Page 29 of Desperately Seeking Vampire
“That’s stupid,” he said, licking his lips, his gaze flickering all around the room as if he was looking for an exit. “I told you when I hired you I don’t like fortune-tellers.”
“And I told you that cartomancy isn’t fortune-telling. Ivo, would you cut the cards for Jason, since he seems disinclined to help?”
“I’m done here,” Jason said, glancing toward the door. “I have better things to do than watch you do party tricks. Guard! I’m done!”
“Nine of staves,” I said, laying down a card. “Oh, dear, are you having anxiety? Are you in mental distress? Because this card says you are your own worst enemy.”
Jason licked his lips again, the perspiration growing. “Hello! Is anyone out there? I want to go back to my cell.”
“Queen of swords.” I gave him a long look. “There’s a strong woman opposing you. One who, I should point out, doesn’t tolerate fools gladly. She brings enlightenment where there is confusion.”
Jason’s gaze seemed glued to the cards even though he turned his face to call to the closed door. “Hey! Someone come and let me out!”
“Four of cups,” I said. “Aww. This is another ‘you’re doing yourself in’ card. This one says you’re stuck due to a bad choice, and you’re spinning your wheels. You have refused to take the way out of the situation because you just won’t see the options available. Poor Jason.”
I started pulling a fourth card, but at that part, he leaped to his feet, slamming his hands down on the table and yelling at the top of his lungs. “Let me out of here! You can’t keep me here with this crazy woman and her fucking bloodsucker! They’re going to attack me! Get me out! You have to protect me from them. It’s a law!”
The policewoman hurried in at that point, scowling, but she got her keys out and unlocked Jason the whole time he was bitching about the Geneva Convention and being mistreated by everyone. He didn’t once even look at me or Ivo before he was escorted out, still complaining loudly.
I stared at the open doorway through which he’d just passed, and slowly gathered up my cards before getting to my feet. “That was weird.”
“Extremely so. Do you mind?” Ivo asked.
I handed him the three cards I’d picked up. “Not at all. Why do you think he looked so scared all of a sudden?”
He turned over the cards, narrowly examining them before giving them back. “I have no idea. Is there something about the cards that could so terrify him?”
“He was terrified, wasn’t he?” I said, spreading the three cards before shaking my head. “Oddly so, but the answer is no. They’re just cards, like I told you before. Bits of paper and ink. The magic comes from within me, not them.”
“The meaning you gave them didn’t seem to be distressing.” He rubbed his chin, the slight sound of his whiskers rubbing against his fingers making a sensual shiver skitter down my back.
“They most definitely weren’t. I just wish I knew what to do about the two”—I glanced over toward the camera, and headed for the door—“guys.”
“Don’t worry about them,” Ivo told me when we stopped to retrieve our belongings. “I will ensure your safety.”
“This morning’s kidnapping aside, I can take care of myself. I’m a big girl, you know,” I told him, squeezing his arm nonetheless.
“You need not fear that I am in any way unaware of just how female you are,” he said without looking at me, but a sudden flush washed up from my chest when extremely arousing images of our bodies entwined filled my head.
I was silent while we walked to our borrowed car, waiting until we were inside it before I asked Ivo, “This is going to sound crazy, but you do have any telepathic abilities?”
“Me?” His eyebrows rose. “No.”
“Oh.” I started the car, staring for a few seconds out the window, wondering if my mind was losing its grip on reality.
“Other than with my Beloved, of course,” he added, then pulled out his tablet and tapped on it before shaking it, and tapping again. “This appears to be broken.”
I stared at him. “What do you mean?”
He showed it to me. “I cannot connect to the Internet.”
“No, not your tablet—and that’s because you aren’t connected to a network like you are within the range of Christian’s castle. It has Wi-Fi. I meant what do you mean other than with your Beloved?”
“Wi-Fi,” he repeated as if he was memorizing the word, nodding as he tucked the tablet away. “It needs a network. Of course. This fits in with what Finch told me. The Wi-Fi is not everywhere.”
“No. Someday, perhaps, but not now. Ivo—”
“Dark Ones share a mark with their Beloved,” he said, a little smile flirting with the corners of his lips, his eyes once again filled with amusement.
