by Amanda Rose
Zandor's warning rings in my ears. “Be prepared because Sam is a huge flirt. And Krim, he's an asshole.” He was right about Krim being an asshole. I can only hope he's wrong about Samuel Baron.
As soon as I hear my dad's bedroom door click closed at the other end of the hall I follow the cat down the stairs out the back door and into the cold night air. He seems to be leading me which is great considering I haven’t the slightest idea where I'm supposed to go. I can't make out much in the dim light, but I don't want to use the flashlight app on my phone yet because I'm worried my dad might notice and come out to investigate. I'm only a few steps out the back door when the cat just takes off into the dark Louisiana night.
Well, what am I supposed to do know. I have no idea where I'm going.
“Psst, kitty. Where are you?” I whisper. I move cautiously toward where it disappeared in the darkness. “Come on dude. I have no idea where I'm going.” I say to the cat. In the bushes less than two feet from me a branch cracks and the bushes rustle. Whatever is in those bushes is big, much bigger than a cat. I lift the baseball bat up ready for some new monstrosity to leap out and attack me. I'm freaked out, but I tell myself as long as it's not a spider I'm good. The creature steps out and I go to swing, but a hand reaches up and stops me.
“Hot Stuff, it's just me.” Zandor steps out of the shadows and even in this light I can tell he's smiling. He offers me his hand.
“Don't call me Hot Stuff.” I retort before reluctantly taking it. It's warm and comforting sending a thrill of excitement through my body. Zan's hand and mine fit together more perfectly than I'm willing to admit. Seriously, I think to myself. More butterflies. “I mean it. Don't make me kick your magical ass.” He just laughs this carefree happy laugh that makes me smile back.
“Aw, come on … Skater Girl, let’s go put up those barriers. We can't have you getting killed before Saturday.” Zandor starts guiding me through the thick foliage toward a part of the property near the back I haven't had a chance to explore yet. Under normal circumstances I would never have followed a guy I'd only known for days into dark woods alone but seeing as I watched him fight off nightmare creatures for me I figured Zan was probably telling the truth about the whole Laveau magic crap.
“What’s so important about Saturday?” I ask crinkling my brow trying to think if anyone said anything Saturday.
“Our date. Duh. I've got a bunch of cool shit planned. Trust me it's gonna be epic AF.” He says with an unexpected level of enthusiasm. Oh, that. With all the life and death voodoo stuff going on I sort of forgot Zandor had asked me out. If he is offended by my forgetting though he doesn't let it show. If I was ordering my ideal boyfriend from a catalog, chances are he would be look and act a lot like Zandor.
“You really want to go on a date... with me? I thought that flirting was just so you could like give me the sight or … whatever” I trail off hating how self-conscious I sound. I hate it.
“Now you're just being silly. Who wouldn't want to date a cool sexy chick like you. Besides if I really wanted to, I could have given you the sight at any time.” He says like it's no big deal. Well this is news to me.
“Why didn't you then?” I ask as we trudge along. The foliage seems to be getting thicker by the minute. I try not to think about all the spiders that are probably hanging out in these bushes. I figure we are far enough away from the house that my dad won't notice so pull my phone out of my pocket turning on the flashlight. I shine the light at him. He is wearing another loose-fitting tank a black one with a white X this time. Just like the cat. The rounded curve of his biceps are fully exposed and I must admit the urge to run my hands on them is strong. This has got to be some sort of magic because I have never wanted to feel up anyone let alone three different guys in one day.
“Not sure. Maybe I felt like you deserved some sort of heads up … or maybe I was just using it as an excuse to talk to a hot chick.” He tosses me a cocky smile and a wink flashing me those sharp canines I noticed earlier. Something about that wink makes me think of my grandmother's cat. And it's not just that his eyes are the same vibrant shade of gold. I open my mouth to ask him about the cat when I see the faint yellow glow of a light through the underbrush. Before I can ask about it, we come into a small well-lit clearing. Leaning against the massive trunk of an oak tree phone in one hand and a bag of M&M's is Kriminal Lacoste. At his feet is a large duffel bag. The whole clearing sort of brighter than it should be like a full moon is somehow casting bright light through the branches of the trees.
