I had no idea how the assassin could track me – it wasn’t like he had eyes anymore. But however he did it, he was upon me in seconds.
He leaped up onto the twisted chunk of steel beside me, body crouched like a monkey as he balanced easily.
He had time to tilt his head to the side, nostrils flaring, before he reached for me once more.
I gave into the sparks. Begged them – screamed for their help.
And they came.
This time, they exploded over my vision as if a bomb had gone off behind my eyes.
I saw myself bucking backward, saw my hand scrounging by my side, saw my fingers snagging hold of a ruptured metal pipe.
I thrust the pipe forward just at the right moment, just before the assassin could slice into me with his clouds of green magic.
The pipe plunged through the assassin’s stomach. Don’t ask me how I had the strength to hold the pipe in place, how I found the coordination to stop my blood-and-sweat covered fingers from slipping.
Because it didn’t matter. I wasn’t in control of my body. The vision was.
The vision was.
Even though a tide of horror washed through me, it didn’t matter. I kept hold of that pipe, kept thrusting it forward until the assassin was impaled in full, until his featureless face stopped a mere inch from my own.
I couldn’t move.
Not an inch.
All I could do was follow.
As the assassin finally stopped thrashing, and his tide of green magic subsided, I took a step backward. I let go of the metal pipe, and it and the assassin fell to the floor with a thump.
I didn’t tilt my head down to stare at the assassin’s now lifeless body. I didn’t even let a tear trickle down my cheek for the life I’d taken. Instead, incapable of doing anything but following the contents of my vision, I turned.
I pushed to my feet. I ignored my pain, for I could not react to it.
Hobbling, I stumbled forward. I saw my head tilt up as I stared at the operations room, and as I saw it, I did it.
I walked towards the far wall.
Inside my mind, fear froze me in place. And the more it froze me, the more the vision consumed me from the inside out.
It was like I was stuck in the future, like I was trapped in a cage of my own making.
I staggered towards the far wall, spying a door that would presumably lead to an internal staircase and the operations room above. No, not presumably – it would. For I could see one opening out before me.
I watched myself walking up the stairs. I saw myself reaching the crumpled but still breathing form of the man. I reached down, wrapped a hand around his collar, and—
Someone caught my arm and pulled me around.
Max.
His sudden move snapped my vision, broke it like a mirror dropped off a cliff.
I sucked in a rattling breath that shook through my throat and powered into my torso.
And I promptly fell over. My knees cut out from underneath me as if someone had lopped them off with an ax.
Max didn’t let me fall. He wrapped his arms around my middle and guided me to the floor. “Chi. Chi, what happened?”
I was suddenly fully aware of how much blood was trickling down from the wound in my thigh. As I sat crumpled on the ground, my jeans stuck to me like glue.
I began to shake, every move tight and snapped.
… I… the vision. It had taken control of me. Yes, it had saved me, but—
Max pushed forward and brushed my wet, scrappy fringe from my eyes with a steady hand. As soon as his warm, rough fingers shifted over my cheeks, a shiver raced down my stomach.
I looked up at him as tears welled in my eyes.
“It’s fine – you’re fine.” Max turned his head over his shoulder, his eyes narrowing as he spied the dead body of the faceless assassin. “It’s over.” He returned his attention to me.
I shook my head.
“Chi, it’s over,” he said with a stronger tone.
I simply shook my head even harder.
Over?
It was just beginning.
Chapter 5
All magic costs. That’s what Bridgette had said.
Nothing comes for free.
Nothing.
Ignoring Max, I brought up a hand and stared at it. I didn’t become distracted by the blood smattering my palm or the cuts along my fingers. I didn’t even stare at my torn nails.
I simply stared in horror at what they’d done.
The vision had used me.
“Chi?” Max shifted forward, tried to grab my attention as he ducked his head down and stared into my eyes. When that didn’t work, he shifted forward and rested a hand on my chin, his strong fingers sliding against my jaw with a tantalizing soft touch.
A gentle, pleasurable feeling swelled in the pit of my stomach, but it wasn’t nearly enough to cut out the horror.
All magic costs. Nothing comes for free.
“Chi, you did the right thing. There’s nothing to worry about – it’s over.”
I finally tilted my head back, dropped my hand, and stared at him. It took an age to still my lips long enough to open them. “I… I had a vision,” I managed.
This brought a smile to his lips. “Good. It saved you, right?”
I couldn’t answer him as the horror continued to build and build in my mind, tearing down every happy thought I’d ever entertained about magic.
Magic cost Max, Bridgette, and Sarah Anne dearly. So why would I be any different?
Maybe Max could sense the horror building in my body like a bomb about to explode. He leaned forward, locked a hand on the back of my head, and pulled me into a tight embrace. As his defined biceps rested against my shoulders, I felt him – his breath, his warmth, his intoxicating presence. It brought me back to the day he’d arrived on my doorstep – to the moment my body had told me my dream man had finally fallen into my life.
But that couldn’t be right. Because this – all of this – it was wrong.
I pulled away from Max, breaking his perfect grip. I stared up into his eyes as my own filled with tears. Then I tried to snap to my feet.
