The Magical Tarot Deck

by Marieke Lexmond

  Abruptly, Mab lets her go, and Ceri falls back on the bed, ready to scramble, but Mab seems to have reverted back to her seductive mood. ‘The dagger?’ These two words tingle through her body, suggesting all sorts of things. This time, however, Ceri will not let herself be distracted. She smiles at Mab.

  ‘I think I feel generous today. I’ll make you a deal. If you pleasure me again today, I will let you use the Fountain in ~ na cinniúna to make the exchange. The witches are not allowed to use any magic under any circumstances.’ The twinkle in Mab’s eyes makes Ceri wary.

  In her mind, she quickly analyzes the words. For now, she doesn’t see any double meaning. And although she isn’t in the mood for sex anymore after Mab showed her real face, there could be worse ways to seal the deal.

  ‘Agreed.’ Ceri answers.

  ‘Perfect.’ Mab gives her one of her full wattage seductive smiles as she pulls Ceri toward her.

  UTAH

  Luna and Tom are parked a little down the road from Lucy’s house. There is no doubt in Luna’s mind that this is the house. Everything about this house amplifies the power of the ley lines: its position, the materials used, and the stark exterior all reflect Lucy’s personality. Yet, there is one other little thing that confirms the correct location—the gentle pull of Lucy’s spellbook. Something deep within Luna had connected to it while she had it in her possession, and now it is calling her. This both frightens and excites her. The knowledge in that book was unparalleled for a modern witch. Lucy’s hunger for deeper and darker magic must have been insatiable—if only she could get her hands on it again.

  ‘Somebody is coming.’ warns Tom.

  Quickly, Luna waves her hand and mumbles a camouflage spell. It will blend them with their surroundings.

  Cal is on his way back to the house from his run, with his earphones blasting Billie Eilish, droning out the ever-annoying Seamus. The man doesn’t stop talking, and he can’t seem to get rid of him. Seamus is floating behind, letting himself be dragged forward by the tips of his fingers.

  ‘You know, if you didn’t eat all that crap, you wouldn’t need to exercise so much.’ Seamus advises him. ‘Do you think your grandmother even notices if you’re in good shape?’ He tries, knowing very well by now that if he has his earphones on, he can’t get through to Cal. Seamus is never one to give up easily though. His misgivings about creating the Tarot Deck and the suffering of his family spur him on. What else can he do? ‘She will never acknowledge you, you know. There is only room for one person in her life, and that’s Lucy.’ While he continues trying to get Cal’s attention, his eyes are wandering and he sights a car up ahead. With some swirls and somersaults, he moves toward the front limits of the perimeter of the spell and catches a glimpse of Luna, just before she activates the spell. The car is there, but something is deflecting attention from it. Seamus glances toward Cal; he still seems to be into his music and has hopefully missed this. Seamus smiles, and hope fills his heart. Luna is powerful, and because she’s here, the family must have come up with some sort of plan. Relaxed, he lets himself hang in the air until Cal passes him, and he gets dragged forward again.

  Cal reaches the house and disappears inside. Once he shuts the door behind him, he turns as if he still can see the car. How stupid does everybody think he is? Of course, he noticed the witch in the car. He sensed her, even before he turned the corner. She’s at his home. Better find his grandmother.

  Lucy is in her workroom. Humming while she gathers supplies for some spell work.

  ‘Uhm, Grandma,’ Cal hesitantly calls her. When she turns around, she even smiles. Such a scary thing. In all the twenty years he has been living with her, he can count the times she has smiled at him on one hand. The return of her magic has put her in an unprecedented good mood.

  ‘There’s a witch outside sitting in a car.’ This news wipes the smile from her face, and she strides toward him.

  ‘Let’s go to the roof. You can show me.’

  ‘Don’t do it!’ urges Seamus in his ear, to no avail.

  The sun is shining, and they can see far into the distance. At first glance, Luna’s car is not visible.

  ‘There.’ points Cal.

  ‘Stop pointing! Of course, I can see it.’ Lucy sends out her witch sense, and when she touches Luna, she immediately knows who she’s dealing with. The witch who kept her enthralled with the spirits in Boston. What is she doing here? Very inconvenient that the Madigans know where she lives now. However this plays out, they will have to abandon the house. She had counted on being able to stay here for much longer. This is her favorite place. Attuned to her every need. Damnit. The last vestiges from her excellent mood vanish.

