Free An Airship Named Desire (Take to the Skies Book 1) by Katherine McIntyre Page B

glinted in excitement for the onset of a debate. “For if you’re referencing any level of belief, that’s a subjective experience manifested by the brain as a coping mechanism.”
    “People aren’t robots.”  Isabella shot him a dirty look. “We feel, we make our own choices, and those choices make us unpredictable.” Her words clipped with frustration, but from the smile on Edwin’s face, his argument had just begun. “Haven’t you done anything rash, something that couldn’t be explained away?”
    “I’ve made rash decisions, yes.” He clasped his hands overtop the table. “But nothing that couldn’t be explained by simple psychology, pseudoscience though it may be.”
    Isabella passed him a flat-lidded stare. “You know, a simple ‘no’ would have worked.”
    Edwin’s mouth twitched until he released his grin. “But it wouldn’t have been nearly as much fun.”
    “I’ll do a reading for Jensen and Bea.” Isabella waved her hands in the air. Edwin stood up from the table and walked over to his lab.
    “Oh, Edwin,” I called out, “We’re celebrating on deck tonight. Are you going to join?”
    He stopped and rubbed his chin. “I suppose I can pull away from the lab for the chance to further degrade my liver. Might the captain be breaking out the ale?”
    “Maybe.” I winked. “You’ll have to head up there to find out.”
    “Do you have to do my prediction?” Jensen complained, nudging his boot against the floor.
    “I, for one, am looking forward to it,” I interjected. Isabella flipped open the latch and pulled out her deck. Her cards fascinated me. Unlike the regular playing cards we used for games, she owned a holographic tarot deck, so whenever she turned a card over, the structure flickered with a blue hologram overtop.
    “I’ll read your past, present, and future. It’ll be quick and painless.”
    Jensen placed his hands behind his head. Isabella’s chest rose with her deep breath as she shuffled her cards, and after quiet contemplation, she pulled three from the deck. A slight exhale passed her lips before she placed each one in a row. Ornate purple diamonds covered the back of the cards, which were interspersed by indigo runes of varying gypsy descent—though Isabella knew every one by heart. She closed her eyes and focused. From where we sat she appeared to spread her energy out over the cards, and after a slight inhale, she turned over the first one.
    “Five of cups for the past,” she said. The holograph flickered on, and five transparent blue cups towered over the card. “You had a deep sorrow in your past, something that’s stayed with you your entire life.” Jensen’s jaw tightened, and even I noticed the tension that descended upon the room. Time to clear the air.
    “Hear that?” I spoke up. “Even the cards are telling you to stop crying over that poor bet you made last time we played Faro.” Jensen narrowed his eyes, and I laughed. Isabella scrutinized the card before resting her gaze on him.
    “Did something happen to your mother?” She asked, as her dark eyes filled with curiosity.
    His frown deepened, and though he didn’t say a word, the slight flare of his nostrils told plenty. Before she could continue down that line of questioning, he cut her off. “So what’s my present?”
    “Come on, I have daddy issues. It’s okay if you have mommy ones,” I joked, trying to lighten the mood. My back pressed against the wall, and I folded my arms across my chest while I watched the master do her work. 
    She took in another deep breath before turning the next card over. A frown turned her lips, and her forehead creased.
    “Your present is the Tower.” The card lit up, and a tiny holographic tower teetered over the piece. “A reversed tower makes things …interesting. A strong change or upheaval in your life.”
    “I’m about ready to heave up the rest of my lunch with this crap. Why are you holding onto this junk anyway? Didn’t your gypsy people