My cheeks got hot. The card was more accurate than I had anticipated. I couldn’t help but notice the queen in the card looked startlingly like me. Same dark hair, same blue eyes, same olive skin.
When I drew another card, Gani said, “This represents your present. The Two of Swords is about difficult choices, indecision, perhaps being pulled in different directions.”
The woman in the card was blindfolded, swords crossed in front of her chest. Again, she looked just like me. The hair on my arms stood on end. I drew another card. My future.
“The Tower,” he said. “A terribly misunderstood card.”
“How come?”
“The Tower represents change, upheaval, disaster. But when used in this context, it can also mean a change for the better, a positive redirection that perhaps you aren’t ready for, an unexpected shift. It can also mean the end of things, good or bad. Change can be frightening sometimes.”
I stared at the card. It depicted a castle tower surrounded by roses, and a mountain range divided the night sky in the background. The tower was on fire, crumbling; people were throwing themselves out of windows, screaming on the way down. At the very top of the tower was a woman, her hands extended to the full moon, pleading for help. I didn’t know how such imagery could be considered good in any capacity.
“It looks just like my palace,” I said, a little breathless. I almost didn’t want to believe what I was seeing.
“Does it?” Gani asked, his eyes moving from the card back to me.
“The same gemstones and pearlescent spires and everything.”
“You see what the cards want you to see,” Gani said. “Try not to worry. Let’s do something different.” He had me take up the cards again, shuffling them once more. “I want you to choose another card. One that speaks to you the most. Let’s see what you have.”
I placed the top card down on the table. The Tower.
“Let’s try again,” Gani said, his smile a little tight. “Try to clear your mind.”
I did and reshuffled the deck. I pulled another card.
The Tower. Again and again, I drew the same card, even when it was in the middle of the deck. No matter what, I always pulled The Tower.
I looked at Gani. Despite his smile, his face had lost some color.
When I went to pick up the card again, Gani whipped a corner of the velvet over it, covering it completely. Neither of us said anything for a moment.
“What does that mean?” I asked.
“Nothing to fear, Your Majesty.”
I thought he never wanted to lie to me. Gani made a point not to touch them when he gathered the deck up in the square of velvet once more. Did this mean I was doomed?
“Can you still help me?” I asked.
Gani’s smile returned, though all the warmth had gone from his eyes. “It was a pleasure to meet you, Your Majesty.”
I didn’t know what else to do, so I stepped away from the table and turned to go. My knees were weak, and my head swam with confusion. What had just happened? What would I do?
Before I left, I turned back just in time to see Gani throw the entire deck, velvet and all, into the trash can, light a match, and set it on fire.
14
When Ileftthe infirmary, I was too tired to put on a brave face. I had no idea what any of this meant. Was I destined for catastrophe? Would I be the one to cause all of it? The Tower card looked so similar to my palace—was it actually predicting the future? I braced myself against one of the walls in the house—I didn’t know which one. I hardly knew where I was; my head was still spinning. I had to catch my breath. I was barely staying on my feet.
Gani couldn’t help me. The tarot cards had shown me fire and destruction and despair. He’d said the cards could be interpreted in several ways, but I wasn’t sure there was any outlook other than total disaster. With a sinking pit in my stomach, I knew I really was doomed.
“MJ?”
Qian stood at the far end of the hall, looking every bit like Prince Charming. His bow was strung across his back, and his quiver was at his hip. He stared at me curiously, growing more concerned the longer he did. His brow furrowed as he approached, and I smiled, but I knew it looked forced. When he stopped in front of me, I caught his familiar scent of bergamot.
“Are you all right?” he asked. He stretched his hand out to me, but he stopped himself just short of touching my arm. “Did something happen?”
