Chapter Two – Isobel

The jewels attached to the chains hanging from her ears tinkled as Isobel cocked her head, staring intently at the cards laid out in front of her. It was an old, worn deck – at least she had spent many hours shuffling, shifting, wrinkling, and otherwise scuffing them to make them appear that way. If her clients believed that they were handed down to her from her great-grandmother rather than something she had bought off a peddler in the street, they were much more likely to hire her to come back.

Not that Lord Salish needed much convincing. The man was such an easy mark that he almost begged Isobel to take his money. The elderly man sat perched on the edge of his chair, watching her hand movements.

"This is very interesting," she said, keeping her voice low. "The lovers card paired with death. Change is coming to your life. A huge change, something that will shape your destiny for the rest of your life. This change will come in the form of love. Normally I would say that this love could be a change of career or a new hobby, but in this case, it's very true. You are going to meet someone who will give you love and it will change you."

"Love? At my age?" Salish looked doubtfully down at the cards. "Are you sure?"

Isobel nodded. Rumor had it the old man had his eye on getting himself a new lady. Lucky that the cards reflected that.

A dark-haired woman leaned over his shoulder. "You should tell him to heed the warnings of spirits but to be wary. Enemies and friends might be closer to one another than they seem."

"There are spirits wanting to guide you, but you have to be careful. A friend may be an enemy and an enemy a friend." Isobel sat back and wiped her hand over her brow. Salish always kept his house too hot and the tattoos she'd painted on her arms earlier were beginning to smudge. "That is all for today. The spiritual energy has exhausted me."

Salish caught both of her hands in his and kissed them eagerly. Isobel let her pale gray eyes wander across the opulent room. If she had a home half as nice as this, she wouldn't have to be pulling these jobs to keep food in her belly. Her thin, waif-like appearance helped with convincing people that she was truly psychic, but there was only so much a girl could take.

If this kept up, she was going to have to stop putting as much into savings. That would mean it could take years longer to get what she wanted, though, and it was difficult for her to imagine waiting the three years she already projected it to be.

"Thank you so much," Salish beamed at her. "Your pay has been transferred to your bank account."

Isobel inclined her head in thanks, then headed outside. The woman trailed after her, yawning and rolling her eyes. When Isobel slid into her car, the other woman was already in it. Her bare feet pushed up onto the dash, short skirt riding up around her thighs.

"What, no thank you?"

"Thank you, Azalea." Isobel glanced at her companion. "I think that was the first time you've actually been helpful during a session. Usually you're sabotaging me."

Azalea shrugged. "I guess I don't understand. Psychics are supposed to be all so spiritual and be able to tell the future, and you're just a fraud."

Isobel rolled her eyes as she drove away from Salish's mansion. "Not so much a fraud since I can talk to ghosts."

"A ghost," Azalea corrected. "If I'm even a ghost. You yourself don't know what I am. Maybe I'm the result of your guilty conscience, telling you to return to the path of righteousness and stop wheedling people out of their hard-earned money."

"It was this or prostitution, and I'm not ready to be murdered by some psychopath," Isobel snapped back. Her shoulders tensed as she entered into thicker traffic. "Besides which, people like Salish have more money than they need. He earns more in one hour than the average family does in a year – and for what? Sitting around on his ass being swindled by people like me."

"And the truth comes out," Azalea purred. "This isn't about your need, it's about you taking from the rich because you're jealous that they have what you don’t."

"Is not." Isobel pulled off the main road into a side street. "I need that money. You know how much it costs to get to the Phantom's Cave."

The Phantom's Cave. It was the Mecca of all psychics and those sensitive to spirits. They said that even people without sensitivity could speak with spirits and have visions of the future there. Isobel wasn't sure if she believed in all the different stories she had heard, but if it would help her understand what Azalea was – and her own powers, or lack thereof – then it would be worth it.

Unless she died. ‘Cause that was a possibility, too.

"Hey, did you see that cutie?" Azalea bolted upright. Her head swiveled around. "Go back to that café."

Isobel ignored her.

"Go baaaaaaaack!"

The screech put Isobel's teeth on edge. She yanked her steering wheel around, cutting into the parking lot in front of the car behind her. An angry honk answered her, but at least Azalea stopped screaming. Even if the ghost did look far too smug for her own good, it was better than Isobel getting her ear screamed off.

