In a city like New Orleans, tarot isn’t just
something you see in movies—it’s part of the culture. A way to seek guidance,
uncover hidden truths, and sometimes… find what’s been lost.
In my Whispering Witch series, magic and
intuition often go hand in hand with mystery. And sometimes, when more
traditional methods fail, my characters turn to tarot for answers.
In this scene from Verifying About Vampires,
book two of the Whispering Witch series, a group of witches attempts something
a little unconventional: using tarot to locate a missing person… through his
familiar—a pug named Walter who has a very stylish wardrobe.
Raveena still chuckled as she turned around, though her smile faded as she zeroed in on Walter, who’d somehow gotten his left hind leg stuck in the neck of his hoodie. “Oh, stars. I’m not sure there’s enough magic in the whole world.”
“Granted, I’ve never been part of a tarot reading, and I’ve only known you all a couple of days, but—” I knelt to help Walter untangle himself from… well, from himself. “The bond I saw between Connor and Walter seemed as strong as between Mischief and me. I’d say that’s pretty powerful magic.”
“Agreed.” Janee nodded at me, then looked toward Raveena. “Not to mention we have one of the most renowned oracles alive today.”
“A descendant of one of the most renowned—”
Janee waved Raveena off that time. “Your skill is why you’re here in la Chrysalide des Prometteuses, so don’t be modest. And let’s get this show on the road.”
One more reason I wondered about the Matriarch having me live in la Chrysalide des Prometteuses. I wasn’t from a prestigious and wealthy family like Connor, nor descended from magical powerhouses like Raveena, or have skill with any particular powers like Janee and Remy. In addition to simply having me in a place where I could easily be spied on and watched over, I figured she wanted me to realize I would never measure up to the magical elite.
“Okay, let’s do this.” Raveena clapped her hands. “Let’s go the path of least resistance and let Walter’s location right now be the heart of our triad circle. Griffin and I will face him with the cards. Janee, you and Tabitha settle in behind him on my right. And Maeve, you and Mischief sit behind Walter on my left.”
Walter remained sprawled happily, having returned to licking the moth in the rug design, blinking his watery eyes as he watched us settle in.
Connor’s life possibly hung in the balance—perhaps held captive somewhere, terrified or in pain. Or maybe killed at the same time as Charlie and his body hidden, waiting for our discovery. However this went, this consequential moment called for solemn contemplation.
That said, excitement built in me like a twelve-year-old going to Disney World.
Despite not having the most productive time with my now hidden grimoire during the afternoon, my heart thrilled as I settled in on crisscrossed legs behind Walter. As three candles floated across the room at Janee’s direction and settled in the space between each of us, it didn’t get much more witchy than this.
Mischief practically trembled in anticipation as she crawled into my lap. Apparently my familiar didn’t fall far from the apple tree.
Certainly able to read the feelings over my face, Janee grinned and shot me a wink as she and Tabitha settled in a similar position on Walter’s other side.
Raveena held her tarot deck at heart level as she sat tall and straight. Though just as short as me and rather round and soft, she mirrored an old-world goddess as Griffin flew from his perch above the balcony’s French doors and alighted on top of Raveena’s head.
“Ready, my sisters?” She looked first to Janee, who nodded, then to me.
I didn’t even try to keep the smile from my lips as I nodded back.
“Candles.” Again, she looked to Janee first. A heartbeat later, the candle between Janee and me sparked to life. Raveena pivoted to me in expectation.
Lots. Of times. Mischief sent her encouraging reminder at the exact moment I had a flash of panic.
Right. Perhaps I hadn’t pulled off any world-shattering spells in the grimoire, but I’d got fire and candle lighting down quicker than I’d ever managed with a BIC lighter.
I focused on the candle between Raveena and me, and almost before envisioning it igniting, the flame burst to life, just as steadily as Janee’s.
This had to be so much better than Disney World!
Another moment, and the candle between Raveena and Janee ignited as well, the light warming Raveena’s brown skin to a glowing bronze.
“Now, sisters. Walter.” Raveena leaned forward, somehow majestically with not a solitary wobble from Griffin, releasing the deck with her right hand to gently touch under Walter’s chin. “Keep Connor in your minds, in your hearts. Picture the care in his blue eyes. Hear the laughter in his voice. Taste the delicate creations of his hands. Feel his devotion to those he loves, his friends, his familiar. Draw him near, keep him with us.”
Walter sat straighter, snuffling his flat little nose, and appeared to attempt looking regal himself.
Pulling her hand back, Raveena shuffled the cards once, twice, and then a third time.
“Connor Cormier, wherever you are, be with us, be with Walter as he draws your cards.” Raveena placed the stack to the far right of Walter, close to Janee and Tabitha, then swiped across toward me and Mischief—the embossed gold crows over the back of dark purple cards repeating as they spread out in front of him.
Walter snorted again, twisting his head this way and that as he studied the glittering cards.
Raveena pulled back, sat straight and tall once more, Griffin staring down from his lofty height on top of her head, looking like he might be considering devouring the chubby little pug.
