But despite two days of active work, Narcisse was nowhere to be found. Nearly forty-eight hours after Armand had discovered the note, Nelson felt his hands start to tremble while he, Manuel, and Andre were sitting on the dock, trying to come up with a new strategy to find her.
“Whoa,” Andre said, helping Nelson to his feet. “You okay?”
Nelson pressed his shaking hands to his temples. “Don’t know what came over me,” he said.
Manuel’s face went ashen. “Don’t pretend to be stoic right now. You know exactly what’s happenin’. It’s the curse startin’ to take hold of you.”
Just then, Serafine entered the room, moving slowly, as though she was ill. Her fingers were pressed into her temples.
“You feeling okay, Serafine?” Nelson asked, afraid of what her answer would be. He was already feeling the effects of Narcisse’s separation, and he could only imagine that Armand wasn’t doing so well, either.
“Bit of a headache. And it’s gonna get worse. How long has Narcisse been gone?”
Nelson swallowed hard. “Two days now. I don’t know what to do, Serafine. She don’t want to be found. We been searchin’ the city, we’ve gone out on the highways, we’ve even scoured the waters of the bayou. But she ain’t anywhere.”
“And Armand ain’t found her?”
“Nope.”
Nelson suddenly felt his legs go weak. He tried to stay upright, but after flailing for support, he collapsed on the floor.
Serafine muttered an obscenity. “The curse is startin’ to take hold of us. We gotta find her.”
“How?” Nelson asked, fighting the tidal wave of a headache that rolled through his skull. “We’ve tried everything. Maybe we should hire a private investigator.”
“We’ve already ruled that out because it’s so risky,” Xavier said. “We really don’t need people who make a living getting information getting involved with us. Plus, if the curse is starting to take hold, we really don’t have any good way to explain that to an investigator. If they find her in bad shape, they’re not going to call us. They’re going to take her to the hospital. Besides, at this point, they probably won’t find her in time. It would take a few days, at least.”
Adele came running in and skidded to a halt when she saw Nelson crumpled into a ball.
“Am I too late?” she whispered.
“No,” Serafine said. “He’s still got life left in him. Just not as much as I’d like. You find somethin’?”
Adele nodded. “I managed to take down Narcisse’s address. I didn’t have it in my records, unfortunately, because she and I didn’t keep in touch after she graduated. But I called in a favor with a friend over at the records department. The office keeps up-to-date contact information for alumni so they can send class news and ask for donation money.”
“Why didn’t we think of that two days ago?” Nelson asked, massaging his temples.
“I did, but she left on the weekend. Nobody was in the office, and I couldn’t very well call in the favor then without arousing some major suspicion. As it was, it took the better part of today to even convince her to relinquish the information. They’re supposed to keep it completely private, and she could have gotten fired if anyone found out.”
“How did you manage to get it out of her?”
Serafine reached into her pocket and, with a trembling hand, pulled out a small voodoo doll.
“Adele called me this afternoon with her predicament. I figured a little magic wouldn’t be out of line in an emergency like this one. I didn’t do much. Just set up a spell that would make her easier to persuade for this occasion.”
“It didn’t take much work to get the information out of her after that,” Adele said. “I have her new address. You can call Armand and tell him to get her. They can drive back out to the bayou right away.”
Just then, Nelson collapsed again, falling out of the chair he’d been sitting in. Pain ripped through his muscles, and he could tell he was developing a fever.
“I don’t—I don’t know,” he gasped. “If Armand and Narcisse are in as bad of shape as I am, they ain’t gonna be able to drive back here.”
“Shit,” Oscar muttered.
“We just have to go get them,” Adele said. “We’ll go into New Orleans, rent a car, drive as fast as we can. If they’re incapacitated, it’s about the only way to do it without involving outsiders.”
“I’m comin’ with you,” Nelson said, trying to control the waves of pain coursing through his body.
Xavier shook his head. “You should stay here and rest, man. Ain’t nothin’ you can do with the shape you’re in.”
“I don’t care. She’s my mate. I want to be there when you get her. I want to hold her in my arms the entire way back to the bayou.”
“Okay, then,” Adele said. “Come on, let’s get going. We don’t have much time.”
* * * *
After getting lost in the swamps for three hours, a two-hour wait at the Greyhound station, and a grueling, eight-hour bus ride, Narcisse pulled into Houston with nothing but the clothes on her back. All of her cash had been spent on her bus ticket, and she hadn’t eaten since breakfast. She had no idea what she was going to do or how she was going to survive, but she knew it was better than being where she didn’t belong.
It was a five-mile walk from the bus station to her apartment, but she didn’t have money for bus fare. And after eight hours of sitting, she was grateful for the chance to move around. Narcisse felt a little weak from hunger, but she knew that if she could make it home, there would be something to tide her over. Any of the fresh food in her fridge would be completely rotten, but she knew there would at least be a bag of chips in the pantry she could eat to tide her over until she figured out how to get some money. She anticipated a night spent sorting through her jewelry and a morning dealing with the pawn shop. After making herself a meager dinner, however, she realized she was too exhausted to try to accomplish anything. She crawled into her bed and passed out.
