I didn’t reply.
He pushed hard off the amplifiers, shovinginto them with such force, they threatened to topple over. “Askwhat you do in return,” he snapped, sneering around hiswords.
I jolted with fear. “What will I do inreturn?” I pushed the stuttering words out.
“In return, you’re going to do a littledigging for me, seer. I want to know,” Farley suddenly tilted his head from left to rightas he looked around the room, “what Fagan’s got in store for me.Can I trust the bastard?”
I shook my head. It was a surprise I couldmanage the move. “I… I can’t control my powers.”
He let out a rattling, gasping laugh that sounded like the lastbreath of a long-time smoker. “Sure you can. I felt you, remember,”he said as he brought that same finger up and tapped itto his head like a woodpecker trying to make a newhome for itself in an old, hollowed tree trunk.
I shook my head again, grinding mybloodied face even harder into the alcohol covered floor. “I can’ttell the future like that. I can’t just turn the ability on,” Iprotested.
I watched him lick his teeth, saw his long, saliva-coated tonguerun across his chipped, yellowed stumps. “Just discovered yourpowers, have you? Interesting. Unlucky for you that you chose tolock them on me first. If I were you, I would have stayed away fromthat sap Detective Coulson. He handed you your death on a plate.Now, repeat after me,” he walked all the way up to me, got down onone knee, and faced me, “show me Fagan’s plans. Show me Fagan’splans. Show me Fagan’s plans.” There was a mesmerizing qualitybehind his words. As he spoke, he slowed himself down until hesounded like the hum of the amplifiers behind me.
I shook my head. “I can’t—”
“You can.” He reached forward, jammed a thumb into the pointwhere my jaw connected, and spread his other fingers onto my lefteye.
I tried to pull back, with all my might,with every scrap of strength I had. It wasn’t enough. For,as he ground his fingersharder into my face, I started to see something. Sparks, but theywere different to the ones that usually filled my vision whenI saw the future. These were quicker, brighter,hotter.
I tried to shake my head and break his grip,but there was nothing I could do.
“What does Fagan have planned forme?” Farley asked, aconsiderable pause between each word. Though his voice was usuallya raspy monotone, now it sounded as smooth as someone teachingmeditation or inducting you into a hypnotic trance.
I tried to fight… I tried to fight… untilI just couldn’t fight anymore.
I started to see things. Unbidden, risingfrom the depths of my unconsciousness like stars appearing on adark night.
I caught a glimpse of Fagan’s black shirt,his silver suit, his shiny shoes. I saw him walking through a hall,the building looking remarkably like this one.
I watched him plunge a hand into hispocket, draw out a phone, and push it against his ear.
“The deal is still going down nextweek,” he said, smilingaround his words.
I couldn’t quite make out the person onthe other end of the line, but I heard one of their words and itshook me to the core. “Heart.”
Fagan laughed, the move jolting hisshoulders as they rested perfectly in his suit. “Don’t you worry –I’ll get you more hearts. Though I think I’ll have to switchassassins.”
Fagan paused as he appeared to listen tothe man on the other end of the line. “Don’t get me wrong, Farley’sbeen good – but he’s also been compromised. Allowed some stupidfuture witchaccess to his thoughts. Gotgreedy, ate that other witch’s heart, and in doing so, opened up adoor right into his mind. Well, it’s time to slam itshut.”
As I watched the vision, I lost all trackof where I was, and yet, I knew that my lips were moving, knew Iwas speaking out loud as I recounted everything I saw.
“That bastard,” Farley roared, and he jerked his fingers off myface. As soon as he did, I could no longer see Fagan. I was onlyaware of Farley as he loomed above me.
Though the lights were still at the same dimillumination, it felt as if they could not penetrate the room anylonger. For suddenly it felt as if Farley became the darkest thingI’d ever seen – a violent storm blocking out the sun for good.
He loomed above me for anothersecond, and then heacted. He plunged down to one knee, scooped an arm forward, andlocked it around my back. He yanked me to my feet. I tried toscream, but I didn’t get the chance. He wrapped a foul-smellinghand over my mouth and hissed in my ear, “Come with me.”
It wasn’t an offer – just an order. I hadabsolutely no hope as he pulled me down the short steps to thestage and through the darkened bar.
I caught sight of the neatly arrangedbottles of liquor behind the bar, of several glasses drying on acloth just beyond my reach. Everything was beyond my reach. Fromthe chairs to the tables – there were no weapons. No chance tofight.
“That bastard,” Farley kept repeating to himself, voice likeblasts from a cannon, “that lying, backstabbing bastard. I’ll showFagan. Time to get me the powers of a seer,” he added. His voiceachieved such an ominous note that my entire back felt as if itshattered with fear.
I didn’t have a chance to scream, and Icould barely breathe as he kept his hand so tightly clamped over mybroken nose and bloodied lips.
We walked past the bar, reaching a doortowards the back. He stiffened, and I realized he was inclining hishead to the left, trying to listen for footsteps beyond. When hewas satisfied, he bolted forward, loosened a hand from my mouth,and yanked the door open.
I didn’t get a chance to scream. My lipsfelt heavy, almost as if someone had sewn them together.
There was now no doubt in my mind thatFarley had magic. I could feel it on him, smell it on him. Plus,out of nowhere, his nose started to bleed, almost as if someinvisible hand had smashed into it.
The consequence of
