Page 64 of A Seer and Present Danger

“You have not.”

“Futures and nows get a little mixed up when I get close to Ordinary. There’s a lot of power and magic there. It has a way of crossing my wires. Of course, you’d understand that.”

“Because I’m a demigod?”

“Because you’re a demigod. Is your name really Piper?”

“Yes. Is yours Simon?”

“Yes. Look at how well we’re getting along. Just two future people shooting the breeze.”

“This doesn’t mean we’re friends.”

“Why can’t we be friends?”

“Because I don’t think you’re a very nice person.”

“You don’t think I’m nice, or someone told you to think I’m not nice?”

“Can you manipulate the future?”

He hadn’t expected that. I could see the surprise all over his face.

“That’s a tricky thing to answer.”

“A yes or no should do it.”

Futures flashed, spinning like a roulette wheel, appearing and disappearing too quickly for me to make sense of any of them.

Vandre pressed his palms flat against the tabletop, his fingers bent just slightly like he was getting a good grip on the surface.

The futures slowed, and three came into focus.

Vandre ignores my question and makes a joke…

Vandre tells me no one can manipulate the future…

Vandre tells me he has some powers, and can influence the future…

All three futures seemed equally as possible. Each just as clear as the other.

Then Vandre shifted his grip on the table, lifting his fingers one at a time and flexing them against the table again.

One future burned bright.

Vandre telling me he has powers…

“I have some powers,” he said, as I knew he would. “But it is more that I can influence the future, sort of lean my weight into it. It doesn’t always work. So yes, I suppose you could say that I can manipulate the future. That doesn’t mean I go around killing people—I know you wanted to ask me that, so let’s just get it out of the way now.”

“Fine. Did you kill Hugo?” I asked anyway because I didn’t like being told what I could do.

“I did not.”

“What about Kenny?”

“Kenny?”

“His business partner.”