Palm readings, tarot cards, spiritual counseling. To some, these psychic sessions provide a tangible link between our physical world and the one beyond our mortal understanding. To others, these sessions are a cheap and easy way to fleece gullible tourists out of a few bucks.

These days, Selina DaSilva sits firmly in the second camp. Anyone familiar with the DaSilva family may be shocked to learn that the daughter of St. Virgil’s most prominent woman of magic has turned her back on the supernatural.

But after the tragedy that struck the DaSilva family two years ago, can any of us blame Selina for believing in nothing more than cold, hard, reality? She always dreamed of leaving the island to study Pharmacology, anyway. Now, with her father murdered and her mother in a coma following an attack by an unknown assailant, Selina isn’t going anywhere.

So long as she’s currently tethered to the island, why not play into her mother’s reputation, and scam the rubes out of some of their vacation money? Not that Selina widely promotes her ‘services,’ however.

On the surface, the shop where Selina works with her friend, Allison is your typical little souvenir store. But for those who recite the magic words, they’ll be taken to the back room of the store for an illuminating psychic session they won’t soon forget. Here’s how it all tends to play out.

Step One: establish an antagonist.

Visitors to Selina’s shop looking for a psychic reading are often nervous and unsure how to request her services. In Selina’s mind, best to tell them, “I think you have the wrong place,” until they provide the right password.

And no, we’re certainly not going to tell you.

Step two: establish an ally.

Once the visitor says the right words, time to get to work. Turn the sign on the front door to read CLOSED. Ask the patron to empty their pockets and place their personal belongings in a hidden safe.

Everything they own carries a psychic history of touch and use, after all. Leaving it all behind will allow for a clearer, more focused “reading.”

Step three: build trust.

Unfortunately, many tourists don’t feel comfortable handing over all their belongings to a pair of strangers. Selina is usually able to ease the tension of the transaction by offering the patron the “only key” to the safe before leading them to the back room.

The goal then is to confound the guests with an influx of stimulation to the senses. Heavy incense, nonsensical geometrical shapes had been chalked onto the floor, assembled bundles of feathers, leaves, and dried sticks hanging from the rafters. Fake animal parts preserved in glass jars, a black cauldron made of plaster and paint, and even a charred human skull named Eddie.

Mostly stolen props left from the set of an Indiana Jones rip-off film that was once filmed on St. Virgil.

Step four: research.

Once the patron is out of sight, Selina will then use the other “only key” to the safe to conduct extensive research on the mark. A wealth of information could be learned from a person’s most mundane possessions. ID cards, address books, phones (bonus points if it’s unlocked), receipts, wrappers, and ticket stubs. Sometimes even novels and bottles of medication.

You just had to know what to look for. And Selina always does.

Step five: remind yourself that none of it is real.

Armed with all the information she needs; Selina will then start the session. With any luck, the guest will be in tears within a few minutes. Maybe the guest will be processing the recent death of a loved one. Maybe they’re consumed with guilt over a past mistake. Maybe they need closure following the end of a long relationship. Whatever the reason for their visit, Selina knows how to extract their hidden fears and secrets. And how to tell them exactly what they want to hear.

Whatever the reason for their visit, Selina can provide the answers they need. Usually, the solution is something as simple as boiling a set of very specific ingredients in a bowl that has been properly blessed and washing your floor with the water. Never fails to calm a restless spirit. And hey, wouldn’t you know it? Selina and Allison are selling the exact same type of bowl you might need for that. $9.99 plus tax.

Another satisfied customer. The sessions may be bogus, but as the clients are content, who’s complaining? And if Selina wants to profit from her mother’s reputation despite her overall lack of faith, who is going to stop her?

But if all the strange and supernatural phenomena surrounding St. Virgil are nothing more than myths and legends, then why has Selina been seeing an extra reflection in the mirror? And what’s with all those strange and surreal nightmares that have been plaguing her?

And why does it all feel vaguely connected to the string of mysterious murders haunting the island? And hey, didn’t we see the most recent victim enter Selina’s shop just the other day?

Want to find out the answers for yourself? Be sure to pick up Rick Riordan Presents: It Waits in the Forest by Sarah Dass, on sale 5/14.