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  “Louis?” I called out into the darkness, wondering if Louis had returned with me.

  “Over here, Queen.”

  I turned around and saw Louis arrogantly leaning against a tall ghostly tomb. His torso was naked and caked in dried blood from the whipping I had given him, but his wounds had closed and healed. His gray eyes were focused and determined as they rested on me. He took furious sips from a bottle. He looked like Louis, but I sensed a subtle transformation had taken place within him. He no longer radiated his hatred at me. His spirit had been somehow softened by what he had seen. I knew that we weren’t friends yet, but something also told me that Louis would never intentionally hurt me again.

  “Hey, is that Ti Jean’s bottle?” I asked as I walked towards him.

  “He said I could keep this one for playing nice. Want some?”

  “Why not?” I took the bottle from his hand and took a gulp of blindingly spicy rum before I turned to look at him. “I’m proud of you,” I said cautiously. “I’m proud of you for going back to that horrible place. I’m proud of you for not being selfish,” I said quickly, all the while bracing myself for his ever present sarcasm.

  There was an odd silence. I stared at Louis and tried to gage his emotions. Louis simply stared at the high yellow moon, while taking a few more sips of rum. When he finally spoke his voice had that typical ruthless edge to it, but I was relieved to discover that it wasn’t directed at me. “That sister of yours is going to pay for all that she’s done. She killed my mother….”

  “What?”

  He ignored me and continued. “And she used those poor suckers Collette and Abram for her own gain. I don’t know what she did exactly, but when I find out I’m going to use my ways and means on her.”

  “How do you know this?” I asked. “From my perspective, she was helping Abram and Collette and all of the others. She wanted to set them free. She cared more than I ever did,” I said softly. “Along the way something terrible happened to them and they ended up tongueless. I don’t think Emilie had anything to do with that.”

  “Oh Queen, you’re so naïve and what’s up with the self-pity? I thought you were over self-pity. Your sister doesn’t give a damn about anyone but herself. She never did and she never will. She used me like a tool, she used you like a tool and I’ll sell my soul to Papa Legba if she didn’t use those other clueless slaves as tools as well. To her, life is nothing more than a game and clearly she’s damn good at winning. The million dollar question is: what exactly is her end game?”

  “I know Emilie is crazy, but that’s only because I made her life a living hell. She only wants to hurt me because of what I did to her. She feels the same way you do. Surely you can understand that.” Why was I still defending her even after all that she had done? I was shocked at what he was implying. Why was I still choosing to believe that Emilie wasn’t all bad? Why was I still adamant that I deserved to be punished for letting her suffer?

  He let out a loud laugh and tossed back his head. “That’s what I love about you Queen. Despite all that you’ve been through, you’re still so innocent and naïve. It’s if Bon Dieu handcrafted you as an example for the rest us poor sinful bastards. Trust me when I say that I can smell hypocrites and parasites from a mile away. Those people…. my Mother doesn’t deserve any of this. Ti Jean will reveal what she did, you’ll see. People are capable of inflicting much cruelty onto others.” His voice was soft and sympathetic. His eyes were sorrowful, as if the weight of the world suddenly rested on his shoulders.

  “How can you be so sure?” I asked.

  “Like she said, some people got ways and means while the rest of us suckers are stuck with hopes and dreams.”

  Louis’ sympathy and heartfelt emotion for the others took me by surprise. I always believed in Louis’ goodness and my faith was finally paying off. He was slowly becoming a true King. “I’m proud of you,” I whispered, as I spontaneously gave him a hug.

  He went rigid in my arms, as if the simple act of a hug was a foreign concept to him. He pushed me away after a few seconds. “Let’s not get all sentimental shall we. Prince Charming might get jealous.”

  I laughed a nervous laugh as I tried to cover up my anxiety. “I know it’s not my place to ask, but do you ever think that you can forgive me…” Asking for true forgiveness was one of the most humbling things one could do. I swallowed and gathered my courage. “Do you think you can forgive me for what I’ve done?” I decided to just get it out of the way already. If Louis and I had to work together, I didn’t want to spend hours obsessing over whether he was secretly trying to kill me.

