The Magical Tarot Deck

by Marieke Lexmond

  Ceri throws her arms up in the air. ‘There’s no other way?’

  ‘Not that we know of.’ replies Sparkle.

  As Ceri has no other option, she rips open a portal straight to the house. ‘Are you coming?’ her tone betraying that it wasn’t a question, so Cephalop steps through as well. They land in the patio, a tranquil place. Ceri instantly feels nauseous again, while Cephalop enjoys the beauty and all the water in this part of the house. It has been a very long time since he was invited to the house, and a lot has changed.

  ‘Alvina!’ shouts Ceri, which is totally unnecessary as she’s there waiting, as always.

  ‘My Lady.’ curtseys Alvina.

  ‘Show me the garden.’ Like a real Fairy royal, Ceri strides behind Alvina, and Cephalop registers this change with satisfaction. This woman needs to evolve, and quickly, if she doesn’t want to drown in her own powers.

  The garden is breathtaking, even though autumn seems to have set in. The colors, the smells, the power, and the different species are mesmerizing. Ceri would have been able to lose herself in here, was it not for her foul mood.

  ‘What now?’ She demands of Sparkle.

  ‘In the center of the garden is an ancient fairy tree. In its bark is an imprint of the ring. Push the ring in there and merge yourself with it.’

  ‘Merge myself with it.’ Ceri sounds skeptical.

  ‘It’s the best human word I have.’

  ‘I’ll figure it out.’ Cephalop and Alvina follow Ceri as she takes a path that seems to lead to an old tree. When she comes closer, she feels the power of the tree reaching out to her—as if it’s calling her. She picks up her pace. When she’s almost close enough to touch the bark on its trunk, she realizes the others are keeping their distance; even Sparkle is keeping quiet. The branches of the tree bend down and form a protective dome around her. As if giving her a warm embrace.

  ‘Hello.’ She manages to whisper and gently touches the tree.

  ‘What took you so long?’ Sounds the deep tremor filled voice of the tree throughout her body. It is in her; that’s the best way she can describe it. She can feel its need and loneliness. It washes over her, and again the enormity of her responsibility hits her. The demand of the Land is strong, and now she can actually feel it, she feels protective of it, as if it’s her child. Instantly, she knows she will do anything to protect it.

  ‘I’m sorry. I didn’t understand. I will take care of you.’

  Immediately, the birds start to sing. The light comes from behind a cloud, and the tree perks back up. Their bond is getting stronger. Without hesitation, Ceri finds the imprint in the trunk. She pushes the ring, that is already merged with her being, in it. Ceri as a person ceases to exist and expands into a million tiny particles that flow through the life of the Land of Fairy, touching everything and bringing it back to its full potential. It’s strange how this is such a give and take. Both Ceri and the Land profit from the boost of life. In this state, it becomes evident to her that she belongs here and can’t possibly go back to living on earth. She feeds the Land, and the Land feeds her—a symbiotic relationship.

  One can’t go long without the other. Ceri’s particles go around and around, no longer aware of something as trivial as time. In this state, she can learn so much. When she finally finds her way back to her body, she has no idea how long she has been floating through everything. Alvina and Cephalop are massaging her all over, bringing her back to this world. It takes her brain a few minutes to adjust to her body again, and when she looks around, the garden is full of flowers, birds, butterflies, and tiny fairies that are fluttering about. A big whale floats by in the sky. All is well again.

  Ceri is not able to walk yet, so Cephalop envelops her in his tendrils, and Alvina rushes toward the house. When the octopus fairy carries her in and settles her down on a what appears to be a couch that instantly shapes itself to make her comfortable, Alvina is ready with a calming concoction. Steam is coming from it, a mix of tea and a fairy drink. Ceri savors the warmth and the pleasant feeling this drink gives her.

  ‘How did it go?’ comes a gentle caress of Sparkle’s voice in her head, unable to hold in his curiosity any longer.

