Another strong rumble surged through the ground, and Athena leaned forward to cover Odysseus as, behind them, the warehouse that held The Three Sisters collapsed in on itself in a cloud of dust and crashing brick. She stifled a frustrated scream. No one inside could have survived. She peered through the dust, moving her head to try to see through the people running in all directions.
Hera stood unharmed in the center of the rubble and twisted metal. Her shirt was torn and her pants were filthy and streaked with dirt, but there were no wounds. She stared directly at them. Athena heard her voice clearly above the chaos.
“When they said that someone would oppose us, I hoped it would be you, Athena.” Her smile was malice and poison. “I sincerely hoped it would be you.” She raised her fist, the fist of stone, and slammed it into the ground. The impact set off a shockwave, and the foundation of the building next to them began to crack.
“Come on,” Athena said to Odysseus, and pulled him to his feet. She didn’t let him run on his own for long before she lifted him by the shoulder and went faster.
9
PREMONITION
Andie grabbed Cassandra’s arm. Something had apparently happened on the movie screen that Cassandra should take note of. Or something was about to happen. Andie had already seen the thing twice, so she couldn’t be sure. Either way, it didn’t matter. To Cassandra, the movie on the screen was images and noise. A distraction. Something meant to block out the memory of blasted dust and flying glass, and screaming.
It’s not working.
Despite the sheer volume of the theater and the thick smell of buttered popcorn, despite the color and spectacle of everything happening in the made-up story playing out before her eyes, the only thing she could see or hear was that explosion. It was huge, on repeat inside her head. It spoke of the death of innocent people. Lots of them. And it hadn’t happened yet.
Cassandra stood and made her way to the end of the aisle, ignoring Andie’s startled questions about where she was going. She shoved through the theater doors and stalked through the lobby, past the concession and the restrooms. She didn’t stop until she was outside. The cold and dark seemed as far as she could get from the explosion. From the heat and choking dust. But the minute she was clear of it, her mind started it up again from the beginning.
How many of them would die? Who were they? And what did it have to do with her? Because it had something to do with her, that much she was sure of.
Why can’t I stop it? What’s the point of seeing, if I can’t stop it?
She walked quickly around the side of the building, down the shadowy alley that somehow still managed to smell faintly of buttered popcorn.
“Cassandra?”
She jumped at the sound of Andie’s shout.
“Cassandra? Are you out here?”
Cassandra craned her neck and saw Andie walking through the parking lot, looking in every direction. She drew farther back into the shadows and walked behind the theater, then slipped across the alley, staying in back crossways until she couldn’t tell what she was behind anymore.
Andie couldn’t help. The distraction hadn’t worked. And Cassandra hated to see that look on her face, when she knew it.
As she walked her brain went back over every option she could think of to stop the explosion, options she’d already crossed out as infeasible. She couldn’t call in bomb threats to every building in every major city. But maybe she really could talk to the police. They employed psychics sometimes. They might believe her.
Even if they did, it wouldn’t make a difference. They couldn’t figure out where it’s going to happen any better than I can.
She ground her teeth as she walked, and felt the passing wind slowly freezing her ears and making them sting. Her arms and fingers were cold too. She’d left her jacket back at the theater.
“Cassandra?”
She gave a little yelp as Aidan appeared in front of her, and jerked so hard in the opposite direction that she almost fell on her butt. He held his hands out.
“It’s just me! Andie called me. She said she couldn’t find you.”
Cassandra laughed bitterly, and pointed her finger at him.
“See, why couldn’t I foresee that? You, jumping out of that alley. At least that would be something I could use!”
His shoulders slumped. He frowned. For a second she wished he wouldn’t care so much, so she could complain about things he couldn’t fix without feeling guilty.
“Why did you leave the theater?”
“Why do you think?” She put her fists to her temples. “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to snap. It’s just driving me crazy.” She peered up at him. “How did you find me?”