Outrun

by Annabel Chase

  “Up to you,” Bernard said. “You might want to push it out on the trolley. Weighs more than a few pounds.”

  Declan easily lifted the machine from the table with one hand. “We’ll take it from here, thanks.”

  Something about the second tattoo was bothering me. Before we left, I wanted to know more.

  “Bernard, would you mind if I asked about your tattoo?” I asked. “I’ve been thinking of getting one to mark my graduation and I really like the way yours looks. What does it mean?”

  Bernard glanced at the symbol on his arm and tugged down his sleeve. “I dabble in alchemy, but I don’t want anyone knowing about it.” His gaze darted to the open doorway and back to us. “So I’d rather you not mention it to anyone if it’s all the same to you.”

  Could alchemists be responsible for creating the toxin?

  “Of course,” I said. “Is that a common one for alchemists? I don’t recognize it.” The lie slid off my tongue as though I invented facts every day. It was mildly unsettling.

  “It’s common for certain folks,” Bernard said. “Depending on what you’re interested in.”

  “Lead to gold is the one I’m familiar with,” I said, offering a friendly smile. “Who doesn’t want that ability?”

  “You’re a witch, ain’t you?” Bernard said.

  I shifted uncomfortably, feeling guilty that I still walked the earth with magic. It was ridiculous, really. Bernard had been stripped of his magic for good cause and I hadn’t done anything wrong.

  “You can tell?” I asked.

  “I ain’t as dim as I look,” Bernard said. “You don’t need alchemy for transforming metals. You’ve got your handy dandy wands and all that.”

  “Yes, and all that,” I said.

  “Best of luck with it,” Bernard said and grunted good-bye.

  Chapter Fifteen

  We stood outside a nail salon called Talons. I looked at Declan. “Are you serious? This is where you consult your oracle?”

  “Not usually,” he admitted. “My regular oracle has gone on holiday in the Southern Quadrant for two weeks.”

  I peered at him. “Is that allowed?”

  He shrugged. “Why wouldn't it be? Everybody needs a break now and then.”

  I gestured to the salon. “And this is where you come for backup prophecies and omens?”

  He shot me a mock menacing look. “Let me just have a quick word with Monica and make sure she can see us now. I'll be right back.”

  I paced back and forth on the pavement, wondering if this was a waste of my time. A scuffle overhead forced my attention skyward. A crow was squawking and flapping its wings as it flew through the middle of a flight of sparrows. The smaller birds began pecking at the crow, a clear message that the crow’s intrusion was unwelcome. Their disagreement seemed to reflect my experience with the vampires, except the crow appeared more adept at extricating himself from the situation than I’d been. He disengaged and zoomed off, no assistance required.

  A bell jingled as the door to the salon opened and Declan waved me inside. “We’re in.”

  He escorted me through the salon, past the row of vampires and fairies enjoying manicures and pedicures. We continued down a narrow corridor to a room at the back of the salon. The door was already ajar and he breezed in with a relaxed smile.

  “Monica, I'd like you to meet Mia,” he said.

  “Thank you for seeing us on short notice,” I said. A quick survey of the room revealed two fat, squat leather chairs attached to pedicure units.

  Monica snapped her gum. “No problem. It's too early for the after work crowd, so I have a little spare time.” She made eyes at Declan. “Besides, I'd be nuts to turn down a visit from this guy. Those eyes. Save me before I drown in those heavenly pools.”

  Gods above. Her flirtation was as subtle as a jackhammer. Why did she assume we weren’t a couple? Or maybe she did assume, but she didn’t care.

  “Let me grab my tools and I’ll be with you in a second,” Monica said. “Make yourselves comfy. Good thing we have two chairs back here. We usually only see one client at a time.” She scowled at me before turning her back. Nope, she didn’t care.

  Declan took the chair closest to the door, so I settled in the other one. Water began to fill the basins at our feet.

  “Should we remove our shoes and socks?” Declan asked.

