Nearly cheek-to-cheek, Wan-li’s voice was almost deafening. But as Livvy took a close look at her, she saw the tightness in Wan-li’s jaw and neck. With a start, Livvy realized Wan-li wasn’t wearing her pendant. For that matter, now that she thought about it, neither had Ursula.
Wan-li opened the door for her and virtually propelled her through it out to the sidewalk.
“When you decide what tea you would like,” Wan-li said, “you know where to find me.”
CHAPTER EIGHT
THIS ONE WOULD do. This one would do nicely. She was just the type Oleg liked–not too skinny. The American girls were all too skinny. Who ever heard of a skinny stripper?
The phone rang, barely audible over the music.
She was just getting to the good part. Having a pole installed in his office had been a stroke of genius. He forgot who suggested it.
“Good!” he yelled over the rhythmic music. “Good!”
She smiled at him. Of course, she did. They all did. But he’d keep this one close, maybe the Hollywood club. The splashy lights from the glitter ball raced chaotically around the walls. Feet on his desk, he tilted his office chair back, easing some of the pressure off his rotund middle.
Though it had stopped, the phone rang again.
He harrumphed and glared at the blinking red light on the console. Sometimes it didn’t pay to be the head of your own empire. Even though he delegated most everything.
“Uh oh,” he muttered, sitting up. The three things he never delegated were the auditions, the VIPs, and the game.
His feet slipped off the desk and hit the floor hard. He jammed a thick finger down on one of the desk’s toggle switches. He’d expected the music to cut off, but instead the colored strobes started.
“Dammit!” he said and started punching buttons all over the place. The music stopped. He snatched up the receiver. “Sidirov!” he said too loudly, now that there was no music. He cleared his throat and lowered his voice. “This is Sidirov,” he tried to say smoothly, in his best American accent.
The red, green, and blue strobes still circulated wildly, but now that the music had stopped, so had the girl.
“Boss,” someone said on the phone.
Boss?
“Dammit,” he said, grimacing.
None of the VIPs or poker players called him “Boss.” He glared at the double doors. His secretary sat on the other side. Despite the fact she couldn’t see him, he threw a killing glare at her. How hard can it be? No calls during an audition. No calls!
“Dammit!” Sidirov repeated just as whoever was on the line said something else. He pounded his big hand on the desk. “What?” he yelled. “What?”
“She’s back, Boss,” someone said. “The Lightning Shaman.”
CHAPTER NINE
LIVVY’S CONDO DIDN’T feel familiar. She rolled the single, small piece of luggage to the edge of the entryway tile and closed the front door behind her. Neither she nor SK had much in the way of suitcases. They’d bought what they’d needed in Guatemala City and that hadn’t been a lot. She checked her phone–again.
The last text from SK was hours old. He was taking Mayet to LAX. In the past few months, she and SK had been inseparable. Being without him felt strange. Frankly, though, everything was strange, not the least of which was what she’d seen on the airplane.
She left the suitcase at the door, headed through the swinging half doors to her right, and into the kitchen. Nacho’s ceramic bowls were still on their little towel in front of the oven.
Nacho, Livvy thought. She could picture the little tabby right there. But as she passed the table of the breakfast nook, large stacks of mail caught her attention. Min had been sorting it.
“Min,” Livvy whispered as she idly picked up a few envelopes and then set them back down without really looking at them.
This all seemed like another lifetime. It had ended when Livvy had left L.A., or so she had thought. Her decision had been so abrupt; she hadn’t done anything except leave. The utilities were on. The mail kept coming. The money she’d made as the Lightning Shaman still paid for everything. But Min was the one who took care of it all. She was taking care of Nacho.
Livvy smiled to herself. It’d be good to see Nacho and really good to see Min.
Or at least Livvy hoped it would. After Mamacita, Ursula, and Wan-li, Livvy wasn’t so sure. In fact, the taxi from Chinatown had gone right through Koreatown, trying to avoid rush hour traffic on the freeways. For a moment, she’d thought of just dropping by. But she’d had enough ‘good’ news for one day.
