Silently, he followed her, his expensive Italian shoes not making a sound as he crossed the bricked sidewalk. He was hungry for her. He wanted to be enveloped in her sweet smell, to taste those lips, to feed. He’d been deprived of that, and for that, Catherine Rousseau would pay.
His cell phone vibrated from his jacket pocket and he cursed.
“Yes?” he asked as he answered the call from Stephen.
“Sorry to you bother you sir, but we have a problem…”
He cursed again and cast one more glance down the sidewalk at Mina.
Soon, my love…
* * *
Mina stopped in front of the storefront with Enchantée in scrolling script on the door. Although well after dark, when most businesses on Royal were closed, Enchantée was always open. To her kind anyway.
A bell chimed as she opened the door, and it wasn’t long before the old woman entered the room through a beaded curtain behind the antique cash register. The woman’s bright blue eyes sparkled in greeting. “Mina, my child, it’s been too long.”
Mina nodded. “Yes, Madame Vivian. You really should come see me more often. Our herb garden has thrived.”
“The country agrees with you.” Madame Vivian walked around the counter to stand in front of Mina. The woman’s diminutive size never ceased to make Mina feel like a giant. She bent down to give her friend a hug.
Mina shrugged the backpack off and unzipped it, retrieving several bags of herbs. She handed them over to Vivian. “I brought what you asked.”
“Thank you.” Vivian nodded and placed the bags on the counter. “Perfect, just in time. I have what you need as well.”
Madame went back behind the counter, leaving Mina alone with her thoughts. Had she made a mistake coming back to New Orleans? Would her plan work?
“You have many questions,” Vivian said as she returned.
“Yes, Madame Vivian, I do.”
“Maybe you should let me read your cards, yes?”
Mina smiled. “I should. But Alcide is expecting me. Perhaps some other time?”
“Yes. Until then, here is what you asked for.” Vivian held out a small bag. “The directions are included. There is also a cloaking spell so that Catherine cannot track you. It will only last for an hour, so use your time wisely. Good luck.”
Mina nodded. “Thank you.”
“Now, go visit your brother. It has been too long.”
Mina gave the woman one last hug and exited back out onto the busy street. She made her way to the Chateau Rouge, only a few blocks away.
She stopped in front of the hotel, taking in the familiar facade. Other than a few minor upgrades and repairs, it had not changed. It was still as it was when it was one of New Orleans’ finest bordellos. Her mother had been a cook there at the time, and she and Alcide had grown up in the house around the prostitutes, johns, and entertainers.
Josey’s mother had taken them in when their father had been killed in a shipwreck. Alone and penniless, they had had nowhere to turn. Their mother, Delphine, had not wanted to become a woman of the evening, instead taking a job in the kitchen. The bordello had plenty of rooms, and she, Alcide, and her mother had taken up residence.
Alcide and Josephine had been the same age and had become fast friends, but always included Mina in their adventures.
The suited valet nodded as he opened the door. “Good evening, ma’am.”
“Good evening.”
She stepped into the lobby, taking it all in. The concierge desk and lobby counter were different, as was the furniture dotting the area. They were updated for more modern conveniences and style.
She took a turn to the right that would take her to the bar.
“Well, well, well, look what the swamp dragged in,” Ivy said when she spotted her friend.
Mina smiled. “I see they still have the same bad taste in bartenders.”
One woman seated at the far bar cast a nervous glance her way. Mina stopped for a moment, taken aback. The woman was the very image of one of the ladies who had worked with Delphine in the kitchen.
Ivy retorted, “Bad taste? The Chateau Rouge has only had the finest taste. Of that, I can guarantee.”
Mina laughed. “Some things never change.”
Ivy laughed as well, and came around to meet her. She enveloped Mina in a hug that would pulverize the bones of most people. “It’s good to see you, Mina. It’s been too long.”
“You too. You haven’t been to the Rose in years.” Mina used the shortened version of the name of her bed and breakfast, the Maison Rose.
“I know. Things just get busy here. Alcide know you’re here? Come have a drink, and I’ll call him.”
Mina nodded. “One of your Bloody Marys, please.”
Ivy grinned. “The Ivy Special?”
“Oh yeah.”
Ivy reached for the bottle reserved for special patrons like Mina. If the humans around knew what was actually mixed up in that red liquid, they’d definitely turn their noses up or vomit. A few minutes later, Ivy sat the drink in front of her, then went to tend to her other customers, leaving Mina alone with her thoughts.
The bar looked so similar to the way it had back then that it made her heart ache. She could imagine her, Ivy, and Lucy sitting at the bar and giggling the way they had the night everything, including herself, had changed.
The dark wood bar was the same, still shiny from the love and care that Ivy had shown it all these years. The piano where Toby had played still sat in the corner. Mina had heard stories from her own customers at the Maison Rose about the piano that apparently played by itself some nights when the bar was empty. Each and every story had driven a stake right into her heart.
There was still the mirror behind the bar where the girls had checked their reflections from time to time to make sure their make-up was applied just right and that no hair was out of place.
