The Magical Tarot Deck

by Marieke Lexmond

  ‘You used them, didn’t you?’ The unveiled threat in those words hits home.

  He looks around him, a reflex. He knows very well there is no escaping now. Seamus got back up, recovered from his defeat and curious about what’s happening. Despite everything, he can’t help but be excited about his creation.

  ‘You ask a question. Draw some cards and the images on the card come to life. I mean—out of the card. Life size! It’s amazing! They have to solve your question and then they disappear again.’

  Mara reaches out her hand to feel the cards, but Lucy moves them just out of reach.

  ‘That sounds amazing. Are these people the Madigans?’ wonders Mara.

  ‘Yes. I saw most of them when I was in New Orleans.’ answers Cal.

  ‘This is very interesting.’ Lucy goes from one card to the next, Seamus is looking on over her other shoulder. He can’t help but smile as his whole family passes by. He misses them so much. It’s rather lonely in the painting, although he would do anything to be able to stay in touch with Tara. Right then, Lucy comes upon Tara’s card. Seamus’ features soften immediately. That’s the effect his wife has on him. After all these years, that never changes.

  ‘Well, well, sister…’ Lucy studies the card intensely. ‘What have you been up to?’

  Instantly, the card reacts. The image in the card moves and starts to bulge and stretch.

  ‘Shit. I didn’t mean—’ She swallows the rest of her sentence. No need to show weakness in front of her grandchildren. Mara is fascinated, and Cal distances himself a little.

  NEW ORLEANS

  ‘Oh no.’ Tara feels strange and when she looks at her hand it’s transparent. Bridget jumps up. ‘Gran’s card is being drawn.’

  The others turn from their game. For some, it’s the first time they have seen it, and it’s hard not to be captivated by the transformation.

  UTAH

  Tara rises from her card, The Empress, in a flowery flowing dress, a basket of fruits and vegetables under her arm, and a crown of flowers on her head.

  Lucy is mesmerized. For a long time, the two sisters look at each other. Mara and Cal might as well not exist. Seamus is delighted. He rushes for Tara, trying to embrace her, but his hopes are once again crushed. No reaction, then a faint shudder from his wife, although she scans the air around her for a minute.

  ‘Welcome, sister.’ Lucy waves her hand as a spell for a chair, with the tiniest angry glare to Mara by her side, who snaps out of it and mumbles a spell behind Lucy’s back. A chair flies up and plants itself next to Tara. Lucy motions for her to sit down.

  ‘Tara, can you hear me?’ Seamus holds his face close to hers. Stupid question of course, but he has to try. ‘I love you, sweetie.’

  Tara’s attention is on Lucy. ‘What do you want?’

  ‘Straight down to business. Haven’t you missed me?’

  ‘All right. I’ll play your game.’

  ‘Don’t, Tara. She’s worse than I remember.’ Seamus’ advice falls on deaf ears.

  ‘Your husband has really outdone himself this time.’ True admiration shines through the words.

  ‘It is quite something.’ Tara smiles a little, she’s proud of Seamus. He was special.

  ‘We never thought it would be this powerful,’ admits Seamus.

  ‘Now it’s mine.’

  ‘I hope you enjoy it.’ Tara has no intention of letting her sister get to her. The only thing that can save her is to stay calm.

  ‘Do you want some tea?’

  ‘Please, don’t bother.’

  ‘It’s no trouble.’ Again, she glances at Mara. This time Mara physically leaves the room to fetch tea.

  ‘A gifted witch, your granddaughter.’

  ‘She sure is. She’s a good girl.’

  Odd, coming from Lucy. Tara slowly is coming into herself. What a weird experience. She needs to focus and get as much information as she can. Carefully, she extends her witch sense to get a feel for the room.

  ‘You have an interesting home. Do I feel a powerful crossing of the ley lines?’

  ‘I’m not going to tell you where you are. That would be a little too easy, wouldn’t it?’

  Tara’s witch powers gently explore the room. Lucy can feel it. Frustration is boiling. There is no way to stop her with her collar on. Tara turns her head toward Seamus, does she sense a ghost?

  ‘That’s my girl. Yes. Can you see me?’ Seamus eagerly wants to know.

  Mara comes back in and breaks Tara’s concentration. Quickly, Mara puts a little table between the sisters and pours some tea.

