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ROSI

My poor littleheart raced faster than the supersonic jet whipping us across the world. Glancing at Cora only made my anxiety worse. My best friend was on her third tiny bottle of rum and second can of cola, a canary-yellow bikini strap visible beneath the ruffled sleeve that slipped down her shoulder. She swayed to the music in her head without an ounce of self-consciousness, whipping her multicolored hair back and forth in time to something only she could hear.

When she opened her eyes to take another swig, she noticed me staring and shook her head.

“I thought you’d relax once we left LA, but here’s Rosi, looking pale as a vampire, and as rigid as one who’s been staked up the ass.”

“Thanks,” I groaned, checking to see if anyone else in first class heard her. It would’ve been a miracle if no one had since Cora had the loudest voice ever.

“It’s a very long stake. Like a big ole flagpole.” She snorted before guzzling the remainder of her plastic cup.

I chewed on a stray curl, completely aware I was restarting a habit I’d kicked long ago.

Cora batted it out of my mouth and leaned in, wafting rum flavored breath all over me.

“This is the vacation of a lifetime. Would you please at least try and relax?” She pulled me to her side and ground her knuckles on my scalp a bit too hard. “You won this trip for a reason. It was meant to be. It was literally in the cards—remember that Tarot spread I did right before you got the call?”

Leaning on her shoulder, I blocked her hand from messing further with my head. “You said, ‘Good news,’ as I recall. Not exactly, ‘You win a trip to a fantasy resort in Greenland.’”

“The cards said both our lives were transforming. We are coming out of our chrysalises on this trip.”

I shuddered at the memory of Cora overturning the Death card the morning I’d gotten the call about winning the trip. Her interpretation was great, but no denying the giant, gilded word splayed across the front shook me.

It was a good thing Cora was the psychic. Even though I believed in the strange, I’d never shown any personal gifts before, and after the night I had not forty-eight hours prior, I didn’t want to consider having developed a sudden talent featuring prophetic nightmares.

The dream that hadn’t felt like a dream flashed through my mind in crystal clarity: the snarl, the blur of mottled skin, then the stench of something rotting, but most of all the stark contrast of dark red running in rivulets across the pristine snow.

Blinking, I tightened my grip on my armrest and shoved the images out of my mind, only to realize seconds later we’d been swaying to Cora’s music again while her eyes were closed. I pulled away.

“Thanks, chica. I feel better now. I’m glad they let me bring a plus-one.”

Cora grinned. “Me too! Have I thanked you yet? Because this is cray-cray. I’ve never won anything in my life.” She motioned for another bottle of rum and a can of cola.

I grabbed her hand and lowered it to the armrest between us. “Whoa there. If I don’t cut you off, you won’t remember the Glacial Palace Resort, and then what kind of a friend would I be?”

Cora snorted again. “A dead one. Okay I’ll quit. We should be there soon anyway.”

I settled back in the wide, faux leather seat to concentrate on my breathing until Cora interrupted moments later.

“When do we meet Austin?”

Pressing my eyes closed, I finished releasing the deep breath in my lungs and answered for the fifth time, possibly the sixth since we took off. “Austin Cooper is—”

“Fucking hot as hell,” Cora finished with a whoop.

“A representative of the resort. He’s hired to look good, not be a male prostitute.”

“He’s doing a great job representing just by existing. And I don’t expect him to charge. He should want this for free anyway.”

I glanced over to catch my friend gesturing to her body. Trying not to roll my eyes, I drew another breath before continuing. “We get to go on an expedition with him, which I happen to be very excited about. It’s one of the two reasons I even entered the contest. He’s an expert at extreme sports and survival in harsh climates. Try not to get us slapped with a restraining order before then, okay?” I grabbed her arm, so she’d know I was serious.

“Fine.” She frowned. “There’ll be plenty of hot guys and gorgeous women. I’ll save Austin for you.”

“Ugh.” I beat my skull back into the headrest. “I’m not here to date.”

“You should be after the disaster of a relationship you just went through.” She made air quotes around the word relationship.