Major Detours

by Zachary Sergi

  As we read, I hear Amelia’s breath catch in her throat. The wording might be different, but this passage also captures Gran Flo’s own teachings on the tarot. Reading this, it feels less and less likely she could have happened into this deck by chance at a yard sale.

  “Carson believed the tarot was the most precise spiritual tool on earth,” Lady Azure says. “He believed every human soul was a unique reflection of the same source, much like tarot cards themselves—walking contradictions, bound and fused in one unique expression. He knew the cards, like humans, contained multitudes. If you were ever lucky enough to be read by Carson, he had a gift for using his decks to illuminate who you were. And even more keenly, what you have to offer the world.”

  “I can see how that would be a compelling thought,” Logan replies, “that Perilli could reveal your deepest talents and truest purpose.”

  “‘Compelling’ is certainly the right word for it,” Cleo adds. “I mean, was Perilli really just a benevolent spiritual teacher and a gifted artist? Or did he think of himself as some kind of prophet? He sounds a lot like a charismatic leader, to me.”

  Lady Azure turns her gaze to Cleo, her blue eyes cooling over.

  “Could it be that Carson Perilli was all of this at once?” she asks. “Just like the complex figures of the Major Arcana themselves?”

  “Well, on some level that’s always been part of what draws Chase and me to the tarot,” Amelia jumps in, obviously trying to defuse. “It has inherent expressions of our talents, mine for empathy and his for analysis.”

  “I’m not surprised one of Carson’s decks would bring this out in you,” Lady Azure offers. “It’s what they were built for, even if you never received a proper Perillian reading.”

  My mind churns. As fascinating as this discussion is, we need to get back to the central question of this unraveling mystery: Why did Perilli’s final deck really end up in our hands? Flipping through this book, I see it’s just more quotes—which means Lady Azure must still keep the deepest well of knowledge to herself.

  Something tells me that if she does possess more answers, pulling them out of her might require a subtle touch. So I need to dress this question up with a hook she can’t resist.

  “Something about our possession of this deck feels fated, like some kind of calling being fulfilled?” I say.

  Click here

  “There must be a natural explanation rooted in fact and history—or maybe even in sheer coincidence?” I say.

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  “How is it all of you Perillians came to be organized?” I ask. “I mean, how did you all find one another?”

  “I dare say we’re not quite as organized as I always pressed Carson to be,” Lady Azure answers. “Still, he did believe there was a natural order to humanity, just like the tarot.”

  Lady Azure stands, her caftan brushing the floor as she paces toward a specific spot on the shop’s far wall.

  “Carson believed the tarot was the most precise spiritual tool on the planet,” Lady Azure continues. “If you were lucky enough to be read by him, he had a gift for using his own decks to illuminate who you were and where you belonged.”

  Lady Azure then unfolds a chart hanging on the wall. Glancing at Amelia, we both stand to see it. Logan, Cleo, and Anwar follow closely behind.

  “Carson taught that the Major Arcana represents archetypal lessons, covering the inner world of the mind and the spirit. Meanwhile, the Minor Arcana were suited to cover the physical world of bodily action and environment. Accordingly, Carson believed all of humanity could fit into one of four Minor Arcana tribes. After all, the foundational number four appears in so many other sacred systems.”

  “Like winter, spring, summer, fall?” Amelia asks. “West, north, east, south?”

  “Or water, earth, fire, air?” Anwar adds. We all turn to him, surprised—including Amelia. I guess no one knew he was interested in the tarot.

  “Indeed,” Lady Azure answers. “And thus, Cups, Pentacles, Wands, Swords. Carson’s greatest joy was to sort those he read into one of his Four Corners.”

  Standing in front of the chart, we study the information written within a large Perillian symbol. I’m first drawn to the Wands Corner, where our journey began.

  WANDS: Fire. Red. East. Summer. // Aries. Leo. Sagittarius.

  Spiritual. Passion. Faith. Action. Growth. Goals. Intention.