  ‘What did you do with my Dagger?’

  ‘I’m keeping it safe for you.’

  ‘I bet you are. Or are you playing around with both elements now?’

  Tara’s mind is racing. ‘You know we vowed to never use the objects.’ If Lucy were to ask the cards where the Dagger was, she probably would have no other choice than to tell her.

  ‘Still abiding the rules?’ Lucy sizes up Tara. ‘Of course, otherwise, we would be no match for you. Merging the two elements would exponentially grow your powers.’

  Tara does the best she can to show no emotions.

  ‘Maybe we can trade? The Dagger for this.’ Lucy holds up the deck of cards.

  ‘What do you propose?’ This opens up possibilities, maybe she didn’t ask the cards after all.

  ‘Meeting in person proves to be a rather unpleasant experience with you and your brood.’

  ‘We enjoyed it so much.’ Light sarcasm in Tara’s voice.

  ‘You had no right. No right whatsoever to go after the Dagger. You already have the Wand.’

  Sadness is welling up in Tara. Why does her sister have to be so power hungry?

  ‘That’s what you never could understand. It’s not about power, it’s about responsibility.’

  ‘You can admit it to me. I know you always wanted to be the best.’ counters Lucy.

  ‘You are my responsibility.’

  ‘Nonsense! Mom banished me and she’s dead.’

  Tara winces. ‘You’re the family’s responsibility then.’

  ‘Why can’t you let it be? I want only the best for you. Why can’t you grant me the same?’ Lucy is changing gears.

  Tara doesn’t say anything. A tear starts to form in Lucy’s eye and slowly spills out and runs down her cheek. The others in the room might as well not exist.

  Of course, Tara still loves her sister, despite all the horrible things she has done.

  ‘Don’t fall for it.’ Seamus stands next to Tara.

  Tara knows Lucy will manipulate her. ‘I wish you all the best, sister. You know that. But you’re upsetting the balance.’

  ‘Right! Did you ever consider that your balance might not be the correct one?’

  Tara gets up, slowly taking everything in. It’s time to get this over with.

  ‘I’m not giving you the Dagger, Lucy. What did you ask the cards?’

  ‘We haven’t had a chance to have a quiet chat for such a long time and now you can’t wait to get out of here. I’m so happy to see you.’ smiles Lucy.

  Tara answers that smile with one of her own, and for a moment, Seamus is very unnerved by the sight of the two identical twins.

  Lucy walks over to her sister and gently touches her shoulder. It’s been a very long time since the sisters had any physical contact and the effect is strong. A warmth flows through them both. Surprised, Lucy takes a step back; however, Tara steps closer and hugs her sister tight. Strong emotions mingle, Lucy does her best to push Tara away. It’s too personal and she doesn’t want her sister to know any of her feelings. This short moment of recognition told Tara a number of things. Of which the biggest secret is that Lucy is spell bound.

  ‘I would love to stay and chat with you all night. Unfortunately, my family will do anything to try to find me right now. This process is very disturbing for those on the other end.’

  Lucy hides her anger; she’s sure Tara has seen some of her secrets, as sh
e did some of hers. Time to get the upper hand back. ‘No reason to hurry. I was just about to share with you the wonderful time I spent with your daughter Ceridwen in Fairy.’

  Tara narrows her eyes at Lucy. The heavy feeling that’s been weighing on her since she startled awake seems to press down on her even more.

  ‘It was so lovely to finally meet her. Can you imagine my surprise when I found out she didn’t really know what she is?’

  Tara doubles over when the truth hits her. She can’t help it. All these years she did what was necessary and best for her daughter. The truth must have devastated Ceri. Tara had feared her fairy side would come out if she spent so much time in Fairy but had hoped that the truth would stay hidden.

  ‘Are you okay?’ asks Lucy, clearly enjoying her victory.

  ‘You, miserable woman!’ Seamus goes for Lucy again without much success. The only one who gets a kick out of this spectacle is Cal. He’s been very quiet and is staying back, still dreading the punishment he’s sure is coming.

  Tara starts to evaporate and disappears back into the card.

  ‘No, wait!’ shouts Lucy. ‘Where did she go?’

  Seamus turns toward a disappearing Tara, so sad to see her go.

  ‘This is what she was up to.’ Mara supplies. ‘You did ask what she was up to. Clearly, it had to do with this Ceri woman.’

