Page 16 (1/2)

11

Twobetter I knew this not only because the doctors finally told , but also because I was getting really, seriously, bored even though I had a steady strea withabout Ivy, but we also talked about Gran’s new life on Serenity and reat, but when Gran offered to reschedule her flight and stay longer, I turned her down I could tell she wanted to get back to the island and check on Moht be mad at my mother, but she still loved and worried about her

Bruno snuck rateful It tasted awesome compared to the thin, bland liquids the hospital had been feedingpretty worn out, so I sent hiht and early to take me home

Home! I couldn’t wait I wanted out of there so badly, and I wasn’t looking forward to the long, lonely evening that stretched ahead ofclothes for me to wear at checkout tomorrow, and a surprise: one of her sisters--the hairdresser

Mae, like Dawna, is tiny and pretty But where Dawna is a ier She wears her hair very short in back, al bangs sweep across her forehead and over one eye I’d o and doesn’t visit the family much I didn’t ask, and they didn’t say, but I suspected that Dawna had asked her to co look at me, said, "It could be worse," and set to work

The results, when she showedMy hair was all short and a little ragged The style looked like one of the cuts you ht see on a punkthan pretty, though just a little bit harsh

"It’ll be better in a few days, when it grows out a little," Mae told , really!" I was so i, as bad as it had looked "How ," she said firift"

"Are you sure?"

"Positive"

"Thank you so rateful I was almost in tears Stupid, I suppose, but appearances matter At least they matter to me I’d felt like a freak Now I didn’t The difference was huge

Mae cleaned up the one, I read a couple of iven ot up early, took a birdbath in the little bathrooht me some of my most comfortable clothes: black jeans, a purple polo shirt, and one of ulations--but it felt good to pull on such fa I did ed the whole look of my face, and my stubby new eyebroere a little hard to deal with Still, after a bit of creative ith an eyebrow pencil, I didn’t look too bad

I was just putting away the last of ot a shock: Dottie and Fred arrived That wasn’t the shock; they’d visited before The surprise was that they’d brought the Wadjeti Fred was carrying it in its carved and warded box, but I could still feel the hu power of it, even froyptian scrying tool that had been given to hter, Eirene Since I’m not a seer, I had passed it to Dottie on kind of a permanent loan It’s tremendously valuable and when Dottie doesn’t need it anymore, I’ll probably donate it to a museuiven to my by an enemy doesn’t make it any less powerful a tool Still, I was surprised to see it, and Dottie and Fred, in ed--Dawna had talked to the, Celia You look so much better than you did Doesn’t she, Fred?"

"Much better," he agreed as he wandered over to stand on the far side of the bed He set the Wadjeti onto the bed beside me and left the visitor’s chair available for Dottie, asa soft whu sound each time she set it down on the tile floor She didn’t take the chair Instead, she cleared the clutter off the top of the rolling tray table, obviously preparing a clear workspace

"I’ht you before you left I was afraid ouldn’t," Dottie said

"Traffic" Fred lad to see you, but what’s up that couldn’t wait? I’ in a few minutes" I tried to sound nonchalant, butDottie was a seer and, to this day, I wasn’t sure hoerful she was Pretty strong, was ed to giveThat she wanted to use the Wadjeti to do the reading orse

"I know, dear" Dottie smiled up at me, but her expression was a little vacant "And there are things you need to know before you go Sit on the bed, please"

I sat

"Three throws, to represent your past, present, and future"

"Okay," I answered After all, it wasn’t as if I had a whole lot of choice Dottie looked absolutely deterets that look, it’s really best to listen Sighing, I lifted the Wadjeti’s lid to reveal a stack of ceraold set with alternating lapis and h that had been sootten what to do I held the cup in one hand and dropped the scarabs into it one at a time The power built with each stone added When the last one hit, there was a flare of heat, and a blinding white light shone out through the moonstones