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“Here you are,” Madame Shante says, walking out with two large garment bags. Julian takes them in his hand, leans over, and places a small kiss on her cheek. She waves him off, directing her stare at me.
“Marina. Take care and heed Julian’s requests. They will be vital for your survival.”
With that she turns, walking out of the room and dismissing us.
Her words fall around me, chilling my bones and confusing the hell out of me. What can that mean? I look to Julian, who’s appraising me warily.
“What was that about?”
“Not now, Marina. Later,” he says, making me angry. I don’t want to spend the rest of what should be a fun day worrying about what some hundred-year-old cuckoo’s words of warning could mean.
“She’s a seer and she’s given me some valuable information that I will share with you later. For the rest of today, don’t focus on that. Live in the moment.”
The words help. If he can read minds, this is the one time I’ll forgive it.
Chapter Thirty
Julian
I can hardly look at Marina. She reads me too well, and this is one time that I won’t be convinced to share what I know. It’s too dangerous. Knowing her, she’d try to intervene. Change something. She can’t.I can’t.
Shante’s visions can’t be messed with. They have to come to pass. There’s no dodging
fate, no matter how much I want to. Shante has been a trusted advisor of my father and now me. She came to him years before his death, warning that there was danger. Every vision she’s ever imparted has come to pass, making her incredibly reliable.
I never should’ve brought them here. The plans had already been made for me to see
Shante, and I should’ve left them behind. I’d scheduled this particular meeting to speak with her about the black magic residue I found in Marina’s parents’ house. I know it’s connected to their addiction, but I want to know who spelled them.
I could’ve rescheduled, but given everything that’s happening, it didn’t seem wise. But I
wanted to make Marina happy. After everything she’s been through, she deserves some happiness. Now she knows something’s up, and I only hope she heeds my warning and doesn’t press for answers.
“I’m starving,” Stacey whines from the back seat.
“We’ll stop soon. I know a place nearby you’ll both like.”
Stacey pats my shoulder. “Good man.”
I look over at Marina, who’s smiling serenely at me.
“Yes. He is,” she agrees, and I relax, hoping this means she’s not angry.
I smile back and she blows me a kiss. My God, if my chest doesn’t swell and ache for
things I don’t deserve.
I’ve fallen for her and it’s more than some infatuation. What I feel is innate. It runs
through my veins. It’s taken me lifetimes to find her, and I won’t let her go. No matter how I’ve felt for anyone, there was always something that held me back. Something wrong about the relationship. Outside of Addy, nobody has ever gotten close.
If Shante’s prediction is right, I’ll die to protect her.
Chapter Thirty-One
Sitting at a small café, Stacey and I are on one side of the table, and Julian sits directly across from me. We’ve all ordered—I opted for a lemonade and a small chef salad. We sit silently, waiting for our food, everyone enjoying the peaceful day. My foot taps lightly at Julian’s foot. He grins, brushing my shoe with his. I run the toe of my shoe up his leg to his knee. He jerks under my touch, a little ticklish.
Stacey looks back and forth between us. “What’s going on, guys?” There’s a teasing lilt to her voice. “Do you think you two could keep it together while I’m in your company? You’re kind of making me nauseous.” She scrunches her nose in mock illness. “I’m kind of hungry and I don’t wanna lose my appetite.”
