Kathryn ignored her and asked excitedly, “What is my name?”
“Kathryn,” Madame stated without hesitation. She turned to Ally, her eyes as round as saucers.
Ally had gone along with this at the start, but now every instinct was telling her to leave. She had always believed in trusting her instincts. You have them for a reason, so why not use them.
She turned to her friend to deliver the news. “Sorry Kat, you can stay, but I’m out of here. This is a bit too much for me.” She got up to leave, but her friend had a firm grip on her arm. Looking at Kathryn, she stated firmly but quietly, “Let me go.”
Kat looked up at her with big puppy eyes. “Ally, I need my best friend with me while I get a reading.”
Ally looked around the tent again, back to her friend and then eyed Madame Isabella before giving in. “Fine,” she said her eyes rolling. “But as soon as your reading is done, we are leaving.”
Kat smiled at her, and turned her attention back to Madame Isabella. “What do I have to do?”
“I need an object that belongs to you.”
Kathryn looked to her hand. “My ring?”
“That’s fine,” said Madame Isabella smiling and extending her hand. She enclosed the ring in her palm, at the same time closing her eyes.
Kat turned to Ally with a look of pure excitement written on her face. She reminded her of a child on Christmas morning. Madame’s voice interrupted her thought. “Kathryn, you will meet the love of your life but…” she paused, clearly hesitating.
Kathryn’s voice trembled slightly as she asked, “What? Is it something bad?”
Ally turned to Kat, and sent her the ‘I told you so’ look again.
Madame opened her eyes and said, “Your life will cease to exist as you know it before you meet him.”
Kathryn was staring at Madame Isabella with shock and confusion. “Cease to exist in a good way or bad way?”
Madame Isabella looked down at the ring again and answered mysteriously, “When the time comes you will know.”
Ally wanted to hit the Madame. Why did she say that? It was clear that Kathryn was just in here for a bit of fun. Would it have been too hard to say nice things, and why be cryptic about it all? Kathryn was clearly distressed by what she had been told.
Ally was just about to get up and take her friend out of this place, when she heard Kathryn mumble to herself, “Famous last words…”
“Come on Kat. Let’s get out of here,” Ally said.
Kathryn whipped her head around and stared directly into Ally’s eyes. “No, not yet. It's your turn.”
“Uh…I don’t think so.”
As she was about to make another attempt at escape, Ally heard her friend’s voice addressing her with a firm authority. “Alessandra DeCosta! You are having a reading, and I won’t hear another word about it.”
This was another one of those avalanche moments. Ally knew there was no point in fighting Mother Nature or Kathryn. She couldn’t help but smile at her red-haired friend, despite her eagerness to leave. Kat certainly lived up to the reputation redheads had. She sat back down and gave in.
“Alessandra,” Madame Isabella began, the tone of her voice becoming ominous and foreboding. Ally felt a shiver of dread run through her body. She should have listened to those instincts and gotten out of here, but no…
“You are a hunted woman, Alessandra. Two men are bound to you by destiny, but both have very different purposes. James Carlisle has been sent to protect you. Trust him with your life, he is your guardian and soul mate. Vincent, the other man, wants you dead…” She paused as she looked into the crystal ball, her eyes widened slightly and her lips parted in surprise. “Someone you love is keeping a secret from you that will shatter your world and change your life in ways you cannot imagine. You are not who you think you are, Alessandra.”
Ally, was vaguely aware of Kathryn’s arm around her. The feeling of dread had completely absorbed her to the point that she was paralyzed with fear.
“Are you ok, Ally?” her friend whispered, while giving her arm a squeeze.
Ally’s only response was a vague nod.
Madame continued, “Two people close to you will die, you cannot stop this. It is all meant to be and will mark the beginning of the prophecy…the prophecy you were born to fulfil.”
Ally’s breath caught in her throat. “Prophecy? What prophecy?”