I stare at his face, inspecting it for any hint of humor. I see none. But I burst out laughing just the same. “Come on, Officer Cooper. You’re going to have to do a little bit better than that.”
“I’m not joking, Rune. This is no laughing matter.” He sounds as frigid as Donovan. Maybe they get their cold shoulder-talent from their mom.
I’m torn between pure joy at finally being believed and my suspicion that this man can’t be trusted. Donovan hates him for a reason, after all. And he could be lying about believing me, just to get whatever it is he wants from me…or his brother.
“Ley lines. Got it,” I say, tossing my hair and giving him my most winning smile. “Is this what they teach you at cop school when you need to interrogate a hostile witness? Throw the most ridiculous shit you can think of at them, so they confess to something lesser?Yes, Officer, I foretold your brother’s death. But ley lines are a bridge too far.”
He heaves another sigh, this one so massive that the force of it ruffles the petals of the petunias in the flower boxes, bolted to the outside of the gazebo. “I’m not being a cop right now, Rune. At least, not the way you think. And could you maybe stop calling me Officer Cooper? It’s weird.”
“It’s your job title! Besides, what do you want me to call you? It’s not like you’ve told me your name.”
“Fair enough. My name is Andrew. But my friends and close associates”—he gives me another direct blue glance—“call me Coop.”
“Uh huh. Well, we’re not friends. But as far as associates go, we’re closer than I ever intended for us to be. So,Coop…start talking.”
He extends his arms, cracking his knuckles. “Well, for starters, do you know what ley lines actually are?”
I dig deep, coming up with vague knowledge sourced from fantasy novels and TV shows. “Some kind of…of lines of power, right? They’re thought to give off energy that the right people can harness. Like, um, in the Sacred Valley inCharmed.”
He stares at me blankly, and I stare right back. “It’s ashow.Like, y’know,Star TrekandI Love Lucy.What, you’re the only one who can watch TV? Was my definition not scientifically accurate enough for you?”
“Ley lines,” he says, slowly and deliberately, “are lines drawn between well-known historic structures and important landmarks. It’s thought that they’re there for a reason. To indicate where the earth’s energy is particularly close to the surface, so it can be harnessed, as you so crudely said.”
I’ve had about enough of this. “Oh, yes, Sapphire Springs, home of so many vital historic structures and landmarks. Stands to reason there would be ley lines here.”
Coop gives me the same, exasperated glance I remember from my third foster mom: as if he can’t believe how uncooperative I’m being, and it’s his misfortune and his duty to have to put up with it. “I don’t know why they’re here, either, Rune. No one does. That’s not the point.”
I’m beginning to wish Donovan had strangled him. “What is the point, then? I’m not interested in a pseudo-history lesson. You say you know something about me. All I know about you is that you hit Donovan’s car, you were a total asshole to him, and now you’ve threatened to have me arrestedagainif I don’t hear you out. Well, you’ve got my attention. So talk, and do it quickly, because every single second I spend sitting with you here isanother second your brother labors under the misconception that you and I are conspiring to make his life a living hell.”
“You care about him.” It isn’t a question.
“I’ve just met him,” I counter.
“Doesn’t matter. You give a crap about him, and I don’t know if that makes what I’m about to say better or worse.” He laces his hands behind his neck. “But here goes. There’s more than one reason why I’m an excellent cop, Rune. Why I had the pick of the litter, when I wanted to join the force here in Sapphire Springs. Look at my record; you’ll see it’s stellar.”
“So you’re good at your job. Congratulations.” My heart’s pounding so hard I can taste it. “So what?”
“I could have worked anywhere.” It’s not braggadocio; it’s a statement of fact. “But I chose Sapphire Springs, even though my brother and I can’t stand each other. Aren’t you the least bit curious why?”
“Not really,” I lie. “I’m pretty sure the answer is,because you’re a giant dick.”
No sooner do the words leave my lips than I realize I’ve set myself up perfectly for an unfortunate rejoinder. But Cooper doesn’t take the bait. Instead, he leans forward, unknotting his hands and bracing them on his knees. “Potentially. But that’s not why I came to this charming little town. I’m here because there’s been a spike in power in the ley lines beneath Sapphire Springs. My gift is to sense power, to be able to follow its trail. It’s how I’ve brought so many kingpins down.”
My mouth is as dry as the Sahara. But somehow, I manage to force out the question I asked him one last time. “What—what are you?”
His eyes fix on mine, and this time, the expression in them is almost…kind. “I’m a witch, Rune. And you…you are a seer.”
Chapter
Twenty-Six
Maybe I hitmy head in that car wreck and never woke up. It would sure as heck make a lot more sense than everything that’s happened in the last seventy-two hours.
“What do you mean, you’re a witch?” Even the word sounds ridiculous, like something out of a bad movie. OrCharmed.I tilt my head, peering into his face, trying to decipher if he’s just messing with me or, if by some twist of the imagination, he can possibly mean this. “There’s no such thing as witches,Coop,and I don’t appreciate you making fun of me this way.”
Sometimes, strong emotion can spur a premonition. And sure enough, as I speak, I feel the familiar red haze descend, threatening to cloud my vision. Oh, God, notnow.
Cooper shifts on the bench, fidgeting, then brushes at his arms as if to shoo away troublesome insects. “I’m not mocking you, Rune. I’m trying to tell you something important. And would you please dial your power back? It’s biting all over my skin.”
