The other guy commented under his breaththat he thought this would be a waste then strode awaytoo.
That meant I was alone with Farley.
All I could hear was his breath. It waschoppy, not rhythmic, not calm like Max’s. It was the equivalent ofbeing on a violent ocean in a tiny dingy as you waited for theswell to swallow you up.
He still had his arm locked around mythroat, still had my head ground into the floor. I was way beyondbeing disgusted by the musty smell of alcohol, by the grime andgrit being pressed into the blood that still caked mycheek.
I waited. Every part of my bodywaited – every muscle, every organ, everycell.
This would be it, I would die.
I had just enough time to beg those sparksto return. I turned my back on them before, but now I needed themmore than ever. For without them – without a glimpse of the future– I would die. Horribly and violently.
I was suddenly possessed with the visionI’d seen of the woman being chased through the woods, of thisFarley slicing her from ear-to-ear with his knife.
I shuddered, and this brought a lightlaugh to his white-blue lips. “You made a mistake entering my mind,future witch.”
I hadn’t said a word to him up until now,just cried softly at his feet. But obviously, he wanted an answer, becausehe shoved my face even harder into the ground. “What do you say?”He growled.
Sobbing, I managed to part my lips. “I… Ididn’t enter your mind.”
He snarled right by my ear.“Yes, you did. Felt a spark of your magic takehold. Plus, Fagan’s contacts on the force confirmed you gave themmy description. So you have to go, girly. There is no other way.”He chuckled right by my ear.
“I…” I swallowed hard, and it was a constricted, tight move asmy neck was atsuch an uncomfortable angle. Itsounded like I was a gaping fish. “I didn’t enter your mind. I… Isaw her die. Through her eyes. Your victim,” I said, voiceshuddering as a jolt of fear and yet anger sliced throughme.
This guy was a murderer. A murderer. He chased that womanthrough the forest in cold blood. And now he was about to do thesame to me.
I had a fire personality as my motheralways put it. Which was quite a statement coming from her, as herpersonality was volcanic. Pointwas, Chi McLane neverran from a fight – she would stay and finish one, even start a fewherself.
So I grit my teeth as a wave of anger tookhold, and yet my common sense told me there was still nothing Icould do. This guy was stronger, and somehow he knew aboutmagic.
I did have one chance, though, didn’t I?He clearly wanted to talk.
He laughed, sounding like aputtering engine. “Didn’t invade my mind, ha? Justthe victim. Well, it was still a mistake. We’re connected, see? Iate half her heart, consumed the last scrap of her magic. It’s theonly way to practice consequence-free magic, see. And me,” heleaned closeand shifted his jaw to theside, drawing attention to the pattern of bruises that covered it,“my magic beats the shit out of me. So I never pass up anopportunity to eat someone else’s.” Helicked his lips, his tongue like a snake darting its head out froma dark recess. “But you still entered my mind, girly. By consumingher heart, I gained access to some of her final memories. So whenyou entered her mind, you entered mine.”
So much information, I felt overwhelmed.But one fact struck me. God did it strike me. It was worse than aslap, worse than a blow to my head. He ate her heart to consume thelast scraps of her magic.
Up until now, I’d known that I was in trouble, but suddenly I appreciatedjust how vile this murderer was. Just exactly whathe would do to me.
I heard him clench his teeth, heard the unmistakable clink oftooth against tooth. “Fagan will probably want your heart forhimself, but I reckon I can have a taste. You won’t mind that, willyou? Plus, if I get the power of a seer—” He pursed his lips andwhistled.
Seconds before, I’d found my fleetingcourage. Now, it flit away oncemore as I shuddered so badly, I could have snapped mymuscles.
This man was going to eat my heart, tear itout, taste it for himself.
Max had warned me that horrible, unspeakable things wouldhappen if I turned away from my power. I was now getting mycomeuppance, wasn’t I? I’d relied on lying my entire life, but now…now it would kill me.
I sobbed even louder, relinquishing to thetotal fear that was consuming me.
No hope.
There was no hope.
Fagan released me, pushingbackward.
I remained exactly where I was, facecrumpled onthe sticky floor, one eye openas it pulsed wide with terror, as it waited for him to jerkforward, draw a knife from his pocket, and slice it down mymiddle.
I caught sight of half of his form, sawhim shove a hand into his pocket and take a casual step backward.“I suppose it would be a waste to kill you right away. Boss isright – we can’t have you running around interrupting theoperation, not when we’ve got a deal going down on the dockstonight. Still,” he leaned against one of the large banks ofamplifiers behind him, his sinewy form like a folded up rope. “Youcould help us out with that, couldn’t you? Seer,” I watched himjerk his lips wider in a strange, peculiar move as he uttered thatword. It was almost like it was a drug to him. “Not every day youcome across a seer. Not every day you feel one digging around inyour thoughts.” He drew one of his lean hands from his pocket andtapped an equally lean, strong finger against his head. Theresounding beat, beat of it echoed through the quiet room. “What doyou say? You get a couple more hours, and maybe your death won’t
