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“Where do you think I’m going to put the tequila? How about you, Lorelei?”
“I’ll take a protein shake. Hold the tequila.” With the Wild Hunt’s imminent arrival and Mathis lurking nearby, I needed to keep my wits about me.
Cam blended the ingredients and filled three glasses with thick, frothy liquid. Gunther tipped the jigger of tequila into his glass and took a swig.
“How much do you know about La Fortuna?” he asked.
“It’s an ancient society of mages that began in the fifteenth century in Florence. The ability to wield the magic of the cards has been passed down for generations through the bloodlines of the original families.”
“You also know not all mages master all the cards,” Cam added. “And that it’s a hellish process.”
“Cam and I grew up with a girl named Livia who started the trials with us. She didn’t make it past her first Minor Arcana card.”
Camryn averted her gaze. “The Two of Swords. Liv was always indecisive…” She trailed off, blinking away tears.
“It turned out to be her fatal flaw,” Gun said in a low voice.
“Why go for the most powerful cards? Why not be content with a bunch of minor ones?” Neither Gun nor Cam struck me as power hungry. “Why do it if it’s so perilous?”
Gun raised his head to look at me. “Why do people climb mountains instead of hills? Or jump from airplanes instead of the front porch?”
“Or wear polka dots with stripes instead of clean lines?” Cam frowned. “Right. Bad example.”
“It’s also our heritage,” Gun explained. “Magic is as normal to us as keeping secrets is to you. We grew up surrounded by tarot cards and magic and assassins.”
“So basically you’re telling me you were brainwashed,” I pointed out.
“There is a cult-like quality to it,” Camryn admitted, “but we can walk away whenever we want.”
Gunther winced. “Well, not technically. There are rules.”
Cam waved a hand. “No need to get into the details. It’s not like either one of us is looking for a way out. We’re content with our choices.”
I wasn’t sure how many others could say the same. “You’re fortunate that you had a choice at all.” I hadn’t chosen to be a goddess of ghosts and nightmares, and if I’d been given the option, I would’ve run like hell in the opposite direction.
“I don’t deny our advantages,” Gun said.
“What would’ve happened if you’d decided not to master any cards?”
Gun and Cam exchanged looks. “Then I guess we would’ve ended up like our cousins,” Gun said. “Sasha and Bentley declined to participate in the trials and now they work…”
Camryn cut him off with a deadly look. “Don’t say it.”
“In retail,” Gun finished with a shudder.
“What’s wrong with retail?”
“The only person who would ask that question is someone who’s never worked in retail.”
“Have you worked in retail?” I asked.
“My mother owned a clothing store,” he said. “I grew up in retail.”
“Gun and I worked there after school and on weekends,” Camryn added.
“Is that why you both love fashion?”
“I suspect I’d love it anyway,” Gun replied, “but I’m sure it was a contributing factor. I’d try on all the new arrivals, even if they were two sizes too big for me.”
