Charmed Again (Halloween LaVeau)

by Rose Pressey

  What if Nicolas really did want to be with the witches now? I couldn’t really wait around, right? Since I was having a tough time resisting Liam, I melted into his arms and kissed him back. As my mouth moved across his, my legs went weak. Unfortunately, as magnificent as the kiss was, his lips weren’t the reason for my weakened state. I knew that someone had unleashed a spell against me again. The room darkened and I fell to the floor.

  When I woke, I was on the sofa in the parlor. I scanned the room, trying to remember what had happened. The single rose was on the table across from me. Liam must have placed it there. He knelt down beside me as I tried to sit up. “What happened?”

  Liam grabbed my arms and lowered me back to the sofa. “Just lie there. Don’t try to get up. You’re being attacked with a spell again.”

  “I blacked out again?” I rubbed my head.

  He nodded. “We have to find this necklace.”

  I tried to get up again. “We need to look through the house. Gina said it was in the house.”

  He gently pushed me back again. “You need rest. We’ll find it in the morning. Just try to relax. You’re safe here with me tonight.”

  I wasn’t so sure. I’d been attacked with a spell in my own house. Nowhere was safe. Without warning, Liam scooped me up in his arms.

  “Where are you taking me?” I asked breathlessly.

  “To your bed.” Liam carried me in his strong arms with ease.

  “Will you stay with me?” I whispered in his ear.

  “I won’t leave,” he said in a low voice.

  A knot rose in my throat. Had there desire in his words?

  As we turned the corner of the second floor landing, Catherin appeared from her room. Liam sat me on my feet, wrapping his arm around me for support.

  “I didn’t think you were here,” I said with surprise.

  “Is everything okay, dear?” she asked with a quirk of her eyebrow.

  “I’m just really tired and Liam is helping me.” I gestured toward Liam.

  Catherin quirked a disapproving eyebrow, then shrugged. “Well, I guess it’s your home now and you can do whatever you like.”

  “Is Claude here? I didn’t think you all were home because all the lights were out.” I gestured with my hand.

  “Yes, he is,” Catherin said snippily. “I’m going to talk with him now.” She marched down the hallway, releasing a loud huff in her wake.

  Was she going to tattle on me? At least I had Claude to keep Catherin occupied while I figured out this other mess. As soon as I had time I’d find a way to get rid of both of them.

  ***

  When I woke, Liam’s arms were wrapped around me. I paused for a moment, wondering if this was a dream. Nope. It was all too real. He’d kept his word and slept in the bed with me all night. I hadn’t wanted to be alone. Not last night. Liam was still fully clothed though, so he’d been a perfect gentleman. I still hadn’t decided if that was a good or bad thing. One thing was for certain, I was thankful I hadn’t drooled on him while I’d slept.

  When I turned to look at Liam, he opened his eyes and smiled. “Good morning,” he said.

  I stretched, trying to add as casual as possible. “We should start looking for the necklace.”

  Liam nodded. “Your guest will probably want to know what we’re doing. She wasn’t very happy with you last night.”

  “She doesn’t seem happy about anything,” I said, pulling the sheet up tighter around my body.

  Liam climbed out of my bed. I looked up at his powerful set of shoulders and let my gaze drift, studying every inch of his muscular physique as he moved. Maybe it was my imagination, but he seemed as if he was in a hurry to get out of the room.

  “I’ll leave so you can get ready.” He paused with his hand on the doorknob. “If you need me I’ll be in my room.”

  I nodded, but didn’t say anything. For once I was at a loss for words. How could I possibly know what to say when I didn’t even know what I was thinking? He stepped out of the room without looking back. I hoped that I hadn’t hurt his feelings.

  When I stepped out into the hallway, I noticed Catherin’s room door was open. I peeked down the hallway. Claude’s door was open too. Had they already gone out? Where were they headed off to all the time? Maybe they were already downstairs and Catherin was making breakfast. It was obvious that she didn’t trust my cooking abilities.

