Tarot

by Marissa Kennerson

  As Anna was binding her final thread, a sharp ray of sunlight fell across her loom, making the lion’s mane shimmer. Anna looked behind her to find that the rain had finally stopped.

  * * *

  Anna ran down her patio stairs and out through her bathing room. The beach was crawling with people playing in the water, frolicking in the shallows, and tanning on the sand. She stepped onto the shore and looked out over the water, drawn to its glittering surface after being cooped up for so many days.

  She took a deep breath and waded in carefully. The water was still and comfortable, so she tried to paddle, knowing she could stand at any moment if she needed to. Feeling emboldened by the fact that no one was watching her or judging her or pushing her, Anna walked out farther and slid on her back to float.

  Her hair spread out in all directions like a glossy black starfish. The sun warmed her legs, her tummy, her eyelids. She silently thanked the Fool for his gift of spontaneity, which had pulled her into the water today. Anna let her mind wander, relishing how much she was changing now that she had the freedom to pursue her potential as a human being, as a woman, a friend, an artist.

  She stayed like that for a long time, her eyes shut against the sun’s bright rays, her limbs splayed, floating in the warm, sparkling sea.

  “Look at you. I’m impressed.”

  Anna opened her eyes and saw James standing over her.

  She turned over and stood up beside him, pushing back her long hair, slick and dripping with seawater.

  “I feel like I should scold you for going out by yourself.” James lifted one of Anna’s arms and spun her around. “But you appear to be in one piece.” He squeezed her shoulder, and she leaned in to his embrace.

  “I wasn’t going to go very far,” Anna assured him. She ran her hand through the clear water.

  “Your eyes are sparkling, Anna.” James smiled at her.

  Anna twirled in the water, splashing him and laughing.

  “Can you come out, my little water sprite? I want you to meet someone.”

  Anna stopped twirling. She swallowed, her stomach tightening with nerves.

  “Sure,” she murmured.

  James took her hand, and they walked through the water up to the beach where Topper stood, surrounded by a small throng of people. His bright blond head towered over them all.

  “Maybe now isn’t the best time. He looks busy,” Anna hemmed.

  At that moment Topper looked up and saw Anna and James emerging from the water. He moved toward them, the small group parting to let him pass.

  “You must be Anna. I’ve heard a lot about you.” Topper held out his hand, and Anna took it. His smile was warm, his handshake firm but gentle.

  “You too.” Anna squinted up at him and found kindness in his eyes. She held on to his hand for an extra beat, making note of the softness of his palm. Her eyes locked on his, and she noticed small flecks of green among the glassy blue.

  “All right then,” James said cheerfully, breaking the spell between Topper and Anna.

  “It’s good to meet a fellow traveler,” Topper said, letting go of Anna’s hand. “I look forward to trading tales from the road.”

  Anna gave a small nod, not breaking eye contact.

  James looked from Anna to Topper and back again.

  “I forgot how charming you are, Top.” James clapped a hand to his back. “We’ll let you get back to this.” He gestured to the people surrounding them and took Anna’s elbow, leading her toward the water.

  Anna glanced over her shoulder, hoping to get a last glimpse of Topper before the crowd swallowed him again.

  “Are you doing anything right now?” James was watching Anna.

  She turned to him, blinking. “Oh. Um, tons of things.” She laughed. “What do you have in mind?”

  “Would you like to join me at the cottage?” James asked. “I’m experimenting with dye for a project. Maybe you can take some of your fabric from the villa to test it out on?”

  “Sure.” Anna beamed at him. “I can’t think of anything I’d like to do more.”

  “Fantastic.” James clapped. “I’ll get the horses.”

  Anna chanced one last look at the thickening pack surrounding Cups’s favorite traveler before squeezing the water out of her hair and running toward the villa.

  * * *

  When they arrived at the cottage, the early afternoon sun glinted brightly off the metal lanterns. The sea, washed from the rains, was green and calm. They tied up the horses, gave them water and carrots, and got to work setting up.

