The Magical Tarot Deck, The Madigan Chronicles #2

THE MAGICAL TAROT DECK

THE MADIGAN CHRONICLES #2

Marieke Lexmond

Part 1

Four of Swords ‘Recovering’

‘Our bodies are our gardens to which our wills are gardeners.’

William Shakespeare

FAIRY

The second sun is rising in the day, its yellow sunbeams shining directly in Ceri Madigan’s eyes. It’s been twenty-one days since she’s been stuck in Fairy. Many times, she has doubted the sanity of her decision to strike a deal with Mab the Fairy Queen. Three favors seemed like a small sacrifice so that her brother Ron and sister Freya could go home. Now that she had time to think it through, she’s not so sure. Even though she tries her hardest not to think about the way time can flow different here, she keeps seeing flashes of herself being old or her children being adults when they’re reunited. It doesn’t help, but the fear consumes her mind. Hopefully, this is not all for nothing, and her family has managed to deal with Lucy, her mother Tara’s evil twin.

Her family had always seemed so ordinary. Okay, maybe not ordinary, as they’re all witches, some even pretty powerful. But they’re a well-respected part of the community. They have Under the Witches Hat, their business in the French Quarter in New Orleans, where they blend in and entertain normal people.

What a shock it was to learn that her mother had a twin who was banned from the family! Unimaginable! She never even mentioned her once. Lucy is a troubled soul that is now coming back to haunt them. Within a couple of days, their regular lives had changed forever.

For a moment, one of the huge whale-like creatures that inhabit the skies of Fairy swims in front of the sun and draws Ceri out of her reverie. Quickly, she mumbles a spell, and a pair of sunglasses appear on her nose. One of the advantages of being a servant of Mab is that she can use magic whenever she likes, and if her suspicion is right, they did something to her. As a witch, you have a special connection to living things, to nature. For lack of a better comparison, it flows through your veins. However, now she feels like the world around her is continuously connected to her body, like tendrils weaving in and out of her limbs. A constant pulsing feeling of life. Ceri would love to take this power for a ride. Her time here has been very educational. Fairy seems to exist of an infinite number of different landscapes and cities. Modern equipment and nature are more merged and evolved than in our own world. Somehow, they have managed to make it a more graceful and organic combination. There is no pollution here. This world is not without its own problems, but they come from the constant power struggles between creatures or even between elves. The number of different living things and powerful beings she has met was overwhelming. Much more than she could ever have imagined, let alone understood their complex society.

At the moment, Ceri is on her first mission and determined to get this over with quickly so that she has a chance to go home. Mab didn’t share too much. Someone or something will come through a portal, and she’s to keep it under control and bring her or it back to Mab. It doesn’t sound too complicated.

She walks to a field of tall grass, which would be very much like our earth if it weren’t for the annoying two suns. There is a pleasant breeze, and the wind ripples through the grass, so beautiful, the sun’s rays on the green grass that flows, looking like a golden sea. Its warmth is flowing through her, the power of Air and Earth is dancing through her veins. A shimmer in the air pulls her away from her power rush. This must be it. Quickly, she moves closer and is shocked when she sees who steps through the portal. It’s Tara! She runs forward, she’s saved! Together with her mother, they will find a way to get her out of her deal with Mab. Her face is full of joy. When she’s only fifty feet away, she starts to realize something isn’t quite right. Lucy is dressed to impress, nothing like Tara. Although this woman’s outfit and hair are frazzled, a business suit is not something Tara would ever wear; this might actually not be her mother but her infamous sister. Ceri slows down and takes her time to inspect her aunt. Lucy is oblivious to her presence. It gives her some time to ready a couple of spells, and if she is to believe her mother, there’s nothing good about this woman. This assignment is probably not as easy as she had hoped. With multiple spells ready at her fingertips, she thinks it is now time to greet her relative.

‘Hello, Auntie!’

Lucy’s head snaps up, her eyes narrow while she tries to think whom she’s facing.

‘Welcome to Fairy. Mab is eager to see you.’

