CHARMEDIMSUREFINAL_edited_Eleanor

by rose@rosepressey. com

  I nodded. “Okay, just don’t let her make you do anything you don’t want to do.”

  A huge smile spread across Annabelle’s face. “I promise I won’t.”

  Bewitching Bath and Potions was full of beauty products with a little bit of magical help added in for the customers. My mother had been stirring up the potions for years. I helped my mother at her shop, but mostly just stocking the shelves and waiting on customers. Could Annabelle really help my mother with the spells? She’d never shown an interest in magic before, but maybe this was her special talent. Like I’d told her, I just didn’t want my mother to push her to do something she didn’t want to do.

  I walked with Annabelle through the house and to the front door. Our footsteps echoed across the stunning hardwood floors. Every room had intricate wood details and tall ceilings.

  It hadn’t been long ago that I couldn’t even convince Annabelle to come inside the manor. She’d claimed the place was too creepy. I had to admit the home made a picture-perfect haunted house. With the long driveway, iron gates, and three stories of creepiness, it looked like it could be home to numerous ghosts and many other paranormal creatures. But the more Annabelle came around, the more comfortable she’d become. I’d even gotten her up into the spooky attic where I’d found the book.

  This place was home for me now and I’d gotten used to roaming around the giant rooms. It was imposing and a little eerie, but that just added to the charm, right? I ignored the whisperings about my great-great-great-grandfather, a famed alchemist within the witchcraft world. He had built LaVeau Manor and was rumored to have just disappeared one day, never to be heard from again. Residents of Enchantment Pointe claimed to see him from time to time floating around town. They also said he was buried in the basement, or that his old bones were stashed away in a trunk in the attic. Trust me, I’d looked for bones, as creepy as that sounded, and found no sign of my long-lost relative.

  Annabelle hugged me. “I’ll see you soon.”

  I waved as she walked down the front steps. “I’ll stop by the shop soon. Tell my mom not to call me. I promise I’ll be there.”

  Annabelle drove away and I turned to walk back inside. When I stepped over the threshold, a hand grabbed my shoulder from behind.

  I spun around, putting my fists in the air. Nicolas Marcos held his hands up.

  “Whoa. Don’t hit me,” he said in his usual sexy voice.

  I lowered my fists. “What are you doing? Trying to scare me to death?” I looked over his shoulder. “Where did you come from?”

  “Didn’t you see my car?” He gestured with a tilt of his head.

  I looked again and spotted the black car in the driveway. How had I missed that?

  Chapter Two

  I’d barely opened the manor up as a bed-and-breakfast when this hunk of a man had shown up at my door. Nicolas Marcos had thick dark hair that I liked to run my fingers through. His deep blue eyes made me melt. Add to that high cheekbones and a dazzling smile and he was a total babe. Plus, he had just the right amount of masculinity and sensitivity. Yes, he had irresistible charm.

  Despite his handsome features, the night he’d appeared at the manor I’d wondered if he was a serial killer. Trying to escape from the trunk of his car wouldn’t be my idea of a fun date. So I’d proceeded with caution. I hadn’t wanted to let his good looks sway my better judgment.

  Lucky for me, I’d taken the chance and allowed Nicolas to rent a room. As it turned out, he wasn’t here for the Continental breakfast. His mother had been the leader of the Underworld until she’d been murdered by her sister. He’d come to find the Book of Mystics. I’d managed to keep the book even if Nicolas had wanted to get rid of it.

  “I met with a few of the coven members,” Nicolas said as he followed me into the parlor.

  “They’ve taken to you quickly. I think it’s your good looks.” I winked.

  Nicolas laughed.

  “See, even your laugh is impossible to resist.”

  “Now you’re making me blush,” he said.

  Nicolas hadn’t been the only one to show up. I’d found another mysterious man on my doorstep like a lost little kitten. Liam Rankin was Nicolas’ half-brother. The men looked almost like twins. Imagine how I’d felt when two gorgeous men had stumbled into my life. I’d had my suspicions right away that it wasn’t a coincidence.

