Chapter 58

When Saturday morning arrived, Natalie was my tour guide through Waterfront Park between Southwest Naito Parkway and Ankeny Street. It was a circus of a whole other sort at the market. Paintings, stained glass, jewelry, spoon art, and homemade jams were just a few of the things available. If you wanted it, they had it here. And Wesen were all over. What was it about Portland? Granted I hadn't been too many places to compare, but it was like a Mecca for the supernatural.

The drizzle turned to light rain, but that didn't prevent us from enjoying the overall atmosphere. I picked up a lavender umbrella at one of the local shops. One more thing I could check off my to-do list. This one was going to remain in the back seat of my car, for sure.

We stopped by Ankeny Square, where they were selling shell necklaces by the fountain.

"Uh, Renée, those aren't vendors," said Natalie as she grabbed my hand before I could purchase a necklace for Chloe.

"What do you mean?"

"They're homeless," she said in a hushed tone.

I turned back to the five or six teenagers sitting huddled together. Homeless? Nick's story about Geiers and harvesting organs from the homeless kids of Portland came back to me. He hadn't gone into details since it involved a case, but the knowledge of black market human organ distribution was an eye-opener.

I glanced back over at Natalie. "That's so sad. Well, now I definitely need to give them something."

"Okay, but it's kinda frowned upon."

I walked back over to the fountain as wide-eyed faces looked up at me.

"They're donation only," one girl with dark hair and large eyes said quickly.

I smiled down at her. Jewelry Girl was so young and my heart went out to her immediately.

I bent down to look at the jewelry. "Do you make these?" I asked.

She nodded quickly. "They're puka shells."

"Well, you're very talented," I grinned at her. I pulled out a twenty as I selected a white shelled necklace.

A smile drew across Jewelry Girl's face as she put the bill in her basket. "You know, there are some earrings that go with that."

"You're right. I think it needs a matching set." I reached in my pocket for another ten dollars and handed it to her as she held out a pair of earrings.

"Thanks, ma'am. Really, thanks!" she beamed.

"Stay safe out here, okay?"

"Yeah, I will." She bobbed her head as it dipped down.

"Renée, we really oughta go," Natalie's voice rang out behind me.

I gave the kids a small wave as I stood and made my way back toward Natalie.

"How much did you give them?" she asked.

"Thirty dollars. Maybe it'll be enough for a few meals."

"Gosh, I hope they don't go off and buy drugs with that," she added as we walked away.

"I don't think they're drug users," I replied. "I think they're just living a hard life."

We grabbed lunch and sat down at one of the outdoor tables under the canopy. It was nice to get out of the rain. Natalie piled her bags of purchases next to her plate of ethnic food. She'd found many things to buy today. I, on the other hand, had found homemade vanilla scented bath salts and a CD of tranquil music. A nice soak in the tub was just what the doctor ordered.

I picked at the variety of unidentified food on my plate. Natalie had insisted she select my meal. She wanted me to try something new. Well, it was new all right. I attempted to eat while listening to the live band called Father's Pocketwatch. I grinned at the name. Monroe would've liked it, although he probably wouldn't have found their music as interesting. Their twangy, old-style tunes with the banjo and a washtub bass reminded me of the stories my dad told me about music jamborees his parents took him to in Bowling Green as a kid.

"So, what do you think?" asked Natalie as I tried a bit of the yellow goop next to the red bean-like substance.

"It's definitely something I wouldn't have picked on my own." I feigned a smile. It was something I would never have picked at all, but I wanted to be nice.

"The Fulani Couscous is my favorite." She pointed at the yellow goop. "It's a very popular dish in Africa. They prepare it for special occasions like traditional ceremonies such as weddings."

"Ah. I learn something new every day."

After I'd survived lunch, we passed a psychic booth on the way back to my car.

"Ladies, come here," gestured a woman in gypsy garb that reminded me of something straight out of a tacky costume shop. She even had the cliché gold hoop earrings and a long, colorful scarf covering most of her dark curly hair.

I glanced over at Natalie, who had stopped to take a peek.

"You wanna?" she asked a bit bemused.

I shrugged. "Sure."

I'd always been into the occult and astrology in particular. I didn't expect much from this woman, but if nothing else it would be amusing to tell Chloe.

Natalie sat down first.

"Twenty-five dollars and I'll do your cards and read your palm," the Gypsy said.

Natalie nodded eagerly and paid the woman.

"Birthday?" she asked.

"November 25, 1981."

