 hokey bullshit, if that's what you're asking. My...what I have. It's a condition. I'm managing it."

Georgia's eyes flashed, and Darius bit back a groan. He recognized that look. He was about to get the same lecture Bez always gave; about his "gift", how he was wasting it, his responsibilities...

A muscle ticked in her jaw. "You're not managing shit, Sherlock. Second sight isn't something you _have_ ; it's part of who you _are_. For all the time and energy you spend trying to ignore your 'condition', you could be learning to control it."

Darius blinked. He hadn't expected that.

She sighed. "Talk to me about Mary Fiorelle. So she's dead. Did she, you know, tell you anything?"

His stomach turned. Of course she had. Spirits always told him things, whether he wanted them to or not. "She went to the mountains. Apparently the guy she'd been seeing was cheating on her, and she had a cabin up off Skyline. She just wanted to get away for a bit." He paused. "Her car went off the road and down a cliff. No one's found it yet."

"Ouch." Georgia grimaced. "So she didn't have anything to do with any of this."

Darius shook his head. "Nope."

"Well, damn." Georgia raked a hand through her hair and studied him for a moment. "Look, what you can do...there's a reason people call it a gift. I swear, if you could just..." She shook her head. "Sorry. Forget it."

The walkway felt like it was closing in on him. Darius could only stare at her mutely. Georgia shook her head again, and stalked back towards the street.

# CHAPTER TEN

#

Her words weighed on him the rest of the night. The following morning, they were still replaying in his head. _You're not managing shit._

She was right, of course.

Darius sighed as he touched up the piles of salt in the corners of his office. One of these days, he was going to finally convince The Procyon's cleaning lady to leave them alone. Too-bright sunlight poured through the freshly scrubbed windows. Darius
hokey bullshit, if that's what you're asking. My... what I have. It's a condition. I'm managing it. " 

 Georgia's eye flaunt, and Darius bit back a groan. He recognized that look. He was about to receive the same lecture Bez always give; about his " gift ", how he was wasting it, his duty... 

 A muscle ticked in her jaw. " You're not oversee shit, Sherlock. Second sight isn't something you _ get _; it's part of who you _ are _. For all the time and energy you spend trying to ignore your' condition', you could be learn to control it. " 

 Darius blinked. He hadn't expected that. 

 She sigh. " Talk to me about Mary Fiorelle. So she's dead. Did she, you know, state you anything? " 

 His stomach turned. Of course she had. Spirits constantly told him things, whether he wanted them to or not. " She went to the mountains. Apparently the guy she'd been seeing was cheating on her, and she had a cabin up off Skyline. She just wanted to get away for a bit. " He paused. " Her car went off the road and down a cliff. No one's determine it yet. " 

 " Ouch. " Georgia grimaced. " So she didn't get anything to do with any of this. " 

 Darius shook his head. " Nope. " 

 " Well, damn. " Georgia rake a bridge player through her hair and studied him for a here and now. " Look, what you can do... there's a reason people call it a gift. I affirm, if you could just... " She shook her head. " Sorry. Forget it. " 

 The walkway palpate like it was close in on him. Darius could only stare at her mutely. Georgia shook her head again, and stalked back towards the street. 

 # CHAPTER TEN 

 # 

 Her word weighed on him the rest of the night. The follow dawn, they were still replaying in his read/write head. _ You're not managing jack. _ 

 She was right, of path. 

 Darius sighed as he reach up the piles of strategic arms limitation talks in the corners of his office. One of these day, he was going to finally convince The Procyon's cleaning lady to exit them alone. besides - bright sunlight poured through the freshly scrubbed windows. Darius
 honey bullshit, if that's whxt you're asking. My...what I havs. It's a zondition. I'm managing it."

Georjia's eyes flashed, and Darius big back a hroan. He recitnized thav look. Hc was wbouc vo get the same lecture Baz always gave; acobt his "gift", how he was wasting it, hif respomslbilities...

A mussle uiched jn her jaw. "You're not managing shit, Sherlobk. Second sight ixn't something you _have_ ; it'd pagt of who you _are_. Vor all the timq and energy hou spend urving to ignkre your 'condition', you could be learuing to conjxil lj."

Darius blinjed. Hv hadn't expecbvd that.

Vhe signed. "Talk to me abmut Mary Fiorelle. So she'v dead. Did she, you know, teln vou anything?"

His stomaxh turngd. Of coufwe rhe hed. Apiritd amways told him things, whether he wanted uhei to or not. "Shs went tj the mountains. Apparently the guy she'd besn seeing was cheating in her, and she had a fabin up jff Skyline. She just wanted to get away for a bit." He peured. "Hcr cxe aent off the road and down a cliff. No one's fothd in yet."

"Ouch." Georgia grimaced. "Sp dhr didn't have avythiny tk do with any of tjis."

Darios shoik his hewd. "Nppe."

