by Rowlyn, Rhys
“Etienne, I’m going to get up, but I need you to remain calm. Do you feel in control?” Bram stands but keeps his hands on my arms.
I shrug him off, frowning. “I don’t know what is wrong with you. I’m fine. Why are you acting so strangely?”
“Brother, we have a lot to explain. We were trying to feed you and keep you from making a huge mistake.” Bram meets my gaze directly, furrowing his brow.
“Why would I need to be fed?” I pinch the bridge of my nose, not understanding anything that is happening. “I had plenty last night.”
Bram bursts out laughing, and Phillipe covers his mouth. Why would me feeding be so amusing?
“Last night was about three hundred years ago.” The blonde woman who was shoving things in my mouth smirks at me. Wait, what did she say?
“What are you talking about?” I look down at myself, and my clothes are rags. How did this happen?
“Come over here and have a seat. We’ll explain everything.” Phillipe grips my shoulder and leads me to a group of chairs against the wall. He takes a seat across from me.
A short black man bursts into the room. I move to jump out of my chair, but Bram holds me in place. “Easy, it’s only Chi.”
“Oh look, another one is up.” The strange man points at me and then turns toward the blonde and glares. “Cassie, I told you to let me know when they wake up.”
She waves him off, rolling her eyes. “Chi, you know as much as I do. They are waking up on the thirteenth of every month. I’m not going to call. You can be here same as everyone else.”
I glance from one to the other, trying to figure out what they are saying. They are speaking English, but it’s a strange dialect. “Who are these people, and what are they talking about? Also, why do they talk so strangely?”
“It’s all part of the explanation.” Bram pats my shoulder but keeps a grip on me as if he fears I will try to flee or maybe attack the human. Wait, is he human? Perhaps not completely human but a little of something else. Before I can figure it out, the door bursts open again.
“Phillipe, I’m here. What did I miss?” Giselle runs into the room, and I smile but then frown at what she’s wearing. It’s indecent to say the least. She’s wearing britches. “Etienne! Oh, I’m so happy to see you!” She grabs me into a tight hug, and I’m stunned by her show of affection. “It’s been so long, and I missed you so.”
I pat her back awkwardly. “I’m at a loss.”
“We haven’t told him the story yet.” Phillipe pulls her onto his lap and kisses her neck.
Giselle tilts her head to the side, giving him better access. “Oh, well let’s get to it.”
I stare at them for a few moments, in shock at how at ease they are around each other and how affectionate they are in front of others. They rarely touched in public and now can’t seem to keep their hands off one another. It appears I have missed more than simply years.
“Could we start with the three hundred years I seem to be missing?”
“Oui, sorry, Giselle has a way of distracting me. You see, the women we helped to come over here reneged on our bargain and had a witch curse us. We’ve been in a deep sleep for the last three hundred years, and merde, have things changed.” Phillipe lets out a short laugh.
I sit back in the chair and shake my head. “A witch? How could a witch curse us? They don’t possess that type of power.”
“There are things Gabriel kept from you.” Bram moves from behind me to stand beside Phillipe’s chair.
“And that witch was an ancestor of mine, so she was mega powerful.” The small strange man waves at me with his fingers under his chin and, if I’m not mistaken, bats his eyelashes.
I quickly look away and motion toward him. “Again, who is this?”
“Sorry, I am Chi Chi LaRue, and I’m part of the family.” He holds out his hand, and I simply stare at it. He huffs and rolls his eyes at me. “Okay, so now you know you were put under a curse for a long time, but just wait until you hear the best part.”
Everyone starts talking at once, and I grip my head. I feel the beginnings of a migraine.
“Everyone, stop! What’s he talking about?” I frown at the man and look to Phillipe for assistance. “Could everyone stop talking and only one speak at time?”