"Sagittarius," she replied. "You love travel, are very optimistic, and are very spirited." Okay, I could've done that for free. The woman laid a few tarot cards down on the table. She turned over the first one. "Page of Cups. New relationships." She turned the next card. "The Fool. I see you meeting a man who is surrounded by internal laughter. He is charismatic in blue."

"Oh, maybe it's…"

"Don't tell me," urged the Gypsy. "Let me see your palm."

Natalie held out her hand and the Gypsy took it while nodding. "You haven't met this man yet. I see Asia."

"Asia? I want to visit Asia," said Natalie excitedly.

The woman shrugged like that sounded good enough for her.

She went through the rest of the cards as Natalie asked about work, life, and romance. The Gypsy's answers were vague and a bit corny, but Natalie took it all in like this woman was the queen of the oracles.

The Gypsy handed Natalie her card as she stood. "Be blessed and take what I've said to heart, for only you can choose your destiny." She flashed a gold-toothed smile. The gold tooth was probably as phony as her predictions.

Natalie grinned at me. She mouthed the words, "She's so good!"

I held back a chuckle as I sat down.

"Twenty-five dollars," the woman said. She was good at knowing how to make a quick fifty bucks, for sure.

"What do I get for twenty?" I haggled.

"Not as much," the Gypsy huffed out.

"I'll risk it," I replied with a sly smile. I paid her the cash while she shuffled her deck of cards.

"Birthday?" she asked with less enthusiasm.

"July 30, 1983."

"Leo. Dramatic, adventurous, daring, kind-hearted."

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

She laid out four cards in front of me and turned over the first one.

"The Tower. What you believe to be truth is false. Like the tower, nothing built on a lie can remain standing for long. You'll know the truth soon."

"And what truth is that?" I'd learned enough truth already lately.

"I can't say, but when you find out you will know."

It seemed I wasn't going to get many details without that extra five bucks.

She turned over the next card. "The King of Swords." The card was upside-down. "Reversed. A man of intelligence will manipulate you for selfish needs." She glanced up "Don't fall for his looks and charming demeanor. He will only do you harm."

I thought of Monroe, but only briefly. He wasn't manipulating me. Had this crackpot talked to my grandmother?

"I don't know anyone like that," I said flatly.

"Let me see your hand."

I held out my open palm. She looked intently as her brow puckered. Her gray eyes shot up with a flicker of a violet hue.

"You're a protector," she exclaimed. "From a long generation of protectors."

I flinched at her words. "And what does that mean?"

"You know what I refer to." The violet flickered again. Okay, so this seemed like more than just a charade. What was she? I'd never seen violet eyes before. I kept a straight face as she continued. "This man will make himself known soon. Hide the symbol. He will recognize it. Don't let him know."

My other hand reached instinctively to my necklace. Is this what she meant? Could she know what this was? No, that was silly. I was buying into this as easily as Natalie had. Still, it was a bit ironic.

Her gaze went back to the cards as she turned over the next one. "Justice," she said gravely and pointed to the scale in the woman's hand. "Two worlds in need of balance. You must do what's necessary, no matter how hard, how disagreeable, in order to regain equilibrium."

She didn't pause as she flipped the last card quickly. "Two of Swords." The Gypsy traced the arms of the blindfolded woman holding the long blades in each hand. She stared up at me. "A choice must be made. Two of Swords indicates that you'll face a difficult decision. You can't hide from it. It won't go away on its own accord. Avoidance will ultimately lead to a greater conflict. The choice will be yours to decide, but it's one that must be made."

I nodded wordlessly at her. A choice? What choice? I looked into her eyes. She believed in what she was saying. Her countenance wasn't faked. Whatever she thought she saw she genuinely believed it.

"Do you have any questions?" she asked.

"No, uhh… Thank you," I stammered as I stood.

Her eyes flashed again as she held out her business card. "Be blessed and listen to what I've warned of."

I took the card. "Thanks, I will."

"Our destiny is up to you, Renée," she whispered as Natalie reached for my arm to leave.

My eyes widened. Holy hell, she knew my name. A shiver ran up my spine. Oh, this wasn't good at all.

Natalie looked wide-eyed at me as we walked off. "What was that all about?"

I shrugged indifferently. "I don't know. She was probably just trying to scare me since I only paid twenty dollars."

"Yeah. You're probably right. You gave homeless people thirty, but you couldn't give her twenty-five?" she giggled.

"She was a hack. I'll do your chart sometime if you want. I don't charge."

