“Maybe this wasn’t a good idea,” I whisper to Amelia.

“Come on, don’t be a chicken!” She grabs my hand and drags me forward in front of the diviner. Amelia and I each pick one of two short stools waiting empty in front of the tiny card table.

“My friend would like to have her fortune told,” Amelia says.

“I know, dear,” the hag says. “The True Love spread then, right? Do you remember what to do?”

“Err… no?”

“Pity. Take the cards, mix them, and cut the deck for me, please.”

I gingerly do as I’m told. Once the crone has her deck back, she spreads it in a semicircle of sparkling blue and gold cards.

“Pick six cards from me and pass them to me one by one. Remember, let your interior energy guide your fingers.”

I pick the cards randomly, not feeling any particular force guiding me as I do, and hand them to her.

The fortuneteller puts the first and second card in a row at the top, three cards in a row below, and one at the bottom, alone. She turns the first two cards.

“The Star for you and The Magician for your other half. He’s a powerful, resourceful man and you’re a pool of serenity and confidence surrounding your love. Much better this time around, aren’t we?”

What does she mean this time around? As if I were having my fortune told every other day. But so far, so good, so I nod and smile.

She turns the second row of cards.

“The Wheel of Fortune for the connection between you—we already knew that. You have a powerful destiny awaiting you. The High Priestess for your strengths. Interesting how things change.” She gives a little smile.

“C-change?” I stutter.

“Yes, dear. Change. The Priestess is a symbol of steadiness and calm.”

“Good, I guess.”

“Good indeed. As for your weaknesses,” she looks at the last card of the row. “But of course, The Emperor, reversed.”

“What does the Emperor mean?”

“Upright, it is a symbol of structure. Reversed, it shows a desire for domination, excessive control, rigidity, and inflexibility. Which was what got you into trouble in the first place, wasn’t it?”

I swallow at the accuracy of her statement. It was pride and my unchecked need to feel in control that ruined things with Jake last time. I’m never letting my pride or the necessity to affirm myself through my job get in the way of my relationship ever again.

Amelia smirks beside me, and I kick her sideways in the shins.

“And now the final card, the True Love card. The one that reveals if your relationship can be successful.” She turns it and stares at it silently for a while before fixating her yellow eyes on me. “The Lovers.”

I blink at her.

“Well, it doesn’t get any better than this now, does it?”

“I-I suppose?”