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joined
her as she swept the cards into her hands and passed them to me in
silence. Their worn surfaces felt cool against my palm before I
shuffled them, concentrating on nothing but myself as they shifted
into an order of importance. I set them on the table in front of
her and waited, wondering if my secrets would be exposed to the one
person I didn't want to share them with.
    Her thin fingers split the stack into three
separate piles, then collected them up once more into a single one
before picking the first three off the top. Ivy's lips were moving
along with her hands as each card was flipped to expose the
pictures underneath.
    "The Queen of Swords. King of Wands. And the
Ace of Wands."
    The late afternoon sun softened the glow in
the bright kitchen, and now the shadows across my mother's pretty
face darkened it somehow. The nose seemed jagged, her eyes sunken
as she placed her hand over each card, then looked to me.
    "This is you, Annie." One thin finger jabbed
down at the Queen of Swords, almost hard enough to pierce it. "A
young woman, influenced by fire, whose strength has yet to be
determined. And this..." the finger moved over to the King of
Wands. "Ah, this is interesting. This is a young man, one I haven't
met yet. Strong in his convictions, wealthy, powerful in his own
way. The element of air is all around him like a cloak. This one
will prove to be a great influence on you soon."
    My thoughts flew to Tommy, the one I had met
this afternoon, the one who had saved me, and I swallowed. My
mother's predictions often turned out to be truth, and I shuddered
to think of the type of isolation and pain I would be bringing upon
Tommy, who had been so eager to help me.
    That's ridiculous. He doesn't know me, nor I
him. He probably won't even remember my name tomorrow.
    "The final one, the card I was seeking and
for which the Goddess be thanked, is the Ace of Wands."
    Ma's voice brought me back and I stared at
the smile I think she intended to be one of triumph. Instead, it
looked sinister to me.
    "Wands?"
    Ivy sighed and swept the cards back into the
stack.
    "Yes, Annie. Wands. Don't you remember
anything I've taught you? It means the fitting tonight will go
perfectly."
    I nodded and glanced at the clock. It was
already after four, and I knew I would have to start preparing for
the magic of my fitting soon. "Speaking of which, I gotta get
going, Ma. But..."
    I bit my lip to cut off the question before
it could escape any further. She and Evie had been waiting for this
ritual to begin for months now. Picking out just the right pattern,
just the right fabric for my robes. Although I didn't want to
participate, I knew I would have to do so regardless of any
decision I made later on, if only because they were both so
excited, so pleased. The chair squeaked as I stood up and backed
away from the table.
    "See you then, Ma."
    The sound of the cards shuffling once more
was my only answer. I left Ivy to the other world she found for
herself within the tarot.
    ***
    Getting ready for a ritual, no matter how
mundane, can take hours of preparation. Cleansing all the tools and
getting in the proper state of mind is more exhausting than the
working itself. The events of the day had added to my exhaustion by
the time I was ready to join my aunt and Ivy in the living room,
yet the relaxation I felt overpowered it. If I must do this, I was
determined to do it right.
    The first thing I noticed was the soft light
of the candles around the table where the bolts of cloth were
piled. The second was how the light seemed to fight back the rich
shadows masking the ancient furniture in our biggest room. Ivy and
Evie looked lovely in their own robes, each reflecting the elements
they were known for.
    My mother's element was water. Prolific and
dreamy, calm but volatile, her robe reflected the ever-changing
blue and violets and lavenders which could only come from the
liquid. Aunt Evelyn was as solid as the earth she had come to
represent. The robe fit