  “Please,” Monica called over her shoulder. “I work best with all ten toes.”

  Toes? I scrunched my nose and shot Declan a quizzical look. He grinned back.

  “Do I really need to…?”

  “Yes,” Declan interjected. He removed each boot and peeled off his socks. I wasn’t a fan of feet in general, but his were actually kind of nice—for hairy extremities that collect sweat and dirt. He wiggled his toes before plunging them into the water.

  I took off my shoes and socks and shut my eyes as I dipped my toes in the spa. My eyes snapped back open when I heard him chuckle. “What?” I demanded.

  “Did you really just close your eyes?” he asked, amused. “Are you afraid a sea monster is going to come up through the jets and grab you by the feet?”

  My body tensed. “Well, I wasn’t worried before, but I am now.”

  “I’ve seen something similar happen,” Monica said, punctuating her solemn statement with the snap of her gum. “A real mess to clean up afterward, I’ll tell you that much.”

  I gaped at the water and tried to imagine being sucked down into the tiny pool. No thank you.

  “No worries, Monica,” Declan said. “If a foul creature comes our way, we’re well equipped to handle the situation. This one here doesn’t even need a wand to blow them clear out with a tornado.”

  Monica gave me a cursory glance. “Is that so? An air witch, are you?”

  “I am.” I squared my shoulders. “I’m…”

  Monica held up a hand. “Don’t tell me any more. I’ll do yours first and see what my visions tell me.”

  I clamped my mouth closed and watched as Monica added colored salts to the spa and swirled them around in the water. Pinks, purples, and blues melded together.

  “You need to relax or I won’t get a proper reading,” Monica chastised me.

  “What makes you think I’m not relaxed?” I asked.

  “Your toes are as rigid as your back,” Monica replied. “Take a few cleansing breaths. Sucking in air should be easy for you, seeing as how you’re an air witch.”

  Declan coughed to cover his laughter. I took three deep breaths and sank against the soft leather.

  “Much better,” Monica said. She peered into the water. “I see. Fascinating.”

  “What is?” I looked down but saw nothing except colorful water.

  Monica continued to observe the water. “You’re to be a Keeper of the North.”

  “You see that in my future or you see that I’m training to be one?” I asked. A little clarification would allay my anxiety over obtaining my preferred quadrant and class.

  Monica contemplated the question in silence. “Depends,” she said finally.

  “On what?” I asked.

  She met my inquisitive gaze. “Depends on how the path you’re on now pans out. I see the branches of a tree.”

  “Doesn’t that mean I appreciate life and have family and friends around me?” Pretty sure that’s what I learned in divination sessions.

  “You do your oracle and I’ll do mine,” Monica replied indignantly. “A tree for me represents options. Each branch is a different set of possibilities with even smaller branches that shoot off. Your present is the trunk.”

  “Can you tell me what the options are right now?” I asked politely. Maybe a vision of my future would help the investigation.

  She smiled. “I see a tall, handsome stranger becoming important to you.”

  Declan leaned forward in an attempt to glimpse the vision. “How handsome?”

  I pushed him back. “That could be anyone. I could get a new professor next term. Or it could m
ean Nick. He’s tall and handsome.”

  “And hairy,” Declan said. “Does it mention how hairy the stranger is?”

  Monica stifled a giggle. “‘Fraid not. I also see obstacles, both personal and professional.”

  “That’s a fairly general statement,” I said.

  Monica narrowed her eyes. “Do you expect me to give you a detailed and accurate statement? I’m an oracle, not a transcriptionist.”

  “She just likes concrete answers,” Declan said. “That’s the future agent in her.”

  Monica harrumphed before returning her attention to the spa. “Ooh, now there’s a pretty dragonfly. I do like seeing those.”

  I only saw trails of colored salt. “A dragonfly is good?”

  “Can be,” she said. “Usually represents change.”

  Well, that made sense. I was in my final year at Spellslingers and would be starting my career in a new quadrant, meeting new paranormals.

