“But not for wisdom,” Maya said. “For love. Noble, but not the same thing. You’d do anything for love, Dean, which is why you’re wonderful, and also where you’re weak. All cards have many possible meanings,” she explained, “both positive and negative. The hanging man means self-sacrifice for wisdom, but it can mean letting yourself be pushed along by fate. It can mean giving up. Leaving yourself hanging. Take another card.”

“No one else did.”

“You’re special and I’m curious,” Maya said with a smile, so Dean took another card. It was the Star, and he frowned, not understanding. “This is the person you love,” Maya said and Dean looked up at her. “Someone who makes you happy and gives you peace.”

Dean swallowed again and couldn’t answer. For a moment the wound in his leg ached even worse than usual.

“It scares you, doesn’t it,” Maya said. “Loving someone who expects so much but asks so little. You don’t feel worthy of it.”

Dean felt his eyes fill and he begged Maya silently to stop.

She didn’t, of course. “This is where the passivity comes in,” she said, pointing to the hanging man card. “You feel it’s hopeless. Not just love, but everything. Your fate, your dreams, your hopes. Everything.”

“I thought,” Dean had to clear his throat, “I thought my faith was the best part of me.”

“It is,” Maya said, “but you fight it so hard.”

Dean frowned and inhaled, and said as lightly as he could, “What three words am I supposed to concentrate on?”

Maya said slowly, “Don’t give up.”

Dean looked at her, looked down at the two cards, and nodded. “Yes, ma’am.”

Maya glanced again at the Green Knight, who gave another small nod. He got up from his chair and took from behind it a large double-headed axe.

“Hey!” Sam said. “We did the reading, we answered your questions –”

“We’re not done yet,” Maya said. “He’s going to ask each of you a question. Answer it truthfully or he’ll take your head.”

“I hate this part,” the Trickster said, tilting his head from one side to the other.

“That’s because you’re such a practiced liar,” the Green Knight said, holding the blade of the axe to the Trickster’s neck. “Why are you here? The most selfish and gluttonous, and least altruistic, god I’ve ever met. Why would you help these two boys prevent the end of the world?”

“They bought me pancakes,” the Trickster said and the Green Knight held the blade a little closer to his skin. “I mean it! Blueberry! With maple syrup. It was delicious.”

“Tell the truth,” Maya said, who sounded amused by the whole thing.

The Trickster gestured to her. “She asked me. And maybe . . . maybe I’d miss the world if it were gone. Snickers bars and video games and hot women and my dog. You know, chocolate melts in Hell.”

“Admit it,” Maya said, “you like people.”

“One question,” the Trickster said, holding up a finger. “One question is all you get. And I told the truth.” He looked up at the Green Knight. “For once.”

“For once,” the Green Knight said and moved on to Sam, whose eyes very wide. He held himself as stiffly as possible as the Green Knight held the axe to his neck. “You,” the Green Knight said softly. “Sam Winchester.”

“Yes, sir,” Sam said, shaking with the effort to keep calm.

“What do you desire, Sam Winchester? Really? When the lights are off and you’re alone, what is it you think about?”

Sam tried to look at Dean but the axe was in the way. “I,” he said shakily, “I want — I desire — everything to be different.” He took a deep breath. “I want it to stop. I don’t want to know about the end of the world. I want to be innocent. Ignorant, even. I don’t want to be a part of it.”

Dean exhaled and closed his eyes — they flew open when the Green Knight said, “You lie,” and raised the axe to swing it at Sam’s neck.

“Hey! No!” Dean shouted, leaping to his feet, and Maya stood as well, her hand out.

“Dean! Do not interfere.”

“Tell the truth,” the Green Knight said. “Tell the darkest secret of your heart, Sam.”

Sam froze, his face flushed, and said, “All right! All right. You know what I want most, when it’s dark and I’m alone? I want the end to come so I can defeat all those demons who’re after us. I want the angels to leave us alone. I want my brother to be the man he used to be. That’s what I want.”

Dean sat on the bench again, feeling like he’d been punched in the face.

“Better,” the Green Knight said, and moved on to Dean.

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