Page 94 of Oracles Always Win

Asthe only one of the three of us who’d grown up knowing about supernatural beings,Ashwas the expert or soI’ddiscovered at some point yesterday.Asa fire mage, he’d always been surrounded by magic.Jeremy’spast was more like mine in that he’d been unaware of magic until he metAdrian.

“Right,”Ashagreed as he rubbed his hand over his chest.Itwas somethingI’dseen him do numerous times before, especially when he seemed upset or sad.

“Ifeel like we should be there,”Iwhispered.

Ash’sgaze snapped to me. “Like… you’re having feelings as an oracle?Somekind of lucid vision or something?”

Ishook my head. “No.It’sjust…Ineed to do something.”

“Youand me both,”Ashmuttered.

“Methree,”Jeremyagreed.

“MaybeIcan try to bring on a vision.”Ibit the inside of my cheek. “I’venever tried before, but it could help, right?IfIcould?—"

Jeremy’sphone rang, cutting off my words.Hefumbled to answer the call.

“Youstill withJake?” came the frantic question on the phone.Thevoice on the other end was shouting loud enough we all heard it in the quiet of the motorhome.WasthatAdrian?Andwas someone screaming in the background?

“Yes,”Jeremysaid.

“Gethim over here.Now.”

Thenthe caller was gone.

“Fuck,”Ashsaid as we all stood from the table.

Jeremy, who was starting to glow with a white light, gently liftedEmmaand set her on the floor.Shewoke up long enough to scowl at him, then went back to sleep.Wescrambled out of the motorhome.Thenwe looked around.Therewere no other vehicles for us to take.Wehurried back inside the motorhome and stared at the driver’s seat.

“Haveeither of you driven one of these before?”Iasked.

AshandJeremyshook their heads.

“Fuckit,”Jeremysaid. “I’lldo it.Istarted watchingRVvideos online afterAdriandecided we were going to buy a trailer or a motorhome or whatever.Itcan’t be that hard, right?”

Heplopped behind the steering wheel, adjusted the seat and mirrors.Hewas taller than eitherAshor me, but he wasn’t as tall asGage, who normally drove this thing.Thenhe reached for the key in the ignition…ThankGoyaGagehadn’t taken it with him when he left.Jeremycranked on the key and the motor rumbled to life.Thenhe checked all the mirrors again.

“Fuck.Howdid he get this beast in here?”

Themotorhome lurched forward, then back.Thenforward again.Bitby bit, executing the world’s most stressful thirty-nine-point turn,Jeremyreoriented the motorhome toward the driveway.Afteran excruciatingly painful start, he finally got us out of the parking lot and onto the road heading west.

Ihadn’t been raised to believe in a religion.Ihadn’t known magic existed.SoI’dcreated a pantheon of my own.Mydeities were all the painting greats.And, right now,Iwanted to thank every single one of them that we didn’t meet anyone going east becauseJeremyfavored the center line… to the point whereIwas pretty sure he was straddling it.

Myheart was racing asIwilled him to drive faster, even thoughIdidn’t like the odds of us staying on the road if he did speed up.Sweattrickled down my back.Whywould they want me out there?Icouldn’t see an oracle being much good in a fight.Gagehad asked me to stay away, so had something happened to make him change his mind?

Orhad something happened toGagehimself?

Dreadroiled through me like a storm-churned ocean.Thenmy fingers convulsed.Myeye twitched.Iexhaled asIspied the notebook and pencilJeremyhad been flipping through earlier.Itheld his notes and observations, and,Isuspected, it was about to hold some of my dreadful visions too.

Fuck…Ihad wanted a vision five seconds ago, but not now.NotwhenAdrianhad just called in a panic, asking for me.

Ifought the pull of my magic as hard asIcould, and for as long asIcould.Butno amount of fighting it could hold it at bay.Thisvision was coming whetherIwanted it to or not.AllIhoped at this point was for it to end quickly… well, and that whenIwoke,Iwouldn’t puke on anyone.

Blacknessfilled my eyes and then everything was lost.

Chapter Thirty-Three

JAKE