The Celestial Curse (5 page)

Amber

When I open my eyes the first thing I see is Aunt Betsy looking back at me. Secondly, I notice the glow surrounding my body like a second skin and thirdly, I look at Caleb, who has such a look of pure happiness on his face that I don’t think he even realizes he is smiling at me. He also has a look of hope and maybe a little tenderness in there too. I soften a little towards him; after all he has had a difficult few centuries dealing with his burden.

“Im guessing the glowing effect means im the one who can break your curse?” I say to Caleb. He quickly schools his expression and looks to Aunt Betsy who looks to me and says, “Yes Amber this means you are the only person in the entire world who can release these people from their suffering.” She says seriously.

I think it over for a couple seconds before replying, “Ok teach me what I need to learn in order for free them. What would I need to do anyway, is it a spell, a potion, what?”

She looks a little confused before saying, “To be honest I don’t really know what it will take to lift the curse, I was just taught the incantation to find Clarabelle’s heir. I will have to research the answer to that and let you two know when I find out.”

I glance at Caleb who is trying to hide his disappointment at having to wait even longer now that he has found me. Aunt Betsy looks at Caleb too and notes his sombre expression.

“Cheer up Caleb. The first hurdle in finding Amber has pasted, now we just have to find out how she can lift the curse, which I’ll ask around the covens, meanwhile Amber will learn the ways of the Celestial Tarot cards. And once she has mastered that, I will teach her to use her magic.” She says and shuffles back to make room between us. She reaches for the box with the hand carved sun beside her and places it in the middle of the floor between us. I remember what happened the last time I touched the box and find myself feeling a little self-conscious in front of Caleb. I ignore him and just focus on Aunt Betsy and the box. Aunt Betsy looks at me and says.

“Before we continue with the cards Amber you need to learn how to control your energies and how to infuse them with your personal energy. Whenever you take the cards out of their box for a reading or to study them or for whatever reason you decide to consult them, always say the following phrase; ‘Thank you guardians for your protection, for watching over me and providing me with knowledge and wisdom of the universe.’ You can say this within your mind, it doesn’t need to be out loud as it’s a private message passed between you and your guardian. Sometimes there maybe more than one guardian guiding you so if it feels right, then follow you intuition and common sense and continue the reading. I would advise you to have practice readings first until the cards have aligned with you and you are confident in yourself and the cards abilities before doing readings on strangers. Also keep a diary of your readings so you can refer back to them and see what works, what doesn’t, what changes you can make to the interpretations as you see it and how to tie the cards together to receive/understand the message given by the tarot cards, your guardian and the universe.”

Aunt Betsy stops talking for a moment and takes a drink. Im guessing she has a dry mouth after talking nonstop for the past five minutes! So much information given in such a short amount of time…Of course I have to take in all that information. She finishes her iced tea and continues with her lecture. I had all but forgotten Caleb sitting there so when he spoke I jumped!

“With all due respect Betsy, perhaps it would be more beneficial to Amber to get some hands on experience with the deck of cards and aligning her energies with the cards before we leave today?” he asks. Aunt Betsy looked startled at first at the interruption but then starts to nod her head and agrees with him.

“Ok, so let’s go to the next phase which is the cards, Amber when you’re ready pick up the box and open it please.” Aunt Betsy says. Caleb watches as I reach over and pick up the sun carved box. As soon as my fingers graze the exterior I feel pin pricks along my finger nerve endings and when I pick up the box it turn into tingling.

“What are you feeling Amber” Asks Caleb. I glance at him and see curiosity in his eyes with a bit of excitement. I understand the excitement as I also feel excited, feeling the power emanating from the cards within the box. Aunt Betsy said to do what I did last time so I sit the box in my lap and brush my fingertips along the seams. The lid hisses open and I push the lid further back, exposing the velvet interior and the pouch containing the tarot cards. I feel that punch to the gut I felt last time in the attic when Aunt Betsy sent me to look for the box containing the cards. Except this time it wasn’t a total surprise so I picked up the pace and placed the box on the floor, lifted the silk pouch out and took the cards with deliberate ease out the silk cocoon encasing them. The vibrations ease from circulating the room to just the cards and I, in a very subtle hum. I shuffle through the cards while the other two people watch on in silence I suspect so I can concentrate on the energies surrounding me. From the corner of my vision I can see a pink glow coming faintly from my skin and transferring to the cards, while a slight gold shimmer transfers from the cards to me. I watch the transfer for a few minutes before curiosity gets the better of me and I turn to Aunt Betsy for clarification.

“Is this the energy transfer you were talking about?” I ask.

“Yes” she replies. “It’s faint at the moment and will absorb into your skin in about thirty minutes. It takes time for your energies to merge with each other and I believe the cards are adapting themselves to your aura as well as your physical being. That’s if it’s the same as it was when I first got them of course. With you being the witch from the prophecy it might happen differently for you, only time will tell and until that energy glow fades completely you won’t be able to leave the house.” She explains.

“Ok I’ll just stay here and look through the cards again. I would like to try and learn the pictures for each card and how they relate to the name of the card, since the pictures are different than the other deck I have been using.” I say and then return my attention to the cards in my hands. So engrossed in what im doing I don’t hear Aunt Betsy and Caleb stand and leave the room.

Caleb

I watch Amber go through the cards one by one and look to Betsy. Signalling her with a head nod towards the front doors I quietly stand up. Betsy stands and walks towards the doors while I take a long last look at Amber. I then turn on my heel and head towards the open door and out to the front garden where Betsy is waiting for me. I slowly walk up to her and take a deep breath.

