by Kira Saito
“I’m not lying about that. How else can you explain what happened tonight? How else can you explain any of it?”
“I was confused. That’s all. Nothing lured me there. After I saw you guys making out under the oak tree I got so angry and then I drank too much. I needed some time to think so I took a walk. Then I slipped into that hole. I don’t remember what happened afterwards. I blacked out or something.”
“And you don’t think that’s weird? You hate graveyards. You hate funerals and anything that reminds you of death.”
She shrugged. “I don’t remember how I ended up there. I was upset and drunk.”
“I don’t think it’s safe that you stay at Darkwood.”
“Oh please, if you think I’m going to get all freaked out if I see you and Lucus making out, I’m not. I’m over it. You win the prize. I don’t want to spend the rest of the summer alone in that big empty mansion. It’ll be super depressing if you’re not around. The staff is horribly boring and who the hell knows when my parents will be back. Besides, if you’re staying then I’m staying too. You win- no harm, no foul.”
Frustrated that she kept referring to Lucus as a prize, I had to say something. “He’s not a prize, Sabrina. He’s a person and I didn’t win. You can’t compete for someone’s attention or their feelings.”
She rolled her eyes. “Sure. Keep telling yourself that. The Real Housewives of the Garden District do it all the time.”
“Do you really want to be like the Real Housewives of the Garden District? They don’t even remember what their real faces look like anymore. That’s scary.”
She sighed. “Name one thing I’m good at. One thing that makes me stand out on my own. If you take away my last name and my parent’s money, there’s nothing spectacular about me. Nothing at all. Unlike you, I don’t have that spark. That something that tells me that despite whatever happens, I’ll be okay. Don’t roll your eyes and say that I’m young and I have my whole life and blah blah blah. Maybe if I had more of a spark, someone like Lucus would actually pay attention to me.”
“Sabrina, you’re the most dramatic person I know. Your ability to throw cocktails in people’s faces, draw attention to yourself and cause a scene goes unrivaled. There are big name actresses that would kill to have your skills. How can you even think that you don’t have any spark?”
She smiled. “Maybe I should open up a Sabrina’s School of Drama and charge people for lessons.”
“I would pay good money for that.”
She took a deep breath. “Go. He’s waiting. I can hear him pacing.”
I shook my head. “No. I’m going to stay here.”
“Arelia, I already have a babysitter,” she said motioning to Grand-mere.
“Promise me you’ll keep that gris-gris on at least until the morning.”
“You mean this ugly thing?” she asked pointing to my poorly constructed attempt at a gris-gris charm.
“Yes. And once again I’m sorry for being such a crappy friend. I’m sorry that I was watching you sleep and sorry that I’m going to go meet Lucus right now.”
Why did I constantly feel that I had to apologize for everything?
“Arelia, you know I’ll always love you. You’re the only one who bothers looking past my bitchiness.”
“Right back at you.”
“Be safe, if you know what I mean.”
I rolled my eyes. “Yes mom.”
If anything happens to Barbie her blood is on your hands. That’s what happens when self-sacrificing girls don’t know what the hell they’re doing. You’ll be a murderer just like your little boyfriend.
Even though I tried to ignore Ivan’s voice, I couldn’t help but agree with him. If something did happen to Sabrina, it would be all my fault. Maybe I should have stayed in the room with her and watched her sleep all night, but Grand-mere was there and Lucus was waiting for me…
I took a deep breath and opened the bedroom door.
Chapter 25
What do you want to be when you grow up?
Lucus took my hand and led me down the long, blood-soaked hallway and into his room. The comforting yet exhilarating scent of cognac and wax filled me with a sudden burst of serenity. The rain relentlessly beat the window pane while a light breeze prompted the flames from several low burning candles to do a ghostly night dance which was strangely hypnotic. My attention immediately fell to a painting that hung on the wall.
“You put this up?” I asked, as joy came over me.