The only thing that had really changed was the lighting, the sound system, and the customers that lined the bar and at various spots throughout the room. Mina had to smile at two women who sat alone and silent, staring at white bags with the scrolling Enhantée logo on them. She wondered what those two had wished for, and wondered if they would know what to do when they got it. It was definitely going to be a weekend of magic, not just for her, but for others in the hotel as well. Mina would have to remember to ask Lucy how the women’s quests had gone when everything settled down. If it did…
Silence alerted her to Alcide’s presence. Only one man could make a place go quiet simply by walking in. And she was right. His tall form had just stepped over the threshold of the bar.
“Mina,” he said as he walked up to her. He reached out and tucked her into his embrace. One of the few men who could make her feel safe.
“Will Josey and Archer be down soon?” she asked as she sat back down.
“Josey and Archer will be down momentarily. Josey is very excited to see you. It’s been too long, my sister. For now, let me introduce you to our new PR person, Chloe. She’s been dying to meet you. I think you have already noticed a resemblance to someone?”
Mina thought of the woman who had been sitting at the bar when she first came in.
“Yes, I did.”
“It seems the descendants of one of mother’s friends has returned and made the Chateau Rouge her home.” Alcide held out a hand. “Come. We have taken her under our wing. There is no need to hide what we are from her.”
She took his hand and they walked over to where the woman was sitting. With her dark hair and eyes and petite features, she really did favor Annalise.
“Chloe,” Alcide said as they approached, “meet my sister, Jessamine. We all call her Mina.”
Chloe stood and hugged Mina. “It’s so nice to finally meet you! Alcide and Ivy have told me so much about you. I can’t believe you’re here!”
“It’s nice to meet you too.” Mina took a sip from her drink. This was the realest interaction she’d had with a human in a while, and it was mil
dly unnerving. Humans did stay at her bed and breakfast, but Mina had very limited contact with them, leaving that to her staff.
Just then, Josey and Archer joined them, saving Mina from her discomfort. Josey was still radiantly in love with Archer. It was just like it used to be, only Archer, with his new rock star life, looked different.
But didn’t they all. It was funny how a century could change a person. Even an immortal one.
Ready for a change of subject, she said, “Things have changed a bit since the last time I was here.”
“Well, it’s only been about a hundred years,” Josey said with a smile. “Why don’t we all sit and have a drink. We’ve missed you. Even Ivy.”
She laughed. “And I’ve missed her. The only ones missing from this little reunion are Lucy and Tobias so far.”
Alcide smiled. “I’m sure they’ll make their presence known.”
“I can’t wait.”
They regaled Chloe with stories of the old days until late in the night. None of them willing to talk about the plans they would be putting in place the next night.
* * *
Later, in her room, Mina checked the time. She had an hour and a half before sunrise. That gave her half an hour for the spell to work and an hour with Sebastian. They had used this spell many times in the last century, but always at the Rose and never this close to Catherine. Vivian had found a spell to break Catherine’s for an hour, but only every seven years during a blood moon. She and Sebastian had used it sporadically, not wanting to incur Catherine’s wrath. She couldn’t be in New Orleans, at the Chateau Rouge, facing the biggest battle of her life, and not see him first.
She lit the white and black candle on her bedside table and drank the tea that Vivian had given her. As she sipped it, she thought of Sebastian.
“You’re going to see him tonight, aren’t you?” Lucy asked as she materialized on the edge of the bed. Lucy had been a ghost since the floods of 1927. Not because of the flooding, they had all survived that, but the resulting diseases brought on by the aftermath had been her undoing. Tobias had died soon after that. Most said of a broken heart. Mina was inclined to agree.
“I am. I have to. I have to see him.”
“I understand.”
“Do you ever wish you had made the decision to turn?” Mina asked her.
Lucy looked down at her transparent self. “I have asked myself that many times. Ivy even asked me as I was dying. But it wasn’t something I wanted. I’m happy where I am.”
Mina smiled. “Then I’m happy for you. Now go. I love you, but Sebastian will be here soon.”
Lucy raised an eyebrow. “Don’t do nothing I wouldn’t do.”
“Go!” Mina said with a laugh.
Lucy slowly disappeared, and Mina stepped out onto the balcony. She continued sipping her tea and looking up at the moon.
She felt a familiar hum. “I know you’re here.”
“Like I could stay away from you, my night flower.”
She turned to see him standing in her room. In seconds, she was in his embrace. She relished the feel of his arms as they wrapped around her, the smell of him, and the way his chin rested perfectly on her head.
He hugged her close, then pulled back for a moment. “Let me look at you. It’s been too long.”
“I look exactly the same. My hair is longer, but that’s it.”
“You are perfection.” His deep voice made her tremble. He pulled her close again.
“Are you cold?” He started pulling on the sleeves of his black jacket.
“No, my love. The cold does not bother me. Come sit with me.” She sat on the bed where Lucy had been only moments before and patted the space beside her. Sebastian was quick to join her, reaching out for her hand.
“I had to see you before tomorrow night. If only for this short time.” She squeezed his hand and smiled when he returned the gesture.
“I spoke with Vivian earlier this evening,” he said. “She assured me that everything was in order. That Lucy knows exactly what she needs to do.”
