If it didn’t kill her first.
The visions weren’t reliable. I had to interpret what I saw, which meant I had to take a side. If the future was as bad as I feared, I was doing her a service. She could take steps to avoid disaster. But if I was wrong, I risked looking jealous and petty. Holly’s true beauty was in her happiness and success, I would never stand in the way of it.
“Something’s different this time.” It was the best way to start. I settled on the floor with my legs crossed in front of Holly, lost in her gaze. She’d probably think I was having another vision, and she waited for me continue, but something else was happening altogether.
My feelings for her were changing. Intensifying, like the fire that burned inside her. I wanted to reach out and touch her, to see if I’d get burned. I didn’t know how to tell her that, either. So for tonight, I’d stick to answering her question.
“There are massive black spots in my visions. That’s never happened before. The visions are often confusing, but this time, it’s like things have been scribbled out. Whoever’s sending the message won’t show me everything.”
Holly frowned as she considered that. “Tell me what you can See. We’ll fill in the blanks. Like a math problem.”
“I’m terrible at math.” I was suspicious of things that had definite answers.
“Me too.” Holly laughed as she reached out and wrapped a lock of my hair around her finger. Compared to hers, mine was dull and blonde, but it held the curl once she let it go. Sparks fell between us. “But at least those stupid word problems we suffered through might finally serve a purpose.”
“The buildings are huge, and there are so many people. They keep bumping into me like they don’t see me. And they’re all trying to get into your show.” I expected her face to light up at that. Holly loved being the center of attention, while I was content to stand in her light. “The things that are scribbled out are coming for you. Like they don’t want you on stage.”
“Why would anyone care?” The light faded from her eyes, like I’d extinguished the fire inside her. That was what I’d worried about. “They don’t know who I am.”
You’re everything. I had to look away from her. “Yet. I’m worried someone doesn’t want you to perform. The messages are pretty dire. I see crumbled buildings, and the city falling to ruin.”
“It’s a rock show. I’ll be dancing on stage. If people don’t like it, there are a dozen other shows they can go to the same night. I’m not worried about that.” Holly shook her hair out as she sat, and then she slid down to the floor beside me. “I know you don’t want to leave Santa Fe. It won’t be so bad. Actually, it will be amazing for you. You’ll get to read cards right on the Strip. Think of all the lives you’ll touch. You’ll have real power to change things.”
“If I can get them to listen.” My tarot business didn’t get many customers in Santa Fe. It took me a while to learn that I was supposed to only tell them the good things I saw. Silly me thought they wanted to hear the truth, so they had a chance to make their futures better. But to make money, I was forced to take a side, and tell a lie. I was getting better at it.
“They will.” Holly was so close to me; I inhaled her tiger lily scent. I wanted to dab it on my wrists so I’d be reminded of her with every heartbeat. “You made all your mistakes here, and now you get a fresh start. And if you screw things up, I’ll go back in time with an eraser so you have a chance to start over.”
“Lucille hates it when you do that.” When Holly traveled back in time, she had to be very careful to leave whatever she came in contact with untouched. It could change everything that happened after it.
She shrugged. “It’s a second chance, just like this move. You worry too much.”
I closed my eyes as she came closer, pressing her lips against mine in a kiss. It wasn’t the first time we did this. Holly’s power radiated from her, and warmth flowed through me. From the tips of my fingers, to the deep places inside that Lucille told me not to think about. Especially those places. They were all I could think about.
Holly took advantage of my sigh against her lips, running her tongue along my bottom lip, and it would’ve taken way less than that to convince me to let her inside. Soft, gentle strokes insisted everything would be okay. Nothing could hurt us. The visions played in my mind, but they’d changed. She danced on stage, moving to the same rhythm as the kiss. The cheers were overwhelming.
I pulled away when it got to be too much. Those black holes were back, like the future was hiding something from me.
“Did I do something wrong?” she asked softly, putting her hand on my shoulder.
“No.” My answer was quick and sharp. “Not even your kiss could change the future.”
“Sure I can.” She tipped her head and smiled at me. “That’s what I love about your visions. You’ve given me two endings. I can either be the star of my own show or hide from the bad guys in the shadows. And I want to be on stage.”
“Do you have any idea what your performance will be like?” I asked. Holly never danced, but she didn’t have any trouble expressing herself with her body.
“I’ll figure it out.”
“Does anything scare you?” That was the difference between traveling to the past and Seeing the future. The past was safe and predictable, and the future had no rules. I’d trade powers with her in a second. I’d pored through my spell books many times to see if that was possible, but when they referred to power swapping as a curse, I reconsidered. I was given this ability for a reason. It was my responsibility to use it to help people.
Holly had to think about her answer. “Boredom scares me. Seeing people repeat awful mistakes from the past.” She chewed on her lip. “And I never want to lose you.”
I put my hand on her knee. The visions had told me something else. Her love would give me the bravery I needed to fight the shadowy figures that refused to show themselves. I’d do whatever I had to do to make Holly’s star burn brightly.
Keep reading Stardust!
COLORADO SHIFTERS
Lion and the Doe
Doe and the Hunter
Cougar and the Lion
Doe and the Pride
SAWTOOTH SHIFTERS
Forever Home
Rescue Me
Protect Me
Conquer Me
Celebrate Me
Shelter Me
Complete ME
THE NIGHT SONGS COLLECTION
Because the Night
Night Moves
We Own the Night
Silent Night
CIRQUE MACABRE (Vampire Dark Fantasy—A Night Songs Spinoff Series)
The Fire Dancer
THE SPOTLIGHT SERIES (Rock/Country Star Contemporary Romance)
Secondhand Heart
The Trouble With Bree
Too Many Reasons
THE ESCORT SERIES (Contemporary Romance)
No Strings Attached
Wrapped Around My Finger
NOT EXACTLY A STEPBROTHER ROMANCE
Dirty Little Secret
Exposed
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Also by Kristen Strassel
Cirque Macabre
Stardust
The Fire Dancer
Sin City Vampire Club
Queen of the Night Time World
Colorado Shifters
Wanted by the Lion
Taken by the Buck
Mated to the Cougar
Destined to the Pride
Fated & Forbidden
Fire Brand
Sawtooth Shifters
Forever Home
&nbs
p; Rescue Me
Protect Me
Conquer Me
Celebrate Me
Shelter Me
Complete Me
The Escort
No Strings Attached
Wrapped Around My Finger
Ties That Bind
The Passion Project
The Night Songs Collection
Because the Night
Night Moves
We Own the Night
Silent Night
The Real Werewives of Alaska
Running Wild
Reindeer Games
Silver Fox (Bad Alpha Dads)
The Spotlight Series
Secondhand Heart
Too Many Reasons
Standalone
Sawtooth Shifters Volume 1
Sawtooth Shifters Volume 2
Wanted: A Blood Courtesans Novel