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  Viola shook her a hand free from mine. “What are you, some kind of Disney princess?”

  “No,” I said, brushing off her rudeness. “I am a Voodoo Queen.”

  She looked at me in wide eyed wonder and fear. Immediately, she ran to Ben’s side and took his hand.

  “You’re scared now, aren’t you?” Ben asked with a proud sneer. “She rescued me from the swamp, so you better watch it Viola. If you’re mean to me, I’ll ask her to put a spell on you.”

  Viola’s expression darkened and she looked at her toes. Her tiny body shuddered and I could see the goosebumps crawl up her skin. I stopped walking and let go of Ben’s hand. I kneeled down in front of Viola and looked her in the eyes. “I’m never going to hurt you,” I assured her. “I don’t hurt people. I only make sure bad things don’t happen. I want to help people. You don’t have to worry about anything bad happening to you.”

  Viola’s eyes softened and suddenly there was a familiarity about them that I couldn’t quite place my finger on. Her hard exterior relaxed and she was no more than a really vulnerable kid. “You promise?” she whispered.

  Ben rolled his eyes and lightly punched his sister in the arm. “Viola, you’re such a wimp. Arelia can do whatever she wants. If she wants to put a spell on you and throw you in the swamp, she can.”

  Unexpectedly, Viola burst into tears. “You’re so mean! I’m telling Mom!” she hollered running out of the ballroom.

  “Good luck with that!” Ben shouted after her. “She doesn’t care about you! She’s with Mary now!”

  “Ben.” I turned to him horrified that the sweet little kid from last summer had such a cruel streak. “I expect better from you. What happened to that charming young man who made me feel better in the slave cabin?”

  His scowl softened. “I’m sorry Arelia. She just drives me crazy with her attitude. She thinks she’s better than me.”

  “She doesn’t think that. She’s a kid. You’re her older brother. Her protector.”

  He grinned and his eyes gleamed. “Can I be your protector too?” he asked.

  I nodded. “Of course, I need a protector in my corner. It has been a crazy year.” I shut my mouth and thought fast. “With school and everything.”

  Ben extended his arm for me to take. “It’s okay Arelia, I’m not as weak as I was last year. This year I want to wrestle an alligator.”

  I laughed as we walked out of the ballroom. “I’d pay to see that.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  Don’t Be Paranoid Arelia

  Present Day

  Darkwood Plantation

  Outside, the early evening air was warm and sticky. The sky had turned a pretty shade of cotton candy pink and the glorious Louisiana stars were making their grand entrance. The ever vigilant oaks had been decorated with a thousand twinkling lights and the jazz band continued to play a happy tune, making the scene something right out of a fairy tale. A strange unease crept upon me as I momentarily reflected on the word, fairy tale. Those usually never ended well. Something tragic and sinister always ended up happening, like the death of a main character or a beloved relative.

  Guests were gathered in groups laughing, gossiping, and enjoying one last cocktail before dinner. I shuddered at the thought that two of them were Edmond and Emilie. I examined each one of their faces for any hint of crazy, which was a poor plan because the most charming people usually turned out to be serial murderers. Besides, not one of the guests looked suspicious.

  They danced. They drank. They sang. They stared with their mouths open at the very lavish feast that had been laid out on the large table. Illuminated by candle light, there rested shrimp and artichoke soup, lobster thermidor, Creole stuffed red peppers, oysters bienville, chicken & andouille sausage gumbo, Gumbo Arelia, Creole smothered okra & tomatoes, praline sweet potatoes, shrimp stuffed mirlitons, Cajun lasagna, seared scallops with crawfish, stuffed artichokes, Creole boiled rice, andouille cheese grit cakes, brabant potatoes, shrimp and eggplant dressing, chicken jambalaya, and a variety of other dishes that looked absolutely delicious. Clearly, Darkwood was determined to make sure the guests were very very well fed. My stomach let out a vicious growl, almost prompting the rum bottle to fall from its carefully hidden place.

  Where was Lucus? Louis? Grand-mere? Aunt Mae? Henri?

  “I’m starving,” said Ben.

  “I think you’re in luck,” I said as I motioned to the table.

  “Awesome!” He let go of me and made a mad dash for the table.