As Narcisse woke up the next morning, her first thought was of how she missed her mates.
No. I don’t miss them. I have no reason to miss them. I was unhappy there. And they’re not my mates, either. There’s no such thing. I can’t believe I let myself get talked into that.
Rousing herself from bed, she eased under the hot spray of the shower and sighed with pleasure as the dirt and discomfort left from hours of travel eased off of her body. After her shower, she went and pulled together a meager breakfast. As she ate, she caught herself compulsively daydreaming about Armand and Nelson. She thought about how it felt to be sandwiched between them in the throes of passion, and how safe she felt afterward as they curled their bodies around her before falling asleep. She thought about how amazing it always felt to wake up between them after a night of sex. Even that first night, when she was so nervous, Armand and Nelson had made sure to take care of her, to make her feel satisfied and happy. Her memories briefly turned to regret and confusion.
They weren’t perfect, but then again, neither was I. The entire situation was a mess. Maybe they were doing the best they could.
She didn’t want to think about them, though. The time for that was over. She had returned to Houston to start her life over, and there was no room for distraction. She had a lot of work to do, starting with finishing her breakfast so she’d have energy to get through the day. But as she picked at her food, she couldn’t help turning her actions over and over in her mind.
Maybe I made the wrong decision to leave. Maybe I should have tried to stick it out a little while longer and see if things got better.
Narcisse shook her head and stood up from the table. Realizing she wasn’t really hungry, she hurried to clean up the small mess she’d made, hoping that if she kept busy, she’d be able to take her mind off of them.
There’s no time to second-guess myself. I was completely miserable, and I needed to get out. I made the right choice. I never belonged there. I was never meant to be their
mate, whatever that means.
Refusing to dwell on thoughts of her so-called mates any longer, Narcisse went to her room and spent the better part of the day sorting through clothes, jewelry, and other possessions that she could sell to hold her over until she found work. She didn’t hold any illusions of getting her old job back. She was willing to take anything that would keep a roof over her head and food in her fridge.
After several hours of work, Narcisse was amazed to realize how many of her possessions she didn’t actually need. There were far more things stacked on the floor that she could even begin to carry, so she decided to sell the jewelry first. Haggling with someone over the cost of the nicer pieces would be enough for one day, and would probably keep her fed for the rest of the week, if she was careful.
But as she approached the front door, Narcisse suddenly stopped. Physically, she felt fine, but it was as though she’d lost all will to leave her apartment. A deep sadness had been settling in her heart and mind all day, and now it was making its presence known. She couldn’t deny it any longer: she missed Nelson and Armand. She wanted to be back in the bayou with them.
No. I don’t miss them. It’s just a reaction to having left so suddenly.
A yawn caught her off guard, one so deep that she almost lost her balance as her lungs took in air.
I’m just worn out from making such a long trip with so little money. I’m tired and it’s been a stressful few days.
The sense of fatigue became more insistent, and Narcisse couldn’t help but curl up on the couch. She told herself it would just be for a minute, that she just needed to give herself a pep talk before going to face the outside world and getting her life back in order.
I have to remember how unhappy I felt when I left. That’s all I need to do. I’ll feel better if I get out of the apartment, even if it is to deal with a disgruntled pawn shop employee.
Despite all of her insistence, she couldn’t bring her feet to stand up and walk out the door. All she wanted to do was crawl back into bed and dwell in her loss.
Just stop being so negative. Don’t think about it.
Suddenly filled with energy, Narcisse got up, hurried to her room, and pulled out a suitcase. She haphazardly began throwing things inside, determined to take what she needed and get back to her mates. But just as suddenly as she began, she stopped.
You can’t go back, anyway. You left without saying goodbye, and you stole a boat to boot.
Hanging her head, Narcisse tried to push the newest batch of ideas out of her head, but it was no use. She couldn’t shake off the fact that she’d done something horrible, and even if she did want to go back, Armand and Nelson had no reason to trust her again.
There’s no way Nelson and Armand would forgive you. And even if they did, nobody else from the congregation would welcome you back. You made your choices, and now you need to move on and deal with it. Start your life over, the way you wanted to.
Glancing at the clock, she realized it was starting to get late. The shops will probably be closing soon, anyway, and they’re not in the sorts of neighborhoods where I’d be safe alone after dark anyway.
Wandering back to the kitchen to evaluate her supplies, she decided she could probably put real life off for another day.
I have a little more food left. I’ll take care of this tomorrow.
Finally convinced she had a reason to stay in, Narcisse walked over to the couch, flopped on the lumpy cushions, and turned on the television. She was relieved to lose herself in the flickering stories. She finally stopped thinking about Nelson and Armand, finally stopped remembering the passionate nights they’d shared before she’d taken off. She fell asleep with the television still on.
Narcisse woke up the next morning to droning news anchors and promptly shut the television off. She dragged her stiff body off of the cramped couch and changed her clothes. She put on dress pants and a nice blouse. She hoped it would make the person at the pawn shop treat her more seriously. In addition, she planned to at least try to get her old job back. Looking the part wasn’t going to hurt her chances.