  “There are the Wanderers, the seeking and the faithful,” Lady Azure narrates, evidently following my gaze. “In reality, they are mostly conspiracy theorists obsessed with some nonsense vision of an age of peril.”

  “I don’t know,” Logan replies. “Something about the desert just burns to the truth. We all know there’s nothing stranger, or harsher, or more maddening.”

  Leave it to my Logan to find the good, even after our own Wanderer experience. However, Lady Azure seems less enthused.

  “Next we have the Repentant, the toiling and the scientific,” she pivots.

  PENTACLES: Earth. Green. North. Spring. // Taurus. Virgo. Capricorn.

  Elemental. Physical. Senses. Transaction. Material. Health. Body.

  “Hustlers and hard workers, they tend to be drawn to grounded nature. They’re a touch overly practical and transactional if you ask me, but to their credit, they believe in healing the ills of the world with physical magic, namely science.”

  My eyes slide to Empress Amelia. Predictably, she lights up at this.

  “Does psychology count there?” she asks.

  “Indeed,” Lady Azure says. “My own husband is drawn there, as a therapist. Though I’d say Seidon here belongs with the Sworn, rational and commanding.”

  SWORDS: Air. White. South. Autumn. // Gemini. Libra. Aquarius.

  Rational. Logic. Warrior. Planning. Analysis. Clarity. Change.

  “If Carson ever sorted an actual Sworn, I never heard of them. Grounded in reality and lifted by mindfulness, they are the monks on mountaintops. Thought to be lions of leadership, they are rumored to be some kind of ‘Perilluminati.’ Personally, I believe they’re an ideal Carson devised, one that can never be fulfilled.”

  “That’s actually awesome,” Anwar says.

  Lady Azure frowns in return. “Perhaps. But of course, I’m most partial to the Coupled, emotional and loving.”

  CUPS: Water. Blue. West. Winter. // Cancer. Scorpio. Pisces.

  Emotional. Love. Relationships. Intuition. Connection. Tides.

  “Valuing relationships above all else and drawn to bodies of water, we consider ourselves lilies, fronds floating on ponds, flowing with the tides. We are the most organized Corner, partially because of the value we place in human connection. Though if I’m honest, it’s mostly because of my efforts. I organize meetings here every month, to carry on my Corner of Carson’s tradition.”

  Hearing all this, half of me thinks it’s fascinating. Then the other half thinks it’s completely indulgent, especially the bits using Perilli’s name.

  “For a secretive organization, you sure do like explaining,” Cleo says, smiling sweetly at Lady Azure.

  “Well, my dear, as far as I’m concerned, possession of that deck entitles you to all the knowledge I have,” Lady Azure responds. “I’d offer to do a Perillian reading to sort you all into Corners, but you’ve been in possession of Carson’s final deck all this time. The power of the cards have likely already imbued you all.”

  My mind churns. As fascinating as this discussion is, we need to get back to the central question of this unraveling mystery: Why did Perilli’s final deck really end up in our hands?

  Something tells me that if Lady Azure has deeper answers, pulling them out of her might require a more subtle touch. So I need to dress this question up with a hook she can’t resist.

  “I believe the tarot—and especially Perilli’s deck—does hold symbolic power we don’t yet understand,” I begin. “But why do you think this deck was sent to empower us?”

  Click here

  “I think tarot cards h
old only the power we decide to invest in them, subconsciously or willfully,” I begin. “Which means this deck was sent to us with intention?”

  Click here

  Whether Perilli meant Gran Flo to have this deck or she came to it by chance, there’s a deeper reason we must possess it today. The cards have shaped so much in our lives, have offered so much wisdom and guidance and knowledge—now we’re only just beginning to understand why.

  Of course, all of this means we need to take Lady Azure seriously, and not just as an expert on Carson Perilli. Her readings, however they are devised, tap into the deeper fabric of the tapestry being woven here—into the deeper power these cards have to offer. The power we’ve already experienced.

  But that’s not the only reason to take Lady Azure seriously as a Perillian authority. I can also tell, pretty instantly, that she already has an answer to my delicately posed question.

