Chapter Two
Athena
New Orleans, Louisiana... the Bourbon Bar,
I shuffled my tarot deck for the seventh time this beautiful Friday morning, letting the cards speak to my fingers, feeling their energy pulse against my palms. The worn edges were soft from years of use, and I’d cleansed them just this morning with sage and moonwater that I’d collected during the last full moon.
“Any day now,” someone muttered behind me.
I ignored them. People were always muttering around me. It was like background noise at this point, almost like traffic or birds or the gentle hum of the universe itself.
“Come on, cards,” I whispered, closing my eyes. “Show me. Where does the universe want me to go today?”
“Literally anywhere else,” another voice said. That one sounded like Donut. Or maybe Thore. I could never tell them apart when they were grumbling.
I opened my eyes and smiled at my deck. “Okay, babies. Let’s see what you’ve got for me today.”
The first card I flipped made my heart skip. The Fool. New beginnings, spontaneous adventures, taking a leap of faith. I gasped softly, pressing my hand to my chest.
“Oh, this is good,” I murmured to myself. “This is very good. The Fool is such a beautiful card. So full of possibility and—”
“Is she leaving?” someone whispered urgently.
“Shh! Don’t jinx it!”
I flipped the second card. The Lovers. My breath caught in my throat. “Oh my Goddess.”
Behind me, I heard what sounded like six grown men collectively holding their breath. The energy in the room shifted and became almost... hopeful? Desperate?
It was hard to tell.
I was too focused on the cards.
“The Lovers,” I breathed, tracing the image with my finger. “A divine union. A soul connection. The universe is bringing me to my person.”
“Her person,” someone—definitely Worm this time—said with barely contained excitement. “She said her person. That means she’s going somewhere to find him. It is a him, right? Not that I care if it’s a woman. Women are great. Love women!”
“Shut up, Worm,” Gator’s deep voice rumbled from behind the bar.
I flipped the third card, and my entire body lit up as if I’d been struck by lightning. The Sun. Joy, success, celebration, vitality. And there, in the background of the card, barely visible but definitely there—a building that looked suspiciously like a casino.
“Las Vegas,” I whispered.
The bar erupted.
“YES!”
“FINALLY!”
“Praise the Lord and all his angels!”
“I’m not religious, but I’m about to be!”
I blinked, looking up from my cards to find all six members of the Bourbon Kings MC staring at me with expressions of such profound relief that you’d think I’d just told them they’d won the lottery.
Gator, the club president and the man who’d been giving me increasingly pointed looks for the past several weeks, was gripping the edge of the bar so hard his knuckles had gone white. “Did you say Las Vegas?”
“The cards are very clear.” I gestured to the spread. “The Fool, the Lovers, and the Sun. The universe is sending me to Las Vegas to meet my soulmate.”
“Your soulmate,” Gator repeated slowly, like he was testing the words. “In Las Vegas.”
“Yes! Isn’t it wonderful?” I clasped my hands together, practically vibrating with excitement. “I knew something big was coming. I’ve been feeling it for weeks. The energy has been so intense, and my dreams have been full of bright lights and—”
“When?” Donut interrupted. “When are you going?”
“Oh.” I looked back down at my cards, tilting my head. “Well, the universe doesn’t really work on a schedule, so...”
“TODAY!” Braveheart shouted. “The universe wants you to go today!”
I frowned. “I don’t think that’s how—”
“I’ll drive you to the airport,” Juju offered, already pulling out his keys.
“I’ll help you pack,” Thore added.
“I’ll buy your ticket,” Worm said.
“First class,” Gator added firmly. “We’ll get you a first-class ticket.”
I blinked at them, confused by their sudden enthusiasm. “That’s very generous, but I can’t just leave right this second. I need to prepare properly. I have to pack my crystals and my herbs, and I should probably do a protection spell before I travel, and—”
“We’ll help with all of it,” Gator said, and there was something almost manic in his eyes. “Whatever you need. We’re here for you, Athena. We support your journey.”
