“Ruby!” chided Miles.
She came forward, brushing past me, addressing the rest of the room. “Did y’all forget what happened to Nadia? She’s gone! She’s never coming back, thanks to your talented healer there.”
“Ruby, that’s enough!” warned Miles. Noah hung his head and walked toward the foyer entrance, but remained in the room. Gretchen and Felix avoided eye contact, choosing to stare at the floor instead. I felt myself driving ninety miles an hour toward a wall of guilt, and I wasn’t wearing a seat belt.
“That’s it. Take up for your precious little girl,” said Ruby.
“I said that’s enough!”
“What’s she talking about?” I said.
Ruby laughed softly. “You didn’t know that’s your daddy, did you?” She laughed again. “’Course you didn’t.”
I glared at Miles. “What’s she talking about?!”
“She’s your daughter?” asked Noah, almost as shocked as I was.
“That’s bull shit!” I said. “I don’t know you! My dad died years ago. I look just like him. He—”
“Yeah, you do look just like your daddy,” teased Ruby. “Tall like him, same chin, even the same green eyes.”
I studied Miles. Mom always told me I had Clothilde’s green eyes. But the shade of my irises matched his perfectly. And I did have his chin and … “No,” I whispered.
“Leigh,” started Miles, but he trailed off, unable to take my glare.
“You’re all lying to me! Stop it!” I pleaded.
Ruby came up to my face and said softly and with much glee, “Is daddy’s girl gonna cry?”
I didn’t even have to think. I balled up my right fist and brought it crashing down onto the left side of her jaw, knocking her back a few feet before she even knew what hit her. She stumbled into the coffee table and stopped just short of falling. Miles started to catch her, but stopped when she regained her balance. Shocked, she glared at me, holding her jaw with one hand.
I turned around and headed through the foyer and for the front door. Before I left, I heard Ruby yell, “You’re going to regret that!” And then I heard Noah say to her, “You deserved it.”
I got in my car, slammed the door, and sped out of the driveway, smirking at the thought of Ruby with an ugly bruise on her face. My glee at Ruby’s abrasion gave way to anger, and I found myself going nearly fifteen miles over the speed limit. I forced myself to pull over and get control of my anger. I wasn’t ready to go back to Cee Cee’s anyway.
I pulled over at Waldenberg Park, which bordered the Mississippi River a few blocks from Cee Cee’s. I got out of my car, slamming the door, and walked over to one of the benches that looked out onto the river. There was a homeless man asleep on a bench a few yards from me. In the opposite direction was a young couple making out. Other than that, I was the only one there.
I was near the Aquarium, and that just reminded me of the good time I had with Lucas and the kids. I pushed that image away, choosing to stay upset. I sat and watched the moon’s reflection dance on the water, feeling tears well up but fighting them back, too stubborn to let go of the anger. They all lied to me. She lied to me. My own mother! How could they?!
I heard footsteps approach me from behind. “You okay?” asked Noah.
I didn’t turn to acknowledge him. “Leave me alone.”
“I’m sorry that—”
“Leave me alone!”
The couple making out turned to look at me, giving me a weird look. I was still in my ball gown, but I didn’t care how I looked to them.
“Okay,” whispered Noah. I heard him start to leave, but he stopped. “If you need to talk or anything … you know.” He walked away, leaving me to my hurt and fury.
After I collected myself, I got back in my car and drove back to Cee Cee’s. She started to ask me about our battle with the Grigori but stopped when she saw the look on my face.
“What’s wrong, my baby?”
I shook my head, still fuming. “I’m sick and tired of everyone lying to me!” She was taken aback. “I’m sorry, Cee Cee. I didn’t mean to take it out on you.”
“What happened?”
I looked at her, asking the only question that was on my mind, but already had the answer to. “Is Miles my father?”
Her eyes got big and she took a deep, slow breath. She closed her eyes and nodded. “Yes. Who told you?”
“Ruby,” I said, bitterly.
