She opened the freezer, grabbed a couple of ice cubes, and tossed them into the one glass she’d unpacked. Then, she filled it to the brim with raspberry vodka. Marigold sank onto one of the kitchen chairs and stared across the table at the cats. “Well? Are you thinking?”

  CHAPTER TWO

  Saturday, September 21st.

  Mabon

  Nine Saint Gillian Street. New Orleans.

  Misty hadn’t slept well. The baby was restless, kicking, and squirming and making her wonder if he was coming early. She had more than a month to go, and it wasn’t time yet. Nothing could happen to this baby after what Luke went through losing his first family. She had to be protective and careful. Caution was her byword.

  Her restlessness woke Luke, and he spoke to her with love and caring in his voice. “Do you want me to get you something, sweetheart?”

  “No, sugar. I might feel better if I get up and have a cup of tea. Angelique probably has a pot brewing by now.”

  Luke turned his head and squinted at the clock. “It’s only six o’clock and barely light.”

  “Stay in bed, Lukey. I’m fine.”

  “No. I don’t like you going down the stairs by yourself. They’re too slippery. I want to carpet them. If you pick out a runner you like, I’ll do it.”

  “All right, sweet man. Go back to sleep. We’ll take care of it once it’s time to be up.” Misty headed into the bathroom and vowed to buy the carpeting that very day. It was on his list, and if it was worrying Luke, it should’ve come before painting the baby’s room.

  When she came back to the bedroom, Luke had opened his dresser, pulled out a clean pair of jeans, and was stomping his feet into the pantlegs.

  She floated out of the ensuite wrapped in her electric blue robe, and he beamed at her. “You will be the most beautiful mother in N’Orlean.”

  “You’re sweet, but why are you up?”

  “I’ll just help you down the stairs.” Luke took her arm and walked on the left side and insisted she hang onto the railing on her right.

  “I’ve gone up and down these stairs, since the day I could walk, Lukey. I have never fallen. Not even once.”

  “Now is not the time for a first, Mist. I’ll buy the carpeting this morning, and install it when everybody leaves.”

  Misty shuddered as they crossed through the foyer and turned the corner for the kitchen. “Is there someone outside?”

  “Let me look.” Luke peered through the sidelight, and he couldn’t see much for the trees and bushes that fronted Misty’s property. Someone could be on the sidewalk, and he wouldn’t see them on the other side of the black iron fence.

  “Maybe it was just a shiver. I feel weird this morning.”

  Luke opened the door for a better look, and he saw her. Marigold Rose—if that was her real name—stood across the street staring at the house.

  I’m not telling Misty.

  “Anybody?”

  “A lady is walking down the street. That’s all.”

  Misty held out her hand. “Come have tea with me.”

  Louisiana Forest.

  Rowanne packed her valuables—or, what she considered to be her valuables in the hunting shack—into her backpack. She’d left most of everything she cherished at her father’s home in Baton Rouge when she’d run away. It seemed like a lifetime ago. “Yes, you can come, Nixa. I’m not leaving you here alone overnight.”

  Nixa wagged her long tail.

  “How long will we be gone, Rowanne?” asked Ben.

  “We’ll be back tomorrow. Are you worried about leaving your bow?”

  Ben nodded. It was the only thing of value he owned. No monetary value. A bent piece of wood and the string holding it together. He’d made it himself, and it was Ben’s source of food, and food meant survival in the forest.

  “Bring it with us to keep it safe.” Rowanne waited while Ben retrieved it from under the cot where he kept it. She locked the door and tucked the key into the little front pocket of her backpack.

  As they started their long trek to the edge of the forest, she reached out and took Ben’s hand. “We’re going to have a great day. We’ll celebrate Mabon with my Daddy and Uncle Luke and my Great-Gran. There will be a feast, and we’ll have a ritual for the goddess. Madam Claire might even teach us a new spell if we’re lucky.”

  “What will they give us to eat at the feast?” asked Ben as they trudged along to the west side of the park.

  “Mabon celebrates the harvest, so lots of vegetables, but I’m sure Misty will think of you and make some delicious meat for you.”