  James gathered his collection of small animal carvings while Anna spread a cloth over his worktable in the garden. She found a box of glass jars filled with bold colors next to the table. Anna picked one up and examined its rich pink contents.

  “This is a gorgeous color,” Anna marveled. “How did you make it?”

  James turned around. “Rebecca helped me with it.” He walked over to Anna and took the jar from her. He shook it up. “It’s made from strawberries, cherries, and roses, I think.” He scrunched up his nose. “She knows so much more about plants than I do.” He picked up another jar from the box, this one filled with a thick dark-green liquid. “Nettle and spinach. So brilliant, right?”

  Anna leaned down and rummaged through the rest of the jars. There was purple from elderberries and mulberries, blue from red cabbage and blueberries, and yellow from marigold and goldenrod flowers.

  “I bet we can mix them too,” Anna said, gently swirling around the jar of blue dye.

  “I bet we can,” James agreed. “We just need to find something to put the dye in.” He looked around the fragrant garden, then raised a finger and dashed inside the cottage, emerging with one of his beautiful wooden bowls.

  Anna shook her head. “But won’t we ruin it? The dye will stain. Do you have a bucket or a basin of some sort? Something less special?” James narrowed his eyes and ducked back inside. He emerged a minute later holding two tin buckets.

  “The roof leaks.” He shrugged.

  Anna smiled at him. She twisted her hair into a bun and poured the jar of bright pink dye into one of the buckets. James did the same with the purple.

  He reached for the statue of the elephant on the table. “I was thinking we could use these to stamp the dye,” James suggested. “It’s flat on one side, so I was hoping it would look as if they were walking across the fabric.” He tapped the elephant across the cloth Anna had laid out on the table. “It might not work,” he added, blushing.

  “I love that idea,” Anna exclaimed. “I’ve never seen anything like that.” Anna scooted the bucket with the purple dye over to James. “You do the honors.”

  “Yeah?” James asked sheepishly. “Just cover it?”

  “I think so.” Anna nodded. “Let’s see what happens.”

  James lifted the small wooden elephant, leaving a perfect purple print on the fabric. “Ha!” he said in triumph.

  Anna’s eyes lit up. “Let’s do a whole row of them.”

  James dipped the stamp into each color dye again and again, until a line of multicolored elephants marched proudly across the fabric. He stood back to admire his work.

  “It’s so colorful.” Anna clapped her hands. “Just gorgeous.”

  James put the stamp down and turned to her. “You are gorgeous.” He picked her up in his arms and spun her around playfully. “This is perfect. Creating this with you.”

  He stopped spinning and held her to him. She slid down his body, feeling the muscles in his chest against her own, until they were face-to-face.

  “I’ve never known anyone like you. You inspire me, Anna.”

  “Me too,” she whispered.

  Then he put his forehead to hers, and her whole body ached with desire.

  He kissed her neck. Tiny kisses that let a million butterflies loose
in her stomach. She let her head fall back as her hair tumbled from its bun and fell down her shoulders.

  They faced each other.

  “You make me nervous,” Anna confessed.

  “I know what you mean.” James softly put his lips to hers, and Anna closed her eyes. They kissed, slowly at first and then with passion, stopping only to breathe and embrace each other tightly, letting waves of sensation splash over their bodies.

  They ate lunch on the beach in front of the cottage. When the sun became too warm, they dragged their blanket beneath a bushy palm whose shade provided a haven from the heat. They sat next to each other, silence falling between them. Anna looked over at James, and when he caught her eye, she quickly turned back to the sand. She winced and opened her mouth to say something, but she couldn’t think what, and closed it again.

  “Nope,” James said suddenly, nudging Anna’s back. “We’re done with these awkward moments.” Then he placed his hands on her waist and squeezed.

  She yelped. “James, that tickles!” Anna rounded on him and moved to grab at his waist, aiming to tickle him back.

