Page 5 of Monster's Mistake

I check the instructions in the textbook and roll my eyes at the lack of detail in them. Whoever wrote this didn’t think anyone needed more instructions thandrink the tea and look at the leaves left at the end.

It seems as if the professor isn’t the only one who believes that reading tea leaves is something that doesn’t need copious instructions.

I finish my tea and stare down at the leaves at the bottom of the cup.

“See anything?” Meic asks.

I sigh. It seems like we’re going to have to have a conversation. “Not really. You?”

“I see me asking you out on a date,” he responds.

I look down at my cup, not even trying to see what’s in there. “I foresee myself saying no.”

“I thought you didn’t see anything.”

“I just didn’t know how to interpret it until I knew the question,” I throw back. “But it says never, clear and simple.” For all I know, it might say that, but with no knowledge of how to actually make sense of the gloop at the bottom of my cup, I can’t be sure about that.

“That’s not what my cup says.”

“I know you think you’re being cute, but you’re really not,” I respond, resisting the urge to roll my eyes but only barely.

“If you’re even thinking I could be cute, then it’s a win,” he responds.

“Seriously, Meic? Do you ever give it a rest?”

“Say my name one more time and I’ll be serious, Nati.”

I roll my eyes and look back at my cup, letting my vision blur so I can do my best at actually foreseeing the future. Sometimes, I can manage it, but most of the time I find myself far too distracted to even get an inkling of what I’m trying to do.

“Do you want to know what my cup really says?” he asks, something in his voice making it seem like he’s being serious this time.

“Sure,” I respond softly.

“It says that I’ll have a life-changing event soon.”

“How vague,” I mutter.

“It is.” He pauses. “Do you want me to help with yours?”

“Can you really read them?”

He nods. “My aunt reads tea leaves all the time, I’ve been able to do it since I was a kid.”

“Oh.” I pass my cup to him, feeling surprisingly nervous. “Okay, read my future for me.”

He takes it from me and stares down at the bottom of the cup. His eyes glaze over, and I recognise the expression as one I feel like I have every time I manage to get divination right.

“It says you’re going to accept your fated mate soon,” he says, handing it back.

“It can’t possibly say that, gorgons don’t have fated mates.”

He shrugs. “I’m just telling you what it says. Maybe it means that you’re someone’s fated mate.” There’s an intensity in his gaze that makes him harder to read than normal.

“Maybe it’s confusing the two of us,” I murmur.

“Maybe.” He doesn’t sound convinced.

I take my cup back from him and stare into it, trying to see what he does but failing. If it really does say that I’m going to accept a fated mate, then it’s probably wrong. I suppose it doesn’t matter too much. I’m not dating, so if my fated mate wants to just walk by, then it’s fine by me.

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