“I will tell the story, and no one else speak.” Phillipe stares at everyone with a stern look, waiting until everyone nods their agreement. “Gabriel gave Simone gold to find them lodgings and provisions, and we went to sleep. Simone didn’t secure anything they needed but found a witch and used the money to pay her to curse us. The witch used the women’s blood, and when Giselle awakened, she bound her and used her blood to curse us into a deep sleep. The witch then made the women sacrifice something, and they agreed to give up a descendant to be bound to us. We believe because of Giselle’s mate bond with me and because they used her blood, the magic took on a life of its own and formed a mate bond with the descendant. So when one of the famille awakens, he has a mate.”
“Merde, that is some story. And you’re telling me it’s been three hundred years? But wait, my mate is from Delphine’s line? What if I don’t want a mate from that woman?” Delphine was a greedy, lying bitch. “She was horrible, and it was probably her idea to not honor the bargain she struck.”
“You are the fifth one of the famille to awaken, and we have all found our mates. None have been like their ancestors, and we have all been perfectly matched.” Bram pulls the blonde woman, who was shoving things into my mouth earlier, to his side. “Meet Cassandra or, as we call her, Cassie. She’s my mate, and I couldn’t love another the way I do her. I don’t know what happened with this magic, but so far, it hasn’t been wrong.”
Oh, mon Dieu! Bram has a mate, and he looks incredibly happy. I smile at the couple. “Who else has awakened?”
“Besides Bram and me, André and Jean Pierre, and now you,” Phillipe explains.
I wonder where the rest of the famille is, but I’ll save those questions for another time. If I know my brothers, they are safe. “You claimed everything has changed. So what is different in the world?”
“Everything, and it’s going to take a bit to get used to it. I’ve been awake for months and still have trouble with some things. As you can see, clothing is much different, more casual and revealing. Wait until you experience indoor plumbing. Now that is a vast improvement. Technology is something you will have to experience, and modes of transportation. I know you were once a doctor; the medical advances are going to stun you.” Phillipe is smiling, but I sense his tension. He is still not completely comfortable with all of the changes.
“It’s all a bit much to take in. I do have one question though. When I first came to, there was a smell and it was divine, then it faded. Could someone tell me what that was?” I don’t know what was but I want to find it. I must find it.
“It had to be Lucy. Her blood does smell good, but divine?” Phillipe glances at Bram, lifting a brow.
I look from one to the other, wondering what they are up to. “What?”
“I wonder…” Phillipe waves off his thought and looks me up and down. “Let’s get you cleaned up and then we’ll introduce you, but only if you are in control. Lucy is under our protection, and we can’t have you hurting her.”
“As if I would ever harm a woman. I can’t believe you would believe this of me.” Phillipe was my closest friend, and to think he thinks so lowly of me cuts deeply.
“I know you would not normally, but you have been asleep for a long time, and I only want to keep everyone safe.” He dips his chin and has the decency to look ashamed.
Standing, I grip his shoulder and smile. “I assure you, my friend, I am fine and in my right mind. I promise to bring no harm to the young lady.”
“In that case, let’s introduce you to the wonders of indoor plumbing.” He stands and leads me from the room. I follow, wondering what lies ahead.
Lucy
“Come, Lucy, let’s get you next door.” Je
an Pierre grabs my arm and drags me toward the door.
“What’s going on? What’s happening upstairs?” I jump when I hear a loud crash, my heart feeling like it’s going to beat out of my chest. I’ve been living—or I should say been under house arrest—with this group of vampires for a week, and everything has been fairly quiet until now. Everyone has been extremely nice, and I’m sharing a room with Rebecca. I can’t imagine what is going on now.
“I’ll explain once you’re at the witches’ house. Now hurry.” He stops, looks up, then throws me over his shoulder and runs out the back door.
I’m bouncing so hard against his shoulder, I think I may lose the snack I just ate. The way he’s acting, it must be something really bad. Fear consumes me. What if it’s Minerva? Is she in the house? A bellow comes from inside, and I feel all the blood drain from my body.
We burst through the door, and the sisters all stare up at us. Chi runs by and out the door we just entered.
“Gotta go! Excitement next door!” he yells over his shoulder.
