• • • • •
Instead of lightning coming from the sky, an incandescent bolt suddenly flashed in from the side and struck the ground in front of the approaching group. Livvy reflexively shielded her face against the sudden explosion.
Most of the shamans with Dominique were blown off their feet, but now many of them were winking out in muted bursts of light. Dominique swiveled her head from side to side as her forces disappeared.
Livvy looked down at her hands. Had she called down lightning without channeling the strike?
Wait, it didn’t come from the sky.
She searched the direction from which the lightning had come and had to blink at what she saw. She knew her mouth must be hanging open. Was it another trick?
Next to the fountain, her arm still upraised, stood her mother with a bolt of lightning channeled from the clouds and sparks raining down. Her mom turned her head to face Livvy and smiled.
“Mom?” Livvy said, taking a tentative step toward her.
Without warning, a brilliant flash of light and a small booming sound came from Dominique’s direction. Livvy and her mom both looked over.
A shaman appeared in the middle of the burst.
Livvy raised her hand upward preparing to strike but something about this woman was familiar. She stared at her trying to remember. Yes, it was the woman from the picture, the one in the nkondi. It was Nicole and she looked surprised.
Then, time slowed.
To Livvy’s left, lightning erupted from her mother’s outstretched hand.
To her right, Dominique began to open her mouth.
Nicole was turning toward her sister, oblivious of the deadly energy bearing down on her.
In her mind’s eye, Livvy suddenly flashed on Alvina in Palm Springs. ‘Stop the speed,’ she had said.
Livvy saw the bolt of electricity begin to move inevitably forward. There would be no taking it back and no stopping it.
‘There may still be a chance,’ Alvina had warned.
Livvy glanced back to Nicole. There was no way the strike would miss. When it landed, it would be lethal.
Alvina’s voice rang in her head. ‘Stop the speed.’
But if I don’t get to her, she’ll die.
Livvy surged forward. She watched as Nicole continued her slow-motion pirouette. Dominique had not moved but her mouth was opening wider. The incandescent bolt from her mother steadily approached from the left.
As Livvy looked at it, she realized it wasn’t just one bolt but four. The shafts themselves were tiny, barely there, following one after another. The first one superheated the air around it to produce a glowing purple tube. Even as it slowly blinked off, the one behind took its place in the luminous channel. The effect was like a sluggish and eerie strobe, although no one could see it except her.
Livvy’s eyes began to sting from the wind rushing into them. It rippled her skin and tugged furiously at her hair as she squinted, pressed her lips together, and leaned forward.
She glanced at her mother’s determined face. The sparks around her seemed to fall like lazy flakes in a snow globe, clearly reflected as tiny points in her eyes.
The lightning strobed again and Livvy turned back to Nicole.
Almost there.
The brightness of the approaching electricity lit Nicole’s back and reflected off her hair. It made her seem as though she were wearing a bright purple wig.
Almost there.
Nicole had nearly completed a half revolution, her eyes on Dominique now, and her smile radiant, positively lovely. The lightning slowly went off and then back on.
Almost there.
The tip of the supercharged lightning was a deep but intense shade of violet. It was more beautiful than any color Livvy had ever seen, but she had to turn her face away from it as time snapped back into place.
• • • • •
In the real world, SK used a damp hand towel to dab Livvy’s forehead. He nearly dropped it when he realized Livvy had made a sound.
“Thank the gods!”
They must be done and coming back. It was hard to know without being with Min and the other shamans.
He stood and looked at Livvy’s face, but as the seconds ticked by he realized that wasn’t the case. Though Livvy’s expression hadn’t changed, her lips had parted slightly and a quiet but anguished moan escaped. The muscles in her neck became taut and her diaphragm stopped moving.
“Oh gods, no,” he muttered.
He snatched up his phone and dialed emergency help.