  “Bring her to me, you worthless fool!” Ghede Massaka’s obnoxious voice rustled through the oak leaves.

  “I’m working on it,” I muttered. Geez. There were only so many things I could do at once.

  I heard Sabrina, Marie, and Linto’s tragic lament dance in the air along with the plump lady’s tragic plea.

  I didn't come here to be anyone's servant

  Digging the hole; it's me. Burying; it's me (bis)

  I didn't come here to be anyone's servant.

  Deliver Us

  Deliver Us

  Oh Come and Deliver Us

  Remembering Erzulie’s advice, I kept my composure and reminded myself that I was a Queen. I would not lose my focus. I would get to the bottom of this. I also remembered Bade’s advice. There is work to be done. Do it little by little.

  I searched the massive lawn for Aunt Mae and Grand-mere. I squinted a few times before I realized they were huddled under an oak in deep conversation. Grand-mere looked as if she had lost a pile of weight since the last time I saw her. Her once heavy frame, was now half its size. She wore a long white cotton dress printed with tiny black flowers and an array of colorful beads around her neck. Aunt Mae on the other hand, looked as radiant as ever dressed in a happy yellow gown and blood red tignon. I slowly walked towards them feeling like as if I was a stranger. They paid no attention to me as their faces were turned towards the tree.

  I stopped in my tracks when I realized they were talking about someone. I didn’t want to interrupt them.

  “We have to tell her,” said Aunt Mae. “She has to know.”

  “I can’t Mae. She is my child. My sweet child.”

  “She cannot hide anymore.”

  “She can for a while longer. Let her enjoy a piece of happiness just for a little longer,” Grand-mere urged.

  “Bea, you know that she must take responsibility. She must help us all before it’s too late. Where do you think she’s been for the past year? She’s been learning who she truly is. She has been learning her true destiny. The loa say it’s time. We must listen to them.”

  “No. We cannot force her. Lucus says she cannot remember any of the past year. We must believe her and we must help her bring back Sabrina. The loa are not ready to let her deliver us just yet. We don’t even know if she is the one we’ve been waiting for.”

  Aunt Mae laughed. “Bea, you can’t keep making excuses for her. All of the signs are there. Erzulie chose to bless her. Lucus fell in love with her. Look at all Louis tried to do to her yet she survived. How can you not believe? The loa warned me that “ the one” would fill this criteria and she has.”

  Grand-mere’s voice was grief stricken. “I’m not ready to let go. Please let her find Sabrina first. Allow her to bring back the only true friend, she’s ever had.”

  “Fine. We will wait. But we can’t wait for too long. He is gaining more power day by day and soon his rule will dominate the entire world. What will happen to us all?”

  What the hell? Had they known all along that I was Cecile? Who was he? What had they been hiding from me? I wanted to march up them and ask them ten million questions, but I restrained myself. Act like a Queen and think like a heathen, I reminded myself. I swallowed my anger and composed myself.

  I approached them with a huge fake grin on my face. “Hello,” I said, pretending that I hadn’t heard a word. I had to stay true to Ti Jean. I had to pretend.

  They immediately stopped speaking and turned to face me. All of my
anger genuinely vanished at the sight of my family. Their eyes filled with tears. And without a word they both embraced me. I wrapped my arms around them and squeezed them until my arms ached. After what seemed like an eternity, I finally pulled away.

  “Oh my beautiful child.” Grand-mere Bea’s kind eyes were filled with tears. “I’ve missed you so much.”

  Tears started to flood down my face and I embraced her again. “I’m so sorry. I’m sorry,” I muttered over and over again. “I abandoned you for an entire year.” I was carrying a bucket load of guilt for leaving her to fend for herself. She had never let me down, but why was she hiding things from me? I thought we had gotten past the whole secret part of our relationship, but I guess I was wrong.

  She laughed. “My sweet child is always thinking about others. I’m fine. Mae, Henri, and Lucus took such great care of me. I’m officially a manager here at Darkwood,” she said with pride. “I told that nasty old James to go to hell.”

  I snorted. “I actually kind of missed James.” It was true. Compared to Ghede Massaka and some of the other characters I’d met along the way, James was a saint.

