Her gaze flickers between Ana and I, and a slow smile spreads on her face as she takes in our contrasting outfits.
“Hi,” I say, as we walk up to her table, “We’re here for the tarot reading?”
“Sure,” she says, her voice lilted and calming. She gestures to two empty seats in front of her. “Take a seat.”
Ana sits gingerly, and after some struggle with my dress, I do too. The fortune teller shuffles a set of a cards, and her eyes settle on me. “I’m only going to be working with Major Arcana. Reading for long term occurrences or big, overarching ones. Is that okay?”
Since I have no clue what that means, I turn to Ana, who nods quickly. “Yes, that’s okay.”
The lady nods, her gaze landing on me. “Your birthday?”
“Oh.” I point to Ana. “Just for her.”
The fortune teller waves a dismissive hand. “I’ll deal for the both of you.”
I shift uncomfortably in my seat. “I don’t really believe in—”
But Ana promptly shoves me in my gut, and I spew out a clipped, “December twenty first.”
The fortune teller shuffles her deck of cards, then holds it out to me. “Will you cut the deck for me?”
I pull out a haphazard chunk of the cards and hand them to her, watching as she counts twenty-one cards into the pack, and picks out a card, flipping it on the table.
“You pulled The Chariot,” she says, “It symbolizes control, willpower, success and action. A very nice card. It means your strong will and determination will help you push through what’s to come.”
Intrigued, I nod. I guess the reading checks out so far. She reshuffles the deck and flips the second. The card shows some sort of horned creature, sitting on a throne.
“The Devil,” she says, “For attachment, addiction, restriction and sexuality. You should be cautious about temptation.”
Blood rushes to my cheeks. I didn’t know tarot cards got this raunchy. Next to me, Ana grins, and I suddenly wonder if it was wise to drag her in here.
“And your last . . .” She flips it, and a naked man and woman appear on the card. “The Lovers.” The fortune teller smiles. “For love, of course, but also harmony, relationships, values and choices. I’d go into more detail, but I get the feeling you’re in a rush to be somewhere, no?”
Lovers? I hold back a scoff, instead muttering a small, “Yes, actually. We’re a bit late for… a meeting.”
The fortune teller just smiles politely before flicking her gaze to Ana. “Now, for you.”
She repeats the same process, shuffling the cards before asking Ana to cut the deck, which she does, neatly and carefully. And then she asks for her birthday to which Ana replies, “August third.”
The fortune teller counts three cards down and flips the first card. On the card, there’s a baby riding a white horse under a sun, with sunflowers in the background.
“The Sun,” she says. “The most positive card on the deck. It symbolizes good fortune and harmony. You bring joy and hope to those around you.”
Ana’s lips tip upward. Then the fortune teller flips the second card — a solid tower being struck by lightning, and Ana’s smile falters slightly.
“The Tower. It symbolizes sudden change, upheaval, chaos, revelation and . . . awakening. You may begin to see things differently, and this might change your outlook on life.”
ESTÁS LEYENDO
Torment | 18+ ✓
RomanceRunning from hell isnʼt easy. Especially when thereʼs someone dragging you back down into it. Belligerent, brash and always in shades of black, Freya is hardly a lady. Hidden away by her father, sheʼs lived a normal life despite being born into the...