  “Is it good change or bad?” It could be either, depending on the circumstances.

  “Hard to tell,” Monica said. “Definitely seems to be talking about you, though.”

  “Who else would it refer to?” I asked.

  “I don’t mean it that way,” Monica replied. “The change refers to you yourself and not what’s happening around you, if you understand me.”

  “I see.” Well, I didn’t see, but I guess I would eventually.

  “Hmm,” Monica said.

  “What?” I asked. In my experience, ‘hmm’ was never a good sign.

  “I see one of them serpents eating its own tail,” Monica replied. “You know the type.”

  “The type that climb through spa jets to nibble on toes?” Declan teased.

  I gave him a playful smack. “Ouroboros,” I said.

  Monica nodded. “That’s the one.”

  “Doesn’t that represent infinity?” I said.

  Monica frowned. “Have you learned nothing here? Not in my spa.”

  “What does it mean then?” I asked.

  Her expression clouded over. “Could mean that you’ll be complete—whole. Not everybody gets that lucky. Could also mean the beginning of the end.”

  A shiver vibrated through my body. “How do we know which one it is?” The difference seemed pretty critical.

  “Depends on the tree branch you end up on,” Monica replied.

  “Now you sound more like a lawyer than an oracle,” I said.

  Monica flashed a gap-toothed smile. “I considered a career in the justice system, but my prophetic powers were too strong to ignore.”

  “Would make life as a Justice easy, though,” I said. “You’d be able to see guilt or innocence.”

  “There’s degrees of both of those,” Monica said. “Nothing’s black and white, you know. I hope you learn that before you run around capturing suspects in tornadoes or whatever it is you’ll be doing.”

  Beside me, Declan smothered a laugh and I shot him a death glare. “Your turn, Mr. Brown Coat.”

  “Oh, it’s Mister now, is it?” he said. “It feels so formal after all we’ve been through.”

  “The couple that gets pedicure prophecies together, stays together,” Monica said in a serious tone. Neither one of us bothered to correct her. It didn’t seem important enough.

  Monica moved her stool over to Declan’s spa and began to pour the different colored salts into the water. She gave it a good stir with her hand and observed the results. “Very nice.”

  “What is?” Declan asked.

  “A hummingbird,” Monica said. “Means you’ll be meeting the love of your life soon, if you haven’t met her already.” Monica beamed at him and I didn’t need to be psychic to read her thoughts.

  “Is this the part where you tell me she works in a salon?” Declan asked, good-naturedly.

  Monica’s cheeks turned crimson. “I only pass on the vision. I would never interfere with the gods’ desires.”

  “I know that, Monica,” he said. “We wouldn’t be here otherwise. You came highly recommended.”

  She sat up straighter, pleased with the compliment, and resumed her reading. “I see such dark wings. I almost mistook them for night.”

  “More birds?” I queried. It was like an aviary over here at the nail salon. Even Talons suggested birds.

  “You should appreciate that,” Declan said. “Their domain is the sky, same as yours.”

  “Hmm,” she said.

  I lurched forward to see Declan’s spa. “Again?”

  Monica didn’t have time to answer. Her head jerked back and her eyes rolled until they were completely white. I yanked my feet out of my spa and tucked them onto the chair.

  “Every evil. Every disease. Every vengeance. Life has fallen, but like the phoenix, life will rise again.” Monica’s guttural voice made the hair on my arms stand on end. “Cries of doom!” She began to wail like a banshee until she plunged her head into Declan’s water, silencing herself.

  Declan and I exchanged shocked glances as Monica whipped her head out of the water and offered an innocent smile. “Did you catch all that?” the oracle asked.

  “Um, I think we did,” I said.

  Monica smoothed her wet hair. “Great.” She clicked a button and began to drain the water from Declan’s spa. Then she did the same to mine.

  “Cries of doom,” I repeated, turning toward Declan. “That doesn’t sound promising.”

  Monica grabbed a towel and dried off our feet.

  “It’s worse than you think,” Declan said.

