I shake my head, refusing to break the hold he has over me with his eyes. “It varies depending on our source of power. Sort of like auras.”
“You can see auras?”
I dip my chin, glancing at the wide array of colors around him. “Yours shows a great deal of pain and emotional tribulation, but at its core is one of the brightest vitality and strengths I’ve ever seen.”
Rami’s head droops forward, and I worry I’ve upset him with my assessment. “You’re not the first to believe I’m strong.” His voice is so weak, I doubt he believes either of us.
“Aretheythe person who gave you the necklace?”
His hand rests against his chest, where I imagine the necklace is located. My own chest knots, pleased he found someone else to remind him of his worth.
“Yup. She was a diviner.”
Fascinating. I never would have figured this town to have a diviner. And based on what Rami has told me, that still holds true. Instead of those prying questions, I am more curious about the man who is quickly owning all of my thoughts. “What cards did she pull?”
If he was surprised, the widening of his eyes was brief. I suppose he quickly realized I am a witch. “Let’s see, there was a Fool.”
“Was it reversed or right side up?”
“Reversed?” His voice rises like a question before he nods sharply, as if he answered his own question.
He closes his eyes as if he’s picturing it. He even moves his hands to imply the placement of the cards as he explains. Which honestly tells me more about the diviner than him—she is classically trained.
“Reversed Four of Wands, reversed Knight of Wands, Justice, Death, Hanged Man, reversed Eight of Swords, reversed King of Swords, Hermit, and The World.”
I close my eyes once he finishes and run through the list again, picturing my old deck of cards that did not survive the test of time. The few remaining pieces are locked away in my home as a reminder of everything I’ve lost.
Impulsive and reckless in his past. A flash of the scars along the inside of his wrists makes me wonder what he did. Likely placing him in his current predicament. Not sure that’s an appropriateget to know youconversation, though.
But there’s hope for him. He’ll find his peace once he accepts himself and finally realizes his strength. Further proof that I should be pushing him toward that future and not trapping him here with me.
“Beautiful,” I mumble, opening my eyes to find Rami watching me closely. “I told you that you were strong. No one who has had to fight through so much could be weak.”
A gorgeous blush pinkens his cheeks, and I’m fixated.
“Does the curse only allow you out at night?” His voice is soft, as if he’s unsure he’s allowed to speak of it.
Not that I can blame him, since I got so upset the last time. But I don’t trust my voice to give much of a response. I haven’t had much luck discussing the curse previously. So, I nod.
“Where do you go during the day?”
“I don’t really know,” I admit with a shrug. “I lie down to sleep when my body weakens, and then nothing. I’ve tried staying up later, but always awaken in my bedroll as the sun is setting. Honestly, I’m not even sure if it’s just my mind that fades or my body too.”
“Well, that explains why I can’t find you during the daylight hours. Your body must disappear too. Do you remember anything after you go to sleep?”
“No. Just darkness. Not even a dream. I believe it to be that my body fades to the aether so I’m neither living nor deceased, but in between.”
“What the fuck is powerful enough to pull off a curse like this on a witch?” His brows pinch in and his nostrils flare. It takes me a moment to realize that he is madforme and notatme. My stomach roils at the foreign sensation.
“Right, right, right,” he says placatingly when I don’t answer him. “You can’t tell me.”
I dip my chin in appreciation of his understanding. It’s not that I don’t want to fill him in on everything about it, but I can’t. Howhemanaged to put the curse on me still haunts my waking nightmares. He should never have been exposed to such a power. And now that I’m trapped here in the woods away from any resources, I will never free myself or this world of it.
But, then again, I never had someone like Rami to aid me before.
Chapter 21
Rami's POV