  ‘Start packing up the house. Get Mara. When this is over, we need to go.’ The tone in Lucy’s voice leaves no room for questions.

  ‘Go where?’ Seamus wants to know. Cal knows better than to ask questions now.

  ‘Yes, Ma’am.’ Cal says before he heads down to the basement to get the packing boxes.

  Lucy stays on the roof and stares down at the car. Twice this witch has proven she’s someone to reckon with. But she will be no match now that Lucy has her full powers back and is on her home turf.

  When the sun starts to set, Lucy finally walks down, out of the house and straight for Luna’s car.

  Luna had felt Lucy’s exploring touch and knows she’s aware of her presence. For hours, she has been waiting for Lucy’s next move. After talking to Tara, they had decided to wait and see what would happen.

  Now that Lucy is coming toward her, Luna wished they had been more proactive. To guess what’s coming next is not a good position to be in. ‘I’m stepping out.’ She says to Tom.

  ‘Are you sure? What can I do?’ He’s not happy with this. This whole witch stuff renders him useless in this situation, and that makes him extremely uncomfortable.

  ‘I’d rather have room to maneuver. Sitting down is not a good position to be in. Please stay in the car. Don’t make yourself a target.’ With that, she gets out.

  Lucy stops about ten feet away. Luna has pulled her power around her, and she can sense Lucy’s. Calm. She has to stay very calm and not show what she’s thinking.

  Lucy twirls her finger, and a spell hangs on the tip of her finger. ‘Why are you here?’

  Okay, she’s going for the direct approach.

  ‘We want to make a trade.’ Luna replies and makes sure she chooses her next words well. Tara had filled her in about the daggers. ‘The Deck for a dagger.’

  ‘Right.’ Lucy mulls this over in her head. The young witch had said the same thing earlier, so now they’re here.

  ‘Suppose I want to do that. It’s clearly another trap. How do you want to do it?’

  ‘I swear, we want the Deck and no tricks. We have brokered a deal with Mab, so we can do the exchange in Fairy. Neutral ground.’

  Lucy barks a laugh, ‘Neutral ground, Fairy?! Are you insane?’

  ‘It’s the only place that is difficult for both of us and is not in this world.’ Luna continues.

  ‘You have a sister who’s a fairy; it’s a setup.’

  ‘It is not.’

  Lucy lets the spell grow while she thinks, Luna has no choice but to start one of her own. A shield builds up in front of her.

  ‘I’ll do it. Here are my conditions. You swear it’s not a setup. There can only be two of you. I will also bring only one other person. You will bring the Dagger, and I will bring the Magical Tarot Deck. We make the trade, and we both will be able to leave unharmed.’

  This is close to what they wanted; now Luna has to be very careful in how she words her promise.

  ‘I swear that we will bring the dagger that is given to us. That we will show up with only two people. We’ll trade, and we will all be able to leave unharmed.’ The air around them contracts and expands with the promise.

  ‘Deal.’ Lucy replies. A bell tolls—the deal is made.

  SOMEWHERE BETWEEN SPACE AND TIME

  The Maiden an
d Crone are glued to what looks like a pond with a watery mirror surface. When the bell tolls, the mirror ripples in response.

  ‘Oh, dear.’ The Crone sounds worried.

  ‘This will be fun. You’re not having second thoughts, are you?’ The Maiden glances at her.

  ‘Noooo. But this might end differently than you anticipated.’

  ‘That’s the fun part; we leave it to chance now.’ Confident of herself, the Maiden sits back.

  ‘Soon, we’ll know.’ The Crone bends forward again to make sure she doesn’t miss a thing. They might be a pain in the ass these witches, but they do provide some welcome entertainment.

  UTAH

  A gate stretches open next to Luna’s car. Ceri steps through and looks absolutely vibrant. Her fairy power swirls around her, blinding Luna. Quickly, she pulls down her sunglasses. What the hell has happened to her sister? ‘Can you shield? I can’t see a thing.’ Luna holds up her hand to help keep the glare out of her eyes.

  ‘Sorry.’ With a snap of her finger, the sunlight seems to be drawn back into Ceri, and she appears normal again. As normal as she will ever be. There is no longer any escaping her heritage.