The mail on the table came back into focus, and Livvy realized there was also a small pile of phone messages. From the little notes, it looked like Min had actually returned most of the calls. But one name came up over and over: Belcourt. Roger and Margaret Belcourt. Their son Brad had been her client.
Livvy’s cell phone rang, and she knew who it had to be. They’d had to get new phones at the airport.
“SK,” she said, answering it without even looking.
“Liv,” he said after a small delay. It sounded noisy, but it was good to hear his voice. Until that moment, she hadn’t realized just how good.
“Are you in your car?” she asked.
“Yep. I’m just leaving home.”
She smiled. “You’re on your way here?”
“I am indeed,” he said, sounding chipper.
She sighed a little with relief. “I’ve missed you,” she said.
“I’ve missed you too. After all, it’s been a whole four hours and seventeen minutes.” There was a pause. “Not that anyone’s counting.” She grinned. “Look,” he said, “I was thinking we could get some dinner, but first we ought to see Min.”
Livvy glanced at the piles of mail and Nacho’s bowls. He was right. Even so, she dreaded it a little.
“I know,” Livvy said nodding.
“You know?” he asked.
It was an innocent enough question, but something about the way he said it got her attention.
“Know what?” she asked.
“That’s what I’m asking,” he said. “You know?”
Livvy frowned at the circular conversation. “Know what?” she asked again, as a ball of foreboding formed in her stomach.
Again there was a pause. She could hear road noise.
“I’ll pick you up in about fifteen minutes,” he said.
• • • • •
Though Mayet had told SK about Min, he’d obviously left out some details.
Jerk, SK thought. He was as speechless as Liv when the front door to Min’s condo opened and a young man appeared.
“Oh,” Liv said. “I’m sorry.” She checked left and right but there were no addresses. They were painted on the curb behind them. “I must have the wrong address.”
The young man behind the metal screen door looked startled. They all just stared at each other for a moment. SK didn’t recognize him, but if he had ever seen him before, he might have remembered. He had the most startlingly, bright red hair SK had ever seen. He was only slightly taller than Liv and slim.
“Are you Livvy and SK?” he said.
SK and Liv looked at each other.
“Yes,” SK said.
Though it wasn’t completely out of the question that someone might recognize them, it seemed like more than that. The young man grinned as he unlocked the screen door.
“Min is going to freak,” he said. “Come in, come in.”
Despite the fact that Min was Korean, and they couldn’t have looked more different, he did the most Min-like thing: he giggled.
“Minty,” he called out. “There’s someone here to see you.”
He winked at them both and his smile was pleasant, but Minty?
There was the sound of dishes in the kitchen. The condo was a tri-level and they’d entered at the middle. Using her cane, Liv stepped down into the wide living room. At the other end was a dining room table that still had a few plates on it. Off to the left, behind a d
ividing wall, the kitchen was just out of sight.
Min was drying her hands with a dishtowel when she came into view. SK moved to where he could see Liv’s face.
“Min,” Livvy whispered, staring at her stomach. “You’re…”
“Livvy!” Min exclaimed.
“Pregnant!” said SK.
In moments, Livvy and Min were hugging each other.
“I can’t believe it,” Livvy said.
“I missed you so much!” Min said.
SK addressed himself to the person he could only assume was the father. “I’m SK,” he said, extending his hand.
“Oh, for…Colin,” he said as they shook. “I’m Colin.”
Min giggled a little as she and Livvy separated. “Colin,” she said. “You didn’t introduce yourself?” But before he could answer, Min held out her arms to SK. “SK!” she exclaimed.
Min bent as low as she could, which wasn’t very low, and she and SK embraced a little awkwardly as his short arms barely made it to her waist.
“Min,” he said. “You look great.”
“Right?” Colin said. “I keep telling her that.”