“I did. Suddenly, looking at them isn’t as painful as it used to be. ”
I bit my lip as I tried to repress my smile. He put a painting up. Finally a painting. Progress! He wasn’t doomed to be a miserable prisoner. He wanted to move on. Mait Carrefour was wrong. He had to be wrong.
“Is that you with your parents?” I asked, as I examined the painting of a man, woman and an adorable chubby infant with loose dark curls. The man was no older than twenty-five with perfectly sculpted cheekbones, a generous mouth and penetrating brown eyes. The woman was extremely beautiful with her large animated eyes, heart-shaped face, raven locks and Mona Lisa smile. I was mesmerized by the lifelike painting with its happy warm tones- that was, until drops of blood started to stream down the foreheads of the models. I immediately looked away.
Monsters. A family of monsters.
In attempt to block out Ivan’s voice, I hurried over to the heavy wooden table and poured myself some vile cognac. I closed my eyes and let the hot liquid rush through me.
“Yes, it is. It was painted by Jacques Amans in 1838, a couple of years after I was born. At that time, he was the most popular painter amongst the upper class, especially plantation owners. My father commissioned him to paint all of our family portraits,” said Lucus, as he approached me. “My mother wouldn’t have it any other way. She always insisted on the best and he happily obliged.”
Another painter being paid off by blood money.
“You look exactly like your dad. He was really handsome.” God, nice move Arelia, drool over his dad. I felt my cheeks get hot for no logical reason what so ever. I turned to face him.
“You think I’m handsome?” asked Lucus teasingly, as he raised an eyebrow.
“Maybe a little. Don’t get too cocky, now,” I said, as I tried my best to ignore the fact that slowly, the entire room was turning a rich shade of red.
My attention fell on the heavy rain that poured beyond the lace curtains, and immediately my nostrils filled with the metallic scent of blood. I closed my eyes. I would not scream.
I felt Lucus’ warm hand against my cheek. “Arelia, are you alright?”
I nodded and let out a low sigh.
You’re not going to win, Ivan. This isn’t real.
Oh yes it is. It’s as real as those graves you saw in the cemetery. He’s a monster and I’m not going to stop until you realize that too.
No.No.No.
I stood on my toes, slipped my hands under Lucus’ t-shirt and parted his lips with a determined and forceful intensity. I slowly grazed my tongue against his and took in the smooth and slightly sweaty feel of his skin under the weight of my hands. I yanked off his t-shirt and lightly traced the firm outline of his chest and flat stomach. There was no way I was going to hand him over to Mait Carrefour or let him rot in Darkwood forever. Or was I?
“I thought you despised the sight of me shirtless,” he whispered breathlessly, as his fingers ran through my tangled hair.
Our eyes met and I smiled slightly. “Stop living in the past.”
He grinned and playfully pulled me towards the bed where we effortlessly sank into the silky duvet. The smell of blood was replaced by that of fresh rain and lilies. Ivan’s dogma vanished as Lucus covered my forehead in soft kisses which slowly made their way down to my lids and finally my mouth. His hands were almost weightless as they slowly stoked my lower back and his kisses were the perfect blend of hard and soft. Strong and gentle.
Blood-filled kisses.
We were a tangle of duvet and limbs as we stopped to catch our breath. “What do you want to be when you grow up?” I asked out of nowhere.
Lucus lay on top of a pillow and held me close. I rested my head on his chest and took a secret sniff of his delicious skin, as I waited for him to respond. “No one’s ever asked me that before,” he said after a long pause. “If I tell you, you swear you won’t laugh?”
“Okay, I’m going to use your line, why would I laugh?”
For a spilt second the candle light made his eyes appear infinitely sad and distant. “I wanted…”
“No, no,” I corrected him. “You want.”
His face lit up. “I want to be a painter.”
“Why?”
