Courting the Darkness (12 page)
Read Courting the Darkness Online
Authors: Karen Fuller
She shook her head. “I don’t think that’s such a good idea. Caleb will get upset.”
He glared at her impatiently. “Caleb is already upset.”
“Caleb will get upset about what?” Caleb remarked from behind Desiree.
She jumped, throwing her hand up to her chest, closing her eyes. “You just about scared me to death. Can’t you make a little more noise and let someone know you’re there?”
“Caleb will get upset about what?” he repeated.
“Desiree had a panic attack walking through the dark cave earlier this evening." Mica remarked, shrugging. “I didn’t want to leave her here alone to run back and get a lantern for her, so I was going to carry her through the cave. We didn’t think you would understand.”
“So why would you think I would get upset?”
“Oh, let me see,” Mica replied sarcastically, “maybe the little pissed off attitude we got from you a few minutes ago.”
He scowled at the remark. “You would have been pissed off too.”
“Okay, Caleb, what did we do to piss you off?”
Desiree stepped between them. “Guys…” She placed a hand on each of their chests in a gesture to back off. “You both need to calm down and stop fighting. Try to remember you’re both friends.”
“Okay, okay. I’m sorry for the attitude.” Caleb’s shoulders slumped and then he looked away. “I woke up early and you both were gone, and it pissed me off that you didn’t at least wake me up and tell me you were leaving.”
She put her hand on his arm. “Caleb, I’m sorry. The decision to leave and get those supplies was a spur of the moment decision. It was getting late and we didn’t have time to come back and tell you. You were so tired when you went to bed; we thought you would still be asleep. It never crossed my mind that you would wake up and be worried.”
“Okay, now that I’ve got that off of my chest, we can get this stuff back to camp.” He bent down, grabbing a couple of bags; he took them inside the cave. He stopped and turned back around when he realized no one was following him. “Why aren’t you coming? Are you both still mad at me?”
“Mica wasn’t kidding.” She rubbed her arms and shivered. “I can’t walk through that cave without a lantern.”
He stared at her and then glanced at his friend. “She’s really afraid of the dark?” he remarked in disbelief. “That wasn’t just a story?” They both shook their heads. He looked back into the dark cave and then back at them; his shoulders slumped again and he sighed heavily in defeat. “I won’t get upset.” He looked away. “Carry her if you must, but we can’t stay out here all day.” He continued his trek inside, disappearing into the inky blackness.
She shivered again; this place really freaked her out. She glanced up at Mica. “Caleb’s right, we can’t stay in the mouth of this cave all day.”
Reaching down, he picked up the other bag, handing it to her. “You hold on to this.” He picked her up, holding her tightly in his arms. “If it makes you feel better, close your eyes. I’ll walk fast.”
She nodded, burying her face in his chest. “Okay, I’m ready.” She swallowed hard. “I think.”
He chuckled softly, taking off. One second she felt the air rush past her face, the next second he was placing her back on her feet. “We’re here,” he whispered softly.
Her eyes flew open in surprise, looking around with her mouth hanging open. “How did you do that?”
He grinned, taking the bag from her. “It’s all part of the package.” He shrugged. “Along with the rest of the stuff that seemed to irritate you earlier.” He looked around the room. “Where do you want to put this?”
She smiled at his comment and sudden change in subject. “Oh, I don’t know, let me see…” Turning around to look for a good place to work, she locked eyes with Caleb. He watched them from the other side of the room. The smile left her face and she bit her bottom lip. She looked away, turning back to Mica. “Uh, there’s another cavern over there.” She pointed nervously in the other direction. “Just beyond this one. It should give me plenty of room to work in private.”
“Can’t you find an area in this cavern to work where we can keep an eye on you?”
She smiled, locking eyes with him. “I wouldn’t be able to concentrate,” she whispered so low even he had trouble hearing her. “
You
are too big of a distraction.” He smiled back at her comment. “I need to have room to experiment without worrying that one of you will get caught in the crossfire,” she remarked louder for Caleb’s benefit. “Plus, I need to be able to concentrate. This spell has to be perfect.”