• • • • •
What began as a sensation of cold numbness built rapidly to a searing and sizzling burning in her side. The lightning strike crashed into her full force, knocking her toward Nicole, who she instinctively grabbed. Livvy hugged her close but they were moving too fast. The ground impact forced the air from them both in sharp grunts and broke Livvy’s grip.
Sapped of all strength, her arms flopped uselessly as she skidded on her side. Launched by the collision, Nicole flew away from her and started to roll.
At last, Livvy came to a halt.
Without enough energy to moan, Livvy simply closed her eyes to the excruciating pain in her side, the side she was lying on. She lay perfectly still, hyperaware of the silence–until she heard Dominique.
“Nicole!” she screamed. “Nicole!”
Was Nicole okay?
Livvy slowly opened her eyes to see Nicole several feet away from her, also lying on her side, looking directly at her. Her eyes seemed alert. In fact, she was beginning to smile.
Then someone’s feet cut off her view.
“Livvy,” her mother gasped. “Oh gods, Livvy!” She felt her mother’s hands on her. “Gently,” her mother said. “Roll her onto her back.”
The pain doubled and Livvy couldn’t help but scream. Finally, she was on her back, breathing hard, eyes closed.
“Is she okay?” Min asked.
“Oh gods,” said her mom, now that she could see her left side. “I don’t think so.”
“SK is in the real world,” said Ursula. “She only has to get to the fountain.”
“We can carry her,” said Tamara.
“Absolutely,” said Alvina.
Livvy opened her eyes. “Nicole?” she said, weakly.
“I’m here,” another voice said.
Livvy turned her head in that direction. Nicole was standing behind her mom. Dominique was there as well–the twins, side by side.
“I’m right here, Livvy,” Nicole said again as Dominique gaped at her. She knelt down next to Livvy’s mom. “You saved my life,” she said.
“Good,” Livvy managed. “Good.”
“Livvy, honey,” said her mom, her voice trembling. “I didn’t mean to–”
“I know, Mom,” Livvy whispered.
Her mom looked up at Min, Alvina, Ursula and Tamara. “I was aiming for Dominique and then she appeared.” She nodded toward Nicole. “But it was too late.”
“I have never seen anyone move so fast,” said Ursula.
“Not fast enough,” Livvy whispered. She tried to laugh but it hurt.
“Fast enough,” said Alvina as she and Livvy made eye contact. Alvina knew what it had cost.
They were all silent for a few moments.
“Why?” Dominique said quietly. All faces turned to her. “Why would you do it?”
“You,” said Ursula, “deserve to die.”
There was a rustling of feet.
“Ursula,” Min warned.
Dominique looked away from Ursula and back to Livvy, the question still on her face.
“Because she’s the lightning shaman,” said Min simply.
“You waste your breath,” said Tamara.
“Are you going to be all right?” asked Nicole. She sounded exactly like Dominique and yet not.
“I’m going to be…” Livvy said quietly but paused. She had meant to say ‘fine.’ Although the burning pain in her side had already begun to subside, it was
being replaced by a strange tingling sensation. “Actually, I don’t know,” she finished.
“The first thing will be getting you to the fountain,” said Min.
“Let me handle that,” said her mom.
“What?” said Ursula.
“We can help,” said Alvina.
“No,” said her mom. “Livvy and I–we have some unfinished business.”
There was an awkward silence.
“Don’t worry,” said her mom. “Just some mother daughter talk. It won’t take long.”
“Nicole?” said Dominique.
Nicole looked at her and then back at Livvy. She bent low over Livvy and kissed her softly on the cheek. “Thank you,” she whispered.
Then she rose and stood next to Dominique, like mirrored images except for the length of the hair. Dominique looked at her sister and then down into Livvy’s face. She took in a breath and seemed as though she had something to say. Instead, she slowly exhaled. A brief look of puzzlement turned into outright confusion.
Nicole took Dominique’s hand and tugged it. Dominique turned to follow her and they were gone.
