After the Rain (The Twisted Fate Series Book 1) Read Free Page B

replied in a lively tone, and then much to his horror, poked his shoulder.
    If there was one thing he hated, it was unnecessary touching. Especially from strangers. But it only got worse, as the poke turned into a squeeze, which then turned into a rub. “Mmmm, I see,” she said, nodding her head knowingly while kneading his neck.
    Marcus pulled away quickly. “See what?”
    “You carry a lot of tension in your shoulders. In fact, some deep breathing exercises would really help to unblock your throat chakra – I think that’s probably the cause of it.”
    “My shoulders and chakras are fine, thanks.” Shifting as far away from her as the narrow seat would allow, he flipped the paper open again and held it close to his face, trying to create a barrier between them.
    But Stormy didn’t take the hint and peered over the top of his paper. “Fine, suit yourself, but it’s going to start giving you back pain and headaches. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
    “I’m sure I can handle it.”

    There was no doubt that Marcus was one of the most blocked people Stormy had ever met, and she wasn’t just referring to his throat chakra and severely knotted shoulders. Even though it was the weekend, he was wearing a terribly claustrophobic looking long-sleeved shirty thing with big buttons and tight cuffs, and a black waistcoat, of all things. He looked like he was going to a funeral, not going on a happy wedding holiday.
    But right now, she had bigger concerns than his throat chakra and those ridiculously shiny lace-up shoes that were so highly polished you could see your reflection in them. She glanced up at the board above their gate: ten minutes until they started boarding, and she was starting to freak out. She could feel the anxiety bubbling up inside her. She’d drunk an entire pot of chamomile tea before leaving for the airport, and when that hadn’t helped, she’d practically inhaled the contents of the bloody teabag. But she was still terrified. Because on top of her usual fear of flying, there was something else too.
    Something terrible.
    Something truly frightening.
    Something she couldn’t ignore.
    She’d run all the numbers. She’d checked the cards three times and even called on her spiritual guide, and they all said the same thing.
    Today was not a good day to travel . At all. No siree!
    The signs were all there, and they were flashing. They were flashing like a cheap disco ball at a high school dance. Her horoscope had explicitly stated that today was ‘ not a good day for any kind of travel’ . There was going to be some kind of big incident, the cards had said. A life-changing incident, the numbers had confirmed. A series of fateful incidents, her spiritual guide, Su-Wong, had told her. But she’d promised Lilly that she would be at the wedding. There was nothing she could do other than arm herself with some sage and amber stones for protection, and hope for the best.
    She’d been practicing her deep breathing relaxation meditation for the past few days, and it had been working. That is, until a few minutes ago, when Mr. Grumpy-Tight-Shirt had so rudely interrupted her. Now she felt even worse. She’d only flown once in her entire life, and it had been a total disaster. Granted, she’d taken magic mushrooms prior to the flight, and that’s probably why the roof had looked like it was melting, the floor had grown tentacles and she had been convinced the plane was going to fall out the sky. But still, it had scarred her for life. She’d never taken mushrooms – or any other illicit substance – ever again, though this was something most people found difficult to believe about her. For some reason, people were always asking her where they could buy acid. She had no idea why. Lilly had once suggested that maybe it had something to do with the way she dressed, but she couldn’t see what that had to do with the price of potatoes.
    “Flight E579 to Dubai is now boarding at gate 12,” a tinny