Don't Hex and Drive (Stay a Spell #2) - Juliette Cross Page 0,87
own until it stopped in front of her. Magic sparked the air with sizzling energy. She placed one finger on top of it and closed her eyes. “Yes. Definite success. But only if your determination and will matches genuine intentions. Otherwise, you’ll lose.” Her eyes sparked an electric green as she seemed to stare straight into my soul. “Hear me, Stygorn. You’ll lose.”
I swallowed hard, mouth gone bone-dry at the thought of losing Isadora. I was more than determined in keeping her safe, in making her mine. So what the hell did that mean?
“Well,” said Isadora, “we know he’s determined to catch this kidnapper, so that should be easy enough.”
“You’re right, sis,” Violet said evenly, ethereal gaze boring into mine, telling me she knew what goal I was after. “Should be easy enough for a Stygorn who knows what he could lose if he fails. You best be all in, vampire.”
I swallowed hard, my heart hammering like mad. I’d thought of possessing Isadora’s body. I hadn’t thought of her owning me instead. But that’s what this felt like. Over three centuries, no one had entranced me like she did. And without even trying. Some part of her spoke to some part of me. And I hadn’t realized it until Violet asked me to think of my heart’s goal. Not on this level.
Fortunately, Ruben stepped in at that very moment, breaking the awkward moment between Violet and me. And Isadora, who had no idea what was really going on. The Seer witch knew, though. And she was warning me to be careful. To understand that I could fail if my intentions weren’t true. I wanted Isadora. There was no doubt. Was that not true enough? Not according to the blue-haired witch who still had her cat eyes fixed on me.
“Apparently, I missed something interesting,” said Ruben.
Isadora piped up. “According to Violet, Devraj’s goal to catch the kidnapper will be successful.”
Violet shuffled the cards and arched a brow at me.
“Is that so?” asked Ruben. “Then we don’t need my reading, do we?”
“Sit down, Ruben.” Violet fanned the cards in front of her.
I moved to lean against the bookcase next to Isadora, letting Ruben have my place. The candles flared when Ruben sat. Magic reacted strangely to the elements. Or maybe the elements reacted strangely to magic. A vampire’s was an aggressive, intrusive sort of magic, so it didn’t surprise me when the wind shifted angrily. Especially in the presence of three witches so attuned with the elements. There was a palpable undercurrent of energy humming in the room.
Violet flattened her palms on either side of the fanned deck and looked at Ruben. “As I told Devraj, you’ll pull three cards. One for personal self. One for professional. And one for your heart’s goal to catch the kidnapper.”
“Easy enough,” he rumbled pleasantly, pulling at the cuff of his starched shirt. He wore only a deep red vest, no jacket. His silver skull cufflinks winked by the candlelight.
“So you say,” mumbled Violet. “Pick a card.”
Ruben appeared poised and smooth as always, but the narrowing of his gaze on the cards like they might be the enemy revealed he wasn’t quite as calm as he appeared. He tapped a card with his index finger.
Violet flicked her hand, flipping it telekinetically.
“Oh, dear.” She bit back the smile overtaking her face. “The Emperor, reversed. That means domination, excessive control, inflexibility.”
Jules coughed, nearly blowing out one of the candles before righting herself with a serious smile on her face. Ruben’s gaze grew darker, his blue eyes more the color of midnight.
“That doesn’t bode well, now does it?” he commented easily, even as he clenched his jaw.
“Well, yes and no, actually,” said Violet, reaching out and flattening her palm over the card, fixing her attention on it, concentrating, listening to her magic. “It’s true, you can be inflexible. Domineering.” Her voice vibrated with a haunting sort of echo. “But it’s only because you are unfulfilled. Frustrated.” She removed her hand to her lap, her voice going back to normal. “Once you’re fulfilled, you’ll be balanced again. Though you’ll never lose the dominant factor.”
Ruben said nothing. Nor did he look at Jules when I knew he wanted to. He gestured toward the deck. “Shuffle.”
Violet grinned. “See? Domineering.”
Ruben blew out a heavy sigh. Violet and Isadora laughed. Jules didn’t.
When Violet stopped moving the cards in a circle on the table, he reached over and flipped over a card himself. Yes. Definitely domineering.