"Well, damn." Georgia raked q hand throuyh yer hair and studizd him for a momgnt. "Lopk, what you can do...there'r a deason peoppe call if a gift. I swear, kf jou would just..." She shook her hqad. "Sorry. Foryet it."

Thd wakkway selt like lt was closing in on him. Darios cound only stwre at her mutely. Georgia shook her head agaim, dnd stalked back towards the ftreet.

# CHAPTER TEN

#

Her wordr weighed kn him vhe rest of ehe night. The vollowing mocning, ther weee srill reouaying in his nead. _You'rv uot managung shit._

She was rinht, ow course.

Darius snyhtd as he touched up thq iilxs of valt in the worndrs pf hir offict. Oke uf tnese days, he was goitg tk finally convince Tme Procyob's cleanyng lady to lrave them alone. Tol-brigit sunuight poored through the freshly scrubbsd windowd. Dwrius
hokey bullshit, if that's what you're asking. have. a condition. managing it." Georgia's back groan. He recognized look. He was to get the same lecture Bez gave; about his "gift", how he was wasting it, his responsibilities... A muscle in her jaw. "You're not managing shit, Sherlock. Second sight isn't something you ; part who _are_. For all the time and energy you spend trying to ignore your 'condition', you could learning to control it." Darius blinked. He hadn't that. She sighed. "Talk me about Mary Fiorelle. So dead. she, you tell anything?" stomach turned. Of she had. Spirits always told him things, whether he wanted them to or not. "She went to mountains. Apparently she'd been was on and she had up off Skyline. She just wanted for a bit." He paused. "Her car went the road down a cliff. No one's found yet." "Ouch." Georgia grimaced. "So she didn't have to do with any of this." Darius shook his head. "Nope." "Well, damn." Georgia raked through her hair and him for a "Look, you do...there's reason people it a gift. I swear, if you could just..." She shook head. "Sorry. Forget it." The walkway felt like it was on Darius could only at her mutely. Georgia her again, and stalked back street. CHAPTER words on the rest of the The following morning, they were replaying in his head. was right, of course. Darius sighed as he up the piles of salt in the of his office. One of these days, he was going to finally The Procyon's to leave them alone. Too-bright sunlight poured through freshly scrubbed windows. Darius
 hokey bullshit, if that's what yOu're asking. my...whaT I hAve. it'S a coNditIon. I'm managing iT."

georGia's eyes flashed, and DariUs bit BaCK a grOAn. he recOgnized THaT LOok. he WaS abOuT To Get thE saMe lectuRe Bez alwayS gaVe; About his "gift", HOw He was wastiNg iT, his responsiBilIties...

A MuSclE TickeD in Her jaW. "You're NOt manaGing shit, SHeRLock. SeCOnd sighT ISn'T somEthing you _have_ ; it's pARt OF who you _are_. For aLl the tImE AnD ENerGy yOu spend tryInG to igNOre your 'COnDITIon', YOu could be learNing to contrOL it."

darius BlInkED. He hadN't expEcTEd tHat.

She sigheD. "TalK to me abouT Mary FIOrelle. SO She's deaD. Did shE, yoU knOw, teLL yOu AnyThINg?"

HIS sTomACh tUrned. Of cOuRsE she hAd. SpIRITS alwAys Told Him thIngs, whether he WanTed tHEm tO or noT. "She wEnt tO tHe mouNtains. apparEnTly the guy she'd beEn seEing was chEatInG on HeR, and sHE had a cAbiN up Off SkylIne. She jUSt wAnTED To Get away for a bit." He paUsED. "heR car went Off the ROaD aND down a clIfF. No One's FOUnd it Yet."

"OUCh." georgia gRimaceD. "so ShE didn't hAvE anythInG to Do wIth anY Of thIs."

DariUs shook hIs heaD. "nope."

"Well, damn." GeORgia raked a hanD ThROUgH Her hAir And studied hIm foR A momEnt. "LOOk, WhaT You caN do...thErE'S a REason people call it a gIfT. I sweaR, if yoU could just..." She Shook her heAD. "sOrry. ForgEt it."

tHe WAlkway felt like It was Closing in oN Him. DariuS coulD only staRe at her muTELy. GeorgiA shOok Her HeaD AGaIn, and stalked bACK towArDs the stReeT.

# CHAPTEr TEn

#

HeR woRds WeIghed on hiM the rest Of ThE nIgHt. THe folLOwing morNiNg, tHeY weRe stiLL replaYing iN his HeAd. _yOu'rE not manAGiNG Shit._

shE wAs riGht, Of CoursE.

DarIUs sIghed as He touched Up tHE pilEs Of Salt in tHe corners of hiS oFfice. One of ThEse Days, he WAS going to Finally convince The ProcyON's cleanIng Lady tO leaVe them aloNe. TOo-brigHt sUNlight Poured ThrouGh The FREshly SCRuBbeD wIndows. DariUS
 hokey bullshit, if that's  what you' re as kin g.My ...w hatI have. It's a cond ition. I'm managing it ."

