It Happened One Doomsday (3 page)

Rane sat cross-legged on the floor, surrounded by open boxes. Charred bits of rings littered the floor. Her face was mottled red with frustration. “Dude, this is total crap. None of these are
working
.”

“Can I help?” Dru stepped in through the doorway. Her shoes made gravel-crunching noises on the mess.

“Don't worry. I'll pay for those,” Rane said, in a tone of voice that indicated she didn't think she should.

Dru tried not to think about the cost of the destroyed inventory or the amount of her almost-overdue rent. “Look, let's just slow down a minute. Maybe there's a way I can help you stop exploding things.”

Rane held up a hand. “D. Seriously. Back off and let me do this.” Her eyes glinted dangerously.

There was no way to win. After a moment, Dru forced a smile. “All righty. I'll be back.” She shut the door behind her and leaned against it. Inside, another ring popped. Dru sighed in resignation.

Back up front, Dru sidled behind the counter again. “Okeydoke. One last thing. Have you tried any religious intervention? Church, priest, communion, anything like that?”

“Look, I've been to doctors. Tried a shrink, even. None of them helped. I was on my way to the liquor store next door. That's the best I've got.”

“Well, I've got a better idea. Let's try something new.” She went down the aisles in the front of the store. One by one, she pulled out cardboard drawers and sorted through various crystals and chunks of rock. She could feel the intensity of his gaze following her every step.

Blushing, though she didn't know why, she came back to the counter and spread out an assortment of crystals.

He picked up a softball-sized gray-and-tan lump of rock and turned it over.

“Careful. That's hollow.” She snatched the geode out of his hand and set it down on the counter. After considering her options, she chose a shiny chunk of galena. Like most galena crystals, it looked like it had been formed from a half-dozen different little cubes all fused together, and it had a dark-mirrored sheen, like a highway patrolman's sunglasses.

She took a moment to weigh the crystal in her hand, until she could feel the faint whispers of its energy synchronizing with hers. “Here. Let's start easy, with a little lead-sulfide galena crystal. Let me have your hand.”

He put his arm on the counter, and she pushed back the sleeve of his leather jacket. When she touched the galena to his wrist, the crystal popped with a cold blue flare of light, like an old-fashioned photo flash, accompanied by a sinister sizzling sound. Greyson yanked his arm off the counter and sucked his breath in through his teeth.

“Wow,” Dru said, with a little thrill of triumph mixed with a tinge of surprised fear. She'd never seen galena react so spectacularly before. “Bingo. Looks like we have a demon.”

“
Huh.
” Greyson shook his hand out. If he felt any pain, which Dru seriously suspected, he did a remarkable job of hiding it. “Demon, huh?” He shook his head and turned toward the door. “Time for me to go.”

“Greyson, wait. I know it sounds bad. But chances are it's nothing. There are countless garden-variety demons out there trying to raise hell, so what you've caught is probably pretty minor.”

After a couple of steps, he paused and faced her again. “Look, I don't believe in demons, or ghosts, or any of that.” He glanced around at the cluttered shelves. “No offense.”

Dru shrugged. “Doesn't matter if you believe in the demon or not. It still wants your soul.”

A faint smile of disbelief, almost amusement, crooked up one corner of his mouth. He shook his head once, then turned to go.

But something held him back.

Dru waited. She'd seen people express this kind of disbelief in the supernatural plenty of times before. Even her boyfriend didn't believe, no matter how much he saw. She knew from experience that if she tried too hard to convince Greyson, she would push him away, and his problem would only get worse. As much as it pained her to stay silent, she bit her lip.

He let out a deep breath, then nodded his chin at the galena crystal she still held. “All right. I'll bite. First, tell me what makes the rock light up like that. Got an LED bulb in there, or . . . ?”

“Just an ordinary crystal. What lights it up is the thing inside you.” She held up the galena for his inspection.

Greyson made no move to touch it again. The muscles in his neck tightened. “So according to your theory, I'm . . . what, possessed?”

“
Pfft
, no.” She waved it off. “Well, maybe a little.”

“A
little
?”

