by S. E. Akers
“Just as I suspected. You pulled the Demon Card,” Padimae announced. She appeared calm, however I could have thrown-up right then and there. “You look pale, child. Don’t be alarmed. The card speaks of your bout with guilt. You have a lot of it. It holds your emotions captive…and manipulates your actions,” she noted with a nod. “Pick another,” Padimae insisted. “This we must explore.”
The picture on the next card I pulled from the pristinely arranged line was one bearing a large red heart in the center of the scene being pierced by three sharp swords. Blood was actually dripping off it and onto the table.
“Grief,” Padimae stated doubtlessly. “Past and present grief.” Her eyes narrowed. “A loved one…That it is certain.”
“Yes. A loved one closest to me passed away this past November,” I disclosed somberly, “Well, he was murdered actually…by a Talisman whose stone I now claim.” Padimae looked at me curiously while I wiggled in my chair. “But I feel like it was my fault. He was protecting me.”
“Who was this loved one?” she asked.
“My father, Caiden,” I replied, barely able to speak. Padimae tapped her finger thoughtfully against her lips for a moment while she stared at me with an intense curiosity.
“This Caiden…Do you think he would want you to feel this way?”
“No,” I answered. “But it’s been so hard not seeing him or hearing his voice. I thought some of the pain would go away by now, but it hasn’t. Not at all. My mother doesn’t make it any easier. She’s always been nasty, but since his death, she’s gotten a lot worse. I think deep down, she blames me.”
Padimae leaned closer. “What is your mother’s name?” the voodoo queen asked.
“Charlotte…and I have a sister named Chloe. She’s just as bad most of the time.” Padimae took a hold of my hands and gave them a warm squeeze.
“You must not dwell on hurtful experiences or the wicked people in your life. Even the faintest of bad thoughts fuel their power over you, child. Only focus on good thoughts and memories. We cannot change the path that others are set to follow. They have their own motives, their own battles. You cannot win their fight. You are only responsible for your own destiny.”
“I know that, but my heart doesn’t. I just feel so alone. Whenever I’m around them, all they do is spew harsh words…and I constantly feel their resentment. It’s even worse when they ignore me. I’m just thankful I have Beatrix in my life.”
“Beatrix?” Padimae interrupted. “The Golden Topaz Talisman?”
“Yes. She’s been more like a mother to me. But I miss having Katie around too. She’s the one whose soul is trapped in the diamond I had on earlier. I’d kill for a hug from my bosom friend and at the same time, I don’t think I deserve it. The only reason she’s in this situation is because of me…because of the diamond wand. Without her body and the stone I need, she may never physically come back. Beatrix said if she loses faith that she could be trapped for eternity…imprisoned forever, even if we do find her missing body and get the fire opal back.”
“What she told you is true,” Padimae agreed. “Negative thoughts and emotions could forge an impermeable barrier for her. One that no amount of magic can break.”
I let out a sigh. “I grieve for her every day…and for my identity. I lost a close friend because the diamond took away his memories of me. I know it was necessary, but I can’t help but feel sad about it. Every one at my school looks at me differently now. Half my town thinks I’m nuts. At times, I long for the way things used to be. Just the little things.”
“Do you regret the hand fate has dealt you?” Padimae asked.
“No. Well, not its blessings. But sometimes its burdens bother me…mainly when it effects the people around me.”
Padimae ran her hand down my cheek. “But child, they go hand in hand,” she whispered. “You are stronger than what you think.” Padimae tilted her head suspiciously. “I sense something else to your grief. Draw another please.”
The next card did nothing to boost my outlook. It was a cloaked old man with a black crow perched on his shoulder. He was standing amidst a murky cloud. In one hand he held a lantern casting a soft glow and in the other, a hooked scythe with a blade so sharp and menacing that it could slice slick-through the base of a tree. The haze seemed to deepen the longer I stared at the card.
“Ahhh… Most of your guilt stems from the secrets you keep,” Padimae stated with an arch of her brow.
“But I have to guard my identity,” I blurted defensively.
