Free Sisters of Misery by Megan Kelley Hall Page B

appearance, her jewelry. She gets what she wants and ultimately,” Rebecca paused, holding Kate’s gaze, “she gets what she deserves.”
    Cordelia laughed. “Now, tell her what the reversed meaning is.”
    Rebecca shot her daughter an angry look, but continued. “Well, the reverse meaning is that the Queen enjoys being surrounded by people who shield her from criticism. Often, she cannot see beyond her own wealth and material possessions. She uses her good fortune to display grandeur and opulence.”
    Rebecca took a quick look at the bottom card of the deck before shuffling it back into its velvet pouch. Her face darkened. She moved the four stones around the card as she continued her reading.
    “The stones you have selected are Isa, which represents ice; Hagal, hailstorms; Thurisaz, thorns; and Gebo, which means gift.”
    “What do they mean?”
    “Isa represents great strength and independence, but also a coldness which can give rise to conflict and arguments. Hagal means hail and is symbolic of uncontrolled and destructive forces, upheaval, and discord. Thur also represents strength, but it can only be found by observing the past and the future. If not, then it can represent negative change, contemplation, and conflict.”
    “Well, I like the gift part,” Kate muttered, “I’m not too thrilled about the rest of them. God, that reading pretty much sucked.” She allowed herself to look disappointed for only a moment before brushing it away. She smiled, turning to the other girls. “Well, at least I know it said I was a queen and that I have a gift coming my way. That’s pretty cool, right?”
    Cordelia jumped off the counter and took a closer look at the reading laid out on the table. “Actually, the gift stone is reversed, too.”
    “Cordelia…” Rebecca interrupted. “I don’t…”
    She continued. “It shows you bringing harm to your friendships and intense separation all due to your self-centered behavior. I think that’s a pretty accurate reading, Mom. Good job.”
    Next, Rebecca dangled a crystal pendulum over the card and stones, watching intently which way the crystal swung. Maddie had never witnessed Rebecca doing such an intense reading before. It seemed to go beyond simply what Kate wanted to know. It seemed as though Rebecca was doing it for herself.
    Suddenly, she dropped the crystal, and she grabbed Kate’s hand again, wrenching it toward her over the table as if she was looking for something hidden in the lines of her palm. She almost seemed confused, even flustered.
    “Um, ow?” Kate said again, widening her eyes toward her friends.
    Rebecca paid no attention to Kate’s remarks, instead furiously studying the lines in her hands. The longer and harder she stared into Kate’s upturned palm, the more distraught Rebecca seemed to get. It was as if she was witnessing something horrible unfolding in Kate’s future.
    “What?” Kate said anxiously. She peered into her own hand as if there was some secret message inscribed there that she could also see if she only looked deep enough. Then, catching herself, she put on a bored expression and said in a haughty tone, “Well, what do you see?”
    Rebecca looked up at Kate and released her hand, obviously holding back what she really wanted to say. “It’s actually quite close to your card and stone reading. Your palm tells me that you are very fortunate. Just beware that some things that you take for granted—that you feel are your due—can come back to haunt you.”
    “Oh, wow,” Kate said in a mock serious tone. “Thank you so much, Mrs. LeClaire. I feel so enlightened now. This has been so educational.”
    Rebecca didn’t look at Kate or the other girls as she packed up her divination tools. She grabbed the bottle marked Oil of Abramelin and held it out to Kate. “Are you sure this particular oil is what you want?”
    Kate smiled, “Oh, yes. I read about it somewhere, and I just knew that this would be the place to find