The Six of Swords. She always subscribed to the belief this card represented Charon, the ferryman who shuttled the departed across the River Styx. With all the other cards preceding this one, it was hard to ignore the possibility she was indeed in physical danger. Her breath grew shallow and she had to force herself to deepen it, to calm her thoughts. Her left hand fluttered to the gold cuff bracelet on her right wrist and began twisting it, as was her habit when she felt anxious. It had been her mother's. The one piece of jewelry that hadn't been buried with her.
Okay. One more clarifying card.
Rose flipped it over and placed it to the left of the Death card.
The Devil. Another dark card. She involuntarily pushed back away from the spread in front of her. Fear wound its way through her body, causing the hair on the back of her neck to prickle. She wiped the sweat from her upper lip.
A crash from the lanai made her jump. She placed a hand on her racing heart. Good gracious! Sounded like Lucky knocked over one of her potted plants again.
"Lucky, leave the lizards alone!" she called. That cat would never learn. She'd deal with the mess later. Right now she had more important things to worry about.
Rose gathered up the cards and wrapped them back up. It was time to consult her crystal ball. With trembling hands, she retrieved it and set it on the coffee table in front of her.
Rose took a few deep breaths to let the turmoil of anxiety sink to the bottom and let her mind clear. Then she began to rub the crystal ball. Its cool surface gave her comfort. Scrying had always been one of her strongest gifts, one of the few useful things her mother had passed down to her.
When she felt calmer and focused, she opened her eyes and stared into the quartz ball, watching light flutter around in its fractured depths. Seconds ticked by, then minutes unnoticed as she continued to hold her focus. A gray mist began to form, swirling and darkening until a black storm raged within the confines of the sphere. Rose's heart fluttered nervously. This was not going to be good news. She visualized the storm disintegrating and watched as the inky, cloudy ball became clear once again.
A serpent sat, coiled tightly, its eyes shifting from black to red. A chill traveled up Rose's arms. She pulled her hands away as if the ball had caught fire.
One hand still resting protectively over her heart, she mulled over the image.
Okay, snakes and their shedding skin symbolize change, releasing old habits. That's what the Devil card must be telling her. She just needed to let go of an old habit. She twisted the bracelet roughly around her arm. Well, crap, she was going to have to give up her pack a day smoking habit. Sure, that made sense. After all, she was fifty-three and had a congenital heart defect, probably pushing her luck, anyway. Didn't take a crystal ball to figure that out.
But, the panic wasn't receding. No matter how she tried to justify the cards and the serpent vision, no matter how hard she tried to push them to the corners of her mind, anxiety fluttered in every cell of her body.
Smoothing out her creased skirt, she nodded. Okay, time to take a break and see what kind of mess her beloved girl made this time. Besides, she could use a quick cuddle. Hearing Lucky's motorboat purr always calmed her nerves.
Rose stood up and took one step. Her right bare foot came down on something cold and hard. She glanced down just in time to register the diamond pattern before a quick strike sent venom coursing through her leg. She squealed, confused, as the diamond back rattler's tail disappeared beneath her sofa. Searing heat radiated up her leg and she fell over onto the sofa, clutching her heart. White hot pain blossomed in her chest, squeezing the breath out of her. She gasped for air.
So, this was it? A literal snake?! Images flashed through her mind. The Devil card grew larger, until she could see the scales on his face, see herself reflected in his beady black eyes. His tongue flicked out at her. She felt so cold. The pain in her chest was unbearable. Her last thought was of her cat. "Lucky, run!"
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Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
About the Author
Also Available from misterio press: LADY LUCK RUNS OUT, by Shannon Esposito
The Shamanic Detective (A Riga Hayworth Paranormal Mystery) Page 26