Nine Lives (The Katran Legacy) Read online

  I bit my lip. “Um…I’m Taylor. Nice to meet you.”

  He walked closer on his squeaky leather sandals. “Don’t be nervous. We’ve taken centuries to perfect the process.”

  The little hairs on my neck stood up as the amulet heated to a low boil. “How long will it take?”

  “I assure you this will be over quickly. If you follow my directions and answer the questions correctly, of course.”

  My skin grew hot and my vision blurred. “I’m not answering any questions until I know what you want from me.”

  Xavier ran his long, cold fingers over my forehead. A slight woozy feeling filled my head, reminding me of the time I rode Space Mountain three times in a row. I tried to open my mouth to speak but couldn’t. A snap of Mr. X’s fingers and the lights went out. Sandalwood inundated the room like a giant blast of air freshener. I fought to keep my eyes open. My arms felt cold and moist. Was I going to turn into scum? I concentrated on one of the lotus flowers in the mural so I wouldn’t lose consciousness. The flower shrunk smaller and smaller.

  My trick failed.

  A second later I woke up. When I opened my eyes, Mr. X sat in front of me on a chair exactly like mine. His long fingers stroked the top of the carved golden sphinx. He dropped his head to the side and put something in his ear. Then he pushed a clear plastic tube in front of his mouth. A high-tech headset.

  Ah crap. Didn’t Isis say something about the head-thing?

  “You will answer all questions truthfully. You are no longer able to lie or hide your true feelings.”

  Why was everyone so interested in my feelings? I gripped my chair and stared at the shimmering object on his head. Why hadn’t Isis told me what it meant?

  Mr. X sat with a round device glowing in his hand. He adjusted his headset before speaking. “Where did you live on Earth?”

  “In L.A.”

  “Yes, the city of angels. Did you like the school there?”

  I might not be able to lie, but he hadn’t said anything about sarcasm. It wasn’t lying, right? I ignored the warmth radiating from the amulet. “Of course. They picked me as prom queen.”

  A white light shot out of a medallion in the ceiling. My vision blurred. I held up my hand to shield my eyes. Better lay off the sarcasm. Besides, there had been no rhinestone crown in my former life. I’d been the opposite of popular—an outcast.

  He whispered into the long, clear, plastic mouthpiece before speaking. “No. That is not correct. Concentrate. If you answer all the questions correctly, you’ll get a reward.”

  Mr. X had just tortured me and he wanted straight answers? “I’m trying.”

  “Try harder. Once again, did you like high school?”

  My arms couldn’t move. Were they pinned to the chair by invisible chains? I kicked at the wooden paw foot. “No.” I mumbled. “I couldn’t wait to graduate and head off to college.”

  Mr. X turned his back to me and spoke into his headset. This time a man’s voice sounded, but I couldn’t make out what he said. Mr. X turned back to me. “Why didn’t you feel like you belonged?” A light suddenly turned on. “This is your last chance.”

  “Okay! I’m a freak. Just like the kids said.” The heat from the amulet receded.

  A leer crept across X’s creepy face. “Good! Now, do you love your mother?”

  What did that have to do with school? “Of course I love her.” The second the words came out of my mouth, the light from the ceiling began to glow.

  Mr. X pointed at the ceiling. “You can no longer lie about your feelings.”

  I wriggled in my chair, trying to not look at the light. “Why aren’t you asking me more questions about school?”

  He sat stroking the orb in his hand.

  The orb turned from white to blue. I swallowed the lump forming in my throat. “All right. Maybe I didn’t love everything about her.”

  Mr. X nodded. “Go on.”

  The light in the ceiling grew brighter as it began to move closer to me. Which device would get to me first?

  “She drove me crazy! Too strict and always uptight,” I shouted, as if trying to scare the beams of pain away. “I planned on ditching mom’s house as soon as I could.”

  Mr. X clasped a hand around the orb and whispered into the headset. He took orders from someone. Were there hidden cameras inside the elaborately painted walls?

  The room fell silent. The beam stopped moving closer. “What about your father? Did you want to escape him as well?”

  I bit my lip. The amulet began to heat up again. “No. Dad was okay. He worked hard to make sure we had a nice life.”

