“I didn’t need to use my gift.” He shrugs dismissively. “I know what talking to the future looks like.”
Right, of course, because he’s a Sapphire and Sapphires are a dilution of Indigo magic. One of this Hue’s parents was a seer.
“So then, you know that it’s an imprecise art,” I say, trying to minimize my appeal. “Keeping me here won’t help you.Iwon’t help you.”
“Then why did you help me before?” he asks, straight in with the one question that requires an answer too damning to admit.
“I wasn’t helping you; I was helping me.” Though it does present an opportunity to twist this conversation to my benefit, get a few answers from him.
“By betraying your own trackers?”
“No—” That was merely a side effect of this idiocy, not the aim. “By getting to the bottom of a future they can’t predict.”
“Which is?”
“The death of the Gray,” I say the words calmly, clearly, studying his expression to see how bluntly they hit.
“Then I’m sorry to be the bearer, but you’re a little late to the party.” The Sapphire doesn’t even flinch. “We dealt with the threat to the Gray over a year ago—no thanks to you Shades. Where were you when the shadows were being drained of their power, huh?” There’s suddenly a crack to his voice that’s widening with pain. “Where were the trackers when we actually needed them? Where was the Council or the seers’ guild? Why didn’t you step in to prevent that future then?”
Because I wasn’t there.
Because I hadn’t seen it yet.
Because I don’t have the faintest clue what you’re raving on about.
“You’re wrong.” I fight the urge to call him a few other things, as well. “The threat to the Gray isn’t gone—I only saw it this morning.”
“Well, then you’re clearly not a great seer, because unlike you, I was there when we stopped the Amber, and I know for a fact that she doesn’t need stopping again.”
It takes everything I have not to reel as though he’d slapped me, not to let on just how close to home his insult landed—regardless ofhow offhandedly it was said. As to what another Hue has to do with anything, I have no idea, but at least he’s starting to offer up some solid details.
“I also saw my own death,” I tell him, testing to see how far his knowledge of my power extends.
“Yeah, that’s not possible,” he mutters, climbing back to his feet. “That’s the one thing an Indigo can’t see.”
Good, so he is familiar with the basics, maybe now I can push the advantage my way.
“I used to think that, too, but it turns out there’s a loophole to that rule and the futurecanshow us our deaths—just as long as they’re caused by the death of all magic. That’s why you have to let me go, so that I can stop it,” I say, rattling my cuff. “Please, I promise I won’t tell anyone where you are. If I was going to turn you in, I would have done it back at the Golden Stag.”
For a long moment, the Hue remains silent, his head cocking to the side as he considers me with interest, his eyes narrowed but his attention piqued.
I’m not dangerous. I make a nervous show of biting my lip and wringing my fingers, of hunching my shoulders to appear as small and unassuming as I can get. He may not have told me much about this . . .threathe claims to have averted, but in the space of a few minutes, he’s told me enough that I could do the rest of the legwork myself, figure out if I’m dealing with the same thing. I no longer need to keep him from the trackers, and by now,the shadows have replenished my color enough that, if he did remove the cuff, I could shimmer out of here before he could even think to give chase. Hells, I could probably catch him off-guard and shimmer him along with me, end this disastrous hunt by delivering the Council its Sapphire. All I need is for him to fall for the pretense and undo the—
“Why did you say ‘we’ll die like the stars’,” he asks instead, snapping me out of the fantasy.
“Erm . . .” My first instinct is to lie, though not for any reason other than I don’t want to give this Hue more truths than he’s already learned. But of all the questions he could have asked me, this oneseems like the most innocuous. He already knows that I’m an Indigo, so what difference would answering it really make?
“Because the future told me to,” I say, like it isn’t ridiculous. “Why? What does it mean?”
“That’s none of your business.” The Hue instantly frosts over, his face darkening with a deep contempt. Far too strong a reaction to such a nothing answer, if you ask me, to the point that the tension in his jaw doesn’t just speak of irk, it screams of anger, as though I’ve gone and robbed him of something precious. As though he was desperately hoping for me to say something else.
“You were right—this was a mistake.” He turns to tell the faceless shadow hovering outside the door, “She’s all yours, do with her what you will.”
My whole body tenses at his sudden change in demeanor, shrinking back against the wall as his golden friend comes striding in. Where the Sapphire is striking in a quiet, understated way, the Gold can only be described as ostentatious. Blond, tanned, obnoxiously pretty, with brushed silver eyes and features that look as though they’re carved from marble.
“They’re going to come for me, you know,” I say as he stalks towards me, my wrist fighting the iron shackle anew. “Your compulsion didn’t work; I was able to tell them everything—about you and the Bronze. They’re going to come.”
“I hope they do.” His voice is sharper than the Sapphire’s. Colder. Dangerous in pitch. “See, ushalf breeds, we’re not like you full-bloods; we don’t just kill everything we’re scared of.”
