‘Grandma! What if one of the kids is drawn? We need to prepare them.’ Bridget has been thinking about it. The first time she was called, it was a shock. To imagine that little Lisa, only five years old, would have to experience that is unthinkable. They have to do what they can. Tara turns to face Bridget. ‘I won’t use it again.’
‘You can’t promise that, and you know it.’
‘Don’t strike that tone with me, young lady.’
Bridget looks skeptical. ‘I understand you’re scared, Gran.’
‘I’m not scared.’
‘Of course not.’ She understands her Granny’s resistance, but this is important.
‘You need to do it. If only to keep the family’s trust in you.’
‘What do you mean?’ Tara knows very well what she means, but the idea of showing them how the Deck works is risky.
Bridget’s face softens. ‘You’ve lied to us, Gran. About your sister. About our family history.’
‘I didn’t tell you, I never lied.’
‘It does feel that way to us. You need to restore our faith in you, Gran. You know this is not the last we heard from Lucy. She might be in Fairy, but she’ll find a way back. We need your guidance. But you need to trust us too.’ For a moment, Bridget opens herself up and reaches out to Moon, who gently leans against Tara’s leg to move her closer to Bridget. Together, they project a circle of comfort. Bridget senses that Tara is relaxing a little. The conflict stirs through her. Calm, they project calm. When she feels the hostility leave Tara, she gently lets the feeling wash away, the magic absorbed by the garden around them.
‘We need to prepare the children, Gran. We owe it to them.’
Tara reluctantly agrees. Bridget squashes her feelings of victory; it was invigorating to use her witch senses. Tara walks away, but before she’s out of earshot, she turns around, ‘I know what you’re doing. Not very nice to try to manipulate your own grandmother.’
This is like a slap in the face for Bridget. She’s no better than her mother; her magic might have been subtle, and it didn’t force Tara to do anything. Still, she used it to try to influence her. Damn it. That’s what you get from letting magic in your life. You start to rely on it, on those senses, and before you know it, you do things that are simply not okay. Her moment of euphoria has turned into an icy chill. Moon rubs his head against her hand in comfort.
Tara doesn’t hide her smile. Bridget has still a lot to learn. ‘I’m not doing it. We need to keep the Tarot Deck a secret. We need to keep the knowledge within our little group.’ To soften her words, she adds ‘I’ll keep it safe. Promise.’ Tara disappears around the bend and leaves Bridget to stew on her mistake.
FAIRY
When Ceri and Lucy stepped through the gate to get out of the honeycomb, they stepped onto a landing. Water surrounds them. The temperature has dropped unexpectedly, and they both are shivering. Damp is rising from the lake and forms an eerie looking fog. For a moment, Ceri is disoriented after all the noise, smells, and other sensations inside, and this feels like you’re suddenly deprived of all of them. Quiet, sinister, and damp. Fairy is like that, always the unexpected. What now? She wonders. No boats or other creatures around. Lucy’s brooding presence behind her makes her nervous. ‘Are you okay?’ This only warrants her an angry stare. Guess her aunt is not over the whole collar thing yet. She looks around more closely. There’s absolutely nothing in sight. Gently, she feels with the tip of her toes if there’s maybe a hidden path beneath the water surface, but her foot slips into the water. Quickly, she retreats. Time to up her game, she’s a witch, what is she fussing about?! Better take her own advice. Use your senses. With a deep breath, she centers herself and casts a wide net of feeling. There do seem to be creatures on the lake. A sharp whistle escapes her lips, following her instinct. Pretty soon, a vague sound of what could be paddling is making its way toward them. Ceri positions Lucy behind her, almost like a protective measure. This amuses Lucy. Despite her hostile feelings about the situation, she finds herself intrigued by this witch. Her frivolous, playful ways and her protective streak are interesting. Not what she expected from one of Tara’s daughters. Slowly, something starts to dawn on Lucy. A twinkle in her eye reveals the beginning of a plan.
A creature flows through the mist and stops right in front of them. It is pure white and has the gracefulness of a swan and the look of a dragon. Gently, it extends one of its wings like a plank to welcome them on board. Ceri glances at Lucy who smiles encouragingly. Ceri is surprised to see a smile on her aunt’s face. It’s strange; it makes her look like her mother. Very confusing. A high-pitched shriek brings her focus back onto the creature. No risk, no future, better get on board, so to speak. Without further ado, they float away into the nothingness.
