Prologue

“Tell me, will I meet my match soon?”

Funny that most questions clients asked pertained to romance. Rebecca suppressed the wry smile coming to her lips.

Katie’s perfume was too sweet, rather suffocating in the warm air of Rebecca’s booth where she gave readings. The client leaned across the table, her perfectly painted nails tapping impatiently.

“Just tell me,” Katie said. “When will I meet him? The one. My soulmate.”

Under her long, black Elvira wig—which was really starting to itch—Rebecca studied Katie’s watery, light brown eyes pleading for her desired answer.

Rebecca didn’t even need to see Katie’s guides shaking their heads no, in answer to Katie’s question. Rebecca had already used the woman’s astrology chart to do a deep dive. This, along with her scrying water bowl made of obsidian, helped her to travel “into the zone,” where she could effectively read the Akashic records. Akashic records are like a cosmic archive of all events that have ever occurred. Stored in a non-physical realm, they contain information about every soul’s journey in the past, present and future.

How could she answer Katie with kindness? Ready for her shift to be over, Rebecca stood up from the round table, and paced to the wall, to relieve the restless energy building up in her. She took the opportunity to scratch that itch under her wig, while also straightening her oil painting of the sailboat on a stormy sea, with a hopeful yellow and orange sunrise at the corner. The painting hung over a burgundy velvet curtain, which was starting to fray a bit.

She knew her old friend, Mitch, the owner, was frugal. He had befriended her when they were still in school, when her family returned to Austin. He did not come from a wealthy family. He started the Magic Marvels Market with nothing but a handful of psychic readers, including Rebecca. Placing the psychics among gothic-style furniture, and artfully placed dark fabrics evoked a mysterious atmosphere. He added a metaphysical store called Starlight and Sage. Products included goddess figurines, incense, jewelry, candles, oracle cards, and books.

Who knew the market would become such a hit? It opened just after the pandemic ended when people were ready to get out of the house. Although it attracted a lot of tourists, it was the locals that made it a success. After all, the market fit in so well with Austin’s “Keepin’ it Weird” motto.

“Please Mystical Miranda?” Katie turned around in her chair to follow Rebecca with earnest eyes. “I have so much love to give. I need a man in my life. I am ready. Is it time now? Soon, maybe?”

Rebecca avoided using her real name while working, in order to retain her privacy. Looking down at the copious black lace, as she smoothed her skirt down over the black stockings, she acknowledged she would never, ever wear such “witchy” clothes like these in public. But dressing distinctly different kept her anonymous, with the help of the wig and a black hat with a wide brim. From her experience with costume parties, she knew people used hair as a reference, more than they know. Change the hair, and friends are hard to recognize.

This had worked out well for Rebecca, so far. She was free to walk in public without any fanfare, although Mystical Miranda’s photo had been featured in the local newspapers.

Rebecca hadn’t expected to become so popular in such a short period of time. But Mitch was a marketing maven. From the beginning, he maximized all the social media of the time, and then moved to the hot new apps that the young professionals in Austin used.

Plus, Rebecca seemed to have a knack for her new occupation. Due to her intuitive hits with people, she quickly built a reputation that spread like wildfire through Austin. Mystical Miranda became a superstar. Now, she was sought after by Body, Mind, Soul Expos all over Texas, and by those wanting her services at birthday and bachelorette parties. She did her best to schedule those requests around her full-time gig for Mitch.

Rebecca turned back from the painting, and studied her blond client and her guides, before answering. Then, she returned to the small table with her client.

“Katie, your guides are saying that education is front and center for you. What are you currently studying?” She herself hoped to attend college soon, but only when she was clear on which subject to pursue. Like her older sister, Susan, she enjoyed archeology, but psychology also drew her, and so she was attending a few virtual classes this semester.

“Yes,” Katie perked up. “I am currently in school.”

“What are you studying?”

“I plan to become a licensed esthetician.” Rebecca saw a vision of money descend upon her client. Rebecca grabbed Katie’s hand in a meaningful manner.

“You’re standing at a crossroads in your life,” she said quietly.

