Max just shrugged. “Magic is the most powerful force in the universe. Who cares about physics? All that matters is that, yes, you can travel back in time. But like I said, it’s costly. And if I am any guess, that’s exactly what the Lonely King is doing. And we have to stop him.” Max’s voice rumbled down low.
My mouth was open, my fight rapidly leaving me. There was only so much naysaying I could do until I gave in.
“So… so what do we do? How the hell do we stop him? Do we call the police? Do we mobilize the coven?” With every new sentence, my breath became shorter and shorter until I gasped like a drowning woman.
“We figure out when the next murder will happen, and we stop it. We keep getting in the Lonely King’s way.”
“… But why don’t we just attack him directly? Why don’t we try to take him down?”
Max’s jaw stiffened, and he shifted it from side-to-side. I could hear it clicking with tension. “Because that would likely get you killed, Chi. Not sure if you have forgotten, but Fagan was after you to get your heart for the Lonely King.”
“I haven’t forgotten. But I don’t exactly see how hiding in the dark will save me. Fagan may be dead, but I doubt the Lonely King has forgotten about me. So what do we do? Can’t we go up against him directly? It seems like the only way to stop him. I imagine he has a plethora of bad guys like Fagan at his disposal – and who knows how many faceless assassins he has. The only way to end this is to end him.” I sounded ridiculously passionate for a woman who’d just heard that time travel was possible, whose leg was badly injured, and who now had to contend with the fact her magic cost her her future.
But there we go, nothing can hold Chi McLane down.
The tiniest smile spread across Max’s lips, but it didn’t shift towards his eyes. He shook his head with some finality. “No. It’s too dangerous to go after the Lonely King.”
Dangerous, ha?
Was that Max speaking, or the shadow?
It seemed obvious the shadow was content to put me into situations that forced me to use my magic. So why was this different? Was the Lonely King possibly a force even the shadow couldn’t fight?
These thoughts happened quickly, and as I hid my expression from Max, I returned my attention to the crumpled witch. “Well, at the very least, we have to get him back to the coven.”
“And we need to get you some medical attention,” Max reminded me.
“Sure,” I agreed offhand as I leaned down to the ground. I had to guide myself, gripping onto the chair so my injured leg didn’t buckle beneath me. Warily, I reached out a hand and touched it against the witch’s shoulder. I didn’t honestly expect him to move – he looked as if he would be out for hours.
The guy moved, though. He gasped, in fact. He jolted forward, pushing into me and knocking me backward.
Instantly, Max was by my side, looping an arm around me and pulling me back.
The guy didn’t attack. He simply sat there, one hand locked on his heaving chest as he used the other to methodically check his body for injuries. At first, his eyes were so wide I swore they would fall from his skull. But as the seconds passed, and he clearly confirmed to himself that he was alive, he took a steadying breath. He appeared to realize that both Max and I were in the room with him. He frowned as he looked at me. “You’re the seer, aren’t you? Did you… did you save me?”
I managed a nod.
“Thank God.” The guy let out another rattling sigh. “There was nothing I could do against that bastard.”
The witch appeared to survey the room, a frown inching down his lips. “Where’s the assassin, anyway?”
“Dealt with,” Max said in a strong tone.
The witch tilted his head back up and looked at Max and didn’t appear to need an explanation.
Then the guy returned his attention to me. “You got here just in time. I’m Brian, by the way. Thank you, seer. But you’re injured,” he frowned as he flicked his gaze down my pants. They were now completely covered in blood, and as I’d knelt beside him, I’d left a small smattering of droplets over the floor.
“I’ll be alright. We have to get back to the coven to get you some help. You were out for quite some time.”
“I can make my own way back to the coven. You need to go after the other one.”
“Other one?” both Max and I asked at once.
The guy nodded, a gritty, hard quality to it. “There was another faceless assassin. He’s going after a friend of mine – Jim. I tried to buy my mate some time – tried to lure both assassins away. But that other prick got out of here before you came. He’ll go after Jim. You have to stop him.”
I paled. I felt cold. All over. All through. It wasn’t like I’d been transported into outer space – it was as if my whole body had become outer space with no hope of ever heating up again.
Just when I thought I couldn’t take it, Max reached out, leaned forward, and placed a hand gently on my shoulder.
He didn’t lean in – I didn’t hear the shadow’s rumbling tone by my ear telling me to use my powers.
No – it was just Max.
Brian continued to shoot me a grim look. “The Lonely King sent the assassins. As far as I can tell, he’s ramping up
