The Final Catch: Book 2: See Jane Hex (The Tarot Sorceress Series)
Page 12
“You're at Maisie's,” I said distractedly. I had to find that card! “Fool. Where are you?”
I was concentrating so hard on the cards that I failed to notice Joseph sneak into the shop. Suddenly Maisie’s place was grand central station. Next Emilia strolled in to the shop right behind the sneaky Joseph. In fact, if she hadn’t come in Joseph might have come and got his wine bottle unnoticed and escaped. Emi proudly held up a golden key. It sparkled in a beam of sunlight.
“From Vince’s shorn pocket,” she said. I guess she figured out this was where the portal had taken me and Whitman. But at the moment Emilia stood between Joseph and the front door. She had unwittingly cut Joseph off from his escape. When old Joe realized he was trapped his eyes got really big. And then I found the Fool card. I called over to Emilia. “Another one bites the dust,” I said. I touched Joe with the card and poof, he was gone. At least I got one of them!
How many majors did I have now, three out of twenty-two? I’d have to live several lift times at this rate of recovery. William told me the faster way to return the majors to the deck was to get hold of their keys, which Whitman kept near and dear to his heart. If Whitman gave a major card character his key then he or she had complete control of their personal freedom, never to be returned to the deck unless they lost their key. Whitman had given Cabria a key, and I wondered whose it was, Cabria’s or Whitman’s? I sure hoped it was the latter.
I then claimed Devon's bottle of wine and lifted the key from Emilia’s fingers. “I’ve got a date tonight. I’ll take these.”
“Hey!” Emi protested.
“How did that bouncer do? He dead yet?” I asked her.
Emilia ignored me. She wanted her key back and pointed to it. “I earned that.”
I held up the key. I pointed to my towel still wrapped around me and gave her a look. “Who earned this?”
“If weren't for me –
“I wouldn't be drunk!” Devon said.
We gawked at Devon who finally fell off the board. Bobby flipped the board into the air with toe kick, caught it mid air, tucked it under his arm and left.
From the tarot room came the very familiar intruding sound of keys rattling – Whitman, we’d forgotten him. Emilia, Devon and I cautiously stepped to the back in the nick of time. Whitman had created another portal in the bathroom and slipped through it, making a quick escape. I rushed the bathroom and ran my hand along the wall under the window to make sure there was no trick door there; after all I’d had lots of odd experiences with that room. “He’s gone. He’s immune to his card.” At least the kimono still hung from the hook. I finally had something to cover up with. Emilia was looking at me, a poor you kind of look.
“Do you think he’ll fire you?”
“Yeah.” I nodded. I think so.
And then right on cue, Maisie walked in.
“I've already got you another job. Forget the Wild Swan. If you get fired from the academy, you can forget about teaching. I've taken care of Vince, and Whitman’s under my control.” Maisie said. Emi and I turned in surprise to see her practically appear out of thin air. We didn’t hear the chimes on the front door open.
“What now?” I asked, amused by Maisie’s ability to get these nutty jobs.
“A trainee at the bank--”
I put my hand out to stop her from saying anymore.
“No! I like my job.”
Emilia gave us her evil, funny grin. “Which job, Jane?”
“All of them, smarty,” I retorted.
Maisie continued as if we weren’t even there. “The bank manager is a personal friend. You already have the position.”
“Maisie! I couldn't count change if my life depended on it.”
I looked at Emi for support. She looked bemused.
“Your life does depend on it. But don't worry your pretty little head too much. That hairspray I gave you makes you smarter, too.”
I gave her my most forlorn look.
“Can I have two cans of it?”
*
In the evening I decided to drive back to the Wild Swan and peek through the window. The earlier events of the day had my mind spinning and I wanted to check the pub out from a more normal perspective.
I wore black and moved stealthily to the big Tudor style front window.
I saw him right away.
Whitman caroused with the waitresses and tucked bills of money into the dancers’ skinny straps. It didn’t take him but a moment to catch my eye and smile at me. He raised his glass to me. I reached into my pocket and pulled out the key I’d taken from Emi. I raised it to him and watched his winning grin disappear.
The Final Catch: A Tarot Sorceress Series
Click here to find all the chapters of Book Three: See Jane Spell
Rhea E. Rose
Other Books By Rhea E. Rose
a.k.a. Rhea Rose and R.E.Rose
Pandora’s Progeny: Speculative Short Stories
(Picture books)The Box, Rainbow Socks and the Carousel
Princess Mya and the Dust Fairies
(The following books are coming soon to an Amazon page near you!)
Book One: See Jane Charm
Book Two: See Jane Hex
Book Three: See Jane Spell
Book Four: See Jane Jinx
Book Five: See Jane Conjure
Book Six: See Jane Ensorcell