“You do?” That was surprising. For the past several weeks, I’d gotten the distinct impression that the Bourbon Kings weren’t entirely thrilled with my extended stay at their bar. But maybe I’d been misreading their energy. I did that sometimes.
“Absolutely,” Donut said, shoving a beignet into his mouth, nodding so vigorously I worried about his neck. “We’re all about supporting spiritual journeys here.”
“We are?” Worm said.
“We ARE,” Gator said through gritted teeth.
“Oh.” I smiled, warmth flooding through my chest. “That’s so sweet. You know, I was worried you all might be getting tired of me.”
The silence that followed was deafening.
“Tired of you?” Gator said finally. “Why would we be tired of you?”
“Well, I know I’ve been here for a while, and I did accidentally set off the smoke alarm last week with my sage cleansing, and there was that incident with the salt circle in the parking lot...”
“Water under the bridge,” Thore said quickly.
“Ancient history,” Juju agreed.
“We barely remember it,” Braveheart added.
I tilted my head, studying them. Their auras were all very... orange. Agitated. Excited. Desperate, even. But also genuinely hopeful, which was nice.
“Well, if you’re sure you don’t mind helping.”
“MIND?” Gator laughed, and it sounded slightly unhinged. “We’d be HONORED.”
“Okay, then.” I gathered my cards carefully, wrapping them in their silk cloth.
“I suppose I should start packing. Oh! I need to call my sisters and let them know. They’re going to be so excited.
I’m the last Malpas to find my person, you know.
Freyja is going to flip when she hears the news, and Phoebe is going to be over the moon, though I suppose Scribe won’t care as much, but Mother and Father will be—”
“That’s a great story,” Gator interrupted, “but maybe you could tell us while you pack?”
“Oh, right. Yes. Packing.” I slid off the barstool, and immediately, all six men moved toward the back room where I’d been staying.
“You know, the universe works in such mysterious ways. Several weeks ago, my cards told me to come to New Orleans, and I thought maybe my person was here, but clearly, I was just meant to pass through. This was a waypoint on my journey. A necessary stop to align my energy for what’s coming. ”
“Sure,” Worm said. “A waypoint. That’s exactly what this was.”
“Not an imposition that nearly drove us all insane,” Donut muttered under his breath.
“What was that?”
“I said you’re very wise and I’ll miss you when you’re gone!”
I beamed at him. “Aw, that’s so sweet!”
The back room was small but cozy, and I’d done my best to make it feel like home.
Crystals lined the windowsill, catching the morning light.
My herb bundles hung from the ceiling, drying.
I’d drawn protective sigils on the walls with washable marker.
I probably should have asked about that first, but the universe had been very insistent.
“Okay,” I said, surveying my belongings. “I’ll need my travel altar, obviously. And my crystal grid. Oh, and my moonwater collection. I have bottles from six different full moons, and you never know when you might need—”
“How about we pack everything?” Gator suggested. “Just to be safe.”
“Everything?”
“Every. Single. Thing.”
“Even the sigils on the walls?”
“ESPECIALLY the sigils on the walls.”
I laughed. “You can’t pack sigils, silly. But I can cleanse them before I go. Don’t want to leave any residual energy behind.”
Gator’s eye twitched. “How thoughtful.”
Within twenty minutes, which had to be some kind of record, my entire life was packed into three suitcases and two duffel bags. The Bourbon Kings worked with the efficiency of a NASCAR pit crew, and I had to admit, I was impressed.
“I think that’s everything,” I said, looking around the now-empty room. “Oh! Except my pendulum. I left it in the bar.”
“I’ll get it!” Juju practically sprinted from the room.
“And my amethyst cluster. It’s on the—”
“Got it!” Thore held it up triumphantly.
“Wow, you guys are really good at this.”
“We’re motivated,” Braveheart said.
“By your happiness,” Donut added quickly. “We’re motivated by your happiness and spiritual fulfillment.”
