The Celestial Curse (18 page)

I am willing to venture in the hopes of gaining the knowledge of Clarabelle’s powers.

“I think we should at least go and check it out. Who knows, maybe we will get lucky and if not then, it will have been a great get away weekend.” I say to Aunt Betsy, hoping to appeal to her sense of adventure. She thinks it over before finally agreeing that we have to check it out no matter how small our chances of success.

“Caleb will want to come along too. He will be able to tell if something is different from about four hundred years ago.” Sarcastic colours her tone and makes me laugh.

“Ok I will call him this evening and extend the invitation.” Finally after a long time I feel useful again rather than a failure. These magic lessons have taken more out of me than I had previously thought. I wonder if doing a reading on myself would give me the same results as it does for my clients? I guess it is something to think about on the way home. Five minutes later I say my goodbyes to Aunt Betsy and head home.     

Chapter Twenty-One

The self-reading has played on my mind since I left my aunt’s house and somewhere between there and my apartment door, I had decided to give the reading a try. So here I am, sat on my bed shuffling the Celestial tarot cards. I use the Celtic cross spread, just like I do for my clients and lay out ten cards one by one, after cutting and re-shuffling them. I ask my question all throughout shuffling until I lay out the cards. My question is “Will situations in my life start to improve?” And as I lay out each card, a breeze softly grazes my cheek and makes my hair whisper around my face, letting me know that my guardian is making her presence known. Reassured by a higher power, I look at the cards before me. The cards are as follows;

Two of Pentacles (Present) – Maintaining the balance within more than one area of life.

Two of Swords (Influences) – Stalemate or a deadlock where a decision is to be made but due to feelings of confusion, a new logical approach should be made.

Knight of Swords (Past Issues) – Swift moving energy is brought by this night as is a great deal of strength that could bring about adventures. As a young man, he would be serious and quick witted as well as impatient.

Eight of Wands (Immediate Past) – Fast pace process after delays, could include a chance to travel.

Nine of Wands (Crowning Thoughts) – Perseverance along with courage and determination are keys to success. Now is not the time to quit.

The High Priestess (Immediate Future) – Follow your intuition and trust your instincts. Can indicate a secret being found out that would benefit you in some way. Also shows potential that has not yet been explored or fulfilled.

Five of swords (Your Fears) – Represents dishonour, defeat, loss and deceit, is usually seen as a warning of some kind.

Strength (Environmental Factors) – Gentleness with inner strength and courage. Patience, diplomacy and charm, these are all classed as feminine qualities.

Ace of Swords (Your Hopes) – Victory and triumph over adversity is achieved through one’s own efforts, therefore signifying strength and clarity of thought.

The Wheel of Fortune (Outcome) – The destiny card! It brings hope for a change in positive luck, the start of a new cycle and progress in all areas of life. 

I sit and look over my reading. Grabbing a pen and a notebook from the draw beside my bed, I write down the spread and make notes at the bottom. With renewed hope that I am on the right path and hope of a change of luck for the better coming my way, I quietly say thank you to my guardian for her advice and pack away the Celestial tarot cards. Too preoccupied with my thoughts I do not notice when my guardian appears behind me in a wisp of white smoke, then disappears just as quick as she appeared.

The front door slams and footsteps can be heard walking down the hall way. I get up and walk to the closed door; I hear giggling just as I reach for the handle so I pause before opening the door. April and Duncan’s voices murmur through the wood of the door as they pass my room and a door slams shut further down. Not really wanting to listen to my friends getting lovey dovey with each other, I pull out my cell phone while pulling on my trainers and coat. Four rings later Caleb answers his mobile.

“Meet me at that café down the street from me.” I say while shutting the apartment door behind me.

“Ok I will be there in ten minutes.”

“Ok, bye.” I end the call and exit the apartment building. I walk with a bounce in my step and a peppy smile on my face, knowing that I am finally doing something helpful in getting the curse removed from Caleb.

My hair whips around my face as the wind blows it in all directions, but walking into the café has the strands settling around my face like cloud. Since I am the first one here I order myself a coffee and sit down at a table near the back of the room for that added sense of privacy. Sipping my scalding almost black coffee, I watch as customers come and go from the warmth of the indoors and back out into the freezing winds. Caleb walks through the door a moment later looking dapper in his long woollen trench coat and warm looking man boots. I take note of his appearance while he walks up to the counter and orders a hot drink for himself. He searches the tables until his eyes meet mine, I give a little wave and he returns a small smile to show that he sees me. Picking up his drink when told it is ready, he then makes his way over to where I am sat, huddling into my coat with my hands wrapped around the coffee cup. As he gets closer I try to remember what it was I asked him to meet me for, but as usual my brain forgets how to function and my hands start to slightly tremble.

He sits opposite me and mimic’s me holding the cup. His big hands dwarf the mug sitting between them and I feel the urge to giggle. Of course I starve off the impulse and get right down to business.

“Aunt Betsy and I have decided we are going to go to the cottage that Clarabelle lived in, to see if she left anything that would give us a clue about how to break the curse she cast on you.”

Caleb remains silent until I finish speaking and even takes a sip of what looks like coffee, while thinking over what I said.

“We have already searched the cottage years ago Amber, it was actually one of the first things we did when we found out about the curse.” Caleb says, so matter of fact that I for a split moment, my hope vanishes and is replaced by doubt and hopelessness. That is until I remember one tiny little detail that he seems to have forgotten.