“Yes. You are the Diamond Talisman, and that alone binds you surreptitiously. But young one, failure to trust in others is what the card reveals to me. It is the things you shield from them that feeds this monster swelling within you. Faith in those who can be trusted is the only thing that can lift this burden from you. Deception to protect them for their own sake will only lead to trouble. So will evading the truth to keep their good favor. When it is not your duty to remain shrouded, you must let the truth speak out. Secrets are a grave burden. They do nothing but stifle the soul. After all, a flower cannot grow and blossom if it is kept in the dark, naïve girl.”
“I’ve lied to Katie for months,” I admitted. “I wanted to tell her in the beginning, but I didn’t think she could deal with the disappointment…especially after Beatrix warned me of the consequences.”
“So you took over your friend’s path because you didn’t have faith in her? Someone whom you trust?” Padimae asked. I nodded shamefully. “And now the dark haze hangs over your head, choking you and weighing down your soul, just like the man depicted in the card?”
“Yes,” I replied as a lonely tear shot like a bullet down my cheek.
“Do you want to know what will happen if you don’t allow those you love to hear the truth?” I gulped as I reached for another card. The energy radiating from the one I drew flooded my body fiercely. With one flip, I found myself gazing at a massive tower that had been struck by a bolt of lightning. A large section of it was crashing to the ground. I stroked the card with the tips of my fingers. It felt course and gritty. I turned my hand over to spy several powdery, gray stains caked on my skin.
“All illusions eventually crumble, young one…even if you are not ready to reveal the truth. Fate finds a way to reclaim its reigns and lifts the burden from your soul.”
I sat in silence, pondering the meaning behind the harrowing card. Deep down, I already knew I was doing Katie a huge injustice, but I didn’t know if I truly had the strength to let it willingly come out.
“Another please,” Padimae urged. “We need to see where you are now.”
Full of reservation, I slowly pulled another card. A regal man, bearing a crown, sat on a majestic throne. He was brandishing a scepter, while a mystical orb lay in the palm of his other hand.
Padimae smiled. “You seek to protect others. I’m not surprised. You would not be deserving of the diamond wand if this desire did not burn from deep within your soul.” Padimae placed her hand over the card and closed her eyes. “Three,” she murmured, “besides the girl in the diamond. There are three more you seek to protect. Yes, three friends.”
I nodded. “They were with me earlier at the club. They were in danger. I had to get them out of there.” A strange feeling came over me. “They’re okay, aren’t they?”
“Yes…for now,” she added ominously. “But you will need to heighten your guard whenever they are around.”
I frowned. That’s comforting… Like I don’t have enough on my plate.
“Shall we continue?” Padimae queried. I hesitated. “I feel it is best,” she implored.
Suddenly, one the cards started shaking on the table without any help from me. Padimae turned it over. It was a picture of a young woman that appeared to have three faces, like she was looking every which way. A beautiful moon was hanging in the sky like a crown, directly over her head.
“Fear,” Padimae said. “Though you are strong, you are consumed with fear. Even the greatest w
arrior has fear, child. A person without fear is nothing more than a fool. That is what fuels their strength. Do not hide from this primal emotion. Always embrace it. Learn how to cope with it and use it to help you grow. Whether the threat is directed at you or the ones you love, fear will keep your perspective clear and help you along life’s way.”
Not wanting to dwell on any of my countless fretful worries, I brushed them aside and reached for the deck. My hand followed the energy radiating from the cards. As soon as I found its climatic force, I selected my card. A young woman stood holding two batons, each placed in opposite directions. She looked thoughtful, though the woman on the card gave me the impression that she was somewhat carefree. The same symbols that represented the elements adorned the card, each of the four placed in a specific corner representing the earth, fire, water, and air. For some reason this one seemed less damning, with the exception of a slithering serpent circling the woman in the center of the card.
“Good news?” I asked hopefully.
“Let’s just say that it is news,” Padimae replied. “This card represents the world in respect to your destiny. It confirms the trip you are about to embark upon. A voyage across the sea.”
