The Emperor (The Tarot Club 2)

“Fine.” Her answer was drawled and before I could reply, Brenna hung up, as if it were settled - as if there was nothing further to discuss.

My last phone call was probably long overdue, and I bit my lip as I waited for The Magician to answer.

“Corinne.” He sounded lucid - alive - awake.

“Hello, Charl.” I smiled into the phone, because even when I was furious with him, I loved him. These people were my family.

“Are you calling to invite me to your wedding?” I could hear the hint of teasing in his voice and I wasn’t the least bit surprised that he knew. He was always more connected than we were.

“Which one of your guides told you?”

“Maxine.” His voice was gruff, sounding mildly annoyed that it wasn’t actually one of his guides, but rather one of the Club.

“Sounds like you’re losing your touch.”

He grumbled something unintelligible, and I laughed outright again once more. It occurred to me that I had laughed more during my time in New Orleans - despite Dimitri being an infuriating asshole - than I ever did back in New York.

“When is the wedding?”

“I’m not sure yet.” My teeth dug into my bottom lip as I thought about that particular conversation I still needed to have with Dimitri.

“I’ll book my flight a week from now.”

“If you already know, why do you even bother to ask me?”

“Because I want to know if you know.”

“You’re infuriating.” I ground out. “Speaking of which - I have a lot of stuff to talk to you about when you’re here, the Voodoo Clan are really pissed with us, Charl.”

“We’ll talk once I’m there - your husband can even sit in.”

“Just because I’m about to marry him doesn’t mean that I can’t function within our Club without him.”

Charl groaned deeply into the phone. “You know it goes both ways, right?”

My pulse raced as he spoke and I felt as if the ground was shifting beneath my feet.

“Charl.” My tone was filled with warning, because whatever he knew - whatever he was playing at - I didn’t want it to impact Dimitri and I.

“He is your Emperor.” He implored.

“Is this some fucking joke to you?” My anger pulsed against my temple in waves. “You dabble with Demons and try to manipulate everything in accordance with your plans. Just leave Dimitri alone. I will marry him - but it has absolutely nothing to do with the Club.”

Charl ignored my rant entirely. “Has he accepted you into his organisation? Allowed you to run things? Command his men?”

I held my breath, refusing to give Charl an answer. His knowing chuckle only had me seething more.

“For this to work, it needs to be an equal partnership.”

“I must have missed the part where you became a relationship counselor.”

“I’ll see you two next week, Corinne.”

And just as it had always been when it came to Charl, I felt as if he knew far more than he ever let on. It was infuriating.

I sent the message to Emily Rand before I slid out the bed entirely, towards Dimitri. He needed some sort of understanding of what it would mean to have the house filled with my Club.