At the café, Isobel parked her car and took a look at the customer that Azalea pointed out. It was a man in an expensive but low-key business suit. Dark hair flopped into his eyes and a full, kissable mouth was turned down into a frown. There was something haunted in his face that had Isobel's heart skipping a beat. He was perfect. The sort of quiet desperation that radiated off of him was just what she needed.

"Are you going to con him or seduce him?" Azalea breathed in her ear. "Or both?"

"I don't seduce clients. I'm not a prostitute, remember?"

"You'd be more fun if you were one."

Isobel ignored the annoying ghost and got out of the car. She removed the chains from one ear as she hurried over to the man and slid into the chair opposite him. When he glanced up, startled, she smiled invitingly. Cold readings like this one were always a risk. He was rich but didn't want people to think he was. He kept his hair slightly over his face – so, someone well-known, then. Pity, she stayed away from the news.

"Hello," she said in her normal voice. He didn't want mystics. He wanted . . . answers, she thought. "My name is Isobel Yasmine. This is going to sound strange and you may not believe me, but please listen to what I have to say. I have a gift. I can see visions of the future and I've seen you. You're searching for something, aren't you?"

His eyes widened. "Well . . . yes."

Isobel nodded, her smile widening. "I'm the one you've been searching for. I'm the answer and I will do everything I can to help you achieve your destiny."

"Uh . . . " The man leaned back, shaking his head. "Wow. That's not something I expected to hear today. I suppose you know you who I am?"

Ah, such an easy mark. He already believed her. Fortunate, since she was already tired from Salish and the fact she hadn't eaten all day.

"Well . . . not your name. The universe sounds out pulses – some call them vibrations. I received strong signals when I saw you sitting here. I thought to myself, there is a man whom many people love. So why is he so sad and lonely?" She narrowed her eyes at him, pretending like she could see into his soul. "You're looking for something, something you need. I'm the one."

The man leaned in towards her. His eyes traced over her pointed ears and then took in her pale skin. His was the color of walnut, deep and rich and beautiful. She had never seen a man so beautiful. She almost regretted choosing the con over the seduction.

"You're sure?" he whispered. "You're the one?"

Isobel nodded. She reached across the table and squeezed his hand. "The universe has put us together."

A look of relief crossed the man's face. A smile came out, flashing a dimple in his left cheek. Just the one. It gave him an air of innocence and sexiness all at once. Shoot. She really shouldn't have gone the con route. This was a guy who'd take her to the ritziest hotel in the city, splurge on her for dinner, and then spend the night pleasing her. It was too late to change now, though.

"Good. My name is Edan, by the way." He stood. "Can we go now?"

Isobel nodded. They'd find some private booth to do a reading and then—

The business suit shredded as his shape changed form. Isobel's jaw dropped, her eyes widening. Scales the color of the deepest sea sprouted over his skin. His eyes changed shape, the warm brown turning to slits. Wings spread out from behind him, a long tail swiping several of the other tables over, a neck of equal length ending in a triangular head. Isobel had just enough time to suck in a deep breath before a huge, clawed hand shot out and wrapped around her middle.

He sprang into the air. The wind whipped her hair into her face and she finally found her voice. A loud scream pierced the air but was whipped away by the wind. The dragon held her close to his chest and she could feel his thunderous heartbeat pounding into her body. His wings beat the air as they climbed higher and higher. She had to concentrate on breathing, unable to do anything else.

They passed over several mountains before coming to a stop on the top of a sheer cliff. The dragon set her down on her feet before he transformed back into a human. Isobel swayed on the spot and he caught her. Worry lined Edan's face.

"Was that too much for you? You probably meant we should drive. Flying is the only way to get up here, though, so . . . "

Isobel gaped at him. Her gaze raked over his face again and the faint trickling of recognition hit her full blown in the stomach. The prince. The dragons that ruled the kingdom were elusive, more myth than reality, but she had seen the odd image of them. This was one of the princes. Which one, she didn't know. Not the oldest, though. Certainly, she would have recognized the king.

"I'll have the servants make up a room for you at once," Edan said, then frowned. "On second thought, I'll have them change my office into your room. At least for now. Given the situation, we'll need to marry tomorrow, though."

"Marry?" Isobel managed to gasp out. "You want . . . "

Her eyes rolled into the back of her head and she collapsed into his arms.