Her smile curves like a blade. “Oh, we’re just having fun. You remember fun, don’t you? Or did you retire that with everything else?”
Levi looks between us, visibly confused. “Wait…do you two know one another?”
Constance doesn’t miss a beat. “Only like one knows a stubborn shadow. Always lurking. Rarely welcome.”
“Charming,” I snap.
She flourishes the deck like she’s onstage. But the moment her fingers touch the cards, they stutter. Slip.
She frowns and tries again.
Static hums in the air.
Levi leans in. “Is it supposed to do that?”
“She’s just rusty,” I say too quickly. Cards don’t scare me. It’s what she’ll say while flipping them that does.
Constance grins at me like a cat who’s just spotted a bird witha broken wing. “On the contrary. Some people come with…residue. Old threads that don’t want to be read.”
She lays down the first card.
Death.
Naturally and not at all surprising.
Levi lets out a startled laugh. “Okay, that’s…wow. Starting off strong.”
“Transformation,” Constance purrs. “One self ending, another emerging. Unless…”
“Unless what?” Levi asks, intrigued.
She doesn’t answer. Just flips another card.
The Tower.
“Dramatic,” I mutter.
Levi whistles. “You are really not doing well, huh?”
Another card. She doesn’t even glance at it before placing it down.
Judgment.
“Fascinating. You’ve always struggled with finality.”
I fold my arms tightly. “Cut to the chase.”
“I’m just here to reflect,” she says, the words threading a needle through my spine. “Though it is curious…You’ve walked away from everything, haven’t you? Kingdom, crown, name. And yet…”
She leans forward, eyes flicking to where my shadows lie, slow and serpentine.
Her lips twitch. Not quite a smile, but more like a secret.
“You still cast quite the shadow.”
Levi stiffens, his hand hovering behind my chair like he’s not sure whether to touch me or pull away.
And Constance? She chuckles. Soft and delighted like she’s just watched a spark catch fire. She places her hand on the table and taps once. “But now you’re here with a boy who glows like embers. Bold. Risky. Almost…humanof you.”
