I jumped and screamed. Ramsey stepped in front of me. Shin raised an eyebrow and smiled. “I love that you found someone to help you once you realized I’d taken your phone. It would have been even better if you’d kept track of where you were. And you did fine, except for not watching for me, until you went down the quieter neighborhood streets and now into the park. I was openly following you for several blocks.”
I stepped out from behind Ramsey. “Hey, Shin, Sorry. I guess this means I lose.”
Shin cracked his knuckles. “Well, I don’t have you, and the hotel isn’t far.”
I looked behind me. The Royal Garden Hotel was a gleaming tower of glass and metal. “True, it’s only a block or so away but I can’t outrun you.”
“If your escort agrees to stand down, and if you hit me hard enough to make me let go, you might make it back,” Shin said.
“No worries,” Ramsey said stepping away.
“So what are the rules?” I asked.
“Still the same. You have to get to the hotel, but I won’t make it easy.” Shin pointed to a large tree about halfway to the hotel near the parking lot. “And if I get you to that tree I win.”
I took a step back. “Okay, sounds good.”
Shin changed, his eyes became cold, his smiled faded, and his face hardened. He lunged, grabbed my wrist and began to drag me down the path. My brain shut down. I grasped at his hand and pulled back. I couldn’t remember what to do. I dug my heels into the ground, but Shin easily pulled me over the dead grass. Anger and aggression hit my shield like a hot wave, he’d never come at me like this before.
He chuckled, his grin evil. I shivered. “You are going to have to hand wash my laundry for a week, and I’m going to change my outfit four times a day.”
Oh, gross. That is so not happening. I let my weight drop a bit. Shin tugged me harder to force me forward. I flung myself at him. Shin stumbled. I twisted my wrist pushing against his thumb, yanked out of his grip, and hit his hand away. Shoving him in the chest as hard as I could with both hands, I took three big steps back. I’d gotten away from Shin, but if I ran he would catch me. I moved into a fighting stance. “If I was under attack I would scream, drawing a crowd.”
Shin nodded. “Good.” Darting forward his foot came up. I moved to block the kick. Shin struck and twisted my arm behind my back. I could barely breathe as Shin tucked his shoulder under my chin. His arm snaked around my back, pressing my chest to his. Okay, we had not practiced this move. Shin began to walk, taking me with him.
“Sapphire?” Ramsey said.
I tried to say I was fine, but couldn’t talk. I gave a thumbs up before focusing on Shin.
With my free hand, I grabbed his bangs and jerked his head back, stopping his movement. Bringing my knee up forced Shin to jump back just in time, so I hit him in the stomach instead of between his legs. Pressing my foot down onto his foot, I pinned it down and pushed. Shin’s eyes widened. Because I pinned his foot, he couldn’t get his balance and fell onto his back. I slammed my foot into the ground next to his knee indenting the soil.
Shin blinked then grinned. “A knee strike—that was a vicious move. I’m impressed. And pinning my foot—I didn’t teach you that.”
“I complained to Gavin about not being able to make you lose your balance, he taught me. So I win?”
“Oh yes. If you had hit my knee, I wouldn’t be able to run as fast as you, if I could even run at all. Can you tell me where you would have hit me to take the knee out?” Shin asked as he stood up.
“The side,” I said.
“Ah, Grasshopper, you get a gold star.”
“That was brilliant.” Ramsey came over to us. “My sisters are fierce, but I wish they could fight like that.”
Heat filled my cheeks. “I’ve just started learning.”
“True, but you were able to get away, and that’s what matters. Come on, let’s get to the hotel and get some lunch. I’m starving.” Shin rubbed his flat belly.
“Oh, give me back my phone,” I said.
Shin chuckled and handed me my phone. I texted Michael asking if Ramsey could be put on the list for Saturday night.
“I’m Shin Park by the way,” he said holding out his hand.
“Ramsey McDaniel.” A pale white hand clasped Shin’s light amber brown one.
“Thanks for helping Sapphire. I wondered how she was going to get back to the hotel as lost as she was,” Shin teased.
