Page 5 of All Hallows' Hex
“Aimee!” she greeted, a smile lighting up her face, and she walked around the round table. Her arms were outstretched, and when she got close enough, they pulled me into her. I matched her embrace automatically, my heart fluttering as the scent of her perfume filled my nose. I fought the urge to inhale deeply.
“Lane, I’m so glad I got to swing by this time,” I said, trying to keep my voice even. When she let me go, I looked at Sienna and Vera, who stood there with knowing smiles and arched eyebrows.
Lane turned to walk back to her side of the table and Vera took the opportunity to mouth, “You got this,” with a subtle thumbs-up. Only, Vera wasn’t capable of subtlety and I was certain Lane caught a glimpse of the gesture.
“Sit, sit,” she said with excitement, her hands waving to the empty chairs. “This is going to be so fun! So, I’ve been open for a bit technically, but I haven’t taken customers yet. I wanted to get you guys in here first.” She placed the tarot decks in a row before us. “I’m Lanie, but most people just call me Lane.”
“Sienna,” my skull-faced friend said, leaning forward to shake her hand. Vera followed suit.
“I’m Vera. It’s nice to meet you. Aimee had nothing but good things to say.” At that, Lane glanced my way and rolled her lips to hide her smile.
“Well, that’s fantastic. To get started, I want you guys to look over these decks and really let your energy guide you to one. It doesn’t have to be instant; you can take your time,” Lane instructed.
“This one,” Sienna said, tapping the purple deck.
“I’ll do this green one,” Vera called next.
“I like the black one.” I pointed to the other side of the table.
“Everyone has been quick and confident with their deck selection tonight.” Lane rearranged the decks so they were in front of us as we chose them.
“You said you weren’t reading customers?” I questioned.
“Oh, no, not yet. I had a couple guys help me move stuff in here and I read their cards to warm up.” Sienna stiffened at her words, but her face didn’t betray the questions that went through her mind. “The first reading was actually this purple deck.” Lane tapped it, her short, manicured nails creating a thump against the thick, glossy card. “Wanna start your round?”
“Sure,” Sienna conceded. Lane smiled at that, and I had to wonder myself if Everett was the one who sat here earlier and selected this deck.
“Any question you have in particular? An area of life you’d like guidance for?”
“Well.” She paused. Sienna bit at her lower lip before responding. “Will I make the right choice? I don’t know if I’m being crazy for walking away from something promising.”
“Is this love or a career choice?” Lane clarified. Vera and I made eye contact briefly before focusing back on the cards.
“Uh, love. It’s a romantic matter.”
“I see,” Lane said as she started shuffling. She’d been studying and practicing witchcraft for a long time now, and I admired her passion for it. “I’m going to do a five-card cross.”
Lane shuffled a few more times before pulling the cards and facing them upright. I’d heard of tarot before—really, who hadn’t? It was always a gimmick used in movies and shows, but Lane captivated me as she placed the cards and looked them over. I had no clue what these images and words were supposed to mean.
“That’s interesting. I got this card earlier.” Lane tapped a card close to me on the outside of the cross. “Your perspective is going to look different because you’re watching me read the spread. Card one, two, three, four, five.” She pointed to them in order, left to right and then bottom to top. “This one is you, and this one is your potential partner.”
“Judas Priest.” Vera sighed, covering a snicker as Lane pointed to the second card for Sienna’s partner. When I leaned in, it was more evident that the image I saw was a court jester.
“Sienna, the High Priestess was pulled for your placement. It’s reversed, and this indicates your inner guidance and self-doubt.” Lane tilted her head as she looked the card over. “Your partner is upright, so look at this as an opportunity to explore.” She moved our attention to the bottom of the cross. “Foundation, issue, and outcome. What we have is Eight of Swords, the Hermit, and Two of Cups.”
“Is any of this bad?” Vera whispered, as though the cards were going to hear her question them.
“Not necessarily,” Lane said, laughing her off. “Positioning and placement are just as important as the personal interpretation Sienna places on it. The Eight of Swords, I know that is screaming conflict and everything bad you can associate with a sword. In tarot, this is representing a new perspective because it’s reversed. The foundations of this potential relationship center around this shift. What that shift is, completely up to you to determine and place.”
“Yeah, I know what it could mean,” Sienna said with a sheepish grin. Honestly, we all knew what this meant.
“The fourth card in the center of the cross, the Hermit, can be a little off-putting initially. The placement speaks to the issue you’re currently facing. This card is reversed as well, and it’s showing me withdrawal more than anything. Tarot cards don’t just have one meaning. The interpretations depend heavily on the other cards present and what I feel coming through.” Lane sat back and pondered.
This was all new to me, and as far as I knew, the girls didn’t dabble in card readings either.
“Alright, with this last card, the outcome is pulling this together and in a better light. The Cups suit deals heavily with emotions and relationships, so I’m not surprised to see it here. Two of Cups has several connotations between its positioning, and we’ve pulled an upright card here.” Lane tapped the last card.
“And that means?” Sienna questioned with lightness to her voice. She didn’t look away from Lane or her reading the entire time.
