Page 68 of In Somnis

Death.

CHAPTER TWELVE

Lennon

A shudder runs through me as I stare at the image of a skeleton riding a horse.

“Okay, but listen,” Jasper adds quickly. “It doesn’t usually mean, like… actual death. It’s metaphorical. Transformation. Endings that make space for new beginnings.” He lets out a weak laugh. “So, you know. Death, but not death-death.”

He looks back down at the card, his brow furrowing deeper. “I’ve only ever pulled it in past or present readings, where it makes sense. But here…” He shakes his head. “I don’t know what I could tell you, direction-wise. I don’t know what it’s pointing at.”

The disappointment hits harder than it should. Why did I think this would help? It was fun, sure, but also kind of dumb. I came here for answers, and all I got was more indecision and chaos.

I glance at the small house next to us, needing a visual anchor, and catch movement in one of the big windows. A woman stands in what appears to be the kitchen, long, wavy gray hair falling over her shoulders, dressed in flowy scarves, crystals glinting everywhere.

Jasper follows my gaze and jumps to his feet. “Oh! My mom’s awake. Let’s ask her. She knows everything about tarot, like, scary amounts. Fair warning, though, she has Alzheimer’s. So she might be… weird.”

Ah, shit. He says it with the ease of someone who’s had to explain this too many times.

This poor kid.

He’s too young to make that sound normal.

Great. Now I feel guilty and empathetic on top of wildly confused.

“Jasper, it’s fine.” I shake my head quickly. “We don’t have to⁠—”

Too late. He grabs my wrist and tugs me toward the house, exactly like I dragged him across the street yesterday. I sigh, letting him pull me all the way inside the house, which smells like incense, old wood, and something floral I can’t place.

“Mom,” Jasper says brightly, “This is my new friend⁠—”

He falters, then throws me a bemused look.

Haven’t I told him my name yet?

But at least he knows your whole backstory, Lenny.

I clear my throat. “Lennon.”

His face lights up. “Mom, this is Lennon. Lennon, this is my mom, Seraphine.”

“Nice to meet you,” I say, offering a small smile. “You’ve got an amazing son.”

Seraphine smiles back, but her gaze drifts past my face, unfocused, and something tight cinches around my heart. Jasper is still holding my wrist, grounding himself as much as me, and I hate that he has to brace against this kind of absence.

“Mom.” He clears his throat as he lets go of me and holds the card up to her. “I pulled this for Lennon’s future, but I don’t know what it means. Do you think you could help? She could really use some direction.”

Seraphine’s eyes drop to the image, and for a beat, her face goes oddly blank before she takes the card from him. A beat later, her head snaps up, and her blue eyes bore into me, much clearer and more intense than before. She steps right into my space, so abruptly that I startle, then lifts the offending card right in front of my face.

“Lennon…” she says with a smile. “Your time is up.”

A chill runs down my spine. “I… what?”

“Mom,” Jasper says, a warning in his tone as he steps toward us, but I can’t tear my eyes from Seraphine.

“Time’s up,” she repeats, and her smile turns into something almost pleased. “But don’t…” Her expression suddenly slackens, the intensity draining away as her gaze drifts past me again. “Don’t step into the light.”

“Okay, okay,” Jasper says as he gently puts an arm around his mom, steering her toward the couch.