She shook her head, her eyes angry. “That girl! I swear she don’t have the manners God gave a hog!”
“Ever since I moved back to Louisiana, it’s been one lie after another.”
“No, my baby. You been discovering the truth!”
“I don’t even know who I am anymore,” I groaned.
Cee Cee shook her head and gently placed her hand on mine. “You didn’t know who you were until you came back home.”
“How could Maw Maw lie to me? How could my own mother lie to me?” I pleaded, the anger rising again.
“You remember what I told you about Noah and Nadia?”
“What does that have—?”
“Just hush, and I’ll explain,” she said softly. “Long time ago, before you or your brother were born, before your momma ever met your daddy, she and Miles were friends—good friends. They went to school at Loyola together. They were even sweethearts for a little while. They were naturally attracted to each other because they each saw the light radiating from the other. They were drawn to that light.
“After they finished college, Miles left to go to Paris to train to be a great paladin. Your momma went back to Acadiana to train to be a Traiteur with one of the native Houma Indians so she could be close to her family. She met and fell in love with Jerry Benoit. They got married and had your brother David.
“Few years later, Miles come back to New Orleans and found out your momma got married. It broke his heart, but he understood since he’d been gone for so long. He didn’t want to cause any trouble, so he didn’t pursue her. Until one day, she came by to see me.
“We had dinner together at this new restaurant—it was out near Metairie. Anyway, after dinner, we drove off in separate cars. We were traveling in the same direction for a few miles, until she had to turn off to get onto the highway. That when a truck ploughed into her, flipping her car over into a ditch.
“The truck driver kept going. Didn’t even stop to see if she was alive. I pulled over fast and ran to her car. She was barely breathing. I used my ability to soothe her, to keep her from being in too much pain. I knew she wouldn’t make it to the hospital in time. I got back in my car and drove about a half mile down the road and got to a pay phone. I called Miles and told him to hurry.
“By the time he got there, she had already passed in my arms. I was crying and hugging her, and he just come over to us and that’s when I saw it in him—that look a man have when he never get over a woman. He was shaking bad, but he laid his hands on her. I tried to push him away, telling him not to, that she was supposed to go to God now, but he didn’t want to hear it. He put his hands on her and brought her back.
“That’s when Miles become a Line Walker. Your momma stayed with him that night, and they did more than catch up on old times.” She smiled at that last part, but her smile soon faded. “Don’t hate him or your momma, my baby. You were conceived out of love.”
I hung my head, unable to hear any more. Everything I knew—thought I knew—was turned upside down and inside out.
“There’s something else you should know.”
“I’m not sure I want to know any more,” I said, defeated.
“Because of them being your momma and daddy that make you special.”
I glanced at her. “Special how?”
“They each half normal and half paladin. But you are pure paladin. You have a very enhanced healing ability. Your momma used the element of fire. Her momma, your Maw Maw Clo, uses earth. Miles uses water. His daddy used air. You don’t need to use herbs or water or anything
other than your hands. That’s why Miles started training you at the convent right away. He didn’t want to waste time teaching you about things you didn’t need to know.
“And, something else, too. Your momma was a light paladin and Miles is a dark paladin. That make you both light and dark. I have to warn you, my baby. Les Foncés will try to turn you over to their side.”
“Why? I’m not that powerful.”
“You will be. Sooner or later. And when that time come, they’ll come looking for you. Maybe they already started looking for you. But you need to be careful.”
“Then why don’t I just stop training? Just stay with what I can do now?”
Cee Cee shook her head. “You can’t stop. Too many lives depend on you. There will be things only you can do. Just be careful is all I’m sayin’.”
“Maw Maw couldn’t save Mom that night when they were at Savoy’s cabin because Miles had already brought her back? Is that right?” I could see the hurt in Cee Cee’s eyes when I mentioned that time so long ago when my mother was killed by Walter Savoy.