  After heading downstairs, I searched every room on the first level, looking for my guests. They were nowhere to be found. When I stepped into the kitchen, there was no sign of Catherin or Claude there either. I’d expected to see remnants of cupcakes or some other delicious breakfast that Catherin had whipped up with her magic.

  As I peered out the back window, contemplating my next move, someone touched my back. I jumped and spun around with my fists in the air.

  Liam stood behind me. “Whoa. Settle down, killer. I didn’t mean to startle you.”

  I clutched my chest. “It’s okay, I guess. I was expecting to find Jacobson behind me when I turned around.”

  “Where are Catherin and Claude?” Liam asked, looking over my shoulder out the window.

  I shook my head. “I don’t know. They must have left.”

  Liam opened his full lips as if he wanted to comment, but he obviously changed his mind because he didn’t utter a word.

  “What?” I pushed.

  Finally, he asked, “Don’t you think they are acting weird? What do you think is going on with them?”

  I leaned against the counter and tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. “I don’t know, but you’re right.” I couldn’t deny that I’d become suspicious of their behavior. “They’re always together now. I mean, maybe they just have a lot in common, or they share a bond because I brought both of them back…”

  His eyebrows rose inquiringly. “Or maybe it’s something more than that?”

  “How will I know?” I searched his eyes for an answer.

  “Have you snooped in their rooms?” Liam asked.

  “I can’t do that. That’s against the bed-and-breakfast proprietor code,” I said. Technically, I had snooped in Liam’s room and I had checked out his underwear, but I had a perfectly valid excuse for that. Okay, and I had snooped in Catherin’s room too, but I digress.

  “Well, it’s not like they are paying guests.” Liam shoved his hands in his pockets and leaned on the counter next to me.

  Liam’s sexual magnetism invaded my personal space. I stepped away from the counter and motioned for him to follow. “That’s true. Come on. Let’s see what’s going on, although I doubt we’ll find anything.”

  He didn’t allow me to move too far before grabbing my hand and guiding me out of the room. “Maybe we’ll find out where they’ve been going every day.”

  I tried to throttle the dizzying current racing through me as Liam guided me through the manor. “Let’s hope so.”

  We made it to Catherin’s room first. The room was tidy and nothing seemed out of place. She’d even made up the bed with military precision.

  Easing into the room, I headed over to the closet and peeked inside. Several pieces of clothing hung on the rack and a couple pairs of new shoes sat on the floor. Apparently, Catherin had been shopping.

  I held up a bright pink sweater from the closet. “She has a lot of new clothes. That might explain what Catherin and Claude have been doing. It’s nothing more than hanging out as friends, I guess. But I’m not clear on where she got her money.”

  Liam walked across the room and looked out the window. “I’m still suspicious. There’s just something about them that I don’t trust.”

  When I scanned the room, something caught beside the bed. The item was gold and shiny. “There’s a necklace,” I said, pointing across the room.

  Liam followed me across the room. I knelt down and picked up the necklace. When I saw the pendant attached to the chain, it was as if someone had punched me in the stomach.

  “It’s the same symbol as the neckl
ace we found at the plantation,” I said with shock in my voice.

  Liam took the necklace from my outstretched hand. His expression tensed as he studied it. “I can’t believe it. It’s the same damn thing.”

  “Do you think the necklace is Catherin’s?” I asked.

  “I can’t imagine why it would be in her room if it wasn’t,” Liam said.

  “It can’t be the necklace Gina told us about because she said it was larger. I’ve never seen Catherin wear this.” I scanned the room to make sure we were still alone. “We have to find out what that symbol means. Come on, let’s check Claude’s room, then we’ll look for the necklace that Nicolas’ mother was talking about,” I said.

  After searching through Claude’s room and finding nothing, I headed for my room to grab the Book of Mystics. I wanted to see if it would present a spell to me. What kind of spell, I wasn’t sure, but at this point I was out of ideas. If I got lucky, I’d cast a spell that would help lead me to this necklace that Nicolas’ mother was talking about.

