Desi’s face darkened. “You’ve been talking to Aleida and Una, I see.”
“Does it matter? Who is she? Is she a Seven Sin?”
“Scout, stop asking questions. I won’t tell you.”
“That’s a yes,” I said triumphantly. “Which one is she?”
Desi stared at me blankly. Arsenio would get the same glazed-over look when I asked him questions about his organized crime group.
“You’re the worst,” I told him. He nodded.
“I really am.”
“Why do they know things about the Seven Sins, but I’m not allowed to?”
“They don’t. They think they do, but they really don’t.” Desi was getting annoyed, but so was I.
“You’re lying. You know something about Aleida that you aren’t telling me. Or is it Una?” I accused.
“Scout, why are you doing this?”
“Tell me!” I demanded. “Why can they be trusted, but I can’t?”
“It has nothing to do with trust—”
“Then what?” I continued to push. I wanted answers. I was humiliated by those two women, and I would not let them win.
“Fine!” He shot up from his seat and slammed his hands on his desk. I jumped, and a cold shiver ran through me when his mismatched eyes stared coldly through me. Which made sense, given the next words out of his mouth. “Aleida thinks she’s part of my curse.Not you.”
20
His words hit me like a brick to the stomach. I took a step back and then another.
“I never said I was part of your curse. It was more…. wishful thinking,” I said finally. It sounded so lame. After last night, I had wanted to believe that I was. That we were connected somehow. He knew it, and I knew it. So denying it was silly.
“I know. If anything, it was me wanting that. I still do. I think her assumptions are stretches.”
“What did the cards say? When you drew them for her, what did they say?” I asked. His eyes looked down.
“What?”
“Don’t play dumb. I know you drew cards when she came here. Just like you did when you met me. What card did you pull?”
I watched his tongue flick across his fangs as he debated telling me. Finally, he glared and spoke. “The Hanged Man.”
“No, not for me. Her.”
“The. Hanged. Man.”He said it slow, almost growling each and every word.
“We got the same one? Is that normal?” I asked, my voice low.
He shook his head.
“No. It’s not. Scout. I don’t believe anything Aleida says.”
“Then why don’t you break your curse?”
He stood and grabbed his coat off of his desk chair. He started to storm out of the room but then paused, turned around, and grabbed a fistful of candy. He shoved the cinnamon balls in his coat pocket and, without a second look at me, finished storming down the hall and out.
