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I gave up the bottle over a year ago. What the hell caused me to fall off the wagon?
After a few deep breaths I blinked my eyes to make sure they were really open. Damn.
The darkness sat heavy on my shoulders. This wasn t a hangover. I d been drinking tea
not alcohol. Why did I feel so horrid? A vision of a handsome freckled face came back to
me. I d been at Rurik s hideout. We d been in his bedroom. The memory of Rurik s last
words stung and I flinched. He d scared me and I ran. It all came back, my opening the
door, the stranger, and the drug soaked cloth.
Primal instinct prey had to sense danger awoke in me. I needed to get out of here.
One inch at a time I explored the space surrounding me. I felt my way around what must
be a sofa when I saw a faint line of pale light that traced along the floor. It looked like the
bottom edge of a door.
Angels sang in my soul and rose up in a chorus of joy. I could see something. After I
scrambled to it, the doorknob refused to budge as I wrenched it.
A deep, low chuckle rolled over the room. It came from behind me and sent an ice
cold-jolt down my spine. I spun and stood, pressing my back to the locked door, ready to
face whoever hid in the dark.
Light from an igniting match flared within a set of long, red nails. Those well-
manicured hands lit an oil lamp and adjusted the flame.
My eyes adjusted to the light and my heart skipped a beat.
Lizzy sat at a small square table, the oil lamp next to her. Her long auburn hair pulled
tight into a French twist. The flicker of shadows played on her stern face and a set of tarot
cards lay face up in front of her. She smiled and exposed her fangs.
Hello, Rabbit. She gestured to a chair across the table from her. Would you like
me to read your fortune?
I didn t need the tarot cards for that. Pain and death looked inevitable with Lizzy.
Do I have a choice?
We can skip the pleasantries if you wish. Her smile widened.
I made myself walk slowly to the table and take a seat so as not to appear eager to
please her. If we skipped the pleasantries I feared we d go straight to the real reason she
brought me here. Dinner. A cold sweat trickled down the side of my face. I wiped the
beads that formed on my forehead with my sleeve.
On the table, the tarot cards sat face up in a cross shape. They were pretty to look at.
Each had an individual colorful picture. Lizzy traced a bright painted nail around the card
closest to her.
What do you want with me? I took pride in the fact my voice sounded confident,
even though she made me as nervous as a rabbit in a fox den.
She admired the card. I would think that is obvious. Then she lifted it to show me,
a knight who brandished a sword while he rode a warhorse. Rurik. With a swift flip of
her wrist she turned the card and stared at it. Strange, he used to be represented by the
Page of Swords in my readings. Recently, he comes up as the Prince of Swords. He s
grown since I ve met him.
Lizzy set it down next to a card with a skeleton dressed in a suit of armor and
pointed at it. This card has begun to appear with Rurik s recently.
Something clenched my heart. The death card? I glanced up at her sparkling
emerald eyes.
She nodded. That s what the modern world calls it, but that s not what it truly
means. This combination of cards represents something connected with Rurik is certain
to come to an end.
That s rather vague. It s probably his car.
She laughed. Under different circumstances, I think I would have liked you. The
laugh and smile faded. Her eyes narrowed as she pointed at two other cards, one of a
woman holding a chalice and the other of a wheel. This set appeared three days ago. I
have discerned the Queen of Cups is you, Rabbit. The Wheel of Fortune has been
following you.
What does that mean?
You are approaching one of those moments in life when fate takes a hand in your
affairs. Strange coincidences, fortunate meetings, and lucky breaks can all shape your
destiny. Her eyes burned with zealous belief. Too bad I plan to change all that.
I swallowed hard. Destinies were for heroes, not for lost souls. Although I d had my
share of strange these past few days, I couldn t believe what she said. Fortune telling
belonged in fun fairs. Lizzy s parlor didn t resemble anything fun.
The other cards puzzled me and I scratched my head, causing my loose curls to
tangle, while I looked at them. A devil card sat in the center of the cross with what looked
like a King carrying swords. Below them a card showed a naked couple holding hands.
This she lifted it is why I brought you here. The Lovers.
So, she d already heard. I barely crawled out of his bed and the vampire witch knew.
It never once occurred to me I d have issues with Lizzy if I got involved with Rurik. She
made her desires for him at the party clear but she also expressed her preference for
Dragos. It didn t matter. Rurik hated me, anyhow.
I shifted my sight from The Lovers. A hollow space expanded from my heart and
encompassed me at the thought of losing him. Am I really just going to let him go so
easily? I deserved to lose him if I didn t ever try to win him back.
I ve heard Rurik has taken an unhealthy interest in you.
I glared at her. Unhealthy?
Rabbit. She tsked. How long before your mercenary friends find out about your
relationship and destroy him?
I blinked. Colby s clandestine skills were slipping. Then again, Tane could have told
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