My thigh was so injured, I couldn’t stand, and I buckled forward. Max caught me, holding me in place. “Chi, just calm down, just calm down,” he cooed in my ear, his breath a soft drumbeat along my throat and jaw.
… It would have been too easy to give into that gentle tone, to melt against his strong chest.
I pulled back, this time shoring up my leg and standing on my own. I forced a deep breath down my chest, pressed my lips closed, and stared at him. “How… how did you know I was here?”
“I told you, Chi – we’re connected. Plus, I have a signal on your phone, and I tracked you here.” He broke eye contact as he turned and surveyed the lifeless form of the faceless assassin. “Just in time, by the looks. Or maybe it wasn’t just in time.” He returned his attention to me.
And me? I turned my attention on his shadow.
Max kept close as he locked an apparently supportive hand over my elbow. “Because you managed to do this on your own, Chi. You used your powers to stop that asshole and save the day. That’s incredible,” he said, his expression so warm, so apparently genuine.
I didn’t once tear my gaze off his shadow.
… It was watching me, wasn’t it?
It was always watching me.
“… Chi? Are you listening? Shit, you’ve lost a lot of blood. You’re probably out of it. Come here, and I’ll heal you.”
I suddenly and rather violently broke Max’s grip. I jerked backward, putting several paces between us. I ticked my head back, my fringe scattering across my eyes. “No.”
“Chi,” very slowly, he put his hands up, “it’s just me. Now, you’re injured. You’re not thinking straight.”
“I’m fine.” I kept switching my gaze between the real Max and his long, dark shadow.
He shifted towards me warily, but when I jerked back, he stopp
ed. With his hands still in the air, he stared at me with a truly concerned expression crumpling his brow. “Chi, just let me help you. Let me use my magic to—”
I shook my head. The move was strong – stronger than I should have managed, and it sent a wave of nausea shifting through my body. But rather than clap a hand over my mouth, I faced him. “No, I don’t want you to use your magic on me. I don’t want you to lose your memory,” I added.
A completely different expression crumpled Max’s face now. One I’d never seen.
Yes, Max had been opening up to me over the past several months, but I’d never seen him this fragile, this unguarded.
I watched him swallow, watched his Adam’s apple bump against the tight collar of his T-shirt.
I swore a charge of emotion leaped through the air, swore it caught along my back, raced down my spine, collected in my limbs, and plunged towards my lips.
This conversation wasn’t going where I’d intended it to, but I couldn’t help it. I tipped my head further back and stared at him, using my all to keep steady on my feet, so I didn’t plunge to my knees. “I don’t want you using your magic on me again. I don’t want you to lose your memories.” I couldn’t control my tone as it became tight and weak.
He kept looking at me. And for the life of me, I couldn’t explain what his expression was, how soft and yet contorted his features became. By his sides, he curled his hands into fists. They weren’t tight enough that his fingers dug into his palms, and yet they had an unmistakable tension about them. One that made my chest feel tight.
“Chi, I’m here to protect you. I’ve told you that. Now, you don’t need to be concerned about my memories—”
“Yes, I do,” I said firmly. All weakness was now gone as I stared at him directly. “Why should you give up a part of yourself for me? You might be contracted to the McLane family, but shouldn’t you have a choice?” My voice became completely constricted on the word choice. In fact, it felt like two hands reached through from the ether, wrapped around my throat, and squeezed.
Max’s cheeks stiffened and twitched. As I switched my gaze to the side, I saw his shadow convulse somehow, as if a sudden light had shone through it.
It took a moment for Max to relax enough to open his mouth. “It is my choice. Just come here.” He reached a hand towards me.
Rather than take it, I took another directed step back. Any more, and I’d trip over the sheets of steel that remained scattered over the floor.
I watched Max’s eyes flash with concern, but I still didn’t take his outstretched hand.
My heart was beating fast, my breath still stuck in my throat, but the fear of what had happened to me was starting to wane. No, that’s not right – it was still present in my body, still burning through my veins and scouring my mind.
My magic had done something to me. Bridgette was right – it did come with a cost.
And that cost was my choice.
Every time I used my powers to see the future, I had no choice but to follow what I saw, didn’t I?
Maybe it made some kind of strange metaphysical sense – but I’d always thought I had a choice. I’d never realized until today how binding my powers were.
And the more I used them? The more I’d turn into—
I shook my head so suddenly, a powerful wave of nausea slammed down my body, and I lost my balance.
Before I could tilt backward and fall against the sheets of metal behind me, probably skewering my spine in the process, Max darted forward once more. Rather than wrap an arm around my middle like he usually did, he simply rested one on my shoulder.
And he looked right into my eyes. “Chi, it’s my choice to help you. Now, please, let me.” His voice did all sorts of strange things on the word please. The kinds of things that burrowed inside my heart, that wrapped arms around it, that pulled me close.
I felt sick and yet warm and yet terrified all at once.
I also teetered backward as another wave of fatigue crashed against me.
This time Max did lean in, did wrap two arms around my back, did pull me close as he steadied me against his hip.
I wanted so much to fall against his chest and let everything disappear.
… But it wouldn’t disappear.
