Chapter 25
Chapter
Twenty-Five
Officer Cooper raises his hands, like he’s the one who was just threatened with arrest…again. “Me? I’d say you’re the one who needs to ’splain, Lucy.” He’s grinning at me again, that cocksure smile that I’d like to slap right off his face.
First that snide Data comment; now this, straight out of I Love Lucy . Just when I thought he couldn’t get any more annoying, he surprises me. “Knock it off,” I snap. “Also, I don’t appreciate you implying that there’s something between the two of us, given the history you and Donovan have. And what do you mean, you believe me?”
“I mean exactly what I say.” The smile fades. “I know you were trying to save me from getting hit by that bus, Rune. And I know you never expected me to believe you when you told me the truth. I know you’re cursed to have no one believe you. And before you tell me it’s none of my business, if one of your premonitions foretold my brother’s death, then I damn well need to know about it.”
This is too much. My legs give way, and to my consternation, Cooper leaps up the steps and grabs me by the arm, lowering me onto the built-in bench that makes up three sides of the gazebo. He lets go as soon as my butt hits the bench, like maybe I’ve been dipped in poison. Or, I realize when I lift my eyes and catch a glimpse of his dilated pupils, like he’s afraid of me.
He knows. He knows. But how?
It’s everything I’ve ever wanted. Everything I’ve dreamed of, since the first time the door to that little room cracked open when I was five years old and I walked through, emerging with knowledge I had no right to possess. But then why am I so terrified?
My vision turns spotty, and I bend, putting my head between my knees. “Who are you?” I whisper again to the stained floorboards.
“I told you. A small-town cop.”
“And?”
“What do you mean?” The bench shakes as he sinks onto it beside me, being careful to keep his distance.
I draw deep, even breaths, willing myself not to pass out. Man, what I’d give for a cold towel on the back of my neck right now. Or a shot of bourbon. “A small-town cop and…?”
There’s a long, weighted pause. Finally he says, “That depends. Are you gonna pass out again? Because I’d rather not have to tell you this twice.”
“I’m not going to pass out.” I sit up slowly, hoping I’m not lying. When I blink, the gray static has retreated, replaced with the saturated colors of Sapphire Springs in early fall: the deep blue waters of the lake and the changing leaves of the oaks that overhang it, where Charlotte, the girls, and I picnic on my birthday every year. This is a plus: at least I’m not going to find myself prostrate at Officer Asshat’s feet like a bad Victorian heroine.
Oh my God, Charlotte. What the heck is she going to think happened when Donovan reappears without me? Maybe she’ll be too preoccupied with the girls to notice. Maybe she?—
On cue, my phone buzzes with a text. I dig it out of my purse, and sure enough, it’s my best friend.
CHARLOTTE
Sex spreadsheet guy is back, and he looks pissed. Like, hell hath no fury. What did you say to him? I thought you were going to be open-minded!
Damn it.
Me
I’ll explain later, promise
I swallow hard, then type, aware of Officer Asshat’s eyes on me:
It wasn’t my fault. Not really.
Three little dots, then:
As long as you’re OK. Fair warning, though. The Sinsters have been activated.
Triple damn it.
Me
Duly noted. Catch you by the funnel cakes in 10.
I stick my phone back into my purse and fix Cooper with a gimlet eye. “Start talking.”
He sighs, running his hands through his hair in a gesture that reminds me of Donovan and makes my heart twinge. “I really am a cop. But the reason I’ve come to Sapphire Springs—well, it wasn’t just for a job. Not this job, anyway.”
“What are you talking about?“
“Now it’s your turn not to think I’m crazy.” His blue gaze slides sideways, and for the first time, the expression in it is hesitant. “Are you aware of the fact that there are ley lines beneath Sapphire Springs?”
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 in Charmed.”
He stares at me blankly, and I stare right back. “It’s a show. Like, y’know, Star Trek and I 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 arrested again if 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 is another 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.”