Page 3 of Magical Melee (Stonewick Magical Midlife Witch Academy #1)

I’d stuffed the envelope in my purse as I opened the bright purple door leading into Stonewick Mystics & Tellers. I didn’t want to be late, and I could look at whatever Keegan gave me after my mind had a minute to decompress. If he owned the hotel, it probably had to do with something about staying there. Skye had put far too much effort into this weekend’s events to let her down.

The softly lit room smelled of cinnamon and nutmeg, and I had to stifle a chuckle as I thought about pumpkin spice. Now, that would be a yummy tea at Stella’s, and maybe it wouldn’t change color on me.

I glanced around, expecting to see my friend, but another woman was organizing some lavender crystals in the corner.

Shelves lined the room, holding leather-bound volumes on mysticism and divination. Jars of herbs tucked next to various crystals worked as bookends. Dried flowers hung along the far wall where an opening with wooden beads draped to the floor.

“May I help you?” the woman asked, cocking her head slightly. Her golden, braided hair hung along her green velour shirtdress. Bangles along her wrist jingled as she took a step forward.

“My friend is here for a reading, and I’m next, apparently,” I said, smiling. “Maeve Lovitt.”

The air turned stuffy, and the sweet scents overwhelmed my senses as I waited for the woman to answer.

“Ah, yes. Your friend should be done shortly.” Her smile turned kinder, making me wonder what sort of customers she was used to receiving. “Feel free to look around or take a seat over there.”

“Thank you.” I drew a breath and chuckled. “I’m not sure I’d know what I was looking at, so I’ll just sit instead of pretend I have a clue about this stuff.”

The woman grinned. “It will all fall into place. It always does.”

I nodded. “That’s what I tell myself.” I wasn’t sure if the woman was talking about life, readings, or understanding what surrounded me in this tiny shop.

The room felt timeless, as if this part of the world no longer needed to be measured in hours and minutes. It was crazy to think such a place even existed. Still, as I stared at the flickering candles atop the counter and the colorful, worn books on the shelves behind, it felt like past, present, and future all blurred together in a mirage of understanding.

I sucked in a deep breath as my heart twisted with some longing as I glanced across the street to the tea shop. Something about Stella and Frank, the English bulldog, made me want to venture back there before we left town.

Or maybe it was the tea. Judging by my reaction to this place, I wouldn’t be surprised if the Calmora blend I chose contained a little something extra, and at this point in my life, I’d gladly take it.

It was as if the longer I sat here, the more I believed that some woman flashing a deck of cards could actually tell me something about my life.

A few weeks ago, I would have laughed at the notion.

Today?

I couldn’t wait to see what she had to say for herself or me.

If my reading was as confusing as the tea I drank earlier, it should be quite a ride for both of us.

You know, if a person were to believe in such things as magical teas and tarot readings.

And I had to say, the more I stuck around, the more I fully wanted to believe.

A rustle of beads interrupted my endless musings as I spotted Skye walking through the opening. Her smile was so wide it was slipping off her cheeks.

“You won’t believe it,” she said, clasping her hand to her mouth.

My brows arched. “You’re going to become pregnant?”

Her eyes turned dreamy, and she stopped in her tracks. “How did you know?”

I gave my friend a big squeeze, wishing it would become so with everything in me.

She took a step back and smiled. “Actually, I already am.”

“Pregnant?” My eyes widened.

She nodded.

“How do you know? Does she have a shelf of pregnancy tests back there?”

Skye giggled. “Nope. She just knows .”

Now, I doubly wanted to believe this woman wasn’t a fraud.

“Oh, Skye, I’m so happy for you.” I gave her another quick squeeze. “But let’s get you a pregnancy test tonight just to make sure.”

“She said it’s too soon to know.”

Of course, she did. I held in my eye roll and forced myself to be open to the process like I had been two minutes ago.

But it became less whimsical once they started playing with real-life issues with my real-life friends. Skye wanted another baby so badly, and if she weren’t pregnant, the heartache would be gutting.

I glanced at a row of crystals under a glass case and scowled.

“Maeve.” A woman’s seductive voice floated through the room, and I glanced over to see a beautiful woman with flowing raven hair down to her waist.

She wore a pair of black pants and a fitted black silk shirt.

But none of that mattered the moment her emerald eyes locked on mine.

A chill ran through me, but it didn’t frighten me. The sensation only piqued my curiosity.

“Here I am,” I said, stepping away from Skye.

“Oh, wonderful. I’ve heard so much about you,” she said, smiling.

As I stepped closer, I realized it wasn’t a chill that skittered over my flesh but anticipation.

She gripped my hand with her left hand, covering them both with her right. Silver bracelets with talismans adorned her wrists. A large chunk of iridescent moonstone had been mounted as a pendant, now dangling around her neck.

“I’ve been waiting for this. Please, do come in.” She ushered me toward the beaded opening, and I glanced at Skye, who had a marvelous look in her eyes after what she’d just been told.

I gave a quick wave to my best friend and followed the woman through the beads, feeling the smooth pieces against my skin.

If this woman was itching to do a reading on me, Skye had obviously filled her in about the dismal turn of events known as my new life .

Who wouldn’t want to shuffle some cards and make a recent divorcee feel better about life? It didn’t sound like the worst job, and I could do with some uplifting news.

Not to mention, my ex had decided that going to the Bahamas with his girlfriend would be more fun than seeing his only child move into her dorm, and it irked me beyond measure. I was disappointed for Celeste but selfishly relieved for myself.

