Winging It

  I took a big swig of hot chocolate and it burned all the way down. ‘Maybe he’ll appreciate you more after he’s been with someone else.’

  ‘Maybe.’ Isabelle didn’t look as if she believed that. She pulled out her tarot cards and began to shuffle them absently.

  I love her tarot cards. They’re huge, each card more than twice the size of a normal playing card. And the illustrations are beautiful. Isabelle seems to always pull a card that has meaning for the situation at hand, and I love watching her do what she does.

  Maybe because she always tries to explain it to me.

  Maybe because it fascinates and mystifies me. How could pieces of cardboard – even ones with great illustrations – give a glimpse of what the future will be? If there’s a portal or a dimension or a sense that allows a person to peer into the future, shouldn’t I be aware of it? The Wyvern is supposed to be able to see past, present, and future simultaneously, but I had no such prophetic abilities.

  Maybe I was hoping that it was contagious.

  Because Isabelle certainly had that power.

  Or maybe it was in the cards themselves.

  She glanced up at me without drawing a card and smiled. ‘So, what else is new, other than the fact that guys are jerks? Maybe that’s not even new.’

  It was likely to be the best intro I’d get.

  ‘Well, I wanted to talk to you about this ring.’ I dug it out of my pocket, then placed it on the table between us. Isabelle caught her breath at the sight of it. ‘My mom said Rafferty sent it to me for my birthday. I’m wondering why he would give it to me.’

  Isabelle eyed the ring but didn’t touch it.

  ‘He loaned it to you last spring.’

  ‘Well, yeah.’

  ‘And something happened.’

  I nodded. ‘It turned into the ghosts of Sophie and Nikolas.’

  ‘The last Wyvern and her lover.’

  ‘And they helped me defeat the Mages, as well as get Rafferty and me free of their spell trap.’

  ‘And then?’

  ‘They spun back into the ring.’ I picked it up, turned it in the light. It didn’t have any of that starlight inside it anymore. Strange. ‘Like Aladdin’s lamp, but more portable.’

  ‘Do you get more than three wishes?’

  ‘I don’t know.’ We both looked at the ring. It appeared to be just a piece of glass, reflecting the twinkle lights hung in the windows. It was hard to believe at this moment that it had any power at all.

  ‘Maybe Rafferty thinks you awakened something in it,’ Isabelle said. ‘Like now it’s rightfully yours.’

  ‘Then he would have just given it to me in the spring, I think.’ I shook my head. ‘I think it’s something else. I thought you might know.’

  Isabelle shook her head. ‘You could ask him.’

  ‘I did.’

  ‘Let me guess – he told you to work it out for yourself.’

  I nodded agreement. ‘He didn’t answer at all.’

  Isabelle smiled. ‘Maybe he doesn’t even know the answer.’

  She studied me for a long moment, then took a deep breath. ‘Let’s see what the cards can tell us.’ She shuffled the deck of tarot cards as I watched. She drew a card and snapped it flat on the table beside the ring.

  The Falling Tower.

  I don’t know much about the meanings of the cards, but this picture – of a castle being struck by lightning and tumbling to pieces – seemed somewhat less than optimistic.

  If I was wary, Isabelle was spooked.

  Her hand shook as she set the rest of the tarot deck down on the table. She stared unblinkingly at the card, which wasn’t a particularly encouraging sign either. I waited, thinking that maybe she was meditating on it or something. With Isabelle, you can never be sure.

  Finally I couldn’t stand it anymore. ‘So, what does it mean?’

  ‘Maybe Rafferty thinks he won’t need the ring much longer,’ she said, her voice uneven. ‘Not in this life.’

  Now I was horrified. I hadn’t even thought of it as a legacy. ‘Wait a minute. You can’t mean that he’s sick.’

  Isabelle folded her arms around herself and sat back. ‘He’s not exactly young, even for a Pyr.’

  And Rafferty had had his firestorm, which is supposed to start the aging process in dragon dudes.

  He couldn’t be dying, though. ‘No, I don’t believe it. It has to mean something else.’ I didn’t want to think about a world without Rafferty.

  Isabelle visibly braced herself to pick up the cards again. ‘Have you noticed that I always draw from the higher arcana when we’re together?’

