Tarot Academy 4 - Sarah Piper Page 0,72
he still smells like my Ani, warm and sweet and full of summer. Closing my eyes, I take a few moments just breathing him in, visualizing a time when he’s back with us, when our enemies have been defeated, when witches and mages no longer have to fear for our lives just for being who we are.
The rest of the house is buzzing with activity as Professor Maddox sketches out a training plan and doles out assignments, and I give Ani the full report.
“Professor Broome is going to work with us on protective as well as offensive potions and charms. Maddox plans to kick our Tarot education into high gear—she wants us to have a better grasp on how to harness the energies of each suit to create more effective spells.” I reach for his hand, lacing our fingers together. “Doc’s got mental magicks covered. Baz is on earth magick, Kirin on air. As first years, the girls and I have a lot to learn about tapping into and controlling our magick, but we’re ready for it. I’ve already learned some cool earth and air tricks, and Doc’s going to show me how to harness water energy. I just need my favorite fire mage to wake up, and I’ll be all set.”
I smile and close my eyes, still breathing him in.
“I know,” I say. “It’s a lot, right? And here I thought we’d be getting a break with Trello ending the semester early, but nope. No such luck. On top of the elemental magick stuff, Kirin and I are supposed to hit the figurative books again tomorrow—our actual books were stolen, of course, but there’s still a lot to work with on his backups, and he’s got access to some online databases full of Tarot lore.”
The more I tell Ani, the more daunting it all sounds. A handful of witches and mages trying to scrape together a curriculum of magickal learning while researching lore and plotting defensive and offensive maneuvers against the Dark Arcana, the non-magickal authorities who wish we’d all stop breathing, and legions of corrupt mages and witches who don’t know whose side they’re on?
What kind of odds are those?
Still, something Kirin said last night really stuck with me. Whether we’ve got an entire library, a single book, or a single page, we’re not giving up. And we’ve got so much more than that. We’ve got each other, and the promises we made today. No matter how hard things get, all I have to do is think about is the people who sat around that table and held up their glasses today, and I’m ready to fight to the death for every single one of them.
I spend a few more minutes catching Ani up on all the news, and then I tell him about my hopes for the future—all the things I still want to learn at the Academy, all the places I want to explore with him, all the songs and games and sweet, sultry kisses I plan to share with him.
Then, rising from the bed, I light a yellow candle behind the plate of lemon sunshine bread, then place a fist-sized citrine crystal before it, right on top of the Sun card.
The spell comes to me easily, flowing directly from my heart, out through my lips, and right out into the universe, where I picture it sailing across the realms to Ani, lighting his pathway back to us.
Mage of sunshine, mage of fire
Hear my words and know my desire
Wherever you wander, wherever you roam
May the light of our love guide you back home
I repeat the spell three times, then kiss my fingertips and press them to the card, sealing the spell with the most powerful magick there is: love.
“Okay, now that we’re all caught up… I’ve got another concert queued up for you. If you’re not in the mood for my singing, just say so.” I wait a few beats, then lean closer, cupping my hand around my ear. “Nothing? Okay, I’m taking your silence as permission to continue.”
Cracking up at my own stupid joke, I grab the karaoke mic and my phone, flipping through the playlists until I find what I’m looking for.
“Prepare yourself for the Stevie Milan Bon Jovi remix,” I say. Then I take a deep breath, hit the button, and light up the stage.
I sing my heart out for every song, shaking my hips, bobbing my head, working it until I’m damn near exhausted and the yellow candle sputters out, filling the