dreary. The guy definitely had a green theme going on. All a bit predictable really.
‘No?’
‘No.’ She tugged at her sweatshirt. ‘Haven’t you heard of irony?’
‘Is that what it is?’ He gave her a knowing look that made her wonder if he and Jonathan had talked about her. But Jonathan didn’t do that with clients. Or at least he wasn’t supposed to.
‘So why do you want me to read your cards? What are you hoping to get out of it?’ Kane asked.
She remembered the cover of his book. She shrugged. ‘Self-discovery. Isn’t that what Tarot is all about?’
‘And she didn’t even go to my workshop.’ His eyes flicked up at her. Amusement danced in them. He wasn’t her type – and he was way too old for her – but she could see what Maya saw in him. Something exciting and dangerous.
He handed her the pack of cards. ‘Shuffle them well and try not to think too many negative thoughts, Sceptic.’
‘My name’s Poppy ,’ she said, shuffling the cards. She was dying to ask him about Maya and Beth but, remembering Bob’s warning, she kept her mouth shut. She would play along with this charade. For a while.
‘OK, that’ll do. Now spread them face down over the cloth and pick six cards.’
She did as she was directed. Kane gathered the rest of the cards and put them to the side. He took the six cards from Poppy and laid them face down in a row.
‘Pick a card,’ he said.
Poppy looked at the row of cards, grabbed the one second from the right and handed it to Kane.
He looked at it and hesitated. He ran a hand over his mouth and blinked hard.
‘What? What is it?’ she asked, before she could stop herself. She didn’t believe in this crap, but the way he looked at the card unnerved her.
Kane swallowed. ‘This is you.’
He placed the card in the centre of the green silk. The picture showed a young woman bound and blindfolded within a cage of swords.
‘Oh, great,’ she murmured. ‘That looks a bundle of laughs. What does it mean?’
‘A number of things. I’d say that you feel isolated, but that isolation is of your own making or the result of a crisis in your life. It also means that you are the subject of much jealousy, or that you are struggling with jealousy yourself.’ His eyes focused on her, as if he was waiting for her to confirm his totally groundless assessment of her character.
‘What else?’
‘That’s not enough? Hand me the next card.’ He took it from her and laid it next to the first. ‘This is the problem.’
The card showed a black-haired woman, also blindfolded, kneeling and holding two swords crossed at her neck as if about to do away with herself. Behind her, a lake stretched out into the distance, flat and calm like Scariswater.
It’s Beth. God, it’s Beth!
‘The Two of Swords. This card tells of violence, of trickery and deceit. Just what are you involved in, Sceptic?’ Kane asked.
‘I thought you weren’t meant to ask questions,’ she replied, not looking at him. ‘Thought that would compromise the reading?’
He said nothing, so she handed him the next card.
‘These are the options that face you.’ He placed the card under the other two and held his hand out for the next. ‘We’re always facing forks in the road – this is the one ahead of you. Interesting.’
‘Hmm?’
One card portrayed a knight on a galloping chestnut horse, holding aloft what looked like a club. The other was a king sat on a throne, holding a staff that was sprouting fresh green leaves, like a tree in spring.
‘What’s interesting?’
‘The first two cards were swords – two women, yet it seems your choice is between two wands – two men.’
‘And what is that supposed to mean?’
‘A dark-haired woman has brought you into conflict with two men? Does that ring any bells?’
‘No,’ Poppy said, quickly. Too quickly.
Kane’s cheek twitched as if he was trying to stop himself from smiling. ‘One of them is impetuous, the other thoughtful. One is
‘No?’
‘No.’ She tugged at her sweatshirt. ‘Haven’t you heard of irony?’
‘Is that what it is?’ He gave her a knowing look that made her wonder if he and Jonathan had talked about her. But Jonathan didn’t do that with clients. Or at least he wasn’t supposed to.
‘So why do you want me to read your cards? What are you hoping to get out of it?’ Kane asked.
She remembered the cover of his book. She shrugged. ‘Self-discovery. Isn’t that what Tarot is all about?’
‘And she didn’t even go to my workshop.’ His eyes flicked up at her. Amusement danced in them. He wasn’t her type – and he was way too old for her – but she could see what Maya saw in him. Something exciting and dangerous.
He handed her the pack of cards. ‘Shuffle them well and try not to think too many negative thoughts, Sceptic.’
‘My name’s Poppy ,’ she said, shuffling the cards. She was dying to ask him about Maya and Beth but, remembering Bob’s warning, she kept her mouth shut. She would play along with this charade. For a while.
‘OK, that’ll do. Now spread them face down over the cloth and pick six cards.’
She did as she was directed. Kane gathered the rest of the cards and put them to the side. He took the six cards from Poppy and laid them face down in a row.
‘Pick a card,’ he said.
Poppy looked at the row of cards, grabbed the one second from the right and handed it to Kane.
He looked at it and hesitated. He ran a hand over his mouth and blinked hard.
‘What? What is it?’ she asked, before she could stop herself. She didn’t believe in this crap, but the way he looked at the card unnerved her.
Kane swallowed. ‘This is you.’
He placed the card in the centre of the green silk. The picture showed a young woman bound and blindfolded within a cage of swords.
‘Oh, great,’ she murmured. ‘That looks a bundle of laughs. What does it mean?’
‘A number of things. I’d say that you feel isolated, but that isolation is of your own making or the result of a crisis in your life. It also means that you are the subject of much jealousy, or that you are struggling with jealousy yourself.’ His eyes focused on her, as if he was waiting for her to confirm his totally groundless assessment of her character.
‘What else?’
‘That’s not enough? Hand me the next card.’ He took it from her and laid it next to the first. ‘This is the problem.’
The card showed a black-haired woman, also blindfolded, kneeling and holding two swords crossed at her neck as if about to do away with herself. Behind her, a lake stretched out into the distance, flat and calm like Scariswater.
It’s Beth. God, it’s Beth!
‘The Two of Swords. This card tells of violence, of trickery and deceit. Just what are you involved in, Sceptic?’ Kane asked.
‘I thought you weren’t meant to ask questions,’ she replied, not looking at him. ‘Thought that would compromise the reading?’
He said nothing, so she handed him the next card.
‘These are the options that face you.’ He placed the card under the other two and held his hand out for the next. ‘We’re always facing forks in the road – this is the one ahead of you. Interesting.’
‘Hmm?’
One card portrayed a knight on a galloping chestnut horse, holding aloft what looked like a club. The other was a king sat on a throne, holding a staff that was sprouting fresh green leaves, like a tree in spring.
‘What’s interesting?’
‘The first two cards were swords – two women, yet it seems your choice is between two wands – two men.’
‘And what is that supposed to mean?’
‘A dark-haired woman has brought you into conflict with two men? Does that ring any bells?’
‘No,’ Poppy said, quickly. Too quickly.
Kane’s cheek twitched as if he was trying to stop himself from smiling. ‘One of them is impetuous, the other thoughtful. One is
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