  ‘Are you coming?’

  ‘What about me?’ Tom appears behind Luna.

  Ceri looks around. ‘You can’t come.’

  ‘He can’t stay here either. We can’t leave him unprotected when Lucy comes back.’

  For a moment, Ceri weighs the options. ‘I’m sorry, Tom, but you will have to drive back. I can’t hide you and run the risk of breaking Luna’s promise. My sister is right, you can’t stay. We’ll find you. Make your way back, and if we can, we will shorten your journey.’

  Frustrated at being left behind, Tom is about to argue. ‘Please, darling.’ Luna grabs his hand and pulls him close. ‘Please.’ She whispers in his mouth while she gives him a kiss he won’t forget soon. Grudgingly, he lets go and opens the door at the driver’s side.

  ‘Promise to be careful.’ His frustration and concern are unmistakable.

  ‘I promise.’ She blows him a kiss; it flutters through the air and lands with a loud smack on his cheek. Right then, the sisters step through the portal, and it snaps shut.

  With a big sigh, he gets in the car. Better get moving.

  FAIRY

  Luna and Ceri are in a courtyard. The home of the Fountain in ~ na cinniúna, which translates as the Fountain in the Lap of the Gods. The marvel of Fairy is on full display here. The secluded space is surrounded by trees that Luna has never seen before; they feel ancient and wise. Their branches form a closed-off area, and you can barely see the sky. Just a hint of blue shines through the vibrant green, and splashes of sunlight are visible through the treetops illuminating this tranquil space. The smell of fresh raindrops and honey is inviting. It lulls the senses to sleep. You would expect to hear the sounds of birds singing and other noises, but it’s hushed except for the sound of a crystal-clear brook that sings to your heart. A longing to wash away all her worries in this fountain takes hold, and Luna forces herself to shake it off.

  ‘It’s something, isn’t it?’ says Ceri twirling in place.

  ‘It’s lovely and scary at the same time. It does something to my focus.’ says Luna with a shudder.

  ‘Mab forbade us to use magic. Otherwise, I could shelter you.’

  ‘I’ll be fine.’ Luna reassures her sister. ‘Did you bring it?’

  Ceri carefully pulls the dagger from her pocket. Reverently, she holds it up to Luna.

  She lets her hand hover above it and the dagger vibrates with a power that is ready to be unleashed.

  ‘Maybe we should keep it?’ She wonders out loud.

  Ceri takes a step back, ‘It’s tempting.’

  ‘Can’t we keep it somehow?’ For a moment, this plan seems stupid. They need to keep this precious magical tool; it might not be the real Dagger, but it still holds some form of power.

  ‘You made a promise.’ Ceri reminds her sister. ‘Do you want to bear the burden of the backlash from that?’

  Luna reaches for it. ‘Luna! Do I need to get someone else to make this trade with me? If you’re too tempted…’ Ceri moves away from Luna making sure the dagger is covered back up and out of her sister’s reach.

  For several seconds, they stare at each other. Slowly, Luna seems to get a grip and returns to her old self. ‘Damn. This place is doing something to me.’ Suspiciously, she eyes her surroundings. ‘I can do it.’

  Ceri looks skeptical.

  ‘Really. I’m good.’

  ‘You’re absolutely sure? I have to go and let Lucy in now. I’m sure she will try something, and I’m also pretty sure Mab will make her presence known. I need to know I can count on you.’

  ‘Always.’ replies Luna and kisses her younger, oh no, older sister on her cheek. That will take some getting used to. She has always seen Ceri as the baby. ‘Let’s get this over with.’

  Without further ado, Ceri opens a portal into Lucy’s workroom, and Lucy and Mara are waiting ready to go.

  ‘Welcome.’ Ceri waves them through. They also need a minute to adjust to the magic of the place. Even though they’re both powerful witches, there is something about the magic of Fairy.

  ‘Don’t forget everybody. No magic under any circumstances.’ Ceri reminds them all.

  ‘As long as that also counts for you.’ replies Lucy, wary. She hadn’t forgotten her last time in Fairy, and Mab is someone who can’t be trusted.

  ‘Of course. Everybody.’

  ‘Did you bring the Deck?’ Luna is also uncomfortable. The stillness of this place gives her the creeps.