The trip to the pawn shop was disheartening. Narcisse knew she hadn’t gotten the best deal, but she felt too emotionally drained to really haggle. Even though she didn’t get a fair price, she had enough for groceries for a few days, at least.
Narcisse almost changed her mind about begging for her old job back. She just felt tired and dejected, and she kept yearning to be back on the bayou, spending time on that beautiful houseboat.
No. This was the life you wanted. You chose to return here for a reason. This is where you belong. Now is the perfect time to start over.
Narcisse repeated these thoughts to herself on the bus ride across town to her former job. When the bus pulled into the stop, she almost didn’t get off, but then she forced herself to stand up. At the building door, she paused again. Still, she refused to let herself give up and go back to her apartment and wallow. She went through the visitor entrance with her head held high, refusing to feel embarrassed about the fact that she didn’t have an employee badge to scan.
“Ms. Laurent!” The security guard wore a shocked expression. “I heard you quit.”
Narcisse swallowed her pride and nodded. “I did. But I have some unfinished business with Dave. Would you be able to either buzz me up to his office or call him down for me?”
“Hold on.” The guard dialed an extension and held the phone up to her ear. “Dave? Hi, it’s Lisa downstairs. Narcisse Laurent is here to see you. No, I—no, she just said she had some unfinished business. I—are you—okay, I’ll tell her.”
Lisa looked almost embarrassed as she hung up the phone. “I’m sorry, Ms. Laurent, but he’s not available today.”
Narcisse allowed herself to cringe. “He’s not going to have any availability in his schedule in the future, is he?”
Lisa shook her head. “I don’t think so.”
“Well, thank you for trying.” Narcisse put on the biggest smile she could muster.
“Of course.”
Narcisse turned and hurried out of the building before Lisa could see the tears beginning to flow. She barely made it to the bus stop before she burst out sobbing.
I’ve ruined everything. I don’t have a job, I don’t know what I’ll do to make rent, I don’t have my mates, and I can’t go back to them. I’ve ruined everything.
By the time the bus arrived, Narcisse’s sobs had slowed, and she managed to keep her composure for the rest of the trip home. But the second she was locked into her apartment, she collapsed in the bed. She didn’t care that it was still broad daylight. She didn’t care that she needed to get up and look around for other job possibilities. All she could do was cry again, the tears welling up even faster than they had before.
The next day, Narcisse woke up thinking she had a fever. She was drenched in sweat, but the second she threw the covers off, the shivers started. Her entire body rocked back and forth with the chill racing around her body, and her teeth chattered so hard that she thought they were going to crack. Narcisse pulled the covers back up to counteract the sudden cold, but the sweat and heat built back up almost immediately.
Fumbling to the bathroom, she pulled out her thermometer and took her temperature. She was shocked when it read ninety-eight degrees because her pajamas were completely soaked and yet her skin felt like ice.
“I just need to eat something,” she said to herself, turning toward the kitchen and leaning against the wall to fight the dizziness that came despite such a slow movement. “It’s been nearly a day since I last had food.”
But as she made her way down the hall to the kitchen, her knees buckled, and she crashed to the carpet. Narcisse didn’t move for a moment, but let herself lie there, trying to catch her breath and fight the dizziness that blurred her vision and cramped her stomach.
After realizing she wasn’t injured, Narcisse tried to push herself back up onto her feet but couldn’t get higher than her knees before her thighs cramped
and she crashed back to the floor. Suddenly, she began to shiver with even stronger tremors, and a stabbing pain began to ricochet through her temples. Narcisse had to close her eyes against the early morning light filtering through the curtain, because it hurt her eyes. She knew food was impossible, and she turned every ounce of her energy toward getting into bed.
Unable to stand up, she crawled along the carpet. The rough fibers made her skin sing with pain, a burn that took hold of every single nerve until the sensation coated her entire body. With each movement, Narcisse began to think she might have been foolish to disregard Serafine’s warnings about the importance of staying in the congregation. Then another jolt of pain went through her head, and for a moment she lost all sense of who or where she was. She had to stop and gasp for air, waiting for the ache and fire to dissipate enough for her to crawl a little farther.
When she finally managed to climb into bed, the heat came back, but this time the cold didn’t dissipate. She was simultaneously freezing and burning, and the faintest amount of light hurt her eyes with even more intensity every time she blinked. As she slid a cool pillow over her head to blot out all stimulation, she was struck with the realization that she was dying, and that she was in trouble if she didn’t get back to the bayou.
Chapter Seven
Nelson’s hands trembled as he climbed into Xavier’s speedboat. He struggled to press the proper buttons to put a call through to Armand, but as the boat peeled through the water, he managed to get it right.
“Hello?”
Nelson couldn’t believe how weak Armand’s voice sounded. “How you holdin’ up, man?”
“Not so good. No sign of her. Did you find her yet?”
“No, we been lookin’, but nothin’. But we’re comin’ out toward Houston. Adele thinks she figured out the address. If I give it to you, are you strong enough to head over there and find her?”
“I can get to her, but I ain’t in no shape to drive.”
Rose, Charlotte - Bayou Famine [Shifters of Alligator Bend 2] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 8
