Sleight of Hand: The Final Card

Chapter 6

"So, this power source... it's in Colorado?" Seamus drawled, lounging on his sofa across from Hali. He held an expensive-looking glass in his hand, and was studying the shimmery, bubbly liquid inside.

It disgusted Hali how comfortable this man was in his massive house with lavish furniture and food and enter­tainment—stuff he undoubtedly used the Super­humans' power to conjure for himself. The man who was responsible for her parents' deaths, who had trapped her in a card and gone back on their deal. It irked her how at ease he was, able to sit back and relax on an expensive sofa surveying sparkling cider or champagne or whatever was in that glass.

"Yes," Hali replied, reining in her simmering anger. She needed to keep up her façade.

Just a little longer.

"And why do we need to travel to retrieve this power source?" Seamus asked, finally sitting up straight and placing his glass on the coffee table in front of him with a clink. "With the power we have, why not just summon it here, into our hands?"

Hali took a deep breath, releasing with it the frustra­tion this man was causing her.

"Seamus, I'm running low on power because I'm constantly supplying you with it. Even with rest, it's becoming unbearable to function without resting my power. It's not enough to summon the power source here. Besides, the power source is stated to be in another world, one where Superhuman power no longer resides. There is no way to know if summoning the power source would work at all. Also, I'm aware that Kurtis has a collection of Superhuman books containing the same information I've told you. I noticed my parents' works amongst them. The Elite are smart, and will work out that the power source could be a way for them to destroy the cards you created, freeing them from your control and giving them the power they need to destroy you. If we don't travel to Colorado to retrieve this power source, the Elite will find it and put a stop to your schemes."

The Mage sat silently, pondering all that Hali had said. He stroked his clean-shaven chin for a while until he relented, "Fine. We'll go after the source. Once we get it, we can use it to give me my own power and not have to rely on your supply. We can also use it to destroy those pesky Elite and subdue the rest of the Super­humans. Then I will be the most powerful person on Earth!"

Hali didn't mention what she wanted. A Superhuman army. Respect. Authority over the Superhumans, and eventually the world. Seamus didn't need to know that. He didn't need to know her plan. Let him think he was going to get the power source for himself.

"We should probably leave soon. It's possible the Elite have already left for the source."

The Mage nodded, waving his hand in the air until a sort of cloud appeared. Hali could feel more of her power draining as he summoned more to use, and it almost left her doubled over. She managed to hide it.

The cloud seemed to condense into a fully-colored pic­ture. It was of an SUV traveling down a highway. The image shifted so the inside of the vehicle was visible. They saw Kurtis driving, and six other passengers; Super­humans, some of the Elite. Even Aivilo's pet fox was with them.

"It seems they left not too long ago," Seamus con­cluded. He had an almost evil smirk on his face. Hali wondered what he was planning.

"Rest up, Hali. You'll need all the energy you can get. We leave for the power source tomorrow."

"They're already moving, though," Hali said despite herself, and the Mage looked at her with glittering dark eyes.

"Don't worry, Hali," Seamus purred, chuckling a little madly. He gestured again, making Hali flinch with pain. More of her power was leaving her. She could stop it if she wanted to, but she knew the Mage. Knew if she stopped her flow of power, he would think she was turn­ing on him. She wasn't, not yet, but it still wasn't a good idea to be on his bad side.

Where he gestured appeared two figures. Hali recognized them at once. Elyk and Arries, the two Super­humans the Mage had released when he'd gotten his hands on the box of cards. This time was different, though. Elyk and Arries stood still and rigid, like soldiers waiting for orders. Their eyes glowed with the eerie violet light of Hali's power. They were being controlled by the Mage, much like how he'd done with humans in the past.

"We'll just send the Elite a nice little warning before we leave. If they know what's good for them, they'll sur­render and make everything easier."

Seamus waved his hand and, along with a sickening slice of pain for Hali, the Superhumans disappeared.

"I'll go pack," Hali said with as much energy as she could muster. As it was, she felt as if she were going to faint then and there. She needed to rest her power badly. If she kept this up, who knows how long she would survive?

She stood up from her chair, consciously keeping herself from wobbling, and left the room. It was there, on the velvet-lined stairs, that she collapsed. Luckily, the cushy velvet muffled her fall, but she lay there, panting with effort until she was able to push herself up and stagger the rest of the way to her room.

They needed to find this power source fast.

Her life might depend on it.