“We need you to leave, Deirdre,” I said. “Permanently.”
Sixteen
ASHER
“Ace of Cups. Drink.”
Tossing the Tarot card on the discard pile, I pushed a glass of whiskey toward Gray, amber liquid sloshing up over the sides.
Clear-eyed and resolute, she held my gaze and downed it, never blinking.
“That’s not how Tarot works.” Haley rolled her eyes. “You can’t just saydrinkevery time you draw one of the cups cards, Ash.”
“Andyoucan’t ask me to give you guys a reading and then tell me how to interpret the cards.” I picked up another one from the pile on the table between us. “The Fool. Oh, this one’s got your name all over it, Barnes. Drink up.”
“No way,” Haley said. “I’m tapping out. Two is my max, and I’ve already had three.”
“I’ll take one for the team,” Gray said, downing the glass I’d set up for her sister.
I shook my head, flashing her a grin. “You’re a lot harder to drink under the table as a bloodsucker.”
“Bloodsuckerfae,” she corrected.
“That too.” I’d been sticking to beer, but now I poured a round of whiskey for myself and picked up the glass, lifting it in salute before downing it. When I finished, I caught her gaze again, seeing right through the jokes to the soft parts inside her—the parts that still felt like the lost, confused kid who’d first washed up in Blackmoon Bay all those years ago. Couldn’t blame her, though. Seemed like every time she finally solved another piece of her mysterious origins, she uncovered another betrayal. Another painful tale she wished she could close the book on for good.
But shit didn’t work that way. We didn’t get to flip through the fairytales of our lives, picking out only the best ones, the happy ones to keep. They were all part of us, the good as well as the terrible.
I just wished she’d gotten a few more good ones lately.
“Pick another card,” Addie said. “It’s my turn.”
“You got it.” I did as she asked, revealing the next card in the deck—Three of Cups. This one had three women sitting side-by-side on the rocks before a lotus pond, the full moon shining down upon them. They each held a chalice, and their eyes were closed, heads bent as if they were casting a spell.
“It’s you three for sure,” I said.
“Does this mean we all have to drink? I think it does.” Without waiting for an answer, Addie reached for the bottle and poured three shots, then downed hers like a champ. “Cheers, fae bitches.”
“I should’ve quit while I was ahead,” I said. “I’m no match for three drunk-ass sister-witches, especially if you keep ganging up on me.”
“The big bad incubus is afraid of three little girls?” Haley teased. “That’s rich.”
“We should totally start a band,” Addie said randomly. “Drunk-Ass Sister Witches. It has a nice ring to it, don’t you think?”
“I’d definitely pay to see that show,” I said.
“Your turn, Ash,” Gray said, flashing a smile I know she didn’t totally feel, despite my best efforts to cheer her up. To cheer them all up. “Pick a card for yourself.”
I picked up the deck, giving it a good shuffle before turning over my card.
“Seven of Swords?” I picked up the card for a closer look. There was a dude on the front, with black angel wings, kneeling in the snow to pick up two swords, one of which he’d grabbed by the blade—total fucking amateur. Five ravens circled him, each one holding its own sword. The storm clouds behind him felt pretty damn ominous to me. “This guy looks shady as hell. What’s his deal?”
“Oh, you know,” Gray said. “Deception, trickery, the usual.” She folded her arms across her chest, eyeing me up and down as a sexy-ass grin stretched across her mouth. “Maybe the cards are warning me to watch my step around you, incubus.”
I reached for my beer again, tipping it back to take a swig. “You needed the cards to tell you that?”
Still grinning, she slid out of her chair and joined me on the other side of the table, straddling me, seemingly oblivious to the fact that we weren’t alone. “I’m not so great with learning lessons. Maybe you should teach me the hard way.”
I wrapped an arm around her back, ensuring she wouldn’t wriggle away. “Why the fuck are you so sexy?”
