The Magical Tarot Deck

by Marieke Lexmond

  ‘Here, Mistress,’ Alvina opens a door to what could be defined as a study. Apparently, even fairies like books. This room has wall to wall, top to bottom shelves of books and glass balls. It gives a whole new meaning to crystal balls. Inside the globes, images are moving.

  ‘This is Master Falearn’s favorite room. It holds all the family chronicles and many more learned things, from Fairy and beyond.’

  Ceri is mesmerized, she floats through the room not even aware her feet don’t touch the ground anymore. Her hand gently caressing the books, and when she touches one of the balls, an image springs to life, floating in front of her.

  Two fairies with swords engaged in a fierce battle, behind them are groups of Fairy creatures cheering them on. Alvina touches the ball again, and the image disappears into the ball.

  ‘Wow. That’s wild. Who were they?’

  ‘I don’t know, but I’m sure your guide can tell you.’

  ‘Is he or she here?’

  Alvina smiles, yes. She turns around and puts out her hand, a book lies on a table and from the book walks a tiny creature. It looks long and thin and silver, gray color, with twinkling lights or stones or something glistening throughout its body.

  ‘So small?’ Ceri can’t hide her disbelief. This tiny thing can’t hold all this knowledge.

  ‘You should know by now that size doesn’t matter. Meet Sparkle.’

  Ceri bends forward to try to see its face. A scream escapes her when Sparkle jumps toward her face. Before she gets a chance to react, he twirls himself around her ear.

  ‘Hello, beautiful.’ says a seductive male voice in her head.

  She feels her ear. ‘What is this?’

  ‘I can pass for a jewel, so you can always carry me with you, wherever you go.’

  Ceri gently touches him and follows his tiny body along her ear.

  ‘Oh, you tease.’ He purrs in her ear.

  ‘Sparkle is like me, a servant of the House of Finvarra. He has spent the past decade absorbing all the information in this room. He can answer all your questions. We have a fitting jewel for your other ear, so no fairy will realize you have a guide.

  ‘We’re going to have so much fun.’

  Ceri doubts that, stay cool, she has to play it cool. ‘It will take some time getting used to.’ She says, trying to hide her apprehension.

  NEW ORLEANS

  Maeve is standing alone in the atelier in front of the card, staring into Wes’ eyes. She can still feel her hand exploring him. Bridget has no idea what her projection had done. As they were merged, it had felt so real. It’s so frustrating that she still gets so embarrassed about physical closeness. Wes has been so kind to her, her sister is lucky, he’s special. For just a couple of seconds, she allows herself to relive the moment. That feeling of love and closeness, the joy of intimacy, the electricity of attraction. Full of wonder, she closes her eyes. Does this flutter in her stomach belong to it too? Is that her or…Too late, she realizes she has activated the card and again all three are intertwined. This time it had all taken them by surprise, unintentionally they are there. Instinctively, Maeve wants to withdraw, but Wes holds both women close this time.

  ‘Wait.’ She hears his seductive voice in her ear.

  ‘Please.’ adds Bridget and manages to give a comforting squeeze in her arm.

  For several, eternally long, seconds they just stand there. Let their feelings for each other flow and comfort. Maeve’s ferociously beating heart slowly returns to its normal pace. Only then does Wes let go.

  ‘Are you okay?’ wonders Bridget.

  Maeve gives her a real smile this time. For the first time since her sister got back, she feels the old connection they used to have. Maybe it’s not too late.

  ‘Did you hear that Freya, Fin, and Lisa are missing?’ says Bridget.

  ‘Oh no! Not little Lisa. Poor girl! Selma must be going crazy.’ Maeve looks around wondering whether she needs to go and comfort them.

  Bridget grabs her arm. ‘The only way we can help is to try to walk between the cards. It’s only a matter of time before Lucy finds out who holds the Dagger. Whatever happens we have to keep it out of her hands.’

  Maeve let other options go through her mind, but her twin is right. They have no choice. She had seen for herself the power the Dagger gave her Aunt and what she’s willing to do with it. Those tornados in New Mexico were crazy. The poor people that had been caught up in it.

  She takes a deep breath, ‘Okay, I think we were on the right track since we got into one of Seamus’ paintings.’

  ‘We probably need to be more specific.’ offers Bridget.

