Incubus Dreams by Laurell K. Hamilton Page A

I’d gotten used to it. It was just something Marianne could do. She didn’t hold it against me that I raised zombies, and I didn’t hold it against her that she could tell what was happening hundreds of miles away. In fact, sometimes, like now, it came in handy.
    â€œNot yet.”
    â€œThe Priestess, you have a question for me.”
    â€œYes.”
    â€œYou’re not doing something silly like trying to choose between Micah and Nathaniel, are you?”
    â€œThanks a lot.”
    â€œYou can’t blame me, Anita, you do tend to complicate your life.”
    I sighed. “Fine, true, but sort of, and not exactly.”
    â€œFine, be cryptic.”
    â€œNot in the way you might mean,” I said finally.
    â€œSo not dumping one for the other,” she said.
    â€œNo.”
    â€œWell, that’s good.” She was quiet for longer this time. “I’ll stop guessing. I’ve laid a reading.” She preferred to do a reading without knowing anything about the problem. Marianne felt that if you talked to much you influenced the person doing the reading.
    â€œI put you in the center, Queen of Swords. The past is the five of pentagrams, being left out in the cold, not getting your needs met. Diety is the six of cups, which can be someone from your past coming back into your life, someone you felt a strong connection with. Future is the Knight of Cups, Nathaniel’s card. The mundane is the four of pentacles, the Miser, holdingon to things that no longer help your life run smoothly. Now we’ll do the connecting cards.” She was quiet for a second or two, while she thought, or prayed, or whatever she did to make the cards talk to her. I understood everything but the six of cups so far. “Connecting the mundane to the past is the Lover’s card. Something happened in your love life that made you be afraid of being hurt, or giving up something, or someone. Connecting the past to diety is the King of Wands, usually Micah’s card, but it could be energy, a male prescence in your life. Connecting diety to the future is the two of swords; you have a choice to make, and you think it’s difficult, but if you take off the blindfold, you can see, and you have what you need to do it. Connecting the future to the mundane is the Knight of Wands, another man in your life. You do draw a lot of male energy to you.”
    â€œNot on purpose,” I said.
    â€œHush, I’m not finished.”
    â€œOverlaying the Miser is the six of swords, help unseen, or help from a spiritual source. Overlaying the Lovers is the four of rods, the marriage card. Overlaying the out in the cold is the ten of pentacles, happy properous home. Hmm. The King of Rods and the six of cups stand on their own, but the two of swords has crossed with the Queen of Wands. Nathaniel’s card is crossed with the ten of cups, a happy home, true love. The Knight of Wands is crossed by the Devil, temptation.”
    â€œOkay, I get most of it, but who is the Knight of Wands, and why is he covered by temptation? And who is the Queen of Wands?”
    â€œI think the Queen of Wands is you.”
    â€œI’m always the Queen of Swords.”
    â€œMaybe that’s changing. Maybe you’re coming into your power, into yourself.”
    â€œI’m already myself,” I said.
    â€œHave it your way.”
    â€œI’m trying to.”
    â€œI’d say the Lovers and the four of rods are your old fiancé in college that dumped you. That experience led you to be the Miser with your emotions. You need to let that go. Your home was the five of pentacles, cold, but now it’s a happy prosperous home. You’re going to be offered up some difficult choices soon; that has something to do with someone from your past. I think Micah’s card is the message that he’s helped you heal some of those old wounds, because he bridges the past with diety.”
    â€œHe’s a gift