  The light descended from the ceiling and touched my head. The smell of burning hair filled my nostrils. I held back a scream as Mr. X spoke briefly to the headset. The light suddenly retracted and he turned his attention back to me. “Drop the well-rehearsed answers. Give me the truth.”

  Like I ever gave anything but a politically correct answer whenever someone asked about my pleasant but distant father. In my household, honesty wasn’t the preferred policy. I ignored the heat building from the amulet. “He’s the best Dad ever.”

  The light touched the top of my head and the smell of burnt hair filled the air once again. The pain made me fight to stay conscious. I blurted out my answer. “All right! He worked a lot. I know he tried to be a good father, but he lived under my mom’s thumb. Just like me.” I gripped the arms of the chair. My body felt lighter than air. I should have told the truth a long time ago.

  “One more question. What thing do you miss the most from your old life?”

  Without thinking I said, “Lucy.”

  Mr. X spoke into the headset. His lips moved so fast they were almost a blur. Then he stopped and cocked his head. “Interesting. Why not your best friend Julie?”

  Did I dare admit the truth again? The heat of the light radiated from the ceiling. I had no choice but to answer. “Because my mother taught me to never show affection toward people, only pets. I could cry when my goldfish died but not at my grandparents’ funerals. Not even at Ryan’s. Pretty screwed up.” The amulet lay cool against my skin.

  The man spoke loudly enough in the headset I could hear him. “You have my permission to proceed.”

  Mr. X nodded and then snapped his fingers. I held my breath as the blue light radiated out of the orb. Just like in a magic show, Lucy, my beautiful collie, materialized before my eyes.

  She barked three times and put her paws in my lap. This couldn’t be happening, even here in Junior Heaven. I must have lost my mind from being tortured.

  Mr. X got up and stood beside Lucy. “Your reward for completing a good session. Five minutes with your dog.”

  Lucy covered me in kisses. My face was soaking wet. “I’m so glad she’s here. My mother never wanted a dog. She’s better off here with me.” To have Lucy by my side would make Junior Heaven so much easier to bear. Letting my feelings out had been worth it. “This is the best reward ever.”

  “Taylor, you must have not heard me. You’ve only been granted a brief visit.” He frowned, but it seemed more like a smile. “I must send her back.”

  “No!” I got down on my hands and knees and hugged Lucy tight.

  Mr. X spoke into the headset. His boss’s response came through clearly. “Give her fifteen minutes.”

  I hugged Lucy tight, as if she could transport me back to my old life. The fragrance of cinnamon and apples filled the air. Mom must have just taken her to the groomer. She hated that Lucy actually smelled like a dog. I gave Mr. X my best give-me-what-I-want look. “Can’t I have more time?”

  “No. Be grateful for that. I think this reward is too generous.”

  Guess it only worked on my dad. “Can I be alone with her?”

  “All right. If you must.”

  Mr. X left the room and I knew my time was almost up. No way could I lose my baby again. I grabbed hold of Lucy’s collar and ran for the door. Alarms blared and lights flashed as I threw open the door and sped across the
temple chamber toward the front entrance. Several temple guards tried to block my way with huge spears. Being with Lucy again made me feel invincible. Thanks to my three Karate lessons, I kicked the spear out of each guard’s hand. I patted Lucy, signaling her to stay close as we ran through the entryway.

  I broke through the front doors. A loud gong rang out through the speaker system. “This is a Heavenly alert. Taylor Norberta Anderson has escaped The Temple of Truth.”

  I raced toward an alleyway when Lucy stopped in the middle of the street. She barked at the sky. “What is it, girl?”

  A glint of silver flashed between two angry clouds. I tried to calm Lucy down, but she jumped in the air, trying to grab the disc like a Frisbee.

  Mustache Man appeared. “Tell your stupid dog to heel.”

  Lucy kept jumping and barking. “Why don’t you leave? You’re scaring my dog.”

  “Stop her right now!” He twirled his handlebar mustache before he aimed a light at Lucy. Some kind of powerful tractor beam tugged at her. My fingers turned bright red as I slowly lost my grip.

  Lucy yelped as Mustache Man’s light beam held her high up in the sky.

  “Return her immediately or she’s toast!”

  Chapter Three

  Play Time

  “Stop at once!” boomed a voice from the sky.

