Page 32 of My Instant Karma

“The past is the past. You are on a new life path, just as I predicted.”

I remember the palm reading she had given me when we first met. “The break in my lifeline.”

“Yeah, but I sawanotherpath.” She gazes into the ether. “No. There were many paths. You have always been an odd one.”

“You always said that about me.” I shrug.

“You’re shrouded too.” Her eyes almost turn solid white, but I realize it’s my own second sight witnessing her ability. “You had a lot of power as a teenager, but it was still budding then. Your abilities have been mostly dormant in your adulthood… You have been shutting down for years. Now, they’ve been triggered by direct contact with a supernatural being.”

“My meeting with Karma?”

“Yes, but she wasn’t the only one who could have approached you or triggered you.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Death, Chaos, or Jealousy could have claimed you as theirs.”

“Other gods might have approached me?”

“Godsis a bit much.” She pshaws. “Supernatural entities, spirits—mostly, they’re megalomaniacal jerks.”

I chuckle. “Wow. Tell me how you really feel.”

“Meh. They all have their limits and failings, but they were all interested in you.”

“Because of my abilities? Why do I have them?”

Carmen gazes into the distance again. “All I can say is that I don’t trust Instant Karma with your abilities.”

“I don’t trust her.” I shiver. “I was getting the vibe that she’s a media whore.”

“Don’t slut shame.” Carmen laughs at her own joke. “But yes, I have been noticing what’strending.”

“My real concern is that I could have hurt someone on my karma team. How do I understand and control my powers so I don’t harm people?”

“You might have to hurt people to discover what you can actually do.” Carmen idly shuffles her tarot deck again. “Push yourself, make a list of oddities, and look for connections. You were always good at pattern recognition as a teenager.”

I sit with that thought. I need to push myself, but in a controlled environment. “Okay, then what? It won’t do any good to know that I have these abilities if I’m just stuck in this contract.”

“Contracts end.” Carmen shrugs. “And karma agents have shelf life. I’d rather you were prepared to fight if it came down to it.”

“Fight…her?” My mouth drops open. “A goddess?”

“Don’t advertise that idea. Her loyal followers might betray you.”

“Can I trust Evan? What do you get from your knowledge of him?”

“He has questions. That’s why he came to me. However, that doesn’t necessarily make him a rebel. But you? You were born with rebellion in your heart.”

I grunt my dismissal of that assessment. “Can I come back to visit you?”

She frowns, and I know the answer isn’t one I want to hear. “We should keep our contact to a minimum until you are ready to talk about your powers and what you can do. It will be too risky to reveal your hand before it’s time.”

She finally stops shuffling the cards and flips the top one over.

The death card.

Sure, it can mean a lot of things, but in this case, I’m certain that the Reaper is likely to make an appearance.

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