Page 36 of Deadly Secrets

I still don’t know what you’ll be wearing.

Noah

It’s a surprise.

Me

Okay…I’ll see you later at the fair.

Noah

See you later, princess.

Today was Halloween, and Noah invited Maggie and me to join him and his friends at the Annual Devil’s Night Fair on campus. Stanford’s Social Events Committee organizes a horror festival every year, and this year, they set up a house of mirrors, a Ferris wheel, a fortune teller, and a haunted house. The pamphlet I took from the reception at Aster Hall showed that there were also several stands selling food and drinks.

I loved dressing up, so Halloween was the perfect distraction after an intense week of classes, homework, and the stress from working in the lab. Maggie opted for a Harley Quinn costume, while I dressed up as a fallen angel for the occasion. I wore black leather pants, a tight black crop top with long sleeves, Saint Laurent Jane over-the-knee black leather boots, and a pair of black feather wings. I styled my hair down in waves and complemented the final look with smoky black eyes and black lips.

Someone knocked at the door when I was about to leave my apartment. I didn’t expect anyone because we had agreed to meet at the front of the fortune teller attraction. I swung my door open, and a delivery guy stood on the other side with a black dahlia and a note.

Shit.

“Miss Moore. Urgent delivery.” He handed me both items and left.

As I looked at the dahlia and the note, my blood ran cold. The note said:

They won’t be able to protect you. You can’t run away from me.

Maybe it was me, but that note didn’t feel like a hazing prank. It felt personal. Someone had been stalking me. I threw the flower and the note in the trash and left the apartment. On my way out, I spoke with security, who advised me to call the cops. I planned on calling them in the morning. Maybe if they talked to the flower company, they could trace who had delivered them. Perhaps it was Ander trying to scare me so that I would leave the research team. But on the other hand, it didn’t make any sense. Why would he send a black dahlia with a note? The other one I found on my bed was placed there even before I accepted Reed’s offer.

When I arrived at the Devil’s Night Fair, I made my way to the fortune teller tent. Noah, Zayn, Ander, and Maggie were already there, plus some people I recognized from Noah’s birthday party. Maggie looked amazing in her costume. Noah was dressed as a samurai, Zayn as a Viking, and Ander as the devil.

“It suits you,” I said to Ander.

He snorted.

“You look hot, girl,” Maggie exclaimed.

“Yes, you do,” Noah said, kissing my cheek sweetly.

“I want to go inside the house of mirrors, but I’d like to visit the fortune teller first. Sienna, wanna come with me?” Maggie asked.

I had never been to a fortune teller before but always believed they were a scam. However, I let Maggie guide me inside the tent. She liked anything related to zodiac signs, numbers, and signs sent from the universe. I didn’t believe in those things, but she quickly guessed I was an Aquarius when we met. Not sure if there was any truth to it, but I was kind of surprised.

The old lady welcomed us, inviting us to sit on chairs across a round table. A crystal ball was placed in the middle, and she held a deck of tarot cards between her hands. The whole setup made me laugh, but I went along just to please Maggie.

“Welcome, dears. Please have a seat, and let’s begin. Who wants to go first?”

“I’ll go first,” Maggie responded excitedly.

The old lady shuffled the cards and asked Maggie to cut the deck. She picked three cards and placed them on top of the red velvet tablecloth, pointing at the first card.

“The Wheel of Fortune. Reversed. It means that what goes up must come down. Karma might come calling, my dear.” She pulled a second card from the deck. “The Hanged Man. It would be best to put your plans on hold until you get a better perspective. Take it as a non-action period. It’s wise and necessary for you to step back and look at the big picture.” The last card was the Page of Wands. “I think the message is pretty clear, my child. You’re heading down the wrong path. Karma always finds us, and if you don’t put a stop to it, it will be over for you.”

Maggie sat there in silence, absorbing everything the woman said to her. She looked pale as if she really understood what the fortune teller was saying.

Then it was my turn. She shuffled the cards, and I cut the deck, placing a few cards to my right. She then picked three cards, put them on the table, and turned the first one—Nine of Wands.

“Watch your back,” the lady said. “There will be challenges thrown in your way.”

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