Krim's pale skin glows in the white light of the screen making him even more handsome and mysterious. He glances up from whatever he's doing like he couldn't be more put out by being here.
“Fucking finally. I've been here for almost a goddamn hour. We've got school tomorrow you know.” He says standing up sliding the phone and the little bag of chocolates in his pocket and stalks over to us stopping a few feet away. Zandor looks back at me my hand still held in the warmth of his comforting grip. Krim's eyes flick down to our joined hands and his frown deepens a little. Zan rolls his eyes and give me a look.
“Told you Krim was an asshole.” I can tell that
“Yep, we've met. And you were right. He is an asshole.” My mind immediately goes to how he threw me under the bus in front of my dad with a smirk on his face. I squeeze Zandor's hand in frustration before I realize what I'm doing but he doesn't seem to mind. How can I feel so comfortable and relaxed with someone I don't know?
“Huh, that's not what you were saying when your tongue was halfway down my throat.” Kriminal scoffs crossing his arms over his chest. That damn condescending look is back on face daring me to disagree. It pisses me off that Krim is all put together and I'm standing here in my Pikachu pajama pants and not a lick of makeup.
“I only kissed you, so I didn't get murdered by red eyed shadow monsters. Under normal circumstances I wouldn't have given you the time of day.” I snap. I do not have the energy to deal with conceited pricks tonight.
“Puh-lease, you eye-rape me continuously whenever we're together.” Krim snorts. “Besides princess, you must have gotten a taste of something you liked otherwise you wouldn't have let me kiss you the second time.” Of course, he is right about the second kiss, but hell will freeze over before I ever tell him that.
“Don't get too excited cause it was a mistake and it's not ever happening again.” This must piss Kriminal off for some reason because he grits his teeth. I glance at Zandor to see what he thinks about me kissing Krim. Most of the time guys act like complete douches when other guys hit on the same girl as them. Surprisingly Zan doesn't. The liquid gold of his eyes gleam with mischief not jealousy. He lets go of my hand steps behind me sliding his arm around my waist and pulls me against his firm chest. Where he touches me my skin tingles. He still smells like bubblegum. I should stop him, but it feels too freaking good. His hot breath feathers against the back of my neck.
“If you liked what this stuck up prick has to offer wait till you get a some of me.” He whispers in my ear. My whole body shivers with arousal and my face heats with embarrassment. Then he releases me with a masculine chuckle. “Seriously though skater girl this guy isn't really boyfriend material.” He says pointing in Krim's direction.
The ground beneath our feet trembles for a moment. It could be an innocent little earthquake. Does Louisiana even get earthquakes? Deep down I know this is something magical.
Instead of looking down Zan looks up. I slowly lift my light up like I'm in a cheesy horror movie illuminating the moss-covered branch hovering half a dozen feet above our heads. Bastian is lounging on it ankles crossed hands behind his head like he's sleeping on a hammock not a somewhat precarious tree branch. Does this guy ever put on a shirt or shoes?
“We can't wait for Samuel any longer.” Sebastian sits up and jumps off the tree with impossible ease silently landing less than a foot in front of where I'm standing. Taking several steps toward me his green eyes meeting my own grey ones. �
��Serefine, this is going to push you to your very limits, but I promise no matter what I will keep you safe.”
“Um, okay.” I say not sure how else to reply. I listen while Sebastian and Zandor give me the basic rundown on how to put up these magic protection spells. Krim mostly just hangs out doing whatever on his phone.
So, here's how I understand it so far: There are three more anchors aka big oak trees like the one we are standing next to. These trees are like magical bounds for the spell one on each corner of the property. They are all linked to the crossroad oak (the massive voodoo/witch tree in the back yard). I just have to activate each anchor by drawing four magic symbols (called veves) in salt around each tree and anoint them with blood. Then each guy will each draw a line around them with different stuff. He's where it gets weird. You know the normal kind of stuff like I don't know paint or chalk or something we aren't using that. Instead we are using weird crap like cemetery crossroads dirt, rum laced with gunpowder that sort of thing. Zan and Sebastian assure me that once we finish the spell breaking wards will be unbelievably difficult while I'm alive.
