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“Deception?” I repeat.
“Your isolation…” She shakes her head. “You say your parents keep you hidden away?”
“I mean…” I snort. “I’m not Cinderella or anything. I can go to the ball if I want to.”
“But you’re a virgin.”
I sit back. “Excuse me?”
“Give me your hand.”
She extends her own across the table, reaching for mine.
“No,” I say, moving to stand, “I don’t think—”
Cassandra launches forward and grabs my wrist.
I gasp. “Hey—”
She pulls me over and turns my hand over to see my palm. The lines on her face darken and I pause, more curious than angry at the blatant invasion of my personal space.
Her fingertip glides from my wrist to the tip of my middle finger. She holds her breath as her eyes jut along the trails of my palm.
Finally, she exhales slowly. “Tannis,” she says, a brief smile on her lips. “I should have known.”
I swallow hard. “Should have known what?”
She releases me and I pull my arm back. “This card is a warning,” she says.
“For what?”
She doesn’t answer. Instead, she lays her hand on the third card and turns it over.
Death.
Cassandra leans back in her chair with a curious expression, devoid of fear or excitement.
I sit still, anxiously waiting for her to explain the cards as Death itself stares back at me.
“How old are you, Tannis?” she asks.
“Nineteen,” I answer.
“When is your birthday?”
I blink. “In three days,” I say. “What does that have to do with—”
Cassandra stands up. “You should go home,” she says as she gathers her cards. “Listen to your parents.”
“What?” I ask. “Why? What does this mean?”
She bows her head and smiles.
“Time’s up,” she says.
