"The six of bows. This enchanting card depicts a short sly old woman, selling apples in the market. It has a board of flames and a sense of hellfire to it. This car is associated with a deep, deep sleep and also a failure..."
Groaning at the woman's way of speaking, Jaspar hit pause and pulled his earphones out. "This is going to put me to sleep," he muttered darkly, mostly to himself. He folded his arms on the bar and put his head in them to rest for a moment in silence. The room was mostly quiet, Elison upstairs helping move the bedroom furniture. He could hear someone cleaning glasses near him, the gentle sound of cloth rubbing against glass the only real sound in the room but whoever it was made no comment.
The woman's fake spiritual voice still ringing in his ears annoyingly. She just seemed to be droning on and on forever and he needed a break from it. Jaspar had hoped that once he had finished the deck he would be done and there would be some explanation as to how to actually use the cards. Instead, the woman had started a new deck of cards which were apparently used by the supernatural community. Apparently, the increase in options meant the supernaturals had decided they needed a different set.
The glass was set down with a slight clink. "Not the most interesting assignment?" Jaspar chuckled moving to next to him and ruffling his hair gently. "Want me to make you a cup of tea?" he offered.
"No, thank you," Jaspar sighed. "This lady seems to be getting paid more to sound like a doped up airhead. Her voice is grating," he complained exasperatedly. "I understand what John is hoping from this all but I was never an audial learner. I preferred writing things down repeatedly and reading off flashcards."
"Same," Justice chuckled. "Why don't I draw some cards and you can see if you feel anything from them yet."
"I haven't finished the entire supernatural set and I properly don't remember them all yet," Jaspar warned, sitting up slowly and rubbing his palms on the wooden surface. "The lady hasn't explained how to read the cards either," he said darkly. He did understand why John thought it would be a good idea for Jaspar to do tarot cards. Breaking through the veil for money would likely anger the gods of fate and luck but using other methods which were less abrasive and gave more room for error would be forgiven. If reading the cards worked, Jaspar might be able to do more readings in a night as well. If it worked.
"I do a little," Justice admitted, sounding slightly embarrassed by this admission. "My aunt, she loved tarot cards. She loved all that kind of thing. Mum couldn't stand most of it but she had a healthy respect for the cards too. I think a basic three card spread would be ok for now. I scuffle the desk, you think of me and draw three cards. One for the past, the present and future. So you draw them and put them on the table then we flip them."
"Ok?" Jaspar said hesitantly. He listened as Justice shuffled some cards he apparently had. Justice passed him the cards.
As Justice held the cards, a strange sensation washed over me. His watch felt heavy again and strangely warm. The hairs on the back of his neck started to stand on end and a cold chill went down his back. It wasn't like a vision. He didn't feel like he was being pulled into something. If anything he felt like static electricity was running through his fingers as touched the top card. Frowning, Jaspar slowly placed three cards on the wooden surface.
"First, the past," Justice commented softly, his hand guiding Jaspar's to the card. Justice's hands were smooth and warm as they guided Jaspar's hand to the correct card. Jaspar slowly flipped the card. "It's the eight of torches, inverted."
"A search? Possibly a change in direction or forgiveness," Jaspar frowned, trying to remember just what the card meant. The back of his neck was started to itch. "It could be referring to when Elison hunted you down or when John bought you from the middle house. I'm getting more of a feeling that it is to do with that then the other meanings. Unless you were searching for a new life when you were captived."
"I don't really remember anymore," Justice mused softly. "But sometimes the following cards can explain the previous."
"The effect can sometimes to be the cause," Jaspar nodded slowly, "And as such, the future can sometimes explain the past."
"You're starting to sound like a seer," Justice chuckled. "Another few days of studying that tape and you'll have the entire image down," he teased. Many of the patrons of the Rook had teased Jaspar about the fact he didn't talk like a seer. Jaspar didn't want to talk like a seer. He was not there to put on some act.
"That was a from a sci-fi novel actually," Jaspar half-smiled at the tease before reaching forward and revealing the next card. "What is next?" he asked curious now.
"The Warlock of Slingstones," Justice said in a mock seer voice, laughing as Jaspar hit him lightly.
"One sec, I heard that one recently," Jaspar commented picking up the mp3 and hitting reserve. After a few moments of searching through the audio clips, he found the part with the named supernatural cards. He offered an earbud to Justice and hit play.