“Are you sure we can’t help?” asked Min.
“Yes,” said her mom. “We won’t be long.”
Livvy looked over at Min. Tamara, Ursula, and Alvina stood around her. “It’s okay,” Livvy said, her voice stronger.
The four of them exchanged looks and then Min nodded. She turned back to Livvy with a little smile. “All right,” she said. “I’ll see you on the flip side.”
In moments, Livvy and her mom were alone.
“Here honey,” said her mom.
Livvy felt her head being lifted up and settled back down. She gazed up into her mother’s face, her head resting in her lap. Above them, the tall buildings of the plaza no longer seemed so high. Cotton ball clouds slipped by beyond them.
“So, you’re a lightning shaman,” Livvy said.
She recalled the strange pattern in the clouds when her mother was near and the inability to call down lightning. Maybe lightning didn’t work when two lightning shamans were present. Maybe it got confused or couldn’t split. Maybe…
“Well,” her mom said, touching Livvy’s hair and then moving her hand to the side of Livvy’s face. “You can see how good I am.”
Livvy laughed and then winced. Her mother’s face became serious. It was also getting dim around the edges.
“It wasn’t your fault that I died,” she said.
“Oh Mom,” Livvy started to protest.
“No, just hear me out.” She scowled and took on a stern tone. “Do not make me use my mother voice for this entire thing.” Then she smiled.
“Okay,” said Livvy.
“It wasn’t your fault that I died,” her mom said. “And I’ll tell you why. It was your fate.”
Livvy’s mom paused to let it sink in but it didn’t. “What?” said Livvy.
“Your fate,” said her mother, looking directly into her eyes. “The fate of every lightning shaman.”
Livvy tried to raise her head.
“Hold on,” said her mom. “Hold on. Let me finish.”
Livvy stopped and settled back down.
Her mom took in a deep breath and gazed out at the plaza. “I never wanted to be a lightning shaman,” she said. “Though I imagine none of us do. Honestly, I was unsure of shamanism to begin with but especially when my mentor told me what I just told you.”
Livvy still didn’t understand and shook her head slightly. Her mom gazed down at her and Livvy looked intently into her green eyes, though they had started to fade.
“Only once in a generation, right?” her mom said. “That’s because the old lightning shaman has to die so the new one can come into their power.”
“What?”
“Well,” said her mother, looking away, “I couldn’t do that. I wouldn’t. Besides,” she said, smiling and looking at Livvy while stroking her hair, “I wanted to have kids.”
“So you never became a lightning shaman?” asked Livvy.
Her mom shook her head. “No, I never did. Not a lightning shaman, not any kind of shaman at all. My mentor and I parted ways. I met your father. And the rest you know.”
Once in a generation, Livvy thought, and not always then.
“I knew the old lightning shaman would have to die for the next one to come along but I wasn’t really sure if that was me or my mentor,” said her mom. “I had managed to put it from my mind, until you were born.”
“Because then you had a family to worry about,” Livvy said.
“No, honey,” she said. “No, not really.”
Livvy waited, watching her.
“No,” she said, sounding sadder than Livvy had ever heard her mother be before. “No, because the minute I laid eyes on you, I knew you were the next lightning shaman.”
Livvy searched her mother’s face, her eyes moving back and forth between her mother’s eyes. She knew?
“My mentor knew it would be me,” she said. “She knew I was the next lightning shaman. She told me I would know the next one as well, even if I didn’t acknowledge my own power.”
“You knew?” asked Livvy. “From the time I was born?”
“It’s hard to explain,” said her mom. “I knew you were the next lighting shaman because it was kind of like seeing my own grave.”
“And you didn’t tell me?”
“Livvy, honey,” she said, caressing Livvy’s face. “That’s a hell of a thing to tell your daughter, especially if you’re not sure. It’s not like there’s a rulebook somewhere. It’s more an intuition.”