Cee Cee nodded and then hugged me. “It’s going to be alright. I think you need a good night’s sleep and you might see things differently in the morning.”
I wanted to argue with her that I wouldn’t see things differently, but I was exhausted. I got up, headed for my room. Before I entered the hall, I turned back to her and said, “She doesn’t come to me in my dreams any more. Not like she did when we were dealing with Savoy. I think I’ve only dreamed about her once lately.”
Cee Cee thought carefully. “Think maybe she was trying real hard to get to you from the other side, so that she could help you as best you could. Now, I think maybe she wants you to learn how to do things for yourself.”
I thanked her for telling me the truth and then crawled into bed.
18
Back to Acadiana
I thanked Cee Cee profusely for letting me stay with her. She assured me it was no problem at all. She looked gloomy and asked me three times if I’d please change my mind and stay to finish my training. I finally convinced her that I couldn’t after everything that happened. She understood and sent me on my way, back to Acadiana.
When I got back to Clothilde’s house, it was a little after 5:00 P.M. Lyla was home from school by then. I had wanted to arrive before Lyla so that I could talk to Clothilde alone. It was probably best that Lyla was there because, given my anger, an argument would have ensued.
When Lyla saw me, she lit up, ran to me, threw her arms around me and squeezed with everything she had. “Good to see you, too, kiddo!” I exhaled, dropping my bags onto the floor in the living room.
I could see Clothilde in the kitchen, stirring a big pot of what smelled like vegetable soup. “Maison bienvenue,” she said, not looking up from the pot.
“Hey,” I replied. I could hear the forced happiness in my voice. I was sure she could, too. I was glad Lyla was there to break the ice.
“Did you bring me anything?” she asked.
“I sure did!” I kneeled down, unzipped my overnight bag and started digging through it. I couldn’t find the little music box I had bought at the antique store. I looked through my other bag, but it wasn’t there, either. I also seemed to be missing a couple of shirts and a pair of jeans. “Oh, dang it! Lyla, I’m sorry. I think I left it at Cee Cee’s.”
She frowned a little but shrugged. “It’s okay. Maybe she can mail it.”
I smiled up at her. “I’m sure she will. So, how’s school?”
While I unpacked my things upstairs in my room, Lyla filled me in on everything from her friends, what boys she thought were cute, the lunch menu that day, and how much homework she had, which was “so unfair because the teacher absolutely hated her class and was just trying to make them miserable.” I laughed at her exasperated tone of voice. She was definitely becoming a preteen. It was cute for now, but I was sure that it would start to annoy me before long.
I didn’t get a chance to speak with Clothilde until after Lyla had gone to bed. I almost chickened out, but I crept up to her bedroom on the first floor and gently knocked on her door. “Come in,” she said.
I opened the door and saw her in her nightgown, under the covers with an open Bible in her lap. When she saw me, she carefully placed her ribbon bookmark in between the pages and closed the book, setting it beside the lamp on the nightstand. She regarded me with impatient, yet weary eyes, waiting for me to speak first.
I sat at the foot of her bed. Before I left Cee Cee’s, I was prepared to confront Clothilde about Miles. I knew what I wanted to say, like I had a right to know who my biological father was. Looking at her now, I found my anger draining from me, leaving me emotionally and mentally worn out.
I shook my head, took a deep breath, and said, “Why? Why didn’t you tell me?”
She thought her words out carefully. “Because your momma didn’t want you to know.”
“I can understand that because of Daddy, but—”
“That’s not why. At least not the real reason. Of course she didn’t want to hurt your daddy, but she didn’t want you to find out until you made the choice to be a paladin.”
“I made that choice months ago. Why am I just finding this out now?”
“Father Ben told her that one day you and Miles would find each other. You needed to learn to be a Traiteur from Miles. If you knew who he was, you wouldn’t have trained with him. You would have been too angry and resentful.”
“I could’ve gotten my training from anyone else. Why did it have to be him?” I asked, my anger slowly seeping back in.