The woman blinked, confused. “A crossroads?”

Rebecca nodded. “One path is love—the romance you’re hoping for. The other is your career. If you chase love first, you’ll keep finding the wrong men, the ones who drain you instead of building you up. And you’ll lose time you can’t get back.”

The woman stared at her, stunned.

“You must pursue your career goal as fiercely as you would pursue a lover,” Rebecca declared firmly, as her voice rose louder and louder. “Your educational success is what matters most. The success of your career will determine the success of your future romantic relationships.”

“Oh my!”

So true. Rebecca reflected on her friends who were on fire in their profession and how they drew partners to them. Following one’s passion seemed to light people up in a way that attracted others who wanted to share in their warm glow.

“Correct persistence on this course will ensure that your destiny will unfold in the best possible manner that will draw romance. Keep on the straight and narrow, and success will follow you, all the days of your life!”

Pretty good, she thought proudly, as Katie squeezed her hand, and wiped away a tear.

Or maybe I should pursue creative writing when I go back to college? Rebecca filed the thought away for later.

After a long beat, the woman nodded. “I knew it,” she whispered. “I’ve been ignoring my gut for months.”

“You still get to choose,” Rebecca said. “But now you know which road leads to which outcome.” Katie paused, then nodded.

“This is good information. I appreciate you. You know what?” Katie removed the necklace she was wearing. She placed it in Rebecca’s hands.

“I want you to have this.”

The silver necklace held a pendant of a silver Celtic cross with a braided circle surrounding it. Each end came to an hourglass shape. In the center was a red stone, looking out like an all-seeing eye.

“It’s beautiful! Are you sure?”

“Yes, think of it as your tip. Thanks again!”

“Thank you, Katie. Best of luck to you,” Rebecca said.

Rebecca watched her last client of the day walking away. Exhaling softly, she quickly set her status to Out, and drew the black curtain around her booth.

She sat for a moment, enjoying the quiet. The booth smelled of Katie’s perfume and a hint of sage she had burned earlier. Rebecca studied the necklace for a moment before placing it securely in a pocket in her purse. What did the cross symbolize? She would have to research it.

On the table, the water in her scrying bowl was still, reflecting her face back at her. She saw strength there instead of hesitation.

Somewhere, maybe in the bathroom beyond her reading room, a drop of water fell. The sound echoed like quiet applause.

She shook herself out of her trance. Time to change back into Rebecca.

Returning to her makeshift dressing room, a very small closet, she hung her black cloak on the hook in front of her. She had sewn so many enchanted talismans into it that they jingled. The magically imbued charms helped her to quickly find the frequency needed to do deep dives into the lives of her clients. Luckily, it also worked in reverse when she removed the cloak. She could no longer recall what she had seen or said to her customers. It just wasn’t right to remember those personal details. Her hands moved to close off the invisible portals she had opened to forecast for her clients. She fancied she even heard the portals sliding shut.

She removed her wig and black hat and placed them on mannequin heads. Her folded black lacy evening gloves fit into the box, where they lived. Her high-heeled black boots came off next with a relieved sigh.

Off came the black eyeglasses with purple highlights, fake eyelashes, and dark iridescent lipstick.

Attired in her “street clothes” now, she bent over and shook out her curly red hair hidden below the black wig.

“Ah, there you are!” Smiling at her cat-like, green eyes in the mirror, she winked, grateful to look like herself again. She finished with lipstick—a shade of pink that went well with her hair.

And then she reached back into her purse for the pendant, enchanted by the center red stone. Currently, she had no favorite necklaces and so she put this one on. Looking at herself in the mirror, she saw that it suited her complexion perfectly, and smiled. Then, some intuition told her to hide it away, under her clothes.

When she exited through the staff door, she walked right past Katie, without any recognition stirring in the blond client.

It worked every time. Yes!

“Excuse me, do you know anything about these oracle cards?” Oops, although Katie hadn’t recognized Rebecca, she apparently wanted to chat with someone. Apparently the store remained open until midnight now.

Mercifully, Rebecca’s phone rang. She shook her head at Katie, and turned away, grateful for the sandy-haired salesperson who walked past Rebecca to handle Katie’s questions.

