36. Jasmine

36

JASMINE

J asmine retrieved her well-used tarot deck from the bedroom and returned to the living room.

"I made fresh coffee," Margo said with a nervous smile.

"Good." Jasmine sat next to her on the couch. "Do you know anything about tarot?"

"A little. My roommate in college introduced me to them, but I never took her readings seriously. It was just a fun thing to do to pass the time and have a good laugh." She smiled apologetically. "No offense."

"None taken." Jasmine shrugged. "As long as you don't think that they are the devil's toys, I have no problem with you doubting the readings."

Margo laughed. "The devil's toys? Are you serious? Has anyone ever told you that?"

Jasmine grimaced. "My father, but I don't want to discuss it." She took the cards out of the pouch.

With a deep breath and a silent prayer to the Mother of All Life, she shuffled them a few times and then put the deck on the coffee table in front of Margo.

"Put your hand on the deck and think about your question. Hold the image of your brother and his fiancée in your mind while you ask."

Margo did as she was told, her hand resting on the deck for a long moment, and her eyes closed.

"Okay." She removed her hand. "What now?"

"Now it's my turn." Jasmine closed her eyes, letting her mind drift as she also put her hand on top of the deck, feeling the universe's energy flowing through her.

When the tingling sensation stopped, she opened her eyes and began to lay out the cards in a familiar spread. The Lovers reversed. The Tower upright. The Three of Swords piercing a heart with its sharp, gleaming blades.

Jasmine felt her heart sink as she looked at the cards and their message. Betrayal, heartbreak, the shattering of illusions, and the crumbling of foundations.

She didn't want to say it out loud and give voice to the painful prediction of Rob's future, but as she looked at Margo, she saw that her friend had formed her own interpretation of the cards and the message they conveyed.

"I knew it." Margo sighed. "The way Lynda acted in Cabo made it obvious that fidelity was not something she concerned herself with."

Jasmine hesitated, not wanting to confirm her friend's fears. "I can make another spread. Perhaps your suspicions influenced the results. It is also possible that the infidelity will happen in the distant future, not in the past. It can also mean that it happened in the past but will not happen in the future. It can possibly mean that Rob is the cheater."

Margo shook her head. "I asked if Rob was going to be happy with Lynda, and the answer was obvious. There's betrayal and a lot of pain and heartbreak on the horizon. This time, I will be more precise with my question." She looked at Jasmine. "I will ask if Lynda is cheating on Rob or will cheat on him in the future."

"Let's do this." Jasmine collected the cards, reshuffled them several times, and put the deck in front of Margo. "Go ahead. Put your hand on it."

Regrettably, the second spread turned out identical to the first one, which was eerie.

"I'm sorry." Jasmine collected the cards.

Margo let out a breath. "I don't know how to tell Rob. He's not going to believe me. It's not like I can tell him I'm basing my accusations on a tarot reading."

Jasmine chewed on her lower lip. "You need real proof. Did you ask the cards if she was cheating on him currently?"

Margo nodded.

"Then you can catch her in the act and bring him proof. You don't have much time before the wedding."

Margo snorted. "I doubt she is sleeping with someone while at the same time running around town and driving everyone crazy with her wedding plan changes. If she is, she must make very effective use of her time." Margo closed her eyes. "There isn't enough time to do anything, and even if there was, I don't have the money to pay a private detective, and I don't want to ask Negal for the money either."

Margo's comment gave Jasmine an idea. "You could ask Negal to spy on Lynda. He can shroud himself and be invisible."

"He's too busy with the equipment salvaged from the pod," Margo said. "I can't ask him to do that."

"Yes, you can, and he will do it for you." Jasmine reached for Margo's hand. "Rob is a Dormant, just like you. Marrying Lynda the cheater might cost him a chance at immortality."

Margo stared at her for a long moment. "You are right. I didn't think of that. Rob is a couple of years older than me, so it's not like he has endless time to attempt transition. Not doing anything about him throwing his life away on Lynda is not an option. I have to make it my number one priority."

Jasmine nodded. "I'm here for you. If you need me to do anything, say the word." She winced. "Just don't ask me to put a hex on Lynda. I only do positive stuff."

Margo chuckled. "I wouldn't dream of it. I don't wish Lynda ill. I want what is best for my brother, and Lynda is not it."