  Louis sighed deeply and stared at me for two long minutes before finally speaking. “I’m a lot of unholy things and I’ve done things that I’m not proud of, but the one thing I am not and never will be is a liar.”

  “I know that,” I said quickly, as I recalled how he had maintained his innocence when I had accused him of trying to harm Sabrina. Crap. Sabrina. The moment I thought of her, her tragic voice floated through the cemetery air. Only this time her voice wasn’t anxious. It was utterly defeated and helpless.

  “Arelia. I’m being selfish, aren’t I? I can’t expect you to rescue me all of the time. I accept my fate. You don’t have to rescue me ever again.”

  I ignored her. There was no point getting stressed and running around like a drunken chicken. That wouldn’t accomplish anything. I know I would help her one way or another, everything in good time.

  Louis continued. “I would be lying if I said I can never forgive you. I’m angry, yes, but, my anger has been directed at the wrong person,” he grudgingly admitted. “I’m not going to make any more Arelia Voodoo dolls. That sister of yours is my new target.”

  My heart beat faster. It all felt surreal and too good to be true. I felt like a prisoner on death row, who at the last minute had been found innocent while eating her last meal. “What are you saying?” I asked, pretending to be all cool when I wanted him to spit it out already.

  He grabbed a lock of my mud caked hair and twirled it around his finger. “You’ve been through hell and back too, haven’t you?” he asked softly. His eyes were wide and sincere.

  I nodded, unable to speak. I knew that the moment if I said anything I would start to cry. My lips started to tremble. A fat tear rolled down my cheek and onto my bloody toe. To my surprise, Louis placed his arms around me and pulled me close. It was my turn to go stiff in his arms, unsure if I was dreaming or Louis was really showing me genuine kindness. When he simply held me without restraint, the tears that I had hidden from Lucus decided to show themselves to Louis.

  He started to sing the song I had sang to him:

  Cry to me, now;

  You gonna cry to me

  You're gonna walk back through the heartaches;

  You're gonna walk back through the pain;

  Shed those lonely teardrops:

  Instead of continuing to cry I started to laugh. “You either have a really good memory or you’re a secret Bob fan.”

  “Neither, you just have a terrible singing voice. I’m showing you how a singing voice is supposed to sound like,” he said, as he let go of me and resumed his pose against the tomb. He stared intently at the grave and studied the inscription. His expression was blank as if he didn’t know how to feel. It took a moment to realize that the grave belonged to Jacques LaPlante. I didn’t know what to say or what Louis was thinking.

  “Are you okay?” I asked slowly, after a few moments had passed.

  “This isn’t the time to get sentimental,” he said, as he looked away from the tomb. “I suppose I can take comfort in the fact that the poor bastard was clueless as the rest of them.”

  “Your Mom loved him so much,” I said, as I remembered how Marie had felt when she was with Jacques. It was the exact same way I felt when I was with Lucus. All the poets and scribes hadn’t been exaggerating when they spoke about the power of true love. “She felt like herself when she was with him. She felt safe, happy, aliv
e, and fearless.”

  “Yeah, well the heart is blind and foolish. It’s deceitful,” he warned. “That’s why you need to ignore whatever the hell it tells you to do and do the exact opposite. Look how well it worked out for her… and me,” he added after a thoughtful pause.

  “No,” I whispered softly. “If you suppress your feelings for too long you’ll go mad. The truth always has a way of coming out whether we’re ready or not. You’re not a fool for having loved the wrong person. I know you try to put on a big charade, but your heart is kind and pure. I know why Ti Jean chose you.”

  “Maybe,” he said, as he brushed off my compliments. I was beginning to see that like me, Louis had a really hard time believing in his own goodness. He had problems accepting compliments and believing his own worth.

  “So what does this all mean?” I asked breaking the silence. “We’re having a normal conversation and we haven’t whipped one another or put stones in the others passway, are we friends, foes, or somewhere in between?”

