Page 3 of The Fate Factor

Oh, God. My stomach preemptively turns at the horrible decision I’ve just made, but I’m not the type of person who has a drink order at the ready. Especially not a shot.

“Your hangover,” he says, shaking his head and laughing. “I’ll be right back.”

Kate’s jaw hinges open as the stranger steps away. “Do you know him?”

I shake my head.

“Hottie.”

Colin makes a noise in the back of his throat like a snort and my cheeks burn, feeling called out in the worst way. Like I’ve let some secret slip that could make me look foolish.

“He’s here with someone,” I reply. It’s silly, the deep disappointment when I say it out loud. It’s not like I was going to do anything about it even if he wasn’t.

He returns with my shot, and I down it quickly, hoping the burn will dull this weird tingly feeling in my blood.

“What’s your name?” I ask him as he takes the seat across from me.

“Jamie Bishop.”

“Okay, Jamie. I’m Noel. Remember, you have to be open to it.” I wiggle my fingers over the candle, making the flame jump. “You know, let the spirits in.”

He nods, eyes suddenly serious.

“Is there anything specific you want to know about?” I ask like I’m not just going to make up something ridiculous for the sake of the game.

“No. Just, ah, whatever in general.” Long, comma-shaped dimples carve into his cheeks when he gives me as lightly-nervous smile. I get the feeling he might actually believe in this, which is kind of cute.

I twist my long hair over one shoulder and lean forward, grasping the jar near the bottom to keep from burning my fingers while playing psychic. Slowly, I raise it just over the cup of water and let it hover.

Kate has moved to my couch to let Jamie sit across from me and I hear her snicker.

“Are you ready to see your future?” I ask in a creepy, mystical voice.

Jamie’s Adam’s apple bobs and he nods once.

I tip the candle, watching the wax pool at the edge, then drip over the side, but the Jäger must hit me at the exact same time because my head rushes, stars appearing behind my eyelids. I blink them back.

“Everything okay?” he asks.

“Fine.” I cast my eyes back to the water. The wax is still shifting shapes oddly.

Why hasn’t it formed yet? There must have been some beer left in the cup. Kate’s right. It’s messing with the buoyancy or whatever.

I clear my throat to tell him it’s not working but then it’s as if someone grabs my chin to redirect my attention away from this table. Here, it says. Listen.

But I don’t hear it, I feel it. Like a nagging hunch stirring in the back of my brain.

“Are you worried about money?”

I immediately regret asking it. First, it’s an incredibly rude question, and second, I have no idea why I’m even entertaining the idea that I might know something about him. We’re playing a game.

Jamie sits up straighter, cocking an eyebrow.

“I think you’re supposed to turn down a job,” I blurt.

What the hell? It’s like someone has injected information straight into my brain, translating what’s barely a gut feeling and spitting it out as words.

Jamie blinks at me, his full lower lip slowly separating from his top until he’s slack-jawed.

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