  ‘Should I know what you’re talking about?’

  Isabelle turned the deck over and spread the cards across the table. ‘There are seventy-four cards in the tarot deck. Four suits of thirteen, similar to regular playing cards, which are called the lower arcana. In addition, there are twenty-two allegorical cards, called the higher arcana.’

  ‘You sound like a professor.’

  ‘Fortune-telling Through the Ages: Tools and Techniques is one of the courses I’m taking this semester.’ Isabelle leaned forward. ‘The thing is that the higher arcana are powerful cards. They usually turn up when a message is important. Like a warning, or a huge life change. But every single time I draw a card in your presence, it’s a higher-arcana card.’

  I shivered despite myself. ‘So …?’

  ‘So the cards are responding to your energy.’

  I leaned forward, intrigued. Could I learn to use the cards? Was this where I would discover the Wyvern’s traditional ability to predict the future? ‘What does this one mean?’

  Isabelle grimaced. ‘Big changes. Dramatic and violent ones. Like electrical storms.’

  ‘Or ideas?’ I suggested. ‘A bolt out of the blue?’

  She considered that. ‘Maybe. More likely someone gets hit by lightning. Destruction.’

  Nice.

  ‘You think Rafferty is ensuring that the ring has a new custodian?’

  ‘Because he senses danger to himself.’ Isabelle finished my sentence so neatly that I knew she’d been thinking exactly the same thing.

  Great. I’d just given Isabelle something to worry about.

  She took a gulp of coffee, then shoved the card back into the deck, shuffling it with practiced ease. Then she offered me the deck. ‘Go ahead. Try it.’

  I hesitated. ‘Don’t you believe they’re your cards and attuned to your energy, and that anyone else touching them messes that up?’ I remembered her saying as much before, whenever people had asked to touch the cards.

  ‘They’re already responding to you. Let’s see how much.’

  I took them with some reluctance. The deck was heavier than I’d expected and the cards were so big that they were hard to handle. ‘What do I do?’

  ‘Shuffle them. Think of a question. Then when it feels right, pick a card, and turn it up on the table.’

  Call me weak, but I thought about Jared. I wondered how a guy could kiss a girl like that and then just forget that she existed. I thought about him insisting he couldn’t give me the book because he wasn’t going to risk losing the interest of a dragon girl. I wondered whether there was any chance I might see him this weekend – either to get the book or to get another kiss – and I yearned.

  Then I chose a card and put it on the table with care.

  The Hermit.

  I was starting to think I didn’t need a manual to understand these cards.

  ‘It’s right side up,’ Isabelle said.

  ‘What does that mean?’

  ‘You consider the orientation from the reader’s perspective. Right side up means the card has its usual meaning. If it’s reversed, or upside down, then the meaning is the opposite.’

  ‘So, the flip side would be the Party Girl.’

  Isabelle smiled fleetingly. ‘Something like that. The Hermit means a quest for information and knowledge. It indicates you going on a journey in search of the truth.’ r />
  ‘Alone,’ I added, as this seemed to be key.

  ‘Usually alone.’ Isabelle shrugged. ‘Although anyone can be alone in a crowd, too.’

  ‘Lost in their own world.’ I couldn’t argue that the card had nailed my current status. I was certainly flying solo, whether I was seeking knowledge or not. Maybe it meant that I should put this moment of isolation to work, use it as an opportunity to investigate … what, exactly?

  Isabelle glanced at her watch, then picked up her cards. She tapped them on the table so the stack was neat, then slipped them into a silk bag with a drawstring. She tucked them into her purse with care. ‘So, what’s the deal with the concert?’

  It was a typical Isabelle change of subject, a rough transition that made sense to her but left me a bit dizzy. ‘I want to go. I was going to ask my mom, but she’s gone.’

  ‘Gone?’

  I gave her the condensed version of events Chez Sorensson, but she didn’t look either surprised or concerned. I decided to take that as a sign of confidence in a happy ending. ‘And the thing is that his band is playing at this club that isn’t licensed. It’s right here in town and it won’t be a problem for minors to attend. And the concert’s on Saturday night.’ I sat back and voiced my secret thought. ‘I think he’s daring me to show up.’

