Eight of Hearts: The Vision - Book 2

Chapter 3

"What do you want to do?" Flora asked.

Bryce's gaze turned wistful as he replied, "I always wanted to play pro football; I even had a few scouting options. My parents wanted me to inherit the family business. They didn't see my dream as 'financially responsible', so they sent me to stay with Jonas so I could learn how to act proper." Bryce sat up and looked over to where his cousin was sleeping. Even asleep, he seemed serious. "He gets in his own head, but he's a responsible chap," Bryce commented. "I'm glad he's here, or I don't think I'd be able to go on like this."

There was a loud snort, and both Bryce and Flora turned to see Isaac sitting upright. "The butler did it!" he cried out, though his eyes were still closed.

The side of the tent suddenly lashed out, knocking him on the side of the head. Isaac fell back with a grunt and resumed snoring.

"Keep it down!" Adriana snapped irritably from inside the tent.

Bryce and Flora looked at each other, and Flora was relieved to see Bryce was grinning.

"We should probably go back to bed so we don't wake her highness," Bryce said with a soft chuckle.

The sky had lightened to a gentler gray as they broke camp. No one was hungry, which was good since the coffee trees had somehow vanished while they slept. Isaac had been the first to wake, and he had borrowed Jonas's red marker to make name tags for everyone, which he enthusiastically handed out to the groggy crew.

"Why do we need name tags?" Shyla asked, holding hers up to read it.

"Because not everyone knows everyone," Isaac answered as he handed one to Tobias. "Except James, of course."

Cecil accepted his tag and read it with a puzzled expression. "Why does mine say 'Jeeves'?"

"Better question:" Bryce said, raising his hand. "Why--no, how is this in my handwriting?!"

"It's personalized," Isaac said cheerfully, as though that were enough explanation.

Jonas checked his as well, and saw that it was just as Bryce had said: his name was written in his own handwriting. Normally he would have chalked it up as just another of Isaac's bizarre antics, but now that he knew Isaac was blessed with psychic abilities, it had a different significance. Isaac was potentially useful now, rather than just a burden.

James pulled his sword from at his waist and slung it over his shoulder. "Isaac is right; we should all get to know each other if we're going to be traveling together," he said.

"Oh, goody," Adriana groaned, "are we gonna say our name, age, and favorite color?"

Jonas let out a laugh before he could stop himself, but James only smiled.

"Your favorite color is optional, but I would love to hear about what you used to do back in the old world," James said as he gestured invitingly.

"Oh boy, you are a treat," Adriana said with a grin. It was hard to tell if she was being genuine or insulting by her tone, but maybe that was her intent. "I'm Adriana Mercana, I'm twenty-three, and you don't need to know what I used to do."

Oh, I like her, Jonas thought with a smile. He hadn't seen anyone give James snark before.

"I'm Tobias Riverton," Tobias spoke next. "I'm twenty, and I am a creative writing student."

"You mean 'was'," Adriana corrected.

"I'm Jonas Taylor," Jonas said quickly to hide his amusement. "I'm twenty, and I was a civil engineering student at the University of Texas."