I jolted backward, showing reflexes Ididn’t know I had.
I was still bleeding. From my neck, frommy shoulder, from my cheek. It didn’t matter. All that mattered wasthe adrenaline and fire that charged through my blood.
Farley swung towards me once more, and Isaw his clenched, stubby teeth glinting in the feeble light makingit in through the broken roof above.
I bolted backward but shifted to the sidejust in time as I caught a vision of myself dodging a crumpled updarkling on the floor.
“Max? Max! Where are you?” I bellowed intothe semidarkness.
My heart resounded in my throat as Iwaited for him to reply.
I barely knew the guy, and so far he’d proved himself to be little more than anarrogant prick. But right now I needed that arrogant prick. Ineeded his strong arms, his reassuring grip, his grasp and hissunshine magic.
But if he was out there, he didn’trespond.
My heart sank, and Farley saw an opportunity.
Rather than slash towards me once more, hejerked down to his knee, clutched the large sheet of plastic I wasstanding on, and pulled.
I didn’t react in time.
I fell sharply, slamming onto my hip andshuddering from the painful impact.
Farley was upon me.
This time, hedidn’t wait, didn’t lock an arm around my throat, tip my head back,and try to slash me from ear-to-ear.
I felt him drive the blade into the back ofmy right shoulder.
I screamed.
….
Finally, in my darkest moment, I saw aflash of light. And that flash of light? It belonged to my Scottishfairy.
Out of the darkness, sprang Max. He wasabsolutely covered in blue light, and his face erupted with angeras he blasted a bellow of rage.
I felt Max slam into Farley, wrapping anarm around the murderer’s chest and pulling him off me.
For a shuddering second, I could donothing as the pain from my shoulder ate through my back. But thenmy fire returned.
Despite the pain, I clutched my handsaround the moldyplastic, pushed, and jerked myfeet.
Max was grappling with Farley. Though Max was completelycovered in light, with a few hissed snaps, sowas Farley. But his light was far more erratic. It blinked in andout, surging and pulsing only to ebb. And the light was a mustybrown, a dead gray, almostlike decaying flesh.
It also saw bruises and blooded marksscatter over his cheeks and neck and arms, almost as if he’d justbeen whipped.
His magic was taking its toll.
Yet, if I had the hope that Farley wouldburn through his power and succumb to Max’s attack, I was sorely mistaken.
Farley still held the knife, and suddenlyhe chantedsomething.
Droplets of my blood were still pepperedalong the blade, and as Farley spat out his words, they blazed likesupernovas.
Max tried to jerk back, but he wasn’t quick enough.
Farley screamed, spittle flying over hischeeks and chin as he thrust the knife into Max’s arm.
Max could do nothing to defend himself from the blow. The knifesailed easily through his magic defenses and lodged high into Max’sbicep.
Blood dribbled and gushed from the wound,and Max jerked his head back, an aching scream filling thewarehouse.
I didn’t pause. I bolted forward. I had noweapon. I was injured, could barely move, but that didn’tmatter.
That didn’t freakingmatter.
Farley was going down.
Once upon a time, I’d been a fakefortune-teller. But I hadn’t really been a fake. I’d helped people.Even if I hadn’t been able to tell them their future, I’d giventhem hope that the future could change.
And right now, I gave myself thathope as I skidded downto my knees and elbowed Farley in the arm.
The move wasn’t strong, but it was suddenenough to change the direction of his blow. Rather than plunge hisglowing knife through Max’s stomach, the knife sliced harmlesslythrough the air.
I could have waited for Max to thrusthimself forward, I didn’t. Instead, I finally went for Farley’sknife.
I didn’t wait for the sparks to tell me whatto do – I saw an opportunity without them. The plastic by Farley’sfeet was all crumpled, but it was still thick.
I dropped to my knee, kicked at his ankle,grabbed the plastic, and shoved forward.
It was just as Farley slashed towards mewith the knife.
Time didn’t have to slow down this time. Nordid I need the sparks.
I thrust forward with the plastic, puttingmy shoulder into it just as Farley stabbed his knife into myarm.
Though pain punched through me, it didn’tmatter. I pushed forward with the plastic, switched my grip, jerkedback, and twisted. His knife was still in the plastic, and as Itwisted the plastic to the side, it wrenched the knife out of hisgrip.
Somehow removing the knife from Farley’s grip obliteratedthe dark, sickly gray magicallight that covered his form.
He went out like a guttering candle which had consumed thelast of the wick.
And Max jumped to his feet and thrustforward. He balled his hand into a fist, one that shone with thatunmistakable magic, and swung it right into Farley’s head. Therewas a sickening click, Farley’s eyes rolled into the back of hishead, and he fell backward.
And then there was silence. Silence savefor the drip of blood from my wounds. Silence save for myshuddering breath and Max’s far more measuredinhalations.
He was the first to act, because I was the first to fall.
Suddenly the fact I was very injuredstruck me. I only had a chance to teeter backward, and Max moved insmoothly and plucked me up.
I didn’t protest. Boy did I not protest. Ilet myself halfshut down as I felthis reassuring grip wrap around me. I might have evenlet out a satisfied sigh.
“Just hold on,” he muttered under his breath. “You’re veryinjured. Just stay still.”
I didn’t ask what I was staying still for. Iknew.
Because I could feel it already. The softgrass, the sunshine. And this time, Iconcentrated, concentrated with all my might as I tried to listenfor those hoofbeats, that screaming voice.
I felt my eyes softly close, and as theydid, I heard Max’s unmistakable chanting, felt his magic twistthrough my form. He didn’t have access to the same herbs from mygrandmother’s garden, so this time, the healing process seemed todrift on and on. And, as it did, I became more and more aware ofthat soft grass, those stampeding hoofs.
I almost caught what the screaming voicewas saying. It