  ‘I can’t describe it. I’m a mother, a creator.’ Another sip helps her ground herself into her body, and slowly, she starts to feel like a human, or fairy, again. No need to deny it any longer. From now on, it will feel like she has three children; Liam, Emily, and the Land of Fairy. This whole experience has not only rejuvenated Fairy but also replenished her and brought her peace. Her problems are still there, and she will need time to process Tara’s story, but her situation is no longer overwhelming. It’s time to get back in the game. A laugh escapes her. That she calls it the game shows she’s more fairy than she thinks. The thorny spell on her other middle finger reminds her of what her first priority must be. There is something she can do for Bridget, which will be much better than sending her some extra power. After all, she’s the only one who can take the magical collar off Lucy’s neck. The woman might be horrendous, she’s the only one, though, who has told her the truth about who she really is from the beginning. That must count for something.

  When she gets up, Alvina and Cephalop fall to one knee and say in unison, ‘My Lady.’

  Sparkle has joined in too, and she can feel the kneel in his voice. Something has changed. Whatever she has done, these are her loyal subjects now.

  SOMEWHERE ON THE I-25

  Luna and Tom are driving as fast as they can. They were relieved to hear that the family had been able to direct extra power to Bridget and that she had regained consciousness. Voodoo is extremely dangerous, and it could cause severe damage if she had stayed out of it. Albuquerque is close, and they will soon be taking another freeway. There are some crossings on the way, but they are minor. Albuquerque has a very distinctive magical signature. New Mexico is unique that way. Life and death are firmly married here; the veil is thin.

  On top of that, a lot of ancient spirits seem to dwell there, from days long gone and forgotten. Some that can be very dangerous if awoken. The witches who live here are special. Either great in shielding in positivity or ones that are closely linked to the otherworld and easy communing with death. It has always intrigued Luna, but she has never felt particularly comfortable here. She’s sure that Lucy’s home is not in New Mexico; she would have felt it.

  ‘Are you okay?’ Tom lays his hand on her leg.

  ‘Happy that Bridget is a little better. And I also have a feeling we’re on the right path. Eight or nine hours more, and then we’ll know for sure.’

  NEW ORLEANS

  Wes feels different inside after the ritual. It’s like he can still sense Bridget; it’s more intimate than anything he has ever experienced. More intimate than sex even. Have these women changed him? Is he a witch now?

  ‘Magic is in the heart. All people have it; we witches can access it all the time. It’s like a permanent state. It will wear off for you. Don’t worry.’ responds Maeve to his unspoken questions.

  ‘Can you hear me?’

  A laugh escapes her. ‘You’re not used to sheltering your thoughts; you amplify them without even realizing it. That can happen after a ritual.’

  Worried, he looks around.

  ‘Not to the world, to the people you were connected to.’ Her comforting hand caresses his leg. Neither of them thinks anything of it. They’ve become close after the experiments with the cards and now friends sharing their worries for Bridget.

  Tara comes out with some tea, it’s an unusual and pleasant surprise for Maeve to see their roles reversed. Somehow, Tara looks better this morning after doing the ritual, and retaking charge of her home.

  ‘Maybe we can do some more brainstorming on what else we can magically try to change Bridget’s situation?’ suggests Tara as she pours the tea.

  A sudden ripple of excitement precedes Diane’s arrival, and as it hits Maeve and Tara, they look at each other. What now? Diane finds them on the porch. For a
moment, she freezes, the first time she can see and actually feel Bridget’s pain. As a seer, she’s highly sensitive and can often see beyond what’s actually there. For her, Bridget looks like a ball of red fire. Startled, she forgets for a second why she’s here.

  ‘Diane?’ Tara calls her back to the here and now.

  ‘Mom. Maeve.’ For a moment, she looks at Wes, weighing whether she should go on. ‘Just the people I want to talk to.’ Again, she glances at Wes and at Bridget. ‘Shall we…’ uncomfortable, she tries to suggest going somewhere private.

  ‘Wes is okay, he has a right to know.’

  ‘It’s not only that.’ Pointedly, she looks at Bridget.

  Tara decides to take her hint. ‘Wes, why don’t you stay with B; we’ll be back soon.’

  Diane and Maeve follow Tara to her room. Something had Diane in a state. It must be important, so perhaps it’s best not to be disturbed.

  When they enter Tara’s room, Diane notices immediately that Seamus is not in his portrait.

  ‘Where’s Dad?’

  ‘I don’t know, he’s been gone for some time now.’ A sense of profound sadness comes from Tara.