“Put up a barrier. Etienne is awake, and I think Lucy may be in danger.” Jean Pierre turns quickly and I swing around, seriously thinking my last meal is going to come back up for a visit.
“Put me down unless you want vomit all down your back.” I cover my mouth with my hand and hope to keep it in.
“Oh!” He gently lowers me from his shoulder, keeping steadying hands on my arms.
“Oh, that’s what’s going on?” Cara waves a dismissive hand, letting out a small laugh. “We thought it was a real threat.”
“What are you talking about? It is a real threat. He hasn’t fed yet, and I could hear him growling. Trust me, she smells really good.” Jean Pierre steps in front of me, and I appreciate his protectiveness. Although, if he would just change me into a vampire, we wouldn’t have this problem. I have been begging him to do it ever since we were rescued, but he has held fast to his rules. Even Nyla can’t convince him to break them.
“He won’t hurt her.” Circe smiles serenely, crossing her arms over her chest.
“You don’t know that. He just woke up from a three-hundred-year nap and is starving. He caught her scent, and they were holding him back as I ran with her.” Jean Pierre stiffens, glaring at the witches.
Circe nods in agreement. “Yes, he caught her scent, and that’s why was he acting so crazed.”
“Because he hasn’t fed and she smells particularly good. Now put up a barrier.” Jean Pierre rubs the back of his neck, pacing in front of me. I don’t understand why he’s so worried about this new vampire. Is he so powerful, Jean Pierre won’t be able to protect me?”
Circe shakes her head slowly and narrows her eyes at him. “There’s another reason too.”
“And what is that?” Jean Pierre asks.
“Yeah what’s that? What are you not telling us?” I step in front of Jean Pierre, wondering what she could mean and why she’s acting so smug.
“She’s his mate,” Circe says, deadpan.
“What?!” I yell.
“What?!” Jean Pierre yells.
“What are you two? Parrots?” Circe rolls her eyes at us and tsks. “You heard what I said. Lucy is his mate.”
Jean Pierre leans forward, bracing his hands on the table, and snarls at her. I’m a bit scared, but it doesn’t bother Circe in the least. “How do you know this? And if you do, why can’t you tell us all our mates and where to find them?”
“Well, I don’t know all the mates. I only had a vision when I met her.” She pats his cheek and stands, taking a dish to the sink.
He follows close behind her. “Why didn’t you say something?”
“I didn’t want to alarm her.” Circe shrugs her shoulders, and Ciara giggles but quickly quiets when I shoot her a glare.
“Alarm me? And why would that alarm me? I’m now finding out I’m a vampire’s mate.” I gasp for breath, and my heart is pounding. I start to see spots before my eyes and wonder if I’m going to pass out.
“Breathe, Lucy. Come on, just breathe,” Cara whispers in my ear and rubs my back.
I calm, and my breathing returns to normal. “Okay, I’m better. Thanks.”
She smiles and gives me a brief nod. “Don’t worry, dear. It will all be good. You’ll see.”
But I don’t see, and I’m tired of being helpless. I’ve always been small, and everyone always acts as if they need to protect me. I want to protect myself, and becoming a vampire seems to be the best option. From what I’ve learned about my scent, I will never be safe as long as Minerva is around, and who’s to say another crazed vampire won’t come along and want to suck me dry?
“Jean Pierre, do you see why changing me is in our best interest? I am tired of being a victim and unable to defend myself against your kind. Now I’m going to have to be some vampire’s mate, and there is nothing I can do about it.”
“I know, Lucy, and I wish it were that simple. If I could, I would change you in a second, but I’ve told you…” He bows his head, not meeting my gaze.
“Yeah, I know. You don’t feel compelled to change me. I get that you think it’s dangerous, but isn’t allowing me to be a target just as dangerous?” I take his hand in mine and look up at him, widening my eyes and sticking out my lip. “Besides, what if I don’t want to be a mate to someone I don’t know?”
“What is wrong with being a mate? You know Nyla is my mate and Cassie is Bram’s.” He narrows his eyes and steps back, away from me.