  Click here

  Whether Perilli meant Gran Flo to have this deck or she came to it by chance, there must be a rational reason why we have it today.

  Perilli’s cards might have shaped so much in our lives, might have offered so much wisdom and guidance and knowledge—but that’s only because we have turned to them for such answers time and time again. Just like Lady Azure’s tarot readings likely deal in facts instead of some cosmically divined intuition.

  However, even if I don’t believe Lady Azure possesses the kind of psychic gifts she claims, we still need to take her seriously as an expert on Carson Perilli.

  Especially because I can tell right away she already has a clear answer to my complicated question.

  Click here

  Lady Azure stares back at me, oceans seeming to brim behind her crystal blue eyes.

  “Carson always said knowledge is like an onion. It’s best peeled back in layers, each one better protected than the last—and each one more likely to bring you to tears.” Lady Azure grins. “And I do believe you’ve all earned your next layer.

  “Before he died a decade ago, I gifted Carson the guest house on our property, as a live-in studio to produce his tarot artwork and cultivate his teachings. It is there, at Coupled Cottage, where Carson spent many of his final years, creating the very deck you’ve brought here today.”

  “Wait. If you’ve never seen our deck before, how do you know he created it there?” Amelia asks.

  “Perilli was famously secretive, even the times he lived as our guest,” Lady Azure answers. “Indeed, I wouldn’t have known about this final deck had he not asked to have it mailed to someone.”

  This revelation drops a silence, thick and icy, into the shop. The same question must occupy all of our minds.

  “Do you have any records of where Perilli mailed the deck?” Logan asks, speaking the heart of the matter, as usual.

  “Carson kept a file with this information, one he made us swear not to open until the deck finally returned. My husband keeps this file under lock and key so we’re not tempted.”

  “You never opened it?” Cleo asks. “And you never tried to find this deck?”

  “If you can believe anything about me, it’s that I have complete reverence for Carson’s ways,” Lady Azure answers. “Besides, Carson assured me his final deck would return to Coupled Cottage. He also left very specific instructions for whoever did appear with it, to help them find the missing Princess of Cups.”

  “Does this location mean anything to you?” Amelia asks next, stepping forward with her phone. We all agreed keeping our phones on us would be smarter than leaving them in the shoebox, just in case. “This is supposed to be an uninhabited island.”

  “Yes, my parents paid handsomely to ensure it seems that way,” Lady Azure says, glancing down at Amelia’s phone. “They were perhaps even more secretive than Carson, so Baxter Manor isn’t supposed to exist. Actually, its complete seclusion was precisely why it appealed so greatly to dear Carson.”

  “Wait, these coordinates point to your home?” Amelia asks, surprised.

  “More precisely, they pinpoint Coupled Cottage, where the missing Princess of Cups is hidden,” Lady Azure answers. “So, my dearest darlings, would you like to sojourn to the Isle of Baxter?”

  Lady Azure then raises her arms, stretching them out so her caftan blows with the breeze. Chills run up my arms, despite myself. I look to the others and can tell they all feel the same. If we really are invited to the secret island estate of a wealthy family of Perillian patrons, what long-buried secrets might we unearth there?

  “Well, my fair lady, we accept your invitation,” Cleo answers first. “Because I spy with my little eye some Wanderers on their way here.”

  I turn, along with the others, to see a rusted red car turn down the street—one of the same cars we saw parked outside the inn when we left. Adrenaline bursts into my veins. Our hunch about the Wanderers checking for us here was right.

  Suddenly a remote island getaway feels even more impossible to resist.

  The next hour becomes a blur of some of the most surreal moments of my life, including yesterday’s desert danger. We sneak out of Azure Tarot’s back entrance into Charvan, then follow Lady Azure as she and Seidon drive to a private dock. We marvel as wrought-iron gates swing open for us, then we split up to board two luxury motorboats. I then find myself speeding off into the sunset with Seidon and Logan across the Pacific Ocean, riding the choppy waters without any clue where we’re really headed.

