Page 12 of Magical Melee

The whole thing left me feeling like a sourpuss.

Yet again, his actions made me wish magic did exist, and that I could somehow harness it to make a shark nip at his cheeks while he’s swimming with his mistress in the Atlantic.

Oh, that would feel so sublime.

A smile touched my lips as I sighed deeply and stepped into the next room.

The truth of it was that I was more than ready to be a fantastic co-parent. I’d been prepared to leave all the baggage at the door.

Banged women at the health club regularly? No problem.

Had secret rendezvous with even more? Even better.

It didn’t matter to me because I taught myself to turn numb and put Celeste first. I wanted him to repair his relationship with his daughter, but that wasn’t on his to-do list.

I pulled myself out of the rabbit hole and looked into the room. A high-backed chair sat behind a large circular table draped in rich fabrics woven from earthen tones of browns, burgundies, and greens. Crystals, charms, and candles adorned the table, and the woman pulled out a smaller chair for me to sit in.

“Maeve,” she repeated my name. “I’m Nova Lennox, and I’ll be doing your reading today.”

I swallowed down an oddball of nerves and smiled. “Thank you.”

She studied me as she sat in the high-backed chair. The ornate wood looked to wrap around her as she straightened her spine. If I didn’t know better, it looked as if she’d become one with the chair.

“Have you had a reading before?”

I cleared my throat and shook my head. “Nope. Never. It ought to be interesting, though.”

A genuine smile appeared across her expression as she reached for a wooden box beside her on another table I hadn’t noticed. She opened the lid and went for a deck of cards.

“It’s only as interesting as we make it, right?” She smiled at me. “Kind of like life.”

I nodded, unsure of what else to add. I’d never been particularly great at vocalizing my thoughts.

Even when I’d found out Alex had a mistress, the only thing I managed to mutter was, “Oh, that stinks.”

I rolled my eyes at the thought, and Nova caught it. “Are you not a believer?”

“Wait. What?” I shook my head and groaned. “Oh, no. I just had a flashback from my husband. Err…ex-husband.”

“I see. I’m sorry. Judging by your expression, it wasn’t a happy thought.”

I pressed my tongue against the back of my teeth and nodded. “Not at all.”

“Well, I hope to offer some deep emotional insight and objective guidance during our reading. You’re facing a great moment of significant change.”

“Indeed I am.” I nodded and finally let out the breath I’d been clinging to for some bizarre reason.

She reached for a large, red pillar candle and moved it to the center of our table. She swiftly lit a match, touched the wick, and the flame came alive as the lights went out. The energy in the room shifted as Nova closed her eyes, whispering an invocation.

“Divine spirits, watchers of the world,

Source of wisdom and light,

Guide us through the darkness,

With all Your might,

Walking through the storm of change,