I felt weak, didn’t I?
It wasn’t just the blood loss, was it?
Just before my eyes could close, I forced them open as a pang of fear spiraled through my mind.
Bridgette had told me that the more she used her powers – especially if she used them for prolonged periods of time – the worse her scar got. It was the same with Max’s memories.
So wouldn’t it be the same with me? If I kept using my powers to see the future, would that lack of control spill out into the rest of my life?
Now the only thing keeping me standing – even if I was only standing with the help of Max – was my thundering heart.
Max reached up a hand, pushed my fringe from my eyes, and looked steadily into my gaze. “Just let me help you,” he said. Then he spread his palm and fingers flat against my cheek.
It took me a moment to realize what he was doing, took me a moment to feel the charge of magic slip from his fingers into my skin.
I jerked back.
“Chi,” he admonished, pushing forward, trying to clap his hand against my cheek once more.
I shook my head. “No,” I said, and I surprised myself with my forcefulness. It rattled out of my throat, leaving no one with any question as to whether I was back in charge. “No,” I said. “You will not use your powers to heal me. I’ll be fine. Plus, we don’t have time.” I tilted my head back and stared in the direction of the operations room. My vision suddenly flashed through my mind, but I did not follow it. Though sparks started to collect at the edges of my eyes, I pushed them away with all my might. I didn’t care about the curse – if this was technically turning from my powers, then so be it.
As I gritted my teeth and stood my ground, that flash of a vision disappeared into the fog of my mind.
“That guy is still up there. The victim. He’s okay, I think,” I said, “still breathing,” I added. “But he needs medical attention. We have to get him to the hospital.”
Max still had hold of my shoulder, but as I jerked back, his hand fell to his side.
I didn’t give him the opportunity to question. I spun on my foot, clenched my teeth against the pain, and staggered towards the doorway on the opposite wall.
It took several seconds for Max to react, several seconds until he rushed up beside me. But, strangely, he didn’t suddenly scoop me off my feet, lock me in place, and grind that magical palm against the center of my forehead. Instead, he walked by my side, his hand hovering behind my back but not resting on it.
I saw his expression out of the corner of my eye, saw how crumpled his brow was, how direct and intense his gaze had become. And yet, he didn’t stop me.
We made it to the far door, and Max lurched forward, opening it for me.
I kept my teeth clenched, because it was honestly the only thing keeping me standing.
I felt so taxed. So drained. And it wasn’t just the blood loss.
It was the vision.
It had to be.
Everything comes with a cost. Everything comes with a cost.
Reaching a hand out and pressing my bloodied fingers against the wall, I used it to steady myself as I headed up the small staircase that would lead to the operations room above.
Max was still beside me, his hand still hovering by my back.
Once or twice, I cut my gaze towards his shadow. It was small – just an ordinary obstruction of light. That thing – that presence, that intelligence – it wasn’t there.
… Could it be because I denied Max’s magic? It was just a thought, just a possibility that suddenly sprang to mind. Concentrating on it, I found myself frowning.
We reached the top of the stairway, and Max reached out, opened the door, and thrust it to.
Lying on the fl
oor, crumpled, was the young man.
If it weren’t for his rapidly beating chest, I would have assumed he were dead. He was covered in blood. Blood, and symbols. These powerful, charging, crackling symbols that danced across his body and lit up the walls and floor around him.
I was so far out of my depth. All I could think of was what the vision had shown me doing. Marching in here, grabbing the guy by the collar—
Max quickly shifted down to one knee, warily checking the man over without reaching a hand forward and breaching the wall of those crackling symbols.
“What – what’s wrong with him?” I managed to stutter.
Without turning to me, I saw a particularly grim expression cross Max’s face. “It’s a timed charge,” he answered.
“Timed charge?” My voice shot up in fear. “What the hell is that? Is that some kind of bomb?”
Now Max turned to me. He was down on his haunches, his arms rested on his knees. As he shifted, I swore every single muscle in his taut neck twanged. He nodded. “A magical bomb. My guess is the faceless assassin set it before he went to deal with you.”
Though my first reaction was to shake my head in total disbelief, I stifled it as I clenched my teeth. “What the hell do we do? How do we get it off him?”
“We don’t.” Max dropped his voice low, so low I could barely pick it up. He also turned from me and shot the writhing man a grim look.
It wasn’t clear if the victim could hear us – the only clear thing was that the symbols covering his form were growing brighter, moving faster, almost as if they were getting ready to explode.
I took an automatic step backward, drawing my hands up and clapping them over my chest as I heaved through a breath. “There’s got to be something we can do. We can’t just leave him here.”
“We can, and we will,” Max responded as he lurched to his feet, locked a hand over my elbow, and began to pull me toward the door.
He didn’t, however, pull me all the way through. Instead, just at the threshold, he looked down into my gaze. And it wasn’t him.
For, at that exact moment, Max my bodyguard’s shadow lengthened, elongating until it took up most of the wall behind. “The only way to get rid of a timed charge is to detonate it by finding and disabling the correct symbol.” Without releasing my arm, he reached his other arm around and pointed a stiff finger back at the young man.
A Lying Witch Book Three Page 4
