“Yeah, well uh, sorry about bumping into you and everything …” She could feel the heat returning to her face. She had always been socially awkward but even this was a new level of humiliating for her. At least he was polite about it, but the sting of mortifying anxiety was still there. What was she thinking?
I’m such an idiot! She chastised herself. Damn overactive imagination! The berating thoughts continued.
“Ember, it is Ember, right? That’s what the sign said ...” His voice dropped an octave, but it was too late.
Ember sprinted back to her tent to ready herself for the barrage of clients.
Ember arrived in the tent a blur of red waves and black fabric. She glanced up momentarily, catching Ava’s gaze.
“Whoa, nice dress. Please tell me that comes in my size.”
Ember dropped her purse and sat in her chair, untying the black velvet bag. She couldn’t believe how foolish she’d been.
“I may not be psychic but you are giving off some mega vibes babe. What happened?” Ava seemed generally concerned.
“Mr. Blue Eyes happened.” Ember let out a sigh.
“Who the hell is Mr. Blue Eyes?” Ava asked quietly.
“The guy from last weekend: tall, dark and handsome. He’s here. I bumped into him, made a complete ass of myself, and now I wish I could crawl under this damn table, and die in peace.” Ember let the cards tumble out onto the table and started to shuffle. The repetitive motion soothed her trembling fingers.
Ava made a face, her lips pursed to whistle. “He’s here? Where? What do you mean you bumped into him? Do you know him?”
Ember cut the deck. Damn Ava and her twenty questions. “I don’t want to talk about it right now, Ava. The gates are set to open at any moment. I need to be focused right now.”
Ava shifted her stance and decided to let it go. For now.
***
Ava smiled as she folded up the butterfly chairs. “Between the renaissance festival and this evening, we, my friend, made out like fucking bandits.”
“That’s great.” Ember faked a smile.
“I love Halloween,” Ava said in wonderment.
A soft, smooth voice interrupted them. “You look like you could use a drink.”
Ember turned toward the opening of the tent to see Derek, standing outside, holding a bottle of wine in one hand and two plastic cups in the other.
Ava’s eyes widened as she shot a glance at Ember, who was frozen in her chair. Ember’s fingers started to shuffle the deck involuntarily.
“I know it’s no martini, but… ” He shrugged, his black hair glistening in the light of the overhead lights outside the tent. “I think we got off on the wrong foot earlier, and I’d like to make it up to you.” He gave her a smile that went straight to her core.
Ember closed her fingers around the cards then she slid them into the bag before rising from her chair. A familiar shiver ran up her spine.
“Sure. If you insist, I mean.” She slipped her hand through the black satin ribbon tying the bag together.
Derek smiled. “Wonderful.”
Chapter Eleven
Ember followed Derek as he walked past the Rhyan Vineyards booth and the restrooms, toward the food trucks. There were still a few guests in the area, but by 9:30 most of the crowd had dispersed. Derek stepped on the seat of a nearby picnic table and positioned himself on the tabletop as he set the plastic cups down.
“I don’t really drink martinis. At least, not gin martinis,” Ember broke the silence.
Derek poured the golden liquid in the cup and offered it to her.
Her fingers grazed his as she took it.
“I’m fairly good at gauging a person’s taste in alcohol. You, my dear, look like a 7 Moons kind of person.” He poured some wine into his own cup and raised it to her.
Ember took a sip; it was sweet, with notes of apples and cinnamon spice. She was surprised to find that, as it hit her lips, the liquid was also warm. “Mmmm,” she mumbled. “Delicious.”
Derek cocked his eyebrow. “I was right.” He took a sip.
“I’m sorry about earlier; I’m not usually so forward.” Ember nervously dug her sneaker into the grass then stopped, hoping he hadn’t noticed the movement.
“No, it is fine, you just … caught me off guard.” Derek leaned his tan elbows on his knees.
“Do you always dress like you’re going to a funeral?” She took a sip of the warm apple wine and gestured to his black slacks.