Livvy held out her hand to him. “Colin?” she said. “I’m–”
He stepped around her hand and hugged her. “Come on,” he said, as a spark brightened between them. “Big hug.”
Liv laughed a little as he wrapped her up tight. “Okay,” she said. “Big hug.”
“I can’t believe you guys,” Min said. “When did you– Oh!”
In a heartbeat, Liv was standing by herself and Colin was next to Min. Her hands were on her stomach, but the smile on her face was huge. Colin put a hand next to Min’s. They wore gold wedding bands, and there was a little diamond engagement ring on Min’s finger.
“Wow,” Min exclaimed, covering Colin’s hand with both of hers. “I’ve never felt her that–”
“Oh, wow,” Colin said, awe in his voice. Then he beamed at SK and Livvy. “That’s my little drummer!”
Liv was grinning and, as SK took her hand, muffling the spark, it made him grin too. Mayet had said that Min was pregnant. He’d skipped the part about her being married.
“Whoa,” Min said, rubbing her tummy. “Maybe I should sit down.” Colin helped her over to the couch and took the dishtowel from her. “I’ve never felt her, or him, kick so much.” She smiled at Livvy and SK as she sat on the front edge of the cushion. “Must be all the excitement.”
“How many months along are you?” SK asked.
Colin sat down next to her, hand still on her stomach. SK would have guessed five. Min had been about to answer him when there was a little meow from the stairs.
“There he is,” Colin said. “Macho Nacho.”
“Nacho!” Liv exclaimed.
The little tabby galloped across the beige carpet, ears up and tail high. Although Liv crouched and held out her hand, Nacho ran by her, and nearly collided with SK’s ankles.
“Hey, Nacho,” SK said quietly, and Nacho meowed loudly in reply.
For a moment, everyone had to stare. It was as though Nacho had found a long, lost friend. He rubbed one way and then the other, meowing the whole time.
First Pete, thought SK, and now Nacho. The whole Master of Animals thing wasn’t quite what he’d expected.
“I like the eyes, by the way,” Min said, pointing at her own eyes and then his.
“I know,” Colin agreed. “Aren’t they great?”
If SK had been the blushing kind, he might have turned a tad pink.
“Well,” Liv said, standing up as Nacho continued to ignore her, preferring to have SK scratch him behind the ears. “You have to tell me everything.” She looked at Min and Colin in turn. “How you two met. When you got married.”
“Sam introduced us,” Colin said.
He did all of the talking, and he did it quick. SK and Liv each took a seat in the chairs across from the happy couple, and Nacho jumped into SK’s lap. Min’s brother, Sam, and Colin played in a band together, Sam on guitar, Colin on keyboards. Colin taught music at a private high school in Bel Air, but he had summers off and that worked out perfectly so that he could be home with Min. And since they’d moved in together, she didn’t have to work as much.
Though Liv seemed content to hear Colin excitedly tell their story, SK saw her watching Min carefully. Even though Min smiled, the baby was obviously kicking a lot. Colin finally took a breath.
“Min,” Liv interjected. “How far along did you say you were?”
“Seven months,” she said.
Liv didn’t try to hide her surprise. Even for Min, the baby was small.
“We’re hanging in there,” Colin said. “At the–”
“Twentieth percentile,” Min finished. “The baby’s small.”
“But good things come in small packages,” Colin said.
“Even in the first trimester the baby was small,” Min said. “Early on I ran a fever, but there was no sign of infection.” She patted her stomach and shrugged, smiling. “Neither of us seems to put on much weight.”
“And the Institute?” SK asked. “What can you tell us about that?”
Min tilted her head and gave a little shrug with a puzzled frown. “Not a lot,” she said. “It just seemed to happen overnight. I’ve never been there. I hear independents aren’t welcome–not that I’m working much right now.” She paused and both she and Colin looked at her stomach.
“He’s kicking again,” Min said. “Livvy, you want to feel him?”
