Despite sleeping late the previous night, Iris and Shae woke up before the sound of their alarm. Marin already went out for her part-time job when they arrived at the table for a quick breakfast of toasts and eggs.
With Mrs. Collins' efficient driving skills, they were able to arrive at the theme park in twenty minutes. The queue moved reasonable and soon enough, Iris and Shae were from one from one ride to another and couldn't get enough of the games. They had ice creams and waffles for snacks after. Shae, who already forgot her planned itinerary, led Iris and Mrs. Collins to a tarot reading place inside the theme park.
"Nothing to lose, Mum," Shae convinced Mrs. Collins when the latter voiced her distrust of fortune-telling, quickly dismissing it as fake. Mrs. Collins who must have known how convincing Shae can be finally allowed them inside and told Iris and Shae that she'd be waiting for them at the bench just few steps away from the tent.
Iris and Shae took the seat in front of the woman who must be the fortune-teller judging from the gipsy look, her hand laid over the tarot deck which was spread neatly in front of her. The woman was humming a tune with her eyes closed.
"Excuse me?" Shae asked tentatively.
The woman opened her eyes which turned out to be most beautiful shade of blue. Iris felt the familiar gaze. It was the woman from last night. The one she caught staring at her necklace from outside the convenience store. Iris automatically thumbed over her sweater protectively to check her necklace. The woman smiled at them. If she remembers Iris, the woman is doing a good job at feigning lack of recognition.
"Well---," Shae was looking curiously at the fortune teller.
The woman's attention gathered her cards and shuffled it a rather clumsy manner.
"It's curious to find little girls wandering at a tarot reading tent", the woman's voice was melodic. It was hard to know whether she was plainly curious or sarcastic.
Iris and Shae looked at each other wondering whether they should have taken Mrs. Collins' advice.
"Whose fortune?" the woman asked looking at them.
"Hers," Shae said automatically.
"Mine?" Iris repeated rather stupidly.
"It's her 13th birthday today. Let's see what's in store for the new teenager," Shae said smiling at her haughtily.
"13th birthday, ha? A tween. An in between," the woman was smiling mysteriously without looking at them. She's finished laying down the cards now.
"Choose three cards."
"Why is she in between?" Shae asked while Iris chose three random cards. Iris thinks they are wasting time with the woman.
"A tween. Neither a child nor an adult."
"People come of age at eighteen, though, which I think is still part of tween period," Iris blurted out.
"In the mortal world, that is."
Iris wanted to know to know what the woman meant but she has flipped the first card.
"The Fool. New beginnings. Your coming of age," the woman said simply then proceeded with the second card.
"The 8 of Pentacles. A great deal of trial shall ensue but you must not lose courage. You need to be prepared and have faith in yourself. You have a task to accomplish."
"The Hanged Man. Be vigilant of people around you. Trust the trustworthy but be wary of the others."
"So she'll be having new beginnings but there'll be trials. And she'd be betrayed? Very optimistic, ha?" Shae said sardonically.
YOU ARE READING
Iris Kailen and the Curse of Malachi(Book 1 of the Enchanted Series)
FantasyIris Kailen is a normal twelve-year old girl who was attending as a freshman of Wishmoore High. She was living peacefully with her gran in a small town. Everything in Iris' life was ordinary from her strict gran to her boisterous and pretty bestfrie...