  “It means we are what we are.” He shrugged and looked at the moon again. “Queen, you really over think things. Life really isn’t all that complicated. Some will hate you, some will love you and the others will just fake it one way or another. Don’t expect me to get all Hallmark on you.”

  I had no idea what that meant. We are what we are. It was so vague. I suppose I wanted some definition to our love-hate relationship, but I was beginning to realize that life itself was undefinable and to ask Louis for a status update was kind of desperate. So, I took it. “We are what we are. I can live with that…” I stopped speaking.

  The creak of the cemetery gate grabbed my attention along with several familiar voices.

  “Do you think a ghost took them?” Mrs. Dumpty’s excited voice floated from beyond the gate. “I know New Orleans is the most haunted city in the world, but I haven’t seen a single ghost yet. It’s a tad bit disappointing.”

  “I told you we should have gone to Monte Carlo this summer instead of coming back to this eerie place, but you insisted that you wanted to try on vintage dresses.” Mr. Gopal’s slightly bitter voice entered the cemetery as well.

  Chapter Twenty Two

  Haunted New Orleans

  Darkwood Plantation- Present Day

  “Arelia, thank God.” Lucus rushed towards me followed by a crowd of very excited guests. His hair was messy and his tie hung loose around his neck. I could tell he was worried sick. “Are you alright?” He took in the sight of my bloody gown and immediately turned towards Louis, not allowing me a chance to answer his question.

  In a totally out of character move, Lucus pushed Louis up against Jacque’s tomb and pinned him so that he couldn’t move. He showed no concern for Louis’ blood covered chest.

  “Prince Charming, why the sudden angst?” Louis wasn’t bothered by Lucus’ anger. He gave him a smirk and made no attempt to fight back. He gave the spectators a small wink clearly enjoying their horrified expressions.

  Lucus’ voice was low and threatening. He looked Louis square in the eyes. “I swear on our father’s grave that if you ever think about harming Arelia I will personally put you out of your misery. I don’t care if I die along with you, but I will hurt you.”

  “Lucus, stop.” I tried to pull him off of Louis. Just a few hours ago I would have readily allowed Lucus to school Louis, but now everything had changed. Progress had been made and Louis and I had reached a mutual agreement.

  Being the gentleman he was, Lucus backed off and turned to look at me. “Arelia, what did he do? Please tell me. You just have to say the word and I’ll banish him from Darkwood forever. I don’t care if he is my brother.”

  I looked at Louis for backup, but he just smirked. Regardless of our agreement, he still loved watching me squirm. I couldn’t tell Lucus the truth, not yet.

  “Well, what happened? Go on tell us.” Mr. Dumpty looked at me in expectation as he slurped from his Hand Grenade and shoved a Creole stuffed pepper down his throat.

  “We…” I fumbled for an excuse.

  “Dear, we won’t judge,” said Mrs. Scott, as she peered at me with wide eyes.

  The faces of the guest blurred with those of the melancholy angels and tormented saints. The cemetery started to spin and the enormity of their questions suddenly became too much. I took a deep breath and composed myself. I thought fast and pulled out a trick I had learned from Cecile. I held my head up high and let out a carefree laugh. I turned towards Louis. “It worked! They bought the show.”

  “The show?” asked Mr. Gopal.

  “Yes, the show. We thought it would be fun to treat you guys to a good old fashioned New Orleans scare. You should have seen the look on your faces! It’s too perfect, isn’t it? A bloody kitchen, bloody footprints that lead to a gorgeous old cemetery filled with haunting statues.”

  Thankfully, Louis played along. “It’s all fake blood,” he said smugly, as he gave Lucus a drop dead look. “No need to get all alpha on my ass.”

  The guests let out collective sighs of relief mixed with a hint of disappointment. They had wanted to see real blood and ghosts.

  “Let me give you a tour of this old place.” Louis made himself useful and guided the guests away from Lucus and me. I gave him a small smile of appreciation.

