Page 113 of Stealing Infinity (Stolen Beauty)

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My fingers reach around inside my pocket, pushing against the seams, sure I must’ve missed something.

I check it again, and all the others as well. But these two tarot cards are all that I find.

The Death card and the Hermit card—both from the same sort of vintage deck my father once had.

I study the cards, front and back, looking for a hand-scrawled instruction, message, or clue of some kind, until I finally realize the cardsarethe clue—the puzzle Arthur has tasked me to solve.

With no clear instruction or end goal in mind, the task is impossible. I mean, what exactly does he expect me to find?

I’m tempted to give up on the spot, but the idea of returning to Gray Wolf as a failure, sentenced to scrub Elodie’s toilets forever, is all the incentive I need to stay focused.

Use all your skills,Arthur said.Those both innate and learned.

What skills? I mean, it’s not like I’m some sort of tarot card reading expert, or—

Just then, a flash of memory pops into my head. A hazy vision of my dad leaning over a similar deck races across the screen in my brain. His head bent toward mine, the bottom ring of his circular tattoo peeking out from beneath his rolled-up sleeve, when he said:

It’s never about the first glance.It’s always about the second look, the third, and all those that follow. Look deeper—gather all the elements, and put them together…

Gather all the elements!

By that, he meant the card’s numerology, along with the classical elements they represent, such as earth, air, fire, water…

I study the image of the Hermit, trying to remember everything my dad taught me. It’s ruled by Earth, and though these ancient cards aren’t numbered in the way modern decks are, the journey of the tarot still follows a particular order—a sort of hero’s journey meant to imitate the stages of life. And, since numerology mainly deals with single digits, that means the Hermit, being the ninth card in the Major Arcana, shares a numerological link to the Moon card, which is the eighteenth card, since 1 + 8 = 9.

Though the Death card is governed by Water, and as the thirteenth card in the journey, its digits reduce to four, which is the card of the Emperor.

The Emperor!

My pulse quickens as I take in the splendid royal gardens splayed out before me. With its endless collection of elaborate fountains and pools, it’s a literal translation of water and earth. And, since Arthur never does anything randomly, I’m guessing the object he wants me to find—some rare trinket or jewel, something small enough to be smuggled out—must be hidden somewhere within this series of groves that stretch on for miles.

From where I stand now, it’s such an impossible task, I’m left to wonder if I’m being set up to fail.

But I can’t afford to think like that, can’t allow myself to go down that path. I can do this—Ihaveto do this. I just need to delve deeper.

With the cards pinched tightly between my fingers, I study the gardens again, straining to remember more details from that long-ago day with my dad. I sift through muddled fragments of memory in search of the crucial threads I desperately need, while also trying to suppress my budding suspicion of why he saw fit to teach me those things in the first place. It’s like he knew someday this would happen…

I shake my head, determined to focus on the task at hand. There must be more elements—something I’ve forgotten…

Let’s see, numerology, the classical elements, and…andastrology, of course! The Hermit card is linked to—

From somewhere behind me, the beat of heavy footsteps grows near—an ominous thud of thick-soled boots meeting stone that’s soon followed by a firm set of fingers seizing my arm.

In a split second, my knees fold out from under me.

The bitter tang of fear spreads across my tongue as I frantically work to silence the scream threatening to blow up my throat.

I need to stay calm.

Need to do whatever it takes to keep my cool and crank up the charm.

But it’s no use.

This is it.

My first Trip and I’ve already been caught.