  The brothers hadn’t exactly been on the best of terms at the time, since Liam had been in charge of guarding Nicolas’ mother at the time for her death. Needless to say that had caused a lot of tension in their relationship. Liam at first had wanted the book too. I had been so confused I hadn’t known who to trust. I’d been stuck in the middle of their rocky relationship.

  Things were a little better between them at the moment. Liam was now the coven leader for New Orleans. After the last coven leader had tried to kill us, I’d figured it was a wise idea to replace him. Nicolas was now the leader of the local Enchantment Pointe coven. That was where I lived. We were a short drive from New Orleans.

  It had been tough to decide between the men. There had been a spark with each of them. They looked alike, but their personalities were opposite. Nicolas was more secure, level-headed and a good listener, not to mention romantic. Liam was the wild one, a loner, but there was an underlying passion in him that I knew he tried to keep hidden. I wasn’t sure why he did this and I doubted he would ever open up to me.

  Nicolas and Liam weren’t just witches, they were vampires too. They’d been turned years ago. This was something that they hadn’t told me right away. I’d had to learn the hard way. Things had been looking up though. That was until Charlie had shown up.

  “Would you like breakfast?” I asked, hoping he would say no. I didn’t want to embarrass myself with the burnt pancakes again.

  Nicolas looked up at the staircase. “Coffee would be good.”

  I assumed he was looking for Charlie. He’d been here when she’d shown up last night.

  I motioned toward the kitchen. We could discuss her arrival in the other room without her overhearing the conversation. Nicolas followed me through the house. When we reached the kitchen, I pulled a mug from the cabinet and poured the coffee in. Vampires could eat and drink the same as normal humans. None of this blood-only stuff.

  Golden beams of sunlight bounced off the white walls. It was a good thing Nicolas wasn’t bothered much by the sun. As soon as I handed Nicolas the mug he placed it on the counter and then grabbed me in a hug. Nicolas lowered his lips on mine and planted a hot, passionate kiss on me. After a minute, he stepped back and gazed into my eyes. Nicolas’ expression usually held a hint of dark mystery and now was no different. Of course I was still in my just-been-kissed daze, so I could have been wrong.

  “I’ve been waiting all morning to do that,” he said, touching my mouth with his index finger. He traced the curves of my lips.

  I smiled. “Lucky me.”

  He held my hand and we moved over to the small white wooden table. Nicolas pulled out a chair for me and I sat down.

  “Tell me what’s happening,” he said as he retrieved the mug and sat across from me.

  I didn’t even know where to begin. There was something about Charlie that didn’t seem right, but I couldn’t accurately describe this feeling. It was different from when I’d reanimated people. I hadn’t even cast a spell when Charlie showed up, so I was almost sure that wasn’t it this time.

  “Charlie said she’s staying around for at least a week. I guess she’s waiting for this board to tell her what to do. Something seems off if you ask me and I plan to get to the bottom of it.” I tapped my fingers against the table.

  He took a drink from his mug. “You should ask to meet the board.”

  “Yes, I will.” I watched as Nicolas took another drink. “I just think it is odd that she would show up now. I mean, I was messing up spells from the first moment I got my hands on that book. This shouldn’t be news to anyone.”

  It was hard for me to admit th
is, but I had to face reality. Nicolas already knew that my magic wasn’t the greatest. That didn’t seem to matter to him though. It seemed as if he liked me for me, not whether I could cast a spell or wield a wand.

  “They spoke with my mother when she was the leader,” Nicolas said.

  “What did they say?” I asked.

  “She told them she wasn’t going to let them bully her.”

  I picked at the hem of my shirt and then finally met his gaze. “She was right about that.”

  “Just remember, you ultimately have control. You know you can turn down this position any time you want. Let someone else deal with the headache of being the leader.”

  “It sounds as if you’ve given that advice before.” I studied his face.

  He held the mug between his hands. “I told my mother that all the time.”

