Page 2 of Fortune's Ashes
A well of sadness rose up from the pit of my belly, threatening to overwhelm me. I swallowed it with an effort but the stabbing pain in my heart refused to go.
‘He loves you,’ Scarlett said. ‘Heart and soul. Until recently, I believed that you felt the same. If you don’t, if you were only playing with him, he deserves to hear it from you so he can move on.’
A sudden flash of fury zipped through me and I stopped walking and turned to her. I bared my teeth in an animal snarl. Scarlett’s expression didn’t alter. ‘I was not “playing with him”,’ I bit out. ‘And I love him as much as he loves me.’
I saw the faintest spark of answering anger in her eyes. She was here for Lukas and she wanted nothing more than to protect him. ‘Then what the fuck is your problem?’ she hissed.
The threat of violence simmered between us. I took a step back in a bid to give us some space – and to clear the air. ‘He told me that he gave you five million pounds to buy a ring that allowed the wearer to see into the future. And that once you’d gotten the ring for him, he had it destroyed.’
The tiniest frown appeared between her eyes. ‘Is this about money?’ she asked disbelievingly.
‘Don’t be ridiculous,’ I snapped. ‘It’s about power. Lukas despised the idea that such a ring could even exist, and he despises the existence of Cassandras who can also see into the future. He can’t help himself. He knows it’s blind prejudice and it’s not their fault, but he still hates them.’
Scarlett shrugged. ‘So?’ I folded my arms and gave her a hard look. ‘Wait,’ she said slowly. ‘Are you telling me that you’re…’
I jerked my head angrily in assent.
Her mouth dropped open. ‘You’ve been a Cassandra all this time and you kept it quiet?’
‘No, It’s a new development.’ I muttered an expletive under my breath. I had no idea why I was telling Scarlett all this, because I hadn’t told anyone else. Maybe it was because I thought she was the only person who might understand. After all, she knew Lukas; she probably knew him better than I did.
‘Look,’ I said, ‘I know Lukas loves me. I have no doubts on that score. But I’m now a Cassandra and I know how much he hatesthem. If I tell him what’s happened to me – if I tell him what I’ve become – he’ll hug and kiss me and tell me everything will be alright. He’ll tell himself the same thing. He’ll believe he can still love me and that we’ll be fine.’
Scarlett watched me with dull horror.
‘And then,’ I continued bitterly, ‘I’ll get to spend the next months or years, or however bloody long it takes, watching the love in his eyes turn to disgust. It’ll be a slow death rather than a quick one. He deserves better than that.’ I sniffed. ‘So do I. So it has to be this way.’
Scarlett didn’t say anything.
‘I’d appreciate it if you didn’t tell him any of this,’ I said stiffly. She still didn’t utter a word. ‘Scarlett,’ I warned.
She held up her hands. ‘I won’t tell him. It’s not my place to do that. But you’re kidding yourself if you think you can keep this from him. He’s not going to slink away into the shadows, not where you’re concerned. Sooner or later, you’ll have to tell him the truth.’
I looked away. I might yet find a cure and, if I didn’t, maybe the break would give me the strength I needed not only to tell Lukas the truth but also to make him realise that our relationship had to end. I couldn’t bear to watch his love for me change to hatred. I wasn’t strong enough to deal with that.
‘Who else knows?’ Scarlett asked, her voice much softer now.
A single tear rolled unbidden down my cheek. I dashed it away with my fist. ‘Nobody. You’re the only person I’ve told.’
She shifted her weight from foot to foot, her discomfort obvious. ‘You can’t keep it secret forever. True Cassandras can’t control their visions, and they often can’t control what they say.’
I lifted my hands in frustration. ‘And that is a huge part of the problem.’
She licked her lips, displaying her single fang. ‘Yeah,’ she admitted. ‘I can see that.’
Her sympathy was harder to deal with than her anger. I took another step backwards, suddenly desperate to get away.
‘I won’t tell him,’ Scarlett repeated. ‘But he’s going to find out. If you need someone to talk to before then, I’m here for you, Emma. Any time.’ She reached into the tiny bag hanging from her shoulder and drew out a small white envelope. ‘Here. I was going to give this to you anyway, so you might as well take it. My phone number is inside. Call me,’ she said. ‘Wheneveryou need.’
I swallowed hard. Scarlett and I weren’t enemies but we’d never been friends, and her offer of help was almost too much. ‘Thank you,’ I whispered. I took the envelope. ‘What is this anyway?’ I asked.
A faint smile crossed her mouth and I registered sudden reluctance in her eyes. She didn’t want to tell me, but I was obviously going to find out sooner or later. ‘It’s a wedding invitation,’ she admitted.
My mouth dropped open. No wonder she hadn’t wanted to tell me. ‘Yours?’
She nodded. Despite the seriousness of our conversation, she couldn’t keep the glow from her eyes.
‘To…’ I shook my head in vague disbelief. ‘ToDevereau Webb?’