  After grabbing the book, I joined Liam in the kitchen where he’d been waiting for me. He was still studying the necklace that I’d found in Catherin’s room.

  “I brought the necklace from the plantation so we can compare them,” I said, handing him the other necklace.

  He placed both of them on the kitchen counter, stretching both out side-by-side.

  “They look like an exact match,” I said.

  “You’re right, they look alike and that isn’t a coincidence. This must be some kind of special witchcraft symbol. They share some kind of common bond,” Liam said, as he ran his hand through his thick hair.

  “But why was Nicolas wearing this necklace? Do you know if he was involved with any special magic?” I asked.

  Liam shook his head. “No, not that I know of. Of course, we haven’t been the best of friends lately.”

  “Well, I know one thing for certain. I’m calling a meeting of the New Orleans Coven today and removing Jacobson as the leader.” I felt as depleted as my voice sounded.

  “You know I’ll support you any way that I can.” Liam touched my hand.

  The doorbell rang, echoing through the house, and my stomach dipped. The last thing I wanted was another unannounced guest. I exchanged a glance with Liam.

  “I’ll see who it is,” he said, walking out of the kitchen toward the front door.

  He reached the door before me and opened it immediately for the person. The open door blocked my view of the unexpected guest.

  “Oh, it’s you,” Liam said.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  When I stepped into the hallway, I finally got a view of who’d been at the door. Annabelle and Jon stood in the foyer, holding hands.

  “I didn’t expect to see you two here so early.” I gave Annabelle a knowing smile.

  If this mess was ever finished, I wanted full details from her on what had led to the quick handholding.

  Annabelle returned a bashful grin. “We figured you needed help looking for that necklace.”

  “Yeah, well, we already found one necklace today.” I displayed the found object.

  She quirked her eyebrow questioningly. “What are you talking about?”

  I let the necklace dangle from my hand. “We found this in Catherin’s room.”

  Jon took the necklace. “It looks just like the one you found at the plantation.”

  I looked at him. “Yeah, I’m surprised you remembered.”

  “It’s a unique symbol. Hard to forget something like that,” he said.

  I shook my head. “It’s not that unique. We’ve found two. I still have to figure out what it means.”

  “That’s why we’re here to help,” Annabelle offered.

  “I have a plan for the day. Number one: find the necklace that Nicolas’ mother told us about and number two: call a meeting for the New Orleans coven,” I said.

  Before anyone had a chance to respond, the strange vibe fell over me again. I knew by now what was coming on when it hit me. The walls were closing in on me and the room grew darker and darker. My legs went weak and I fell to the ground again.

  When I woke, I was on the sofa again with everyone standing around me. This was becoming a routine—one that I wasn’t fond of either.

  “Are you okay?” Annabelle reached down and touched my forehead.

  Liam paced beside the sofa. “This is beyond out of control.”

  “I’m feeling fine now,” I said, rubbing my head.

  “Since Jon is here he can help us cast a counter-spell. You can draw on the elements from us,” Liam said, gesturing toward Jon.

  “I’ll help if I can,” Jon said with a shrug of his wide shoulders.

  It was about the only shot I had. If I could cast a spell to help lead me to the necklace, then I could unravel the puzzle. There had to be a reason why Nicolas was with the witches. What spell had they cast on him and how would I reverse it? Would I need to find him first before I cast a spell?

  “Do we need to find Nicolas in order to help him break whatever spell he’s under?” I asked.

  Liam’s frown burst my bit of hope. “Yes, I’m afraid so,” he said.

  “I feel so useless,” Annabelle said wrapped around a heavy sigh.

  “Annabelle, no. What would I do without your support?” I asked. “Plus, you have more paranormal skills than you know. After all, you allowed Nicolas’ mother to channel through you at the séance.” I gave a lopsided grin.

  Annabelle gave a little smile. “That’s true, I did do that.”

  I nodded. “See, you helped. Now come on. Let’s go to the kitchen and try a spell.”