  Ben smiled. “Misty always thinks of me. She says I’m so very special.”

  Rowanne watched him pick leaves out of his brown tangled curls as he walked and realized she should have brushed Ben’s hair before they left.

  “Will Casey be there?”

  “I don’t think so, no. Just our family. No strangers. You can relax and eat and have fun.”

  “I always have fun when I’m with you, Rowanne. You are my mate, and we’re meant to be together. The Fates sent you to me. The goddess wants me to care for you always.”

  Rowanne, Nixa, and Ben cleared the last of the trees at the edge of the forest, and Sam Hyslop, Rowanne’s father, was there waiting for them. His car was parked on the side of the road close to the fence.

  Sam hopped out when he saw them, waited until they climbed the fence and gave them both a hug. “I’m glad you guys remembered what day it was,” he said, “I hate not being able to get in touch with y’all or talk to y’all to see if you have problems or enough food.”

  “We’re fine, Daddy. We love living in the forest. And we always have food to eat. Ben is a skilled hunter.”

  Sam opened the passenger door for his daughter, and she shook her head. “Ben, you ride in the front with Daddy. You can see better. I’ll sit in the back with Nixa.”

  “What does he want to see?” asked Sam.

  “He hasn’t had many car rides, and he likes to see things.”

  Sam started the car and drove down the dirt road heading for the highway. As soon as he hit the pavement, he began talking to Ben in a soft voice. “I think it would be wise for the two of you to come home to Baton Rouge before winter. Once the cold weather comes, I’m not sure y’all can manage out there with no heat and no electricity.”

  Ben turned around in his seat and stared at Rowanne. He was afraid of Sam and feared he might take Rowanne away and make her live in the city. Ben had worried over the threat of her father many times.

  “We’ll think about it, Daddy. Please, don’t upset Ben. I want us to have a fun day today.”

  “I’m not trying to upset him, sweetheart. I’m trying to keep you both safe and make y’all see reason. The way y’all are living is not reasonable. If any of my colleagues at work found out about it, I’m not sure I could weather the storm.”

  “It’s reasonable for Ben, Daddy. He’s a fox, and he lives in the forest as his natural habitat.” Rowanne saw her father wince when she said fox. Sam Hyslop was a non-believer. He didn’t believe Ben was a shifter, and he refused to believe Rowanne had magickal powers.

  “A shack in the forest is not the place for you, Rowanne. You’re barely seventeen.”

  “I’ve matured a lot, Daddy. You have to admit that.”

  He looked at her by the reflection of his rear-view mirror and smiled. “Yes. I see a huge change in you, Rowanne, and in a way, it’s wonderful.”

  “But?”

  “But, I can’t help but wish my little girl lived at home with me in Baton Rouge.”

  Nine Saint Gillian Street. New Orleans.

  The doorbell rang at ten to twelve, and Claire hurried into the foyer to let her three students in. Charlotte, Michele, and Diana were in their third semester in the LeJeune school for witches. The girls had come a long way in their education, and with practice and perseverance, their powers were becoming finely honed and obediently trained.

  “Namaste, girls,” said Claire. “Lovely to see y’all, and a joyous Mabon.”

  Diana, the youngest of the three, was eighteen, petite, with spiky black hair and gifted in the art of tea leaf readings. “Namaste, Madam Claire. We made special desserts.”

  “Ooh, how exciting,” said Claire. “What did you make?”

  Charlotte, tall and willowy, was in her early twenties, with chestnut hair, brown eyes, and dark-rimmed glasses. “I made a carrot cake this afternoon, from the bountiful carrot harvest in Gran’s vegetable garden.”

  “And I made a pomegranate trifle,” said Michele. She brushed her blonde hair away from her neck while she checked her makeup in the hall mirror. “Pomegranates are special to the Second Harvest Festival.”

  “Take your dishes into the kitchen, girls, then join me in the dining room for a glass of wine.”

  “Are Rowanne and Ben here yet?” asked Diana.

  “We expect them any time. I believe Misty and Angelique have our feast almost ready to serve.”

