Page 74 of The Fate of Black Hearts

Out of boredom, he turned over the top tarot card. The Eight of Swords.

A chill swept down his back. The first card thrown was “the problem.” This picture showed a blindfolded woman who was bound and held in thrall by crows. If she could remove the blindfold, she would see that her imprisonment was one she could easily break free from.

He hated cards, but he’d taken the time to learn them. This Eight of Swords signified a feeling of hopelessness, of breaking free of his current bond, or of feeling victimized.

The front door opened and shut. Cora wasn’t coming back.

Out of curiosity, he drew a second card. The Moon.

The second card was “the solution.” Why was he torturing himself with this?

The card depicted a woman under water and a large moon above the water. On either side of the moon was a howling wolf, each a mirror of the other. The card suggested two possible paths, one of good and one of evil. It alluded to the difficulty in telling the difference between the two.

He wasn’t drawing the third card, “the outcome.”I won’t do it.

But he did.

The card he pulled was a demon surrounded by flames with a human on either side of him. Technically, the card was called the Devil. Many who read tarot feared pulling this card. It reflected the chains that bound two people to the Devil’s throne,representing how people could be caught up in their own toxic patterns of behavior. But maybe this card was meant to be more literal than the implied feelings of helplessness or bondage. Devil magic. Demon magic.

Ian Lanzo alive…

“Now, that, Domini, is the question.”

He jumped to his feet and spun to find the source of the voice, which wasn’t Cora.

Atropos had taken on her form with ebony skin and long braids.

“You can appear in Cora’s house?”

With a slow smile, Atropos took the few steps to close their distance. She took his left hand in hers and removed the black obsidian ring. “It’s time.” Next, she removed the ankle band.

“I’m free? I thought you couldn’t undo magic.” With the bindings off, a light-headed vertigo wobbled the world around him. He gripped the table for stability. No longer was there a baseline buzz from the binders. All he sensed was quiet. He hadn’t realized the hum of energy the bands emitted had been so strong.

“Magic of poor purpose we can undo at the right time.”

Power rushed through his body, energizing him. Those two items had dampened him.

“Demon magic?” Atropos said the words slowly in a way to suggest he had hit upon the answer to a question he hadn’t asked. She rolled the ankle band in her hand, looked at it, looked up at Dom, and back at the band. “What are these markings?” She pointed and allowed him to see.

Those were demon marks. “How is that possible?”

Who put the band on his ankle? He hadn’t seen.

With a finger snap, the band disappeared. The Fate clasped her hands together in front of her as if praising him. “You are not evil, nor have you ever been destined for that. Don’t fear yourself now that you are free. We’ve watched you be unnecessarily punished. You surprised us with your humility and resilience. You were chosen to help us because we needed to protect you.” She slowly grinned. “You didn’t know it was you who needed protection. Then you exceeded our expectations in fulfilling the tasks we asked of you. You impressed us. That’s nearly impossible.”

He lowered his head. “I will continue to do whatever you need if it protects those who need it.”The exorcisms are horrendous, though.

“We know. I’m not here to sever our relationship. We ask you to undertake your most dangerous mission. You must eliminate the evil that threatens both you and the lycan destined to walk life with you. Help is there, if you ask.”

His knees gave out, and he dropped to the ground. Goose bumps prickled his skin. “We are truly meant to be together?”

“Has she not been the key to unlock your powers and sustain you in a world trying to destroy you?” She glanced out the window and smiled at a miniature horse walking by. “You refuse to see the obvious. That which threatens both of you wants her far more than you realize. It doesn’t want to outright kill her, but to hurt you and the others that seek to destroy it.Surprisingly, it has no idea what protects her.”

He didn’t understand. “I don’t like riddles. My task is to figure out what threatens all of us and eliminate it. What if the Conclave comes after me?”

She put a hand over her mouth in feigned shock. “What if they do?” She threw her head back and laughed. “Evil runs amok withenvyand will find you. You don’t need to hunt it this time. When your world implodes, listen to what your heart advises. Second, believe in family.” She disappeared.

Chapter Twenty-Four