The Awakening: A Sisterhood of Spirits Novel by Yvonne Heidt Page B

energy of its long history before she even stepped onto the walkway.
    An older woman with dyed fire-engine-red hair stood outside the center wing. Sunny delightfully guessed her character by the way she dressed: black leggings, purple Converse high tops, and a Pink Floyd T-shirt. Her mother would love her. She stood and waited with her hands folded at her waist.
    A child giggled behind her, and Sunny half turned before realizing it was disembodied and there wouldn’t be anyone standing there. She lived and worked with spirit energy every day, right along with her family and friends. Sometimes it was easy for her to forget that not everyone experienced the world as she did. Agnes was scared enough. Sunny refused to add to it by talking with the child. Instead, she tried to tune out the distracting laughter. She wanted to hear Agnes’s story before she connected with any of them.
    “Thank you so much for coming,” Agnes said.
    “You’re welcome.” Sunny smiled and followed her to the second-floor apartment. She laughed out loud when she saw the sign hanging on the door: I am the manager and I have a gun.
    Agnes led her to the little living room where she had set the coffee table with a delicate tea set and cookies. Her aged hippie style should have clashed with the frilly apartment, but somehow Sunny knew it worked for Agnes. She felt right at home. Sunny pulled out the notes she made during their phone conversation and held up her black recorder. “I’m going to ask you a few questions. Do you mind if I use this?”
    “It’s not going to end up on the Internet on that YouYube-y thing, is it?”
    Sunny was amused at the question. “No, absolutely not. Everything you tell me is in the strictest confidence.”
    “Okay then.” Agnes looked almost disappointed with her answer before she primped her tight curls. “I’ve never talked with a psychic before.” Her eyes watered. “But I can’t take this anymore.”
    Sunny raised her eyebrows. “Do you want to tell me about it?”

Chapter Six
     
    Sunny left the art gallery and headed to her car, but seconds later, she heard footsteps behind her and tightened her hold on her tiny clutch, quickening her step slightly. This wasn’t the best neighborhood at night, and she’d parked on the third floor of the garage. She darted across the dark street, pulled her coat against her body, and headed to the elevator. Because she was distracted, her high heel caught in the street grate and she felt herself fall, almost in slow motion. She knew she was going to hit the ground.
    Sunny felt the painful twist in her ankle and cried out as she managed to catch herself just before her face hit the pavement.
    The footsteps were running now, coming closer. Sunny tried to right herself so she could see who was coming and prepared herself to scream as loud as she could. But gentle hands touched her back.
    “Hey, are you all right?” Jordan asked before helping Sunny turn over so she could sit instead of kneeling on her hands and knees.
    Recognition and relief hit Sunny at the same time, and she laughed nervously. “Officer Lawson. I thought you were, well, never mind.” Her stomach clenched, and she forgot she’d just tumbled to the ground. It was the first time she’d clearly seen Jordan, who even now was backlit by the streetlight, giving her a dangerous quality.
    Sunny had the strange sensation of déjà vu, but it slipped from her mind quickly as her skin buzzed where Jordan touched her. From her current position on the sidewalk, she let her gaze travel from the tips of her black boots up the long legs to slender hips encased in faded blue denim. Jordan’s torso was hidden under a well-worn leather jacket, but her shoulders looked broad and suggestively sexy. Raven hair parted on the side and feathered back to taper behind her ears.
    “Did you twist your ankle? Here, let me look.”
    “I’m sorry. What did you say?” Sunny still felt a little disorientated. “Oh, my