More from Love Spells

Welcome to Tuesday's Tales...and to another excerpt from "Love Spells".

About the story:

Ellie was devastated when David betrayed her. After finding a book of spells, she decided to learn magic in hopes of bringing David back. With the help of Stefan, owner of a New Age shop, she's discovering who she is -- and continuing to cast her "love spells" each night.

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David called on Monday morning. Ellie’s hands shook so bad when she heard his voice, the phone fell from her grasp. While Miranda and the other girls in the office stared, she rummaged through the trash can where it had landed.

“What? Say that again?” she mumbled as she retrieved the fallen phone. “I’m sorry, David, I didn’t hear what you said.”

At the mention of his name, Miranda huffed out a breath and gestured toward the trash can. “How fitting."  She mouthed the words. "That’s exactly where he belongs.”

Ellie turned away. Yes, her friend had a good point. David’s past behavior qualified him for the rubbish heap.  Men who lied, cheated, and broke the hearts of the women they professed to love deserved a dumping of their own. They deserved to wallow in soured milk, rotting vegetables, and moldy cheese. Figuratively speaking, that is.

But what David had done was in the past, and the past was no longer relevant.

Ellie’s new-found magic could erase all the pain; it could obliterate the anguished  memories and take away those crippling feelings of inadequacy and inferiority she’d suffered at his betrayal. David had hurt her badly, yet she’d grown from it. Maybe he didn’t exactly deserve forgiveness, but at the very least, Ellie owed him a small debt of gratitude. She was enjoying this process of discovery, this mystical journey upon which she’d embarked. For the first time, Ellie truly liked who she was -- and who she was becoming.

“Your silver lighter?” She nodded in response to David’s question. “The one I bought you for your birthday?” Ellie winced, remembering how much she’d paid for the gift. It hurt to think he’d carelessly misplaced it. Obviously it hadn’t meant too much to him.

“I think maybe I left it at your place. Would you look around and let me know?”

“Sure. If I find it-- ”

“I really need it. He cut her off. “I know you’ve got it. I remember leaving it in the drawer of the night stand. When you get off work, will you run home and pick it up? I’ll be at the gallery tonight.”

“You want me to bring it to you?”

“Yeah. I won’t have time to come get it. We’re opening a new exhibit, so I’ll be busy.” He paused. When he spoke again, his voice held a softer note.  “Contemporary photography. Black and white. You might enjoy it.”

“Why, yes, I think I might like that.”

“So, you’ll do it?”

“Yes, I’ll be there.”

A smile spread across Ellie’s face. Any lingering doubts about the power of magic quickly  disappeared. Her love spells were working.

David had called. He wanted to see her. He might claim it was only because he’d left behind a silver lighter, but Ellie knew better. The lighter was only an excuse, and a flimsy one at that. David wanted her back. 

~ ~ ~ ~

For more Tuesday's Tales, click HERE. 

Tuesday's Tales - From Love Spells

I've come back to Love Spells after an absence of several months, so let me give a quick recap of the story.

Ellie was devastated when the man she loved dumped her for someone else. She found a book of spells and set about learning magic -- with a bit of help from Stefan Blackwell, owner of a mystical, New Age shop. In the previous chapter, Ellie's friend, Miranda came for Sunday brunch. When Stefan dropped by unexpectedly and gave Ellie a deck of Tarot cards, Miranda warned her that the cards were of the devil. As soon as she was alone, Ellie unwrapped the deck and drew a card. It was The Devil.

From: Love Spells 

Ellie dropped the deck of cards.

Could Miranda be right about Stefan? The magic he possessed was too strong to be denied, but was it a power for good? Or was his magic dark -- and dangerous?

She knelt down and peered at the colorful cards scattered across the floor. No more than pasteboard pictures. Where had The Devil gone? Ellie searched through the mess. While The Devil remained hidden, other images appeared, some frightening, some beautiful, some haunting.

The Sun. The Moon. The Stars.

Ellie picked each up and studied the odd symbols upon them. In some strange way, simply looking at the cards calmed her.  Even the images of Death and the devastating scene of The Falling Tower somehow brought a sense of peace to her soul.

These cards are speaking to me. They have things to tell me, secrets to share.

She locked the door, shut off her phone, and for the next few hours she sat cross-legged before her altar, laying out cards, poring over the tiny instruction booklet, and making notes of all she saw -- and felt -- within this mystical deck.  Ellie couldn’t be sure how it happened, but suddenly her life made sense. She felt her own power awakening, uncoiling from deep within. She didn’t have all the answers, but she didn’t need them.

For the first time, Ellie knew who she was. No matter that she couldn’t define it, could never put it into words, she felt it flowing through her blood. Although she may be small and insignificant, she was, indeed, part of something grand, something purposeful, something planned and ordered, something borne of love.

Love! Her heart seemed to take flight on wings of imagination. She soared through distant realms of consciousness, rising from the floor to twirl around in crazy circles, dancing to a rhythm only she could hear.

Stefan would be pleased.

The thought brought a smile to her face, along with a sudden desire to see him. At once! She dashed toward the door, ready to run out into the late afternoon, and then reality crashed down on her. She had no way to find Stefan. His shop was closed on Sunday. She knew nothing about him, where he lived, what places he might visit.

Feeling a bit foolish, Ellie gathered the Tarot cards, returned them to their package, and put them away in a drawer. She would use them again, and she would learn more from them.

Ask the cards about David. Ask if he will come back. Ask if --

Ellie closed her eyes, shutting out the voices in her head. She had no need to inquire about David or the future they would share. She had magic; she had power. She could create her own reality now.

As she prepared her altar for her nightly ritual, Ellie smiled. Only a few nights more, and David would be hers again, hers forever. 

~ ~ ~

For more Tuesday's Tales, click HERE.