  Michele squealed as she entered the dining room, her eyes wide as she took in the hours of preparation Misty had fussed over. “This room couldn’t look more gorgeous. Who made the decorations?”

  “Misty made the harvest wreaths herself. Aren’t they lovely?” Claire floated over to the sideboard and poured glasses of wine for each of the girls.

  Hoodoo ran to the back door barking and bouncing, announcing the rival of Ben, Rowanne, Nixa, and Sam. And though the big furry dog loved all visitors, Nixa topped his list. The moment the little hound ran inside, the two of them were off and running through the house.

  “They’re here,” squealed Diana. She set her wine glass down on the buffet and sprinted the length of the hallway to wrap Rowanne in a hug.

  Rowanne’s face was slightly flushed as she received hugs from everyone.

  Luke corralled the two dogs and released them into the backyard to get them out of the hallway and lessen the chaos and the noise.

  Ben took a couple of steps back from the crowd, greeting him, and Luke recognized his plight.

  “Come on, Ben. Come have an appetizer with me.” Luke steered Ben into the dining room and pointed to the shrimp and the crawfish.

  Ben’s eyes widened at the big glass bowls heaped with each variety of crustacean. He followed Luke’s lead, picking up a small plate and stacking it with food.

  “Anything new in the forest?” asked Luke.

  Subjects of conversation with Ben were sorely limited to hunting, the weather, the color of the leaves, etc.

  “A bear shifter came down from the north end of the forest and scared Rowanne,” said Ben between bites. “He was big and black and growly before he shifted. We never saw him before. He said he lives in a big cave.”

  “Was he friendly?”

  “I didn’t like him. I told him to stay away from Rowanne because she belongs to me.”

  Luke nodded, thinking that might not have been the right approach with an animal five times Ben’s size, but he didn’t comment. Ben’s sensitivity floated too near the surface to dish out thoughtless comments.

  “And did the bear leave willingly?”

  Ben nodded. “He said he trespassed accidentally and became curious when he scented us. It’s a big forest.”

  “That’s true. Y’all live on thousands of acres of trees.”

  “If he does come back, I need to be ready in case he tries to take Rowanne. She’s my mate. The goddess wants me to care for her.”

  Luke didn’t want Ben fighting with a bear, and Rowanne caught in the middle of it. He couldn’t think of anything more dangerous. “Uh-huh. I’m sure you two will come up with a plan. Let me know if I can help.”

  Angelique cut thick slabs of homemade bread fresh from the oven, loaded them into a bread basket, and set the basket on the dining room table. “Dinner is ready,” she said.

  Luke pulled out a chair for his grandmother and made her comfortable. “I want you to eat lots, Gran. You need to put on a little weight.”

  “I will, dear. The food smells heavenly.”

  He patted her frail shoulder and kissed her head. “I’ve been inhaling the jambalaya since the moment I got out of bed. I could eat the whole pot myself.”

  Sam entered the dining room, kissed his grandmother on the cheek, and sat down next to her. “You’re looking much healthier than the last time I saw you, Gran.”

  “So are you, dear. I hope you’re avoiding stress as much as you can.”

  Sam shook out his napkin and set it on his lap. “I’m only working half days until October, and I’m following the doctor’s orders to the letter.”

  “Everyone, please sit,” said Misty, ushering the rest of her guests. She took her place on Luke’s other side and rested her hand on his. “Let us all thank the gods of the harvest before we eat. Mabon was a bowhunter, and today the gods have sent us Ben from the forest to represent the god, Mabon.”

  Ben smiled, and Misty reached across the table and touched his hand. “During the equinox, when the days and nights are of equal length, we celebrate and give thanks. We welcome the autumn season. The waning of the light as it gives way to the bleakness of the winter season is depressing, and after dinner, we’ll cast a spell to give us perfect balance until the light returns.”

  Sam cast a skeptical look across the table at Ben but didn’t utter a single word. He picked up his fork when Misty stopped talking and began eating.

