Scythe & Sparrow

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes cursing and descriptions of sexual content, physical abuse, and graphic violence.

“I reach from my selenite crystal to cleanse the deck and sever the connection between us, but my thoughts keep wandering to Lucy. The image of the purple halo around her eye returns, no matter how hard I try to push it away. The deadened look in her eyes haunts me. I’ve seen that look so many times before. In the women who have come to draw the Ace of Cups. In my mother. In the mirror.”

When Lucy Cranwell comes to Rose Evans’s tarot booth, the author uses this scene to introduce the realities of Rose’s own traumatic experience with domestic abuse. Rose feels responsible for Lucy’s well-being because she recognizes the “deadened look in her eyes.” Her experiences with domestic violence fuel her current devotion to helping women like her and her mother. The passage, therefore, affects an emotional tone that establishes Rose’s connection with her tarot cards and illuminates the source of her determination to save other women from abusive relationships.

“I look through the rest of her wallet inside her jacket but there’s not much to find […] Nothing that confirms or denies the twinge of intuition that creeps through my guts. At least, not until I replace her wallet inside her jacket and my fingers graze another card, one that’s loose in the interior pocket. Another driver’s license. One belonging to a man. Matthew Cranwell.”

When Fionn Kane discovers Matt Cranwell’s wallet amongst Rose’s belongings, he finds a link between the two characters, and this moment ignites his concern for Rose’s safety. The “twinge of intuition” that Fionn feels inspires him to attach himself to Rose, ensure her well-being, and invite her to stay at his home while she is recovering. Although Fionn maintains a serious demeanor, this passage hints at his softer side and innate empathy—traits that ultimately endear him to Rose.

“His words echo in my mind as though my subconscious is desperate to cling to them and make them real. But even thinking about how long just for right now could be has my chest tightening and my eyes stinging. I’ve been with Silveria for so long, I can almost convince myself that I’ve forgotten the other life I left behind. I was just a kid, only fifteen when I joined the tour. Silveria has been my home. My family.”

Rose experiences a physiological response when José Silveria informs her she cannot continue traveling with the circus with her current injury.