  I turned to Aunt Mae and gave her another huge hug. “Thank you for all that you’ve taught me. Thank you for the way you built me up and helped me realize my own strength.” I genuinely grateful, but I also wanted to scream at her and demand that she told me everything. I was so over secrets.

  “I only showed you what you needed to see,” she said lovingly.

  “Where is Henri?” I asked after I pulled back.

  “He’s visiting his brother in Alabama for a few weeks,” she said. Her green eyes were anxious as they searched my face. “Lucus told us everything. How he found you out in the swamp last night. How you don’t remember anything, and how Sabrina is still stuck on the other side.”

  She wanted me to slip. To confess. To admit that I knew more than I was letting on. I didn’t break eye contact. I would not bend or bow. “He’s right. I don’t remember a thing,” I said sweetly. Was it my paranoid nature or did she seem a little suspicious? Don’t give into paranoia, Arelia. She’s your Aunt. She’s been helping you learn Voodoo/Hoodoo. If she wanted to murder you and attach your soul to Edmond for eternity, she would have done that a long time ago.

  I smiled sweetly, widened my eyes and nodded. “Yes. I wish I could remember. All I know is Sabrina is still stuck on the other side and I need to help her find her way back. Then there’s the whole Lucus and Louis thing.”

  “Ahh. Yes. The elusive Louis Beau,” said Aunt Mae with a smirk.

  Grand-mere Bea let out a small laugh and they looked at one another as if they were hiding yet another secret.

  I looked at them surprised that Louis didn’t strike fear and terror into their hearts.

  “He’s such a sweet boy,” Grand-mere gushed.

  Aunt Mae nodded in agreement. “He’s just rough around the edges that’s all.”

  Now it was my turn to laugh. Rough around the edges? Sweet boy? Did they have any idea what he had done? “Aunt Mae, you know better than anyone else what Louis is capable of. Don’t you remember what he did?”

  “Yes, I remember. He would make a powerful ally, wouldn’t he?” she asked mysteriously.

  Don’t be paranoid Arelia. Don’t be paranoid. It’s perfectly normal for your Aunt to be accepting of the person who tried to sell you into slavery, trapped you in the past, and put stones in your passway and… I stopped myself in mid-thought. I deserved all that he had done and more. At least he hadn’t cursed me. “Powerful ally? I don’t know what you mean.” I played dumb. I was getting quite good at it.

  “You’re in love with Lucus, aren’t you?” she asked.

  I tried to hide my silly grin. I nodded. I wasn’t ready to go around making public declarations of my undying love. I wanted to keep that private. I wanted to hide my love for Lucus from the world and wrap it up in a cocoon, so no one could ever curse us again. I nodded again.

  “Well, now you know that he’s not the enemy, you can work with him to bring Sabrina back. You can also work with him to break the curse.”

  Was she torturing me on purpose? What did she know? Did she know that I was responsible for the curse? That I had a demented half -sister? There was a dark part of Aunt Mae that scared the hell out of me. Something in her eyes felt as if she was mocking me. Don’t be paranoid Arelia. I gave her a small smile. “Yes, I guess we can work together. Have you seen Lucus?” I changed the subject. I needed to see him even if it was for a few seconds. He was the only one I trusted. The only one who made me feel safe.

  “He’s right over there.” Grand-mere pointed to a nearby oak.

  I spotted him surrounded by a group of female guests. Handsome as ever in a black vintage dinner jacket and gorgeous white ruffled shirt that I swore was a century old, Lucus stood with his arms crossed. An amused smile danced on his lips and his dark eyes shone as he listened to the excited guests. Mrs. Dumpty, Viola, Mrs. Scott, Mrs. Gopal, and a few new faces were crowded around Lucus asking him question after question, but he didn’t seem to mind. He was enjoying the attention.

  “There will be more ballroom dancing lessons this year, right?” Clearly, Mrs. Dumpty was determined to get one on one time with Lucus. Her blue eyes gleamed and she took an anxious sip from her Hurricane.

  “Yes. Of course,” Lucus replied with pride in his voice. “You look lovely, Mrs. Dumpty. You should wear dresses more often. Lucus was right, Mrs. Dumpty did look amazing in a long floral dress and delicate pearl earrings.

  “Oh, this old thing? I just tossed it on.” Genuine flattery worked with Mrs. Dumpty. Let’s face it, what woman hates an honest compliment?