Clothilde gently shook her head. “It had to be Miles. He was the best one to teach you. But you left too early.”
“You didn’t think I was going to stay there after I found out, did you?”
“No. That’s why we’re upset with Ruby for telling you. But you need to go back.”
“Back? I’m not going back there.” I got up from the bed, the anger steadily rising. I started to walk out the room.
“You need to finish what you started. If you don’t, you’ll be no use to anyone.”
I turned to her. “I can already heal. I’ve proven that. I don’t need to train anymore.”
“I didn’t mean healing. There are other things you will need to know, things you will have to learn as you go. If you stay here, you won’t learn them.”
“So? Why not just stick with what I have? I’m fine with that. I can still help people.”
She stared at me, no more fight left in her. She sighed and said, “You need to go back.”
I shook my head, and that was the end of the discussion. I left her room, closing the door behind me. I got ready for bed and had just settled in when my phone rang. It was Carrie.
“Hello?” I said.
“Why didn’t you tell me you were back in town?!”
“Sorry. It’s been a rough couple of days. I was going to call you tomorrow.”
“Sure.”
“I swear! I need some serious best-friend time.”
“And wine?”
“Definitely.”
“So, how was the ball?”
I thought for a moment. “Enchanting.”
I heard her sigh. “I’ll bet you looked killer in that dress. Be sure to put it in a safe place.”
“Um—”
“Um, what?”
“Um, I kind of ripped it a little.”
“You what?!”
“Just a little bit.”
“How—how could you rip it?!”
“It was an accident.”
“Oh, my God! Do you have any idea how much that dress cost?”
“Uh, yeah, I was there, remember?”
“I’m sick right now. I’m physically ill.”
“C’mon. It’s just a dress—”
“Just a dress?!”
“Carrie! I feel bad about it, but get over it already.” I could hear her mumbling just a dress once more under her breath. I wanted to cha
nge the subject as fast as possible.
“Do you want to do any Mardi Gras stuff this weekend?”
I heard a long, deep, frustrated sigh on the other end of the line. “Guess whose asshole boss is making her work at the hotel all weekend just so he can go out and party?”
“I’m guessing you?”
“Uh-huh.”
“Sorry.”
“I figured as much. I can’t wait till Alex the Phallus transfers to Atlanta.”
I giggled at her favorite nickname for her supervisor. “Sorry, Care.”
“It’s all right. I’ll just save my ta-tas for next year. Are you and Lucas planning anything?” She had a tease in her voice when she said Lucas’ name. I ignored it.
“I don’t know. Lyla told me that Clothilde’s insisting that she partake in the Courir de Mardi Gras. She said that it was mandatory for her to learn about the Cajun Mardi Gras Run. She apparently invited Lucas and Jonathan, too, but I haven’t talked to them yet.”
The Courir de Mardi Gras is the Cajun Mardi Gras that takes place in many small towns around Acadiana. Costumed revelers travel on horseback, some on foot and some via wagon, to different houses to collect ingredients for a community gumbo. They start out early in the morning, steam puffing up around the horses’ nostrils, beer already in the hands of the revelers, and then the sound of an accordion warming up, then fiddle, and then the song starts—the Cajun Mardi Gras song, La Vielle Chanson de Mardi Gras. As they sing and laugh and drink, they go from house to house, collecting ingredients for the gumbo; onions, celery, live chickens. Thanks to the ready supply of beer, this event usually turns quite comical. It is a huge tradition in the Cajun culture.
“Do you want to go see the Run?” Carried asked.
“To tell you the truth, I don’t really feel like celebrating anything.”
“What’s wrong, sweetie?”
I hesitated for a few seconds, trying to figure out what I should tell her and what I shouldn’t. “Miles is my biological father,” I said at last.
I heard an exaggerated gasp on the other end. “Oh, my God! You’re shitting me.”
Nancy K. Duplechain - Dark Trilogy 02 - Dark Carnival Page 18