“Where’s Jim?” Max snapped.
“He works in the local university library. He curates their other collection.”
Max nodded, obviously needing no explanation as to what that other collection was.
I doubted it was dirty magazines or comic books. Which just left one possibility – the local university must have an expensive collection of magical books.
Which didn’t matter. The only thing that mattered here was that another faceless assassin was going after this guy’s friend.
And I had to stop him.
… I had no choice, did I?
I’d barely managed to pull myself free from my vision last time. And if I threw myself into another vision, who knew what would happen? Maybe I’d be lost to the future forever.
Max never shifted his hand from my shoulder. “I’ve got this. She’s injured. Take her back to the coven,” Max began.
Brian shook his head. He shoved a hand into his pocket and pulled out a tiny vial. It was no longer than his thumb and about as thin as a Biro. Inside was the most luminescent blue liquid I’d ever seen. It looked as if it belonged in a painting.
Max hissed through his teeth. “You sure? Those are pretty expensive.”
“We have to stop the Lonely King.”
I was completely lost. But when Brian shifted forward and handed me the vial, I suddenly realized what was happening.
With that same grim expression crumpling his brow, he nodded at me. “That stuff is purified healing liquid. That one dose applied to your injury should be enough to seal it and kickstart the healing process. It’ll give you the time you need.”
I hadn’t accepted the vial yet, and now I didn’t want to.
“Please,” Brian’s voice dropped down low, “Jim won’t have any time. Seer, you’re the only person who’ll be able to save him and stop the Lonely King.”
Though every scrap of sanity I had told me not to accept that vial and to walk away, I had no option. With a shaking hand, I took it from Brian.
It was surprisingly warm, like I’d just accepted a hot water bottle.
“I’ll help you apply it,” Max offered, leaning in, grabbing it from my palm, and shaking it up before he tore the top off with his teeth.
Max dropped to his knees, and I felt him place a steadying hand on my left hip as he leaned in to access the cut on my upper back thigh.
I wanted to be distracted by his firm grip on my hip, by his soft, gentle touch along my thigh. My body wanted to be distracted, too. Tight, racing tingles escaped up my leg and sank hard into the base of my stomach. But there was only so much they could do. For nothing could distract me from what would happen next. This strange liquid would heal me, then I would be thrust back on the trail of the Lonely King.
I’d never felt more trapped in my life. And considering I was the kind of girl who always chose to run from her troubles, this was the worst thing that could have happened to me.
But it wasn’t over yet. And I couldn’t forget one fact. The Lonely King could still win. My treacherous visions may not be able to save me in the end.
It didn’t take long for Max to finish, and all too soon his tantalizing touch shifted from my hip, and he stood. He corked the vial and threw it back at Brian.
Brian caught it and stowed it in his pocket. He nodded at me, the move tight with warning. “You have to go now. You’re running out of time – all us witches are. Heck, the whole city is. If we’re right, and, honestly, we can’t be wrong, then the Lonely King is trying to gather as many magical hearts as he can for a time spell. We have to stop him. Who knows what he’s trying to bring from the past.”
With that ominous warning, Brian shifted back, pushing out a hand and steadying himself against the wall.
The guy looked like hell and probably felt worse. And yet, he found the power to stand. He nodded at me one more time. “Our lives are in your hands, seer. Good luck.” Brian shifted away, scribbling something on a piece of paper from his pocket and handing it to Max. It was the coordinates of the other library.
Then the guy walked out, leaving us alone.
So this was it, ha? Nowhere to go. Either the Lonely King would kill me and rip out my heart for his spell, or the future would consume me whole.
Chapter 6
The other library was all the way across town. Max drove as I sat in the seat beside him, contemplating my future or lack thereof.
Though my thoughts should probably have centered on my own demise, they kept ticking back to Max. Not the shadow – but the apparently real man who sat beside me. It was clear the shadow was using him to get to me. So what would the shadow do to Max once it was done with me? Would it wipe his memory clean this time? Or would it simply dispose of him?
As we drove, Max kept shifting his head to the side, obviously checking up on me. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see how concerned he was. “This will be over quickly,” he promised. “We’ll get to that library, save this guy, and I’ll get you home. The other witches can do the rest.”
He was lying, even if he didn’t know it. This would
