You're welcome!” Too buzzed with adrenaline to be embarra.s.sed, he rolled onto his back and watched her climb to her feet. ”What are you doing?”
”Putting a stop to this!” She pointed a rigid finger at the papers. ”Right now!”
Everything except a postcard plummeted to the floor. The postcard made one final dive.
”You, too!” Claire snapped.
It burst into flames and fell as a fine patina of ash over the rest.
Hands on her hips, she glared around the open s.p.a.ce where the table had been. ”We can do this easy or we can do this hard. Your choice.”
The silence picked up a certain mocking quality.
”Just remember, I warned you.”
”Now what?” Dean asked, standing slowly, keeping a wary eye on those larger items, like chairs, that might also be considered movable.
Claire bent down and smudged a bit of ash on her left forefinger. ”Now, I'm going to make whatever it is show itself.”
”You can do that?”
”Of course,” she snapped. ”Check the card.”
”The card?”
”The business card I gave you.”
He pulled it out of his wallet as she walked over to the window ledge and smudged a bit of dust on her right forefinger.
Aunt Claire, Keeper Your Accident is my Opportunity (spiritual invocations a specialty)
”It didn't say that before.”
”It didn't need to. Now, be quiet.” With both hands out at shoulder height, she pulled power. The symbol drawn by her left hand glowed green, the symbol drawn by her right glowed red. ”Ashes to ashes, dust to dust. Appear because I say you must.”
Dean glanced back down at the card. It now read: (poetry optional). Claire's sister apparently had a good idea of Claire's limitations.
Between the symbols, fighting the invocation every inch of the way, the figure of a man began to materialize. Still translucent, he jerked back and forth trying to break the power that held him. When he finally realized he couldn't win, he snapped into focus so quickly the air around him tw.a.n.ged. Medium height and medium build, he wore a bulky black turtleneck, faded jeans, and a sneer.
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