Milo looked as hesitant as I felt. His eyes dropped, and he did a quick sweep over my body before raking a hand through his hair with a laugh. “Does the bedroom door have a strong lock?”

The woman came back. “I’m sorry, I have someone on the phone who wants to book that last suite. You guys are here in person, so if you’re going to take it, I’ll let her know it’s not available.”

I looked at Milo. “What should we do? This is the fourth hotel we’ve called or stopped at. And it looks really nice. I can take the couch, and you can have the bedroom, if you’re okay with sharing.”

He shook his head. “No. You’ll take the bedroom. And barricade yourself inside if we have too much to drink.”• • •The French Quarter is an interesting place. At a tiny restaurant that only seated about ten people, Milo and I shared amazing jambalaya for two, and then we hit a few small bars with live music. Strolling down bustling Bourbon Street, an older woman wearing a flowy black dress and colorful headdress with gray dreadlocks sticking out stepped in front of Milo.

She took his hand. “I’ll do you for free.”

I laughed. “Sounds like an opportunity you shouldn’t pass up.”

The woman turned to face me. She closed her eyes and held her hands in the air. “You’ve been scorned. But you don’t need to be so lonely.”

I blinked a few times. “Excuse me?”

Milo laughed this time. He pointed to the sign on the building next to us. Psychic and Chakra Balancing.

“I’m thinking she works there.”

The woman nodded. “I am Zara.” She waved her hand around in my direction. “And you are dimming your aura. Come inside. Let me read your cards. Special for you tonight, only twenty dollars.”

I scoffed. “You just told him you’d do him for free.”

The woman looked Milo up and down. “His aura is very vibrant. Very red. He’s passionate.” She winked. “Very sexy, too.”

“So let me get this straight, he’s vibrant red and free, and I’m dark and twenty bucks?”

The woman shrugged. “Even psychics need to make a living, honey.”

I chuckled. “I think I’ll pass.” I started to walk away, but Milo grabbed my elbow and stopped me.

“Not so fast.” He looked at Zara. “Can you see the future?”

She nodded with an indignant look on her face. “Of course.”

Milo scratched the scruff on his chin. “Twenty bucks, huh? Might be worth it to find out where we’re going next.” He dug into his pocket. “You know what, we’ll take it.”

I laughed. “You’re really going to pay her to read your cards?”

He grinned. “Nope. She’s going to read yours.”Chapter 10* * *MatteoIncense filled the air inside Zara’s little den. It reminded me of how my college dorm room used to smell. Tapestries in various colors hung along the walls. And a furry cat meowed from the corner of the room.

We took our seats across from her. This is going to be good. Maddie and I watched as our fortuneteller dealt the cards in front of her, then arranged them on the table.

“Your names?” she asked.

Maddie looked at me, then back at Zara. “I’m Maddie, and this is my brother, Milo.”

If this lady could really read people, wouldn’t she be able to figure out that our names weren’t legit—or that we weren’t brother and sister? Something to ponder.

Zara flipped over three cards in a row. One of them featured a woman with wings, and another had an evil-looking man on it. The last image was hard to make out, but there was a gigantic sun in the background.

She pushed her dreadlocks behind her back. “This three-card spread is known as The Three Fates. The first card represents the past, the second signifies the present, and the third, the future.”

Maddie looked nervous as she licked her lips. “Alright.”

Zara ran her fingers over the first card. “You were very adventurous in the past, yes? I don’t sense that’s the case so much now. What happened?”

Maddie looked over at me, seeming a little freaked out. “I lost my way,” she said. “But I’m in the midst of an adventure as we speak. So trying to rectify that.”

Zara moved to the second card. “This card represents indecisiveness. You’re experiencing a lot of uncertainty right now when it comes to your personal relationships.” Zara looked up. “Is this making sense to you?”

She nodded. “Yes. Very much so.”

Zara’s hand touched over the third card. She seemed to contemplate the meaning as she scratched her chin and said, “Ohhh.”

Maddie leaned in, looking worried. “What?”

“This card on the right here, which represents the future, is showing me conflict. A big conflict. Something is looming, and it could be soon. You need to be wary.”

Is she serious? This seemed like bullshit to me. Any one of her statements could be applied to some aspect of a person’s life. I could take those same things and apply them to myself.