For several hours, they sit in the total silence of their bubble. Totally foggy and only a gentle paddling of whatever legs or something this creature has. Lucy has been thinking and planning, if she ever wants to be free of this thing around her neck, she needs this witch. Time to work on that. ‘What did you say your name was?’
Ceri is startled by the sudden sound of Lucy’s voice. For a moment, she weighs the question. Tara warned them, Lucy is cunning and very smart. Even though her powers might be blocked, she needs to be careful with giving information. A witch’s name is important. But Ceri isn’t her full name, so what? ‘Ceri, I’m Tara’s youngest child.’
‘What are you doing in Fairy?’ Now Ceri only smiles, copying Tara’s secretive ‘I’m not going to tell you’ smile.
‘Did you know that when we were teenagers, your mother and I would often wander in Fairy?’
This piques Ceri’s interest. ‘Really? Tara always warned us against coming here.’
‘We loved coming to Fairy, to explore the worlds and learn new spells.’
‘I thought you weren’t allowed to use magic in Fairy?’
Lucy cocks her head. ‘You use magic.’
‘It’s a sort of an exception.’ Ceri reluctantly admits.
‘In those days, we were friends with Mab.’ Ceri is quiet, in the hope that her aunt will explain as Mab is clearly not a friend anymore. But Lucy goes on with her story.
‘Are you familiar with Yttrium?’ Ceri shrugs. ‘It’s an interesting Element. In one of these worlds here that looks like a desert, it’s like a blanket on the ground. If you roll your broom in it and light it…You go like a rocket.’ Lucy laughs out loud from the memory. ‘Tara and I would race each other across the plains.’ Ceri smiles; it’s so hard to think this woman is evil when she looks and laughs precisely like your mother.
Somewhere else in Fairy, Mab is following the conversation in her scrying mirror. Satisfied, she leans back. Her plan starts to take shape. These Madigan women have been a thorn in her side ever since they were young. For many years, she courted them in the hope that one of them would bring one of the elemental objects. She smelled the power of fire on them. Unfortunately, she had to throw them out of Fairy when they misbehaved. But when you’re immortal and patient, the Fates will always turn the clock toward you again. And here they are. New possibilities. Mab has had her eye on Earth for a long time. It would be a nice addition to her realm. Her stupid sister had lost grip on it centuries ago. Such a nice place to manipulate and have some fun with those humans. They think they’re so important, but it’s so easy to pull their strings. If she would possess one of the elemental objects, or preferably all four, that would make her unstoppable. Patience. She needs to be patient.
NEW ORLEANS
Cal steps out of a cab at the edge of the French Quarter. The humidity, the heavy air, the scents of tropical flowers make his heart sing. He always feels like home here. Even though his sister is from here and he grew up in Boston, his attraction to this place is unmistakable. As his granny is not breathing down his neck, there’s no harm in enjoying himself for a while. Quickly, he follows the little streets down to Bourbon Street. Time for some Jazz and a drink. It might be morning, but there’s alwa
ys something going on in the French Quarter.
Gwen is wandering through the garden. The Madigans have an impressive herb collection, and she must say, the feel of the house and the garden is exceptional. Everything seems to be geared to heightening your witch senses. The smells, the colors, the energy, it all blends together perfectly. A lot of time and love have gone into this place. Maybe she was hasty to judge them. In all honesty, they’ve been pretty welcoming to her. They gave her a room in their home and let her wander and do whatever she wants. The family dynamics intrigue her endlessly, but she has to make sure not to forget why she’s really here. Her aimless wander has brought her deeper and deeper into the little wilderness in the back. The trees give her passage, and all of a sudden, the path opens up into a clearing. Surprised, she stands still before the tomb entrance. She gets goosebumps immediately. This place is heavily guarded. Well, that’s interesting. Without getting too close, she studies the etchings in the rock and is enthralled by all the imagery.
‘What are you doing here?’ Ron’s voice breaks the silence.