"The Warlock of Slingstones," the woman said using an almost sultry tone at this part of the tape. "Depicted as an adult with deep black eyes with haunt your soul, involved in a serious faux pas in a cave is associated with a secret, an agreement, mental clarity and willpower. Inverted..." Jasper hit pause.
"No wonder you're struggling," Justice snorted. "She sounds like a right twit," he commented. "But a secret, and agreement, mental clarity and willpower. Could be any of those but I do agree with you. The first card was to do with John buying my soul. This..." Justice was quiet for a moment. "This is properly to do with my hopes to escape soon," he admitted softly, clearly scared someone was going to hear him.
"A secret certainly. I'm guessing you have an agreement with someone about how to make that happen," Jaspar commented. A fire burned through his mind and over his skin briefly. Not like with Nathan's vision, it wasn't painful or scaling it was home. "The Wardens..."
"I think we should move to the final card," Justice commented, interrupting Jaspar clearly wanting to hurry on from the topic rather than stay on it.
Jaspar wished he could look at Justice at that moment and see his face. Jaspar had no idea what Justice was thinking or even hoping for but this had clearly not been for practice. Whatever Justice had planned, it was going to happen that day and he wanted to know what would happen with a proper vision. Jaspar hesitated for a moment but nodded and reached out to the final card.
"I think you should get back to work before I tell John you're planning to escape using the Wardens," Elison said darkly, his voice seeming to thunder in the room, unexpected and furious.
"Elison," Justice said, suddenly sounding scared. Jaspar heard a stool crash to the ground nearby. "You won't tell, will you," he asked breathlessly, his voice shaking. This was no small thing. "He'd kill me in a heartbeat rather than let me go."
"I think I have Justice. I don't think he will kill you though. If you go through with whatever plan you have in your sleeves, certainly. I don't think he would harm you for having a plan. Your ass is going to be sore though. The wardens', on the other hand, are fair game," Elison rumbled, walking forward and picking up the final card from the wooden top. "I have to tell him Justice. He knows something is brewing with you but I had not thought you would be so stupid as to try to escape."
"Why is it stupid to want to escape?" Jaspar asked, trying to distract Elison from Justice.
"Not now, Jaspar," Elison warned, a hand landing on Jaspar's shoulder almost painfully and Jaspar found himself shutting up. The air in the room now was cold and heavy. The sensation seemingly sinking into Jaspar's bones and he started to shiver. The watch now felt ice cold and Jaspar almost wanted to take it off. "Justice, swear to me you won't try and I won't tell him. I won't risk my head for anything less."
"I can't," breathed Justice in those two words sounding absolutely petrified. Petrified of John learning the truth but also petrified of losing the one real chance he had at freedom.
"Then I think you better go sit in your room until John returns, don't you?" Elison said coldly.
"Please," Justice begged.
"Go," Elison roared.
At the same time of the roar, there was a loud crashing sound. The ground trembled under Jasper feet and he fell from the bar stool to the ground, something hard hit his head. The world ringing, all Jaspar could make out was yelling as he curled into a ball and covered his head with his arms to stop anything else striking him. A sudden explosion of dust in the air making it hard to breathe.
Slowly his ability to focus returned again. The sounds of heavy objects rolling and a car engine revving. A cold wind blew over him and Jaspar suddenly realised he could smell petrol. He could also feel blood dripping down his face from his forehead. He reached up and touched the wound, hissing painfully as red-hot pain rolled through him.
Elison roared again, sounding almost far away, but someone yelled something and the room was filled with magic for a brief moment. Light magic which made Jasper twinkle. Then Elison was silent.
Someone grabbed Jaspar's arm and yanked him up and forward. "We have to go now," Justice stated firmly, still sounding terrified. Jaspar stumbled over rocks, not quite having his balance when he realised what must have happened. A truck had driven into the front of the Rook. He was stumbling over bricks, not rocks. Another voice was calling, one he vaguely knew but his eyes from ringing from the crashing sound.
"What is happening?" Leo's voice entered the fray. "The hell?" he sounded shocked and like he didn't believe what he was seeing.
"I'm making a break for it, Leo. Do you want to come?" Justice asked seriously, letting go of Jaspar.
A different set of hands grabbed him and yanked him into what he could only assume was a car. Jasper could feel leather under his nails. A damp cloth was pressed against his wound. He hissed again but was more prepared for the flow of pain.
"Sorry about that kid," an unfamiliar bloke commented. "Keep that in place," he ordered before fastening a seat belt around Jasper and leaving him alone. He wasn't sure what Leo's answer was but moments later, Justice got into the car alone.
The car sped off, fast.