The guy didn’t get to say anything else because Ravi punched him in the face.
“You asshole! This is all your fault!” he yelled as he surged to his feet and stumbled toward the door.
Under normal circumstances, he would have made it, even with his bag and the extra layers of clothes weighing him down. But the second Vision he’d had last night must have been a doozy because his legs still weren’t working right. He’d just reached the door when thick arms wrapped around him from behind and lifted him off his feet. He struggled, knowing how dangerous physical contact was, but the bastard was as strong as an ox. His arms were like tree trunks, and his chest as broad as the side of a barn.
“Stop wiggling, you little shit, and calm down. I’m not going to hurt you. I’m trying to help. You’ll get both of us caught if you go running out there blindly.”
Ravi ground his teeth, but he eventually blew out a breath and forced his body to go limp, relieved another Vision didn’t appear imminent at least.
After the man cautiously put him down, Ravi put some distance between them and growled, “Like you helped me last night, you Rift-blighted imbecile?”
My one chance, he sobbed internally.
In frustration, and with just a hint of caution, he tugged his hood back in place, hiding his face and putting another couple of feet between them. Best to not tempt fate. The one Vision he’d had involving this man was quite enough.
What in the Seven Hells do I do now?
He was so fucked.
Yesterday, he’d been so sure the gods had finally cut him a break, given him a way out that would protect the people he cared for most. He should have known better. The gods had cursed him with this life; why would they bother showing him kindness now?
He curled his hands into fists again as he saw red and took a step closer to the asshole who’d destroyed the only chance to escape he was likely to get. He couldn’t vent his frustrations on the gods, but this guy seemed mortal enough.
Luckily, a good look at the man forced Ravi’s brain to intercede on his body’s behalf, stopping him from doing something really stupid. The guy wasn’t much taller than him, but he was nearly twice as broad. Even in the weak early light coming through the cracked and dirty window, Ravi could tell this wasn’t someone he should mess with. Wild, shaggy dark brown hair escaped the valiant efforts of the leather thong at the base of the man’s skull. His throat, jaw, and cheeks were shadowed with thick stubble, making the bright pink slashes of two long, jagged scars along his neck and jaw stand out like lightning through storm clouds. His nose had obviously been broken a few times, and his heavy brows made him look threatening, despite the big calloused hands currently being held out in a conciliatory gesture.
“Hey, look. I was just trying to help,” the guy huffed. “You don’t want to go to one those night markets. Believe me. You’ll end up somewhere even worse than whatever you got here.”
His tone had just enough condescension to spike Ravi’s temper again. Despite knowing he was physically outmatched, the temptation to throw another punch began to win the argument in his head. But then the guy’s dark blue eyes caught the pale light, and they triggered the memory of that damned Vision. Suddenly, Ravi’s cheeks burned from something more than anger. Flustered and unsettled, he hugged his bag close to his chest and spun away to pace the cramped, dirty space.
“Worse?” he fumed to cover his discomfort. “Are you kidding? You led me straight to a bloody brother. How could it be worse?”
“You saw that, huh?”
“Yeah, I saw that,” he repeated sourly.
“To be fair, the brother was already looking for you,” the guy said with a shrug. “He was a Finder. He felt your magic. I was just trying to get there first.”
Ravi goggled at him as new terror flooded his body and his anger soared to keep pace.
“Oh, well that’s just great,” he practically screeched. “That makes it all better that you butted in where no one asked you and wrecked everything for both of us.” Forgetting his earlier caution, he closed the distance between them and stabbed a finger into the air an inch from the man’s crooked nose. “I told you to stay away from me. I ran away from you. Couldn’t you take the hint? If you hadn’t gotten near me, I never would have had that second Vision! I could’ve gotten away!”
“Lower your voice.” The man’s eyes narrowed as he calmly reached to push Ravi’s finger aside, forcing Ravi to snatch it away before they touched. “Second vision? That’s right. There were two. I forgot about that. The first was how I found you. So, what was it?”
“What?”
“The Vision. I heard the second one, the prophecy, but what was the first?”
Prophecy? How he found me?
“Wait.” Ravi rubbed his temples, straining to think. “How did you know about the first? How did you find me?”
The big man shrugged. “I guess I’m what you’d call a Finder too.”
At the second mention of that word, Ravi’s heart thudded faster. He stared at the man, frozen.
“Hey, relax,” the stranger said, gentling his tone. “Obviously, I’m not with the Brotherhood. I just happen to be gifted with a particular magic, just like you.”
Just like me.
He flinched and glared to cover it. Too much was happening too fast. His brain was having a hard time keeping up.
“Tell me what was in the first Vision. It might be important,” the man prodded, and Ravi lost his temper.
“Are you kidding me right now?” he hissed. “You know what? Why am I still here? Why am I even talking to you? I have to get out of here.”
He made for the door again, but the stranger got there first and