  My pulse sped up. “Worse than doom?”

  “I recognize the words she spoke,” Declan said. “They’re from an ancient prophecy heralding the end of the world. I can’t remember the name.”

  I froze. “The beginning of the end.”

  “Sheesh, my last client only got a bad omen about her husband’s frequent travels,” Monica remarked. “End of the world is so much worse.”

  “You think?” I moved to retrieve my socks and shoes, still reeling from Declan’s revelation.

  “Ooh, before you do that,” Monica said, “would you like a polish? Comes free with the prophecy.”

  “No, thank you,” I said.

  “Go on,” Declan urged. “Make ‘em sparkle with a nice cobalt blue. It’ll make you feel better.”

  I gave him a sharp glance. “We just got a prophecy about the end of the world, Declan. I don’t think blue polish is going to make me feel better.”

  He shrugged. “Your loss.”

  I didn’t know how he could be so cavalier about death and destruction.

  “Don't hesitate to come back for another prophecy. It isn't every day a handsome demigod comes knocking on your door.” Monica snapped her gum. “I work every day except Mondays.”

  “Thanks for the tip,” Declan said, steering me back down the corridor and through the salon.

  My head was spinning, and not just from the prophecy. I waited until we were safely out on the pavement before I spun around to confront him. "You're a what now?”

  He held up a finger. “Before you freak out, let me explain…”

  “Explain what? That you’re not a garden-variety gnome or an elf with glamoured ears? I think it’s pretty obvious by her use of the words demi and god.”

  He scratched the back of his head. “Wait. You thought I was a gnome?”

  “No, I didn’t think you were a gnome, but I knew you weren’t a vampire or a magic user and Nick didn’t sniff you out as a shifter…”

  “I’d been planning to tell you,” he said. “There just hasn't been the right moment.”

  “Any moment would’ve been the right moment.” I waved my arms wildly. “You didn’t choose any of them.” Monica had chosen for him.

  I turned on my heel and stalked off. I didn't care if I had to walk all the way back to Spellslingers. There was no way I was accepting a ride from someone I couldn't trust. Maybe my first impulse had been right. Maybe Declan was involved in this whole thing. If he lied about his
identity, what else has he been lying about?

  He chased after me, moving to block my path. “Why are you so upset? I didn’t lie to you and you didn’t ask.”

  I crossed my arms and glared at him. “What kind of demigod are you?”

  He offered a feeble grin. “The awesome kind?”

  I tapped my foot. “Try again.”

  He raked a hand through his dirty blond hair. “My father was Cicoluis and my mother was human. They met in the Northern Quadrant in between my father’s battles. They fell in love and here I am.” He spread his arms wide.

  My brain was stuck on the name of his father. “Between battles? Your father…He was a…” I couldn't bring myself to say the words. Somehow, my newfound knowledge made everything worse.

  “A war god,” he finished for me. “I can imagine what you must be thinking right now, especially given everything that's happening.”

  I let my arms fall back to my sides. “You can see how this might be a problem for me, right? Some unknown entity has declared war on vampires, and now we have a prophecy to accompany it that involves the end of the world.”

  “Maybe not,” Declan said. “If being the son of a war god has taught me anything, it's that every battle seems like the end of the world. Monica may have been overstating it a bit.”

  “And what if she wasn’t? What if we’re meant to interpret it literally?”

  “She's not my regular oracle,” he said. “I told you that.”

  “Well, we hardly have time to wait for your regular oracle to return from her trip, do we?”

  “I promise you that I'm not involved in this,” Declan said.

  I met his gaze. “And why aren't you? If you’re a demigod of war, you should be lapping this up. This is your trade.”

  “First of all, there is no honor in the kind of warfare being waged against the vampires,” he said, with a grim shake of his head. “Biological warfare is the coward’s way. Second of all, I have no interest in bringing about the end of the world. If that's what these battles are destined to trigger, then it's in my interest to stop them. Yours too, I believe.”