Chương 155: Act 3, Chapter 9: Good fortune

Day in the story: 31st December (Wednesday), early night"That woman almost strangled you in that hug, Pete. Both of you, actually," Zoe said, as Peter scratched the back of his head in total, honest dismissal of his deed.

"She was just thankful for getting her son back, as far as I understood her broken English," he replied, while all of us moved into the crowd per his wishes. He didn't want to cause any more commotion or draw more attention to himself than he already had.

"Can't believe you jumped as well," Tyler said to Jason.

"Haven't you told me that you're afraid of water like that?"

"Like what?" Elena asked, pulling on the sleeve of his jacket.

"Dark as fuck. Not seeing what's underneath."

"What can I say?" Jason replied, puffing his chest forward.

"Couldn't stop myself from helping that boy, you know? No fear can stop me from being a—" He stopped mid-sentence, as if his thoughts drifted away.

"A what? I didn't hear."

"He didn't say anything," Hannah added.

"Probably brain freeze from the cold water." Then she froze herself.

"Wait! Right—you guys should be freezing!" She put her hand on Jason's jacket, only to recoil instantly.

"What the—!? It's warm and dry!?" Her confusion prompted Elena, Tyler, Evan, and Peaches to check whoever was closest to them at the moment—some hands landing on Pete, some on Jason.

"We must've dried from the amount of people in here," Jason replied quickly, before Peter could say anything damning.

"That's not possible. It doesn't work like that," Hannah pressed, while we kept moving closer and closer to the main crowd gathered beneath the Eiffel Tower looming above us. I moved to Nick and Sophie.

"You didn't jump," I said to him.

"No. Figured I wouldn't be any better than Peter anyway."

"Good call."

"I saw the lights, Alexa."

"What do you think about that?"

"Feels like confirmation of what I already assumed to be true."

"You're talking about the golden and purple?" Sophie asked, watching Nick's mouth intently.

"Yes," he replied, as the three of us formed a smaller group, drifting a few feet away from the rest while still keeping them in sight and earshot. Jason was gloating, making sure everyone knew how great a human he was, while Peter clearly wanted to move on.

"We assumed Jason was accepted into our friend's Domain, but because of what happened to it, we weren't sure. He also never confirmed it—until now. The shadowlight had the same color as Malik's."

"That in itself is strange," Nick whispered.

"It didn't have to be that color. Shadowlight is an expression of ourselves; it isn't tied to the subject of the Domain in that way. Almost everyone in my Domain has a different color, especially at the beginning, right after joining, when our differences are strongest."

"Why do you think that is?"

"No idea. Could be nothing, really."

"You wouldn't mention it if it were nothing."

"I think I have to speak with him, although I don't know him very well."

"It would be better if it were me who spoke with him, wouldn't it?"

"Better for me. Much worse for him, though. You turn nuclear every time the two of you speak to each other. I can't believe you were actually together."

"Not every time," Sophie tried to defend me.

"Alexa, I will be there with you, and Nick will be as well. Even if I have to drag him there. You are not alone in this world, girl. You don't have to do everything by yourself, especially if this is just a talk. And all four of us were in that Domain when he touched the crystal."

"I…" Nick sighed.

"That's right. I don't like being confrontational, especially with people I don't really know, but it's true that I've been getting used to letting you deal with everything because it's convenient."

"Oh honey, you were listening to me!" Sophie exclaimed, happiness clear in her voice as she patted his chest.

"You were talking about this?" I asked.

"Yes. I'm trying to teach him how to be decent—well, even more decent a human being than he already is. He's close enough to being pretty great already."

"I'd say you're even closer, despite me having an influence on you." This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

"You wish, Ali. You wish!" She laughed it off as we naturally—step by little step—joined the rest of the group, approaching the plaza beneath the Eiffel Tower. Saying it was full of people would have been an understatement of the century.

We were nothing more than a small cell of ten in a massive organism of thousands, all of them self-organizing into arteries that carried us closer and closer to the beating heart—which, in our case, was a stage set up near the base of the tower, where a band was playing French hip-hop. People jumped and waved, and everything felt both surreal and amazing at the same time.

Moving along the edges of the main body of the crowd, we passed various food stands that had been allowed to set up here, with lines longer than what seemed worth any waiting. But there was one smaller stand under a tent that appeared to have no line at all, with a single person seated there—a Black middle-aged woman with colorful beads woven into her dark hair and a myriad of green, blue, and teal scarves wrapped loosely around her, paired with something akin to traditional African yellow-and-gold attire.

She had an English and French sign with a crystal ball painted on it, and it was obvious she was a fortune teller.

"I want to know what is written in the stars for me," Elena said quietly.

"Can you guys wait for me?"

"She is a fraud. I know people like her," Ty replied.

"Be more open-minded," Nick told him.

"You never know—maybe magic is real at best, and at worst it's just a few euros lost and a fun story to tell."

"You don't know El. Whatever she hears from that woman will become the word of God and the holy truth," Ty said.

"You fear for your status in this relationship?" Sophie asked, half-mockingly.

