Total pages in book: 135
Estimated words: 132321 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 662(@200wpm)___ 529(@250wpm)___ 441(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 132321 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 662(@200wpm)___ 529(@250wpm)___ 441(@300wpm)
“You’re birth-naming me. Now, I’m scared.”
“I don’t want the universe to get confused,” she explains. “Okay, pull the first card for me. Don’t look at it, though. Just set it down.”
I don’t even believe in this shit. Why’s it freaking me out so much?
Nothing happens when I pull the first card and set it on the table.
Without touching my card, Shelby pulls another one and lays it a card’s width away from the first one, then a third one at the top, one in the middle, and the final one at the bottom, forming a crude cross.
“The first card represents your role in the relationship. The second, Margot’s. Third is your past foundation.” She taps each card as she explains their role in the reading. “Fourth is the current state of things. Fifth is your future.”
Do I really want to do this? My father considered any of this spiritual stuff devil magic. Even though I don’t believe that, an echo of unease from my past creeps over me.
She flips over the first card and bites her lip.
“What?” I lean over the table, trying to see the card better. An image of a muscled-warrior type dude with long hair, wielding a sword and shield while wearing a loincloth is in the center of the card. Knight of Wands. I flick my gaze to her face again. “Why are you laughing?”
“I’m not!” She covers her mouth with her hand.
“Yes you are.”
She flaps her hand at me. “Stop.”
She flips the second card and a little furrow forms between her brows. The Hermit. All it looks like to me is a woman hiding her face under the hood of a long robe, with one shapely leg peeking out.
“Awww,” Shelby breathes out.
The third card is a naked goddess with long hair mostly covering her bits, floating in the stars with what looks like eight sticks. Eight of Wands. A knowing smile spreads over Shelby’s face.
The fourth card is a skeleton rowing a boat under a glittering night sky. Death.
“The Death card isn’t bad,” Shelby warns.
The fifth and final card she turns over has a man and woman toasting two chalices together with vibrant roses blooming and intertwining with the stems of the chalices.
Shelby rests her elbows on the table and studies the cards. Her mouth’s tilted up and she seems happy…almost smug with the cards in front of her.
“Okay,” she finally says. “The first one. This represents you. I laughed because sometimes people joke that the Knight of Wands has big fuckboy energy.”
Several slow, sarcastic huffs of laughter pop out of Rooster. Shelby and I ignore him.
“Jesus Christ. I can’t believe I told you that,” I grumble.
“No. No. It’s more than that,” she insists. “He also symbolizes fiery passion, stamina, that you’re flirty, you have great chemistry, but a bit reckless or impulsive at times. It can mean a lot of passionate flings and fear of commitment.”
“Ding, ding, ding,” Rooster says.
I mean, the card’s not entirely wrong.
“Now, your partner’s card, The Hermit, can also have several meanings.”
“They all, always, have several meanings,” Rooster says.
“Your snark is not appreciated at this time, brother.” I throw my palm in front of his face. “Continue, please, songbird,” I say to Shelby.
She flicks a glance at both of us. “In a reading like this, it could be she’s gone through a hermit phase to learn more about herself and find healing. Someone who isn’t comfortable with, or wants to learn about, their sexuality, or has trouble with body image.” She points to the card. “See how she hides under the robe? But it could also mean she’s assumed the hermit role to take time to heal from past bad relationships?”
All of the above. “Yeah.” I’m too stunned to say more than that. The accuracy is freaky as fuck. The whole reason we started our fling was because some asshole ex of Margot’s made her feel so bad about herself.
“And that could mean she’s ready for something new,” Shelby concludes.
“That’s good, right?”
“I think so.” She taps the card of the woman and the eight sticks. “The third one is about the past foundation of your relationship—”
I frown and lean closer to the cards. “Are you sure it’s not a gang bang card?”
Rooster snickers.
Shelby shoots a glare at both of us. “No.”
“I’m just saying, it looks like she’s floating in the air with eight dicks.”
“Do you want me to finish or not?”
“Yes.” I pull a contrite face.
“So, the Eight of Wands can signify explosive chemistry and a quick, passionate attraction to each other.”
“Got that right,” I mutter.
The Death card’s still sitting there staring me in the face. “Does the next one mean we’re going to fuck ourselves to death with all that explosive chemistry?”
“No,” Shelby says with impressive patience. “The Death card can be about changes, and rebirth. The end of one thing and the beginning of something new.”