Chapter 11
Knight of Pentacles
“Pick a card, any card.” Glenna bore down on Skye, who’d just finished helping a customer select a crystal for self-confidence in an upcoming job interview.
Skye cautiously regarded the fanned-out tarot deck in Glenna’s hand. Last time she touched one of them her fingers had burned on contact. “You know, I’m not a big believer in the power of the tarot.”
“The cards never lie,” Glenna said with her usual solemnity. “Think of something, or someone, you’re curious about.”
That was easy. Ever since last night, all she could think of was Kheelan. The way he looked at her, the taste of his lips, the feel of his skin and his masculine scent. Skye closed her eyes, fingers hovering over the deck.
“Don’t think too hard about it,” Glenna said. “Pick one if you feel any heat or tingling sensation from it. If you don’t feel anything, it still doesn’t matter which you choose. The universe knows.”
Skye bit back a laugh. Glenna sounded like a two-bit palm reader at a circus fair and she put way too much faith in the randomness of the cards.
“I choose . . .” she placed an index finger on a card, intending to pull it out, when her hand involuntarily shifted to the far left and touched a different card. Her finger burned and she knew what the card was before Glenna announced it.
“Knight of Pentacles,” Glenna murmured. “A man in his twenties who strategizes to make his ideal become reality. Know who this might be?”
“Maybe.” Oh, she knew who he was all right, but best not confide to Glenna.
“He seeks action and things that can be used for results.”
Things that can be used. Or possibly people that could be used, like herself. The thought made her squirm. She had agreed to help him with the pixies. He didn’t have anything to gain from all this. He was only doing his job. “Your turn.” Skye took the deck from Glenna and fanned them out as Glenda had done, deliberately distracting herself from the dark doubts.
Glenna closed her eyes and lifted both hands to her temples, as if seeking guidance from a divine source inside. What a drama queen. Glenna extended her right hand and passed them over the cards several times. “This one,” she said emphatically, handing it to Skye to read.
Skye laughed at the scales depicted on the card. “Justice.” She couldn’t keep out the note of triumph in her voice. “This is a good card, Glenna. It means balance and –”
Glenna snatched the card. “Let me see.”
Skye crossed her arms and smiled smugly. “It had to happen one day you know. You picked a nice card. Why can’t you just –”
“It’s reversed.” Glenna grabbed the deck from Skye and stuffed the Justice card back in it. “So it means the opposite of fairness and balance.”
Skye threw up her hands. “I give up. If you want to always believe the worst is going to happen, then that’s what you’ll find.”
“Mugwort. Glenna need mugwort.”
They both turned to see Kyle who had edged up behind them unnoticed.
“Why do I need that?” Glenna asked.
“Make really psychic,” Kyle mumbled, face averted.
“I’m already psychic,” Glenna said, taking offense.
Skye smothered a laugh, even Kyle saw through her act.
Kyle spoke a little louder. “Make more psychic,” he insisted.
“Okay, then.” Glenna relaxed, somewhat appeased. “I’ll add some of the herb to my tea before I do another tarot reading.”
Skye studied Kyle as Glenna moved on. The differences between him and Kheelan stood out. The striking resemblance was there, of course, but where Kyle’s eyes were dreamy and distracted, Kheelan’s were focused and direct. Kheelan’s features were sharper, more chiseled, where Kyle’s were softer and more rounded. What would Kyle think if he met his double? Would it freak him out, or would he even notice? It was hard to tell what he was thinking.
“Do you have any brothers or sisters, Kyle?” She bet this would be one of the first questions on Kheelan’s mind. To someone who had no family, biological kin would be important.
“Sister.” Kyle picked up several of the crystals, then set them back down. “Katie.”
“How old is she?”
He didn’t answer right sway, but shuffled his feet and scratched his head.
“It’s okay if you don’t know.” Skye reached out to touch his arm in reassurance, then dropped her hand, remembering he was uncomfortable being touched.
“Twenty,” he said at last.
She couldn’t wait to tell Kheelan. He could meet a real, live sister when Samhain was over and this mess behind them.
“Excuse me, miss. Could I get your help with something?”
A middle-aged woman smiled at her tentatively, clutching a huge vinyl handbag in front of her.
Skye gave a warm smile. “Absolutely. What do you need today?”