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A thick fog was quickly rolling in as Bluebird and Batwoman walked through an abandoned Amusement Mile. Their footsteps echoed around them and into the night as bats overhead chirped loudly. The waxing gibbous moon hung in the night sky, its light barely reaching the surface. Shadows covered the ground, creating an eerie feeling all around.
Turning quickly as the sound of a pin dropping caught her attention, Harper had her tase rifle ready as she searched around them. It was Halloween, and Amusement Mile was too quiet. Not even a teenager or party in sight. Something wasn’t right.
Harper could feel the heat of Kate’s back against her own as they observed their surroundings. A creaking of metal came from their right as the Ferris wheel moved slightly in the wind. Somewhere in the distance a fallen sign hit the ground.
“Nothing around us,” Kate said, gently resting a hand on Harper’s shoulder.
Lowering her tase rifle, they continued to look around. Babs had gotten wind that Kite Man was up to something, but from what they could see, he was nowhere in sight. There wasn’t even a footprint in the layer of dirt and dust that covered the ground.
“Do we think this lead is a dud?” Harper asked quietly, her eyes still trained on every shadow that moved.
“It’s starting to look like it. Once we’ve finished patrol, we’ll head back to mine and I’ll make you the best pasta you’ve ever had,” Kate said, reaching for and taking hold of Harper’s hand. Their gloves made it a bit tricky but she had quickly figured it out.
“Babe, you always make the best pasta,” Harper smiled, leaning into her partner for a moment.
“And you make the best cheesy garlic bread to go with it.”
Stopping abruptly, Harper ducked behind a photobooth and pulled Kate to her.
“Oh?” Kate smiled, biting her bottom lip as she leaned in and kissed Harper.
Breaking the kiss, Harper turned Kate around and rested her hand on her waist. “I would love to make out with you but shhh,” Harper said, pressing a kiss to Kate’s cheek before pointing to an area in the distance.
Looking at where Harper was pointing, Kate could see light reflecting off the side of a trash can. It was slowly flashing, the shadows around not giving anything away.
Nodding at Harper, indicating she noticed it as well, Kate slowly started to move towards it, taking in everything around her. She kept her senses sharp as she curled her hands into fists.
Following Kate, Harper was ready to take on whoever was waiting for them around the corner. Kite Man had taken up enough of her time already. She just wanted to go home, cuddle her girlfriend, and eat enough pasta and garlic bread for three people.
Gripping onto her tase rifle a little tighter the closer they got, Harper could hear strange music playing. It wasn’t amusement park music, or carnival music. It was haunting and eerie and sent a shiver down her spine.
Noticing Kate stop and hold a hand up, Harper stood slightly to the side of her and looked around the corner. An old but gorgeous black and purple accented tent stood in the middle of the empty walkway, warm yellow string lights softly pulsated as the entrance had a thin sheet-like material over it that gently swayed with the wind.
The fog was thicker around this area making it harder to see. A warm scent filled the area around them – it was like baked goods made with cinnamon and pumpkin. It was so inviting.
Kate’s hand gently touched her forearm as they nodded at one another. Heading towards the tent, they kept an eye out for anyone or anything else that was out of place. The music got louder the closer they got as it drew them to the entrance.
“Inside?” Harper whispered, questioning if she should head in first.
“It could be a trap,” Kate whispered back, pulling Harper’s tase gun from her belt and holding it at her side.
“I’ll be careful.” Holding her tase rifle tightly, Harper moved the sheet aside with the tip of it and entered the tent. She could feel a cold chill in the air that sent a tingle down her side. The music was softer inside, filling the tent with the calming melody.
There was a table in the middle of the tent, a crystal ball taking place in the centre. Tarot cards spread out in front, the back of them showing the phases of the moon. There were three seats, a soft pink pillow with lace trim sat on each one.
A little old lady stepped out from the shadows and offered Harper a small smile.
“Um, hi,” Harper said, feeling the wind on her back as Kate joined her.
“Hello poppins, welcome to my tent. Will you kindly take a seat?” the lady said, sitting down behind the tarot cards.
“Sorry, ma’am, we’re kind of working. Have you seen a blond man wearing green come through here?” Kate asked, looking at her.
“Sit, sit. You have plenty of time. This will only take five minutes. Make a little old lady happy?”
“Just sit,” Harper whispered to Kate, taking the seat on the right and pulling Kate into the seat to her left. She had a feeling they couldn’t get out of this.
“Why thank you. I’m Madam Nightshade and I felt you two call out to me.”
Noticing the fog begin to enter the tent, Harper looked around and back at Madam Nightshade. She had long grey hair pulled back with two silver hair sticks. The tops were carved moons and along them were small black, white, and purple gems. She was wearing a flowing deep purple cloak, and her shoes were black leather, well worn.
The lighting in the tent dimmed as Madam Nightshade ran her hand over the crystal ball. It filled with a purple mist, softly dancing inside of the orb.
“Together, can you please draw three cards. Three cards that call to you, that speak to you, and want you to select them. Hold each other’s hand and feel the energy from them before you make a decision.”
