“It’s a blend of anise, arrowroot, and… liquefied entrails.” A smile peeled up her lips. “Animals, of course.”
Of course.
Atlas merely shrugged, still bouncing next to me with Aspen in his arms, who was giggling as his father tickled his belly. Taking a deep breath, I reached a hand in, trying not to grimace at the syrupy texture. “Okay. Now what?”
“You still haven’t fully set your lunar intention. Once you do, and it’s clear, the cards shall be within your grasp.”
I’d never done a reading like this before. Usually no cauldron, or entrails, were involved.
“It’s a ritual reserved only for high witches with proper certification to perform on the full moon,” Ruby added, a mischievous lilt to her tone.
Could she read my thoughts?
“Yes. But only when you’re touching my deck.”
So that wasn’t her gift. I didn’t know much about high witches, other than they all had to serve the Council of Magical Welfare for six years in exchange for access to the advanced skills they learned in training. Only the most brilliant and promising witches were allowed into the program. Some of them were even blessed with more than one gift.
“The first card represents you, the second your life, and the third your love. Once you’re ready, that is.”
My mind cleared, finally focusing on the intention of wanting to figure out where my sister was. Five cards shot into my grasp.
“Go ahead and show us, dear.” I lifted the cards out of the blackened ether. Flying out from my fingers, they floated midair above us, coated in the ichor that slowly dripped off, landing magically back in the cauldron.
“Hmm.” Ruby wiggled her fingers, as if deciding which card to grab first.
“What is it?”
“Nothing,” she replied, finally snatching one in her hand. “Just always interested to see what the cards will tell me about a person.”
“What do they say?”
She flipped the card, revealing a beautiful woman dressed in black holding an iridescent crystal and ancient text, a large moon situated behind her, glinting in the dim light of the candles floating above us.
“The Empress.” A nod to our Moon Goddess, the one who birthed magic to this world and changed the course of its history.
“Motherhood?” I held back the urge to roll my eyes. Maybe Ruby wasn’t as legit as she claimed, though she couldn’t lie about being a high witch. There would be runes, ones that couldn’t be falsified. But it seemed a little too on the nose.
“Well, it also could mean fertility”—better fucking not—“or nature. Like tonight’s full moon,” Ruby said, waving her arms at the darkening sky. “It is the perfect time to go to the pines and recharge your magic.”
Yes, real fucking perfect.
My gaze narrowed, darting up to Atlas whose brows lifted defensively as if to sayI didn’t tell her to say that. He continued to bounce with Aspen, grabbing a moon pie off a hovering tray and downing it in one bite.
“Death.” My attention snapped back to Ruby, throat constricting.
What if that meant—
“Now don’t get all doom and gloom on me. Death doesn’t usually mean something so final. It could also mean a new beginning, letting go of things that don’t serve you.”
“But it could also meandeath,” I said, unable to stop clinging to the horrible word and the fear it drummed within my heart.
“It could…” Ruby furrowed her brow, not seeming to want to elaborate further. Just when I was about to get up and walk away, she spoke again. “Let’s see the third.”
She pulled down the third card, flipping it to face me.
“The Hermit.” She merely shrugged. “You’re searching for truth in love. Or maybe isolation…”
Well, those weren’t totally opposing ideas.