Before answering, she noticed her phone clock said 11:11. It was another Magic Minute!

But the spark she normally felt when encountering Magic Minutes quickly died. What was up with that?

“Hello?” Expecting to hear her older sister’s voice, Rebecca headed out toward her car. The dark night settled upon her shoulders like a shawl.

“Hello, ma’am. I’m sorry to disturb you,” said a strange male voice with a Spanish accent. “I’m Sergeant Garcia. May I speak with Rebecca Rivera?”

“Yes, that’s me,” Rebecca said. Who was he and what did he want?

“Hello, Ms. Rivera. I have some bad news. I regret to inform you that your sister Susan has passed away.”

“What? No…you…um…I mean…no, you must be mistaken,” she replied calmly. It couldn’t be true. Susan was her only family. It was a scam, and now they would ask for money.

But only silence met her.

“Are you frickin’ kidding me?” she cried. “What happened?”

Rebecca stopped walking and dropped her purse, oblivious to the staring eyes of those loitering in the dark parking lot.

She recalled Susan had gone to Mexico to track down her missing boss, Professor Brown. She racked her brain. Was it something about buried treasure in Mexico?

The caller cleared his throat. “Well, all the details aren’t in yet. However, we suspect that an excavation site below a pyramid collapsed while your sister was inside.”

“What? Are you sure it’s not a mistake?”

“No ma’am.” Rebecca’s hand went to her mouth as she gasped. The silence extended as the sergeant gave her a moment to absorb the sudden news. She blinked her eyes a few times. Aware her mouth was hanging open in shock, she closed it and swallowed, attempting to control her mind, which wanted to float free, and lose its tether to reality.

“How could this have happened? Don’t they secure those sites better?” That’s all she could think of saying. Susan had helped to excavate other caves over the years, and Rebecca had never heard about one collapsing.

Had Susan gone into the same site where she thought her professor had disappeared? Were both of their bodies lying buried in that cave?

“I am so sorry for your loss,” was his only reply. She remained on the phone to exchange necessary details, although she felt she was floating on a cloud, looking down upon her body, going through the motions.

Rebecca hung up the phone, feeling sick. She felt like she had been punched in the stomach. Her diaphragm and chest felt so tight. Could she have forgotten how to breathe? Crouching to pick up her purse, she paused squatting at ground level, and rocked herself gently.

She found herself back indoors in front of Mitch, who was still working on his computer in his office. She dropped into his leather guest chair. One glance at her, and her friend’s attention was fully on her.

“Oh no! What happened, Rebecca?” he asked. A bit overweight, he lumbered to his feet, and took a minute to catch his breath. His right fingers swept through the thin, light brown hair on his head a few times.

“I just got a call. Apparently, my sister has died.” Rebecca told him, surprised at the lack of feeling in her voice. Was she in shock?

“I’m so, so sorry, Rebecca,” he shook his head in sympathy. “That is horrible!”

He came around the desk to lean down and hug her. Enveloped in his strong arms and familiar scent of Polo cologne, she suddenly burst into tears. A thunderstorm of grief engulfed her as her sobs ebbed and flowed out of her body in a tormented vocal dance. It was too much!

“How could this have happened? It can’t be true,” she wailed. Her tears continued to flow, as she allowed Mitch to comfort her.

“Take all the time off that you need,” Mitch said in a soothing voice, as he pulled back to look at her. “We will cover for you. Why don’t you go home and take a long, hot bath.”

“Time?” Why did she need time? How would that help? It took too much energy to say the words.

For now, she pushed her hair from her eyes, and the stringy cobwebs from her mind, using the clean handkerchief from Mitch to wipe her tears away. She had to pull herself together and drive home. Focusing on that task gave her the momentum to stand up.

“Thank you, Mitch.” What more was there to say? She hugged him again and then left.

Her sister Susan was her entire world. She had no other family. How could she go on living without her?

She shook her head. It was impossible.

Take all the time that you need.

Why did that stick in her head? How could Time help her?

Return to Press Kit