“Rude. I would have figured it out,” I said, fake pouting.
“Of course you would have, lass,” Ramsey said. “Now that the fun is over, I should be going. It was nice to meet you.”
“You too, and thank you so much for your help. I’ll text you once I know about Saturday,” I said.
“Cheers, have a good afternoon.” Ramsey turned and walked away.
Shin lay his arm across my shoulders. “I did have a lot of fun following you.”
I elbowed Shin in the side. Watching Ramsey walk away, I agreed—his view had been lovely.
Shin’s phone rang, and he cringed when he saw the caller ID. “I’ll see you later. It’s my mom, and then I have to go rehearse.”
“See you later, tell her I say hi.”
He nodded, answering the phone.
* * *
A group of jugglers left the blue banquet room tossing bean bags at one another and chatting in French. I guess separating us wasn’t such a bad idea after all.
Shaking my head, I sat at an empty table. I chose new foods at the buffet they set up for us: cheddar and potato patties and vibrant red purple beetroot puree. Stirring in the pure white dollop of sour cream, I was amazed at the color it created.
“So, I have a wonderful plan,” said Miu sitting next to me. She unwound the scarf from around her neck. “We’ll go to a club—a lot of them have private rooms you can rent—we can find one that serves food, and we’ll have cake, or cupcakes. It’ll be great! And before we go, you are coming with me. My birthday gift to you is an experience.”
“I found a great clubbing outfit this morning,” I said taking a bite of the beetroot puree. Interestingly sweet and Earthy. Not my favorite food, but good.
“Can I take your order, Miss?” Brandon asked. His energy felt anxious, but not upset or scared, more like trying to contain excitement.
“Jasmine tea, and the buffet you’ve set up is fine,” Miu said. Brandon nodded, his energy buzzing under his calm professional exterior.
“Brandon, could you recommend a club? Miu is plotting my birthday party.”
Miu huffed. “Why do you make it sound like it’s a bad thing?”
“Yes,” Brandon said almost bursting with desire to tell us. “My family owns a club, well my aunt does, and my cousins work there. They have a second floor you can rent and they serve good pub grub.”
“Wonderful, can I get the name and phone number?” Miu asked her pale green eyes sparkling with excitement.
He tore a page off his note pad. “Here. Tell them Brandon told you to call. They are the half of the family that actually like me, so dropping my name might help.”
“Wonderful. See, Sapphire, your birthday is going to be awesome! Everything is falling perfectly into place,” Miu said.
“What is awesome?” Taliesin asked. “Can I get a latte please?”
“Of course, anything else?” Brandon asked.
Taliesin looked at my plate. “No there seems to be plenty of options at the buffet.”
“I’ll be right back with your drinks.”
“He likes you,” Miu said to Taliesin with a smile before going to the far side of the room to call the club.
Taliesin groaned, running his hand through his white hair. It fluttered around his face and fell across his back.
“If it helps at all, Brandon is very confused as to why he feels drawn to you. I don’t feel anything romantic or physical. I think the bit of magical being in him is reacting to you being a unicorn.”
Taliesin tilted his head to the side while his eyes became
unfocused, like he searched for something in his brain.
“Here you go,” Brandon set the tea down by Miu’s spot and latte in front of Taliesin.
Taliesin reached out and placed his hand on Brandon’s arm and let a bit of his power lose. Cool, moonlight magic flowed around him. I sighed, as did Brandon. “Thank you Brandon.”
“You’re welcome,” he grinned and left, his need for Taliesin’s attention satisfied.
“That was nice of you,” I said. “I don’t think he even understands why he's so fixated on you.”
Taliesin shrugged. “I’ve been working on controlling my powers and learning more about my magical nature. Anyway, he’s a good person.”
“Yes,” yelled Miu. “The club sounds perfect; they’ll even set up a full buffet. All I need to do is get Gavin to go check it out with me and pay for it. We have a show that night, so everything will be set up and ready for ten-thirty.”