Liv apparently didn’t need to be asked twice. She got up and sat down on the couch next to Min. Then she reached out and abruptly stopped. As though her hand had some special significance, they all stared at it, including Liv. Her face had gone white. SK stopped petting Nacho and put him on the floor.
“Go ahead,” Min said. She took Livvy’s hand and placed it on her tummy.
Min gasped and Liv yanked her hand back.
“Minty?” Colin said.
Min was a moment gaining a bit of composure, but Liv stood and backed away. She’d moved so quickly that Colin had to glance at her.
“You know,” Min said, beginning to stand up. “Maybe a lie-down would be good.”
“Here, Minty,” Colin said. He was already in position, two hands under her arm. “Let me help you.”
Liv continued to back away and picked up her cane. “Maybe we’d better get going,” she said.
SK stood and followed her to the front door. “Liv,” SK said, as she continued to back toward the door. “Is everything–”
“I’m sure Min and Colin are right,” Liv said. “It’d be good for Min to rest.”
“Just too much excitement, you know?” Colin said, smiling and helping Min to the stairs.
“Not too much,” Min said, leaning on his arm. She peeked over his shoulder before they headed up. Nacho had already raced up ahead of them. “Just enough. Livvy, see you soon?”
Liv nodded. “Count on it.”
CHAPTER TEN
“JUST…JUST SIT,” Livvy said to SK.
The ride up the elevator to her condo had been as strained and silent as the ride in his car. She had been terrified of this moment ever since…ever since her mother had told her.
“I’ll stand,” SK said.
He propped himself against the edge of the coffee table. She took a seat on the couch in front of him, not able to trust her legs.
“By all the gods, Liv,” he said, refusing to let go of her hand. “You’re worrying me.”
She looked into his gentle eyes and tried to think of how to begin. She had never meant to keep this from him, but the timing had never seemed right. His short fingers intertwined with hers. The timing wasn’t right now, but Livvy realized it never would be.
“Liv, whatever it is, we’ll get through it.”
She had to smile a little at that, if only for the irony. “No,” she said quietly. “That’s not how it works.”
He cocked his head at her. “Not how what works?”
“The whole lightning shaman thing.” She paused and took a deep breath. “Min is pregnant with the next one. Min is going to have the next lightning shaman.”
SK’s jaw dropped a little. The words hung in the air between them. Now that they were out, though, Livvy shuddered. The moment she’d sat next to Min and reached out a hand toward the baby, she’d known. Livvy’s mother had described it perfectly–the feeling of someone walking over your grave. Even now, Livvy’s hands felt clammy and the room a little too chilly.
“But how could you possibly–”
“My mother said I would know,” Livvy said, “and I do. I just know.”
“Your mother…” SK’s voice trailed off as he stared hard into her eyes.
She could see he remembered. In her entire life, Livvy had only told one person about the way her mother had died. Lightning had struck her in the real world during Livvy’s first vision quest.
“I’m going to…” She swallowed in a dry throat. Gods, there’s no good way to say this. “I’m going to die the same way,” she said. “When Min’s daughter comes into her power, I’m going to die.”
There. She’d said it, and to her shock, she was relieved.
SK blinked, shook his head, and took both her hands in his. “What do you mean you’ll die? What makes you think you’ll–”
“The lightning shaman before my mother told her so,” Livvy said. The cold in the room made her shiver. “Then she told me.”
“No, but–”
“Once in a generation,” she said. “Right? A lightning shaman comes once in a generation, if we’re lucky.” Even as understanding seemed to dawn in his face, his hands squeezed hers harder but she went on. “I don’t know why. I don’t know how many lightning shamans have known their future. I don’t know if anyone other than my mother even had a child, let alone a daughter and a lightning shaman.” SK was shaking his head vigorously but she continued. “But the one thing I do know: Min is pregnant with the next lightning shaman. And I will die when she has her vision quest.”
Shaman, Lover, Warrior: An Urban Fantasy Thriller (Olivia Lawson Techno-Shaman Book 5) Page 4
