4
Cassie was wandering down the road when she sensed a truck creeping up on her, knowing who it was without looking. "I don't want a ride."
A door slammed and she heard his running footsteps. "I wasn't asking."
Adam's fingers were jammed in his pockets as he trudged alongside her. Her skin sizzled from his proximity and wanting desperately to shove it away, she said, "How much do I owe you?"
"For what?"
Her lips curved into a smile and she glanced at him over her shoulder. "Chocolate milkshake."
He laughed. "Nothing."
"Oh, c'mon, at least let me give you some money," she said, digging into her purse.
His hand stopped her and his fingers burned white heat to her very core. "Seriously, it's OK. In all the commotion, my Dad never got to it."
Cassie swallowed hard and looked down at his hand, which he finally dropped. "Commotion?"
Adam came around to face her. "You remember that flier Faye showed us?"
"Yeah, what about it?"
"These people showed up right after you left, and the lady seemed...sensitive."
"As in psychic?"
Adam nodded. "It seemed almost like she could read my mind."
Cassie's throat got dry, because it was the exact same thing that had happened between her and Faye the night they had seen the little girl. "Are you sure?"
His husky voice dropped to a lower octave. "I'm not sure about anything anymore. It's certainly possible."
"That's kind of weird, don't you think?"
"Weird how?"
"Well, we were just talking about that fortune teller, and then she conveniently shows up."
Adam considered her words. "Maybe Faye contacted her."
Cassie had to tell him. "Or maybe I did."
He came to a halt. "You're joking, right?"
She shook her head emphatically. "I asked for her help."
"Why?" Adam's voice took on that soft, shaky tone that told her he was upset.
"To heal my grandmother."
Adam surprised her by taking her hand. "I understand, but how can she help when doctors don't even know what's wrong?"
She tried to ignore the energy that leapt between them by focusing on Jane's blank face in her mind. "Because, she's been hexed."
His fingers tightened around hers. "Who would do that, and how...?"
"Do I know that?" she said, finishing his thought.
"Yes."
Cassie shook her head. "I don't know."
His other hand came to rest on her shoulder. "I hope you're wrong."
She became more certain she was right on the money. "I'm not."
Cassie pulled her hand free and left Adam standing under the one remaining streetlight on her road. By the time she got to her front steps, it too had burst into a shower of sparks.