  I knew he was thinking about what had happened to his mother. I wished I could take away his pain.

  I sighed. “I guess it’s something I will have to figure out.”

  “I know you will.” He squeezed my hand.

  Movement sounded from upstairs. I thought back to the time when Nicolas had first shown up and I’d heard him walking around up there in the middle of the night. It seemed like ages ago now, but in reality it had only been a few weeks.

  “I have no idea what she’s doing up there.” I gestured with a tilt of my head.

  He looked up at the ceiling as if he would see her. “We’ll keep an eye on her.”

  Nicolas finished off his coffee and then pushed to his feet. “I have a meeting with the coven members in thirty minutes. Can I give you a ride to town?”

  I stood. “I have a few things to do around here first. I’ll catch up with you later.”

  Nicolas walked out from the kitchen and I followed him to the front door. I leaned against the doorframe as he stepped out onto the porch. He moved forward and planted another steamy kiss on me. His movements were raw and seductive as his tongue traced along my mouth. When the wooziness wore off, I looked into his eyes.

  “Just be careful here while I’m gone.” He touched my chin.

  Didn’t he trust me? How much trouble could I get into? Okay, I could get into a lot of trouble. Forget that question. I nodded and said, “I’ll stay out of trouble. I promise.”

  He smiled and then placed a feathery-light kiss on my lips. The simple touch made even my toes tingle. Nicolas turned to walk away.

  “Oh, by the way, you remember about the annual Witchy Ways Day?” I asked.

  He furrowed his brow. “What is a Witchy Ways Day?”

  I chuckled. “It’s the coven’s fundraiser. I figured someone would have told you about it. It’s held downtown and all the businesses take part. It’s like a small festival, but all the money goes to the coven for upcoming yearly costs.”

  “Well, now I know. What do I need to do?”

  “I’ll have Carol Gray get in touch with you. She took care of things in the past. Everything is pretty much ready though,” I said.

  Misty Middleton, the last coven leader, had helped organize the event. Since she was no longer the leader, it would be up to Nicolas from this point forward.

  I watched as Nicolas walked to his car and climbed in. He drove down the driveway and pulled out onto the street. A wind whipped through the nearby trees, stirring the branches. The sound floated across the air almost as if a message was in the sound of the swaying leaves. I hoped it wasn’t a warning of what was to come. Shaking off the thought, I closed the door and headed across the foyer.

  I made my way through the parlor. It had a large sofa and chairs next to it for a cozy sitting area. Beyond that was the library. A large fireplace took up most of the far wall of the room. Bookshelves full of my great-aunt’s old hardbacks lined the walls. A couple of comfy chairs sat in front of the fireplace and a desk was over by the windows. A large crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling.

  Getting lost in this house with so many rooms and doors was easy. I’d practically needed a map when I’d first moved in. Slowly it was beginning to feel like home. The creep factor was still there though.

  My great-aunt had left her books and other belongings to me when she’d given me the manor. However, she’d never told me about the old book in the attic. I’d found that purely by accident. It was written in a foreign language that I couldn’t read, but gradually the words had appeared in English. I still wasn’t able to read the whole book yet. I hoped that the book would reveal itself to me more and more each day. My great-aunt had been friends with Nicolas’ mother and had hidden the book for her. It made me wonder if she’d known that someday I would find the book.

  Books and furniture weren’t the only things my great-aunt had left me. Her cat Pluto stared at me from the kitchen doorway, licking her paws as she watched my every move. Sometimes I could have sworn I saw her shake her head in amazement at my spellcasting mishaps. She meowed loudly at me and I hurried over to fill her dish with her favorite Wild Salmon food. She practically knocked me out of the way to get to it. I rubbed her head and headed back to the library.