  Mr. X?

  My heart thumped. Poor Lucy still hovered in the air.

  “Drop the dog at once!” Mr. X ran his hand over the crystal globe. It turned a pale shade of lavender. Mustache Man quickly let go of Lucy. She glided down until she sat right next to me.

  Mr. X floated next to me. “Taylor, you must say good-bye now.”

  Lucy whimpered with her tail between her legs. I petted the top of her head. “Give me a chance to calm her down first.” Strange. Why couldn’t he make her disappear? I eyed the alley just a few feet away. We weren’t going to stick around to find out. I bent down and stroked Lucy under her chin, her favorite spot. She wagged her tail like nothing had ever happened. “Let’s play our game. Run-as-fast-as-you-can.”

  I bolted for the alleyway with Lucy right behind me.

  Mr. X said, “She won't get far.”

  My collie’s beautiful silky fur glistened in the sun as she raced in front of me. I grabbed her collar and pulled her in between two enormous brick buildings. Nothing but a small patch of sky overhead. Even Mustache Man couldn’t see us here. I rubbed Lucy’s belly like old times. “I’ve missed you so much, girl. You’re worth whatever punishment I get.”

  We had better keep moving. I tapped my leg and Lucy heeled next to me. I led her to the end of the narrow alley. Overhead something sped toward us. Angels. They fluttered around until they formed a T-formation. Instead of spelling out a message, their silky smooth voices rang out in perfect harmony, “Taylor Anderson, return to the Temple. All will be forgiven.”

  I stroked Lucy’s fur, trying to figure out what to do next. We needed a safe haven, but where? The amulet turned a darker khaki as I tried to stuff down my fear. The collie licked my hand until it turned red. She always knew how to calm me. Tears formed at the sheer joy of holding my dog again. The amulet grew cool to the touch and turned a pale shade of mint. Could I ever reach the point where it would turn totally clear? Stuffing down my emotions for years made it hard to set them free. With Lucy by my side, maybe I could become whole like Schwartz said. Then a twinge of panic hit me. I’d just broken a major Junior Heaven rule. Could they make Lucy disappear as quickly as she appeared?

  I didn’t plan on finding out. I hugged the crumbling brick buildings along the alley, with Lucy right on my heels. It dumped us out onto a broad tree-lined boulevard. Kids sped down the street, covering their ears as the Heaven alert continued to blare. One of them pointed toward the sky. “What the heck is going on? Who’s missing now?”

  I darted between a group of girls and headed toward an empty storefront. Lucy jumped on a girl with big freckles and gave her a big kiss.

  “Yuck! Thanks a lot, dog—wait a sec, you’re not a hologram. I can’t put my hand through you.” The freckled girl ran her hand along Lucy’s back. “Holy moly. You’re real!”

  The other girls squealed with delight. They raced up to Lucy like kids in a schoolyard discovering a puppy. Not now. Why did she have to be such a friendly dog? I cut through the girls. “Sorry. She loves people.” I snapped my fingers. “Here, Lucy.”

  A girl with strawberry blond hair stroked Lucy’s fur. “Your collie’s beautiful.”

  A blond dressed in a cheerleading outfit sped toward Lucy. Wonder if she snapped her neck doing one of those crazy pyramid stunts. Seemed like a common death for a cheerleader. “How did you get this dog?

  I patted my leg, hoping Lucy would heel. “She just appeared when I was at The Temple of Truth.”

  “I haven’t seen an animal since I’ve been here. What makes you so special to get a pet?”

  That word again—special. Strange that no one else had a pet visit them in Heaven. There had to be something different about me, but what? “Uh…nothing. I told you she just appeared.”

  The blond glared at me. “You think I’m going to believe that? Why would you deserve such a reward?”

  The redhead pushed the blond aside. “You’re just jealous.”

  I had to get out of here. The angels were closing in. I pulled Lucy away from the group. “Sorry. Got to get going.”

  Before the cheerleader could do anything to stop me, I raced for the storefront at the end of the street. I glanced over my shoulder to make sure the girls weren’t following. The blond stood, waving down an angel.

  Crap. My legs kicked into high gear. The heat of the scum multiplied. It almost burned my skin as I pushed down the fear forming a knot in my stomach. Calm down. I just needed to run one more block. When I reached the store, I took a quick glance over my shoulder—the angels were right behind me. Panting almost as hard as Lucy, I reached for the doorknob. With one enormous shove, the door sprung open. Lucy trotted in and I slammed it behind me.

  With my adrenaline in hyper drive, I speed-walked right into a pile of boxes and fell on my ass. Lucy jumped on top of me, thinking the whole thing was a game. She licked my face all over. Thankfully, the amulet grew cooler. Lucy had worked her magic. “Enough, girl.” My face was soaking wet. “You’re grossing me out.”

  Pushing myself up, my hand broke through a box. Something cold and metallic brushed against my palm. I pulled out a space-age-looking silver gun and pushed on the handle. A blue laser light shot across the room. A “zip, zing, zip,” sound echoed off the walls. Lucy barked and ran to chase the light as it danced around the room. I stared at the large windows by the door. Why didn’t I think to close the blinds? People on the street could see me. I darted up to the front of the store and pulled the blinds down.

  The ray gun’s light continued to dance on the walls. How could I make this thing stop? Might as well signal for the angels to come and get me. Fiddling with the gun, I flicked a tiny switch on the trigger. It stopped. I picked up one of the boxes. The label read, Model 15 Super Duper Ray Gun. Space toys in Junior Heaven? Then I spied a neon orange sign on the wall. Mr. Pollor’s Out of this World Emporium. Below the sign sat several rows of shelves and a case full of all kinds of space-age toys any boy would love to own.

  Next to the boxes where I’d fallen stood a case full of Alice in Wonderland dolls and several dainty tea sets. I smiled when I spotted a pink floral teapot. So much like the one I had when I was five. On the far wall hung a selection of Mad Hatter hats and astronaut helmets. Strange. Why would Mr. Pollor abandon such a cool place? Another thing in Junior Heaven that just didn’t add up. Footsteps clambered up the steps to the front door. Lucy barked as the doorknob rattled and shook. Adrenaline coursed through my veins. I put my hand on the amulet as it bubbled away. Now what?

  I grabbed Lucy’s muzzle. “No, girl.” Taking hold of her collar, I pulled her toward the back of the store. A large green metal door with the words
Wonderland in gold above it, sat off in the corner. Could this be the way out? With a big shove, I pushed open the heavy door. To my surprise, nothing exotic or mysterious stood before me, just a cavernous empty warehouse.

  “Wow, this place is huge.” I covered my mouth as my voice ricocheted against the walls. Lucy’s head dropped to the side, confused, like her master had an identical twin. I petted her head. “It’s okay, girl. It’s an echo.”

  At first I didn’t notice when the walls changed color ever so slightly. The walls quivered and, in an instant, they vanished. I closed my eyes and held on tightly to Lucy as if the act would stop what was happening. The air filled with the fragrance of newly mowed grass. Birds chirped happily off in the distance. Lucy broke loose from my grasp.

  I opened my eyes and gasped. “No way!”

  Lucy raced straight for the huge green lawn, which seemed to go on forever. Strange, it looked exactly like my favorite park on Earth. I walked out into the grass, following the gravel path to the wooden bench I loved. I sat down and took in the amazing expanse of green. No angels in the cloudless blue sky. Could I finally be safe? The amulet changed to a pale mint green, answering my question. It felt wonderful to be free, even if for only a moment. Lucy returned with a purple Frisbee just like the one I bought her for her second birthday. I rubbed my eyes. “This can’t be happening. I’m in Griffith Park.”

  The biggest park in Los Angeles somehow managed to fit into the empty warehouse. It reminded me of the Holodeck on the Starship Enterprise. Could I be sitting in some kind of giant hologram? Hadn’t the freckled girl thought Lucy was one as well? Maybe this was real? Was I somehow back on Earth?

  The park was empty, except for Lucy and me. She gave me a nudge and dropped the Frisbee on the grass. She didn’t care if what we were experiencing was real or not. She only wanted to play. I scanned the park for any signs of temple guards. Nothing. My shoulders relaxed and the scum turned a translucent mint green. I reached down and grabbed the Frisbee and tossed it high into the air. “Okay, girl, fetch.”