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Cam glanced at him. “Since when?” She shifted her gaze to me. “Gunther emerged from the womb with an innate understanding of the magic of tarot.”
Gun separated a card from the deck. “An understanding, yes, but you know as well as I do that isn’t how it works for us.”
Although born with the ability to master tarot, a La Fortuna mage had to earn the magic of the cards. It was an arduous and dangerous process, and not all mages were able to wield the more potent cards in the Major Arcana. Some only managed a couple cards in the Minor Arcana. Useful, but less impressive. Gun and Cam were descended from a far more powerful line.
“You want to use the High Priestess?” I remembered enough about tarot to know this card symbolized the unknown. Gun’s little experiment was designed to extract a secret from me, which wasn’t going to happen.
He held up the card. “What’s the matter, Lorelei? Something you don’t want us to know?”
“Many somethings. I’m a private person. You know that.”
“She has a moat, Gun,” Cam added. “I think it’s clear someone who chooses to live behind a moat doesn’t want to be known.” She gave the table a light punch. “I fully support that, by the way. If you want to go full hermit, you do you, Lor.”
Gun regarded me. “I associate her more with a swamp witch aesthetic.”
Despite my reservations about witches, I took it as a compliment. “Thanks, Gun.”
He pressed the card to his forehead. “Now, can we play? Just one round, pretty please?”
“I miss Scrabble,” I grumbled. “Fine. One round, but that’s it.”
“Are you sure you want to do this, Lorelei?” Ray’s voice interrupted.
My gaze slid to the doorway, where he hovered alone. Nana Pratt probably decided to keep her distance from the assassins following her exchange with Gun.
“You haven’t told them yet,” Ray continued. “What if this is how they find out?”
I pressed my lips together and hoped Ray got the message to zip it.
“They’re your friends,” the ghost persisted. “If they find out about your identity without you telling them directly, they’re going to be upset, and rightfully so.”
Ray didn’t understand the complications involved, nor was I in a position to explain right now.
“Go on,” I urged Gunther.
He focused on channeling the card. “I compel you to speak the truth.”
I held up a hand as though swearing a solemn vow. “Consider me compelled.”
Gun cocked his head. “She doesn’t seem compelled. Cammie, does she look compelled to you?”
Cam examined the tips of her French manicure. “I don’t know. Ask your question and then decide.”
“Are you sure you do this for a living?” I asked.
Gun glowered at me. “Taunting the mage is never a smart move.” He patted the bulge in his pocket, where he’d placed the remaining cards in the deck. “I have plenty of retaliatory options at my disposal.”
A burning sensation traveled up my arm. Saved by the ward. “Hold that thought.”
“Ooh, do we have company?” Gun asked.
Cam slid from her seat. “Maybe it’s Vaughn.”
“Why would it be Vaughn?”
“He’s here to thank her for breaking him out of prison.” Her eyes narrowed. “He’s not too grateful, I hope.”
“You don’t need to worry, sweetie,” Gun assured her. “Our Lorelei only has googly eyes for a certain demon prince of hell.”