“The bad news is we have to drop them completely to remake them.” Zandor says with a little cringe like he is waiting for me to freak out. I look between the three of them slightly confused. Krim who has been standing there the whole time silently scowling and eating M&M's speaks up.
“There won't be anything stopping an army of invisibles from attacking your untrained ass. Well, except for us.”
“If we do this then monsters won't be able to get in the house?” I ask just to clarify.
“No one who wishes you harm, human or loa can set one foot on the grounds without breaking the wards,” Sebastian's deep velvety voice rumbles out.
“They can break through?” This little tidbit of information worries me a little.
“Seriously fucking doubtful.” Krim says with sigh. Then a second later “Let’s get this over with. I'm tired and even if Sam Baron decides to show who knows how late the cocksucker will be.” he says like this is just one major inconvenience.
“Calling Samuel takes energy she doesn't really have.” Sebastian snaps at Krim. The two glare daggers at one another.
“Well, he's clearly not gonna show unless someone makes him. So, we should do it now, so she can get some fucking sleep. Honestly, I can't believe you two are letting her do this tonight after what happened with Legba and the screeches at the cemetery. She's powerful but without training she's going to have to strong arm this barrier into place.” Kriminal says. He steps up getting really close to Sebastian looking like he's about to escalate the situation. I beat him too it.
“Let me? You've got some nerve. I can't sleep till I know my dad is safe so I’m doing whether you like it or not.”
I drop my bat on the ground and hand my phone to Zan because I don't have any pockets pushing past them all and grab the bag of salt dropping to my knees in front of the glowing tree that sits smack dab in the center of this clearing. The light from the tree washes everything in a ten-foot radius in a soft green light. I look between the salt the tree and the ground. Now what am I supposed to do?
“How do I know what these symbols are supposed to look like?” I ask Bastian because not only does he seem the most knowledgeable but also the most likely to help me.
“Close your eyes and your magic will guide you.” He replies. You've got to be kidding me.
I give Zandor a look.
“Is he just pulling my leg.” He smiles flashing a bit of fang then shakes his head no.
“Bas doesn't lie.”
“Fine but don't be surprised if this doesn't work.” Taking a handful of salt, I pick a spot at random start. Closing my eyes, I take a deep breath. As soon as the first granules fall I can feel the magic draining out and into whatever it is I'm drawing. Like there is an invisible hand guiding me. This isn't so hard after all. As soon as my hand stops moving I open my eyes and look down. Immediately, I recognize the symbol I've blindly drawn in salt. A cross with a teardrop shaped bag hanging off each edge in the shape of a scale. Inside the bag is a skull shape and above the cross, there’s the shape of an old-school coffin. Holy crap, it's one of the symbols from my backpack.
“This symbol is a veve?” I ask pointing at the ground. Blindly drawing a symbol would probably seem weirder if I hadn't seen literal zombies pop out of the ground.
“Not a veve, my veve” Krim says with a sigh. He doesn't elaborate going back to looking at whatever was so important on his phone. It's probably just a game of candy crush.
“How the hell was I supposed to know that.” I snap back.
“I don't know, maybe cause you're the Laveau.”
“Just shut up so I can do this.” I move to my right close my eyes and repeat the process. This time the symbol comes even easier. This veve or whatever has a center that vaguely resembles an eye. Around the center are for small animals with x's for eyes. A cat, a bird, a bull and an alligator.
“That one's mine.” Zandor says before I can even ask. I continue to the right placing myself on the opposite side of the tree from Krim's veve. I already think I know what the symbol is going to look like, but I close my eyes for a third time. This symbol come's just as easily as the last one. I look down. I thought this symbol resembled a tree with a heart in the center and little X’s for leaves since I put on my backpack almost a year ago.
“This is yours isn't it.” I ask Sebastian.
“Yes.” he says giving me a kind smile.
“One more.” I say moving over till I am opposite Zandor's veve thingy. Zandor and Sebastian exchange a concerned glance.
“Maybe we should wait just a little longer.” Zandor says nervously. I shake my head no.
