Kim Harrison: Something Deadly This Way Comes

Tucking her purse under her arm, Nakita shrugged. Clearly she didn’t believe it was possible, but as far as I was concerned, this scything was already going better than the last. Nakita had agreed to not kill Tammy unless she was sure she couldn’t be helped, and we knew where Tammy lived. We were halfway there.

“Is that them?” Nakita said suddenly, and I followed her pointing finger to a blonde girl standing impatiently with one foot on the steps of a bus, the other on the sidewalk. She was yelling at a cluster of boys still on the school steps, their heads together over a handheld game. “She’s got a greenish aura with that orange center.”

“Hold your horses!” a dark-haired boy yelled back, making an ugly face at her. “I’ve got to get to a portal, or I’m going to lose my place!”

“You’re going to lose your ride home, you idiot!” she yelled back. “Mom is going to be ticked if she has to leave work to pick you up again, Johnny!”

The memory of my heart gave a pound and vanished. Johnny. That was Tammy’s brother’s name.

The girl turned in a huff and stomped up the stairs. In the line of buses, the second one revved its engine and left. Two more to go until Tammy’s could leave.

“Your sister is a witch,” I heard one of the boys say to Johnny, but Johnny was too engrossed in his game to comment.

“That’s them,” I said, suddenly worried. Now what?

Josh fidgeted as the next bus left. “Are we getting on?”

My lips pressed. Nakita could only carry one person in flight, and I didn’t want to separate.

“Guys . . . the bus is leaving!” Josh said, motioning for us to run for it.

“Johnny!” the girl shouted out her window. “Get on the bus!”

A surge of excitement raced through me. “Let’s go,” I said, and we all broke into a jog. The bus was revving its engine. We slipped on right after Johnny, stomping up the stairs, Nakita first, then me, and lastly, Josh.

“Hey,” the driver said, clearly not recognizing us, then he blinked. I could feel my amulet warming, and guessed that Nakita was doing something. The driver’s gaze suddenly went unfocused, and I scrambled past him and into the aisle when he reached to pull the door shut. Josh barely made it.

I blew my breath out in relief. Thanks to Nakita, the driver either didn’t see us, or didn’t care. The kids, though, knew we didn’t belong, and about fifteen pairs of eyes stared at us as we made our way down the aisle. Nervous, I worked my way to the back where Tammy sat with two girls, one with her, and one behind them, leaning over the back of their bench.

My unease grew as several pairs of eyes took in my purple-tinted hair, and someone snorted at my yellow shoes. Hand going to my amulet, I touched on the divine long enough to bend light around it, hiding the stone. I could still feel its original shape, but as far as anyone knew, it was just a silver chain.

I jumped when Josh touched my hand, and he grinned for having surprised me. Leaning forward, his breath tickling my neck and sending a shiver through me, he whispered, “I’m going to sit behind Johnny. See if I can learn anything.”

“Okay,” I whispered back, and he flopped into an empty seat, closing his eyes to look bored. His foot, though, was jiggling. He was enjoying this, and that made me feel good. Being the dark timekeeper’s girlfriend was hard. It ought to have a few perks.

“There,” I said to Nakita, pointing out the empty seat in front of Tammy.

Nakita sat stiffly, her nose wrinkled as if she smelled something bad. I agreed with her. I hadn’t ridden the bus since I’d gotten my car a year ago. ’Course my car was still in Florida with my mom, but I’d rather ride my bike in the rain for five miles than take the bus now. I gingerly leaned back, my feet spread wide for balance as I fell into the half-aware stupor that the bus had always engendered in me. Slowly Nakita’s posture eased as she took in my slouch and the barely contained havoc of the rest of the bus. It was noisy. I’d forgotten that part. Oh, joy.

The bus lurched, and I propped myself straight as we hit the main road. Slowly the noise evened out and the roaring of the diesel became a background hum. Okay, I’d found Tammy. Now the question was, how could I convince her to stay home tonight so her apartment wouldn’t catch on fire, Johnny wouldn’t die, and she wouldn’t lose faith in herself and the world? It wasn’t like I could turn around in the seat and tell her to make a better decision or her brother was going to go to the big arcade in the sky.

“Oh, it’s to die for!” a loud voice said, too bold to be comfortable on my ears. “I saw it last night. His pants are so tight you could bounce a peanut butter cup off them, and I swear, his shirt had a new button undone in every scene.”

“Good God, Jennifer,” Tammy said. “What is it with you comparing boys to food?”

“So what?” the loud voice protested. “I’m going to see it again tonight. With Chris. You want to come? We can invite Dan and double date.”

“I’ve got homework,” a new voice said from right behind me, sort of a soft, quiet voice that sounded like it belonged to someone who had been beaten down one too many times by her friends. I knew that voice. It had never been mine, but I knew it.

“Homework,” Jennifer snorted. “I knew you wouldn’t come. I was talking to Tammy.”

Beside me, Nakita started fiddling with her amulet. I glared at her, not wanting her to draw her sword. Barnabas would have a fit.

“Come on, Tammy,” Jennifer coaxed. “You like Dan, right? Now’s your chance to find out how good he can kiss.”

“Uh . . . my mom . . .” Tammy started, and Jennifer laughed.

“Ple-e-e-ease!” she moaned. “There is no way your mom will find out. She’s working.”

“Yeah, but it’s not like I can sneak out with Johnny around. The little brat will tattle on me.”

“So wait until he’s asleep. We’re going to the late show, anyway.”

The image of a burning building drifted before my eyes, and again, the terror of Tammy seeing the quietly flashing ambulance with its small, covered stretcher filled me. I turned my head just enough so I could see Jennifer leaning over the back of Tammy’s seat, her arms dangling. Her expression was mocking, and I recognized that pissed look Tammy was now wearing. I’d been goaded by people I thought were my friends, too. She was going to do it, not because she wanted to sit in a dark theater with Dan, but because she didn’t want Jennifer to think she was chicken.

“Look,” Jennifer said, gum snapping, “wait for your mom to call at nine, like she always does, and then come out when bug boy is asleep. Easy peasy. You’ll be home by twelve thirty.”

The girl who had begged off with homework had her lips pressed, silently telling Tammy to say no. Jennifer saw it and pulled back a little. “You’re chicken,” she said derisively.

I sighed, knowing what was going to happen next.

“Am not!”

I held the edge of the seat as we took a corner, looking away when Jennifer’s eyes met mine for a second. “Then I’ll see you at ten thirty,” the girl said, and I could feel her eyes on me still.

“Fine,” Tammy said, and the memory of her terror hit me again.

“You can’t!” I exclaimed, turning in the seat.

The three girls and Nakita stared at me, Nakita in wonder, Jennifer in anger, and Tammy and her last friend in bewilderment.

“Who asked you, you freak?” Jennifer said loudly.

My face warmed, but it wasn’t like I could just turn back around. “I . . . uh,” I stammered.

“Madison is not a freak,” Nakita said hotly. “She’s trying to save Tammy’s soul.”

My eyes shut, and I cringed. When they opened, Tammy’s eyes were wide, and the girl with her looked afraid. Jennifer started to laugh. I was mortified. God, did Nakita even have a clue how lame that sounded? Even if it was true?