“I have absolutely no intention of going anywhere with you,”
Kara replied as she began to gather up her cards. “I have no idea who you are
and you know entirely too much about me without having ever met.”
The man
reached over and grabbed her arm, “You can pretend all you like Kara not to
realize how bad things are getting with the curse, but I can see the truth of
your feelings in your eyes. My name is Marcus and you are going to help me.”
Kara
pulled at her arm trying to get free of the man, “Just because you know my name
and you think you can read me doesn’t mean I am going to help you, Marcus, if that is even your real name.
Yes I can read the fear in the people who sit down here but that doesn’t mean I
can be of any help in getting rid of the curse.”
Marcus resisted as she continued to
pull on her arm, “Your name is Kara which is short for Karanna. Your mother’s name
was Elsabeau. You father’s name was Aaron. You have not seen him since you were
two year’s old. Your mother died when you were twelve and you were raised by
her people on the outskirts of the city. Your mother had a minor talent for
reading the future in the cards but amongst her people you are believed to have
a major talent which you barely tap when reading the fortunes of the rich up
here in the Place. I have done my
research well enough to know that you are the one whose help I need. Do you have
any further questions or will you agree to help me?”
Kara continued to pull on her arm
and noticed that they were drawing the attention of the gendarmes who worked
the Place. They had no problem with
the fortune tellers who worked there but one of the gendarmes coming their way
had no love for Kara and she knew that he would take great pleasure in aiding
anyone who meant to cause her trouble. Kara needed to think fast or she would
be at his mercy and she had no intention of that happening.
“Why do you care about trying to
stop the curse? No one else seems to care and you are not marked. Who is it?”
Kara queried in hopes of distracting him. “Your mother, father, sister, brother…
It must be someone you are closed to.”
Marcus did not relinquish his grip
on her arm as he replied, “I have been fortunate in that no one I am close to
has been marked yet. My interest in the curse lies in doing what is right for
the people of Verrioun.”
“I am supposed to believe that you have
the best interest of the people of Verrioun at heart? Why? Because if the
people flourish, you can make more money?”
“No. It is because if this spreads
beyond Verrioun than all of Xennatos could fall.” Marcus replied ominously, “And
if that occurs then we have no hope. If you help me, we have some small hope.
But without your help, I have no faith that I can find a way to stop this.”
Kara had become distracted by this
bit of revelation from Marcus and did not notice the gendarme standing next to
them until he asked, “Is the fortune teller causing you trouble, sir?”
Kara held her breath as Marcus
looked at the gendarme and replied, “Oh no. There is no problem. The young
woman merely stumbled and I was trying to help her. Isn’t that right, my dear?”
Kara knew that if she agreed with
this statement, that she was also agreeing to help Marcus with his mad quest to
end the curse. She debated a moment but there was really nothing to debate. She
didn’t trust Marcus, but the cards thought he had a chance to stop the curse
and she could not let that go. Kara looked him directly in the eye and smiled, “Of
course. He was just helping me. And I shall be happy to help him in return.”
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