Without hesitation, Lucy slings a spell toward Ceri. Ceri raises her hands, and a web of ivy-like plant hangs instantly in front of her, deflecting the spell. Wow! Being in Fairy has definitely enhanced her abilities. Lucy wavers, and Ceri takes this opportunity to put her in a binding spell and doesn’t forget to mum her. There’s nothing as dangerous as a witch who’s still able to utter words. Lucy’s eyes shoot daggers, but she’s tired. The fight with the other Madigans in Boston, where they managed to wrestle the Dagger away from her, had left her in short supply of some magical reserves. Apparently, this wasn’t a smart move. Not like her, to be so impulsive without thinking it through. Losing that powerful object must have affected her more than she realized. For a moment, she closes her eyes and lets the part of her that’s connected to the Dagger feel for it. Nothing. She’s sure Tara has hidden it in a magical realm. Fairy was the logical choice. Tara would never leave anything so powerful on the Astral Plane. Or would she?

‘Hello? Earth to Auntie.’ Ceri has moved in front of Lucy and is sizing her up.

Lucy’s eyes snap open, and she tries to speak, but only weird mumblings make it out.

‘Sorry about that,’ smiles Ceri, not sorry at all. ‘You do understand I’m not taking any risks. Mom hadn’t many nice things to say about you. And although my family seems to think I’m a flake, I’m not stupid.’

Lucy files this bit of information away. You never know when it could come in handy.

‘Did you have a bad day? You look a bit…’ Ceri can’t seem to find the right words. ‘Roughed up. When Mab told me to pick somebody up, I never thought it would be you. Lucy, my dark aunt. So glad though to meet you and see for myself. My name is Ceri, Tara’s youngest daughter.’

Lucy’s eyes grow a little wide as if this surprises her.

‘Do you know any of us?’ Ceri keeps on chattering. ‘It would have been nice to have known you and your children. We have a big family, but it always felt something was missing. And that something turns out to be you.’

Lucy takes in Ceri with renewed interest. This woman reminds her of someone. Friendly, chatty, but powerful. It would be a mistake to underestimate this woman.

‘This way. I think. Mab’s realm changes constantly, to get to her is always an adventure. You never know where you have to pass through.’

That had puzzled Ceri and now, even more. What would Mab gain from letting Ceri and Lucy trample through Fairy? It makes no sense. There must be something, as fairies play very long and challenging power games. Clearly, she had known it was Lucy coming through.

Lucy follows slowly, an old woman, whatever had happened to her in the real world had taken its toll. For a moment, Ceri is tempted to let her walk freely, only for a little moment. The woman hadn’t hesitated to try to bespell her, and she would be a fool to let her guard down.

NEW ORLEANS

Tara is exhausted, but a little euphoric. They did it! They got the Dagger of Consciousness away from Lucy. The Dagger is one of the four objects that holds an elemental power. Centuries ago, witches had struck a bargain with the elements to keep them safe in return for the access to elemental power. When it turned out to be too much, four witch sisters had vowed to keep the objects safe and never to use them. For generations, the objects had been passed on to the eldest daughter in each family. Over the years, they had lost touch with each other but kept their vows until Lucy found out Tara would become the guardian of the Wand of Wisdom. The elemental object in the care of the Madigan family. Overtaken by jealousy, she had tried to attack their mother, who saw no other option than to ban her from the family. Now, just as Tara was actually struggling to finally make a choice between her daughters or granddaughters to pass on the Wand, Lucy had stolen the Dagger of Consciousness. It had forced Tara to share her secrets with the whole family. After some misadventures, they had finally managed to take the Dagger away from Lucy and hide it safely inside Seamus’ Magical Tarot Deck.