  He rolled backward in the sand.

  “Fine,” Anna said, putting her hands up. “If you promise to stop, I will not retaliate.”

  “Fair,” James accepted, sliding back toward Anna.

  Anna leaned against the palm. “You know, I come from a kingdom with skilled knights and deadly hunters. And if there’s anything I’ve learned from their tales of adventure, it’s that first”—Anna wheeled around and poked James gently in the ribs—“you catch them off guard. And then”—she leaned in and pretended to grab his neck—“you go in for the kill!”

  James laughed and let Anna pin him underneath her.

  “Ha!” she cried victoriously. She collapsed next to him, pretending the effort had exhausted her.

  “You’re a formidable opponent!” James admitted, catching his breath from laughing.

  Anna pushed up on her elbow and looked down at him, her silky black hair curtaining her face from the sun. James raised his eyebrows and shook his head.

  “There’s something otherworldly about your beauty,” he mused. “It’s as if you were forged under the seas and then kissed by the stars themselves. A perfect blend of dark and light.”

  “Do you actually have a plan?” the Hermit said under his breath as he and the Magician walked with hurried steps from the buttery and through the deserted Whitehoof Hall.

  “No,” the Magician said plainly. “But I need to get to my practice session with Barda or he will become suspicious.” She stopped beneath a large silk banner that held the King’s family crest. The Magician stared up at the large horse with an eagle’s head, standing on its hind legs. The creature stood hoof-to-hoof with a great white Pegasus, whose feathered wings were extended in flight. Above their heads was a crown and in its center, a large cross.

  “What is it?” the Hermit asked, studying the banner, trying to figure out what was catching the Magician’s eye. The symbol was displayed all over the castle—on banners, needlework pillows, even one of the King’s rings.

  “It reminds me of Anna’s tapestries,” the Magician said. She turned and squinted at the Hermit. “I think I’ve just figured out a plan.” She tilted her chin up and rolled her neck, eyeing the banner once more. She lifted her hand and waved it in the loop of the infinity symbol, her face screwed up in concentration.

  The Hermit shifted from side to side. He’d never experienced such impatience, but now two of the most important people in his life were in grave danger.

  “I think perhaps the King’s worst fears did indeed come true.” The Magician cocked her head. “Anna’s gifts have surfaced.” She spun on her heel. “Come on. I’ll explain everything on the way!” she yelled to the Hermit. “Call in a favor from Drake. We need Anna’s tapestries.”

  Morgan had painted Anna’s face in silver, blue, and white to represent the surface of the Moon. A large group of Cups girls were getting ready together in Lara’s room. The night of the Full Moon Festival had finally arrived.

  “Your face looks enchanting!” Lara declared. She braided Anna’s hair into two sections and twisted them together down her back.

  “So does yours,” Anna said, spinning her head around to take another look. Lara’s face had been painted to look like a blood moon, with red and gold makeup that complimented the color of her hair, which was teased at the crown and flowed in waves down her shoulders.

  Lara nudged the back of Anna’s head gently, signaling for her to turn forward so she could finish her hair. “What do you think about having a day where just you and I do something after all this is over? We’ve been working so hard!” Lara swept her arm over the room. The girls were all dressed in elaborate, colorful costumes made from the fabric Anna and James had stamped. Terra, Daisy, and Rebecca had made great assistant seamstresses. Their dresses were adorned with colorful ribbons and shimmered with sequins and metallic buttons. Looking around at the girls, Anna was reminded of the chimerical artisans in her Wands tapestry—an explosion of color, whimsy, and creativity.

  “I would love that,” said Anna.

  Daisy bounded in from the bathroom. “What do you think?” she asked. Half her face was bare, while a crescent-shaped moon painted in sparkling white covered one eye and cheek, its bottom tip extending over her mouth and chin.

