ATwistedMagick by Shara Lanel Read Free Book Online Page A

lead to a different outcome and each outcome looks positive.”
    She nodded, though Shylah doubted she was changing her mind about anything. She’d been meeting with Amber for several months and realized Amber’s biggest problem was her inability to embrace change.
    “And the man of my dreams?”
    Shylah bent her head to the cards again. “Okay, this card recommends that you consider minor changes that will create the energy to draw a man to you.”
    “But shouldn’t my perfect man love me as I am?”
    Shylah hated to burst her true love bubble. How could Amber be so naïve at her age? “Sometimes you need to do a bit of changing to be able to invite that love energy to you.” She thought about how that related to her life. Was her stubbornness at staying in Smith Creek keeping her from moving on in life, drawing negative energy around her instead of freeing her to find love and, maybe, create a family?
    She hadn’t decided to read tarot cards, runes and iChing for money until she’d lost her teaching job. She’d hoped everything would be resolved quickly, but when she realized she was running through her savings, she consulted books and online classes until she felt instinctual about reading. Then she’d put ads in the Richmond and Charlottesville papers, trying to keep it away from Smith Creek. More savings down but lots of responses so she kept at it, eventually leasing a corner of a New Age shop called Good Karma on the Downtown Mall in Charlottesville. It was annoying to have to drive so far, but the mall and the store added walk-in traffic and word-of-mouth to her business. It helped that the store’s owner, Becky, didn’t judge her for who she was.
    She used her crystal ball occasionally. She preferred using a bowl of water and sometimes a scrying mirror instead of the crystal, but the average Joe loved the ball. It evoked memories of The Wizard of Oz , she supposed. They also loved positive fortunes, so, although she used her magical insight, she edited her findings to what they wanted to hear. However, for her regulars, there was a fine line. She was almost a shrink to them, so she couldn’t keep her readings all happiness and light, but she couldn’t douse them in truth either, not if she wanted them to come back.
    The commercialism left a bad taste in her mouth and brought her back around to wondering if her pride was getting in the way of choosing a new life and moving on. The money from readings wouldn’t sustain her for too long. She’d eventually have to look for a full-time job, but nothing else would fulfill her like teaching.
    She was relieved when Amber’s time was up. It was too much like banging her head against a wall. She wondered how counselors and psychologists dealt with this every day, because she had no doubt they dealt with that same fine line.
    Her stall was not large enough to offer her a space to disappear in. The three walls of the stall were covered with hanging herbs and spelled candles, which she made at home, things she could sell without infringing on Becky’s business. The front of the stall had a curtain, like those around beds in hospitals, which she pulled partially closed during a reading. The walls were painted black but they felt light with all the colors hanging on racks and hooks. The curtain had a huge multicolor fractal design on it. She’d considered embroidering a mystical name on it, like Madam Libra’s Fortunes, but then she’d scare away the serious believers, and they were the most enjoyable to work with.
    She returned her cards to their silk bag and pulled the curtain back so customers could see that she was available, then she considered her doodles. She was playing with the idea for a sign that would announce her offer of lessons. Should she include an offer to put together positive spells? An odd fall-out from her new identity of witch-murderer was she actually got people knocking on her door at home, asking her to perform black magick or voodoo