My confusion was paramount at first but then as I rolled over everything she’d said a sense of understanding started to seep in, and as it did, I felt Echo’s emotions spike and fall several times as she too gleaned what she could from the reading and finally came to the same level of understanding as me.
“Well, I do have to say your reading is not what I had expected based on the feel I got off you when you walked in,” Clarisse said, her bewilderment resonating in her tone.
“That’s because that wasn’t me you just read—I think it was Echo, this is her past, present, and future,” I said as I sat there staring into the flame of a green candle on the table.
Chapter Eleven
The Lord and Lady
By the time my readings were done, I had a ton more insight into my life and Echo’s. That much I had expected. What I hadn’t expected was Drew starting to believe enough to want Clarisse to give him a reading. I stared at him in wide-eyed wonder as Clarisse laid his chosen cards and cleared the rest from the cloth. Under the table, our joined hands bounced around wildly as he shook his leg nervously. I placed my free hand reassuringly on his knee. He glanced at me, and his shaking slowly came to a stop.
“Relax Drew, the first reading is always a little nerve-wracking, especially if you have things that you want to remain hidden, like feelings,” Clarisse said, hiking a knowing brow. “Judging by the spike in emotion you just had I’d say you do have some secrets.”
Drew’s grasp on my hand tightened, and his palm felt sweaty in mine. He was more nervous than he was outwardly showing. I squeezed his hand, and he offered me a lopsided smile of uncertainty. Clarisse cleared her throat and flipped the first card of his spread over.
“So the Spread we are doing on you is the relationship spread. The three cards represent you, your partner, and the relationship as a whole. Your first card represents you at your core. You drew The Lord, a Major Arcana card. This card suggests that you are the type to take control and establish firm and distinct boundaries for those who rely on you. You are a born leader who leads by staying true to your values, which are strengthened by the passion and empathy of the Lady,” Clarisse began.
She looked up from the cards with a mischievous look on her face, and it made me wonder what she found so amusing. Nothing she’d said seemed funny to me. I assumed I must have missed something.
“The Lady is another Major Arcana card that I will explain after to bring clarity to this bit of the reading.” She paused, probably to see if we were still following what she was saying, and continued explaining the Lord card. “You will achieve great things in your life. You are a rational thinker and a figure of authority among your peers. As a leader, you act with clear intentions, and your honor code demands that you stand for the greater good.”
Clarisse was in the middle of turning the second card over when she caught a glimpse of its image and started laughing. Her expression conveyed a sense of disbelief. Her hand paused in mid-motion, and she looked at Drew and then directly at me as she turned the card ever so slightly to get a better look.
“The second card you drew represents your partner, Drew. In this case, Eden is your partner, right?” Her grin was a telling one as she glanced at him again.
I felt his hand tighten around mine even more and was sure that his nerves had not improved since we’d begun his reading because it felt like he’d dipped his hand in warm water. His leg started bouncing again as he replied to her. “Yes, she is,” he said looking at me intently.
Clarisse’s smile deepened as she flipped the card the rest of the way over and said, “The card you drew to represent Eden is The Lady, and because it is, it gives your card, The Lord, a deeper meaning.” Clarisse looked thoroughly amused by how Drew's reading was panning out. “Since Eden is The Lady, the mention of The Lady in your card directly correlates to Eden herself. What I’d said before, the bit about you being a born leader who leads by staying true to your values, which are strengthened by the passion and empathy of the Lady. Since Eden is the Lady, it is her passion and empathy that strengthens your sense of leadership and your innate need to protect because of that duty. She helps you think clearly when it comes to making choices.”
I giggled in spite of myself, and he looked at me again. His knee had stopped bouncing, and his hand seemed less clammy. I realized he was starting to relax. Did that mean he was starting to accept this process and possibly put faith into it? Even he had to admit that his reading so far was pretty spot-on, mine had been dead on and Echo’s obviously held some merit judging by how she’d reacted during it. I was aware that Clarisse was watching us closely when I saw her settle back into her chair, presumably to let us have our moment. His intense scrutiny made me squirm and then look away from him. He watched me a moment longer and then glanced at Clarisse again as she sat forward to continue.
“As The Lady Eden will, where you are concerned, Drew, be prone to follow her heart’s reasoning rather than her mind’s. It might be in the form of sensuality, passion, driven desire, or love. She is a source of emotional strength and is opening to the richness of love, trust, and sexual passion
