Total pages in book: 177
Estimated words: 171450 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 857(@200wpm)___ 686(@250wpm)___ 572(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 171450 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 857(@200wpm)___ 686(@250wpm)___ 572(@300wpm)
“Kingston,” Kierse said.
Graves nodded. “Yes. I didn’t know they were still in contact.”
“He was trying to help her, and she found me when his tactics didn’t seem to be helping.”
“Mmm,” Graves mused. “She owed a lot of people money. Do you think that was connected to her memory loss?”
Rosetta laughed. “She owed everyone money. She owed me money. But no, I think she borrowed her way to the bottom of a barrel. She was always losing what happened to her, forgetting large swaths of things. She told me that she kept waking up in strange places, out of town, in hotels, that sort of thing, and had no idea what was happening to her.”
“That had to be terrifying,” Kierse said.
“Yes, she was very frightened. I thought we were making headway. Though I couldn’t read her mind, only her soul and future, which was dark and hazy and covered in spiderwebs.” Rosetta sighed. “We were trying to free her of it, but each crack we made in the haze of her soul brought us to a darker place. It was delicate work.”
Graves dragged a hand down his face. “Sounds like someone was controlling her mind through persuasion.”
Kierse bit her lip. “Could persuasion make her forget as well?”
“Yes,” Graves said. “One last question—do you know who did any of this to her?”
Rosetta shook her head. “I already answered that one earlier, and I didn’t lie. No. Someone strong. Someone very powerful. Maybe one of the most powerful people I’ve ever felt before.”
Graves pushed his chair back. “I think that’s all we need.”
Kierse jumped to her feet. “That’s it?”
“Our three questions are up.”
“Thank you for your time,” Kierse said, offering Rosetta her hand.
She took it, and her eyes widened. “It was a pleasure meeting you. Be wary of the lies spouted by a trusted mouth and the truths from a betrayer.”
Kierse froze at those words. Did it mean Graves was lying to her and Lorcan told her the truth? Or vice versa? Maybe something else altogether. Or nothing at all.
“Um…thanks.”
“Come on, Wren,” Graves said, offering her his hand.
She put her hand in his and let him pull her out of the shop. Whether he was the trusted mouth or the betrayer depended on the day and changed nothing. She still chose him every time.
And they had a killer to find.
Interlude
Rosetta
“They’re gone,” Isaiah said.
He peeked his head into the backroom where she still sat behind the spread of cards. Her finger poised over the Devil. Her eyes distant.
“He gave me two grand to let them inside.”
“Surprised it was that low, honestly. He has more money than sense,” Rosetta said on a sigh. She released the cards and pushed them away from her. “Let me take out my contacts. These things are terrible.”
Isaiah rushed in with a case and some solution. She plucked the white contacts out of her eyes and blinked furiously as they adjusted back to her regular sight. She might look like she was in her eighties, but she was closer to a hundred and fifteen. Without the contacts and gloves and dim lighting, she looked even younger. People expected a wizened old hag, though. So she put on the performance.
“That’s better.”
“The cameras barely gave us enough time,” Isaiah said.
“Yes, well, thankfully you stalled so I could get into position.”
Rosetta didn’t have the true sight anymore. Not since she was much younger. Oh, she could read the cards and the crystal balls. She actually did prefer to work by cauldron light. Only it had nothing to do with telling any kind of future. The tarot cards had been particularly impressive, if she did say so herself. Since she hadn’t been reading much of anything. Sometimes tarot worked that way. It showed the truth even without the sight.
She was primarily an herbalist and could brew potions the likes that had never been seen. Hence her long life and younger appearance.
Untangling spells was one of her specialties. She had been doing that for Dallas Llewellyn. Whatever was wrong with her might have been beyond Rosetta’s expertise. She had been trying, though. After all, she’d gotten the loan from the vampire syndicate to cover the costs. Now she was dead.
It was unfortunate. She really did enjoy a challenge.
Like the pair that had just walked in.
It had been a long, long time since the cards had answered her, but she couldn’t deny that there had been truth in the telling. Whatever trials they were in for, it was not going to be for the faint of heart.
“It sucks about Dallas, though,” Isaiah said, sinking into the chair opposite her. He leaned over to look at the cards. “Shit. Was this what you pulled?”
“Yeah. Trials and tribulations.”
“Give me a goddess card any day of the week,” Isaiah said on a laugh.
Rosetta twirled the Devil card around her finger. “Indeed.”