Confused, I corrected her, “Um, we’re flying…on an airplane.”
Padimae smiled and let out a laugh. “The cards tell no lies, young one. I sense water carrying you…not the wind.”
I stared at her skeptically. Well, at least I have something to gauge her accuracy, I noted. Still curious, I drew another card. A man draped in metal armor stood proudly, waving a long rod-like stick.
Padimae looked pensively at the card. “This card’s force is strong. The knight you see holds a single staff in his hand. Staffs represent fire. It marks a new beginning for you. A task that you must take in hand.” She glanced at my purse. “Yes,” she whispered. “This is about your bound duty. Fate degrees you are the right person and that this is the right time.”
“So maybe this duty won’t be so bad?” I posed.
“Hmmm,” she murmured. Still intrigued, Padimae ordered me to take another. Though I selected the appropriate card, my mind was too preoccupied with the peculiar look on her face to notice how I had laid it on the table. When I looked down, I realized I’d mistakenly placed it upside-down.
Just as I tried to turn it around, Padimae shooed my hand away. “No! No! You mustn’t manipulate the way the card has fallen. This is the way it is meant to lay.” I gazed at the picture of a hooded man who stood waving one of his hands. In front of him lay a challis, a coin, a sword, and a long staff on a round table. Thick, thorny vines covered the ground and seemed to be working its way up the legs of the table, trying to smother everything in its path.
Padimae looked gravely at the inverted card, and for a second, I thought her dark skin was about to go ashy white.
“Be warned, young one… Someone deceives you. This I see.”
“Who?” I asked, rattled by her reveal. “Is it a man? A woman?” I begged.
“I cannot see. I cannot see their face, but a betrayer I do see. I can feel their lust for power. Be wary with every step you take along your way. This person frightens even me.”
I slumped down in my seat as I stared at the cards, wishing that I’d snagged the in-flight brown paper barf-bag I’d seen yesterday on the plane.
“Do not fret, dear child. Take this as a blessing in disguise. You now know how careful you must be. Do not make the mistake of giving your trust away so easily. It is in your best interest to stay guarded.”
“Don’t these things ever give good news?” I sighed. Padimae grinned and motioned for me to pick another. I humored her and pointed to my choice. I didn’t have the courage to pull it out myself. Padimae’s grin widened into a smile. She took the liberty of laying the card down in front of me, almost proudly. A single, large challis with streams of water rolling out from all of its sides was the sight lying before my eyes.
“Love,” Padimae announced passionately.
“Love?”
“Yes,” the voodoo queen confirmed. “The start of a love that is everlasting.” The corners of my mouth dropped. “You are not happy about this?” Padimae asked. “Most people would be.”
“No. It’s not that. I just haven’t had much luck in that department,” I assured her. “Actually, none at all. I’ve kind of put those thoughts on the back-burner.” Padimae laughed. My blasé attitude regarding one of the most basic human emotions seemed to tickle her. “I don’t suppose the card would save me from any confusion and let me know exactly whom this love is to be?”
Padimae’s laughter intensified. “No. That I cannot see. But I do see that in time, you will know for sure. That is something only your heart can reveal.”
I pondered silently, Is this someone I already know or a stranger I have yet to meet? “Anything else positive on the horizon?” I posed as I drew another card. My next draw revealed a gilded man sitting atop a horse with his arm extended, holding a challis in his hand.
“Yes. This card is a very good omen,” Padimae vowed. “You will receive help from an unlikely source regarding something valuable you seek. This knight holding a challis is to be your saving grace.”
“A knight-in-shining armor, huh?” I posed.
“Exactly,” Padimae confirmed. “Someone will come to your aid.”
“That sounds promising,” I pondered aloud.
“One more card, please,” Padimae requested. I lowered myself back down in my seat and dragged my choice towards the center of the table. The card showed a naked woman sitting in front of a small vessel. A myriad of colors were streaming out of the container while a bright star hovered in the blue sky above. Its light was so bright that my eyes started to flutter.
Padimae let out a sigh of relief. “It pleases me to see this one. Its message is clear.”