  Isabelle considered this. ‘He does like to push you.’

  A Wyvern should be bold. That’s what he’d said to me.

  ‘I don’t want to be a fangirl. I just want to know.’ I saved all the stuff my dad had said about young men just wanting sex, given that the generalization seemed to apply to Nick.

  ‘Don’t we all?’ Isabelle murmured. ‘All right, we have to go. How else will we know if the cards are really attuned to your energy?’ It was a typical Isabelle rationalization, in that it wasn’t particularly rational at all. That made it hard to argue with her.

  She pulled out a notepad. Isabelle and her paper books. She’s a real throwback. ‘Give me the address and phone number of Meagan’s house,’ she said. ‘I’ll pick you up there.’

  ‘Really?’

  ‘Happy birthday. Early.’

  I was simultaneously elated and terrified. I wasn’t sure I could stand it if Jared turned me down, right to my face.

  On the other hand, I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I let this opportunity slip away.

  I told her the address, then confided one other potential obstacle. ‘I don’t know if Meagan’s mom will let me go to a concert.’ I told her the bit about my being grounded and why.

  Isabelle tapped her pen on her notepad. ‘You could beguile her.’

  ‘Right! You’re the one that says beguiling shouldn’t be used for personal gain.’

  ‘Don’t be ridiculous. This is about kismet and destiny, and following your quest in becoming the Wyvern. This is about self-determination! It’s not selfish at all to ensure that you embrace your fate.’

  Only Isabelle can talk like that and not sound insane.

  ‘Still. I’m not going to beguile Meagan’s mom. It would be taking advantage.’

  Isabelle shrugged. ‘Suit yourself. We’ll find another way. I’ll pick you up at seven.’

  ‘But what about Meagan?’

  ‘Meagan can come, too. My treat.’

  Wow. Maybe there was a magic genie in the ring. I thanked Isabelle, gave her a hug, then shoved the ring back into my pocket. I finished my chocolate on the way back to Meagan’s place, unable to deny that the world was looking better.

  Because I was going to see Jared this weekend.

  It was sad to be so easily affected by the prospect of just seeing a guy, but I refused to think of myself as pathetic.

  At least in this particular instance.

  I was a dragon girl, on a mission.

  A bold Wyvern.

  One thing was for sure – I desperately needed a sexy bra before Saturday night.

  Staying at someone else’s place is a bit odd. I wasn’t sure whether I could just walk into Meagan’s town house or not. I was living there, technically, but only for the short term – or so I hoped. Uncertain, I went with the conservative choice.

  I rang the bell.

  ‘Done with your real friends?’ Meagan asked when she opened the door. I knew she wasn’t being mean. She was hurt, because I had hurt her, and it was coming out of her pores. I wished I knew how to fix it.

  I tried.

  ‘I had to go see Isabelle.’ I chattered as we went to her room and felt her relax as I explained. ‘I think I’ve told you about her. She’s like a cousin, but not exactly. Her dad and my dad are old friends.’

  Older friends than any human could have guessed. I was thinking that my dad and Rafferty had been hanging out for four or five hundred years, give or take.

  Meagan’s eyes flickered with interest. ‘The Isabelle in England?’

  ‘That’s her, but she’s studying here for a year. Some kind of cultural transfer program.’

  ‘What’s she studying?’

  ‘I’m not sure.’ I realized that I wasn’t. ‘She wanted me to meet her for a hot chocolate today, so I did. I thought maybe something was wrong. She sounded a bit upset.’

  Meagan immediately looked concerned. ‘That’s why you wanted to meet her alone. Is she lonely, being so far away from home?’

  This was the Meagan I knew best. Thoughtful and sensitive.

  Was this why she’d befriended Jessica? Because Jessica had been alone, and maybe a bit lonely? That made me feel less jealous of how well they had hit it off.

  ‘Maybe. She seemed glad to see me.’ I glanced at her. ‘I would have asked you but I wasn’t sure what was up. Besides, I thought you’d be busy with Jessica.’

  Meagan blushed.

  Lightning, interestingly, did not strike me dead.

  Even though I’d lied to Meagan again. She could not have come to meet Isabelle, since we’d been talking about dragon business.