“That is only the first part though. We still have other steps to complete before we face Catherine.”
He raised her hand to his lips. “One step at a time, Mina. That’s all we need to keep in mind.”
“If we miss our chance, Sebastian, this will be our lives for another hundred years. You said yourself that Catherine hadn’t given up.”
He let go of her hand to reach around and pull her close, placing a soft kiss on the top of her head. “Enough about Catherine. Let me hold you while I can. The hour always passes by much too quickly.”
Mina snuggled into his embrace. “In three nights, this could all be over.”
He reached out and tucked his finger under her chin and kissed her softly. “It will be all over, Mina. I promise you. One way or another.”
His hand roamed up her back to cup her head as he deepened the kiss. Mina sighed, and let all thoughts of Catherine drift away, lost in her lover’s touch.
They undressed each other, reveling in the sight of one another. Sebastian whispered her name as he ran his hands over her body. Touches that were usually urgent and ardent, were soft and sensual. As if he wanted to remember every moment, every curve of her body.
He teased her with light brushes of his hands against her breasts. Mina arched her back and begged for more. Only to be answered with a husky chuckle.
“Patience, my night flower.”
He explored her body as if it were the first time all over again. His hands, his lips, caressed the soft inner flesh of her thigh. When he scraped his fangs against that same spot, Mina nearly came undone.
He groaned, all playfulness gone. He rose above her and slowly entered her. Mina relished the feel of him, locking her legs around him to bring him closer.
The slow rhythm intensified until it became frenzied. Both afraid that this might be the last time they touched for another seven years.
She shuddered as she came, and her release brought his own climax. He leaned close and sunk his fangs in her neck, needing to feel the heat of her blood as well as the heat from her body.
As her blood streamed into his mouth, he pulled her close, feeling her heart beat as quickly as his, as if they almost had the same rhythm. Sated from the sex and the blood, he rolled to his side, turning Mina to face him.
She smiled and licked her fangs. “It’s my turn,” she said before taking the vein he offered.
Satisfied, they lay in each other’s arms until their hour was coming close to an end. After he dressed, he kissed Mina slowly and tenderly.
“The next time we are together, there will be no time limits. I will spend the entire night worshipping your body until dawn. Then you will finally be able to sleep in my arms.”
She leaned into him, placing her head on his chest. “If all goes as planned.”
“It will, Mina. I promise.” He lifted her chin to kiss her again. “You’ll be begging me for mercy.”
She smiled. “I doubt that. Now go before our time is up. I can’t bear to feel that barrier between us.”
“Tomorrow. It begins, love. An ending and a new beginning,” he said before closing the door.
5
October 30, 2020
“You look awesome, birthday girl!” Ivy said, taking a step back and surveying her handiwork.
Mina looked at herself in the mirror. They were going out to celebrate Mina’s birthday, but they were also going out to distract Catherine from what Lucy had planned. If the three of them were out on the town, Catherine may not suspect what was actually going on.
It was like stepping back in time. Ivy had tucked Mina’s long hair under a black bob wig and added one of their jeweled headbands from back then. Then applied make-up to give her a pale complexion punctuated by bright red lips.
The red dress was new, though, and showed more décolletage than Mina was used to.
“I look like a tart.” Mina tried adjusting the bodice to no avail.
&
nbsp; “You look fine. Quit that, you’re going to mess it up.” Ivy opened the door. “Let’s go downstairs. I did Josey’s make-up earlier. She’ll be ready too. The bar is going to go nuts.”
“I’m sure the amount of cleavage I’m showing will have nothing to do with it.”
“Boo, ninety percent of the time, we make it a point not to attract attention. Tonight, it’s in your best interest. At least until Lucy completes her goal.”
All conversation stopped as they walked into the hotel’s bar. A feat in a town such as New Orleans. Mina smiled. They may just pull this plan off after all.
Josey was seated at the bar in a dress covered with gold fringe that sparkled in the light as she moved. Ivy had done her dark hair in small waves, accentuated by a headband, and her make-up was very similar to Mina’s. She sat next to Archer, Chloe, and Chloe’s boyfriend, Jared, who she introduced Mina to.
“Look at you two!” Chloe said as they took seats. Franklin, the bartender for the evening, took their drink orders. “You look just like you stepped out of an old picture. But in technicolor! You need a couple of gangsters with you to complete it!”
“I offered,” Archer said, raising a dark brow.
“We’ll be fine, baby.” Josey reached out and patted his leg. “If anyone bothers us, Ivy gets a snack.”
Ivy licked her lips. “And I’m always hungry.”
“And Catherine?” he asked.
“She’s not going to do anything in public.” It was an unwritten rule that no magic or supernatural powers be shown in town where humans might see.
“Besides, it’s girls’ night. We haven’t had one in, what, a century? I say it’s time.” Ivy fluffed her red hair.
Franklin placed their champagne glasses in front of them, and as they sipped, they asked him to turn the streaming music station to something jazzy. As they finished off their drinks, they hummed along to the music and talked about the jazz clubs and musicians of their day.
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