“Only when I’m trying to be brooding and mysterious.”
Perhaps the brooding part was missing, but Ember couldn’t deny he had the mysterious part down pretty well. He smiled, a perfect white-toothed smile and Ember could feel her insides flush with warmth. She wasn’t sure if it was the wine, his presence, or a combination of the two.
Derek shook his head, black strands of hair falling into place as he glanced at her velvet bag, which hung by black corded ribbons around her wrist. He swallowed “I don’t suppose you’ve given any more thought to our reading from the other night?” There was something about the way he hung on the words our reading that left Ember slightly uneasy. Yet Ember felt compelled to tell the truth. Maybe it was the wine; maybe it was because she couldn’t stop seeing him--in her dreams, in her visions, in the woods at the renaissance festival.
“I can’t stop thinking about it,” she said as she took a large gulp of the wine.
Derek turned to his cup before speaking, “I’m not really supposed to talk about these things, but … something tells me …”
He seemed to be searching for the right words and Ember found herself shifting her stance, stepping closer to him. He looked at her with electric blue eyes, and Ember could feel the warmth of his energy enveloping her.
“It's like … I know you … I know that sounds really strange.” He paused as if contemplating whether he should continue.
“Something tells me I can trust you, even though … He seemed to choose his next words. “I’m supposed to stay away from … Your kind,” he finished.
Ember cautiously approached the top of the picnic table and sat down, carefully keeping herself at a safe distance; although she desperately wanted to close it. “My kind?”
“Mystics. Fortune tellers. Psychics. Whatever you call yourselves.” He poured himself another half glass. Ember noticed the label looked remarkably similar to the design on her dress.
“Why is that?” She rested the black velvet bag in her lap and Derek glanced at it.
“The short version--?” He set the bottle down and lifted the cup to his face once more.
Ember waited for him to continue.
“My family’s cursed and only a psychic can break it--because a psychic is responsible for it.”
Chapter Twelve
Cursed? By a psychic? Ember didn’t know much about curses but she was sure any psychics she was aware of had no knowledge of how to curse people. Curses, hexes, spells--those usually fell into the witches’ department.
Before Ember could speak, she was cut off by a rather loud, throat clearing. She turned to see an impatient Ava standing nearby, keys in hand.
“Unless you’ve saved enough for me, I say it’s time we head out of here. Might even make it before Cory’s closes.” Ava raised her eyebrow.
Ember suddenly felt the wave of warm enveloping energy receding.
“Right, yes. It's getting late, we should get going. I am hungry, and we both work early, so...” Ember could feel Ava’s anxiety.
What has her so spooked? She thought momentarily as she rose from the picnic table. Derek held up his hand.
“Wait,” he said as he set his cup down and reached into his back pocket. He handed her a small business card.
Ember took it, looking at him skeptically.
“In case you find yourself in need of anything other than a gin martini. “He smiled, and the way his lips turned up the corners of his mouth gave him a boyish quality that had not been apparent at their first meetin
g, only a week ago.
Ember smiled, nodding as she turned around and walked over to Ava.
When they were out of earshot, Ava could no longer contain herself. “I need details Em. Now.” Ava unlocked the car, sliding inside to unlock Ember’s passenger door.
“Last week, when you left to grab food, Derek walked in and asked for a reading. I recognized him on sight, even though …” Ember was suddenly afraid of how the words sounded in her own head.
“Even though what?” Ava waited for Ember to shut the door.
“Even though I’d never met him.” Ember averted her eyes.
“Maybe you recognized him from a gig or something. Subconsciously, I mean.” Ava pulled out of the parking lot smoothly.
“I know how this is going to sound, but you have to believe me.” Ember gazed out the window, confused. The moon shone brightly in the sky and her words somehow found their own bravery. “I’ve had dreams--all my life--of a man who looks exactly like him. The dreams always place him in different time periods, different places, but one thing is always the same. His eyes. In every dream, those same eyes stare at me--as if they are looking directly into me. Waiting.”
