All I can do is nod, but Ginny smiles at me and reaches for the first card. I’m pretty sure she’s one of those more positive people who interprets the cards in a favorable light. At least, I freaking hope so. If doom and gloom and finger cutting are in my future, I’d rather not have them written in stone. Or cards.
“Okay, so this first card represents the situation you’re in, or the problem, or the question. Whatever you have in mind,” Ginny starts. Her gnarled fingers hover over the first card, and when she turns it, I let out a breath. I know nothing about this, but she doesn’t gasp or moan, so I figure it must be okay. “The two of cups. Interesting. The card is facing upright, which means balance. A good match. It doesn’t always have to be romantic, but in your case…” Ginny’s eyes don’t even flick to Ash. I bet she has a lot of couples coming in here, or perhaps starstruck young women. I know she’s probably reading me more than the card, telling me what she thinks I want to hear.
I want to laugh and tell her that I’m not here for romance. I’m here because I need to learn about a curse, but I keep that to myself. I suppose what she said could also relate to whatever problem, situation, or thing she said I have, except I don’t like the answer. I guess it could even relate to the curse since the curse is supposed to be about love and soulmates and all that.
Ash stays totally silent and still behind me. I don’t turn to look at him as I’m afraid to see his face.
“Should I continue?” Ginny asks patiently.
“Y…yes.” I nod. “Yes, please.”
Ginny turns over the next card. “The Ace of wands. Aces are powerful cards. They always symbolize something fresh. A new start, or as some people like to say, a rebirth. You’ve come to a place which allows you to cut ties with your old life and ways of thinking about things.”
“Like I’ve seen the light,” I put in dryly because nope, this is not going in a good direction.
Ginny smiles at me. “Yes. Exactly.”
She flips the next card before I’m truly ready. “The seven of wands. This one is facing the wrong direction.”
I swallow hard. Here comes the doom and gloom. “Is that bad?”
“No.” Ginny beams at me. “Not at all. Seven is a good number. It indicates bravery, courage, and a decision to be made, even if it’s hard and you don’t know what path to take.”
“Oh.” I take a breath. Ash still hasn’t said anything.
“One more. Here we go.” Ginny turns over the last card. “The Hermit. Well, that’s exactly what I was expecting.” She chuckles, and I’m starting to think she’s legit because she really did look like she was expecting it. “In this situation, I would say The Hermit means there is a guide waiting to help you on your way. But it can also be related to some deep soul searching.”
All I can do is sit there frozen. That was so not what I was expecting. There were no scary cards—nothing indicating that the curse is bad. Also, there’s nothing that tells me how to get this ring off my finger. Is there? By all accounts, those cards are telling me to keep it on. That if I can just get used to the idea and roll with the cursed punches, maybe I’m in for a pleasant surprise.
Ummm, we’re talking about Ash Cromwell here. Destroyer of hopes and dreams. At least, his family is. And their business. He’s the one I want to get revenge on, not end up spending time with. Especially not as my freaking soulmate.
“Okayyyyy.” I leap up all happy and enthused, when deep inside, I’m freaking out even more. I vacate the seat and point to it. Ash looks…well…ashen. He’s strangely pale, and now it looks like he doesn’t want to sit. I stare at the seat until he finally moves and slips into it without so much as a creak, which is amazing because he’s a big guy, and the chair doesn’t look so sturdy.
Ginny gathers up the cards, slips them back into the deck, and shuffles again. “Same spread?”
Ash nods. What’s good for the goose is good for the freaking gander, I guess. Yes, I just went there. Old-school clichés can be a wonderful thing.
Ginny lays out the cards, and the first one she turns over is The Magician. “Hmm,” Ginny says. That’s it. Just hmmm. Ash seems to draw into himself, bracing himself for something, and I find myself doing the same. “This can be very complex,” Ginny sighs. “The universe is a big place, with many things we don’t understand. There are so many options available to us if we just reach for them. Sometimes, how we view life isn’t actually the way it is at all.”