I wasn’t sure that I did. Things were getting strange, and I was getting cold. Goose bumps had broken out along my skin, and I thought about telling them I needed to leave. But I didn’t, and I wasn’t sure why.
I felt compelled to know what happened next. Despite what my beliefs were, I still wanted to hear what Luna had to say. I stood and followed her through the darkness into her camp trailer, where she lit a solitary candle and placed it on the table between us. We sat down opposite of each other, and she took my hands in hers, her head falling back as she closed her eyes.
“What are you doing?” I asked.
“I’m just trying to get a feel for you,” she whispered. “I can’t understand your future until I understand your past.”
I didn’t believe she could know anything about my past, so even though it felt at odds with what I should do, I remained perfectly still.
Luna’s face was the only thing to change, and the reactions were sharp. Jerky. It was starting to creep me out, but then a solitary tear rolled down her face as she opened her eyes and looked straight at me.
“What?” I croaked. “What is it?”
“Pain. I felt your pain. You were hurt, but you stopped me from reading.”
I pulled my hands away, and Luna looked unsettled as she pushed the cup of tea toward me, encouraging me to drink. “Just a couple of sips. It will help calm your nerves.”
I looked at the tea. It was late. I should have left by now. But I thought about returning to Lucian and how angry he would be. I needed something to calm my nerves.
I brought the cup to my lips and took a sip, and it was awful. I coughed and choked it down, and Luna watched intently. The second and third sips weren’t any better, but I managed to get it down.
My head started to buzz, and I felt slightly intoxicated.
“Let it take you,” Luna’s voice drifted into my thoughts.
My body caved in on itself, so heavy in the chair, I didn’t think I could move. I didn’t want to either. When Luna took my hands in hers again, there was no protest.
It felt like I was on the outside looking in. Like I was floating above and watching the entire event take place as she tried to read me. It looked as if she were torturing herself, but she was paralyzed at the same time. I tried to understand what was happening when Luna blinked and came out of the trance-like state, her face fractured and her body obviously still in distress.
“He can’t hurt you anymore.”
The tea and her words left a bitter taste in my mouth. “What do you mean?”
“You know.” She released my hands. “The one who is dead. He can’t hurt you anymore.”
I wrapped my arms around myself. “How did you know that?”
Her eyes fell to the table. “It’s a curse. I wouldn’t wish it on anyone.”
I shook my head, unable to accept it. This didn’t make sense. Nothing about it made sense. “Fortune tellers aren’t real.”
“Some aren’t,” she agreed. “But I am.”
“Then tell me about my future,” I insisted. “Not the past.”
She closed her eyes again, and the name that she breathed was so intimate it made me burn with jealousy.
“Lucian.”
“What about him?” I demanded.
“He is your flame. He will win your heart, and then—”
She clutched at her chest, and her eyes snapped open, her features painted with horror.
“And then what?” I urged.
She stood and took a forcible step back, visibly shaken. “This was a stupid idea.”