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,

Let the dance of her mind arrange

To release old wounds that linger still

And let her heart be filled with goodwill,

We ask the cards to reveal what they know,

To guide her and help her grow,

Let her resilience and grace,

Light the path she is meant to embrace,

Love and light,

We welcome what comes,

Trusting nothing other than the sun’s morning light,

And the moon’s shadows for the night.”

Nova’s eyes flicked open the exact moment the flame danced, stretching toward the ceiling with great height. Her eyes no longer appeared emerald in color. They looked silver in the shadows.

I swallowed the fear settling around my heart, clamping it tightly as the fiery flame reflected in Nova’s eyes. My heartbeat no longer felt like my own as the woman’s eyes drilled into me.

Without releasing her gaze from me, she shuffled the deck carefully and allowed the cards to mix with the energy passing between us.

She stopped and set the deck in front of me.

“Shuffle once and set it down.” I realized her mouth never uttered those words, and all the hairs on my body stood on end.

How could this be?

I drew a slow and steady breath as my heart ached a little more, thinking about what was happening.

I heard words that were not spoken and saw colors in tea that didn’t exist. I was losing what remaining marbles I’d clung to since my divorce. They were rolling right away, and I couldn’t do a dang thing about it.

I desperately wanted to be with Celeste, far from this place and away from pretending. I’d been through a lot, and this was finally messing with my sanity. Nova had to have spoken those words, whether I saw her lips part or not.

Obeying, I shuffled the cards once and set them back down.

Nova brought the deck back and cut the deck into threes with her left hand, still not removing her gaze from mine. A slow and steady breath released from Nova’s lips as she used her right hand to deal the cards face down in some sort of design that meant something to her.

My teeth ground into my bottom lip so hard that my skin throbbed as she pulled her hands back and blinked.

What had I gotten myself into?

She drew another steady breath and smiled wickedly with a slow nod. “The Tower. The Magician. The Star. The High Priestess. And the Fool.”

I chuckled and nodded. “I can wholeheartedly relate to that last one.”

Her eyes turned to mine, and a soft smile touched her lips. “You are no fool, Maeve.”

My heart stuttered as my gaze dropped down to the cards.

Her fingertips touched the first card, which had an imposing stone pillar in the middle, and a bolt of lightning jolted the tip. Clouds hovered at the top of the card while flames poured down from where the electricity had hit. Two robed figures fell from the cracked tower.

“Maeve, The Tower represents great upheaval and destruction.”

I nodded in agreement. “Couldn’t have said it better myself.”

She smiled wider and nodded. “But the lightning represents divine intervention. It was necessary to tear down false foundations for your essential and long-awaited transformation.”

I sat quietly and thought back to my nineteen years of marriage.

“I’ll be,” I said quietly, looking at all the cards still in the stacks. “Of all the cards, this one was chosen.”

“Correct.” She nodded slightly. “For you to see through the falsehoods, the facade had to be torn down. Because of your energy, it had to be dramatic.” Her lip curled slightly. “Your energy only responds to drama.”

I snickered, not entirely wanting to believe it yet.

“I mean, I’m not that bad.” My eyes met hers.

A smile swept over her mouth, and her hand moved slowly to the next card, which had a wizard wearing a beautiful red and white robe, standing confidently at a table, surrounded by four things I couldn’t make out.

“The Magician is wearing a robe that represents both passion and purity. Surrounding him are a sword for air, a cup to represent water, a pentacle for the earth, and a wand for fire. Above his head is an infinity symbol, which represents limitless potential. One hand points to the sky while the other points to the earth. That tells me you are meant to be a conduit between the spiritual and material realms. Very unusual.”

“And unlikely,” I whispered.

“You are the magic you create for yourself, Maeve.” Her eyes steadied on mine. “Believe in yourself, and beautiful things will come.”

Her hand caressed a card with a large star shining in a mix of smaller ones in a darkened sky. A woman kneeled at a beautiful pond with luscious green vines growing around the water.

“Ah, yes…” Nova nodded. “You will find inner peace. This card represents personal growth from a divine connection.”

I bit my lip, thinking back to the only divine connection I’d had recently.

A bag of potato chips.

“This Star card invites you to maintain hope, nurture your soul, and trust that the universe is aligning in your favor.”

Her words settled deep into my bones, and I felt bad for internally cracking my potato chip joke.

“The High Priestess card is telling me that you have the ability to solve mysteries beyond your conscious mind.”

I shook my head, looking at the card showing a woman in a beautiful blue robe embroidered with pomegranates reaching for the moon.

“I don’t know what to make of any of this,” I whispered as Nova’s gaze stayed on mine.

Her hand touched the final card, and her gaze dropped to the table as she nodded.

“The Fool.” Her voice lowered. “Is a cautionary card for you tonight.”

I studied the card in her hand of a young woman balancing on the edge of a cliff, looking carefree and up at the sky.

“Is it not always?”

She shook her head. “Not always.”

My eyes dipped back to the card. There have been many nights recently where I’d just wanted to run away from it all, but I had Celeste, and she grounded me.

“Do with this what you may, but don’t be fooled by your own inner monologue. It just might veer you in the wrong direction or worse. Lead with your heart and not your mind.” She cocked her head slightly as I nodded.

“Now, what this tells…”

A violent crack tore through the air. I barely had time to flinch before the flames snuffed out, plunging the room into a suffocating darkness.

I dove to the ground.

And then—nothing.

That was the last thing I remembered.