Startled, Gwen jumps back and turns around. Staring into two deep green eyes that don’t look happy to see her at all. ‘I…I was just walking around. Exploring. I’m Gwen.’ She recovers and sticks her hand out.
‘Ron, Tara’s only son. She told me about you.’ He relaxes a little, but his eyes still look at her with suspicion.
‘So nice to meet you. This…’ She motions around. ‘Is an amazing place. Your home is special.’
He makes an almost mocking bow. ‘Glad you approve.’ He clearly doesn’t care at all what she thinks. ‘Maybe you should wander somewhere else. This is where our ancestors are buried and it’s sacred to us.’
Ha, she’s sure this is not half what’s in this place. Every respectable witch feels the residue of a place that frequently is used for magic. But this is probably not the time to push it.
‘Shall we go to the house? Maeve told me she’s making brunch.’
Ron motions her to go ahead and he quietly follows her.
Bridget and Wes keep Maeve company while she rushes around the kitchen to get Sunday brunch ready. Now, Bridget lets her magic be more present, and she can see that Maeve’s magic runs through her cooking. Up since the crack of dawn, her sister has made an impressive number of cakes, pastries, and finger sandwiches. She seems to enjoy the growing group of people in the house. It must be a welcome change from just the two of them in this big place. Wes is nibbling on one of her cupcakes, his new vice. He’s browsing his iPhone, and Bridget has been doing the same. Sending a couple of texts to friends who wondered where she had disappeared to. Checked Instagram and YouTube; she has fallen behind with her normal life. So easy to forget when you’re caught up in magical mayhem. This was one of the reasons she didn’t want to come back. Her family is isolated somehow. Maeve doesn’t seem to use her phone much. She’s not on social media and just doesn’t seem to have any friends. Bridget can’t wait to have girls’ night out with her friends in Boston and hear everybody’s everyday problems. Blissfully ignorant of power-hungry aunts who want to rule the world.
Emily wanders in and plops down next to Wes. She and her brother Liam have taken a shining to him. His easy-going presence and nonjudgmental attitude are making him the new favorite of the family, it seems. Now that Ceri is stuck in Fairy, her husband Bert and their children have moved in. Everybody has been pitching in. Even Aunt Freya is being nice and is helping them in any way she can. It must be strange for the children that their mother simply disappeared, and although they grew up in a witch family, they’ve never been to Fairy or didn’t even know it really existed. And that it’s nothing like the stories you read in children’s books. Luna had only taken them to Fairy when they turned sixteen. A fun trip! Both Liam and Emily remind Bridget of Ceri; their carefree spirit and playfulness make them easy to get along with, just like their mother. Although Liam has the looks of his dad and his explosive temper, his mother’s cheerful attitude shines through. Emily looks like her mother and has her sense of adventure. Her ready smile is so endearing. Wes and Emily are having fun over something Wes showed her on YouTube. For the very first time in her life, Bridget wonders about children of her own. Would she be a good mother?
Wes is thriving in a family, so she presumes he would want to have children. She’s surprised that she gets a feeling of anticipation of what her children would look like. Seeing Wes with Emily has warmed her heart. Maeve’s voice pulls her out of her daydream. ‘Emily? Would you mind bringing this up to Gran and see if she wants to come down and join us for brunch?’ Maeve holds out a mug of tea and a small chocolate croissant. The smell alone would be enough to tempt anybody to come and join them. Reluctant Emily pulls herself away from Wes and his YouTube videos.
‘Sure.’ she says as she grabs the tea and croissant and disappears upstairs.
Emily knocks on Tara’s door, but there’s no answer. Gran is in there, she’s sure. Since her puberty, her magic is a whirlwind and powers come and go. But she’s had a good sense of her surroundings always. The living things around her feel like tingling sensations down her spine. Her mom says she will be a formidable witch once she grows into her full power. If only time would go faster! She can’t wait to be grown up. After another try, she decides to see if everything is okay with Gran. Quietly, she opens the door and sees Tara in deep thought behind her desk. ‘Gran?’ Still no reaction. Emily moves closer and leaves the tea and pastry on Tara’s altar. That’s an exciting Tarot Deck Gran is handling. The cards are so lifelike, she could swear she saw some images move.