“Oh, by the way,” Miu said as she went through the buffet. “Gavin and Anali said they plan on going on an outing at two. Well, Anali insisted. I made her an herbal tea that helped settle her stomach. If she can keep down some lunch, she wants to leave the hotel.”
“Are they coming down for lunch?” I asked.
“No, the smells of so many different foods bother her stomach.” Miu sat and poured herself a cup of tea inhaling the delicate flowery fragrance before taking a sip.
“Hello,” Sasha said his cheeks flushed pink and his hair sweaty. He sat next to Taliesin.
“What have you been up to?”
“Trampoline. I watched them practice. A couple of the guys said they would teach me if I wanted. Apparently, I’m a natural,” Sasha grinned and his cheeks pinked even more.
“I’m sure you are,” I said. “After years of ballet, your balance and core strength are perfect for cirque acts.”
Taliesin nodded. “I agree. You picked up silks very quickly.”
Sasha inclined his head. “Thank you. I found you to be a very competent teacher.”
“Do you know where Kayin is?” I asked.
“He wanted to shower before coming down to eat,” Sasha said and went to the buffet.
“Gran, please,” Brandon said, following an older woman through the door. He carried a large tray of food in his hand that threatened to tip in his hurry to keep up with her. She was tall and slender with bright blue eyes, gray hair pulled into a messy bun, and deep wrinkles in her white skin that spoke of a life filled with laughter and smiles.
“The cards told me you were coming,” she said, patting a dark blue velvet bag and sat down next to me at the end of the table. “And I knew I had to come and do a reading for you. And you,” she pointed at Taliesin, “are something special but I don’t know what, yet.”
“Please, Gran, you’ll get me fired,” Brandon said as he refilled several dishes in the buffet.
She waved her bony finger at him. “I have the sight, like my mother, and her mother, and her mother before her. You do, too, although you ignore it. And I know I need to be here and read the cards for them.”
Brandon sighed.
“It’s fine,” I said. “Please don’t worry.”
“Bring me some tea, and you, dear children, call me Grandmother.”
Brandon closed his eyes and his lips moved. I think he muttered a prayer, or maybe a curse.
Sasha arched an eyebrow at me as he sat down balancing a full plate, a bowl, and a steaming cup of coffee. He must like beets, as the bowl was full of them, the white sour cream melting into the mashed red-purple root.
“Now, dear, have you had your cards read before?” Grandmother spread a silk scarf that looked to be painted with watercolors in a variety of blues on the table.
“No ma’am,” I said.
“That’s fine.” She unwrapped an old deck of cards from a square of turquoise silk. “First, I want you to look through the deck. Let your subconscious see the cards, then shuffle them until they feel full.”
Okay, this was weird, but it seemed like a good idea to go along with her. I didn’t feel anything bad from her. I held my hand over the cards, and their energy fizzed against my skin. These were old; her family had used them for generations. These cards had told of fortunes, of true loves, betrayals, deaths, and destiny set into motion on several occasions.
I pulled my hand back. “I can’t touch them, I’m sorry.”
Grandmother took the deck and spread out the cards. Hand-drawn pictures in black ink of people in Renaissance-style clothing adorned thick, yellowed cards. Words in Latin were written on the bottom with Roman numerals on the top. “According to my grandfather, God rest his soul, one of our ancestors drew these,” Grandmother said. She scooped them up and began to shuffle them, then laid them out face up.
“A very dynamic spread, lots of major arcana cards.”
That didn’t sound good at all.
Grandmother hummed as she looked over the eleven cards, her wrinkled fingers hovering above them. “The Moon shows a new force in your life. A new power that you have yet to encounter, something sinister, you need to be careful.”
She pointed to the Chariot. “You have a purpose, you bring balance and bring people together to create a powerful unit.” She tapped the Nine of Wands which lay half over The Chariot and Ten of Wands, above them. “You feel a lot of pressure, a lot of people are counting on you. You are strong enough to handle it. Inside of you is the strength and power to follow through in your future.”
These cards lied; obviously, they were untrustworthy. I felt like a hot mess most of the time, barely holding myself together.
