Page 7 of Frosted Torment

“Not even if I were so drunk that you, Ivy, and Jossy all had to hold me up to pee,” I joked with a weak smile before walking away.

Lex looked down at me with a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes, and I swore I saw a flicker of a full moon rising against the fog in his pupils. I felt a hand on my back. I turnedto see Jossy, and when I glanced up, ocean waves crashed against rocks within his. I shook my head, thinking the alcohol had me seeing things, and I stumbled backward, but Jossy caught me.

“Careful, Noa,” he cautioned. “You don’t need to spend your birthday in the hospital.”

I adjusted my shirt, and when I looked back at them, whatever I saw disappeared. “You’re hilarious. Be right back, guys.”

“Not without me, you won’t.”

Ivy shoved her drink into Jossy’s chest, and as we walked off, something compelled me to glance back. I kept enough distance so they couldn’t see me, yet I heard Lex’s every word.

“What are we doing here, brother?” Lex groaned as he raked his fingers through his tousled hair. “You know this is a waste of time, man. She’s a good friend, but you two keep trying to force this when it’s someone else out there who is the one.”

My chin quivered and my shoulders slumped. “Fuck you,” I whispered.

I couldn’t believe I fell for partying with them, thinking he would finally notice me. Tears threatened to spill, but I held my head high and pivoted away. I grew dizzy, hugging myself, replaying his callous words. He confirmed everything I knew, but it was the first time he had ever voiced it aloud where I could hear.

My feet felt like concrete bricks. I shuffled through the house and down the hall, following Ivy. I had to get past a gauntlet of guys giving high-fives. Hunched over, I was unable to meet their gazes, a ringing humiliation drowning out the party.

I reached the end of the dimly lit hall, and when I looked up, the bathroom came into view, offering a private space for meto cry. But off to the right, an elderly woman smiled at me. She had a wrinkled face and bright, lively eyes.

Set back in a shadowy alcove, she shuffled a deck of round cards at a table. I’d seen those circular cards before, but never used them. They claimed to offer a complete view of one’s life and connections. It was intriguing, but I lacked the motivation to learn a new technique for my clients.

Ivy’s eyes lit up like a child at Christmas as she pleaded with me. “You need a reading, don’t you? It’s been a while.”

It wasn’t the right time for a reading, and I couldn’t deny that my mood was less than ideal. Pinching my eyes shut before opening them again, I tried to regain focus. The old woman before me sat tranquil, surrounded by velvet ropes. An antiquated sign sat awkwardly on an easel beside her.

A crystal ball, emanating a gentle glow, was at the center of her display. It looked more like a novelty nightlight than a portal to the supernatural. It felt kitschy but nonetheless amusing in our party setting, and she motioned toward the empty chair facing her.

“Another time, Ivy,” I protested and turned away. “I’m not exactly in the best frame of mind.”

She shook her head. “What? Why? We’ve been having fun.”

Realizing Ivy didn’t hear what Lex said, I took a deep breath and tucked my hair behind my ear. “I still have a tinge of a headache, but you’re right.”

Ivy tugged at my wrist with encouragement, guiding me closer to the waiting psychic. “It’s your birthday and you’re killing it tonight.” She gleamed as she peered back over her shoulder. “This will be fun for you. Besides, did you see all those guys back there wanting to talk to you?”

“Pretty sure they were looking at you.”

She lifted my chin to face her and her throat bobbed. “Those idiots don’t come close to what or who I want.” Ivy paused and cleared her throat as she took my hands. “Noa, you’re gorgeous. Stop putting yourself down. Your bad attitude is what turns people off.”

My cheeks flushed with embarrassment under her scrutiny, so I turned back toward the psychic. “Okay, but party readings aren’t real,” I insisted.

Ivy rolled her eyes and pressed me into the soft fabric chair with a laugh, then whispered, “Says the tarot reader.”

Murmurs echoed in my mind, warning against this foolish act. Uno and Dos, my vigilant protectors, were always sensible. Especially since nothing from the other side has helped me. But emboldened by liquid courage and convinced that fate had exhausted all avenues of ruining this night, I threw caution to the wind.

Against all odds, I found a strange comfort in the psychic’s crinkled corners and translucent gaze. It felt familiar. There was urgency in those eyes; an eagerness to relay some vital message.

“I have to admit,” my tone a chirp of false cheer, “your crystal ball has charm.” My forced admiration for its pulsating blue glow didn’t mask my nervous anticipation.

Her withered hands traced over mine with a soft touch, gliding across my arm as she examined my mandala wrist tattoo. A small nod, then a brief, silent meditation added mystique to her already foreign expression.

“You carry courage within you.” Her assessment cut through the thickening tension. “Good way to express it,” she said.

Despite her reassurance, any perceived strength feltcompletely absent because I let some drama caused by Lex get to my head. The atmosphere around us turned quiet as the woman’s touch sent a wave of electricity through my veins. The vibrations were warm and thrilling, with brewing excitement in my core. She closed her eyes, her expression turning serene, as if she were delving into another realm.

When my eyes met the chalky pools of hers again, they held an ancient wisdom. Whispers, woven from experience and laced with conviction, shifted the energy around us. They tugged at our very being.

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