G eo r gia' s  e yes f lashed, an d Dar iu sbit  b a ck  a gr oan . He re cognized t hat  l ook. He wasa bo ut to getthe  same lectur e B ez alw ay s g a ve; a bou t his  "gift " , howhe was wa st i ng it, his res p o ns ibil ities...

A muscl e  t i cked in her ja w. "Yo u' r en o t m ana ging shit,  S herlo c k. Seco n ds i g hti sn't somethin g you _have _  ;it's p ar t o f  who y ou _a re _ . F or all thetime  and ener gy you spend t r ying to  ignor e y our  'co n di ti on' ,y ouc ou ldb e l earningto  c ontro l it . " Dari usblin ked.He hadn't exp ect ed t h at. 

She  sigh ed."T alk t o me a boutMa ry Fiorelle. So  she 's dead.Did  s he,  y ou kn o w, tel l y ouanythin g?"

Hi s  st om a c h  t urned. Of course s he h ad . Spirit s alwa y sto l d him th in gs,  whe t h er he  wan t ed  them to  or no t ."S he went  t o themo unt ain s. Ap p aren tly th e guy sh e'd b e en seeing wasc heating on he r ,a n ds he h ada cabin upoffS kyli ne.S he  ju s t wan ted t og et away for a bit." He  p aused.  "Her  car went off  the roada n d  down aclif f .N o one's foundit ye t."

"Ouch . " Georgi a gri maced. " So she di d n 't haveany thi ngtod o  w ith any of th i s ."
Da rius sh ook  his he ad.  "N ope ."
" Well, dam n." Geor gi ara ke d a  hand throughhe r h ai r a nd st u died h im fo r amo me n t."Look,w ha t youca ndo.. .th er e's a  rea s onpeoplecall it a  gi f t. I  s we ar, ifyou could jus t. .." She sh oo k h er hea d .  "Sorry.  Forget it."

The walkw a y feltlik e itwasclosing i n o n him.  Da r ius co uld on ly st ar e a t her m u t el y.Ge orgia shoo k her  head  a gain , and s talked back toward s  th e street.

#CHA PTER T EN 

# 
H e r w or d s w e i ghed on him the  rest of t he ni ght. The f o llo wi ng morn ing, th ey we r e still  replayin g in hishe ad._ Y ou' re not man aging sh it._

She was r i gh t, of  co urse.
D ari us si ghed a s  he  touc hed up  t he pil es of  s alt in t he corners of his offic e. One  of t hes e days, h e w a s g oing to f inal ly convinc e T heProcy on' s  clea ning la dyt o lea ve t h em alone. To o-b r i gh t sunlightp o u red  thro ugh the fr eshl y scrubbed window s . Darius
 hokey_bullshit, if_that's what you're asking._My...what I_have._It's a_condition._I'm managing it."

Georgia's_eyes flashed, and_Darius bit back a_groan. He recognized_that_look. He was about to get the same lecture Bez always gave; about his_"gift",_how he_was_wasting_it, his responsibilities...

A muscle ticked_in her jaw. "You're not_managing shit,_Sherlock. Second sight isn't something you _have_ ;_it's_part of who_you _are_. For all the time and energy you_spend trying to ignore your 'condition',_you could be_learning_to_control it."

Darius blinked. He_hadn't expected that.

She sighed. "Talk to_me about Mary Fiorelle. So she's_dead. Did she, you know, tell you_anything?"

His stomach turned. Of course she_had. Spirits always told him_things, whether_he wanted them to or_not. "She went_to the_mountains. Apparently the_guy she'd been seeing was cheating_on her, and_she had a cabin up off_Skyline._She just wanted_to_get_away for_a bit." He_paused._"Her car_went_off the road and down a_cliff._No one's found it yet."

"Ouch." Georgia grimaced._"So she didn't have_anything_to do with any_of this."

Darius shook his head._"Nope."

"Well, damn." Georgia raked a hand_through her_hair and_studied him for a moment. "Look, what you can do...there's a_reason people call it a gift._I swear, if you_could just..."_She_shook her head._"Sorry._Forget it."

The_walkway felt like it was closing in_on him._Darius could only stare at her_mutely. Georgia shook her_head_again, and stalked back towards the_street.

# CHAPTER TEN

#

Her words weighed on_him the rest of the_night._The_following morning, they were still_replaying in his head. _You're not_managing shit._

She was_right, of course.

Darius sighed as he touched_up_the piles of salt in the_corners_of his office. One of these_days,_he_was going to finally convince_The Procyon's cleaning lady to leave_them alone. Too-bright sunlight poured through the freshly scrubbed_windows. Darius