“You mentioned a flashlight,” I said. “You spent time in the human world?”
“I did. My kind isn’t particularly welcome in some parts of the encanto world, but it is getting better, as you can tell. I enjoyed the human world, though. I made many friends.”
“People told me that you’re necromancers, that you deal with spirits.”
“That’s part of the job. But death is just as much a part of the natural world as life.”
“What about curses?” Nix asked, agape. “I’ve heard you can do that, too.”
“Nix,” I warned. “Don’t be rude.”
“I’m only asking!”
Gani didn’t seem bothered. “There are curses to inflict on one’s enemies, but it is a mirrored arrow. What shoots forward must also shoot back. We must be careful when it comes to that sort of magic. Otherwise, we risk everything. But that is why we are so educated. People often fear what they do not understand.” He hovered his hands over my body, my chest, and my head, his brow knit with focus but his eyes never ceasing to be kind. “Because to lift curses, one must know how curses work.”
A look crossed his face, one that flitted away just as quickly, but I caught it all the same. “What is it?” I asked.
Relenting with a sigh, Gani tipped his head and said, “Your condition is…unique. I haven’t encountered someone like you before.”
I wasn’t sure if that was a good or bad thing. I was leaning more toward bad.
“There is magic at play, though; that is for certain,” he said, lowering his hands. “Tell me, have you been able to use your power at all recently?”
“I haven’t tried in a while. I’ve been struggling to master it.”
“Can we try now?”
“Sure.” I sat up, and Gani handed me a copper coin.
“Please, if you will, try to turn the copper into silver. I will sense if there is any kind of interference. It should be a relatively simple transmutation.”
I glanced at Nix, who nodded in support and said, “You can do it!”
While Gani hovered his hands over me, I focused on the coin in my palm. I concentrated, tried to push everything else out of my mind just like I’d been trained to do, but the copper remained unchanged in my hand.
“Do you know what’s wrong?” I asked him, and handed the coin back.
He regarded me for a moment and turned to Nix. “Apologies, Princess Nix. If you’d be so kind as to give us some privacy.”
“Oh!” Nix said, eyes wide. “Of course. Excuse me.”
She gave me an encouraging thumbs-up before she slinked out of the infirmary and closed the door. Gani tucked the coin into his pocket and pulled up a stool to take a seat near me.
“Is something wrong?” I asked. “Do you know what’s happening?”
“It’s not in my nature to lie, especially to my clients. So when I tell you I don’t know, I don’t want to frighten you. Your condition is unlike anything I’ve seen before. If you’re open to the idea, I’d like to do a tarot card reading. To get a greater understanding of your situation—perhaps gain some insight about the whole picture, if you will. Even see what’s to come.”
The fact that he didn’t answer my question outright set my nerves on edge, but I took a calming breath. “Tarot cards can predict the future?”
“A possible future. Nothing is set in stone. Think of it like forks in a road. Tarot can shine a light and reveal details about the paths ahead.”
I nodded, choosing to ignore the anxiety swirling in me, and Gani took a velvet bag out of his traveling case. He peeled the velvet off the deck and extended it to me, not touching the cards as he did so. Gingerly, I took the cards and fanned them out. I’d never used tarot cards before, and I didn’t know what any of them meant, but I admired the artwork on each one. I could tell that they were from printed woodblocks, embossed with gold, some with images of encantos, others with mythical animals.
“Shuffle the deck as much as you’d like,” Gani said. He unfolded the velvet bag, revealing that it was actually a large square velvet tablecloth, and spread it on the counter next to us. “The cards need to learn about you, get a sense of who you are. Take your time.”
I did as I was told, and when I was ready, I stood across from Gani. He had me draw the top card.
“This represents your past,” he said, pointing to the card facing up between us. “The Queen of Wands is all about passion and determination. But since it’s reversed, upside down for you, perhaps there’s an element of low confidence or jealousy.”