“Walter?” Raveena waited until he blinked up at her. “Pick a card.”
For a moment, Walter only stared back, then, with a heavy sigh full of exhaustion, he lay back down, stretched out, and began licking the card directly in front of him, as he had the moth on the carpet.
Raveena hesitated, sharing a glance with Janee, then me.
Though she didn’t say it, she no doubt wondered the same thing I did. Had Walter really chosen a card or just happened to lick the closest thing to him?
Whatever the case, she plucked up the card and turned it over.
“Connor’s past.”
Janee and I leaned closer, trying to get a better view. Even Mischief jutted her head out slightly.
The card revealed the tall white stone tower thrusting up from a wheat-filled meadow. Scores of black crows circled it like a ribbon rising from the wheat to the very top pinnacle.
“The tower.” Raveena cringed. “Can represent sudden upheaval and change.”
Janee stroked Tabitha’s tail as she murmured, “Like whatever he experienced at the Vampire Café.”
“Possibly.” Despite her noncommittal answer, Raveena clearly agreed, since she refocused on Walter. “Pick again, sweet boy. For your daddy, for your witch.”
Walter rolled over, the hood of his green sweater scattering some of the cards.
Raveena reached for the one that slid closest to her, then yanked her hand back when Walter twisted back onto his belly, stood, and trotted over the cards to the very last one closest to Janee. A trail of drool fell on it as he looked over at Raveena.
Couldn’t get much clearer than that.
“Connor’s present.” Raveena had to stretch to reach, but she plucked the card from the floor. She turned it over for all to see.
This card had a solitary crow, its wings stretched upward forming a V. In the center of the card, as if resting on its feathery stand, a moon shone full, silver, and bright.
“The moon.” Raveena breathed out the obvious, but wonder entered her tone. “Full of illusion, secrets, things hidden in the dark.”
“Illusion?” Janee sounded hopeful. “Like maybe he’s not really gone or missing, we just think he is?”
“Maybe. Or…” Raveena shook her head, stopping herself and refocusing on Walter. “One last time. Pick one final card for your Connor.”
Walter merely blinked at her, yawned.
Griffin opened and shut his beak in that eerily hollow clack, sending chills through my veins.
Walter snorted, hacked, then sighed.
“Think of Connor, buddy.” Janee started to reach out to pet him but pulled her hand back when Raveena violently shook her head.
Tabitha chittered encouragingly, though I couldn’t tell if to her mama or Walter.
Remembering how Raveena challenged us as we’d started, I sank my fingers deep into Mischief’s fur, tried to picture the exact shade of Connor’s blue eyes, and couldn’t.
Instead, the sweet pungent flavor of butterscotch coated my tongue, followed by the earthy nuttiness of the pecans. As the crunch and flavor of Connor’s scones filled my mouth, Walter stood once more, gave a whole-body shake, the hood of his sweater flapping over half his face.
He chuffed in irritation, then sneezed. Once on the inside of his hood. Once more on his feet. Then a third and final sneeze over the cards. One flew from the deck, straight at Raveena.
Griffin lurched down and snatched the card in his beak before it hit Raveena between the eyes.
“Thank you, love.” Raveena reached up and took the card gingerly from Griffin, who went back to his stoic position, though his beetle-black eyes seemed to glare at Walter, who simply sat licking his nose clean.
“Connor’s future.” Raveena brought the card down, turned it over, and gasped.
Just like the other cards, I didn’t need to be told the name of this one. A crow perched almost identically to how Griffin now shimmered over the card. Only, instead of a beautiful witch under his talons, a gray and cracked skull stared at us through empty sockets.
“Death,” Janee whispered, horror nearly stealing her voice.
“Death?” I looked from Janee to Walter to Raveena. “Does that mean…?”
Raveena shook her head, not even enough to disturb Griffin. “Not necessarily. It often indicates good things. Transitions, endings, rebirth. But…”
Yeah… picturing the pool of blood in front of the freezer door, Walter’s little prints scattered about as he escaped, hard to believe any other meaning than the literal.
Walter sneezed again, and all the candles went out.
I gasped, wrapped my arms tighter around Mischief.
Outside the balcony, the clouds must’ve parted as a beam of moonlight flooded through the French doors and cascaded over Walter.
The snorting, sneezing little pug sat up straight, tilted his wrinkly block head back, and howled.
My heart broke, thinking it a mournful lament for his witch.
Knows. Mischief spoke excitedly in my mind. Almost panting. Walter knows. Where. Connor is.
While tarot readings don’t typically involve a
pug selecting cards (with his tongue, no less), the heart of the practice
remains the same—intuition, connection, and the belief that not everything is
as hidden as it seems.
And in a world where magic exists… sometimes
even the smallest, most unexpected guide might know exactly where to look.
If you’d like to step into the world—where
magic and mystery intertwine, familiars have minds of their own, and not every
secret stays buried—you can begin with Gossiping About Grimoires, the
first book in the Whispering Witch Series.
Thank you so much for letting me hang out with
you today!
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