"Ooh, that would be awesome," she replied. "But I think she knew more than you think she did. She mentioned Asia. Gosh, I just knew I was going to get to go there someday," she beamed out the words. "I need to make plans!"

"Let's get going. It's getting kinda late," I said with a sigh.

(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)

"Violet eyes? I've never seen a Wesen with violet eyes," said Chloe as I leaned back against my couch. "Are you sure it wasn't the lighting?"

"No, it was definitely a shift of color," I replied into the phone. "She knew my name, Chloe."

"Maybe she overheard you and your friend talking," she reasoned.

"Could be, but I'm just not sure."

"You know how many psychic fairs we've gone to over the years, Renée? Too many. And there's always a nut job at every one. Don't let her crazy interpretations get you all freaked out. Your friend was probably right. You stiffed her out of five bucks and she wanted to scare you with gloom and doom," she laughed.

"Yeah, that's probably it."

"Of course it is. You need to take a break from all this over-thinking."

I nodded into the phone. "I bought some bath salts today."

"There you go. Relax in the tub and let that and Calgon take you away, or whatever the commercial says."

I laughed, "Thanks Chloe. I miss you."

"You, too, girl. May is almost here and I can't wait to see you."

After talking to Chloe, my mind was more at ease, but there was still a gut feeling that what the Gypsy said was more than just for show. I pulled up my laptop and for the next hour I researched the tarot cards. The gray clouds surrounding the Tower card reminded me of Portland. Sure, our clouds didn't rain down fire, but it still produced the same amount of dread. The research turned up the same results as what the Gypsy had told me. Truths would be revealed, shattering foundations that had been built.

Justice and the Two of Swords were much the same, too. My mind went back to Madame Dazzles' cryptic message of tipping the scales and balances. But choices? I'd made many choices already. What else might I have to decide?

As I researched the reversed King of Swords, I paused on a line about the card representing law enforcement. 'A tyrant who corrupts from within, bending his sword for his own means.' It reminded me of Madame Dazzles' cryptic warning about 'Law enforcement is filled with more thieves than guards.'

Breaking truths, balances, choices? Perhaps she was seeing what had already happened. Each of those things summed up the past couple of months already. I shook my head. Maybe I was trying too hard to link things together.

I set my laptop aside and called Monroe, detailing my adventure of a day.

"Come on. Psychics? Man, you know what I think of that mumbo jumbo, crystal ball stuff. I mean some of it is on the up and up, but someone at the Saturday Market is the kind you'd find on infomercials late at night. Not the real deal."

"She didn't have a crystal ball. She had tarot cards."

"Yeah, like that's more convincing," he chuckled.

"Her eyes morphed and it was nothing like I've ever seen."

"Morphed, how?"

"They flashed violet."

"Violet eyes? That's a new one on me, man. Did anything else change?"

"No. Just the eyes. But the things she told me… Well, it was hard not to listen."

I told him about the cards, and the warnings.

"Yeah, but I mean, that kind of interpretation could mean anything," Monroe reasoned. "Your brain is already filled up enough with Waschbars, grandmas, and Waldgeists. Of course you're gonna associate these predictions with everything else."

"But how did she know my name?"

"Man, I don't know. Maybe she just… Well, it could've been…"

"Maybe it came to her?"

"Nah. It had to be something else. Hun, regardless of whether she's a wise, old Zigeuner or Dionne Warwick's best friend, don't let it get to you, okay?"

"Yeah. You're probably right."

"Instead of worrying, why don't you come on over."

"I think I'm gonna stay in tonight."

A small whine came from him. "But I missed you last night."

"I know, but I wouldn't be good company."

"Okay, but promise me you won't harp on this, all right?"

"Yeah," I said as I glanced back over at the laptop. "I'll let it go."

"You won't let it go," he said firmly. "Don't promise that much."

I chuckled softly. "I'll at least let it go to the back burner, how's that?"

"As good as I'm gonna get from you, I suppose."

As I hung up the phone, I reached for the pendant around my neck. Maybe it wasn't safe to wear it. I shook my head. Walden hadn't said how it would protect me, but I couldn't talk myself into taking it off just yet. I closed my laptop and sifted through my bag for my bath salts. It was time to Zen out in the tub.

A/N: Ooh, so puka shells at the square, sounds familiar, huh? Crazy psychics with violet eyes... Hmmm... If you want to see the tarot cards from Renée's reading, go to my profile for the link. (: