Total pages in book: 108
Estimated words: 102280 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 511(@200wpm)___ 409(@250wpm)___ 341(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 102280 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 511(@200wpm)___ 409(@250wpm)___ 341(@300wpm)
Whatever came next—and Vivienne’s gifts told her there would be more mysteries, more cases, more spirits seeking justice—they would face it together.
epilogue
Three months after Winston Aldrich’s arrest, the bell above The Mystic Cup’s door chimed, and Melissa Clarkson walked in.
Vivienne looked up from the tarot spread she was studying and smiled. “Melissa. It’s good to see you.”
“I hope I’m not interrupting.” Melissa glanced around the shop—at the shelves of crystals and herbs, the reading table by the window, the familiar comfort of the space. “I know I should have called first, but I was in town and thought . . . well, I thought maybe you’d have time for a reading?”
“For you? Always.” Vivienne gestured to the chair across from her. “Please, sit.”
Dawn emerged from the back room with two cups of tea, as if she’d known Melissa was coming. She probably had. Dawn’s intuition was uncanny, even without Vivienne’s gifts. She set the cups down with a warm smile and retreated, giving them privacy.
Melissa settled into the chair, wrapping her hands around the tea. She’d lost weight since the kidnapping, her frame almost fragile in jeans and a sweater. But her eyes were clear. Healing, even if the scars ran deep.
“How are you doing?” Vivienne asked. “Really?”
“Some days are better than others.” Melissa took a sip of tea. “The divorce was finalized last week. Daniel’s serving fifteen to twenty years, thanks to his guilty plea and cooperation with federal prosecutors.” She paused. “The therapist says it’s normal to have trust issues after your husband sells you out to people who kidnap and torture you. Who knew?”
The bitter humor was new. A defense mechanism, probably, but Vivienne was glad to see some spark returning.
“So you wanted a reading?” Vivienne gathered the cards she’d been studying and set them aside, pulling out a fresh deck. “What question are you bringing to the cards today?”
Melissa considered. “I guess . . . what comes next? I feel like I’m at a crossroads. The divorce is final, Daniel’s in prison, and I have this book to finish. But I don’t know if I’m ready to move forward or if I’m still stuck in what happened.”
“That’s a good question.” Vivienne shuffled the deck, feeling the familiar weight and energy of the cards. “Let’s do a three-card spread. Past, present, future. Simple but often exactly what we need.”
She fanned the cards across the table. “Whenever you’re ready, choose three.”
Melissa studied the backs of the cards, then carefully selected three, placing them face-down in a row.
Vivienne turned over the first card. The Tower. She wasn’t surprised.
“Your past,” she said softly. “The Tower represents sudden, catastrophic change. Destruction of what you thought was stable. Your marriage, your sense of safety, everything that happened in those tunnels—it all came crashing down.”
Melissa’s eyes filled with tears, but she nodded. “That’s accurate.”
The second card revealed the Eight of Swords. A blindfolded woman surrounded by swords, trapped but not bound.
“Your present. The Eight of Swords.” Vivienne met Melissa’s gaze. “You feel trapped by what happened. By fear, by doubt, by the trauma. But look closely—the woman in this card isn’t tied up. The swords don’t actually cage her. She could walk away if she removed the blindfold. Your prison right now is partly of your own making. The healing journey requires you to see that you have more freedom than you think.”
“I’m . . . still afraid,” Melissa admitted. “Of trusting people. Of being vulnerable again.”
“That’s understandable. But the card is telling you that you’re not as stuck as you feel.” Vivienne turned over the final card.
The Star.
The most hopeful card in the deck. A woman pouring water under a night sky full of stars, symbolizing hope, healing, and renewed purpose.
“Your future,” Vivienne said, warmth spreading through her chest. “The Star comes after The Tower in the Major Arcana. After destruction comes hope. After trauma comes healing. This card promises that you’ll find your way forward. You’ll heal. You’ll trust again. And you’ll shine—your book, your voice, your truth will be a light for others.”
Melissa wiped her eyes. “I want to believe that.”
“The cards say you can. But you have to choose it. Remove the blindfold. Step out of the swords. Reach for the star.” Vivienne touched the card gently. “What will you do now?”
“Finish the book. About the lighthouse, the Aldriches, all of it.” Melissa’s expression turned fierce, echoing the determination in The Star card. “Daniel thought he could stop me by reporting my research to them. Instead, he just gave me a better story. One about corruption, betrayal, and a seventeen-year-old girl who died trying to expose the truth.”
“Lily would appreciate that.”
“I hope so.” Melissa pulled out a folder. “I’ve been interviewing Martha Morgan. She’s sharing everything—Lily’s journals, her research notes, family photographs. It’s heartbreaking and beautiful and exactly what this story needs.”