“In the past there was grief, pain, and hopelessness,” she said pointing to the Five of Cups, then touched the Three of Swords. “Ahead of you lies sorrow, separation, maybe the end of a love affair.”
Oh good, something to look forward too.
“But the fifth card, that which is unknown but supports you is Judgment, rebirth, acquiring purpose, and atonement for past sins.” Grandmother frowned. “Perhaps a person.”
“These cards here.” She touched the Ace of Swords, the World, Ten of Cups, and the Star, which were in a row. “They balance out the darkness. They show a strong family, and love—possibly romantic love. You have a lot of strength and love to balance the darkness and danger. You feel like you’re being pulled, unable to regain your balance. It’s because you try and do too much by yourself. You need to let others help you.”
I looked at Taliesin. He glanced up from the cards and smiled. Was he laughing at me or trying to tell me that he was someone I could lean on?
“The Ace of Swords and The Chariot as the signifier show how important your work is. You give life. You are vital, but without love, family, and support, you might crumble.” Grandmother reached out and took my hands. Her skin was powder soft. I began to shake. Not good—not good! I felt her connection to the cards, her connection to her ancestors who could tap into the spiritual essence of the person they read for, making the messages from the cards more powerful and accurate. Magic whispered in Grandmother. It felt foreign and familiar at the same time. Flashes of Grandmother’s life began to come to me: watching her dad milk a cow, her mom and aunt teaching her to communicate with devas, riding in a train, an explosion, blood, screaming.
“Sapphire.” Cool moonlight energy flowed into me, and my throat ached. Had I been screaming? I opened my eyes. Taliesin’s sky blue eyes filled my vision.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered.
His brow furrowed. “Why?”
“You always seem to be the one calming me down when I freak out.” I began to sit up. How did I get on the floor?
“I don’t mind helping you.” Taliesin held my hands and helped me into my chair. “You reacted badly to everyone else, it was odd.”
Grandmother clutched Brandon, her blue eyes full of tears. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t realize, I didn’t know.”
My hand shook as I took a drink of water. “It’s okay, I’m okay.”
“Hey, Gavin,” Miu said into her phone.
“No!” I turned to her, a wave of dizziness crashing over me. I tried not to let it show. “Miu, no. I’m fine, and they have the baby to worry about,” I whispered.
As my vision cleared I saw her frown, but she nodded. “I wanted to check and see how Anali is feeling. Are we still going on an adventure this afternoon?”
I fell back into the chair. Thank goodness she listened to me.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” Grandmother asked.
“Yes. Some more water and the rest of my lunch, and I’ll be fine.” I forced a smile.
Taliesin grabbed his plate and moved to sit next to me. I reached for his hand under the table. He squeezed my fingers.
“Gavin said they would be ready by two.” Miu reached out as if to touch me then pulled back. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
“I’m fine, just got overloaded,” I said.
“Grandmother, I’ll call dad to come and get you, okay?” Brandon said.
She sat up, wisps of gray hair falling around her face. “I’m sorry I didn’t realize touching you would hurt you, but I need to read for Taliesin.”
“It’s fine with me,” Taliesin said, politely but I heard the weariness in his voice.
While she shuffled the cards, I took a deep breath and allowed Taliesin’s soothing unicorn magic to flow around me. Wait, I could feel his power but not him. “You’re blocking me. When did you learn to do that?”
“I’ve been practicing, but it’s less blocking and more a barrier of magic.”
Sasha grunted. “We should find out why you reacted so badly to everyone else.”
“I agree,” said Kayin. “I was scared, Little Sister.”
“Big Brother, when did you get here?” I asked.
His brow furrowed. “When the screaming started.”
“I’m fine now. Go, get something to eat and sit down.”
Kayin frowned but went to the buffet, filled a plate and sat down next to me.
I squeezed Taliesin’s hand and let go. I didn’t want to tire him out. I should be fine now. Wait. Hadn’t Sasha asked me a question? “I don’t know why no one else could touch me, but I will try and figure it out, I promise.”
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