The deck her husband had painted before he died and on which the entire family is illustrated. Although it caused some problems, it’s a brilliant design of magical power and beauty. When someone draws a card from the Deck, the card comes to life and the person painted on the card disappears from real life till they fulfill the question of the querent. An innovative way for the family to ask for advice, but in their wildest dreams, they didn’t expect it to work this well. Endless nights they had spent discussing its possibilities, but when the time finally came to try it, Seamus had fallen sick. A stroke. Gone in just a couple of days. After that incident, Tara had put it in a drawer and hadn’t thought about it or used it until Lucy had stolen the Dagger. Seamus’ passing had left a hole, a crater in her life. He was the rock in the family, always cheerful and full of life. Slowly, the house had fallen quiet. The children, too busy with their own lives, stopped coming to the house every weekend. Only Maeve remained; she had decided to live with her grandmother. Tara felt guilty about that sometimes. Shouldn’t she be out in the world enjoying herself? However, Tara didn’t want to complain about that and end up alone in the house. She didn’t think she could bear that.

Finally, in her room, she pulls off all her clothes and grins at Seamus’ eager face, waiting for the news. ‘The Dagger is safe! I’m so proud of all my children and grandchildren. Together, we managed to pull it off.’ Seamus beams. ‘Yes, it was magnificent. Lucy thought I hid the Dagger in Fairy, so she’s there now. And I can assure you, for a while.’ This time it’s Tara giving Seamus a hearty wink. ‘I tipped off Mab.’

Seamus is shocked.

‘I know, I took the risk, I had to try something to mellow her out, so Ceri can come home.’

Now Seamus looks worried. ‘Relax. It will all work out.’

Tara is not letting herself feel worried. After weeks of agonizing, she finally has a handle on the situation. Of course, Lucy will not give up, but it will be a while before she will be able to get herself out of this situation. As for the rest of her family, they should be able to handle that. It’s time for a warm bath and a well-deserved good night’s sleep. As she walks past her altar, she glimpses the card she had pulled—the eight of wands. Things sure moved quickly, and although not everything went as planned, they’ve been lucky to come out on top. Swiftly, she grabs the card and one of her regular decks and shuffles. Her left hand wanders over the fanned cards, back and forth until one seems to want to jump out. She pulls it and turns it around. The four of swords, a little field mouse is snoozing on its back. Feeling completely safe between the cone flowers. The healing properties of these fabulous flowers shine through this card. How appropriate, she was just thinking about her bath and recharging her batteries. They all need to do that. So much had happened, time to process and regroup. This will not be the end of it. Gently, she puts it on her altar and, as if she only now received permission, turns on the water of her bathtub. A row of little bottles cheers up her bathroom. Carefully, she selects three bottles and topples some of the herbs inside into the bath. Lavender, Lemon Balm, and her favorite Mountain Rose. The tub fills up, and quickly, she takes off the last of her clothes. She dips in her toe. Oops, a little warm, just right. Slowly, she lets her foot get used to the warm water and steps into the tub. With a comfortable sigh, she lowers herself down completely.

***

Maeve is in her twenties, a siren beauty who lives with her grandmother. Her cooking skills are phenomenal, and there is nobody who can resist her blueberry muffins. She’s showing Gwen her bedroom, a floor above Tara’s. Gwen Jansson came with them from Boston in case the Dagger was coming out of the Magical Tarot Deck. Her family had guarded the Dagger of Consciousness for centuries, before Lucy had killed her sister Alana, and took it from her.

For a moment, Gwen takes in the high ceilings and tasteful decorations. From the frilly curtains to the sunset painting over the Mississippi above the bed, it gives off a welcome feeling to any visitor. She’s ill at ease in her new surroundings. At the moment, her only option to get the Dagger back is to stay with the Madigans, and she will do whatever it takes. If it makes her uncomfortable, so what? It’s a small price to pay. And she can learn something about another family with an elemental object. Gwen’s family is small, and they shared everything. Her mother always stressed the importance of knowledge and being able to work together. This family…seems to like its secrets. There are a lot of them. It will take a while to get to know them all.

‘I hope you can feel at home here.’ Maeve quietly says, picking up on her guest’s discomfort. ‘It must be hard to be away from your family.’ When Gwen doesn’t respond she adds, ‘You’re welcome to join us in the kitchen. We’re going to celebrate.’