“Look. Let me try a few more crystals. If I'm wrong, you're no worse off. But if I'm right?” She let that thought hang between them for a moment, watching his face carefully. “If I'm right, you get a good night's sleep from now on. And your soul, even if you don't believe in it, stays safe and sound. Isn't that worth a shot?”

After another long, hard look around the shop, Greyson walked back up to the counter. Without another word, he tugged back his other sleeve and planted his arm on the counter. The expression on his face made it clear that he was only going to give her one more chance.

Inwardly, Dru sighed in relief. She knew she could do this.

Or at least, she hoped so.

“Okay, so, let's get you all fixed up. No more shocks, I promise.” Dru tried a swirled green blade of agate against his skin. No reaction. She moved on to a heavily grained chunk of fossilized wood, then a wrinkly gleaming lump of natural copper. Nothing.

When she got to a finger-length wand of ice-clear petalite, she felt a subtle healing vibration flow through it. Much stronger than anything she'd ever felt before. Either she was a hundred percent on her game or Greyson's presence somehow made her crystals more powerful than usual.

Excited, she ran the petalite crystal up and down his arm and watched for any sign of discomfort. “Feel anything funny?”

“No.” His tone explicitly indicated that he didn't expect to, either.

“That's fine. It's very rare for people to feel healing vibrations, but that's what I'm here for. It's what I do.”

A loud bang echoed from the back room, and Dru cringed. She folded Greyson's hand shut over the crystal and noticed a gray metal ring on his index finger. Strange place for a wedding ring. “So, um, are you . . . married?”

“No.” His gaze followed hers to the ring, then rose to meet her eyes with an irrepressible intensity. “Why?”

Despite her efforts to stay professional, she felt herself blushing. “No reason. I just had kind of a crazy idea, that's all. About your ring, not you. I mean, not about your
problem
. In particular.”

“Just a ring. Bought it at a motorcycle shop.”

“So, no sentimental value?”

He shrugged. “Not like it's a tattoo or something.”

“Any chance you know what it's made of?”

He scratched his chin stubble. “Titanium. I think. You trying to tell me this ring is part of my problem?”

“Nah.” Then she looked over her shoulder toward the back room. “I mean,
yes
. Definitely part of your problem. You should absolutely give up that ring. Immediately. Here, I'll take it.”

He narrowed his eyes at her, but he pulled off the ring anyway.

“Sweet.” She grabbed it from him. “Don't go anywhere!” She ran back to the storage room.

The floor around Rane was now littered with even more shattered rings. Her body had turned glossy reddish-brown, with light and dark stripes and swirls.

Dru pulled up short. “Whoa.”

“Mahogany,” Rane said, her voice rich and vibrant.

“Well, that seems . . . useful.”

“Not. Unless I want to spend some quality time as a human matchstick.” Rane pulled off the carved wooden ring and turned human again. Her eyes had become red and puffy from unshed tears. She wiped them. “I think I'm in trouble here, D. None of this will work. I'm so totally hosed.”

“No, no, honey.” Dru knelt down next to her and held out Greyson's titanium ring. “Look.”

Rane sniffed. “I've tried a bunch of different metallics. None of them took. I'm going to ruin everything you have. It's no good.”

“Just try it. Really.”

Rane sighed and slipped it on. She clenched one fist and waited. After a moment, a startled look passed over her face. With a sound like a gradually drawn blade, Rane's fist turned a lustrous earthy silver color. The effect spread up her arm and across her entire body.

She turned steely eyes toward Dru and smiled. “
Nice.
” Her voice echoed with a metallic twang. “Druster, you've been holding out on me.” She punched Dru in the arm.

“Ouch.” Dru almost fell over. “Why do you always do that?”

“Oh, cowgirl up.” Rane rose to her feet. She moved like liquid metal as she grasped Dru's hands in her own and hauled Dru up off the floor.

“Do not go outside looking like that,” Dru said. “I
mean
it this time.”

“Okay, fine.” Reluctantly, Rane turned back to human, then pressed some cash into Dru's hand. “That's all I've got, D. You're a peach, you know? I could kiss you.”