  Lucy holds up the Deck. She didn’t have to ask if they had brought the Dagger, she can feel its power, it sings to her blood.

  ‘Show us the cards.’ Luna demands.

  With a practiced hand, Lucy fans out the cards, the familiar faces of their family stare up at them.

  ‘Right.’ says Luna and looks toward Ceri. ‘How did you want to do the exchange?’

  Ceri had been keeping an eye on Mara; the woman has a lot of talent, like Luna, and you can almost feel her power pressing against you. Mara is wary of the space, her eyes constantly moving around, looking for signs of possible danger—somebody to keep an eye on.

  ‘Over at the Fountain is a natural table, we could place our items at each end and swap them. The four of them move over to the Fountain, keeping their distance from each other, while they also all try to keep an eye on Fairy. All of them are sure that Mab will try something. They can’t trust each other, but they sure can’t trust this place.

  The clattering of the brook of the Fountain in ~ na cinniúna lures them forward. It’s hard to resist its pull. A drink of water promises you prosperity and long life. It’s awfully tempting to take a little sip. Mara reaches for the water; Lucy’s hand snaps out and pulls her back.

  ‘You know better. Never drink or eat anything in Fairy.’ Again, she scans the area. Did the trees come closer? It’s looking a touch darker.

  ‘I wish she would show up. This is nerve-wracking.’ Luna voices what they all are thinking.

  The Fountain itself looks like two elven hands cupping the water. Carved from some Fairy stone, the hands try to contain the water that cascades over from a brook above. The force of the water is so strong that it slips through the fingers of the hands like a waterfall, dropping down into a little pond that is surrounded by orange and yellow flowers. The flowers are blooming continuously. They open up, and the fruit is ready to pick, but only for a couple of seconds before the cycle starts again. From the pond, a little stream gushes between the rocks. Over the stream is a natural overlay of rock resembling a table.

  ‘Here.’ Ceri points to the table, which is rectangular in shape. If they each place their items at opposite ends, they couldn’t get to the other end without crossing the water, making it impossible for either one to grab the other item without using magic.

  Lucy looks at it and then at Luna.

  ‘Who is go
ing to do the exchange?’ asks Lucy.

  ‘I am.’ replies Ceri.

  ‘She has to stay away.’ Lucy points toward Luna. ‘I don’t want her to have any opportunity to grab the Dagger.’

  Luna holds up her hands and moves toward the edge of the trees.

  ‘She should too.’ Ceri indicates Mara.

  Lucy nods at Mara and who reluctantly joins Luna leaving a couple of feet between the two of them.

  ‘Shall we?’ smiles Lucy. Her hands are itching to get the Dagger. Once she has that in her possession, she will teach the Madigans a lesson they won’t quickly forget. What a pain this all has been.

  Ceri jumps over the stream, with a lightness of foot that surprises even herself. Being a Fairy clearly has its advantages. Her natural stamina has definitely improved. When she’s positioned behind her end, she carefully takes the dagger and places it reverently on the table. Lucy’s eyes shine. Quickly, she lays down the Tarot Deck. Without further delay, they each rush to the other end. Not quickly enough, though. The table that just a second ago had looked like a solid rock starts to swallow up the items. Ceri’s fairy blood and her younger age give her an advantage, and before the table can get a good grip on the Tarot Deck, she manages to snatch it from its grasp, but the table still has hold of the string that holds the bag closed. A tug of war with the table ensues. Ceri pulls with all her might and the string breaks. Quickly, she pockets the Deck.

  On the opposite side, Lucy reaches the table too late. She wedges one of her hands between the sinking dagger and the table, but it only makes things worse.

  ‘Ah!’ She shouts in frustration, and within seconds, Mara is by her side. Pulling at her arm. To no avail. The dagger sinks beyond their reach, and Lucy’s hand is embedded in the table, which has turned back to stone.

  A wicked laugh sounds through the clearing; Ceri and Luna both back up as far from the Fountain as possible.

  Mab appears sitting in the hands of the Fountain, the water flows around her, without touching her.

  ‘At last. We meet again. For you, after so many years. Look at you! Old and wrinkled.’ Mab taunts Lucy. ‘For me; it was just a blink of an eye.’ She swishes her hair around, and it mingles with the flowing water. ‘And you brought one of your spawn, what a delicious creature.’ Mab blows Mara a kiss.