“The sights and sounds of New Orleans always seemed to put a spell on me. The fierce beating of drums and wild dancing in Congo Square on Sundays. The never-ending bustle of the French market where people of all shapes, colors and sizes would gather to trade, banter and bicker. Ships gliding on the Mississippi River against a fiery sunset. The never-ending exhilaration and danger that bars, gambling dens and the many theatres provided. All of it was so alive and vibrant, almost overwhelming. I figured if I could paint it all, it would somehow be immortalized and its beauty would never fade. Of course, at that time, I never had the patience to actually learn how to paint.”
He forgot the slave pens.
“Because, you were too busy placing bets on Dotty, right?” And hooking up with lovers? Argh, who was that girl? Stop it, Arelia. Stop being a paranoid mess.
He laughed deeply. “She was quite distracting. After the curse was placed on me, I was determined to paint every sight and sound I could remember from the city. Luckily, Jacques Amans agreed to give me lessons, and for years I was so passionate and dedicated to painting. It gave me an intangible freedom of some sorts. However, after everyone around me started to fade, my desire to keep their memories alive possessed me to a point of lunacy. Then, one day I just stopped. I can’t remember the last time I actually picked up a paintbrush.”
“Well maybe you should quit being a mopey prince and start again.”
“Now that I have I reason to, maybe I will,” he said softly, as his lips slowly grazed my ear.
“You’re so cheesy.”
“Am I now? Then why are you smiling?”
“I’m not smiling,” I said, as I tried to repress my smile. “I don’t fall for corny lines.”
“I see a smile,” he said, as he spontaneously grabbed my foot and tickled it.
Sadly, I was a ticklish person and broke out in laughter like a two year-old. “That’s not fair.” Again that line.
He leaned in and gave me a deep kiss. “I apologize for being unfair, but I love the sound of your laughter. Now, what do you want to be when you grow up?”
I took a deep breath and looked up at the ceiling. “I know I should say something practical. Something that’ll make the world a better place; like a doctor, engineer, teacher, or one of those people that save whales. Grand-mere insists that I go into nursing for some odd reason, but what I really want is my own hotel. A place where people can go and escape whenever they need to get away from it all. It’ll have rooms like these with high ceilings, chandeliers and lace curtains so guests feel like they’re living in a fairytale even if it’s only for a few days. Of course, its kitchen will have the best chef in New Orleans and there will be mouthwatering food, sweet cocktails, and fatty desserts, most of which will be chocolate-based. I’m a pretty decent cook so I can help out there too. It’ll also have an annual The Nightmare Before Christmas masquerade.”
“The Nightmare Before Christmas?”
I nodded. “It’s my favorite movie, because I can’t decide which holiday I like better Halloween or Christmas. Halloween is awesome because of costumes, candy and glowing pumpkins plus it’s the one night of the year when babbling to spirits is perfectly acceptable and even encouraged, so I feel right at home. But Christmas, oh don’t get me started on Christmas. It smells like cinnamon and white chocolate, and when you combine those smells with twinkling lights something truly magical happens.” Oh my God, Arelia, glowing pumpkins? Stop rambling. I got really paranoid all of a sudden and clammed up.
“Go on, I want to hear more,” said Lucus.
Reluctantly, I continued. “It just seems like such a small, irrelevant dream, you know. When you consider things like world starvation, the crappy economy and the list goes on and on. It doesn’t seem like a super productive thing to devote my life to. Yes, sadly I do spend way too much time thinking about the economy. How is opening a hotel where people escape from their problems going to help them? How is it going to help anything? It seems meaningless.”
He shook his head. “I think it’s beautiful. Food, music, laughter and dancing are life’s greatest gifts. They’re the things that unite humanity, break barriers and inspire beauty. Any place where people gather to enjoy life is meaningful. Not everyone is meant to be a doctor or whale protector. The world would be a sad place if it was full of doctors but no chefs or poets. Different people are meant to do different things. You should never feel guilty for pursuing your dreams.”
I rolled my eyes. “My God, you sound so French.”
“What’s wrong with that?”