Her mom slowly shook her head. “I don’t know how often a lightning shaman goes from mother to daughter,” she said and shrugged. “Maybe never. A lightning shaman doesn’t usually have children.”
Livvy didn’t know what to say. Her mother’s voice was growing dimmer and her entire body was starting to lose its color.
“Livvy, I can’t explain to you in words how happy I was the day you were born, even when I realized who you were,” she said, almost glowing with the memory, her eyes glistening. “I treasured each and every day with you and, if I had to do it again, I wouldn’t change a thing. I…”
She started to choke up.
“Oh Mom,” Livvy said, reaching up to her.
Her mom leaned forward and hugged her, rocking gently. “I love you, honey,” she said into Livvy’s hair.
“I love you too, Mom,” Livvy managed between the tears.
They hugged and rocked, and occasionally sniffled until, finally, they were quiet. Livvy’s mom slowly straightened up and wiped a tear from Livvy’s face.
“All right, my girl,” said her mom. “It really is time for you to go, before there’s not enough of me to help you.”
Livvy could only nod.
“Can you stand?”
“Let’s try,” Livvy said.
It was tricky and painful. Livvy realized she couldn’t bend her left leg or put any pressure on it but, with her mom’s help, she managed to stand.
“I think you should keep this,” said her mom.
Livvy looked down as her mom held out the engagement ring. Livvy extended her hand.
“It’s yours,” her mother said, placing it into her palm.
Her mom propped a shoulder under Livvy’s left arm and they hobbled to the edge of the fountain.
“Livvy?” her mom said, smiling. It was getting difficult to hear her.
Livvy turned to her, watching her lips.
“I’m proud of you, honey.”
Livvy hugged her tightly as she tried to burn this moment into her memory–her mother’s touch, the sound of her voice, and that smile. Reluctantly, she let her go.
Her mom looked at the fountain and nodded at it.
There was no point in trying to talk now.
Livvy slowly sat down on the ledge. Her mom helped lift her legs over the lip and into the water, though Livvy could barely feel her hands. She watched in silence as her mom sa
t next to her, facing the opposite direction.
She was almost gone now.
Her mom looked into the distance as though she recognized something there and then turned back to Livvy.
“Love you,” she mouthed as she disappeared.
“Love you too, Mom,” Livvy whispered and reached out.
But she was gone.
CHAPTER SIXTY-EIGHT
“I GUESS I thought maybe we could talk,” said Dominique, but Nicole seemed not to have heard.
Dominique had come back to the real world to find headquarters deserted. Not a single shaman remained. Empty water bottles were scattered everywhere. The desk and all the cabinets were open, their contents spilled out. She knew they’d been looking for the drugs. It looked like they’d found everything.
There was a note on her stomach when she’d taken off the goggles. It was from Pipsqueak. The box from Mamacita had burned up. That would have accounted for her reserve squad disappearing the way it did.
Mamacita.
There was no time to think about her, though. Dominique had run down the stairs and across the alley to see Nicole–this new Nicole she’d seen in the Multiverse.
Dominique watched her squeeze various colors of paint onto her palette.
“Nicole?” Dominique tried again.
She’d heard her speaking so clearly in the Multiverse, as though she’d been talking all her life. Now that they were back, it was as though nothing had changed. She hadn’t uttered a word. She’d been painting when Dominique arrived.
Something on the kitchen table caught Dominique’s eye.
The goggles were on.
She went over to the table and picked them up. The symbols of the entrance to the Multiverse were still playing inside. She turned them off with a little clicking sound and looked back at Nicole, who took no notice.
Dominique remembered how she’d popped into existence, like any other shaman–how Nicole had smiled and turned toward her as though she were actually seeing her. It was the first time she could remember thinking that Nicole recognized her.
And then had come the lightning.
Dominique had barely had time to realize that the bolt was on its way before Liver… She paused. Before Livvy…
Olivia Lawson Techno-Shaman Books 1 -3 Page 57
