The town of Buffalo, Wyoming lay at the foothills of the beautiful Bighorn Mountains. It was a smallish town, with many of the trappings of the old west still upon its buildings. Around the town lay pasture land and state land that boasted miles of groomed trails for snowmobiling and skiing in the winter, hiking and fishing in the summer.
Angel and Hunter got to Buffalo early. Here they would stock up on food and supplies they might need at the cabin, including gas for the generator that Brandon said should still be in working condition. He hadn't been to the cabin in a couple of years but he had a caretaker, an older man, who made sure everything was still working and that no vagrants broke in to the place.
Hunter pulled into one of the slanted parking spots that sat in front of what looked like tie ups for horses. The store front directly across from them was Hal's Feed Store, next to it sat a tobacco store. On the far side, Angel saw a deep blue velvet draped window, glittery stars and glistening crystals sat displayed upon the soft fabric with more crystals hanging from thin fishing line from the ceiling. A small sign sat in the center of the display, proclaiming this to be Madame Carina's Fortune Telling and Potions.
"There's something you wouldn't expect to see in the Wild West," she said, amused by how out of place the storefront looked.
"Want to get your fortune told? Maybe you're going to meet some dark stranger who'll steal you away to his mansion in the mountains."
"Or I could just stick with you and the cabin in the hills," she said, laughing at his antics.
"Great, that's the thanks I get for trying to be romantic and caring," he grumped, pouting until she came and stood on tiptoes to let her lips caress his. Then he swept her into his arms, giving her a kiss that caused two older ladies to sigh as they passed by them to get to their car.
When he let her go, she put her hand out and grabbed his arm, waiting until her world righted itself and ignoring the smirk he cast her way.
"Where we heading first?" she asked as he took her hand in his and led her towards the sidewalk.
"If I remember, there's a decent grocery story just down the way here, we should be able to get what we want."
They spent part of the morning filling up the back end of the SUV with more supplies. Then they stopped at a little diner to get a bit of lunch before making the trip into the mountains. If all went right, they would make the cabin before nightfall, with plenty of daylight left to be able to get unpacked and the generator going as well as start a fire for heat.
They were on their way back to the SUV when Hunter saw the first cop car. It drove through the town slowly, checking license plates on the back of the vehicles. Hunter grabbed Angel's hand, ducking into the first store they came to.
"Hunter? What are you..."
"Cops," he said, standing by the doorway and watching outside as the car slowly drove by.
"Oh, no. Do you think they know we're here?" Angel felt a spurt of dread eat at her belly.
"I don't kn..."
"Good afternoon, lovelies," a voice came from out of the darkness of the shop behind them. They both whirled, looking almost guilty as an older woman came out of the shadows towards them. "How may I help you? A love potion perhaps?" She looked at them closer, shaking her head as she walked forward.
"Ahh, we're just looking," Hunter said, feeling Angel grab his arm.
The woman was tall, slender as a reed with black eyes that seemed to see into the soul. Her hair was just as black with long silver streaks interspersed throughout. She carried herself with a lithe grace that was either inherent or came from years of dancing, for she moved with that same kind of ease, as if her body moved to music that only she could hear.
Her clothing was a mass of colors, with satiny scarves that flowed from a silver belt over the top of a long, midnight blue skirt of velvet. Her top was loose and flowing, turquoise blue silk that clung to the slender curves. She almost seemed frail, but for her eyes and the deep core of strength that radiated from there.
"No," she said, almost as if Hunter hadn't spoken. "Not a potion, for love is there already. A reading is what you need, for you, little one," she said to Angel. "For it is you that has a long path ahead to travel before all shall be well. Come," she said, beckoning with her long fingers. "We will go to the back of my shop and when we return, it shall be safe for you to leave."
Angel looked up at Hunter, unnerved by the woman's stare. She glanced back at the door and then at the woman and made up her mind. She might be a quack, but while the cops were outside, she'd rather deal with a quack than Sebastian. "Oh, come on, honey. It'll be fun," she said, pulling on Hunter's arm and leading him to the back of the shop.
