Page 62 of Jacob Michaels is Dead

“Good, good.” She wriggled her fingers through the air again as though trying to remember something. “Now, listen, I don’t want to be here any longer than I have to—I got my own matters to tend to, obviously.”

“Okay?”

“Tell Esther Jean Wagner—”

I froze at the sound of my grandmother’s name. This woman knew Oma? Why had she never mentioned her before?

“—that the man in the black hooded cloak is coming.”

My eyes grew wide as I gasped.

“She told me that she had done talked to you about him.”

“You mean Bloo—”

“No, child.” Carlita hushed me. “Don’t say his name this close to his return. Why speed things up, ya’ know?”

A hand to my chest, I just nodded, my breathing increasing in speed as my heart thumped against my chest.

“He’s comin’, baby. It’s time.” Carlita reached out and patted my other hand that was atop the table. “I always hate this part, delivering the news to the next witch, but, well, that’s what an oracle is for, isn’t it?”

“Oracle?” I gasped again, then leaned forward, forgetting my rapid breathing and thumping heart. “The Oracle? From the story?”

“It’s obviously not just a story.” She leveled me with her eyes. “And everything Esther Jean Wagner’s been preparing you for…well, it’s time, baby. You tell Esther Jean that. Now. I gotta go. Things to see and people to do.”

Carlita slid out of the booth and draped her purse handles over her forearm once again. Her sunglasses got pushed onto her face once again. Then she was stomping fashionably towards the door of the tavern as the people around me slowly started to come back to life.

“Wait!” I spun in the booth to look at her.

Carlita stopped just inside the tavern and turned her head to look at me, a smile coming to her face.

“If you’re The Oracle…where’s The Guardian?” I asked quickly.

Carlita just smiled.

“I have so many questions.” I pleaded.

As if trying to think of something important, or trying to remember something, Carlita’s head tilted back gently as she looked up at the ceiling, searching for words.

“You’ll get a chance to ask them.” She finally turned her head to answer me. “But it won’t be for a while. This won’t be the last time we meet, Robbie Wagner.”

“Rob.” I couldn’t think of anything else to say.

“I’ll try to remember that.” She tapped her temple.

Then she was gone, the door swinging behind her and the people in the tavern coming to life like a snap.

“Are you sure you want to do this?” Lucas asked.

We were already naked, and he was on top of me, so I wanted to laugh at the timing of the question.

“Obviously.” I nodded, my teeth biting into my lower lip.

The woods behind Oma’s house were dark and creepy all around us. We had made our bed on a pile of leaves. It was so cold, especially naked.

“We don’t have to.” He whispered.

“I want to,” I said eagerly. “I don’t want to leave without doing this. Just in case—and as long as you want to, too.”