Actually, Gwen doesn’t think there is anything to celebrate, but decides to stay, ‘I’m tired. I think I’m going to take a shower and go to bed.’

In the kitchen, Bridget, Maeve’s fraternal twin, has opened a bottle of bubbles to celebrate their victory and update her boyfriend Wes. As he’s not a witch, he stayed at home. He has taken possession of her grandfather Seamus’ room. Like him, he’s a gifted artist. Her brother Fin, walks in, just finished his shift at Under the Witches Hat, the family business. When Maeve is back, Bridget fills the glasses.

‘Well? Come on. Tell us! What happened?’ Fin is eager for some news.

‘You should have seen Mom! She was clearly in over her head.’ Maeve is still overwhelmed by all that happened. ‘How she fought with those spirits. Sweat poured down her face. But she did it. That’s how we got Lucy under control. Crazy that we were five witches, and we still needed the spirits.’

‘I’ve never met such a powerful witch.’ adds Bridget.

‘You never met any witches in Boston.’ jabs Wes. Bridget shoots him a look. He winks back.

‘It really took a lot out of Gran. To see your own sister being dragged down underground. I couldn’t…It didn’t feel right.’

‘She got herself out soon enough.’ adds Bridget, feeling less compassion for her grandmother.

‘Right. And then Gran hid…hid the Dagger in uh…’ Maeve silently pleads for help to her sister when she remembers they were not to share that they hid the Dagger in the Magical Tarot Deck. ‘In uh…’

‘Another realm.’

‘What realm? Fairy?’ Fin wonders.

Bridget smiles secretively at him. Maeve quickly looks away, not so adept in hiding the truth. The art of omission.

‘Next time I want to come!’ says Fin.

‘It was so much fun. Well, I mean not fun to see Lucy that way. But it was good to be out and see Boston.’ Fin gently puts his hand on Maeve’s arm.

‘I know what you mean.’ Again, Maeve averts her eyes.

‘I’m going to the restroom.’ All eyes follow Maeve out. Immediately, Bridget turns to Fin.

‘What is going on? Why doesn’t she go anywhere?’

Fin shrugs ‘I’m not sure. She’s not happy.’

‘I’m worried about her. It’s not healthy. Why doesn’t she have a boyfriend or a girlfriend…’

‘Now you’re worried.’

‘What does that mean?’

Fin doesn’t budge ‘You left. You left all of us. Not one word, text or e-mail. She’s your twin for Christ sake.’

Now it’s Bridget’s turn to look away.

‘I don’t feel sorry for you. You were selfish. Now you come back and expect everybody to be the same. Well, we’re not. Shit happened, and you weren’t there to support any of us.’

Bridget is hurt, but what did he say that she didn’t deserve? She wants to hide behind her rage, she was wronged. However, not by him or her sister. She swallows her anger.

‘I’m sorry. I know that’s not enough. But I have no valid reason. I was probably selfish. The only thing I can say is, I was young and stupid. Yes, I made a mistake. There’s nothing I can do about the choices I made, only be different from now on.’ Fin gives a small nod in acknowledgment just as Maeve breezes back into the kitchen. Quickly, she scans all the serious faces. ‘What’s going on?’

Bridget doesn’t miss a beat. It’s one thing to apologize to her brother, somehow, she’s not ready to face the hurt of her twin. ‘We’re worried about Gran. She’s always been secretive…now we know what’s at stake…’

‘I know. I’ve been worried about her before this all started. Her health is not great you know.’

‘What will happen when she passes?’ Fin asks a question that is no doubt on others’ minds as well. ‘I can see the fights starting between Freya and Mom.’

‘It will be a disaster!’ agrees Maeve.

Wes had grown quiet. Eager to learn something from this exchange, he ended up in a strange family. The discussion has shifted to the possible disaster scenarios and how they could try to get Tara to share the necessary information. Bridget doesn’t share Tara’s thoughts with them on Bridget’s role in all this. She can’t be serious. Fin confirmed that she’s tolerated, but nobody is going to follow her lead. If Tara was to die, they’re basically fucked.