  Misty passed a platter of barbequed steak to Ben, and his amber eyes lit up. “For you, my special friend. Blessed be.”

  The table was cleared and polished before Angelique placed a black satin altar cloth in the center. She lit three candles. Brown, gold, and orange, represented the colors of the season. Then she returned to the kitchen to fetch tea and coffee for everyone before Misty cast her balancing spell.

  Goddess of the moon

  Goddess of the sun

  Give our lives perfect balance

  Give our thanks to Mabon

  Blessed Be

  Seventeen Saint Gillian Street.

  Marigold opened the new book she’d bought at the New Age store to the page on the autumn equinox. She read all the words and mumbled to herself, “I can do this.”

  She repeated the spell in the book three times, and nothing happened. The cats stared, and Marigold thought she detected traces of ridicule on their furry faces.

  “Don’t laugh at me. Y’all will be sorry.”

  They jumped down off their chairs in unison and ran off.

  “Come back. I won’t yell at y’all. I need to get close to Madam LeJeune and learn her magic tricks. I want to be a witch, and she can teach me.”

  I’ll make her like me.

  She headed out the front door of her money pit Victorian and proudly walked up the street towards number nine. Lights were on in almost all the windows, and Marigold thought it might be a good time to pay her neighbor a call.

  Angelique heard the squeak of the iron gate when the chunky girl from number seventeen pushed it open. Luke warned her about this one. She wanted to take from Madam. There had been many such people in the time she’d spent assisting the LeJeunes. Now, with the baby coming, Madam needed peace, not people trying to get her attention for their own interest.

  She ran into the kitchen and pulled one of her green satin dolls out of the drawer. She quietly recited a spell while she held the doll in her right hand and a pin in her left.

  Woman keep away

  Woman do not stay

  Take your evil harm

  With a pain in your arm

  Retreat to your house

  Like a rat or a mouse

  Once you get inside

  The pain will subside

  Angelique plunged the pin into the arm of the doll and smiled as she heard the woman scream at the front gate.

  Misty entered the front hall. “Did I hear someone cry out?”

  “No, Madam. But I did hear the gate squeak. Perhaps Mr. Luke could oil it tomorrow.”

  Misty smiled. “Good idea. I’ll be sure to ask him.”

  Clutching her arm, Marigold ran down the street and through the front door. Morgan, Endor, and Cassandra scattered as she entered the front hall screaming.

  “My arm. My arm. I need to put something on it.”

  Marigold ran upstairs to the bathroom and dumped one of the unpacked boxes upside down. She knocked tins and bottles out of her way until she found the salve she was searching for. She opened the lid and scooped a generous fingerful out of the tin and wiped it across the spot on her arm.

  The stinging stopped, and she sagged in relief.

  Marigold let out a breath thinking the worst was over.

  She was wrong.

  Baton Rouge.

  Sam took Rowanne and Ben, and grudgingly, Nixa, home to Baton Rouge after dinner. He’d never allowed Rowanne to have a pet after her mother died, and here he was letting a scruffy hound dog ride in his perfectly maintained Cadillac.

  From his house, it was closer to drive them back to the forest in the morning, and he wanted to have some private time with Rowanne before they returned to the woods. He wouldn’t see them again for several months, and he needed her to come to her senses.

  After a round of hot chocolate before bed, Sam put his first request forward to test the waters of Rowanne’s reasonability. “I would appreciate it if you two slept in separate rooms while y’all are staying in this house.”

  Rowanne smiled while Ben looked panic-stricken. “Sure, Daddy. It doesn’t matter where we sleep.”

  When her father was busy cleaning up, Rowanne found an opportunity to reassure Ben. “Don’t worry, sweetie. As soon as my Dad is asleep, I’ll come into your room. Okay?”

  Ben nodded and seemed placated as they headed upstairs to retire for the night. His fear of Sam rendered him virtually silent in Sam’s presence.

  Rowanne undressed, brushed her teeth, and climbed into bed. It had been a good day, but long and tiring. Her head barely hit the pillow before Sam came in wearing his stern father look.

  Nuts. What’s he going to say to me?

 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18