“No more so than with any other woman.”
He had to admit that was true. His friend flirted with every woman, including Falkor’s former paramours. But on a few notable occasions, he’d inserted himself between Falkor and a woman of interest, turned up the charm, and ended up with her.
It hadn’t bothered him to this degree before. “This one is my wife.”
“If it makes you feel better, I’ll try to curb my charm,” Soton said.
“I’d appreciate that. Now, if you don’t mind, let’s get to work.My wifeand I have plans for the afternoon.”
* * * *
Karma shuffled the tarot cards. Supposedly, Soton was Falkor’s friend, but he acted like a competitor. Of course, her husband would know his friend better than she did—but Soton hadn’t left her with a good first impression. He was flattery and flash without the substance. Men like him thought they were the Goddess’ gift to womankind. She wondered if he truly had her husband’s best interests at heart.
Maybe I should have attended the meeting. I could have gotten a better read on Soton.Except her instinct had been to avoid him. He reminded her of the jerk who copped a grope on a crowded public transport and claimed it was an accident. Soton had made her uncomfortable right from the start. But she couldn’t call him out on it—because he hadn’t done anything overtly wrong. He’d left her feeling icky.
But more appreciative of Falkor’s genuineness. Perhaps because they had gotten off to a bad start, there had never been pretense between them. They’d seen the best and worst of each other and liked each other anyway.
She’d gotten the idea there was more to the Bynti story, but she wouldn’t pry. She wouldn’t like it if Falkor grilled her about her former flames and mistakes. For the sake of their marriage, the past should remain in the past.
She drew a card from the Tarot deck and turned it face up. The Moon card represented uncertainty, hidden emotions. That described her current situation, but could it apply to Falkor, too? Did he feel uncertain? Was he hiding the way he felt? Was she? Emotions were in flux; she wasn’t sure how she felt anymore.
The next card was a Two of Swords. More uncertainty.
She drew a third and got Justice, represented by a king with a sword and scale. It could be telling her she needed to apply reason instead of emotion. On the other hand, there was an actual king in the real-life picture. Could the card hold a more literal meaning? Would King Rullok decide her fate? Or was this saying he already had? King Rullokhadforced them to marry.
Tarot served as her personal counselor who didn’t provide the answers as much as it asked the right questions, leaving her to figure it out on her own. Still, she wished the reading had provided more clarity. “You’re not giving me much to go on,” she told the cards.
“Who are you talking to?” Falkor reappeared, Soton beside him.
“Myself.” She scooped up the cards. “Did you get all your business done?”
Falkor glanced at Soton. “We figured out our next steps. Reached an understanding.”
She had a hunch that “understanding” involved her. Soton’s aura had changed from flirty to cordial, but cool—a welcome relief. Falkor must have picked up on the same vibe she’d been getting and told him to stop.
The only male’s attention I desire is my husband’s.
“What are the cards for?” Soton asked.
“Divination,” she replied crisply. “They provide guidance. They put the past into perspective, illuminate the present, and suggest a path for the future.”
“Cards can do that?” Falkor asked. “How?”
“I’ll show you. I’ll give you a reading. Have a seat.” Pleased by his curiosity, she gestured to the opposite side of the small desk. He’d been skeptical, but seeing was believing.
“I’d like that!” He slipped into the seat. His openness pleased her.We’ve come a long way.She remembered how he’d seemed to mock her interest in mysticism.
“There are different configurations, but we’ll do a past, present, future. You should shuffle the deck to infuse the cards with your energy.”
“Shuffle?”
“Mix them up. Like this.” Bracelets clanged as she demonstrated the riffle shuffle. She interlaced the cards and passed him the deck. Soton moved closer to watch.
“How many times do I shuffle?”
“Seven ought to work.”
“Cut them,” she said when he finished.