Ember focused on the silver crescent in the sky and suddenly she felt a longing, like a tidal wave within. “That night in the tent … It was like seeing a ghost, but then …”
Ava remained silent, a clear indication that she understood the seriousness of the information Ember was about to divulge.
“I read his cards, Ava. The Tower, the World Reversed, and the Ten of Cups Reversed. Just like mine. You know the drill--I give my cards to the client to shuffle so they collect their energy. So it's accurate. The chances of us drawing the same cards, in the same order, on the same night, shuffled separately--”
Ava interjected, “Damn near impossible.”
She turned onto Main Street and Ember let her thoughts wander momentarily.
“Right. The reading itself was weird. I admit, it freaked me out. But the vision …”
“Vision? Since when do you have visions? I thought Kacie was the only one in the family with that ability?” Ava’s voice escalated just a fraction as she pulled up at the traffic light, her lips pursed in concern.
Ember continued, “In this vision, I saw myself--but I wasn’t me and I knew that somehow. I saw him too, watching me.”
Silhouetted tree limbs and shadows loomed from the roadside, covering the moon ominously as Ava turned right at the intersection, slowing down as the Impala crept up to the lit sign reading ‘Cory’s Diner.’
Ember felt the words tumble out of her mouth in a fury, “And then I texted Kacie, since you know she’s the one with visionary abilities and--”
“You talked to Kacie? For God’s sake Em, why didn’t you say anything!” Ava interrupted, this time the air of frustration evident. She turned off the car and faced Ember, concern written across her face.
“Yes. Believe me when I say it wasn’t something that I wanted to do … But I had to know what she could read from me. She wasn’t much help though.” Ember shrugged. “The dreams have gotten stronger. The other night, I dreamt we were in this speakeasy. I-I mean Rose, or that’s her name I think--she shuffled these cards and drew The Lovers. I woke up and my windows had blown open, my altar had been upturned and all my cards were scattered except for one, which was face up. I think you can guess what card that was.”
Ava’s mouth twisted into an irritated scowl. “Is that it?” she asked.
“Mostly. I ran into him tonight, made an absolute fool of myself, and then, I know it sounds insane, but I think he felt it too--this strange connection.” Ember looked down at her hands, waiting for Ava’s judgment.
“Honestly Em, why can’t you meet a guy the normal way? Have you ever heard of Tinder?” Ava’s expression relaxed slightly as she opened the car door.
Ember followed suit.
“I wanted to tell you--”
Ava held up her hand. “You can make it up to me by picking up my tab.” Ava walked toward the neon lights and opened the door.
***
Ember sat on the armchair in the bookstore lounge, her legs curled up beside her, and her oversized travel mug full of coffee in her hand. Derek Rhyan. She had typed the name into the search engine, but aside from the Family Vineyards, there seemed to be no digital trail of Derek Rhyan. She scrolled through the website for the Vineyards, which were located only an hour away from Chester. The site showed a photograph of what Ember presumed to be Derek’s mother, father, and sister standing on an expanse of land in front of a large Victorian-style mansion that looked more like Dracula’s castle than a home.
She read the small blurb about the company:
“Established since 1925, Rhyan Family Vineyards was founded by Deidrick Rhyan after he bravely broke away from the bootleg gin business in New York City. Deidrick moved to Willowcrest for a fresh start, and soon his passion became one of the biggest vineyards in Virginia. Some claimed that Deidrick’s success was suspicious, and rumors quickly spread. Deidrick was said to be, in some of the more outlandish claims, an occultist, a patron of the dark arts, a man who made his deal with the devil, and a vampire. While no one ever provided sufficient evidence to support these claims, we at Rhyan Family Vineyards embrace Deidrick’s Spooktacular legacy. We believe the vineyard grounds are indeed full of magic--especially in the fall. Family is very important to us at Rhyan Family Vineyards, and we wouldn’t be where we are today without the bravery, innovation, and passion of Deidrick Rhyan.