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Mica helped her set up her magical work area. Placing a stone slab over a boulder made a perfect Altar.
She closed her eyes, smiling, and turned in a circle, stretching her arms out wide. “Mica, do you feel it?”
“Feel what?”
She caught her breath; her eyes rose to stare at the colorful rock formations hanging down from the rocky ceiling. “I feel her.” She turned in a circle again, laughing excitedly.
“Who?”
“You know the legend; it’s the one about the Indian princess who got lost at the joining of the two rivers inside this cave. I feel her. She’s here.” She dropped her arms and her eyes widened. “I hear her.”
He chuckled softly. “Okay, what’s the joke?”
The smile left her lips as she turned to him. “You don’t believe me?”
He raked his fingers through his hair. “You weren’t kidding?”
She shook her head. “No.” She spread her arms wide again. “This is all part of who I am. I seek answers from the spirits.”
“What is this spirit telling you?”
She smiled again, kneeling down to the rocky floor next to the Altar, placing the palms of her hands firmly on the ground. “She told me that there is a natural source of power that runs through here.” She tapped the ground with her hands. “Right here!”
“And that’s important because…?”
Her smile grew wider. “I can tap into it. This is the perfect place to cast my spell.”
He clapped his hands together, rubbing them briskly. “So, are you about to get started?”
“No, I’m going to get some sleep first. My mind needs to be fresh to conduct the ritual.”
Caleb entered the cavern to check out what they were doing, looking around, appraising the room. “Y’all have made a lot of progress in here.”
Desiree turned at the sound of his voice. “Yes, we have, and I’m exhausted. I’m about ready to turn in for some rest.”
Caleb walked casually around the room inspecting things, picking up the stack of cards. “What are these?”
She stepped toward him. “Those are tarot cards. They are magical cards that tell you about yourself. They also tell about the past, the present, and can even predict the future.”
He looked back down at the cards in his hand, laughing in disbelief. “Oh, come on. You don’t really expect me to believe that, do you?”
She smiled. “It is up to the individual as in what to believe. I have, in the past, found tarot cards to be rather accurate.”
Mica walked up behind her. “Why don’t you read the cards for us? We could all use a little entertainment.”
Her eyes rounded, a little alarmed. “Are you sure you’re ready to hear what the cards say?” Biting her lip apprehensively, worry creased her brow. “Some people get upset from the things they learn from a reading.”
Caleb rolled his eyes at her statement. “Oh this is just for fun. I’ll go get the chairs.”
Mica smiled at his friend’s enthusiasm. “Caleb seems to be in a better mood.” He stared after him. “He seems to need this distraction.”
The apprehension had not left her face. She believed in the cards, and there was no telling what they might reveal to them. “I can’t control what the cards read.”
“I’m not asking you to. We’re not really taking this seriously.”
She tilted her head. “Whatever you say…” She rolled her eyes and then looked pointedly at him. “I think it bears repeating. We need to proceed with caution. I can’t control what the cards read.”
He glanced at Caleb coming back into the room and acknowledged her statement with a nod.
Caleb could not hide his excitement. “I put the chairs around the table.”
They all took their seats around the stone slab.
She shuffled the cards, placing them in her left hand. “Who wants to be first?” She used the tone of voice that she usually reserved for her lectures.
“Why don’t you do yourself first?” Caleb remarked. “Show me and Mica how this is supposed to work.”
She nodded. “What question do you seek answers for?” Cocking her head to the side, she waited for one of them to speak up.
Mica grinned. “Tell us about you… Tell us if you will be able to meet your goals.”
She nodded, shuffling the cards again with her left hand. Closing her eyes, she meditated over them. Taking a deep breath, she opened her eyes, and then placed the cards on the stone Altar. She cut the deck into four piles. “I will draw four cards. The first card will describe me, what type of person I am. The second card will tell the past. The third card will tell the present. The fourth and last card will tell the future. Are you both ready?” Nodding, they both laughed. “Very well, we now will begin.”