  Lucy turns on her. She starts to say a spell, and only scrambled words spill out. Mara steps back, still not used to her grandmother being limited.

  ‘DAMN IT!’ Lucy turns and storms out of the room.

  Curious, Seamus has followed the exchange. ‘Well, well, it looks like the lady is spell bound.’

  ‘Spell bound?!’ Cal can’t believe it. When he looks at Mara, he sees it’s the truth. Quickly, she tries to hide her own reaction, but it’s too late. Lucy will not be pleased.

  NEW ORLEANS

  It’s after midnight, and the house is finally quiet. Tara was so upset when she returned that they didn’t get much out of her. Hopefully tomorrow, after she’s had a good night’s sleep, the others will get some much-needed insight. Bridget is lying snuggled up to Wes, fast asleep, when something wet in her face wakes her up. Kiki stands on top of her licking her cheek.

  ‘Get off.’ Kiki looks at her. ‘There is someone in the house,’ pops into her head.

  Shit. Quickly and quietly so as not to wake Wes and alert the intruder, she pulls on a t-shirt and grabs her gun. The dogs want to come. ‘Stay here. I need to be quiet.’

  Very slowly, she closes the door. She looks left and right. There’s a light down the hall. It’s very hard to be quiet in an old house. Memory kicks in and she manages to avoid all the creaky floorboards. A woman stands in the doorway of Emily’s room. A cold chill runs up Bridget’s spine. She fingers the amulet around her neck. It had always served her well. In her mind, she flips through protection spells and readies a shield while she moves closer. When she’s about six feet away, the woman turns her head. For a split second, Bridget points the gun at her and then lowers it. ‘Aunt Ceri?’

  Ceri looks at Bridget and presses her index finger on her lips to encourage Bridget to keep quiet. Then she twirls her finger, and Bridget feels a privacy spell fall into place. Relieved her aunt is finally back home, she rushes over to her and hugs her tight. Bridget feels Ceri relax in her embrace. When she steps away from Ceri, she examines her from top to bottom. Something feels different about her.

  ‘Are you okay?’ The light then hits Ceri’s eyes. Twinkling emeralds look otherworldly in her aunt’s face. Involuntarily, she steps back. Ceri has always looked young, now she positively looks ageless. As if she’s smoothed out.

  ‘What do you see?’ Ceri wants to know.

  ‘Did they…alter you?’ Hesitantly, Bridget touches her aunt’s perfect skin. Like a cat, Ceri moves her face up and down, rubbing her face against Bridget’s hand. Bridget is trying very hard not to freak out right now. They had done something to her aunt for sure.

  ‘Not exactly…’

  ‘You look like a Fairy.’

  Ceri steps back and smiles.

  ‘Can they turn humans into fairies?!’ Bridget is alarmed.

  ‘No, they can’t.’

  ‘Yet, you are—’

  ‘Fairy,’ Ceri finishes her sentence.

  Bridget can’t hide her shock. Her cop instincts kick into gear. If they can’t change her, that means she must be part Fairy. The pieces fall into place—her Gran’s dislike for Fairy, the secrets, Ceri’s youthful looks, and her playfulness. She glances at Tara’s door and back to Ceri.

  ‘Yes. My time in Fairy has been enlightening for me.’

  ‘Oh, my God.’ Bridget now looks at Emily.

  ‘You have to promise me you won’t tell anyone. I had to see my children.’

  ‘But they’re so worried.’

  ‘I’m relieved to see not much time has passed. This all is very…confusing. I don’t understand everything myself or what it means for me. My children. Bert…’

  ‘I’m so sorry. Is there anything I can do?’

  ‘I need more time to…adjust. Can you give me that?’

  Bridget looks around, at Emily.

  ‘Please…’

  ‘All right, you have my word.’ It feels as if the house slightly shrinks and expands again. A promise is made. That weighs heavy for a witch. There will be a price to pay if she chooses to break it.

  ‘Thank you.’ The words are heavy with gratitude. ‘You’ve always had a good heart, Bridget. You were the only one who ever took me seriously as a witch. To be your teacher is an honor.’

  Bridget blushes.

  ‘I will not forget that.’ Again, the house reacts.

  ‘So, what now?’

  With one last look at Emily, Ceri turns away.

  ‘I don’t know how long I will be gone. As you are well aware, time runs differently between the worlds.’ Ceri reaches for Bridget’s hand and holds it between hers.

  Acting on impulse, she crafts a Fairy spell. ‘Accept this as a token of my appreciation.’

  Bridget feels something winding around the middle finger of her right hand. When she looks down, it looks like a tiny vine has wound its way around her finger. Ceri has a matching one.

  ‘What the—’ But Bridget’s reply gets cut off as Ceri opens a portal to Fairy.

  Time to go. ‘Keep practicing! You have improved, but there is a lot left to learn.’

  The portal snaps shut. And the vine seems to become one with her finger. It looks like a vibrant tattoo. Bridget tries to rub it off, but it has merged with her skin. Damn it. What is it? She mumbles a release spell. Nothing! She runs to the bathroom and tries to wash it off. No such luck either. Well, it is there to stay. Her aunt is definitely becoming a lot scarier.

  PART 4

  Five of Cups ‘Despair’

  ‘But what we call our despair is often only the painful eagerness of unfed hope.’

  —George Eliot

  NEW ORLEANS

  Ceri steps through the portal into the clearing behind the Madigan’s home. The darkness weighs on her. She is feeling just a tiny hint of guilt for putting that fairy spell on Bridget. Her new-found powers are very hard to resist, and at the time, it felt like it was the right thing to do. Now, she isn’t so sure. The whole situation is so confusing. Ever since she set foot on earth again, her human feelings seem to bubble to the surface. Will that change again when she’s back in Fairy? So many questions—it’s time to find some answers, and a good place to start is the Madigan’s Book of Shadows. Without hesitation, she puts her hand on the fire sign on the tomb door. She recognizes Tara’s and Maeve’s work; the extra spells are designed to ward off strangers. However, family is free to pass. The door opens and with a snap of her fingers, the torches on the wall flare to life. Her ancestors start to chatter; they sense something is different about Ceri. Something inside her has shifted. The spirits float around her.

  ‘What has happened to you child? You have chan
ged since you last came to see us,’ speculates Agnes, one of her great-great-great grandmothers.

  Ceri waves her hand in front of her face in an attempt to chase off the ghosts.

  ‘Agnes, you’re right.’ shouts another one. ‘She has become a Fairy!’

  ‘That’s not possible’ chimes in a skinny ghost.

  ‘Hmmmm.’ Now Agnes sniffs her. ‘Tell me, girl, how did this happen?’

  ‘Leave me alone!’ More questions, but Ceri is looking for answers. ‘Go back to your tombs.’

  ‘Well, it didn’t improve her spirit.’ says the skinny one, dead pan.

  ‘Seriously, I’m not in the mood.’

  ‘We can see that.’ says Agnes, rolling her eyes.

  Ceri tries to ignore them as she marches over to the altar. The Book of Shadows lays open on the last page Tara had worked on. The last pages have been written only recently. This piques her curiosity. Let’s see what Tara had added. It tells the story of Tara and Lucy’s youth. Although Lucy’s name has been scored out. Apparently, the book takes the ban very seriously. Quickly, Ceri scans through the pages; when she comes to the part about the children, she feels a profound sadness. Tara mentions all her children, but Ceri is listed as the youngest with not a word about her fairy history. She had hoped that her mother would at least have acknowledged it in the family chronicles. Another disappointment. No answers here. That leaves her no other choice than to seek more answers in Fairy. She’s simply not ready to confront Tara just yet. With a loud bang, she snaps the book shut. The spirits jump back. They had been trying to read over her shoulder. Furious, Ceri doesn’t even bother to leave the tomb and rips open a portal to Fairy right where she stands. Quickly, she steps through and disappears.

  ‘Wow. She has become powerful!’ Agnes is full of admiration.

  The next morning the sun peeks through the curtains and shines on Bridget’s face. She’s been wide awake since dawn and is mesmerized by the piece of vine around her middle finger. When she touches her skin, it feels like a tattoo that has been there for years. But it’s constantly moving. It had already sprouted thorns once and is now back to a smooth green twine.

  ‘Did you get that tattoo overnight?’ Bridget is startled by Wes’ voice. He had been looking at her for a while. Quickly, she wants to put her other hand over it. Wes is quicker and grabs her hand.