What’s it look like? The snappish thought came out of nowhere as he concentrated on breathing through the throbbing ache. “No, my head’s killing me.” He dropped his hands, and as the cushions next to him moved, he braved opening his eyes just enough to see her settling into the couch.
She was watching him with a worried frown. “You need me to grab some aspirin?”
Over-the-counter medicine was not going to be strong enough to keep his head from exploding. “There’s a pain amulet in the hall bath. Can you grab that for me?”
Grayson closed his eyes again as she got up. He focused on a slow and steady inhalation- exhalation pattern instead of the strange simmering irritation bubbling under the dull pain.
When she came back, she took a seat next to him, curled her fingers around his wrist, turned his hand palm up, and set the amulet in it. “Here.”
He muttered his thanks, activated the charm, then pressed it against his forehead. A soothing wash of magic encircled his head, easing the worst of the pain, and the resulting relief took the edge off his temper. He dropped his hand to his lap, felt her take the amulet, and listened as she tossed it onto one of the end tables. The muscles in his neck and shoulders eased, and his breathing deepened.
He wasn’t sure how long they sat there in silence, but he could hear her typing on her phone. From the stops and starts, he figured she was texting someone. Likely Isa or Des. At one point, Cass got up, but he was happy to drift in that semi-aware, hazy state. He felt her come back but not to sit next to him. Instead, she settled on the floor in front of the couch, her shoulder brushing his calf. When the familiar snick of playing cards crept into the quiet, a distant curiosity stirred then floated away. Eventually, even that small noise dissipated, and he drifted in a sea of quiet.
“Grayson,” she called softly. When he responded with an equally low questioning hum, she asked, “Do you normally get migraines like this?”
Not wanting to jar anything, he kept his eyes closed. “Not a migraine, just a headache.”
“Okay, so do you normally get headaches like this?”
The exaggerated patience in her voice made him want to smile. And he would have chanced doing just that except he worried the movement would worsen the ache in his head. “Sometimes. Generally, it’s because of allergies and stuff like that.” Or if he worked for an extended time on extremely difficult curses.
There was another long pause. “What if it’s not allergies?”
Her question dragged him out of the comfortable haze and invited the lurking curiosity to settle in for a chat. He opened his eyes and dared to lift his head and look at her. The afternoon sun was stuck behind half-open blinds, which allowed just enough light to bathe the room in a soft glow. Fortunately, she hadn’t turned on any lights, and his careful movements weren’t aggravating the stubborn ache in his temples.
“What?” he asked.
Still sitting on the floor, Cass twisted so she could see him, her arm resting on the couch next to him. She wasn’t wearing her glasses, and her gaze was steady and grave. “What if it’s not allergies? What if it’s something else? Something magic related, not pollen related?”
He tried not to take offense but wasn’t sure he managed. “I think I’d know if I was hexed, Cass.”
She bit her lower lip and looked back at the coffee table, where colorful cards were laid out in a familiar cross pattern. “I don’t think you’re hexed, Grayson.” She tapped a card lying crosswise over a center card.
He carefully leaned forward so he could make out the image. “Erinyes?”
“Seven of swords. Symbolizes deceptions, and it’s covering you.”
He nudged aside the haunting picture of three older warrior women who were clearly related, each armed with lethal-looking swords and wearing various crowns of skulls, snakes, and bone. The card underneath it held three profiles of a younger black-haired woman. Illuminated on each forehead were a waxing, a new, and a waning moon. The center image had tears of fire and held a key and an adder. All three profiles struck a chord deep within him. He traced the card with his finger and raised a brow at Cass.
“Hecate. In other decks, this is the Magician card.” She dropped her attention to the card. “It represents you.” She nudged the Erinyes card back into position.
“You’re doing a tarot reading? Of me?” He winced when he caught the edge of skepticism in his voice.
Cass’s back went tight, and she shifted away from him, picking up the pile of unlaid cards.
He caught her wrist, stopping her. “I’m sorry. That came out wrong.”
“It’s fine.” She didn’t look at him, but she didn’t pull away either. “Not everyone is comfortable with readings.”
She was giving him an out, but he refused to take it. “It’s not that. It’s just…” Since he had no idea where he was going with this, he lamely ended with “Why?”
She sighed. “It wasn’t supposed to be about you. There’s something going on, something I can’t see, and sometimes the cards help clear the lens, so to speak.”
Considering she was an Oracle, he’d be an idiot to brush off her concerns. “Okay, so you played with the cards and—what? They just landed on me?”
She twisted her wrist, breaking his grip, and shot him a narrow-eyed look. “I don’t play with cards, Grayson. This isn’t a game.”
Knowing he’d blundered yet again, he held up both hands, palms out in a conciliatory manner. “No, it’s not.”
