“No, you will not. The cards do not lie.” Her gaze slides to me. “And
speaking of which, I’m still wondering about that lovers card. Remember?
A lover from the past? It wouldn’t be Raphael, would it?”
My stomach drops. Sometimes, it’s deeply inconvenient having a
psychic friend. “He’s taken, isn’t he?” I say, flustered. “Serana, when you
first brought me to Raphael’s room, Ginevra was in there.” I try to look
casual as I drum my fingertips on the wooden table. “And Raphael wasn’t
wearing a shirt. Aren’t romantic relationships strictly forbidden here? Guess
we shouldn’t tell anyone about it or ever bring it up again.”
The words all come out in a frantic tumble, and Serana arches an
eyebrow. “Now, what is going on here, exactly? You and Raphael?”
I shrug, trying to look casual. “Don’t be ridiculous. He hates me,
remember?”
Tana narrows her eyes at me. “But you knew him in the past, didn’t
you? And it wasn’t just a friendship.”
My stomach swoops again. “Me? We were just talking about Ginevra.
Ginevra,” I repeat.
“You didn’t answer my question.”
“She really doesn’t want you to get kicked out for something dumb, like
shagging an instructor,” says Serana. “You’d better not lick or otherwise
touch him while we’re away and you two are alone.”
“The lover from the past…” Tana prompts again.
My cheeks flush. “Fine. I knew him, yes. Ages ago. It was in Bordeaux,
and he kissed me once, and then said I was a spoiled American and never
spoke to me again until I saw him in the south of France. The day I met
you, Tana. He fully ghosted me, and I’ve never shagged him.”