table, suddenly very nervous. “What do I do?”
Violet grinned, her cat-like eyes shining by the candlelight. “We’re doing three cards. One for personal. One for professional. One for your heart’s goal.”
“Heart’s goal?” I asked with skepticism. My gaze darted to Isadora again, the magnetic pull she had on me in a room so overpowering I could hardly focus on anything else.
“To catch the kidnapper, of course,” Violet answered, her gaze on the cards, her voice amused. “That would be the goal that weighs most heavily on you. Right?”
“Right. Of course.”
She bit her bottom lip, holding the cards in one hand. She tucked some of her blue hair behind her ear, revealing a row of piercings up the cartilage.
“Whoa. That’s new. When did you get that?” Isadora asked, leaning forward and pointing at Violet’s arm.
Violet stretched out her left inner forearm. I recognized the image because I’d just seen something similar on one of the Tarot cards.
“The High Priestess?” asked Jules, leaning forward and holding her wrist so she could inspect the ink.
The priestess wore a horned crown and held a crystal ball in one hand, her gown embedded with stars, a crescent moon over one shoulder.
“Isn’t she beautiful?” asked Violet with a huge smile.
“Who’s the High Priestess?” I had to ask.
Violet went back to flipping her cards from hand to hand. “She’s the queen of intuition, sacred knowledge, and the divine feminine. I need her on my side.”
“It’s beautiful work,” said Isadora. “Did you use your regular guy?”
“Nah. Someone new,” she said evasively.
As she shuffled, I noticed some Celtic runes inked on her index and middle fingers. Though I’d spent some time in Ireland, I didn’t know much about runes. But I did recognize the upward arrow for the spiritual warrior.
“Okay, Devraj. So first you’ll pull a card for your personal self.”
She fanned out the cards in front of her on the table, her silver nail polish sparkling. The charge of magic in the room amplified, pulling my own to the surface. Moving my hand on instinct, I tapped a card and slid it out from the deck. Violet flipped it over to reveal a man hanging from a gold cord by a tree. The card was upside down.
“The Hanged Man. But reversed.” She angled her head at me. “This means resistance and indecision. There’s something in your personal life that you’re stalling about. If you really want it, you’re going to need to get over that hump. Make the decision and go for it.”
I made no response. I was totally confused. The only personal thing in my life was my hunt of Isadora. And I wasn’t stalling about it. Was I?
“That’s kind of vague,” I said. “What if I have no idea what you’re talking about?”
She nodded her head definitively. “You will.” She pointed to the deck. “Now for your professional self.”
On a heavy sigh, I leaned forward, tapped the card my fingers were drawn to, then slid it forward. Violet flipped it.
“Ahh. I like this one. Strength. Not a great mystery in meaning. You have strength, courage, and compassion in your work.” Violet tapped her index finger on the card three times. “You have an enormous amount of influence, too.”
“On who?” I asked.
“On everyone,” she answered flippantly.
My gaze moved to Isadora who had her eyes on the deck, her expression calm. But the wringing of her hands in her lap told me another story.
“Last one, Stygorn,” said Violet. “This is for your heart’s goal. So hold it in your mind as you seek your card.”
I thought of Blake Bellingrath and of Darren Webber and our plan, which immediately led to the thought of Isadora acting as bait. Which then led to the anxiety I felt putting her life in danger. The fear, even, that I wouldn’t be able to get to her before something happened to her. Then my thoughts flickered to Isadora in my care, under my protection, in my home, in my bed. In my arms. In my heart. I reached over and tapped a card, pulling it forward out of the deck.
When Violet went to flip it over, it flew up into the air, spun, and slapped back down directly in front of me. There was a collective gasp among the women, but I just stared down at my fate.
“Wow,” said Violet. “That one had some emotional power behind it. The Chariot. That’s interesting. Control. Willpower. There will be success in your action.” She reached for the card, which slid away from me on its