  Lucus pulled me close and covered my lips in a slow and delicious kiss before pulling back. His eyes met mine and I instantly knew that he had not bought any of my story. He wiped the blood off of my cheeks before speaking. “Arelia, you can’t fool me. This wasn’t a show. What are you hiding from me? Whatever it is, we can face it together.” His dark eyes were full of sincerity.

  Less than twenty four hours ago I had been so worried that when Louis and Lucus found out my little secret, they would hate me, now, I was hopeful that Lucus would somehow find it in his heart to forgive me. So, I gathered my courage and took a risk. “You’re right. This isn’t fake blood. It's mine and Louis’ blood. Yes, I am hiding something from you, but I have no choice. I sacrificed my silence in exchange for knowledge. Ti Jean, the loa of revolution, is revealing secrets to Louis and me. Secrets that will help me free many more people. Louis isn’t going to hurt me anymore. Yes, he’s still angry, but he’s working on that. He’s trying to heal just like you are. Does any of this make sense?” I asked, as I braced myself for his response.

  He was silent, still, and reflective for a few seconds. The moonlight bathed him and made it appear as if he was one of the statues that surrounded us. “Yes, it does make sense and I do understand the reasons for your secret, but I would be lying if I said I wasn’t slightly disappointed.”

  My heart sank. If he was disappointed with me now, wait until he found out the entire truth. “Why are you disappointed?” I asked slowly, not really wanting to hear the awful truth. I tried to erase the million and one negative thoughts that suddenly popped up in my head

  “I feel useless.” He said the words fast as if he wanted to expel the feeling from his body.

  “Useless?” I hadn’t been expecting that. “Why in the world do you feel useless?”

  He ran his fingers through his hair in frustration and looked up at the moon just as Louis had done. The LaPlante boys sure loved the moon and it was obvious that the moon loved them back, given the fact she always caressed their faces in just the right places. “Louis is fighting with you and I’m standing at the back row, simply watching.”

  I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. “Simply watching? You’re the one who brought me back to this side. You’re the one who has shown infinite patience towards Louis. You are the force that prevents us from killing one another. If it wasn’t for you, I would have thrown Louis into the swamp a long time ago and would have packed my suitcases and left this place. You’re the reason I want to fight. Please don’t ever think you’re useless.”

  Light flooded his eyes and his gloominess evaporated. “You’re turning into quite the romantic Ms. LaRue,” he said teasingly, as he covered my mouth in another kiss
that left me breathless.

  Our love story may have not been perfect given everything that had taken place, but it was unique and wholly ours and ours alone. Blood covered vintage dresses, beautiful cemeteries with haunting statues, demanding spirits, and a handsome soul who was slowly becoming less tortured, I wouldn’t have traded my love story for anyone else. It was simply perfect.

  “I’m happy for you…” Sabrina’s voice flooded into the cemetery again. I tried to ignore my guiltiness.

  “It’s all your fault,” I said, as I collapsed into his chest and allowed myself to clear my mind of all I had yet to see and do.

  Our little moment of devotion and romance was interrupted by a very disappointed Mr. Dumpty who obnoxiously cleared his throat. “If I spend my hard earned money on a vacation, I expect professionalism from the staff. If you want to make out, please don’t do it on my dime. Either get a room or refund my money. My glass is empty.”

  We turned to face him. “Of course, Mr. Dumpty,” I said, not even he could rip my happiness away from me.

  The guests and Louis soon joined us and we walked back to the main house. I had Louis on one side and Lucus on the other. I didn’t feel nervous or worried anymore. I felt safe and secure. It was a big step up from how I had felt last year. I knew that they would fight by my side and together the three of us would see this thing through to the end. However, I sensed that Louis still harbored a deep bitterness towards Lucus as he kept casting slightly evil side way glances at him.

  I nudged him. “You’re so obvious.”

  His gray eyes rested on me without a hint of remorse. “I told you I’m not a fake. Feelings don’t magically change overnight, you know, so don’t try to force anything”