  We gathered around the cauldron and held hands as Annabelle watched. With any luck, the spell would lead me to the necklace and block whatever junk someone was throwing my way. If it didn’t work, then I wasn’t sure what I would do next. I was at the end of my witchy rope. LaVeau Manor was a gigantic place and it would take forever to search every room. Although I’d try the attic first since that was where I’d found the Book of Mystics. My great Aunt Maddy was eccentric and she could have hidden the necklace or buried it in the backyard for all I knew.

  Once the water bubbled, it was time to add the spices. The room began its dazzling show. Annabelle grabbed the counter for balance as the wind whipped around her. The energy zapped from Liam and Jon to me.

  I tossed in the last of the spices. “Bring back the spirit near, it should not cause fear. So mote it be.” That wasn’t good enough for me though. I decided to add my own words to the spell. After all, calling to the elements had helped me use the magic to my full potential before. I needed all the help I could get for this important spell. “Element of Earth, I call to you to allow the spirit to rise again. Element of Air, I call to you to push the spirit back to the manor. Element of Fire, I call to you for warmth and protection. Help me have the knowledge. Element of Water, I call to you for force and tranquility. Give the spirit the power to return.”

  Blue and red lights swirled up and out from the cauldron and began to make a circle around me. The wind whipped my hair as a fiery wind blew through the kitchen. Smoke bellowed up from the cauldron as the water bubbled up to the top.

  Finally, the smoke settled, the water boiled no more, the breeze stilled, the lightshow in my vision stopped, and the smell of Mother Earth vanished.

  I released a deep breath and looked around the room. It was the calm after the storm. Had the spell worked? As if on cue, footsteps sounded in the library again. My heart beat faster. With any luck, the spell had worked and Nicolas’ mother had now returned from the dead.

  The spell pulled at me, like a giant magnet, willing me to move out of the kitchen and through the house. My whole body tingled from the tips of my toes to the top of my head.

  “I feel weird. I think the spell is working,” I said, shaking my arms as if that would make it go away.

  “That’s a good thing. Let it lead you to the necklace,” Liam said with confidence in
his voice.

  As if being guided by an unseen force, I walked through the parlor, then the library and toward the foyer. Everyone followed behind me, anxious to see where this spell was leading me. I hoped it didn’t make me take a wrong turn right out a window because it didn’t seem as if I could stop myself from moving forward at this moment. I turned to the left and moved up the stairs to the second floor.

  When I glanced over my shoulder, I was shocked to see that Annabelle had followed me. She never came upstairs. The only way she would have come upstairs was if the house had been on fire and she had to save me. Even then she’d try to recruit a gorgeous firefighter to do the job.

  “Annabelle, what are you doing? I can’t believe you’re coming up the stairs.” I glanced over my shoulder to gauge her panicked expression.

  She shrugged. “I made it through being possessed. I figure I can make it through a little trip upstairs.”

  Wow. She did have a point though. I was proud of her. She was facing her fears—something I should do more often.

  When I reached the second floor landing, I turned to my left and continued up the next flight of stairs. This was the top floor of the manor. There was nowhere else to go from there, other than the roof. Please don’t let this spell take me to the roof. I was terrified of heights and that was one fear I was not ready to tackle. We moved up the last flight of stairs and then down the long hallway, finally coming to a stop in front of the little attic door.

  “This is where I found the Book of Mystics. Apparently, this was a go-to hiding spot for my aunt,” I said, placing my hand on the tarnished brass doorknob.

  As I turned the knob and pushed on the little wooden door, it creaked out as if welcoming us. With a slight pause, I stepped into the stuffy room. Dust motes flooded through the air as I disturbed the space. I’d caught Liam looking for the Book of Mystics in there one night. A lot had happened since then. Liam, Annabelle, and Jon followed me into the room. The men had a harder time fitting through the door, but they twisted their way inside.

  “Wow, this place is creepier than I imagined,” Annabelle said with a tense smile. She rubbed her arms to ward off a chill.