“How long do you think it will take for her to learn everything she needs?” I ask when I reach Betsy. She replies with a shrug and I could see she is thinking how she was going to proceed with Amber’s tarot card lessons.

“That depends on how quick she learns. She is a very smart girl so I don’t think it will take long. It’s more teaching her how to use and control her magic that I am concerned about. But Caleb, this means that if or when the curse is lifted anything could happen, you could either live out the rest of a mortal life or your body could age as it should have done or simply wither and die.” She says. I have already thought of the consequences, in fact I’ve had centuries to think about what could happen if I was ever lucky enough to have the curse lifted. I don’t say this out loud however as we both know what the worst and the best out comes could be.

“Do not worry about the future right now Betsy just concentrate on teaching Amber what she needs to know to use the cards. She still needs to learn how to use her magic and since she did not even know she had magic before today so it will take quite some time before we need to worry about what will happen to me. Anyway you still need to find the spell to set us free, no point in worrying when you haven’t found the spell yet right?” I say with a smile in my voice, hoping to lighten the mood a bit. I am touched that Betsy considers me a friend enough to be worried about my fate so I give her a one armed hug and a kiss on the forehead. From the corner of my eye I see the curtain twitch and realise Amber has been probably watching. Betsy twists around in my arm to face the house.

“She likes you. And you like her.” She says offhandedly. I stiffen as she looks at me, the smile on my face frozen in place by her seemingly harmless comment. I hadn’t put my own thoughts and feelings in to perspective let alone the possibility of those feelings being returned. But now that someone else has brought it out into the open, there is kinda no hiding from it anymore like I have been doing for the past few months. Even the other detectives have noticed me zoning out from time to time. Which I found was quiet embarrassing. And annoying!

“To be honest I am a little surprised that you feel anything for Amber since the curse is supposed to stop all that sort of emotion isn’t it?” Betsy asks. I try to explain the best I can and hope she understands.

“The curse does not stop us from feeling emotions or joy or pleasure, it stops us from felling satisfied or complete and just makes us want more. Like if I was to eat my favourite food from when I was a child, it was homemade Yorkshire puddings, chicken with mash and vegetables, roasted potatoes on the side and all smothered in gravy, I could eat as much as I wanted but I wouldn’t feel full or satisfied, I would just want more.” I say.

Betsy gives an understanding smile and says nothing more on the subject.

“Anyway, I should be going since I have people to contact. I am sure they will be delighted to find out that their suffering may finally come to an end in the foreseeable future.” And with that I say good bye and walk towards my car parked in the driveway behind Ambers red Ford Fiesta.

Betsy

I watch Caleb walk to his car. I take a minute to feel the breeze on my face before turning around and heading back inside towards my niece and the huge responsibility she doesn’t even know she has. Well she does know but she doesn’t fully understand the dynamics of the hard work she is faced with and the stress her training will put on her over the next couple of months. Especially since this is her final year in university and her exams are coming up, then when she does leave university she will need to find a job. I think through all the possibilities as I walk through the house to the sitting room, sit down on the couch and stare at the wall opposite me. I do not even take notice of what Amber is doing until I feel the hairs on the backs of my arms and neck stand up. I snap out of my own thoughts and look to see what she is doing. As I look down at the floor where she is sat, I notice she has laid out one of the spreads I asked her to practice. It takes a moment to sink in what is going on before I freak out and jump out, scaring Amber in the process.

“What are you doing?!” I exclaim as look over her shoulder to the cards on the floor. She looks at me startled, all innocent eyes and says,

“I thought I would practice with these cards since you said earlier that’s what you wanted me to do.” She looks back down at the cards and continues to record the reading she has laid out in front of her. I take a deep breath and count to ten.

“Amber, they are things you need to do before doing a reading with the Celestial Tarot cards. They are not like the practice cards I gave you a few months ago. You have to open yourself up to them and build upon that foundation of trust in your cards before actually doing a first reading.” I tell her. Although I don’t know why because she just continues with what she is doing anyway! Huffing and puffing I sit down next to her and look at the spread. My shock is written in my expression as my eyebrows climb into my greying hairline. The layout is that of a Celtic Cross and is actually one of the more complex ones for a beginner, so it comes as a surprise to see when she records the results without a problem and interpretates them accurately. Actually her recordings are more accurate than mine!

Amber

I see Aunt Betsy’s surprise and hide a smirk. I knew she would object to me using the cards without her present but to be honest, I don’t really feel like I needed her present since I was only practising. If I am being completely honest, I was feeling drawn to the cards and didn’t think to wait. I continue with my reading and try to settle her fears.

“Im sorry if I upset you Aunt Betsy but I felt drawn to them and didn’t think doing a spread would cause a problem. I know you saw me looking at you and Caleb through the curtains, but when I turned around and I saw them sitting on the floor next to the sun box it was a compulsion I felt I had to follow. And before I knew what I was doing I had already shuffled and cut the cards and was laying them out into the Celtic Cross spread.”

I try to explain this to Aunt Betsy but I don’t think it came across the way I wanted. She continues to look at me with that look on her face that warns there will be consequences in the future. She mellows out with resignation and leans in to have a look at the cards displayed.

“Since you have already started using the cards we will make this your first lesson.” Aunt Betsy says. I nod my head and wait for her to continue.

“First off finish writing down your results and then we will start from scratch” she tells me. I do as im told and pick up the cards and re-insert them into the deck. I shuffle them a couple of times before laying them carefully on the carpeted floor. I turn around so that I am facing Aunt Betsy and wait for her to tell me what she wants me to do next. She finishes her drink off and I do the same and then she sits down opposite me on the floor.