Madame Aphrodite rolled her eyes with flair. “It’s Death,” she said dryly. “But don’t be so dramatic—this isn’t about literal death. It’s the end of something that no longer serves you. A door that must close so a new one can open.”
I exhaled, letting her words sink in. Transformation. Ending something. This time, the message seemed clear: Sienna. But if I hadn’t thought about her in days, my relationship with her was already over. Did that mean something else was ending?
“Finally, the grand finale.” Madame spoke with theatrical anticipation. “Flip the last card to uncover your future.”
I turned over the final card and stared at the image of a man in ragged clothes, barefoot, carrying a stick slung over his shoulder. “Wait, am I about to become the world’s worst-dressed hiker?”
Madame Aphrodite cackled, clearly amused by my discomfort. “No, dear. This is The Fool.” She leaned in, her tone serious. “The Fool represents a fresh start. A journey into the unknown, full of possibilities. It’s about trusting your instincts, even when others don’t understand.”
I stared at the card, feeling a strange mix of hope and dread. A fresh start sounded good on paper, but what if I messed it up? What if I wasn’t enough?
Madame Aphrodite’s eyes twinkled. “Of course, fear will cling to you like a shadow. It always does. But the question is, will you let it decide your path?”
I didn’t answer. I couldn’t. She was asking about something that I wasn’t ready to confront.
As we rose to leave, her knowing gaze followed me. “The universe speaks in mysterious ways.” Her voice sparkled with mischief.
When Anna and I reached the door, Madame Aphrodite leaned in close, her eyes glittering with sudden intensity. “Beware the place tall shadows lean,” she whispered. “For when the ground trembles and silence is keen, it’s the tree that falls, not the scene.”
Anna tilted her head, her playful sarcasm vanishing. “What does that mean?”
Madame Aphrodite offered nothing more than a cryptic smile, her painted lips curving into an enigmatic grin.
I forced a laugh, trying to shake off the strange reading. “Well, I was kind of hoping for a card that said, ‘Congratulations, you’ll win an Oscar.’”
Anna snorted beside me. “With my luck, I’m surprised I didn’t draw a card saying, ‘Congratulations, you’ve won… jury duty.’”
As we walked away, the fortune teller’s words followed me like a shadow I couldn’t outrun. A fresh start. Trusting my instincts. Letting go of fear. They sounded simple enough, but deep down, I knew better.
17
ANNA
We were donewith the tarot-card reader, and I needed a drink—or maybe an exorcist—to shake off what had just transpired.
Or at least some comfort food.
“Do you want to go to Pat O’Brien’s and have a hurricane? It’s a sweet rum drink that’s a New Orleans specialty,” I said.
Luke offered a small, easy smile. “I don’t drink. But if you want one, go for it.”
“How about Napoleon House instead? They’ve got incredible muffuletta sandwiches. It’s classic New Orleans.”
Luke tilted his head, intrigued. “Napoleon House? Sounds fancy.”
I grinned. “It’s not. The building’s over two-hundred years old, and the story goes that the owner wanted it to be a refuge for Napoleon Bonaparte after his exile. He never showed, obviously, but the name stuck. Now, it’s one of the most iconic spots in the city.”
“I’m sold.”
With its dark wood and peeling paint, Napoleon House possessed a weathered charm. Stepping inside felt like stepping back in time. Luke slipped into a dramatic French accent, likely because he was worried about being overheard.
“You can call me Jacques Laurent,” he declared, gesturing grandly toward a corner table. “Assieds-nous et commandons ivrognes.”
I nearly dropped my bag as I burst out laughing. “Oh my gosh. What?”
His expression turned mock offended. “What? What did I say?”
Through my giggles, I managed to explain, “You just said, ‘Let’s sit and order drunks.’ I think you were going forboissons. Drinks.”