  It was unnatural for me to get away with bad behavior. Even marginally naughty behavior.

  Unless …

  Was I moving into another upgrade zone for my Wyvern powers? Had the eclipse earlier this month had some effect after all? It seemed to be bringing me a decent string of luck – Meagan seemed willing to be my friend again and Isabelle was going to take us to Jared’s concert.

  ‘You didn’t have lunch with us today,’ Meagan pointed out.

  ‘No. I had to do the English homework I’d forgotten.’

  It was true, but Meagan wasn’t buying it.

  ‘Why don’t you like Jessica?’ she asked as if I was just making an excuse. ‘You hardly know her.’

  I shrugged. ‘She hasn’t made much effort to get to know me, either. And it just feels like she’s hiding something.’

  ‘Well, she is.’ Meagan smiled at my surprise. ‘Jessica’s not her real name. She just hates her name.’

  I was intrigued. ‘Which is?’

  ‘Josephina Maria.’ Meagan frowned. ‘Her parents came from Argentina. She’s an only child and they’re superambitious for her. They moved here for her and left everybody they knew. Her dad’s a doctor, but he’s driving a taxi because he has to get recertified to practice here. They really, really want her to get into an Ivy League college.’

  ‘Oh.’ No pressure on Jessica, then. I felt a twinge of sympathy for her.

  Meagan gave me a look. ‘I thought you might have a lot in common with her. Your parents push you pretty hard.’

  I had to think about that. Maybe there was more to Jessica than met the eye. ‘Okay, I was wrong. Maybe we should have lunch together Monday. I’ll get my homework done this time. Really.’

  ‘My mom won’t let you forget it.’

  ‘Wait. I have a better idea. Maybe we should all go shopping together.’

  Meagan smiled, obviously happy with the idea; then her face fell. ‘Jessica’s parents won’t let her. She has to study all day every Saturday.’

  I did like the idea of being just with Meagan. ‘W
ill you shop with me?’

  ‘Absolutely. Let’s go to those vintage shops you like.’ We planned a bit; then Meagan gave me a nudge. ‘I’d like to meet Isabelle sometime, too. Doesn’t she read tarot cards?’

  ‘She does. She had them today.’

  She bit her lip and sighed.

  I seized the moment. ‘She wants to go to this concert tomorrow night. This guy we know is in a band and they have a gig downtown.’

  ‘What guy?’

  ‘He’s a cousin of Nick’s …’

  ‘The son of your parents’ friends in Minneapolis,’ Meagan concluded, nodding as she remembered. ‘The one you got stuck hanging out with during spring break.’

  I felt a twinge of conscience then. I’d lied to Meagan in the spring about Nick being so hot, just so she wouldn’t feel bad.

  ‘Isabelle said you could come, too, but that we need to ask your parents.’

  ‘To a concert?’ Meagan’s face lit. ‘My dad will be good with that.’ I remembered a bit late that Meagan’s dad is a concert pianist. That’s why she takes piano classes. ‘Would your mom have let you go?’

  In the absence of information, I went with optimism. If no one else was going to insist on my being grounded, I wasn’t going to argue. ‘Sure. She likes Isabelle and is always saying how responsible she is.’ I smiled. ‘It’s my birthday present from Isabelle.’

  ‘Then we’ll ask.’ Meagan looked so determined that I had a feeling her parents had no chance. ‘And, hey, we have to figure out who the dragon guy is. Jessica thinks it’s Derek.’

  ‘Derek?’

  Meagan laughed at my reaction. ‘Don’t you think he’s kind of mysterious? He could have a secret like that. Jessica thinks his eyes are creepy.’

  ‘They are a really light blue …’

  ‘I knew you’d noticed!’ She started to sing. ‘Derek and Zoë, sitting in a tree …’

  ‘What are you talking about?’

  ‘Oh, come on. He watches you as much as you watch Trevor. If you weren’t always looking for Trevor, you would have noticed.’ Meagan made a kissing sound and I swatted her playfully.

  ‘It’s not Trevor who interests me.’

  ‘Who then? You’re blushing like crazy.’

  ‘You’ll see. Tomorrow night.’ And that was all I’d tell her.