The first card she turned over was The High Priestess; placing it on the table, she pointed to the card. “This card represents me. This card is The High Priestess card; see the blue, white, and black colors, with the pomegranates, and the moon crown of Isis? The High Priestess card is the card of knowledge.” She looked between them. “Secret knowledge.” She grinned mischievously. “The job of the High Priestess is to offer secret knowledge. To lead and assist, to help one find their path.”
Mica grinned back at her. “Are you keeping secrets from us?”
She laughed, shaking her head, drawing the next card. She placed it immediately below the High Priestess card. “This card is the Seven of Wands. This card represents my past; see how the man defends himself with one staff against six others? This card represents high stakes, often when one is weary or defenseless. Others look at what you’ve done and often get jealous or greedy. The card represents to the bearer not to give in. If you do, your enemies will take power and show you no leniency.”
Caleb’s eyes rounded. “That so matches your situation when we came to rescue you.”
She grinned at his expression. “Yes, it did.” Drawing the third card, she placed it immediately to the left of the other two cards, and pointed to it. “This is the Two of Cups. This represents my present.” She flushed. “See the two people looking into each other’s eyes.” She looked at Mica and then back at the card before Caleb could interpret anything from the action. “It predicts that you will find someone.” She swallowed hard. “A good friend or a soul mate.” Drawing the forth card, she placed it on the other side of the two in the middle, making a diamond. She pointed to the card. “This is the Justice card. See the figure sitting with the left arm holding the scales and an upraised sword in the other hand?” They both nodded. “This card represents my future. The Justice card is surprisingly not about punishment, good or bad, right or wrong, it is about modification. The upraised sword implies that sometimes things won’t be pleasant. The Justice card carries a meaning to do what is necessary, no matter how distasteful, or hard. The goal is to gain balance.”
Mica furrowed his brow at the card. “What does that mean?”
She sighed heavily. “It means that I will be facing some difficult times in the near future. It means that I need to be able to stand on my own two feet to triumph.”
Caleb grinned, scooting his chair closer to the table. “Now read my cards.” His voice held a trace of excitement.
She grinned, re-stacking the deck, handing the cards to Caleb. “You need to shuffle the cards and hand them back to me.”
“I can do that,” Caleb remarked enthusiastically, and did so. “Here, tell me about myself.”
She smiled, closing her eyes, concentrating over the cards as she had before. Drawing the first card, she placed it on the table and looked up at Caleb. “This is the Chariot. This card describes you; see the chariot with the throne sitting inside? It has an armored warrior with a canopy of stars behind him. You can see the black and white sphinxes at rest.” She sighed, trying to find the right words. “This is one of the most difficult cards in the deck to explain. It implies war, or a struggle, and an ultimate hard won victory. It could be over your enemies, the beasts inside you, or even to just get what you want. On one hand, the Chariot signifies devotion, confidence, and inspiration. It characterizes a conviction that will lead to conquest no matter the odds. The Chariot can also indicate a ruthless, diehard desire to win at all cost.”
His eyes grew wide. “What does all that mean?”
“It means you are a very driven individual that will stop at almost nothing to get what you want.” She did not like that card. Taking a deep breath, she drew the next card, placing it below the Chariot. It was the Three of Cups. “This card represents your past. This is the Three of Cups.” She ran her finger over the figures on the card. “See the three maidens with three overflowing cups to celebrate?” He nodded. “Two cups pour into a third, and it overflows with love and joy. This is the card of celebration and parties.”
“That’s me.” He winked playfully, laughing. “I’m a party animal.”
They all laughed. “Okay, okay, calm down.” Drawing the third card, she placed it to the left of the other two. “This card represents your present.” Her eyes rounding at the card, she shifted nervously in her chair. This was not a good draw. His reading grew worse by the second. She took a quivering breath, hoping he did not hear it. “This is the Moon card. Look at the full moon with the two wolves howling at the bottom. This card deals with sleep, as in both dreams and nightmares. It is a dark card. It warns that there might be unseen enemies, tricks, and falsehoods.”