Page 52 of A Seer and Present Danger

I let myself in, the hinges screaming.

“Hello?”

The store was a mess. It looked like a huge wind had blown through in a rage and thrown half of everything onto the floor, knocking over shelves, breaking valuables, and scattering papers.

A robbery? Or had Kenny done this?

“Hello?” I was already dialing 911.

I eased into the room. Little futures flashed bigger, louder, but I didn’t want to know, didn’t want to see. Not yet.

I walked to the repair and storage room behind the counter…

…where all those futures I didn’t want to know became true.

“Nine-one-one, what is your emergency?” Delaney asked.

“There’s been a break-in at the Wires and Widgets,” I said, staring at Kenny who was face down on the floor, unnaturally stiff and still.

“I think they killed Kenny.”

CHAPTER 11

“I should have seen it,” I said again. I felt like I was stuck on repeat.

Jules made a soft sound and tightened her arm across my back. She was warm and soft and smelled like lilacs.

I wanted to lean my head on her shoulder and close my eyes and disappear, but the commotion of everyone moving in the tight space to take pictures and record evidence was too much to ignore. I squeezed the broken teddy bear in my hands.

“Seers can’t always see the future.” Myra Reed handed me a tissue.

I didn’t even realize I was still leaking tears. I dabbed. “Thank you.”

Myra was the middle Reed sister, built curvier than Delaney or Jean. She wore her hair and makeup in a rockabilly style. She had the gift of always being in the right place at the right time with the right thing on hand.

Like tissue.

Jean had once joked that Myra’s pockets were very useful junk drawers.

Myra was also the sister who kept the secret library full of magical books safe, secret, and hidden.

“I know being a seer has its drawbacks,” I said forcing my jittery thoughts back to the conversation. “Yancy hasn’t been able to see the future all week. Jean said her doom-twinges have been off more than usual, and I’ve been…” I shrugged.

“You’ve been what?” Myra asked.

“The future, futures, have been a big messy jumble. Usually I see the most likely three or I see nothing. Lately I’ve been seeing a big old mess of futures with people jumping in and out of them. It’s so weird.”

“Hold on.” Myra held up a finger. “You’ve seen people jumping between futures? Who?”

“I can’t see their faces. But maybe demigods?”

Myra took a deep breath. “Possible. It could also be the god of time or other minor time deities. Lots of meddlers out there. One demigod I know said he can hold the current now in place to keep a future from happening no matter how much free will other people exert.”

“You know other demigods?” I asked.

“Sure. They don’t live in Ordinary. I would have introduced you if they did.”

“Hold on,” Jules said. “Back up to the keep-a-future-from-happening. What does that even mean?”