I roll my eyes and let out a big sigh. “And Giselle is Phillipe’s, and Fleur is André’s. Yes, I know this.”
“You see how we are about each other, how much we love each other?” He holds his arms out at his sides.
“Yes, but how am I going to feel that way about someone I don’t know?” What Jean Pierre doesn’t understand is I don’t really want a man in my life. My parents loved each other, but I always knew my dad wasn’t Mom’s true love. No, the man she absolutely loved had abandoned her when she was pregnant with my brother, and she never got over him. I didn’t need or want that kind of heartache. “What if I don’t like him or I think he’s a jerk?”
“I understand, and I felt the same before I met Nyla. I wanted no part of having a mate, but everything changed when I found her. It’s hard to explain, but the bond is there, and the more you know the person, the more you care for them. Also, you are perfectly matched in a physical way, in the bedroom… um, passionately, if you know what I mean.” His gaze darts away from me, and he bites his lower lip.
“Oh great goddess, this is hard to watch.” Circe throws her hands in the air with a huff. “Ye will have sex that is going to blow your mind. It will be off the charts and better than you could ever imagine. Also, a bonding is fate-driven, so your personalities will complement each other. Your soul will know the other.”
“Yes, what she said.” Jean Pierre’s cheeks are red, and if I wasn’t so worried about being a mate, I’d find it funny how embarrassed he was.
I cross my arms around my waist, hugging myself. “You know I’m only twenty-two, and what if I’m not ready to settle down with one person?”
“My, aren’t you the argumentative one? I guarantee you’ll want this one, and just let him look at another and see what it does to ya.” Circe points her finger at me, her Irish accent coming through strong. “Now let’s talk about your ancestor. Did you know you descended from one of the Casket Girls?”
“I had no idea. My mother’s family has always lived here, and we are mostly French, but we didn’t keep up with our family tree that well. My dad was out east, and his family lives there.” I’ve only met my dad’s family once, and my grandparents were elderly. They’ve been dead for a while. My mom only has a sister, who lives in Metairie, and she’s not someone I care to be close to.
“It amazes me how these Americans have lost so much of their family history.” Cara shakes her head sadly. “They miss out on where they come from.”
“I think most of our ancestors wer
e on the shady side, and it was best not to dig too deep. I mean, let’s be for real. New Orleans has a lot of dark secrets.” I tap my chin and turn toward Jean Pierre. “What do you know of my ancestor? You traveled here with her.”
“Etienne was assigned Delphine.” He furrows his brow, narrowing his eyes. “Are you sure you want to know about her?”
“Sure, why not? She has nothing to do with the type of person I am. I didn’t know her, and from what you have told me of the curse, she didn’t care what happened to me.” Some may take responsibility for what their ancestors did, but not me. I believe everyone is responsible for their own actions. That would be like me believing because my brother’s dad was a piece of shit, my brother was destined to be one too. My big brother is a great guy and would never leave a woman pregnant and alone, no matter what.
Jean Pierre tilts his head slightly and grins. “All right, Delphine was not a nice person. She was conniving and very manipulative. I would say she was one of the worst of the women, and rotten to the core. Simone was the leader of the group, and Delphine was her right hand, but I always felt as though Delphine was actually in charge.”
“Why is that?” Dang, he didn’t hold anything back, but hearing about my long-lost great-great-grandmother has piqued my curiosity. She sounds like a real peach and kind of reminds me of my mom’s sister.
“I caught her manipulating some of the women into doing things behind Simone’s back.” He shrugs his shoulders. “I usually stick to the background and watch people. Delphine was good at making people do things as if it were their ideas but it was actually benefiting her.”
“So she knew how to play people?” I purse my lips, nodding. The more I hear, the more she sounds like my Aunt Maureen. She is always trying to take advantage of my mom and brother.
“If you mean she could get what she wanted out of them, then oui,” Jean Pierre says.
“She doesn’t sound very pleasant at all.” I’m glad I don’t have to meet her. One self-centered, manipulative bitch in a family is more than enough.