“Okay.” I slid into the booth bench with my back against the wall so I could see the counter.
While I waited, I pulled out my cellphone and found a text message waiting from Landreia that read Having fun?
I smiled and typed back. YES! We’re on Essex Street eating pizza.
Oh. Good choice. Well I’m in the shop all night if you need anything. But have fun!
My cheeks warmed. Thank you, Landreia. I’ll let you know when I’m on my way home.
“Okay, time to stuff our faces,” Savannah yelled as she sat two trays on the table in front of me. “It’s time for heaven on earth.”
I giggled and looked down at my plate with two slices of pizza hanging over the edges. My mouth watered. Unable to stop myself, I leaned forward and inhaled deeply. My eyes closed and my stomach growled.
Savannah snorted.
I looked up to find her laughing so hard her eyes watered. Gigi was covering her mouth with her hand but it failed to conceal her own laughter.
I frowned. “What?”
Savannah shook her head. “Girl, if that’s the way you react to pizza, then we were destined to be besties.”
I didn’t know what that meant exactly, but I liked the way it made my heart flutter and butterflies dance in my stomach. I shook my head and picked up my pizza. I took a bite and a noise I’d never heard myself make slipped through my mouth. It was so good. Flavor exploded in my mouth and I found myself doing a little dance as I ate more and more.
“Yep. The happy food dance seals the deal.” Savannah picked up a small round object and tossed it in her mouth. “Bestie squad here.”
I cocked my head to the side. “What are you eating?”
Savannah’s eyes widened. “Tater tots, mothereffer.”
We ate in happy silence, just stuffing our faces – as Savannah would say. But then I started thinking about what they told me on our walk over and I remembered I had a question.
I cleared my throat. “So…what did you mean they sell crystals?”
Savannah popped another tater tot in her mouth, then licked her lips. “Crystals are great tools, they can help for loads of things. And each crystal has different meanings and uses. So once you know which ones you’d like or need, then you can buy them to either carry in your pocket, in your purse, sit in your room, or – my personal favorite – wear in jewelry.”
Gigi nodded. “Savannah knows a ton about crystals.” She shoved more pizza in her mouth.
My mind flashed back to the pile of them beside the car. “What do they mean?”
Savannah wiped her mouth with a napkin. “Well…the list is extensive. But for example? Okay…so…Amethyst kicks your shitty attitude back to manageable levels. Lapis lazuli clears your throat chakra so you can scream with reckless abandon. Selenite is like a microphone for your inner betch. Onyx will protect you from petty bitches. Rose quartz will unscrew your life. Turquoise rejuvenates resting bitch face. Citrine bleaches life’s bullshit—”
My jaw dropped. I leaned back in my seat and shook my head. I held my hand up and pointed to my ring. The one I wore on my thumb but didn’t remember where it came from. “I don’t remember where this came from. Landreia said it was a raw quartz but for some reason I know it as stardust quartz.”
“I’ve never heard of it called that…do you remember anything about it at all? Besides that?”
I shook my head. “No, but when I look at it I feel….safe. Protected.”
“Then I say go with that. How things make us feel is honestly the most important.”
“I just wish I could remember something. Anything. It’s driving me insane.”
Gigi frowned. “And the doctors don’t have any ideas about what caused it?”
“No…” My chest grew tight just thinking about my awful reality.
Savannah snapped her fingers. “You know what? You should get a tarot reading! Maybe it will help trigger something for you.”
I bit my lip. Landreia had told me about the tarot readings they did in her shop. “I don’t know. They kind of…scare me a little. What if they say something bad?”
“Tarot are just a guide. It’s the universe talking to us. If they say something bad then they can tell you how you can change that.”
Gigi narrowed her eyes. “You know…maybe Savannah should read your cards first?”
Savannah gasped. Her blue eyes widened at me. “Oh my Goddess, can I? Please?”
What do you have to lose, Saffie? I trusted Savannah and Gigi. And they both seemed to know what they were talking about. I didn’t know if I wanted a stranger to talk about my future…but a friend?
I took a deep breath then nodded. “Okay. Let’s do it.”
Chapter Sixteen
Saffie
“YES!” Savannah said, drawing out the S for a long time as she dug inside her purse. When she pulled her hand out she was holding a silver box. “I just bought this deck like two days ago, but the readings I’ve done so far have been epic.”
I leaned forward. “The box is pretty.”
“Just wait.” She wagged her eyebrows and opened the box, pulling a stack of cards out. “This deck is called Tarot de la Nuit by Alexandra V. Bach and Carole-Anne Eschenazi. It’s perfection.”
Gigi took a sip of her drink then leaned over her shoulder. “Are you doing The Night Spread?” She asked as she cleared the table in front of us.
Savannah nodded. “Yup. It’s a spread designed especially for these cards.”
“Okay. What do I have to do?”
“Nothing!” Savannah smiled at me. “Just relax, deep breaths. The universe is going to show us what we need to see. Once I get the cards all laid out, I’ll explain what they mean. All right?”
“All right.”
Gigi rubbed her palms together and grinned. “I can’t wait to see this.”
My pulse pounded beneath my chest like a stampede of wild horses. Sweat beaded down my spine and I felt it pooling in my palms.
But then Savannah began shuffling the cards and something changed. Something inside me shifted. My heart slowed. I was suddenly overcome with an odd sense of calm. Of peace. My body felt light and safe. There was something so…familiar with this. Warm energy radiated from the cards and the rest of my thoughts melted away. The room emptied until it was just us and the cards.
Three cards seemed to jump right out of Savannah’s hands, landing on the table in front of her.
Gigi gasped. “Whoa, okay. I’ve never seen them jump like that.”
“What does that mean?”
Savannah shook her head. “It means these cards really want to speak to you. I’ll go over their meanings once I get them all out.”
She pushed the three cards to the side and continued to shuffle. I leaned forward to inspect the three. The first one was a girl wearing a big flower crown on her head, with pink and purple hair, and a skull painted on her face in black and white. Below the picture read XIII DEATH. My eyes widened. That was the number tattooed on my arm.
My mind told me it was a coincidence but something deep down inside said it was not.
The next card showed a sexy raven-haired girl with a dark feather-y dress and a black ribbon around her throat. That card said ANGEL DE LA NUIT. The third card…made me want to hide under my blankets. The picture was an ominous dark, solid tower standing amidst smoke. In front of it, like you were looking through it, was a circle that had fiery tree branches wrapped around it. That card said XVI THE TOWER.