“That’s so beautiful.” I pressed my hand to my heart. “You know, the universe really does put the right people in our path at the right time. I’m so grateful I got to spend these weeks with you all.”
“Us too,” Gator said, and he almost sounded like he meant it. “Now, let’s get you to that airport.”
The drive to Louis Armstrong International Airport was surprisingly emotional. Juju drove while I sat in the passenger seat, and the rest of the guys followed in two more vehicles with my luggage. I watched the city pass by, feeling the pull of destiny tugging at my solar plexus.
“Las Vegas,” I murmured. “The universe is sending me to Las Vegas.”
“It’s a great place,” Juju said. “Lots of... lights. And gambling. And shows. Very spiritual.”
“Everything is spiritual if you look at it the right way.”
“Sure. Yeah. That.”
At the airport, they didn’t just drop me off; they all came inside, helped me check my bags, and waited with me until I had my boarding pass.
“Flight leaves in two hours,” Gator said, checking his phone. “That work for you?”
“The universe’s timing is always perfect.”
“Right. Of course it is.”
I was about to head toward security when Devlyn, Gator’s wife, appeared, slightly out of breath, carrying a small bag.
“Athena! I’m so glad I caught you!” She pulled me into a tight hug, and I could feel genuine affection in it, which was nice. Devlyn had been kind to me during my stay, even when her husband had been giving me those pointed looks.
“I brought you some snacks for the flight,” she said, handing me the bag. “Can’t let you leave without a muffuletta for the road and a little protection sachet I made. I know you’re the expert, but I thought—”
“That’s so thoughtful!” I pulled out the small cloth bag and immediately felt the energy of the herbs inside. “Rosemary, lavender, and... is that black tourmaline?”
“And salt,” Devlyn confirmed. “For protection during travel.”
“It’s perfect.” I hugged her again. “Thank you so much for everything. For letting me stay, and for being so welcoming.”
“You should come back sometime,” Devlyn said warmly. “Visit us again.”
Behind her, I heard six simultaneous groans.
“What was that?” I asked.
“Nothing!” Gator said quickly. “Just... clearing our throats. All of us. At the same time. Totally normal.”
I smiled. “I’d love to come back. Maybe after I’m settled with my soulmate. I could bring him to meet you all!”
“That would be... something,” Thore said weakly.
“Definitely something,” Worm agreed.
I gathered my carry-on bags, my purse, my travel altar, and my essential crystal collection, and turned to face the security line. This was it. The universe was sending me to Las Vegas to meet my person. My soulmate. The man I was destined to spend my life with.
I could feel it in every cell of my body.
This was fate.
This was meant to be.
“Thank you all so much,” I said, waving to the Bourbon Kings. “For everything. For your hospitality, your kindness, your support.”
“Just go find your happiness,” Gator said, and his voice was surprisingly gentle. “You deserve it, Athena.”
“We all deserve love,” I said. “The universe has someone for everyone. You just have to trust and be open to receiving.”
“Sure,” Donut said. “Trust and receive. Got it.”
I took a deep breath, squared my shoulders, and headed toward security. Behind me, I heard what sounded like a collective sigh of relief, but when I turned back to look, they were all waving and smiling.
Such sweet men.
The universe really did provide the most wonderful people.
As I placed my bags on the conveyor belt, I pulled out my deck one more time, just to be sure. I drew a single card.
The Tower.
I frowned. The Tower usually meant upheaval, chaos, sudden change. But it was also about breaking down old structures to make way for new ones. Transformation through destruction.
“Interesting,” I murmured.
“Ma’am?” The TSA agent looked at me. “You need to keep moving.”
“Right. Sorry.” I tucked my cards away and walked through the metal detector.
The Tower. Well, that was fine. Sometimes you had to break down walls to let love in. Sometimes the universe had to shake things up to get you where you needed to be.
I was ready. Ready for chaos, ready for change, ready for whatever the universe had planned.
Las Vegas, here I come.
My soulmate was waiting.