  When we finally arrive at the Isle of Baxter, we find it is indeed nestled within the chain of Channel Islands. As we approach, we separate from the boat carrying Lady Azure, Amelia, Cleo, and Anwar. Seidon says it’s to reach a secondary dock, but Logan and I eye each other, sensing there must be a different reason.

  Still, it’s hard to feel anything other than amazed once Seidon piles us into a golf cart and drives us up a winding path to Baxter Manor. It turns out to be a sprawling Victorian mansion, complete with turrets and stained-glass windows.

  Right now, as Logan and I step out of the cart and up to the mansion’s grand staircase, we share another awed glance.

  “Shouldn’t we be meeting the others?” I ask, despite my excitement.

  “We will,” Seidon answers. “But Mom said I should take you to Dad’s office first to unlock Uncle Carson’s final deck file.”

  That’s logical enough, but it still doesn’t feel quite right. Could there be a deeper reason Lady Azure wants us separated, or am I just being paranoid? Either way, I remind myself we are guests here. Which means, for now, we have to play by the Baxters’ rules—at least until we know what game is really being played. It’ll be tempting to get caught up in the grandeur of this place, but I need to remember that we are also now effectively trapped here.

  “So, Seidon,” Logan says, pacing beside him a little cozier than I’d like, “I thought the Channel Islands were all national parks?”

  “Most of them are. My family likes everyone to keep believing they’re uninhabited,” Seidon answers as we climb the central staircase. “You’ll find that, here, fortune makes the impossible possible. Just like my mom’s precious tarot.”

  “Forgive me,” Logan says, “but it doesn’t sound like you buy into all this.”

  “‘This’ being all the money, or the tarot?”

  “Both.”

  Seidon sighs, looking at each of us—though the full weight of his gaze falls on Logan. I suddenly feel invisible, a sensation I’ve grown used to standing beside Logan all these years. What I’m not used to, however, is feeling like a third wheel.

  Seidon and Logan probably have way more in common, at least on the surface. Logan is Trinidadian of African, Indian, and French descent, and from what we’ve seen of Seidon’s parents, he has African and European genes as well. Logan and Seidon also both appear outwardly athletic—actually, I bet someone seeing the three of us would assume Logan and Seidon are the couple.

  “I’ve never really known what to make of my family,” Seidon says. “But doesn’t everyone feel that way?
”

  “I hate to break it to you, but I don’t think your family is much like anyone else’s,” Logan laughs.

  By now, I can tell Logan has turned on the full wattage of his charm. I can’t help but take it personally, but I also can’t seem to bring myself to say anything. It’s like the deeper we venture into this island, the further I fade.

  “Fair enough,” Seidon replies. “So how long have you two been together?”

  “Just about two years,” Logan answers, smiling over at me.

  “I’m jealous,” Seidon says, glancing at me before returning his attention to Logan. “I didn’t even kiss a guy until I got to college last year.”

  “We’re both off to college soon, too. This trip is a bit of a last hurrah.”

  “Why is that?”

  “Well, we’ll be on opposite coasts, and we’ve never done long distance.”

  Reaching the front door, I ponder whether I should insert myself into this conversation, but my footing feels a few steps behind. All my intellectualized confidence feels suddenly deflated. As if on cue, a blustery snap of wind rattles across the staircase, making me feel particularly thin and frail.

  “Impressive that you’re staying together,” Seidon says, that longing tone returning to his voice.

  “Well, we love each other,” Logan answers, smiling at me again.

  As always, it manages to warm me, despite everything else.

  “We’ll figure out how to make it work as we go,” he finishes.

  “Ever think about trying—” Seidon opens the front door and his eyes flicker between us once again “—I don’t know, an open thing?”

  My cheeks flush. I don’t know what Seidon is poking at here, but no, we certainly have not thought about being with other people.

  “Maybe,” Logan answers. “I mean, we’ve talked about being flexible about what feels right as we go.”