“I don't want to wait for him any longer.” the second the words leave my lips a strong gust of bone chilling wind blows my hair back and I'm suddenly shaking with cold. Thick fog that wasn't here a second ago begins to spread like magic from an empty spot about a yard from where I'm kneeling. The faint smell of tobacco and cloves hangs in the now foggy air.
“Well, If I'd known that you wanted me that badly I'd have come sooner,” a suave and darkly debonair voice purrs. The voice is just dripping with sexual innuendo that makes my breath quicken and my heart pound. My head whips around trying to locate the source when out of the fog steps the tall sculpted frame of a gorgeous man.
Omg. How can they all be attractive. He walks right up to me with an I don't give a fuck swagger that reminds me of a rock star and stops only inches from where I'm kneeling in the dirt. I sit there in shock and just gape open mouthed at his masculine beauty. My eyes travel up long lean legs wrapped in tight black jeans torn in a handful of places and scuffed combat boots to a tapered waist. A long black trench coat is draped over his broad shoulders, but he isn't wearing a shirt so the deep lines of his six pack abs and the v shaped muscles on his lower belly are on full display. From under the waistband of his low-slung pants I can see part of a tattoo on his right hip that travels up his side and onto his back, but this isn't the only tattoo I can see. In fact, I'm pretty sure he has more tattoos than Krim. A large chest piece of skeletons holding an old-fashioned coffin disappear under the fabric of his leather trench coat. My chest tightens and the pulse in my lower belly becomes more insistent.
I scramble to my feet, so I can get a better look at him. He's even sexier from this view. Eyes too purple to be human look me up and down before curving into a seductive smile. His face really is magnificent and chiseled with a strong jaw, regal cheekbones and a sharp blade of a nose. His hair is hidden beneath the brim of simple silk top hat and a black cigarette that smells of cloves is hanging from full lips curved in a lascivious smirk. The smeared remnants of black and white skull makeup are on his face. Like he was at a Halloween party all night and didn't bother to clean it off. The smoke from his black cigarette trails around him adding to his I don't give a fuck bad boy persona.
“Hello gorgeous,” Samuel Baron – who else could
it be – takes a single step forward effortlessly closing the distance between us. The tips of his leather boots are now touching the toes of my slippered feet. He reaches up and runs a tattooed hand along my collarbone slowly and sensually. I can't move or speak, and my brain is lost in a fog of unexpected lust. Heart thundering, I can barely breath. This man is lust and seduction given life. He has an effortless but undeniable magnetism and I seem powerless to resist his overwhelming allure. “It's a pleasure to meet you, Serefine Laveau.” The word pleasure rolls off his tongue in the most suggestive way, but his words snap me out of my libido induced stupor. Laveau … monsters … the barriers. I shake it off like I've just come out of a spell. What is wrong with me?
“Samuel Baron?” I ask in a breathless voice.
“Yes?” He coos leaning towards me making me take a step back. God, I can't stand guys like this the beautiful entitled ones who think the world is theirs for the taking.
“You're late and I'd really like to get this over with, so I can go to bed.” I say with a sigh. After all this guy has cost me almost an hour of precious sleep. His eyebrows go up in shock, but his lids droop seductively, and he licks his lower lip.
“Short, feisty and strait forward. Just my type.” I roll my eyes and glance in Zandor's direction. When I meet his gorgeous golden eyes he just shrugs his shoulders and gives me a what are you gonna do look. “I've got a party I want to check out but if you're interested I could be persuaded to stay at your place instead.” Sam grabs the black cigarette hanging out of his mouth takes a long drag before throwing it on the ground. OMG. Does this guy have even an ounce of shame?
“You've got to be kidding? Did you really just litter on my property in front of my face at the same time you were hitting on me?” I say in disbelief.
“Yeah. So?” he replies like he has no idea why there would be anything wrong with that. He takes a swig from the alcohol bottle in his right hand then offers it to me. I glance at the bottle then back at his face. There is no arguing with people like this. This guy might be a walking talking slice of sex, but he knows it and just does and says whatever he wants. Best to get this over with so we can put some distance between us.