  “Don’t get me wrong, dear, I really am enjoying this Ramos Fizz, but I can’t stop thinking about that delicious Brandy Milk Punch from last year. Do you think they’ll serve it tomorrow at breakfast?” Mrs. Scott anxiously asked.

  “Of course there’ll be Brandy Milk Punch at breakfast. I can have the bartenders whip up a pitcher now if you’d like.”

  Mrs. Scott’s eyes gleamed with temptation, but she looked at her almost empty glass. “No, dear. I’ll stick with the Fizz tonight.”

  “Lucus, I know I’ve already asked this, but are you sure you have vintage dresses in all sizes? I really want to wear one for the masked ball, but I’m not sure if you carry them in extra small...” Mrs. Gopal’s expressive brown eyes were full of fear at the prospect of not having a chance to try on a vintage dress.

  “Yes,” Lucus assured her. “We have dresses in all sizes.”

  The group let out a collective sigh of relief.

  “Ben said that she’s a Voodoo Queen.” Viola pointed at me. The group collectively gasped and turned to face me. “And that she’s going to put a spell on me and throw me into the swamp.”

  Lucus’ eyes met mine and my heart melted. I tried to hide my smile, but the struggle was lost. A big silly grin spread across my face, but I didn’t look at my feet. I kept my head high. I felt his eyes scan me from head to toe. It wasn’t the horrible, degrading leers that Edmond had given me. Instead, it was a look of appreciation, pride, and admiration. At that second I realized that it felt really damned good to be admired by the right person.

  Lucus extended his hand. I walked towards him without hesitation and took his hand into mine. “You look beautiful,” he said as he gave me a soft kiss on the cheek.

  The group of ladies let out another gasp. It wasn’t a scandalized gasp like the ladies of the past had given us. It was a gasp of jealousy mixed with, that way you gasp when you hear a really touching love song or read a book that makes you want to kill the main character and steal her boyfriend.

  “Thank you,” I said. “For everything. It’s all so beautiful.”

  “It’s nothing without you here.”

  There was another gasp from the ladies. They all clutched their hearts and looked at their husbands, who were enjoying cocktails and conversation, in contempt.

  “Hello.” I
gave the group of ladies a bright smile. “It’s so good to see all of you again. I’m so happy you decided to come back to Darkwood for another summer,” I said genuinely. In that instant a rush of knowing surged through me. I don’t know how, but I just knew that I could see myself living at Darkwood and doing this forever. Never forgetting the past, but making sure that the future was brighter for everyone.

  “You look so beautiful, dear,” said Mrs. Scott, as she gave me small peck on the cheek. “By the way, is it true that they’re serving shrimp and grits for breakfast, some sinful praline bacon, as well as pommes de terre brabants? Oh, did I pronounce that correctly?”

  I grinned. “Yes, of course, and there will be lots of that Brandy Milk Punch you adore, as well as some delicious Bourbon Milk Punch.” I had no idea if that was true but I’d ask the chefs to whip up a batch.

  She let out a small squeak of delight.

  Lucus let go of my hand and got down on his knees, so that he was eye to eye with Viola. “You see this beautiful lady right here?” He motioned to me. “She’s the most amazing person you’ll ever meet. She’ll never throw you in the swamp or cast an evil spell on you. You have my word.”

  It felt as if a million pins had been stuck in every one of my major veins. Yes, I would. I had.

  Viola eyed me with her cold blue eyes before turning her focus back to Lucus. “You’re naïve,” she said.

  “Viola! How rude. Apologize to Lucus,” said Mrs. Dumpty. She took a frustrated sip from her Hurricane. “This child. She says the strangest things.”

  “Sorry,” said Viola without a hint of emotion in her voice. “I’m only saying sorry because I’m forced to say it, not because I mean it.”

  Lucus rose and shrugged off Viola’s comment. “No offense taken,” he said. “Now, you ladies enjoy your night. Please excuse us.”

  He took my hand and ushered me away from the group. “Where are we going?” I asked.

  “We’re having dinner.”

  “Dinner?” I had to admit I was starving, but there was the pressing issue of the Louis Voodoo doll. “As much as I would love to have dinner with you, there are some things I have to take care of. You go ahead. I’ll be right back.”