  Without saying anything, they all think the same. Has Seamus finally really passed on?

  ‘What is wrong?’ Tara’s no longer able to hold her curiosity.

  Without ceremony, Diane takes the package in which she has hidden the dagger from her bag. Maeve and Tara can feel the magic coming from whatever it is she’s about to show them.

  Maeve has a hard time not to rip it from Diane’s hand and speed up the process. Diane takes her sweet time to carefully unwrap it. The shock of seeing a dagger, an exact replica of the real Dagger, stuns Maeve and Tara.

  ‘Is this what I think it is?’

  Tara moves her hand over it, ‘How did it come to you?’

  Again, the excitement that has arisen within her wants to touch the dagger so desperately, and with great difficulty, she holds back. Already wielding one of the elemental powers, it would not be a good idea to get attached to this one. However much she wants it.

  ‘I had a vision…’ Diane, who’s not really ready to talk about what she remembers from that, sticks to the most essential details. ‘When I came out of it, this was on my workbench.’

  ‘What do we do now?’ Tara thinks out loud. Will they trade it and stop Bridget’s suffering, or will they keep it safe and away from Lucy.

  ‘It’s not real.’ says Maeve.

  ‘I can feel its power.’ Tara states, convinced.

  ‘Me, too,’ whispers Diane.

  ‘Oh, my Goddess.’ Maeve turns pale. How is this possible? She can still feel the gentle tug of the Dagger ever since she got it when they walked between the cards. Could it be that it’s right in front of her now?

  ‘I thought you and Bridget had hidden it somewhere safe?’ Tara is having a difficult time hiding her disappointment.

  ‘We did. This is impossible.’ Maeve still can’t believe it. ‘I can check.’ Then it hits Maeve. She can’t check. She needs Bridget for that. She and Wes hadn’t been able to get the extra card to work.

  ‘It wouldn’t be safe from the person who helped me retrieve this.’ Diane reluctantly volunteers.

  ‘Who exactly did you get this from?’ Tara’s witch sense is all of a sudden on high alert.

  ‘From the Maiden.’

  ‘What?! From THE Maiden.’

  Diane only nods, the memory of what happened makes her blush involuntary.

  ‘What price did you pay?’ Tara is mortified.

  Diane looks away, not ready to share her erotic encounter with the Maiden. It’s none of their business.

  ‘Oh no, Diane.’ Tara interpreted that to mean Diane paid quite a price, but she’s not going to say.

  ‘Take it.’ Diane holds out the dagger.

  ‘I’m not touching it, too much temptation. Cover it, and we’ll hide it in the tomb for now. One of the ancestors can look after it until we decide what to do.’ Tara takes charge again.

  ‘We’re trading it for Bridget, right?’ says Diane, recalling that tortuous ball of fire.

  ‘No!’ declares Maeve. ‘Bridget doesn’t want that. I promised her!’

  Tara mulls this over in her head. In all honesty, she’s hesitant to let Lucy get a hold of the Dagger again. ‘Maybe we should vote.’ She says out loud.

  ‘No! We’re not going to do it.’

  Diane steps between the two women, ‘We need to vote.’ She says. And as often happens, Tara follows Diane’s advice; the fact that she’s a seer leads people to assume that she knows more about the future and it will tip the scale in her favor.

  ‘Let’s get everyone together and vote, we can call Tom and Luna.’ Tara is already twirling her finger to summon everybody to the house.

  ‘Please, not the humans, they will vote to free Bridget; they just don’t understand the magical consequences.’ implores Maeve.

  ‘That’s very condescending.’ Diane looks disappointed at her niece.

  ‘It’s affecting everyone in this family, magical or not, they have a right.’ And with that, Tara gets to work to bring all of them home.

  Within the hour, the first people start to arrive. Freya and her husband Jason and their son Dylan. Tara has been preparing some sandwiches. Maeve has refused to help as she finds this whole idea ridiculous. She and Wes have been guarding Bridget. Freya starts to help her mother when Ron shows up all alone.

  ‘Is Selma coming?’ asks Tara giving him a quick hug.

  ‘She and the kids are staying home.’ Ron doesn’t elaborate.

