another time.”
He really wanted to get the hell out of there. Lorna appeared different tonight, and she looked… unfocussed was the only word he could think of to describe her. Her eyes didn’t quite meet his and she seemed to be preoccupied…worried.
www.total-e-bound.com
BLOOD LUST
J.P. Bowie
26
“Are you okay?” he asked.
Alex hadn’t mentioned his sister was sick, but then Alex didn’t see her on a regular basis.
“Too many weird friends,” Alex had told him once.
And they all seem to be here tonight …
“Fine, just fine.” She gave him a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “You’ve met Sylvia, I understand, and Arturo.” She waved the other couple over. “This is Amy and Caleb.
Meet Tommy Cordain. He’s a firefighter—works with my brother, Alex.”
Amy and Caleb murmured some kind of greeting then drifted away again as Arturo showed up with a bottle of beer. Tommy had the distinct impression from the way Arturo was hanging around him that the man wanted to get a whole lot cosier than Tommy would ever allow.
“Shall we begin then?” Arturo seemed to snap to attention when Sylvia’s voice, her demanding tone belying her age and frail appearance, sliced through the room. She marched over to the table covered with a dark green cloth and surrounded by six chairs. “We’ll start with the reading since that’s what our handsome firefighter has come for—then we shall see.”
See what? Tommy frowned . Soon as this reading’s over I’m outta here .
Lorna handed Sylvia a pack of cards which she expertly fanned out in front of her, face down.
“So, Tommy, place your forefinger on five of these cards.”
Tommy reached out, hesitated for a moment then placed his fingertip on one card, following quickly with four more.
Let’s get this over with …
Sylvia picked up each card after he’d touched them then shuffled the cards without looking at them. While she moved the cards back and forth in her hands, she stared long and hard at Tommy for several moments, her eyes seeming to bore into his. He shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He could feel small beads of sweat breaking out on his forehead.
God, but it’s hot in here!
“You have chosen interesting cards, young Tommy,” Sylvia muttered, placing the first one face up on the table. “Are you aware that these cards are older than those associated with the Book of Thoth?”
www.total-e-bound.com
BLOOD LUST
J.P. Bowie
27
Tommy shook his head. He hadn’t a clue what the Book of Thoth was.
“Dakar, an important demon of the Underworld, second in command to Lord Kardis himself, is represented here. He is the one who holds your future in his hands.”
Tommy peered at the image of a handsome man—a demon?—with long, flowing blond hair. His breath caught in his throat. He could have sworn there for just a second that the sapphire blue eyes—eyes that so closely resembled that of the woman opposite him—had narrowed slightly as they stared up at him from the table. He sat back quickly and glanced around the table. Everyone was focussed on the card, but no one else seemed surprised or startled.
Must’ve been my imagination .
Sylvia laid the second card down. “The Sword of Damacian. This represents coming conflict in which you will have to choose between your life, and the life of someone you love, deeply.”
Everyone’s gaze lifted from the card to Tommy. Lorna gave him a knowing smile and Tommy wondered just how much Alex had told her of his relationship with Andrew.
“The third card represents your hopes and dreams.” Sylvia laid down the card that depicted a landscape of verdant green, the sun shining through tall pines in golden shards of light.
“That’s beautiful,” Tommy murmured and a glimmer of hope ran through his body.
Maybe it’s not going to be all darkness and conflict .
“But I must place the fourth card on top of the third.”
And Tommy’s heart sank as Sylvia covered
He really wanted to get the hell out of there. Lorna appeared different tonight, and she looked… unfocussed was the only word he could think of to describe her. Her eyes didn’t quite meet his and she seemed to be preoccupied…worried.
www.total-e-bound.com
BLOOD LUST
J.P. Bowie
26
“Are you okay?” he asked.
Alex hadn’t mentioned his sister was sick, but then Alex didn’t see her on a regular basis.
“Too many weird friends,” Alex had told him once.
And they all seem to be here tonight …
“Fine, just fine.” She gave him a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “You’ve met Sylvia, I understand, and Arturo.” She waved the other couple over. “This is Amy and Caleb.
Meet Tommy Cordain. He’s a firefighter—works with my brother, Alex.”
Amy and Caleb murmured some kind of greeting then drifted away again as Arturo showed up with a bottle of beer. Tommy had the distinct impression from the way Arturo was hanging around him that the man wanted to get a whole lot cosier than Tommy would ever allow.
“Shall we begin then?” Arturo seemed to snap to attention when Sylvia’s voice, her demanding tone belying her age and frail appearance, sliced through the room. She marched over to the table covered with a dark green cloth and surrounded by six chairs. “We’ll start with the reading since that’s what our handsome firefighter has come for—then we shall see.”
See what? Tommy frowned . Soon as this reading’s over I’m outta here .
Lorna handed Sylvia a pack of cards which she expertly fanned out in front of her, face down.
“So, Tommy, place your forefinger on five of these cards.”
Tommy reached out, hesitated for a moment then placed his fingertip on one card, following quickly with four more.
Let’s get this over with …
Sylvia picked up each card after he’d touched them then shuffled the cards without looking at them. While she moved the cards back and forth in her hands, she stared long and hard at Tommy for several moments, her eyes seeming to bore into his. He shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He could feel small beads of sweat breaking out on his forehead.
God, but it’s hot in here!
“You have chosen interesting cards, young Tommy,” Sylvia muttered, placing the first one face up on the table. “Are you aware that these cards are older than those associated with the Book of Thoth?”
www.total-e-bound.com
BLOOD LUST
J.P. Bowie
27
Tommy shook his head. He hadn’t a clue what the Book of Thoth was.
“Dakar, an important demon of the Underworld, second in command to Lord Kardis himself, is represented here. He is the one who holds your future in his hands.”
Tommy peered at the image of a handsome man—a demon?—with long, flowing blond hair. His breath caught in his throat. He could have sworn there for just a second that the sapphire blue eyes—eyes that so closely resembled that of the woman opposite him—had narrowed slightly as they stared up at him from the table. He sat back quickly and glanced around the table. Everyone was focussed on the card, but no one else seemed surprised or startled.
Must’ve been my imagination .
Sylvia laid the second card down. “The Sword of Damacian. This represents coming conflict in which you will have to choose between your life, and the life of someone you love, deeply.”
Everyone’s gaze lifted from the card to Tommy. Lorna gave him a knowing smile and Tommy wondered just how much Alex had told her of his relationship with Andrew.
“The third card represents your hopes and dreams.” Sylvia laid down the card that depicted a landscape of verdant green, the sun shining through tall pines in golden shards of light.
“That’s beautiful,” Tommy murmured and a glimmer of hope ran through his body.
Maybe it’s not going to be all darkness and conflict .
“But I must place the fourth card on top of the third.”
And Tommy’s heart sank as Sylvia covered
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