"Of course I do!" he answered, prompting my laughter.

"I want to do it as well," I said, breaking the tension even more. I wasn't a believer in fate, but who knew—maybe this woman was a real mage, and I could use the input. Elena lit up when she heard that I wanted to join her and, catching me by the arm, dragged me toward the chair.

"We'll wait for you guys," Peter said.

"Bienvenue, les sœurs. Vous cherchez à connaître votre avenir, c'est ça?" the woman spoke in a very raspy tone.

"Do you speak English, perhaps?" Elena asked as she took the chair for herself. The rest of the group talked among themselves about the music, the people, and the lights, though they were watching intently as well. It was warm here, despite the winter.

"Yes, my dear, I do. Would you like to know what the future holds for you?"

"Yes, yes, of course! How much will it cost?"

"Thirty euros and some of your time."

"Okay, I want it," she said, as she placed the money on the table. The price wasn't too steep for a chance at entertainment.

"Can I watch?" Jason asked as he moved closer. The woman looked at him with strange intensity, and for a second their eyes met. I could swear Jason recoiled a bit after that moment—his jaw hardened, his teeth grinding as he stepped back slightly.

"If the lady doesn't object."

"No, he can watch. Everyone can. I'm excited!"

"Good," the fortune teller answered, staring at Jason a moment longer. Only after that passed did she turn her gaze toward Elena. If she was acting, it was one hell of a performance. I was excited for my reading now as well.

"My name is Monique."

"Do you know my name already?" Elena asked, which made the woman laugh.

"No, I do not know all. All I see are threads of fate and how they move and twist, but for that I need your hand." Elena extended hers, palm up, taking off her glove. Monique took it gently in her own unprotected hands and rested them against the table. She closed her eyes for a second, and soon a small mist of purple shadowlight appeared around their clasped hands. Jason's eyes widened when he saw that. Mine probably did too, but I tried to keep it cool.

It could be some form of mental magic, a way of searching for clues to shape her reading. It didn't mean she could see the future. [But it can mean that as well.] Shush, Spidey.

"There is passion in you, young lady. All you do, you try to do one hundred percent and then some more," she began with something fairly basic, her face twisting as if it took effort. Elena couldn't have been more excited. She nodded constantly.

"There is a man you love very much. There is a man you are with." Monique continued, and Elena stopped nodding, her expression turning to terror.

"They are not the same person."

"What!?" Tyler shouted, confirming he'd been listening as well.

"Please be quiet during a reading," the fortune teller said. Elena's guilty face turned back to her.

"That man you love—he died some time ago, didn't he?"

"Yes, he did," Elena answered.

"Oh," Tyler said, his built-up aggression cooling slightly.

"I can see there is a decision in front of you. You will have to choose whether you follow the dream set up by the dead man, or build a life with the one you are with."

"What will happen when I make that choice? Can you tell?"

"I can."

"Could you tell me then which choice I end up making? And if it's a good one?"

"Why would you want that?" I asked.

"Make your own choices."

"The other woman is right. Knowing the future can hinder you. You are better off setting the path for yourself."

"But isn't it already written for me?"

"Yes, it is."

"So why are you saying that I have a choice, when you know what I will choose?"

"I believe it to be true, young lady. The future I see already written—I believe you are destined to write it, and me telling you which line you will put down on paper would be cheating you out of discovering it for yourself."

"But that's why I came to you." Score. Good job, Elena. Press her.

"You will choose the dead man in the end, and his dream for you, but it will not be anytime soon."

"So I will stay with Ty?"

"Why are you asking her about that?" Tyler asked, clearly distressed.

"This is exactly the kind of scam I was afraid of." Monique looked at him, sadness on her face, then turned back to Elena.

"Yes, you will—for a time."

"Will I be happy?"

"Not always." Elena's good humor vanished like a candle blown out.

"You will live a good life, young lady, if that is any consolation."

"What is she talking about, El?" Tyler intervened, taking Elena by the arm and helping her stand.

"Happy with me? Life with me?" he asked Elena, but she seemed absent-minded. Then he turned to Monique.

"Well, thanks for that bullshit. I hope you're happy with it." His voice was so full of emotion I wouldn't have recognized it if I hadn't been there.

"Thank you," Elena said quietly as she left the place for me.

"That's certainly good New Year's Eve entertainment," I said as I sat down. Now our entire group was watching intently—everyone except Hannah, Elena, and Tyler, who had stepped away to discuss what had just transpired. I offered her money and extended my own hand toward the woman, focusing on my additional brains, prompting them to make sure I wasn't going to be manipulated here. She looked into my eyes, and I held her gaze. She was searching for resonance within me.

I felt it—felt her reaching into my soul through that window of opportunity. But I closed it. Didn't let her through.

"Will you let me look at what the future has in store for you, young lady?" she asked, reaching out for my hand but not touching it yet.

"The threads of fate for a person like you can hold secrets you might not want to share with everyone."

"You'd know then not to speak about it," I replied. She simply nodded and took my hand.