Judgement

Emmaline twirled the card in her fingers for long moments, just letting hints of gold foil and bright colors catch in the sourceless light before finally sliding it down onto the table. As the back of the card pressed against the dark wood, Liv could have sworn she saw a faint glowing white aura dissipate around it’s edge.

“Judgement.” Allyndra read out the flowing elven letters written across the top of the card.

The card itself looked less opulent now that it was laying still on the table. That being said, it still didn’t exactly look plain. The upper half of the card was taken up by a carefully painted depiction of the Goddess Grace. Her shoulder length, curly blonde hair framed a pretty, youthful face. Often considered the youngest of the Gods, Grace looked to be only barely an adult. Yet it was difficult to focus on her pretty freckled features when her expression was so very strange. One half of her face was a picture of utter serenity and divinity. The model of feminine Godhood. While the other half was twisted into a gleeful, mischievous smirk as though she knew something Liv didn’t, and was just itching to rub it in. Two golden, dovelike wings arched out from her bare back, and her nude chest and modest, perfectly shaped breasts rested at the center of the card.

Beneath her, a crowd of naked onlookers--both women and men--stared up at her in adoration, throwing their arms skyward as they rejoiced in the presence of Grace.

“That’s a lot of naked people,” Emmaline commented. For once, Liv couldn’t help but agree.

“This card is your past,” Allyndra said as though she hadn’t heard her. “It informs us of where you have been, and we can use this knowledge to see where you will go.”

“There were a lot of naked people in my past,” Emmaline commented.

Again, Allyndra tried her best to ignore her words, though Liv could see the way her lip twitched in frustration. She let a small smile come to her lips. Emmaline’s nonsense didn’t seem quite so bad when the person on the other end was probably trying to scam them.

“Judgement,” Allyndra continued, “Is a card which marks a sudden contrast in states of self. A shift from one mode of being to another. And,” she paused, placing a finger at the top of the card to point to the Goddess Grace, “it is often change relative to an important figure in one’s life.”

Emmaline nodded, though her eyes were focused on the card. When she didn’t offer a response, Allyndra pushed on.

“Commonly, this will be a family member. A father perhaps… a sibling...,” now it was Allyndra’s time to smirk, as Emmaline seemed to grow less and less comfortable in her chair with every word, until she was practically squirming. “Or a mother.”

“Sure,” Emmaline said, barely above a whisper. She was still staring at the card, though it seemed less and less like she was actually seeing the card. Her eyes were unfocused, like she was staring off at the horizon.

“Your mother then,” Allyndra said. She closed her eyes and a lunar white glow shone out from beneath her closed eyelids for a long silent moment. It was like seeing the cracks of sunlight slipping beneath a window, only silver instead of gold.

When her eyes opened once again, Allyndra seemed taller, calmer, and more confident. She stared down at Emmaline more like a queen on her throne than some carnival scammer.

“You fled a wealthy home and loving family. You couldn’t handle the simple burden of your station, so you ran. You abandoned them and fled into the night, selfishly chasing your own freedom and pleasure” Liv could only watch as Emmaline nodded numbly, her eyes transfixed on the card and her pillowy lips quivering just slightly.

Though, as Liv looked closer, she could see a faint sheen of lunar white energy over {CB}’s eyes. It was like the lens of seeing glasses, only made of some sort of arcane energy.

Illusion magic? Something darker? Her hand flew to her back for her rifle but only found the tie of her bikini to settle on. Instinct brought her other hand to her hip a moment later, but, again, she only found her swimsuit.

“Please,” a soft voice whispered in her ear. Liv felt a small, dainty hand settle onto her shoulder. “Please don’t interrupt the Mistress. She might have to cast her divination all over again if you do.”

It was Cassio. How had he gotten behind her so suddenly and without her noticing? Or had he been there all along, just in case she tried something? He didn’t seem dangerous, but still… all this weird magic had Liv on edge. She just didn’t know enough about spells to guess at what was really happening here!

“A circus acrobat, then a firedancer, then… a prostitute? Of your own volition,” Allyndra continued, as if narrating the shapes of rocks they were passing by on the road. Each time she spoke, Emmaline offered a small nod or a quiet ‘yes.’

“I see,” Allyndra waved her hands, and Emmaline dropped forward about an inch, as though someone had cut a string that was holding her up. The brunette gasped, but caught herself near instantly. Blinking, she reached up to touch her face, then down her neck and chest. She groped herself, much to Liv’s frustration, and managed to **** a small, confident smile back onto her face.

Though it was obviously ****, even to Liv.

“You’re… the real deal then,” Emmaline said, pausing as though to catch her breath. She turned her gaze at Allyndra and the woman stared down at her like a queen addressing her subject. For a moment, they stayed like that staring each other down, until something in Emmaline seemed to change. Her shoulders rolled back, her back straightened, and Liv was suddenly reminded that the two women were both seated at the same height. Allyndra couldn’t actually look down on her.

“I am not a liar. Please do not imply otherwise,” Allyndra said.

“Of course,” Emmaline nodded formally. Then she turned back to the deck, as though Allyndra wasn’t quite interesting enough to hold her attention. “The next card?”

Allyndra nodded, and before she had begun to raise her head, Emmaline had flipped the second card.