Frizzy haired and overweight, sixteen year old Elizabeth Summers hears ghosts. She also reads people's auras and sees when something bad is headed their way. Unfortunately, she can't choose which ghosts visit her psychic hotline or when her paranorm...
Blair and I advance into the darkened Medieval Exhibit. The room's interior has high cinder block walls with a domed ceiling, emulating an ancient castle's atrium.
There's a wet choking sound coming from the mound in the center of the room. The placard says it's Richard III's funeral pyre, but Jason Stanford's bloodied form is positioned where the king's wax form should lay.
"His throat's been slit," Blair whispers, horrified.
"Good!" I can't help reveling in his demise. "That monster wanted to gut me and burn Dylan's eyes out."
"Look!" Blair grabs my arm, pointing to the pyre. "It's Donna. She's the one who killed him." The cloaked figure's back is to us, but I'm sure she's aware we're here. We both stare at her. What else is she capable of doing? When she turns to face us, I gasp seeing she's wearing the stolen Dragon Pendant. Regally dressed in warrior clothing from the exhibit, she haughtily smiles at us. "Oh, my God, this can't be good!" Blair moans.
I see the situation differently. "Why? It could be worse," I whisper. "Vladimir the Impaler could have risen again."
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"Donna's a bad seed. With that Pendant, she's just morphed from a little sapling, into a mighty oak tree." Blair's eyes flash like polished obsidian.
"We don't know she's entirely evil. Sometimes it takes darkness to fight darkness."
"Lizzy, don't be naive. She's tasted blood. She has Vladimir's pendant and she's wearing his battle armor. I'd say that's a good indication she's planning murder, revenge, and bad-ass shite."
"Well, she doesn't have this." I hold up the spell book. As if on cue, a shimmering energy forms around Donna and illuminated her from inside out. Within the light, another familiar form materializes. I hold my breath as Kali's withered figure emerges from Donna's youthful body. Fully transformed, she steps towards us.
"Blair. You didn't just unbind Donna. You summoned Kali!"
The old hag doesn't say a word. Instead, she holds out her mummified hand.
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Instinctively, I know what to do. Walking up to her, I wordlessly offer her the book. She smiles, but doesn't move. My hands erupt into flames that don't burn. The flames consume the grimoire that's been the nexus of all of Dresden's trouble. After a moment, I look at my palms. I'm relieved to see they're empty and unharmed. "Strong magic," I whisper.
Simultaneously, the pyre erupts into karmic flames and consumes Stanford's body until only ashes remain. She's housekeeping," Blair whispers. We are both awed by the powerful magic we're witnessing.
Watching Kali, we slowly back out of the room and hope hoping the Goddess of Death and Destruction has forgotten our existence. There is an angry snarl and the demon impersonating my mother bursts into the room. "You're late to the party." Kali laughs, taunting the creature. "The book has been destroyed." Enraged and snarling, the red eyed demon flies at her with clawed hands. In one sweeping motion, Kali blasts the demon with a dazzling pink light that looks like a thousand radiant fireflies.
"That rose colored light's not going to stop it!" I gasp. But I'm wrong. The thing that was my mother stops in its tracks. Long blond hair shrouds the demon's face as it bend over and chokes, as if it's being strangled. "What is that light?" I ask Blair.
"It's pure love." She answers, awed. "The most potent energy in the universe."
"Will that kill it?" I ask.
"God, I hope so!" She grabs my hand and tries to drag me from the room. "Come on Lizzy! We need to get out of here. Let Kali finish her work in peace."
"No." I'm terrified, but adamant. "I want to see if my mother's spirit is freed."
Blair continues trying to pull me from the room. "Lizzy, that thing isn't your mother."
