Page 25
Yeah, I knew that. That was the whole fucking point—that’s when I saw the neon fortune teller sign with a crystal ball blinking on and off in the window of the shop near where she disappeared.
I approached with caution, letting my eyes adjust to the darkened room as I entered the store. Tables lined the walls set with crystals and decks of tarot cards. To the back left, the cashier stared at her phone, ignoring me. Behind and to her side was a long red curtain swaying slightly as though someone had just gone through. Then it stopped too suddenly to be from the wind, and I groaned inwardly. Keep using telekinesis and they’ll find us faster.
One step toward the curtain and the crystals sitting in wooden bowls at my sides began to tremble menacingly. I paused, one foot in the air.
Pythia hissed in my head.
Out of time.
The door behind me burst open as two men in black suits and sunglasses entered. One had a violent red aura and the other had none—a vampire.
Shit.
I needed a distraction.
Praying it would work, at least temporarily, I used my own TK powers to knock over a trashcan in the adjoining alleyway I’d seen as I passed. Both men froze as I pretended to browse through a selection of tourmaline palm stones, fisting the most jagged chunk I could find, just in case I had to fight them physically.
The man with the aura, that I was guessing was a shifter of some sort, nodded to the vampire who slipped back out the door. Okay, so down to one and not for long. I held a piece of selenite up to the light as the remaining man strode toward the curtain.
“Hey!” I said loudly, hurrying to catch up and grab his meaty arm. “I’m next for a reading. No cuts.”
A guttural sound vibrated from the man’s double-wide chest as he turned and glared down at me. I tried to keep my heartrate steady as I snatched my hand back. “Seriously. I’ve been waiting.”
The cashier chose that moment to become involved. “Madame Star isn’t in today, so you’ll both have to come back.”
“Oh,” I said, retreating a step and readying my fist. The man yanked open the curtain, and a hooded figure ducked beneath his arm and down the aisle of the small shop. “I’m here to help!” I yelled as she sent one of the tables flying sideways to block the shifter from pursuing.
He kicked it aside like it was a twig as the cashier screamed and the woman opened the door to come face-to-face with the vampire.
This was not going well.
“Freeze!” I yelled at the room in general, throwing out a burst of magic. Every one of them stopped in their tracks. Yeah, I’d already blown my cover, but sometimes I had to improvise.
I grabbed the hooded woman’s arm and spoke quickly. “I’m here to help you. I’m going to unfreeze you so we can run.” Then with a quick prayer to the universe, I told her she was free again.
“Come on,” I said, tugging her past the vampire taking up the doorway. “There will be more on the way now that I did that.”
We rushed up the street and down another alley, zigzagging through the small town until we were in a subdivision of some sort. She yanked away her arm and bent over to catch her breath as I scanned the distance for pursuers. Then I pulled my phone to hail a rideshare.
“Who are you?” she asked once she was able.
“Char. You?”
She narrowed her eyes at me and shoved her hood back to reveal a blue buzz cut. “I meant like what organization are you with? What do you want with me?”
“SHADE,” I said, “and I want to save you. I’m also a psychic.”
“Duh. That was obvious.”
I glanced down the empty street again, not wanting to have this conversation until she was safely back on the island.
“What if I don’t want to join SHADE?” she challenged.
“It’s better than the alternative,” I said with a harsh laugh. But I had to wonder if that was true based on the little girl living at my house and the general and Silas and…
“Mmmhmm.” She started to back away.
“Stop,” I said, and she flinched. “I’m not using mind-bending on you, just asking you to hold on. I’m not going to force you to do anything, but at least let me get you somewhere safe.”