“Yes but none of you are descendants of Clarabelle and as her chosen heir who is supposed to inherit all her magical powers, which by the way, is a lot harder to learn than it looks! I just think if anyone would be able to find anything she left behind, it would naturally be me. And who knows what else we could possibly find!” I say trying to appeal to his better judgement. It doesn’t take long before I manage to convince him enough for him to agree, that it might be worth me having a look around the place.

“Great, ok so we were planning on going this Saturday and staying until Sunday. That gives us plenty of time to look around for any hideaways Clarabelle may have.

“Amber you and Betsy just make the plans and I will follow whatever you two want to do this weekend but it will come at a price.” As curious as I am to find out what he is talking about, I am also having a strong gut reaction to tell him to take a hike! But of course curiosity causes me to ask the question before it is even fully formed in my mind.

“What price Caleb? What are you talking about?” I say confused.

Caleb

I watch as confusion crosses Amber’s beautiful features, eyes wide innocent like and lips slightly parted. Her shapely eyebrows even add to the allure as they descend softly, which shows even more confusion to seep into her expression.

A year ago if anyone would have told me that I would fall for a girl barely out of her teenage years, with an innocence radiating from her like waves, I would have admitted them to the nearest nut hospital and had them treated for lunacy! I watch the expressions in her eyes when I tell her my condition to going with her, to help at Clarabelle’s old cottage. To be honest, that place still gives me the creeps. 

“You have to agree to go to dinner and a movie with me, before Saturday as a date.” It takes a couple seconds for my words to sink in but when they do, it is priceless. She blushes scarlet red and stutters as her breathing becomes erratic. She blinks repeatedly while looking down at the cup threatening to break under her clutching hands. Or it would if she was actually strong enough to break anything. I keep my expression neutral while laughing inside. Finally she squares her shoulders and looks me dead in the eyes.

“Yes... I will go on a date with you.” She says bravely.

“But…” She says holding up her index finger. Now it is my turn to look uncertain at her, waiting for her finish that sentence.

“I want you to promise me that you will keep your mood swings to a minimum.” I look at her and burst out laughing.

“I do not have mood swings!” I say as Amber scoffs and smirks at me.

“Your choice Caleb, you can have a date with me but you have to keep your bitchiness under control.” She says with total amusement. I clear my throat and roll my shoulders, which is hard to do under this heavy coat of mine. She laughs at me which makes giving in worthwhile.

“Ok.” I say and watch as a blush reappears, highlighting her cheekbones as she ducks her head and looks at me from beneath those long black lashes. This is why I am taking a chance now, after all these years, because of these crazy emotions she makes me feel.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Amber

Yesterday I agreed to go on a date with Caleb this Friday night, after my session with Lilith. It is Wednesday night and so I am sat next to the roaring fire Lilith has going, trying to dry off. The weather today has been a complete downpour of torrential rain. After drying off to a somewhat normal degree, Lilith leads me down into her basement.

We start off the same as any other session with me meditating; I sit on the Persian rug Lilith has placed in the centre of the room. Once meditating has finished, Lilith brings over a larger object than the pen we used last time. I haven’t been practicing the telekinesis at home; I have just been too busy. Or that’s what I tell Lilith, in truth I just forgot.

There is a method to her madness, or that is what I am beginning to learn anyway as Lilith tells me to move the book sitting in front of me on the floor.

“Your mind is the most powerful weapon you have at your disposal Amber, so use it. Harness the power through concentrating on the object and what you want to do to it.” Lilith tells me as she makes herself comfy on the couch. I listen to her advice, then block out everything else, making the book my only focus.

“Close your eyes and picture what you want the book to do, but you have to put power behind your thoughts and push it into existence, or you will just give yourself a headache.” She says nonchalantly as I turn my attention back to the book, close my eyes and picture it in my mind. A frisson of power flows through my veins making its way to the tips of my fingers before heading back up to wherever it came from. The harder I concentrate on the image in my mind the more power I feel being released throughout my body. I picture the book floating and glowing in front of me which makes my eyes burn. I open my eyes to see the book in front of me, looking exactly l imagined it. It drops to the floor with a thud when I rub my eyes, as the concentration is lost.

Lilith smiles and congratulates me on a successful first try but advises me not to try doing that again until whatever side effects I have, like burning eyes, wear off. I assure her that I won’t be doing that trick again for a couple of days at least! Lilith being Lilith just laughs and walks over to the drinks cabinet. She takes out three glasses, pours gin and tonic in two of them and ice cold water in the third. She brings these over to where I am still sat on the floor and hands me one of the gin glasses. Putting her own on a small table at the side of the couch, she then picks up a piece of cloth I had not noticed and dips it into the cold water. Handing it to me Lilith advices me to put it over my eyes to help cool them down and stop the irritation.

“Don’t worry it is perfectly normal, although the first time I did it, my eyes felt like they were ready to explode and I spent the rest of the day in bed, under the duvet sleeping.”

“Not to sound insensitive or anything but, I am really glad you did, at least now I know it’s not permanent.” I reply.

“It’s fine.” She says before bringing up another subject.

“How are things going with you and Caleb anyway? We haven’t had a girly talk for a while so don’t leave out any details.” Says Lilith as she helps me to the couch. I throw up my feet onto the cushions and relax before telling her what happened at the café yesterday and the upcoming date. Listening with smug satisfaction, Lilith points out the success in telling me to wait for Caleb to make the first move and I blushingly agree with her.