“How dare you,” he began in a voice that shook with anger.
“I dare,” I cut in before he could finish, “because I can. I’m a natural-born liar, McCain. I’ll tell you what you want to hear, lie whenever I can. And you? You, dear McCain? You won’t be able to tell the difference. Because you’ve never been able to tell the difference. You’ll be too distracted by that beautiful future you think we’ll have together, and I’ll let you believe that lie right up until the last moment. Right up until I shove you back into the past and save Max.”
He started to fume, and I don’t mean that as a metaphor. Magic began to wash up and down him, cascading across his body as if he’d just swallowed several live wires and they were crackling through his sternum. I’d never seen a stronger display of power. Though my Max had often been able to cause crackling magical blue flame to escape over his body, this was different. Even I could sense how much power was trapped in the move. The whole room started to crackle with it as if we were about to be struck by lightning. Then again, who was I kidding? I was going to be struck by lightning – McCain was far more powerful than any mere natural phenomenon.
“Come here,” he roared.
I turned and sprang down the stairs. I threw myself onto the landing below and somehow managed to keep my balance. I didn’t tumble head over heels and crack my skull on the floor below. I hit the carpet, shoved a hand into the wall for support, and threw myself forward with everything I had.
Fortunately, I had a little experience running from an enraged Max, and I didn’t even bother to turn my head over my shoulder. I could hear he was right behind me. Hell, I could feel his magic. It still rushed off him in waves. It crackled and sparked through the air, feeling like a mini electric storm on the third floor of my house.
“What are you going to do when you catch me, McCain?” I spat, using up my precious breath as I taunted him. “I’ll make sure you never leave this house,” I said louder and with a pointed tone I hoped would carry beyond my frantic footfall and back to Bridgette. I just hoped she wouldn’t be stupid enough to reveal herself too early. She was my wildcard. It was a gamble, but hopefully if I distracted Max sufficiently, Bridgette would be free to fend him off.
I just hoped she had the magical power and sense to get through this.
“I’m going to get the contract book in the attic,” I said louder and more pointedly. “I’m going to shut you down, ensure you never get out of here,” I said again in that same irritating, singsong tone. “Because you can’t see the future, asshole, and you can’t tell the truth from a lie.”
He let out another roar which I swear sounded like a lion getting ready to pounce.
I put on a burst of speed that should have been impossible considering my injuries, and I threw myself down the stairs. All I had to do was get down to the first floor, buy Bridgette some time to get to the book and take it. But that would be when I remembered something – a fact that struck me like a blow to the jaw. Only I could carry the contract. When I’d first met Max and he’d chased me up to the attic, the fact I’d hefted the contract had been the one thing to stop his relentless assault.
Just as my cheeks paled at that realization, a plan formed in my mind. I, Chi McLane, may have been a lot of things, but my life as a fake fortune-teller enabled me to think on my feet. And think on my feet I did.
“What’s the matter, McCain? Why can’t you catch me? Come on, asshole,” I continued to taunt him, but as I did, I was careful to shove a hand into my pocket and start texting Bridgette. You would have thought for an ordinary person that would be impossible, and it would be, but not for somebody who’d spent the last few years of her life fulfilling fortunes whenever she could. I had a preternatural ability to text on the move. I barely had to check the screen for typos, and I knew the touchscreen of my phone like the back of my hand.
Right now I used that power. It may not have been magical, but that didn’t matter.
I texted Bridgette two words: distract him. I pulled my phone out to check before I sent the message.
I hoped like hell that was enough of a message and she got the idea.
By the time I threw myself onto the first-floor landing, I heard McCain’s growl right behind me. I also heard a thump and a rattle from the kitchen. It peaked my interest enough that I threw myself toward it.
Don’t ask me how, but I was keeping a healthy distance between myself and McCain. Possibly it was because I’d enraged him to such a level it sounded like he was going to explode.
I managed to reach the kitchen before he did, and as I shot into the room, I saw Bridgette. It took me a second to realize it was her body-double. Her expression was completely blank and certainly didn’t have the kind of concern you’d hope a friend would share when a crazy sorcerer king from the past was chasing you through your house.
Before Max could make it through the door, Bridgette’s body-double pushed forward in a graceful and yet blindingly quick move. She furled into me and grabbed the massive jacket off my shoulders – the same huge jacket Max had given me back
