Amber by Dan-Dwayne Spencer (e book reader .TXT) 📕

is impressed that you didn’t ask for riches, fame, or selfish desires.” The angel took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. “My mastery of this charm taxes me. I must end it. Now hurry to the Roundhouse before Jimmy Dugan sees you in this field and suspects you now have secret knowledge.”

In the next moment, Reuwel pulled his six wings over his body; with a flash of light and the tinkling of the bells, he was gone. When my eyes recovered from the brilliant glare, the heat of the August night flooded back onto me. I gasped as the hot air filled my chilled lungs. I stood alone in the meadow with Jimmy just on the far side of Flower’s van.

“Breathe, kid—breathe,” Mr. Dark Commanded.

“Don’t call me a kid. I’m not a kid,” I blustered back.

“Whatever!” Mr. Dark paused, then said, “I think if the angel wanted you to find the talisman, he would have told you outright where it was hidden. But no, he had to give you a riddle. He wants you to fail. I think he lied.”

“Hey Dark,” I called out as I ran along the path to the Roundhouse. “Shut up, no one asked you.”

Chapter Sixteen

Wisdom of Solomon

Inside the Roundhouse, Flower, Rose, and Roger sat at a long table. Crying, Rose had her face cradled in her hands. “He is horrid. I never want to see him again,” she blubbered through her tears.

I hurriedly sat next to Flower and said, “I have to tell y—”

Flower interrupted me, “If he is going to be like that, I can ask the elders to remove him.”

“No,” I tried to explain. “Listen, I need—”

“He’s a Jerk,” Roger butted in. “He bullies everyone in school back home. I know how he can be.”

“Really, he has an excuse—”

“He’s a beast. Just a rude beast,” Rose blubbered back at them.

“SHUT UP,” I finally yelled loud enough to be heard. “Everyone—shut it.”

Flower appeared shocked. “This is unaccept—”

“Jimmy is under a spell,” I bellowed, finally getting it out. “Calypso has control of him.” I brought my voice down. “We can’t let on, or God knows what they will do to him. Now, Dugan should come through the door at any moment.”

Rose’s tears instantly dried up. “That cow has control of my Jimmy, making him be rude to me?”

“Yes,” I replied. “She’s probably jealous of you, but we can’t let on we know. I saw him tell the Sheriff some private information about what we discussed on the way here.”

Roger exclaimed, “Jimmy’s a snitch.”

Flower’s eyes flew wide open. “The demon version of Sheriff Briggs was here?”

“Yes, on the dirt road where the cars are parked. He was driving a dark-colored ford and came in with his lights off.”

“Paul’s alarm system didn’t go off. The demon must be under the protection of his angel.” She scowled. “This is not good.”

“And, there’s more. The Book of Uriel is in a town named after a healer.”

No one had time to reply or quiz me as to how I got my information because Jimmy threw open the makeshift door of the Roundhouse and yelled, “Is slop on the table? I’m hungry.”

“Rose,” I said, “why don’t you get Jimmy a sandwich? While Roger and I sit with good old Jimbo.”

Jimmy grinned like the Cheshire cat, “That’s right Rosie, get good old Jimbo a sandwich. That’s me, good old Jimbo.”

Roger rolled his eyes and whispered, “I should have seen it earlier. This is not our Jimmy.” Then a look of shock blazed across his face. “Oh, shit. Am I affected too? I bet Calypso got under my skin and is turning me into a sex-crazed marionette?”

“I don’t think so. If she had, I’m pretty sure you would be all buddy-buddy with Jimmy and acting like Erick Von Zipper in an Annette Funicello beach movie.”

Roger shivered. “Not a pleasant thought. He’s the biggest jerk in Hollywood.”

Jimmy yelled, “What are you two whispering about. Loveless, you got something cooked up for Roger to do. That’s it. Right? You got a plan on how to get even with the Sheriff.” He gave us a big-toothed smile. How was Calypso to know Jimmy only smiled so gregariously at Rose? The big lug only gave the rest of us a hardy grin; it passed for a Dugan smile.

Flower went with Rose to the kitchen. They returned with a soda and a sandwich.

I called out, “Look, Jimmy, It’s your favorite.”

He glared at Rose and took the plate. “Thanks. My favorite, you know.”

“Yes. What is it, Jimmy?” Rose asked.

Jimmy answered, “It’s my favorite. Like I said.”

“I know, but what’s your favorite? Tell me,” she pressed for an answer.

He opened it and looked under the bread. “Round green things, sandwich.” He took a big bite, swallowed, and said, “That’s what it is.”

“Yep. Cucumber sandwiches are your favorite,” Roger added.

Jimmy almost choked, “Cucumber? Who the hell makes a sandwich out of cucumbers? I mean…yeah. It’s my most fave kind.” He swallowed again. “So, Loveless, what plans do you have for the Sheriff?”

I didn’t know what to say. I hadn’t thought of anything, and Jimmy caught me off guard by putting me on the spot about it. The best I could do was give him a shoulder shrug.

Roger got a strange look on his face—one I’d never seen before. It was like he had all the answers to a math quiz handed to him. He leaned down and whispered to me, “Whatever I say, just go with it.”

“What?” I whispered back.

Roger started pacing back and forth across the front of the Roundhouse. “From what I can figure from Arland’s latest vision,” Roger announced, “and what Flower said about their visit with Phoenix, we have only one choice. We’ve gotta find The Book