“Enough drama for one day. Out.” She pointed to the door.

Rane carefully patted Dru's shoulder with just her fingertips, then marched out, grinning.

Dru looked down around her feet at the wreckage of Rane's shopping spree, mentally adding up how much it would cost to replace the broken rings. Right now, she just couldn't afford it. And she'd never get paid back, regardless of anything Rane promised. Plus, now someone had to sweep all of this up.

For a moment, Dru thought she might pull her own hair out. And then she made a deliberate choice, as she always did with Rane, to let all the stress go.

“Meh,” she said, with considerable effort, and left it.

She got back to the counter just as the bell rang and Rane strutted outside in human form, admiring her shiny new ring.

Greyson watched her go. “She wearing my ring?”

“Different people have different problems,” Dru said. “Let's focus on yours. Still have that petalite?”

He opened his hand to show her.

“Good. Hold it in your hand or keep it in your pocket at all times. Especially when you sleep.”

“Why? What will it do?”

“It'll protect your soul and help you sleep. That's a start, anyway. But I want to see you back here in twenty-four hours, no excuses.”

He nodded.

Just this small success, getting him to try the crystal overnight, gave her a greater feeling of triumph than she expected.

This was the whole reason she had her shop. To help people. To solve magical problems that no one else could solve. To push back against the forces of darkness and make the world a brighter place.

“And what about the dream?” he said, bringing her back down to earth. “The end of the world. Does it mean anything?”

It did. Dru was certain. It meant something terrible. She just had to figure out what.

3

HAVING RESERVATIONS

Greyson promised to return the next day. If there was a bright side to all of this, Greyson's payment for the crystal meant Dru had enough rent money for the month. That was something.

Meanwhile, Opal's eyes stayed glued to Greyson's every step out the door and back to his long black muscle car. “Mmm-
mmm.
” Opal sighed. “For real, I'm about ready to lick peanut butter off that man's chest.”

“Peanut butter?” Dru made a face. “That isn't even a thing.”

Opal gave her a knowing look. “Is for me, honey.”

“
Absolutely
didn't need to know that.”

Outside, Dru's boyfriend, Nate, crossed the street toward them, lit by the warm Colorado sunshine. Well-dressed, brilliant smile, slightly geeky in a way that Dru always found disarming. But his well-mannered demeanor cracked as he shot Greyson a dirty look on the way past.

“Uh-oh,” Opal said. “Apparently your boyfriend's all kinds of jealous of Hunky Davidson and his hot-mobile.”

“Not a chance. Nate's not the jealous type.”

Opal lowered her chin and shot Dru another meaningful look. “If you say so.”

The door jangled, and Dru came around the counter with arms outstretched. “Honey! Hi! What are you doing here? I thought today was the big free day.”

“Free day?” Opal echoed.

Nate gave Dru a quick kiss, then turned to Opal. “Free exams, fillings, extractions. For under-served populations.”

“He means homeless people.” Dru fussed with his tie and jacket lapels, trying to smooth them out. “So proud of you.”

“But we don't call them homeless people.” His smile practically lit up the room. “They're all just patients.”

She beamed back at him. “How many? Patients, I mean.”

“Lost count. Apparently, the line started last night, and it still stretched all the way around the corner when I ran out for lunch. But I wanted to see you before I head back to it. I'll be late. Planning to keep going until all of them are—” He broke off as the black muscle car's engine started outside with a sound like a rumble of thunder.

They both looked. The thud of the car's exhaust seemed to reverberate through the shop, powerful, menacing, dangerous. With a lurch, the long black car pulled away from the curb and rocketed down the street.

Nate's expression darkened as he watched Greyson drive off. “So who was that guy, anyway?”

“Just a customer. You know, I get all sorts in here sometimes.”

“Indeed we do.” Opal wiggled her eyebrows suggestively.

Behind Nate's back, Dru shot her a warning glare.

Nate sighed deeply. “Yes. I know. It's just that every day I worry about you being in this neighborhood.”

“It's not like we're on East Colfax or something.”