Affinity Witch

Chapter 24: Sabrina's Third Future

Heloise lit another cluster or herbs and trailed the smoke over the cards, waving the tiny bouquet between herself and Sabrina before blowing out the flame and dropping the herbs into a small silver pot. She then scooped up the cards again, shuffling them as she closed her eyes and swayed where she sat, pressing a pink quartz crystal against her forehead.

This was it. Sabrina's first two futures hadn't been especially encouraging, and she didn't want to squelch the faint stirring of hope that this third and final glimpse into her future would prove more enjoyable.

After a moment, Heloise once again dealt five cards in front of herself, then moved the remaining deck to the edge of the table before leaning forward. This time, she traced her fingertips gently over the surface of each card, sometimes nodding, sometimes shaking her head. Just when Sabrina thought she would burst from working so hard to contain herself, Heloise spoke.

"I will tell you this future exactly as I see it, or may I lose my Sight forever. Now, we might as well start with an old friend."

She slid the Death card in front of Sabrina, who accepted it as best she could, with a stoic nod.

Heloise carefully placed the next card in front of Sabrina, which showed two people falling from a very tall structure as flames reached through open windows.

"This card is the Tower," explained the Seer. "It represents enormous, usually unexpected, disruption and change. It suggests the very foundations of your life—your beliefs about yourself, others, and the world around you—are being shaken down to their very cores. Think of it as indicating a collapse of some sort, something falling apart...something that, while it will change the course of your life, might also offer unexpected freedom by removing limitations previously keeping you trapped."

Sabrina listened closely. That didn't sound so bad. While she hated unexpected change, whatever change befell her wouldn't be unexpected anymore, thanks to her time with Heloise.

The Seer slid another card in front of Sabrina, this one featuring a figure standing proudly in some sort of transportation device pulled by black and white creatures. Their striped headdresses and human faces were completely at odds with their lion-like bodies.

"This is the Chariot," Heloise explained. "It symbolizes a person on a mission, someone who's incredibly driven, who charges forward regardless of the obstacles in their way."

Sabrina nodded. She could certainly relate to that.

Heloise showed Sabrina the fourth card before placing it as she'd drawn it, upside down. The card depicted an angelic being with feathered wings pouring water from one gold goblet into another; one of the angel's feet rested in a pool of water while the other was planted firmly on dry land.

"This is Temperance, inverted," Heloise explained. "When the temperance card is upside down, it suggests a lack of balance, leaning too far in one direction."

She slid the fifth and final card before Sabrina. "And this is the Devil."

Sabrina's mind immediately went to her mother, but she refrained from saying as much. Instead, she asked, "And what does he symbolize?"

"A lot," replied Heloise, her eyes darkening. "But in this instance, he represents obsession." She pointed to the bottom portion of the card, where two naked human beings wore chains around their necks, the ends of which were held tightly by the Devil. "Being too obsessed with something can lead to a kind of imprisonment, although the one pursuing their obsession usually doesn't view it that way."

Looking at the cards again, Heloise blinked and brought her gaze to Sabrina's. "This reading is particularly challenging," she said. "In this future, there is death, although it's not as clear to me that it's only related to ideas or hopes and dreams. There's a stronger chance it involves a person."