Reaching for Kate’s hand, Harper held tight and looked at her partner. Kate was staring at the cards before them and at the crystal ball as the mist inside slowly swirled, captivating them.
Holding her right hand over the cards, Kate’s left hand joined hers. Slowly moving their hands over the cards, they stopped above one near the end and slid it out. Pulling out a second and third one together, they pulled their hands back and locked eyes. They had no idea what she was going to do with them.
“These three cards will tell me your past, your present, and your future.”
Watching her turn the first card over, Harper tried to figure out what one it was. Sure, she had a tarot deck at home but it had been years since she last looked at them.
“Ten of Wands. The past,” Madam Nightshade said as the mist in the crystal ball began to move quicker as she placed her hands on it.
“You both have something in your past that overwhelmed you – a burden you both carried that you kept close to your heart. Work. A brother. A sister. Obligations to both that created a burnout and emotional turmoil. An abusive father, the name Marcus is coming to me. He would hurt you, hurt your brother. You feared him. He hurt you badly until you were able to break free. I’m sensing a car crash, death, a sister – a twin. She came back into your life five years ago but she’s changed – different. She’s not the sister you knew. She’s out to hurt you, to make you suffer. You feel as if only you can stop her from hurting others – you think she’s your responsibility and yours alone. You both overwork yourselves; be it as vigilantes or working with something electric. You have both slowly been letting the past that hurts you go, unburdening yourselves and letting one another help. It’s through this that has helped heal you both inside. Some therapy wouldn’t go astray though, poppins.”
Feeling her eyes go wide and lock onto Kate’s, Harper gripped her hand tighter and tried to take a deep breath in.
The pressure of Harper’s hand in her own reminded her that she hadn’t been fear gassed or was hallucinating. She could feel a cold sweat down her spine as she watched the woman flip the middle card. She was hitting too close to home.
“Two of Cups. The present.” The fog in the room got thicker as the crystal ball glowed brighter. “Emotional harmony, unions, connections based on mutual trust and balance. You two have a beautiful love between you that cannot be broken. You listen to one another, you’re there for each other, and you talk things out. You trust each other enough with your deepest fears and most hopeful of hopes. You can show your vulnerability to the other and know they love you no matter what. What you two have is something many people dream of having. Your love is strong and powerful and the threads that connect you together in mind, body, and spirit cannot be broken,” Madam Nightshade grinned. “In other words, the cards are calling you soulmates.”
Kate’s hand tightened in her own, and if she wasn’t wearing her gloves, Harper was positive her palms would be sweating. Madam Nightshade knew too much, she knew things about them, what happened to them in the past, and she was dead right about their present. The word soulmate kept rotating in her head. She had a feeling Kate was meant for her but now it felt more like destiny.
Hearing Kate take a deep breath in, Harper shuffled her chair a little closer to her and wrapped an arm around her waist. From what of Kate’s face Harper could see, she was whiter than she had ever seen her and that was pretty hard to beat.
Leaning into Harper, Kate wrapped an arm around her and pulled her in close. Her breath was warm against her ear as she breathed.
There was only one card left to turn over. Feeling her anxiety build as Madam Nightshade flipped it over, Harper waited for her to speak.
“The Lovers. Future,” the old lady grinned as the crystal ball shone a bright purple. “The union of two people who are completely committed to one another. With the other cards you two have pulled, this one isn’t hard to interpret at all. Katherine, Harper, you’re going to get married and live a long and happy life.”
Sitting in stunned silence, Harper watched as Madam Nightshade put her hand completely on the crystal ball and it swirled violently beneath her touch. Her eyes closed as her head tilted back.
“There’s a ring, it’s in a blue velvet box sitting at the back of a drawer. I see your wedding day, twenty-three plays a key part. Your future is promising and beautiful. Do you want to know how many kids or cats you have? Pick wisely.”
“Cats.”
“Children.”
“Four,” Madam Nightshade smiled, not indicating to which she was answering.
Noticing the fog rush into the tent, Kate stood abruptly and pulled Harper up with her. Looking around, everything went dark. Keeping her hand firmly in Harper’s, she pushed the tent opening aside and got them out of there.
The moon still hung high in the sky as night surrounded them. The fog was nowhere to be seen as a colony of bats flew overhead, the sounds of their wings flapping filling the area around them.
“Um, Batwoman?” Harper said, tugging at her hand. “The tent, it’s gone.”
Spinning on her heels, Kate looked to where the tent was only ten seconds ago. She looked around, trying to spot anything out of place, or any trace of the woman. The ground was dirty and showed no sign of anything being there.
Tapping her comms, Harper waited to hear Babs’s voice on the line.
“What’s up, Bluebird?” Babs asked.
“Can you do a quick search for me? Amusement Mile and a Madam Nightshade, please,” Harper replied. She had a feeling there would be nothing but it was worth a shot.
“I have something for you and Batwoman,” Babs began, making sure they could both hear her. “Madam Nightshade was a fortune teller who worked there while it was open. One day she vanished and never returned, and that was a hundred years ago, today. Why do you ask?”
“Um, no reason,” Harper replied, quickly ending the conversation.
“Let’s get the fuck out of here,” Kate mumbled, gripping onto Harper’s hand like her life depended on it.