if I could’ve survived without it. I might’ve done a triple back-flip off a freeway overpass. But the bracelet kept me going. It helped take my mind off Jimmy.’
Neal slipped the bracelet off his hand. He held it out to her. ‘There’s no way I can take this.’
She shook her head. ‘I want you to have it.’
‘It means too much to you.’
‘It’s yours, now. Use it for as long as you wish, then pass it on if you find someone you feel should have it.’
He shook his head. ‘I don’t know.’
‘Put it back on. Please.’ A corner of Elise’s mouth tilted upward. ‘Take it, or else.’
‘Or else what?’
‘You’ll risk my wrath, which is indeed a terrible thing to behold.’
Neal broke into a grin. ‘I bet,’ he said.
‘Go ahead and put it back on. Please. We’ll have a little demonstration. Once you find out what it does, I think you might have some second thoughts about turning it down.’
He slid the bracelet onto his wrist again. ‘Okay. What does it do?’
Seven
Elise patted Neal’s leg through the robe, then leaned forward and picked up her glass. ‘You should probably lie down,’ she said. ‘I’ll get out of your way.’ She stood up and walked around to the other side of the table.
‘Why do I want to lie down?’ Neal asked.
Elise grinned. ‘Don’t give me trouble. It’s how it’s done.’
‘Okay.’ He took another drink, then set his glass on the table. Holding the robe to keep it from falling open, he swung his legs onto the sofa and sank down onto his back. He rested his hands on his belly.
‘Very good,’ Elise said. ‘Now, close your eyes.’
‘What’s supposed to happen?’
‘You’ll see.’
‘Not if my eyes are shut.’
‘Are you going to be difficult?’
‘No, no, not me.’ He closed his eyes.
‘Now, kiss the serpent’s head.’
‘You’re kidding.’
‘Neal.’
‘How can I kneel when I’m lying down?’
‘Very funny. Kiss the serpent’s head.’
‘Okay.’ Keeping his eyes shut, he lifted his right hand to his face. Then he hesitated.
‘Do you want to give me a hint?’ he asked.
‘There’s nothing to be afraid of.’
‘If this thing does some kind of magic stuff, I really don’t want to get involved.’
‘I’m surprised you believe in magic.’
‘I don’t. But it scares me.’
‘You trust me, don’t you?’
‘I guess so. Sure, I do.’
‘Do you think I’d ask you to do something dangerous?’
‘I guess not.’
‘There are a few dangers, but nothing you need to worry about. Not yet. This is just a trial run.’
‘What dangers?’
‘Later, all right?’
‘I think I’d rather find out that sort of thing before I take my trial run.’
Elise laughed softly. He looked at her. She was smiling, shaking her head. ‘I’m still here, right?’ she asked. ‘Still in one piece? Still sane?’
‘You seem to be.’
‘Well, I’ve used the bracelet thousands of times.’
‘Thousands?’
‘I’ve had it for sixteen years, Neal. I can’t say that I’ve used it every single day – I went through periods without using it at all. Other times, though, I might’ve used it . . . I don’t know, eight or ten times in one day.’
‘Well, I guess you survived it okay.’
‘I’m sure you will, too.’
‘This guy didn’t have anything to do with the bracelet, did he?’
Her smile died. ‘I don’t think so. I don’t see how . . . no. Look, if you’d rather not do this . . . I’ll tell you something, though. I’ve never much regretted anything that I’ve done in my life. What I regret are a few of the things I decided not to do. If you don’t give the bracelet a try, Neal, you might look back on tonight, in yearsto come, and wonder what would’ve happened – and wish like hell that you’d taken the chance.’
‘Can’t you just tell me what the thing is supposed to do?’
‘It’ll change your life.’
‘Maybe I like my life the way it is.’
Her smile returned. ‘You’ll love
Neal slipped the bracelet off his hand. He held it out to her. ‘There’s no way I can take this.’
She shook her head. ‘I want you to have it.’
‘It means too much to you.’
‘It’s yours, now. Use it for as long as you wish, then pass it on if you find someone you feel should have it.’
He shook his head. ‘I don’t know.’
‘Put it back on. Please.’ A corner of Elise’s mouth tilted upward. ‘Take it, or else.’
‘Or else what?’
‘You’ll risk my wrath, which is indeed a terrible thing to behold.’
Neal broke into a grin. ‘I bet,’ he said.
‘Go ahead and put it back on. Please. We’ll have a little demonstration. Once you find out what it does, I think you might have some second thoughts about turning it down.’
He slid the bracelet onto his wrist again. ‘Okay. What does it do?’
Seven
Elise patted Neal’s leg through the robe, then leaned forward and picked up her glass. ‘You should probably lie down,’ she said. ‘I’ll get out of your way.’ She stood up and walked around to the other side of the table.
‘Why do I want to lie down?’ Neal asked.
Elise grinned. ‘Don’t give me trouble. It’s how it’s done.’
‘Okay.’ He took another drink, then set his glass on the table. Holding the robe to keep it from falling open, he swung his legs onto the sofa and sank down onto his back. He rested his hands on his belly.
‘Very good,’ Elise said. ‘Now, close your eyes.’
‘What’s supposed to happen?’
‘You’ll see.’
‘Not if my eyes are shut.’
‘Are you going to be difficult?’
‘No, no, not me.’ He closed his eyes.
‘Now, kiss the serpent’s head.’
‘You’re kidding.’
‘Neal.’
‘How can I kneel when I’m lying down?’
‘Very funny. Kiss the serpent’s head.’
‘Okay.’ Keeping his eyes shut, he lifted his right hand to his face. Then he hesitated.
‘Do you want to give me a hint?’ he asked.
‘There’s nothing to be afraid of.’
‘If this thing does some kind of magic stuff, I really don’t want to get involved.’
‘I’m surprised you believe in magic.’
‘I don’t. But it scares me.’
‘You trust me, don’t you?’
‘I guess so. Sure, I do.’
‘Do you think I’d ask you to do something dangerous?’
‘I guess not.’
‘There are a few dangers, but nothing you need to worry about. Not yet. This is just a trial run.’
‘What dangers?’
‘Later, all right?’
‘I think I’d rather find out that sort of thing before I take my trial run.’
Elise laughed softly. He looked at her. She was smiling, shaking her head. ‘I’m still here, right?’ she asked. ‘Still in one piece? Still sane?’
‘You seem to be.’
‘Well, I’ve used the bracelet thousands of times.’
‘Thousands?’
‘I’ve had it for sixteen years, Neal. I can’t say that I’ve used it every single day – I went through periods without using it at all. Other times, though, I might’ve used it . . . I don’t know, eight or ten times in one day.’
‘Well, I guess you survived it okay.’
‘I’m sure you will, too.’
‘This guy didn’t have anything to do with the bracelet, did he?’
Her smile died. ‘I don’t think so. I don’t see how . . . no. Look, if you’d rather not do this . . . I’ll tell you something, though. I’ve never much regretted anything that I’ve done in my life. What I regret are a few of the things I decided not to do. If you don’t give the bracelet a try, Neal, you might look back on tonight, in yearsto come, and wonder what would’ve happened – and wish like hell that you’d taken the chance.’
‘Can’t you just tell me what the thing is supposed to do?’
‘It’ll change your life.’
‘Maybe I like my life the way it is.’
Her smile returned. ‘You’ll love
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