  As I stood in the middle of the room looking at all the hardback books lining the shelves, a thought popped into my head. I’d told Nicolas I wouldn’t get into trouble, and I fully intended on keeping that promise, but I couldn’t put off doing spells forever. If I could just find a spell that would help me see more clearly what was going on around me…

  I’d left the book securely locked in my bedroom. After repeated attempts from demons, witches, and vampires to get it from me I wasn’t taking any more chances. I made my way up the winding staircase toward my bedroom on the second floor. After unlocking the door, I slipped inside.

  My bedroom had a large mahogany bed set in the middle of my room, placed against the far wall. I had painted the room a rich cream color. A gorgeous deep purple velvet chaise took up space in the corner of the room by the window. A floor-to-ceiling bookshelf was to the left of the door. I displayed my small collection of witch figurines along with my large book collection on the shelves. The white down comforter on the bed called my name. After retrieving the book from the locked trunk at the foot of my bed, I clutched it under my arm and walked out of the room.

  I’d just stepped back into the hallway when the creak of a door caught my attention. When I looked up, I spotted Charlie heading toward me from down the hall. She flipped her dark hair over her shoulder with a flick of her wrist. Dark eyeshadow and liner covered her eyelids. Shiny gloss glistened on her lips. Her stare made me look away. I’d put her in the room at the end of the hall. There was no way I wanted her directly across from me.

  I thought about running back into my room and hiding, but Charlie spotted me right away. Besides, I couldn’t hide from her; I was the freakin’ leader of the Underworld, for witches’ sake. I needed to grow a backbone. After all, what could she do to me? Sure, the board could vote me out as leader, but what did I really care? Okay, I did care and I wasn’t sure how that whole voting-someone-out thing worked, but I digressed. I’d have to find out. But if the Underworld didn’t want me as the leader, then I sure wouldn’t stick around.

  I held the book close as Charlie approached. The tiny vibration I felt was coming from the book. I hoped it didn’t move on its own right there in front of her.

  Charlie glanced down at my book. She didn’t have to ask what it was. I knew by the look on her face that she knew.

  “Are you off to town?” I asked, trying to be polite.

  “I thought I’d go for a walk this morning. The weather is so pleasant.” She straightened her black sweater without even looking at me when she answered.

  I held the book a little tighter. “Yes, the weather is lovely.”

  How long would we stand there watching each other and talking about the weather?

  “Did you speak with the board yet?” I asked, getting right to the point.

  Her stance stiffened. “Yes, I spoke with them.”

  “Good. Did you tell
them that I want to meet with them? If this is just a misunderstanding, I am sure I can straighten it out. No need for you to stay here a whole week.”

  She stared at me. I guessed she took the hint that I really didn’t want her there. Under different circumstances I was sure she would have been a great guest, but considering I felt as if she was watching my every move, she should understand why I wouldn’t want her there.

  She picked at an invisible piece of lint on her sweater. “I will try to arrange a meeting.”

  No, no, that wasn’t good. This wasn’t what I wanted to hear. I wasn’t asking for her to try to set up a meeting. I was telling her to setup a meeting. Apparently I needed to make that more clear.

  I shifted the book to my other arm. “Actually, I am telling you to set up the meeting.”

  Her eyes narrowed and her nostrils might have flared a little. For a moment she didn’t speak, then finally she said, “I’ll set the meeting up right away.”

  Maybe she would, but she wasn’t happy about it.

  Chapter Three

  Leaving Charlie standing in the foyer, I walked away. I’d almost made it back to the kitchen when I heard the front door open and close. I assumed it was Charlie going out for her walk.

  I knew that I’d made her mad, but right now I couldn’t worry about that. I just couldn’t let someone come into the manor and start bossing me around. I wanted to know who this board was and what they wanted with me. Either tell me why or let it go.

  I stepped into the kitchen. My favorite place to cast spells.

  Now that I was alone it would allow me time to concentrate on my magic. I still wasn’t sure that I would find a spell that I needed in the book. I could try a spell on my own, but I wasn’t sure that would work out so well. I’d just now gotten the witches around Enchantment Pointe to stop complaining about me. I used to interfere with their spells every time I attempted one of my own.