she’d been right the first time. She dropped her gaze quickly and hustled the children with their books to the manned checkout station. He followed her.
She attended with rather less than half an ear to the librarian’s idle conversation as she scanned the books. From the corner of her eye, she could see that the tall man had paused a couple of yards away, still looking intently at her.
She took a deep breath as the librarian slid the books into a bag for her. What could actually happen, surrounded by the patrons and staff of the library? If he made a scene, they’d kick him out. Better to have a bad encounter inside than out. So she wandered over to the New Books section, towing the kids after her, and waited until he approached her.
His voice pitched low, he said, “Miss, I need to talk to you.”
“No,” she said firmly, giving him only a cursory glance. “Go away.”
He stared at her, mouth tightening, “I know you’re one of Zachariah’s allies. I know you’re trying to keep the kids safe. But—”
“I said no,” Marley repeated, raising her voice. “Please leave me alone.” She looked over at him again. It was a mistake.
He shimmered, as if tears were pricking her eyes. Her stomach twisted and crimson crept across the blur of her vision until the man’s face was covered in blood. Something bad was going to happen soon. The idea—no, the understanding— slammed into her head like a spike: He would die soon . The frustration on his blood-washed face was the beginning of a path that led directly to... emptiness.
She swayed, trying to gulp down the panic. This hadn't happened in years, and it had rarely been this bad. She squeezed her eyes shut until she felt the insane certainty recede. She knew it was insane; hadn't she had visions like that growing up, visions which were no more likely to come true than a horoscope? For a moment, the light over his head seemed very bright, and then all was a blur again, from the real tears in her eyes. “I’m sorry,” she gasped out, and turned and fled.
Five steps away, she realized Kari had slipped out of her grasp and was standing four-square in front of the man, staring up at him defiantly.
“Kari!” she cried. The little girl jumped and then raced after her, grabbing her hand again.
They made it through the science fiction section to the library foyer before he caught up with them, darting past Marley as she juggled books and children to stand in front of the second set of doors, blocking their exit. He spread his hands. “I’m not going to hurt you.”
Just outside the library entrance, a teenage girl sat on a bench, holding in one hand the leashes of three good-sized dogs that lay at her feet. She turned from watching the parking lot to peer through the glass windows of the foyer. She looked from the tall man to Marley, and frowned.
Marley fumbled at the inner doors behind her, ready to retreat into the main library again.
“I’m not going to hurt you,” he repeated. “But those people out there might.” He pointed out at the parking lot.
She couldn’t watch him and look at the parking lot at the same time. He lifted both hands as if to show they were empty, and then pushed the door open and went outside. When it swung shut behind him, she quickly scanned the parking lot.
It wasn’t even half-full on a day like today, and the minivan from the day before leapt out at her. She could see two people inside it. It was right next to her car. On the other side of the minivan, a sky-blue sedan’s doors opened and people spilled out and began milling around both the sedan and the minivan.
Marley’s shoulder blades touched the wall of the foyer, and she found herself sinking down it. Lissa climbed into her lap as soon as she was sitting on the ground. “What's going on?” the little girl asked. “Are we going home?”
Marley squeezed Lissa with one arm, and pushed herself back to her feet, sliding the girl onto her feet again. “Soon.
She attended with rather less than half an ear to the librarian’s idle conversation as she scanned the books. From the corner of her eye, she could see that the tall man had paused a couple of yards away, still looking intently at her.
She took a deep breath as the librarian slid the books into a bag for her. What could actually happen, surrounded by the patrons and staff of the library? If he made a scene, they’d kick him out. Better to have a bad encounter inside than out. So she wandered over to the New Books section, towing the kids after her, and waited until he approached her.
His voice pitched low, he said, “Miss, I need to talk to you.”
“No,” she said firmly, giving him only a cursory glance. “Go away.”
He stared at her, mouth tightening, “I know you’re one of Zachariah’s allies. I know you’re trying to keep the kids safe. But—”
“I said no,” Marley repeated, raising her voice. “Please leave me alone.” She looked over at him again. It was a mistake.
He shimmered, as if tears were pricking her eyes. Her stomach twisted and crimson crept across the blur of her vision until the man’s face was covered in blood. Something bad was going to happen soon. The idea—no, the understanding— slammed into her head like a spike: He would die soon . The frustration on his blood-washed face was the beginning of a path that led directly to... emptiness.
She swayed, trying to gulp down the panic. This hadn't happened in years, and it had rarely been this bad. She squeezed her eyes shut until she felt the insane certainty recede. She knew it was insane; hadn't she had visions like that growing up, visions which were no more likely to come true than a horoscope? For a moment, the light over his head seemed very bright, and then all was a blur again, from the real tears in her eyes. “I’m sorry,” she gasped out, and turned and fled.
Five steps away, she realized Kari had slipped out of her grasp and was standing four-square in front of the man, staring up at him defiantly.
“Kari!” she cried. The little girl jumped and then raced after her, grabbing her hand again.
They made it through the science fiction section to the library foyer before he caught up with them, darting past Marley as she juggled books and children to stand in front of the second set of doors, blocking their exit. He spread his hands. “I’m not going to hurt you.”
Just outside the library entrance, a teenage girl sat on a bench, holding in one hand the leashes of three good-sized dogs that lay at her feet. She turned from watching the parking lot to peer through the glass windows of the foyer. She looked from the tall man to Marley, and frowned.
Marley fumbled at the inner doors behind her, ready to retreat into the main library again.
“I’m not going to hurt you,” he repeated. “But those people out there might.” He pointed out at the parking lot.
She couldn’t watch him and look at the parking lot at the same time. He lifted both hands as if to show they were empty, and then pushed the door open and went outside. When it swung shut behind him, she quickly scanned the parking lot.
It wasn’t even half-full on a day like today, and the minivan from the day before leapt out at her. She could see two people inside it. It was right next to her car. On the other side of the minivan, a sky-blue sedan’s doors opened and people spilled out and began milling around both the sedan and the minivan.
Marley’s shoulder blades touched the wall of the foyer, and she found herself sinking down it. Lissa climbed into her lap as soon as she was sitting on the ground. “What's going on?” the little girl asked. “Are we going home?”
Marley squeezed Lissa with one arm, and pushed herself back to her feet, sliding the girl onto her feet again. “Soon.
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