I reach out to touch the cards, and the backs of my hands glow with bright silver symbols—a sword, a wand, a cup, and a pentacle. They burn brightly for a moment, and then fade away, their power sinking deep into my skin.
When I look up at Trello, her eyes are wide, glittering with something that looks an awful lot like reverence.
“All four,” she whispers. Then, composing herself, “Tell us what you saw, Miss Milan.”
I tell them about the vision, about each of the women who approached me and the gifts they shared.
“What does it mean?” I ask. “I’m not very strong on the court cards.”
“In some traditions,” Devane says, the Princesses are known as Pages. They are closely aligned with young people, particularly students. They're quite powerful in their own right, representing the intense transition between adolescence and adulthood, between the apprentice and master of magick.” He smiles at me, broad and genuine. “To have their blessing is quite a gift indeed.”
Professor Phaines puts a gentle hand on mine. “You’re not the first student to be blessed by a Princess, or to be blessed with multiple cards form different elements. But it’s been many, many years since we’ve seen a student with four elemental affinities, and none that have ever been blessed by all of the Princesses in the Tarot court.”
“I still don’t understand what it means,” I say.
“It means that you are blessed with all four elemental affinities, Starla,” Trello says. “It also means that the Princesses are watching over you, and that your studies—your dedication to magick, your understanding of each of the elements and suits, your work on the prophecies—are going to be very intense, and of a far greater importance than you can possibly imagine.”
She and Professor Phaines exchange a look I can’t quite read, and Dr. Devane just keeps staring at me, as if he’s trying to figure something out.
The tension in the air is so thick I’m practically choking on it, and a nervous laugh bubbles up inside me. “You don’t have to give me the hard sell, guys. I’m here, right? I’m not backing out.”
None of them joins in on the laughing.
“This is not just about your own education, Starla,” Professor Phaines says. “It’s for all of us. Your work here, your arrival… it was destined, and that cannot be taken lightly.”
A shiver rolls over my skin at the rightness of his words.
“Is there anything else?” he asks. “Any other details about the vision you’d like to share?”
I nod, but as soon as I open my mouth to tell them about the owl, something stops me. I hear the rush of air and the flap of great wings, but somehow I know it’s only in my mind. It feels like a warning.
I look up and catch Devane’s eye, and see the same warning in his gaze.
Don’t tell them,his voice echoes in my mind.
I swallow hard. I’m not sure whether I should be more concerned that I can sense his intentions without him speaking the words… or that he's asking me to keep this part of my vision a secret.
I thought I was supposed to trust everyone in this room.
“What is it?” Trello prods, snapping me back to the moment.
“Just… the seasons,” I say quickly. “While I was standing at the lake, the scenery around me moved through all the seasons.”
“That’s a lovely thing to see, Starla,” Trello says. “Each of the Princesses is connected to her own season. They were simply introducing themselves.”
The three exchange more veiled glances. Then Professor Phaines puts a gentle hand on my shoulder and says, “I think we’ve kept the poor girl long enough. Starla, my research assistant will meet you out front. He’ll give you a tour of the campus and show you to your suite.”
“That’s it?” I ask. “No homework or anything?”
“There will be plenty of time for that,” he says with a laugh. “And once your computer system is set up later, you’ll need to sign in to the student portal and review your registration documents, school policies, holiday calendar, things like that. You’ll also find your class schedule—four classes this semester, plus your independent study. But for now, you’ve got a couple of days to find your footing—I suggest you make the most of them, before the semester gets hectic.”
“Thank you,” I say. “I will.”
“I’ll walk you out,” Dr. Devane says, and I rise to follow him to the door, wishing the others a good day.
“What does it mean?” I whisper when we’re out in the hallway. “Did I pass the test? What’s my house?”
“It means you possess all four elemental affinities in equally powerful measure. You are what we call spirit blessed, Stevie. Very powerful, very rare, and—if some of the old stories are to be believed—very dangerous.”
