Page 3 of Savage Devotion
I roll a shoulder, not really wanting to put a voice to my fears. My throat is suddenly dry, too. I wanted answers all the wayuntil five minutes ago. Now, not so much. Not knowing leaves room for hope. But if the tarot reader is as gifted as everyone in the diner claims, there’s a fifty percent chance she’ll shatter the fragile hope I have that my sister is okay.
I’m not strong enough for that.
The older woman holds a hand out and the rocks tumbling around in my stomach suddenly become a boulder of dread. I steer my friend away from the table. “It’s okay, we have to be going.”
I don’t see how a bunch of cards with drawings on them has the power to predict the future. Yeah, I’m going to roll with that.
A warm hand comes to rest on my upper arm, but I gently shake loose and move to cross the street. “Sorry, lady. We have to be somewhere.” I glance at my watch. Detective Lafleur is waiting. “Seriously, Laila. We need to go.”
I glance behind me. There’s nowhere to run. No place to escape. I’m cornered.
My heart pounds against my chest.
Laila’s brows crease with worry. “What’s wrong? What has you so spooked?”
“Your sister has a message for you, sweetheart.”
My lungs seize and for several heartbeats I can’t draw a breath no matter how hard I try. Laila’s fingers tighten around mine.
“Hey, talk to me.” Laila places her hands on my shoulders. My breath catches, panic sliding icy fingers up my spine despite the oppressive heat. Laila shakes me gently, eyes widening. “Breathe, okay? Talk to me.”
Madame Celeste moves in behind Laila and holds out the deck. With red-tipped fingers she flips over the first card, but my focus latches onto the one tumbling to the ground. I stare at the bold, black letters scrawled across the bottom.
DEATH.
It takes a gargantuan amount of effort to fight back the burning tears rimming my eyes to see the second card Madame Celeste clutches between her fingers.
I shift my hardened gaze from the card on the ground to the one held before my face, and then to my friend. Finally, I fix my attention on the woman who is slowly shattering my soul.
“The Tower,chère. I’m so very sorry.” Madame Celeste steps around Laila with enough sympathy in her expression to force another wave of tears into my eyes.
“What does that mean? It’s just a castle looking thing and some skeleton on a horse. What can you possibly be sorry about?”
“Spirit is being very direct this evening. I’m sorry you have to receive the news like this.”
Just as the tarot reader places a hand on my shoulder a warm air moves over us and with the slight breeze comes the smell of honeysuckle…and freshly moved dirt.
“Adora.” I whirl on my heel, expecting to find my sister smiling at me as she crosses the square. But I find only darkness and strangers. “That is her perfume...the honeysuckle.”
“I know, my child.”
Hair raises on the back of my neck and I’m already shaking my head before words start pouring out. “This isn’t real. Nope.I don’t know what game you’re playing, but real people are involved here. Real hearts and feelings. Besides,” I gesture to the cards she holds. “That's not how the cards work, right? I need to pick the card. Not you? So you have it wrong.” I don’t believe in this stuff, anyway. But the icy dread in my stomach tells me Madame Celeste is not a fake and the message she is giving me is very real.
Laila’s eyes flicker with confusion. “What just happened here?”
My hands shake as I say the words my heart will never acknowledge. My voice cracks with desperation, betraying the brave face I’ve been struggling to maintain as I say, “My sister is dead.”
2
ARABELLE, ONE YEAR LATER
One night of sin.
Our little secret.
What are you waiting for?
Let the Gilded Key Society sate your every sinful desire.
