Incubus Dreams - Laurell K. Hamilton [33]
“Not on purpose,” I said.
“Hush, I’m not finished.”
“Overlaying the Miser is the six of swords, help unseen, or help from a spiritual source. Overlaying the Lovers is the four of rods, the marriage card. Overlaying the out in the cold is the ten of pentacles, happy properous home. Hmm. The King of Rods and the six of cups stand on their own, but the two of swords has crossed with the Queen of Wands. Nathaniel’s card is crossed with the ten of cups, a happy home, true love. The Knight of Wands is crossed by the Devil, temptation.”
“Okay, I get most of it, but who is the Knight of Wands, and why is he covered by temptation? And who is the Queen of Wands?”
“I think the Queen of Wands is you.”
“I’m always the Queen of Swords.”
“Maybe that’s changing. Maybe you’re coming into your power, into yourself.”
“I’m already myself,” I said.
“Have it your way.”
“I’m trying to.”
“I’d say the Lovers and the four of rods are your old fiancé in college that dumped you. That experience led you to be the Miser with your emotions. You need to let that go. Your home was the five of pentacles, cold, but now it’s a happy prosperous home. You’re going to be offered up some difficult choices soon; that has something to do with someone from your past. I think Micah’s card is the message that he’s helped you heal some of those old wounds, because he bridges the past with diety.”
“He’s a gift from diety?”
“Don’t be cheeky. When the universe, or God, or Goddess, or whatever you choose to say, gives you someone in your life that comes in and makes so much right, so quickly, be grateful. Be grateful instead of picking at it.” Marianne knew me too well.
“And the Knight of Wands?”
“Someone new, or someone old, but you’ll be seeing them in a new light. It will be a temptation, but the wands represent power, so it could be a temptation to use power or gain power, rather than anything relationshipwise.”
“I don’t need more temptation in my life, Marianne.”
“Did you start a case tonight?”
“Why?” I asked.
“Because I felt compelled to draw another card. It’s the eight of swords, a woman bound and blindfolded, surrounded by swords. A woman died tonight.”
I try to avoid calling Marianne in the middle of a murder case, for a lot of reasons, this was one of them. It creeped me out, and gave her nightmares.
“Five of rods, there will be a lot of conflict on this one, and more to die. But the Justice card says the guilty will be punished, and it will work out, but not without loss. The eight of pentacles? That’s odd. Someone will be involved that was once your teacher. Someone older. Do you know who that would be?”
I thought about it being Dolph, but that didn’t sound right. “I don’t know, maybe.”
“They haven’t come into the situation, yet, but they will. They will help you.”
“How sure are you that there will be more killings?”
“Aren’t you sure of it?” she asked, and she had that tone in her voice that said she was listening to voices I couldn’t hear.
“Yeah, I got that feeling.”
“Trust your feelings, Anita.”
“I’ll try,” I said.
“You must be almost home by now.”
I didn’t ask how she knew we were turning into the driveway. She wouldn’t really have been able to tell me. Psychic stuff wasn’t big on A, B, C logic. It was more like A to G, leaps of logic, with no road map as to how we got to G.
“Yeah, we’re home.”
Micah blew me a kiss and got out of the Jeep. I heard Nathaniel get out of the back. They both closed the doors and left me in the suddenly dark car, alone with the phone.
Marianne spoke into the sudden silence. “Oh, one more thing, the message I just got was, ‘You know what you need to do. Why are you asking me?’ That’s not my message