  But Tara isn’t Tara if she wouldn’t persist. ‘We can call her.’

  ‘We need to give her some space. After what happened with Lisa, she wants no part of this.’

  ‘Oh.’ Tara replies, busying herself once again.

  ‘I left Gwen and Brian in charge of the Hat as you asked.’

  ‘Thanks, dear.’

  Emily and Liam bring their father, Bert. He ignores all of them and plops down in a chair as far away from everybody as possible.

  Fin has quietly arrived, and the last one in is Alice, who immediately joins Diane, and starts whispering with her. They’re always separate from the group somehow.

  Tara turns to Fin, ‘Do you mind getting Maeve and Wes?’

  ‘I don’t know if they want to leave Bridget alone.’

  ‘The dogs can watch Bridget. They must be here. Then we can call Gwen and Brian at The Hat and Luna and Tom in the car.’

  ‘Right.’ He quietly closes the door when he leaves.

  With so many around, the kitchen quickly buzzes with theories. The air feels charged with tension.

  All heads turn to the door when Maeve, Fin, and Wes finally come back in.

  ‘Great, we can start. Dylan, can you call Brian and Gwen? Fin, if you would call Luna and Tom.’

  The boys go ahead, and soon everybody who can be is in attendance.

  ‘What about Mom?’ wonders Emily.

  For a moment, it falls quiet, and you could hear a pin drop. ‘I can’t get hold of Ceri, sweetheart.’ says Tara, she doesn’t look their way and guilt fills the atmosphere. Intrigued, Jason opens his mouth, but a quick elbow in his side from Freya silences him.

  ‘Is she back to Fairy?’ This question hangs in the air.

  ‘We don’t know, sweetie. I’m sure she’ll be back as soon as she can.’ Maeve comforts Emily.

  Ron’s own fragile state with Selma has shortened his patience, ‘Can we start! I need to get back to work.’

  Tara stands up straight, taking a deep breath, and projecting calm and leadership. This surprises Maeve, it’s like her old Grandma woke back up this morning, as if she has been away for a while.

  ‘Thank you all for coming. I called a meeting because we have to make a crucial decision. In light of everything that has happened, I thought we should discuss where we are and take a vote. Everybody who is here, including Liam and Emily.’

  Maeve, Diane, Ro
n, and Freya exchange glances, wondering what is going on. This is the total opposite of Tara’s normal behavior.

  Tara plows on. ‘We have the Dagger that Lucy wants, and that puts us in a position where we can trade it for Bridget.’

  ‘How did that happen?’ shouts Freya.

  ‘I’m coming over right now!’ sounds Gwen’s voice through the phone, barely understandable as everyone is talking at once.

  ‘Quiet!’ sounds Tara’s magical filled voice, and the room instantly falls silent. A little spell can do miracles even with other witches. ‘Gwen, please stay there; let’s discuss first and then you’re welcome to come over. I don’t want you to miss this.’

  Grudgingly, Gwen agrees.

  ‘I will share my thoughts, and Maeve will get a chance to speak on Bridget’s behalf as she’s the closest to her.’

  Warily, Maeve eyes her grandmother.

  ‘The Dagger is one of the elemental objects, and its power is dangerous. Giving it back to Lucy will be irresponsible, and we would have to do anything in our power to get it back. The Goddess only knows what kind of things Lucy will do with it. Especially in the light of what she’s willing to do to one of us to get it back. Having said that, Bridget is in a tremendous amount of pain. Lucy put a fourth Voodoo pin in her that rendered her unconscious. We were able to channel some power to her. If Lucy decides to set another pin, it might kill her.’

  ‘Oh, no!’ Emily speaks passionately, voicing the thoughts and dread of the others present.

  ‘After thinking long and hard, I think we need to try to free Bridget and then come up with a plan to retrieve the Dagger again from Lucy as soon as we can. It’s the only way.’

  Maeve interrupts Tara. ‘Bridget doesn’t want that. She made it very clear to me she wants the Dagger kept safe.’

  Again, the room explodes in a cacophony of voices. Sparks fly in true witch fashion.

  ‘Please!’ Tara waves her arms, not trying to use magic this time. ‘I want you to think about it and discuss it among yourself for say fifteen minutes. After that, we’ll vote.’