  “Morgan is quite the artist,” Anna said, remembering how she and Luke had painstakingly painted elaborate patterns on the garden rocks. “Hey,” Anna said suddenly. “Has anyone seen Ivy?”

  Lara tied off Anna’s braid and scanned the room. “I don’t know, now that you mention it. Maybe I should go find her?”

  Anna hadn’t seen Ivy around much at all lately, and she had a good guess why. She took a deep breath. “No, let me. Are you finished?” Anna asked over her shoulder.

  Lara squeezed Anna’s arms. “You’re all done, Blue Moon.”

  Anna jumped up. “Morgan,” she called across the room. Morgan was painting Rebecca’s face all white to represent the Full Moon. “Can I take some of the face paint?”

  “Sure,” Morgan called back.

  “Just don’t let the boys see you,” Lara whispered. “Bring her back here when you find her.”

  * * *

  Ivy’s door was closed, so Anna knocked lightly.

  “Who is it?” Ivy called out.

  “It’s Anna,” she called through the door.

  Silence.

  Anna slowly opened the door a crack. “Can I come in?”

  Ivy was sitting on her bed, combing her long blond hair, dressed in a simple, plain frock. Her eyes widened when she saw Anna’s painted face and dress of patterned elephants.

  “Hey,” Anna said gently.

  “What do you want?” Ivy grumbled.

  “Can I do your makeup for the night?” Anna offered. “I could do something that would complement the dress that’s waiting for you upstairs.” Anna held her breath, prepared for a biting reply.

  Ivy looked at Anna squarely. “Why?” she asked softly.

  “Because I want to include you,” Anna said simply. “You’re much more a part of Cups than I am.”

  Ivy laughed bitterly. “It doesn’t feel that way. I used to see a lot more of James, sure, but did you know that Lara and I were close too?” Ivy tossed the comb onto the bed. “I know I drove her crazy sometimes, but I never thought she’d dump me for the first new girl who stumbled into Cups.” She threw her arm toward Anna. “She made you come in here, didn’t she?” Ivy asked.

  Anna looked down at the floor, stung by Ivy’s words, and embarrassed for thinking she was only upset about James.

  “No, I wanted to come,” Anna said quietly.

  “To show off the fact that you’ve won?” Ivy glared at Anna, and Anna wondered if she’d made a mistake by coming in. The last thing she wanted
was to drag Lara and Daniel into another mess she’d created. Anna took a seat beside Ivy on the bed.

  Ivy crossed her arms and screwed up her face, her eyes shining with tears. “You’ve just swept in and become the sweetheart of Cups.”

  With shaking hands, Anna unscrewed the lid on a pot of paint, placing the rest beside her on the bed. “Turn toward me.” Ivy wiped the tears from her face and shifted on the bed to face her.

  “Close your eyes,” Anna instructed.

  “Wait,” Ivy said. “Can you make me a star instead of a moon phase?”

  Anna gave her a small smile. “Of course.” She drew the first point of the star on Ivy’s forehead in a light-green paint. “Would it make a difference if I said sorry? About James? About disrupting your life?” Anna frowned, holding the brush above Ivy’s cheek. “About everything? I feel like I haven’t even gotten to know you.”

  “No,” Ivy said flatly.

  Anna blew the air out of her cheeks. “Well then, how do you feel about glitter?”

  Ivy hesitated. “I like it,” she admitted.

  “I am sorry that I’ve hurt you, Ivy. I didn’t mean to.”

  Ivy opened her eyes and studied Anna. “It doesn’t help because it’s not really your fault. It is, but it isn’t. I don’t know—it’s why I can’t stand you. I mean, it’s not that I can’t stand you. It’s just . . .” Ivy trailed off. She looked down at the little pots of face paint sitting on the bed. “I like that violet. Can you use some of it around my eyes?” Ivy asked.

  Anna grabbed for the violet pot, looking at Ivy’s hazel eyes. “Yes! This will make your eyes really pop.”