Join us every October for our annual Boos Fest, Ghost Tour, and our favorite tradition, the annual Masquerade.”
Ember glanced at the business card resting on the arm of the chair. Kacie had told her to stay clear of Derek, but she had also told her that they’d crossed paths before and would likely do so again.
Most people assumed all psychics could see the future or predict lottery numbers. Failure to do those things meant, at least to those who requested it, that one wasn’t a real psychic. Ember knew the future was not something solid, but malleable; it also liked to adhere to patterns. Even if Kacie told her to stay away, somehow, in some way, their paths would cross again.
They were connected. Ember knew it in the same way she knew The Lovers was the card she had forgotten to read that night in the tent.
What is happening to me? she wondered. I’ve never been an impulsive person.
It was true. Ember had grown up an only child. She had never managed to fit in with the other kids at school, especially after she’d shown her cards to Sammi Nunin in seventh grade. When Sammi’s mom caught her giving a reading to her son, she accused her of being an evil devil worshipper. Word had spread quickly about the odd child, Ember Stone. She had learned to keep her distance and flourished in her own space. Her books, cards and mother were all she’d needed. Until she met Ava, who wouldn’t take no for an answer.
It had seemed as if the two of them were a match made in heaven. Ava was everything Ember had wished she could be; confident, beautiful, unapologetic. And Ember had been everything Ava longed to be; psychic, stable, and self-dependent.
Ember didn’t call men who gave her their business card. She didn’t drink with strangers, let alone hunt them down on social media, and stalk them. That was Ava’s department.
Although, it doesn’t really count as stalking if they’re nowhere to be found. The fact that Derek Rhyan didn’t have a Facebook page, or a Twitter account, or even a LinkedIn profile was slightly suspicious, but it didn’t necessarily mean he was dishonest or untrustworthy. Besides, Ember had other ways of finding out who a person was; she just wasn’t sure if she wanted to call in that favor.
She took another sip of coffee and glanced from the card back to her phone screen. Maybe asking for a background check was borderline psychotic. After all, she hardly knew the man.
Kacie doesn’t trust him. You’re not even sure you trust him. Plus, he told you that his family’s cursed. I’m pretty sure that wasn’t
sarcasm.
Yet despite these things, Ember knew she wouldn’t be able to stay away. She had to know more.
Opening Messenger, she began to type:
Nick, it’s Ember. Everything is alright, I just want to ask a favor.
Detective Nick Jones didn’t waste time before replying: What kind of favor? Does this have anything to do with that Crowley girl? She get a ticket or something?
Ember scoffed. Assuming she was calling in a favor for Ava was pretty spot on actually. It was a miracle Ava didn’t have speeding tickets or parking violations, given her lead foot and capricious attitude.
No. Nothing to do with Ava. I just … I need a background check on a guy.
Ember winced, waiting for Nick to respond like her step-dad. She’d never really been angry with him over what had happened. After all, she’d been just a kid. A kid who had lost her father.
Ember thought back to the night Detective Jones questioned her. Her mother, grief-stricken with the news of her father’s death, Kacie holding her hand as they sat on the porch swing. She remembered how he had knelt before her, his kind eyes locked onto hers as he told her everything would be ok. He had promised her that he would find the monsters and take them away so they couldn’t hurt anyone else. She’d believed him. Even though she had no reason to accept his word, she somehow felt in a sea of uncertainty that this man would never lie to her.
In the months following her father’s homicide, Nick Jones was a constant in her life, and it seemed the more he was around, the happier her mother was. It seemed, despite their relationship, real feelings had grown between them, and Ember started to feel at peace with the new arrangement. If Kacie hadn’t gotten in the way …
Ember’s phone beeped.
This guy a friend of yours?
Ember let out a sigh of relief. She could do this.
Yes. I trust him. I would just like a little peace of mind. Can’t be too careful, right? Especially nowadays.
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