The Magician: The Urban Tarot Collection Book 2

By Nyle Kai

In this powerful metaphysical tale of romance, revenge, and violence, Dick and Jane go into hiding after taking a gym bag full of cash from an ex-prostitute named Princess. When Jane ventures into a seedy nightclub, she runs headfirst into Ruby, who is looking for the cash. But Ruby also knows something about Princess: she has begun claiming that she can see the future and that free will does not exist. Princess has touched a mysterious black rock that has connected her with beings known as Cretans, who appear to control reality itself. Jane’s sanity is tested when she meets Monique, who appears to be one of these mysterious otherworldly beings. As Jane begins to suspect that she might be losing her grip, Dick remains at her side, hiding his own deep secrets about the Cretans.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Nyle Kai
• Release date: Feb 3, 2022
• ISBN: 9781005022730

Nyle Kai

Nyle Kai graduated from The University of Vermont. She has been a waitress, bartender, painter and a student of Biology. She lives in Vermont. The Cherry Heart is her first book.

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The Magician

Book 2 of The Urban Tarot Collection

By Nyle Kai

Text copyright © 2020 Nyle Kai

All Rights Reserved

To Jesse, for showing me the way.

The dreams of Real Money started as soon as he was sent back to prison, and they increased in frequency after he was dead. Usually, in these dreams, he did things that he had never done in life, and he was an exaggerated version of himself. He was even more muscular, more violent and sharper with his words. I viewed this as proof that he would always be a part of me, down to my subconscious self, where all my darkest fantasies and grandiose wishes resided. After I moved in with Dick, I started dreaming of Real Money every night. I never told Dick about these dreams, nor did he ask me why I woke up gasping for air and clutching the covers. In our world, everyone had secrets that gave them nightmares. It might have been stranger if I’d slept peacefully.

One of many dreams that I had at Dick’s apartment was set in the red zone of the city. Real Money and I were going to a movie theater to see a blockbuster action film. I was wearing a bright red costume wig and a blue plastic jacket. Real Money had bought those items for me, and he was eager to show me off in public. I was aware of two college men staring at us on the street outside the theater. They were whispering to each other and pointing. Real Money swaggered up to one of the men and said something softly to him, so that I couldn’t hear what it was. The college guy got upset and threw his hands up in front of his chest as though to offer a firm denial of Real Money’s request. Real Money made a fist with his right hand and grabbed the man’s nose between his index and ring finger, so hard that the man cried out.

I knew that I could do nothing to stop Real Money from making a scene, so I just watched helplessly. By then the whole crowd was watching. Mothers with their young children and men with their dates gaped at the enormous denim-clad criminal about to make a meal of a skinny man in a Polo jacket. Right as Real Money was forcing his victim to his knees, saying, I’ll show you something about respect, my friend… It hurts both of us when you misbehave in front of my girl, a large mongrel dog appeared from a dark corner of the street and barked at the two of them.

Real Money ignored the dog at first. Soon, there were two dogs, then three, then four. All of the mothers with their children and men with their dates continued staring at us, as though there was nothing unusual about four dogs coming from nowhere and intervening. Nobody said a word.

A black, mangy dog with a slight limp on its back paw