“More like a no-star hovel. But it came with a cat, so I can’t complain.”
“I didn’t know you liked cats.”
“We have one at home, part Siamese and all attitude. And I love dogs, too,” I said fondly, thinking of Cola.
“Cats, dogs … I’m a fan of almost all animals,” he said.
“Almost? What animals don’t you like?”
“Well … it’s kind of embarrassing to admit.”
I pantomimed zipping my lips. “I won’t tell. What?”
“Birds — they freak me out. My grandpa had this mean parrot once that bit my ear. I was only four, but that kind of pain you don’t forget. I still have a scar right here,” he added, pointing to his left ear.
I leaned closer to look at the tiny jagged white scar on his ear lobe, aware of the few inches between us and careful not to accidentally caress him with his sister’s hands. It was safe to talk about animals and not about what was really on our minds.
But it was time to get serious.
“Eli, did you bring it?” I asked quietly.
He knew exactly what I meant and reached into his coat pocket. “Here,” he said, handing me a small book.
I took my GEM, frowning a little because now that I finally had it there was no need to use it. My mission was over — whether I wanted it to be or not. Still, it felt good to hold my tiny link to the other side.
“Thanks for bringing it all this way,” I told Eli.
“I said I would — although getting here hasn’t been easy.”
“I wondered why you didn’t call me back.”
“Sorry,” he said sheepishly. “I wanted to but I couldn’t. Remember the girl from the dorm I told you about who was helping me?”
How could I forget? Gritting my teeth I said, “Yeah. Katelyn.”
“Well it turns out we have the same cell phone model — and she took mine by mistake. So I didn’t get your message with your address until she realized the mistake and called me. By then, I had other problems. Dad was mad that I hadn’t returned right home with the car he loaned me, and he ordered me to ‘haul my ass home or else.’”
“Did you go home?”
“You bet — no one defies Dad. I’d already disappointed him by refusing to work at the car lot and I didn’t want to make things worse. Besides, going home gave me a chance to talk to Mom. She’s been so worried about Sharayah.”
For good reason, I thought grimly.
“When I told her I was trying to help Sharayah, she was thrilled,” Eli continued. “I don’t know what she told Dad, but next thing I knew he was handing me the keys to a brand new car and slipping me a credit card for gas. I finally got a call from Katelyn, who explained the phone mix-up, and once I had the address I drove right here.”
“Thanks so much — especially for my GEM.” I rubbed my hand over the smooth cover. “Although it’s not much use to me now.”
“Are you sure?” he asked, frowning. “There could be information in it that would help Sharayah. What will happen to her when you switch back?”
“She’ll resume her own life.”
“But will she be okay?”
I wanted to answer “yes,” but the intuitive connection I shared with Sharayah told me otherwise. Her fragile soul, sleeping in my physical body, was getting a needed rest, but that was only a Band-Aid on a much deeper wound. She needed to get over Gabe’s cruelty and regain her self-confidence.
Unfortunately, I could no longer help her.
Still, Eli was right about there being no rush for me to get to the airport. In fact, why get on a plane at all? I could travel on more mysterious planes. All I had to do was wait for Grammy to return me to my own body. In a blink of a soul switch, I’d travel over 400 miles and I’d wake up in a hospital bed. Once I was myself again, I’d go right to Alyce and stay with her all night if that’s what it took to mend our friendship.
“Aren’t you going to open it up?” Eli asked, gesturing toward the book.
“No,” I said wryly. “My mission is over.”
“Not officially. You’re still my sister.”
“For a few hours, anyway — which isn’t long enough to finish my job. I totally messed up as a Temp Lifer.”
“You did your best in a crazy situation. And after the switch, I’ll stick around here to help my sister. Your insider information will make it easier to convince her to come back home with me.”
“But she can’t go home until after the Voice Choice audition tomorrow,” I insisted. “You have to get her there — and arrive early because there will probably be a long line.”
“I will,” Eli promised. “Even if it means kidnapping her.”
“Don’t cause her to scream — that’s terrible for her vocal chords.”
He stared at me uneasily. “You’re kidding … right?”
I fixed him with a dead-serious look, then relaxed into a grin. “Of course I’m kidding. Besides, you shouldn’t have any trouble convincing Sharayah. You’re her brother, she’ll listen to you.”
“Her younger brother. Usually she’s the one telling me what to do, not the other way around.”
“Oh. Then I better consult the GEM for advice.” I looked down at the small book. “I’ll find out what we should do about the audition and whether the DD Team caught the Dark Lifer.”
“What Dark Lifer?” Eli nearly jumped off the couch.
“Oh, didn’t I tell you about him?”
“No, you did not,” he said accusingly.
I wasn’t eager to talk about what had happened, but Eli had done so much for me, I owed him the truth. So I told him everything — except about my rescue by Dyce. Somehow that seemed like a bad idea.
“Anyway, it’s all over now,” I finished. “The DD Team will get rid of the dead guy hiding out in Warren.”
“What about the real Warren? What happens to him?”
“I don’t really know. I guess he’ll be okay. He’ll probably wake up with confused memories but blame it on partying too hard.”
“Poor guy,” Eli sympathized. “It reminds me of a corny movie about zombies and body snatching. Yet it’s really happening and Dark Lifers seem to be stalking you.”
“Maybe they still are,” I said with growing trepidation. Holding out the GEM, I flipped it open, not surprised this time to find only blank paper. But I knew what to do.
“GEM, could you tell me about the Dark Lifer in Warren?” I asked. “Has he been captured yet?”
As I stared at the paper, it changed, rippling with movement like stiff fingers stretching, then growing so bright it seemed to glow.
A single word curled across the page in perfect cursive penmanship.
No.
“He hasn’t?” My heart skipped. “Why not?”
Unable to locate the Dark Lifer.
“But I told Cola he was staying in Venice Beach. If Cola could smell his essence on me, why can’t the DDT find him?”
An exact location is required.
“He’s staying in a beach house with his friend Alonzo. I don’t know the address.”
Find out.
“How am I supposed to do that?” I retorted. “I’m just a rookie Temp Lifer who messed up my first real assignment. What do you expect from me? A miracle?”
A three-letter word flashed across the page — large, bold, and demanding.
YES.
Then, without my even touching the book, it slammed itself shut.
“Why’d you close it already?” Eli asked, peering over my shoulder. “We haven’t asked for advice on how to help my sister.”
“The book has ideas of its own,” I said, a little annoyed at being ordered around by a bunch of paper. “But I’ll ask it about your sister afterwards.”