“What does it mean?” I asked.
“Hope, child. It represents hope,” Padimae explained. “When you think all is lost, remember that hope always walks beside you. Embrace it along your journey and never lose faith, for it will light the shadowy sections of your path which has been laid out by destiny.”
“I think I’ll end on that card…if you don’t mind?” I asked.
“Yes, Padimae agreed. “That is a good finale…and just in time, too.” She closed her glistening copper eyes as she rose from her chair and tilted her head towards the ceiling. “The sun is ushering in the dawn. I feel it warming the sky.”
Just as I slid back my chair and started to rise from my seat, the table began rocking violently. The tarot deck magically shuffled around on its own and then spit out a card. It drifted slowly down onto the table and landed in front of me.
Sensing I was too afraid to touch it, Padimae took the liberty for me. “This card…” she began, “It represents a choice you must make.” The scene depicted a blindfolded man who looked utterly distraught as he held a sword in each of his hands. “A burdensome choice,” she added gravely. “One you must make about someone you care for I’m afraid.” I didn’t even bother asking “who”. She couldn’t tell me because she wouldn’t know.
“Is it that bad?” I asked, praying I was reading too much into her dire, stony expression. Padimae didn’t say a word. She simply nodded, confirming my worst fear.
“Take comfort in the fact that destiny wants you prepared,” Padimae disclosed. “It was the one who summoned the card to appear.”
“Great,” I replied, uneasily. Padimae stared at me with a pensive gaze. With a profound flare of her coppery eyes, she hurried over to the spot on the counter where the voodoo dolls lay in their crate.
“I want you to have this,” Padimae insisted as she handed me the hideous-looking doll she had tried to pawn off on me earlier. “The one you originally chose is far inferior to this one. I promise you that one day, it will come in handy. Consider it another gift from me.”
“All right,” I replied, mustering my politest, thank-you smile. “But I was planning on givi
ng it to Beatrix.”
“Even better. She will definitely know what this gift truly means.” Unexpectedly, the sound of a throat clearing echoed through the room. We both turned toward the beaded curtain to spy Ms. Lá Léo peeking her head into the room.
“Can I be comin’ back into ma own shop now, Grand-mama?” Ms. Lá Léo inquired.
“Yes. Shiloh is leaving. Make yourself useful. Go step outside and see if it is safe,” Padimae directed.
“Yes, Grand-mama,” she replied humbly with a bow. The chimes from the nonexistent bells rang throughout the store, followed by a few chuckles from Ms. Lá Léo. “Hey, Cinderella,” she called out to me. “Jou dark prince be leavin’ jou jour shoe.” Ms. Lá Léo looked inside the boot and shook it a couple of times before she handed it to me. “It be fine,” she assured as I snatched the boot out of her hand and then cautiously slipped it back on my foot.
Ms. Lá Léo gave my back a firm smack. “It be a pleasure doin’ business wit jou,” she stated with an arrogant glare.
“Well, it was more enlightening for me,” I declared, full-on snarky. Padimae shooed her granddaughter away and locked me in a firm, lingering embrace.
“Bon Voyage, young one,” Padimae wished, just as passionately as her hug. “Think about everything the cards were trying to tell you. Never forget or disregard a thing.”
“Thank you for your kindness, Padimae,” I replied as I opened the door. I gave each direction a speedy, but thorough check before I crossed the threshold. As soon as I was out of the voodoo magic’s protective restraints, I felt my powers start to surge. I hadn’t noticed the sensation when I’d left yesterday, but its presence was obvious this time. Supernatural ADT.
I turned back to wave at the pair. Padimae’s eyes were beaming brighter than the sun. The longer I gazed at them, the more I lost myself in their curious and mystical hue. My gut started to churn. I felt a strange connection to the woman and genuinely believed she only wanted to help me. She had revealed so much about my past and what plagued me. Nervously, I began to weigh her wary words regarding my future. There was only one way for me to communicate with her — only one way to ensure our bond. Even though Beatrix would probably have the mother of all conniptions, I took a firm stance and rendered my decision.