‘What tarot deck is this?’ she asks. Tara’s head whips up, her eyes widen, and quickly she grabs the cards back in a stack. One of the cards flips out and lands on the floor. Before Tara can reach it, Emily has picked it up. Curious, she studies the image, it’s the Wheel of Fortune card. Ceri is spinning a big wheel. ‘Is that Mom?!’ The image starts to stir. Tara snatches the card from her and quickly put it back in the deck. For a moment, Tara considers brushing it off. But teenagers these days are so much sharper than they used to be. They grow up so fast. Probably better to tell some form of truth. ‘This is my own special deck. Seamus made it especially for me. It’s enchanted.’
‘Can I see it?’ Tara put the Deck back in its pouch and swiftly back in her desk drawer. ‘Better not.’ Emily is intrigued; she could swear that was her mother on the card and that it was moving. Her grandmother’s reaction confirmed that this deck must indeed be extraordinary. Her hands itch, she wants to touch it so badly. However, when her Gran is in a mood like this, there is no chance she will share it. Better not let on that she wants to see it so badly. With a shrug, Emily says instead, ‘Maeve asks if you’re coming down for brunch.’ She steps back and gets Tara her tea and pastry. Relieved that Emily didn’t push, Tara sips her tea and bites into the chocolate croissant. A hint of warm chocolate plays over her tongue; who can resist it? ‘I’ll be down in a couple of minutes.’
‘Great!’ smiles Emily and leaves the room.
FAIRY
Gliding along through the mist, Lucy has been entertaining Ceri with stories from the past. Slowly she’s breaking down Ceri’s hostility toward her. It’s a chore to be friendly and accommodating, the things she has to do to try to free herself of this horrible collar. Interestingly enough, this woman doesn’t really know everything about herself. Lucy has been gathering a lot of information through Ceri’s reactions to her stories. It turns out Tara isn’t very open with her children. She can relate, children can be so annoying and disappointing. If it weren’t for those elemental objects, she actually would like to reconnect with her sister. The hole that their separation left behind has never been filled. She tried. The Goddess knows she tried. Human friends, that was pretty stupid, they’re so dull. Men, the same. Maybe if she had snatched Seamus before he got hooked on Tara, he was an exciting and powerful man. So different from the loser that gave her Set. Not many great male witches out there anymore. Even th
e power of the female ones seems to be dwindling. The Madigans are an exception. Tara was smart to marry Seamus; her sister must have worked hard for that. She’s sure she thought about that. These days it’s all about love, but they’re from a different time and felt the responsibility of expanding witches’ power.
‘Any more stories?’ Ceri’s voice pulls her out of her reverie.
‘Tara’s affinity has always been with Earth, and since she was very young, she has special herbs and exotic plants.’
‘Mom and Dad traveled the world to expand her herb garden. It’s pretty impressive.’
Good to know, thinks Lucy, but she says ‘We used to love to travel to exotic places and find something for Tara’s garden. She started that when she was ten.’
‘Ten? Isn’t that a bit young to have such a boring hobby?’ wonders Ceri, who’d always been a bit of a wild child.
‘Ha! Nothing is boring about traveling through Fairy to the Middle East or Africa to find some special plant for a spell or a potion.’
‘It’s so hard to believe that Mom was so adventurous. These days we have a hard time getting her out of the house!’
Right then the mist clears and reveals a hostile-looking landscape. They’re close to the shore; the land looks dry and scorched. Cracks in the surface puff steam, and there is movement, red and liquid. Something like lava. Ceri is not eager to get off their transportation here. This looks horrible. But the creature paddles close to shore and unceremoniously dumps them in the shallow water. Lucy screams, and something scrambled rolls out of her mouth. Ceri can’t help but smile. Her aunt’s first reaction is to sling a spell, immediately into defense mode.
Time to get a move on. She can’t wait to hand Lucy over to Mab. All the stories of her mother made her homesick. Her aunt probably thinks this is softening her up and willing to take off the collar. However, that’s a mistake that most people make. Everybody thinks because she’s friendly and maybe a bit careless, she’s stupid. That is far from the truth. She doesn’t flaunt her magical skills like her sister Luna, it doesn’t mean she doesn’t have any. Sometimes, it’s better to be underestimated.
The Magical Tarot Deck Page 3