Free Murder In Her Dreams by Nell DuVall Page B

who listen. Some people have
closed minds.”
    Leah’s words stung Cassie. She prided herself
on being open minded. The fortunes of the others had sounded
innocuous. Besides, what could this woman tell her anyway? From the
sample she had already heard, most likely Leah would tell her she
would find true love and live happily ever after. She had nothing
to fear.
    “Something is troubling you. Why don’t I do a
general reading for you?” Leah handed the cards to Cassie. “Here,
just shuffle them.” Leah brushed some lint off the surface of her
long black skirt, stretched out first one leg then the other, and
refolded them beneath her.
    Cassie took the rectangular cards and with
difficulty tried to shuffle them. Larger than regular playing
cards, the Tarot cards made it hard for her to keep them together.
Twice she dropped cards and finally settled for sliding them from
one hand to the other as she interleaved them. She handed the deck
to Leah.
    Having heard about the Tarot cards, Cassie
really knew nothing about the actual use of the cards. She had
never had a reading. Tula believed in them and used them. She had
offered to do a reading for Cassie, but because she didn’t
understand them, Cassie had always refused. Her dreams of the
future frightened her enough.
    Had anyone else been present, she would
probably have passed on Leah’s offer, but with only the two of
them, she thought Leah would consider her rude and closed-minded if
she refused.
    When the others had been present, Cassie had
concentrated on them and on Leah as she read the cards. She had
paid little attention to the cards themselves. She had never
examined a Tarot deck. She didn’t even know the names of the cards.
She sighed as she slid over to kneel opposite Leah who began to lay
out the cards.
    Cassie gasped as she saw the first card Leah
turned over. The tower looked ominous with jagged lightning hitting
its top and bodies falling out its side. On top of it, at right
angles, Leah laid the moon with a dog and a fox baying. Cassie
breathed more easily. She had a fondness for moon symbols.
    Above the crossed pair, Leah laid down a
horned figure, the Devil, upside down and Cassie drew in a sharp
breath as the leering demon mocked her. Evil incarnate.
    Next on the right came the black knight, but
when Cassie read the legend Death she shuddered. The cards
revealed so far frightened her.
    “Don’t worry.” Leah reached out a hand with
stubby nails and patted Cassie’s clenched fingers. “Many of the
cards have multiple meanings, and I must read the entire pattern.
Reversed cards have opposite meanings from upright cards.”
    Next, below the crossed pair in the middle,
Leah set down a card with a pair of black and white sphinx at the
bottom. The name read Chariot . To the left she revealed the Hanged Man . Cassie shuddered again and clenched her fists in
her lap. She didn’t think these cards could reveal anything but
more trouble.
    Along the right side, Leah set out four more
cards. First, the High Priestess and then above that, the Strength card with a lady and a lion. Cassie relaxed a
little. Next came the reversed Empress and lastly, the naked
figures of a man and woman. For a moment in the light of the lamp,
she could swear the small figure of the man had red hair. She
blinked.
    Leah, hands on her knees, leaned back to
study the cards. “An interesting pattern, it goes from pain and
defeat to love.” She nodded.
    “You have a talent.” She tapped the High
Priestess at the lower right. “Intuition and foresight — maybe you
see the future.” She studied Cassie’s face. Cassie nodded slowly,
surprised at Leah’s insight.
    “In the past, you suffered some hurt or
defeat.” She tapped the reversed Chariot. “But you have the
ability to overcome these past losses and failures. You have an
unknown enemy who wishes you ill.” She pointed at the Moon card and then to the Hanged Man . “You may have to make a
sacrifice to defeat this