“Sit down, please,” Valrye purred, using her false accented voice to make herself sound more exotic, a necessary evil.

“Here?”

“Yes, please, the other chair is entirely too hard, the cushion too thin and I want you as comfortable as possible.”

“Yes, well, I appreciate your thoughtfulness, not many people would have concerned themselves that way,” the old woman sat her ample girth into the wide, well cushioned chair and while she was fussing Valrye averted her eyes.

All too quickly the hefty woman was settled and smiling a bit too broadly in Valrye’s direction. “Tell me, dear, what do you want me to do now? Do you read palms? I’ve been told I’ve a long, long lifeline, would you like to see…”

Quickly putting her hand up to forestall the unnecessary unbuttoning of the lacy gloves surrounding the woman’s thick wrists, Valrye shook her head and hastily declined. “No, please ma’am. I don’t read palms I use cards. If you’ d be so kind as to remain quiet while I prepare it would be greatly appreciated.”

“Quiet? Well, I suppose, but don’t you want to know a little bit about me? I’ve been to more card readers and people of your sort over the years than I can number. Just can’t seem to pass up the booth when I’m out on fair holiday, you understand. Well, in all my years of delving into the, shall we say, darker arts I’ve never had to remain quiet. In fact most places encourage me to…”

“Ma’am, please,” Valrye purred deeper in her exotic voice and made sure to capture the old woman’s small blue eyes with her dark emerald green gaze. “If you could take these cards and quietly shuffle them seven times I’d be most grateful.”

“Oh, yes! I can do that, certainly!” The old woman was thrilled to be participating in some manner, even if it weren’t verbal in nature.

They always had to chatter, life stories had to be told and for the price of a ticket Valrye had to listen. Sometimes she could shut them up, other times she couldn’t, with this woman she seemed to find a middle ground.

“One, two…three, oh dear I almost dropped them!”

“Don’t worry, continue to shuffle please,” Valrye wanted a break, needed a break and it was only mid-morning. She had an entire day left with many others coming in wanting to have their fortunes told, wanting to hear good things about their lives. They came wanting her to give them hope for their futures and none came wanting the truth.

“Four, five, six and seven! Here you go, dear, now what do I do with the deck?”

“I need you to separate the cards into four piles in front of you without counting them,” Valrye closed her eyes and started to clear her mind. She didn’t always read a person, in fact more often than not she’d just spout some nonsensical prediction and it sufficed. Why she was preparing to read this old woman she didn’t know and as the way of things she went with her leanings.

“Oh dear, dear, dear, I’ve never had to do this before. I guess you know what you’re doing. Here I go. One pile, two…”

Her voice became a whisper in Valrye’s ears.

“Three piles and last but not least, four,” the old woman chuckled and rubbed her chubby hands together. “Now, what, dear? Dear? My dear girl, what are you doing? I thought you needed to read the cards, why’re your eyes closed? You can’t read the cards with your eyes closed like that. Dear? Please don’t ignore me I’ve paid you good money to…”

“You have a granddaughter, Miressa…”

“Y-yes, I do! She’s here! She’s just outside the tent. How did you…”

“She’s quiet, nervous, she doesn’t want to see me,” Valrye’s voice was low but steadily rising. “She’s afraid, she’s afraid I’ll find out she’s one of…”

Abruptly Valrye fell silent and opened her eyes, blinking them several times as she tried to focus on the old woman.

“Nervous? Miressa? No, no, she’s just shy. She’s a good girl, nothing to hide. I don’t know what you’re thinking. This is supposed to be my reading young lady and I expect you to tell me about my future. Are you going to read these cards? I did everything you said, surely you’re going to…”

“Please, ma’am, your granddaughter,” Valrye stood up and moved out from behind the small round table.

“Sit down, we’re not finished here. I will not give you any sort of tip young lady. In fact I will report you to the manager of this establishment, I’ll go to the…the top person, I will…” The old woman blathered on struggling to get her unwieldy bulk out of the chair but Valrye tuned her out.

Making her way to the flap of the tent Valrye peeled it back cautiously and peered out expecting to see a young woman much like herself, instead her eyes traveled downwards and into those of a child. “Miressa?”

The young girl couldn’t have been more than six years old. She looked up at Valrye with the darkest brown eyes peeking out from beneath dark chestnut bangs that were badly in need of trimming. “Y-yes, ma’am?”

Such a sweet childish voice came from the child.

“I am Valrye,” And Valrye held out both her hands white, bloodless palms up towards Miressa, the gesture was one of subservience.

As it would turn out, the day wasn’t as typical as Valrye had expected. Miressa would leave with her chubby grandmother and Valrye would return to her routine but nothing about the day would seem ordinary. She’d seen the future of her race in a child’s eyes. Valrye knew now that all the countless people she’d give readings to from now until Miressa’s true emergence would be more tolerable. There would be an end to the monotony. Miressa, the Physic Healer was undead and growing.