I rolled my eyes again and pretended to be all cool. “It’s just so fluffy.”
“Fluffy?”
I nodded. “Yeah. Fluffy and cheesy.” The truth was my world needed some fluffiness and cheesiness but I wouldn’t admit that to him. I was beginning to realize that maybe fluff and cheese were actually pretty awesome if administered in acceptable doses. Fluff and cheese made me feel healthy, happy and a little less angry.
He laughed and for a second his eyes danced exquisitely. “I suppose I inherited my fluffiness from my father. It only comes out to play when I’m with you.” He gently cupped my cheek and suddenly his expression went serious. He looked deep into my eyes. “I love you, Arelia. When you’re close to me I don’t feel like a ghost. I don’t feel invisible and insignificant,” he said softly.
Don’t tell Ken you love him.
Shut up, Ivan.
“How could someone like you ever feel invisible and insignificant?” I asked.
“The same way someone as beautiful and unique as you can.”
“What’s going to happen to us?” I asked suddenly and out of nowhere. I had no idea where that came from. I didn’t sound like something I would ever say or even dream of saying, yet I did say it. I couldn’t blame Ivan for this one. I didn’t want to be insta-love girl, yet here I found myself in the exact position I’d tried so hard to fight.
He let out a deep breath. “You’re going to teach me how to be useful. I’ll teach you how to paint and pick out rats that are guaranteed to double your money. We’ll open up a Hotel that will have the grandest Nightmare Before Christmas masquerades and we’ll live happily ever after. And I apologize if all of this sounds fluffy.”
It was then and there I decided that no matter what happened, I couldn’t and wouldn’t give up on him. You never gave up on someone you really loved.
“Come here, you,” I said, as I pulled him towards me and locked my lips against his.
That night, in a blood-filled room, safe in Lucus’ arms, I fell into a deep, dark, sweet slumber and for a few blissful hours forgot about how ugly the world could be. Thoughts of property and boxes vanished and all that remained was a rare peace that I longed for.
Pathetic girl with a silly little crush on a murderer. How much would he have paid for you?
Chapter 26
Snake Dance
Sunlight spilled through the lace curtains and the sweet chirping of blue birds reminded me that it was time to wake up. I groaned and simultaneously smiled as the smell of intoxicating flowers crawled up my nose, then I sank further into the comfy duvet even though it was dreadfully hot. I wanted to stay in my happy place forever despite the fact that my body was numb, heavy and almost lifeless.
“Time to wake up, Arelia. How can you sleep at a time like this?” asked Bade.
“Bade? It feels so good. I could sleep forever and ever. I feel like I’m sleeping on a cloud of cotton candy and melted chocolate. Delicious and fluffy. Fluffy can be good.”
“I know you can sleep forever because Louis wants you to sleep forever. Do you know what time it is?”
“Time for bed.”
“Silly. Silly, Arelia. Why do you think Louis made it so easy for you to be with Lucus last night?”
“Hmmm.”
“Wake up. You’re needed. Sabrina needs you.”
“Sabrina?” My mind was sluggish and heavy. “Where is she? Is she snoring?”
I tried to move my arms, but I couldn’t. It was as if they were bound by some invisible force. I felt something unidentifiable rub against my leg and quickly opened my eyes.
I opened my mouth to scream but no words came out. My ankles and wrists were bound by to the bed posts by four khaki cotton-mouth snakes. Their leathery skin was tightly wrapped around my bones and their ugly tongues darted in and out of their mouths threateningly as if they were daring me to move.
Good morning, queen. Or should I say good afternoon. Did you have fun falling asleep in Prince Charming’s arms?
Soon, the four snakes were joined by two others, and then three more. They slid up my thighs and made themselves at home on my stomach. One slithered its way up my chest and lazily wrapped itself around my neck. With each passing second, I could feel its grip getting tighter and tighter until I could barely breathe. Chills overtook my body as I tried to shake myself free. The more I revolted, the greater and more determined their grip became.