He made to pull out his wallet, but the old lady waved away his money. "No, this is not for you that I do this so I will not take money to read the cards."
She sat at a small round table, wooden with beautiful inlays of Celtic knots and druid designs and reached behind her for a small package wrapped in a scarf of silk. It was brightly colored; the pattern when it was opened showed a young girl with red hair lying upon a pyre of sticks. A man stood beneath her, a lit torch in his hands. In the background, racing towards them both upon a charger of white was a dark haired man with a sword in his hands.
"Oh, that is so beautiful," Angel said, her fingers gently touching the silk.
"Thank you, my dear. Now pick up the cards. I need you to shuffle them slowly, breathe upon them, and infuse them with your essence as you do."
She watched as Angel lifted the large deck, doing as she was bid with the old cards. "Good, good. Now, set them in front of you and cut them into thirds. Put the top one on the bottom and then the center and finally the last one. Good, good."
She reached out, moving the scarf with a quick movement. "Now I will read for you a quick reading, for you have not much time before they will find your car. Take the top four cards and turn them over, slowly, one at a time."
Angel did as she was told, slowly turning the cards over to show the beautiful pictures that seemed almost hand drawn and painted on the fronts.
The first was a white castle tower, the parapets at the top outlined by a dark cloud. A huge jagged slash of lightning came from that cloud, striking the ground in front of the tower. It was beautifully drawn, brilliantly painted with hues that dazzled Angel's eyes and made the lightning almost seem real.
The second card she turned over was of a man and a woman, their hands reaching for each other, their bodies naked. Their eyes looked real, Angel could feel the tear that clouded the young girl's eye in the picture. She could see the yearning, the desire and need they had for the other in every brush stroke made by the artist.
The third card sent a chill rushing through her. At the bottom of the card was a simple word that explained what the picture itself said. A caped figure, huge and hulking, walked along the bank of a river filled with the bones of floating corpses. In his hand he held a skull and on his shoulder rode a black bird, his beak open on an endless call. The Death card lay in front of her and for a moment, Angel had to fight to remember that she didn't believe in any of this.
With shaking hands, she turned over the last card. A picture of a woman, her hands bound behind her, dressed in a simple white gown. Over her eyes, a white scarf had been tied, blinding her to the danger all around her for she was in a cage made of swords, all of them pointed at her.
Madame Carina tapped her fingers against her lips, studying each of the cards before looking up at Angel. "These tell a story of where you have been," she placed her hand upon the Tower card, "the people who are with you," she touched the Lovers, "what could await for you," her hand barely brushed the Death card, "and what you must overcome." Her hand hovered over the last card, the Nine of Swords.
"I think I can see it all without the explanation," Angel said, her voice sour.
"No, no, dear one, please. You must not let these images create problems in your mind for this is not all bad. Please, let me show you?" Carina wheedled, her voice imploring.
"Aunt, there are police at the door," a young voice said. Angel felt her heart jump into her throat as she stared at the small girl. She was beautiful, almost spiritual looking with long white blonde hair and eyes so blue as to not look real. She was a tiny thing and couldn't have been more than twelve.
"What do they wish, Sara?"
"They want to know if we've seen any strangers in the area, a man and a woman that they are looking for," she said, her eyes staring off into the distance. Angel realized she was blind.
"Tell them no, we haven't seen anyone today, please, Sara." Carina said, smiling at her small niece. "My niece lost her sight four years ago when her and her parents were in an airplane crash. It was a small plane that my brother was flying. He and his wife were both killed instantly. Sara survived and wandered for days, alone and blind before finally being found. She is a miracle."
"Yes she is," Angel said softly, hearing voices from behind the small curtain they sat behind.
"Do not worry, they will not come back here. You will make it to the cabin safely, my dear. May I explain to you the meanings behind the cards you have chosen?"
"How did you..." she stopped, watching as the older lady smiled serenely and folded her hands. "Yes, please, tell me what they mean."