  ‘I feel so useless.’ sighs Wes. Maeve touches his arm in a familiar way, forgetting that it wasn’t really her touch that she remembers. ‘You’re far from useless. Without you, we wouldn’t even have this chance.’

  ‘You’re so sweet.’ replies Wes planting a gentle kiss on her cheek.

  ‘Come on, we don’t have much time.’ Bridget is anxious to try again. She doesn’t want to have to confront Lucy with the Dagger. This must work.

  UTAH

  ‘I want my MOMMY!’ screams Lisa.

  Seamus, heartbroken that he put this upon his grandchild, has tried everything he can to get her attention. But like the others, he might as well not be there. Now he has withdrawn against the wall, wallowing in self-pity. Wondering why on earth he ever thought painting the deck was a good idea. He has been so stupid.

  Lucy is at the point where she can’t think clearly anymore. This is torture.

  Freya has exhausted her skills attempting to calm Lisa down. She had even tried a little relaxing spell, but the poor child is so upset, her anxiety breaks through the magic. And she’s not prepared to use real magic on her niece. That is simply not right. But this commotion is keeping Lucy’s attention away from her. It’s clear Fin doesn’t know where the Dagger is, but she does. Tara had confided in her, for the first time since this started happening, and she can’t let her down.

  Freya had seen that Lucy and that girl, Mara, had been whispering in a corner. She’s sure Mara tried to put a spell on Lisa that didn’t work. It’s as if her magic can’t touch them. Fin, Lucy, Mara, and the young man Cal had been shouting back and forth. The only thing they accomplished is that it seems that the person who asked the question and the people from the card are in some sort of magical bubble together. Great, what now?

  Lisa starts a new temper tantrum which pulls her from her reveries. She walks up and down, up and down. But she’s not a baby anymore. In all honesty, Freya never has spent much time with her. She only saw her at family gatherings, and they seem to have been dwindling. So, the girl is simply not very comfortable with her. And she has never had that touch or connection that some women have with children. Lisa wiggles free from her grip, and the angry child runs straight for the shelves with potions and little bottles full of mysterious objects. With several angry sweeping moves, she knocks the bottles from the shelves.

  ‘NOOOOOOOO!’ sounds Lucy’s angry cry in the room. They all run for Lisa, and luckily, Fin reaches her first. He swoops her up and moves to the other end of the room. Cal and Mara are frozen in place. Lucy’s face turns bright red. All these specialty items that took her so many years to collect—this stupid child has destroyed them all.

  ‘TELL ME WHERE THE DAGGER IS!’ She shouts as spit flies from her mouth. She weaves her hand and again the spell fails her. Unable to process her loss and anger in a way that she’s used to, she explodes. Furious, she stalks toward the three witches who walk backward, and when they hit the wall, huddle together. Unable to use her magic, she smacks Lisa full on the cheek. For a short moment, it’s absolutely silent in the room. Then Lisa screams, Lucy screams, and the others shout at Lucy. Seamus has flown over and hovers useless in front of his family.

  ‘Go. I don’t want to know. GO.’ tries Lucy.

  ‘You can’t retract the question, that’s not how it works.’ answers Cal.

  Lucy whips arou
nd and Cal cringes in anticipation of his grandmother’s retaliation, but it is not coming.

  FAIRY

  Ceri is flabbergasted. This can’t be her! The reflection in the mirror staring back at her is unrecognizable. Living vines of green cover her body in all the necessary places, giving a very sensual feeling. They twist and turn, and the ends float around her as if looking for the next thing to grab onto. Little birds, bees, butterflies, and otherworldly little creatures sit on her or flutter around. Her face is a work of art. Fairy make up turns out to be a fashion statement, and Alvina is very gifted. Bright colors honor the land and make her face become part of her costume. Her whole presence radiates the living land. Satisfied, Alvina stands back and admires her work.

  ‘How…How will I be able to sit in this?’ wonders Ceri, she doesn’t want to snap one of the vines and expose herself in front of the court.

  ‘They will bend and stretch, don’t worry.’ smiles Alvina.

  ‘I can’t do this.’

  ‘Oh, yes, you can.’ Sparkle’s voice purrs in her ear. This makes her jump. His laughter trails through her head.

  ‘Stop it.’ unconsciously she touches him.

  ‘You stop it.’ He giggles.

  ‘Great, I have a sexist guide. Me Too clearly hasn’t reach Fairy yet!’

  ‘Hey, don’t be rude or you’ll be on your own tonight. See how you like that?’

  Ceri gives him a sulky look in the mirror.

  ‘That’s what I thought,’ he says smugly.

  Ignoring him, she turns to Alvina. ‘Any last words of advice?’

  ‘Be as vague as possible, don’t give out information about yourself. Stay friendly. And most important, don’t let them touch you.’

  ‘Vague, friendly, and no touching. Okay. I can do that.’ Again, she fidgets at the vines and they tickle her. ‘No, I actually can’t, let’s cancel.’

  ‘Nobody cancels or refuses an invitation from Queen Mab. Get a grip. We can do this.’ encourages Sparkle.

  With a last look at her disturbing image, she nods, and a portal opens to the doors of Mab’s ballroom. With as much confidence as she can muster, she steps through. Immediately, she gets a sensory overload. Loud music comes from a room that lies behind two giant golden doors. The doors themselves are amazing. The imagery seems to portrait the history of Fairy and Mab. For several minutes, Ceri is stunned and simply enjoys the beauty and history.

  ‘Nobody knows exactly how or when, but countless moons ago, the universe came to life and created Fairy, next to other dimensions, like earth. With every emerging society, the creatures fought among themselves for power and identity. The Fairies came out on top, not because they were the strongest, but because they not only were fierce but also took care of the world until slowly a balance was formed. Oberon was a charismatic man, and his family was chosen to rule over this world.’

  Abruptly, Sparkle’s history lesson ends as the doors open.

  Ceri stands face to face with an elegant creature, a mix of colorful butterfly and emu, probably a fairy, but he or she doesn’t have any human characteristics like she does. Gosh, she so needs to learn about this land. Her eyes wander beyond this creature, and the vast room behind the golden doors takes her breath away. The room seems endless, it must be decorated in her honor as trees spread out as far as the eyes can see. A path lined with majestic oaks lead to the center, a clearing, for lack of a better word. Filled with Fairy creatures of all shape and sizes, milling around a huge table set for dinner. A chandelier of fireflies floats above the table and forms different shapes according to the rhythm of the music. At the very end of the table stands a throne made of witch hazel, a magnificent piece, with Mab in all her glory. Dressed in blood red, her dress seems to flow around her, her long slender hands hold rings on every finger. Ceri glances down at the ring that her father had given her and is now part of her hand. Mab seems to possess many of these.

  ‘Lady Madigan of the house of Finvarra, Keeper of the Land, welcome.’ Resonates the voice of the creature next to her. Ceri jumps. She had forgotten all about him. The room falls silent and all heads turn toward the door, eager to see Felaern’s daughter.

  ‘Thank you, honorable Prince, for the introduction.’ whispers Sparkles in her ear.

  ‘Uh…Thank you…honorable Prince, for the introduction.’ stumbles Ceri.

  The Prince creature bows, again Ceri is at a loss.

  ‘Walk to the table.’ urges Sparkles.

  Ceri takes a deep breath and walks as elegantly as she can toward the clearing. You could hear a pin drop in the sudden silence. Sweat starts to poor down her spine. Her little creatures around her try to comfort her and swarm close.

  ‘Walk over to Mab and bow.’ instructs Sparkles.

  ‘How?’ mumbles Ceri, hopefully inconspicuous. She can feel the hundreds of eyes on her, probing, trying to see inside her.

  ‘As you are one of the old families that hold a powerful position you have to bend to one knee and bow your head.’

  ‘Hmmm.’ Ceri focusses on Mab, to drown out the rest, all the different creatures, the colors, the silence, the feel of their thoughts against her skin, freaks her out.

  ‘Shield.’ urges Sparkles.

  Quickly, she mumbles a familiar spell that throws a protective blanket around her. It helps, but not enough. The probing thoughts of the fairies around her still make her skin crawl.

  In a desperate attempt not to get overwhelmed, she focuses on the only fairy she knows in the room, the Queen of Fairy. Not comforting, but at least familiar. The smile on Mab’s face gives her the shivers. When she gets closer to Mab, the fairies around her find their voices again. Whispers swirl around her, some in alien languages that somehow find meaning within her. Unconsciously, she touches the matching tattoo around her finger and longs for a familiar face. For a split second, Bridget’s face materializes like a giant balloon in the room. Gasps from the room snap Ceri out of her reverie and the face dissolves.

  ‘Kneel.’ shouts her guide in her ear. Quickly, she falls to one knee and bends her head, but not before she sees the twinkle of interest in Mab’s eye. Now it seems she had attracted Mab’s real attention. That was not smart.

  ‘Queen Mab, ruler of Fairy, I’m honored and humbled by your generosity. A million moons and suns cannot express my gratitude.’ Silently, Ceri thanks Alvina for letting her repeat these words endlessly. Mab addresses her court.

  ‘Thank you, Lady Madigan of the House of Finvarra, Keeper of the Land. I welcome you to my court. Will you pledge to uphold your duty as Keeper of the Land and defend and nurture its life.’

  ‘I do. I pledge fealty to the Land of Fairy and my Queen.’

  ‘And I accept. May your reign be long and fruitful. Hail to the House of Finvarra.’

  A loud bell rings, and the fairies cheer. Ceri feels the ring around her finger settle, and her senses of the land are overwhelming. The whole room seems to shrink and expand. She has now made a promise as a witch and also as a fairy. What has she done? This didn’t feel like a formality, it feels more like there is no longer an escape. If she ever had one, she has lost it now. Instantly, she sees her children’s faces. Will she ever see them again? Will it be safe?

  ‘Rise and let me introduce you.’ Mab’s voice sounds like a waterfall, comforting. Ceri looks up and a tear escapes her eye before she manages to get a hold of herself. To show any weakness is stupid. No fairy is to be trusted. After several seconds, she pulls herself together, finds her inner core of strength, and manages to rise gracefully.

  ‘Come, my children are eager to get acquainted.’ The laugh that follows caresses down her spine.

  ‘Shield woman. Shield!’ sounds Sparkle’s warning voice in her head.

  For the second time, she tries a shielding spell.

  ‘You’re a fairy now. Use that.’ She can imagine him rolling his eyes at her. But she doesn’t know how to be a fairy. Coming here was a bad idea. No doubt Mab did it on purpose, easier to manipulate her when she�
�s off balance.

  A fairy with the most enormous wings is floating toward Mab and Ceri. Her delicate face and willowy body seem to morph with her colorful wings. They’re mesmerizing and if you’re not careful, they try to draw you in. Ceri tries her best to stay grounded and focus her thoughts on the earth while her vines around her seem to keep her on the ground. Maybe that’s what Sparkle meant with being a fairy.

  Mab’s elegant hand twirls up and down as if to showcase the impressive fairy.

  ‘Meet Birdwing of the House of Aelfdene, Keeper of the Sky.’

  Birdwing extends what looks like a hand. ‘You can call me Alexandra.’

  Ceri gives her a hand. ‘Pleased to—’

  ‘Don’t touch her!’ shouts Sparkle too late.

  The air leaves Ceri’s lungs and it’s hard to breath. Without ceremony, she sags to the ground.

  Mab throws her head back and laughs. Alexandra looks slightly embarrassed.

  ‘I’m so sorry. I thought…’ She doesn’t finish her sentence. What can she say? That you would be more competent? As soon as Alexandra lets go of her hand, she can breathe again, and as best she can, she jumps back up and pretends like nothing ever happened.

  ‘So nice to meet you. Honor to the House of Aelfdene.’ She blurts, about the only thing she remembers of the million things Alvina had tried to teach her this afternoon.

  ‘Honor to the House of Finvarra.’ comes the smooth reply.

  Ceri starts sweating. Why on earth had she agreed to come? She’s obviously way out of her league. Frantically, she tries to find words in her head to keep the conversation going. But the crowd of fairies around her takes her breath away. Nervously, she pulls on one of the vines that is draped around her neck. Immediately, it loosens and reorganizes itself in an appealing way. It doesn’t help with her anxiety; the unfamiliar shapes and sizes of the fairy faces seem to engulf her. Now she’s drowning on sensory overload.

  ‘Breathe. Breathe.’ Finally, the soothing voice of Sparkle penetrates her agitated state. Slowly, she manages to center herself, the staring fairies apparently patiently waiting. Not a great first impression. The sea of creatures parts, and a seemingly young woman with grace and confidence approaches her.