A Late Summer Bloom (22 page)

Desiree narrowed her eyes at him. “Is that where you went when you were
so quiet? Why didn’t you tell me?”

“In case they weren’t on time.” Colt answered.

She turned back to Julien. “Where is Giselle now?” Desiree asked.

“She is safe in the cave.”

Disappointed, she asked. “Why didn’t she come to us?”

“It would be too dangerous. I was afraid for her. But she was able to
use your friend Colt here as a host for her power. She’s learning fast. There’s
no stopping her now.”

Colt pointed to the woods. “She was holding them back.
Through me.”
He shook his head in obvious amazement. “But
they’re coming, and she can’t hold them much longer without me. Let’s go.”

Julien looked towards the woods, and then back to Simon who lay
bleeding.
“Yeah.
We haven’t got much time.”

Chapter Thirty-Two

A melodious drip echoed through the cavern as Simon was splayed out on
a pristine slab of marble. Giselle approached Julien first, searching for
wounds. Satisfied, she gently caressed his cheek, slowly blinking, offering him
silent accolades for the brave rescue. Unable to touch him for much longer
without her heart shattering all over again, she moved on to Desiree who stood,
staring blankly ahead.
Her eyes red and swollen.

Giselle gently took her hand, speaking softly, trying to comfort her. “He
will heal. It was what the fates had decided for him. Simon needed to sacrifice
himself for you in order to become whole again. Do you understand?”

Desiree slowly faced her with dirt-smeared cheeks. Nodding her head in
a slow and methodical motion, she then fell into Giselle’s arms and cried.
After a few moments, Desiree pulled away and made her way to be with Simon.

Giselle caught sight of the young man who helped her locate them. She
approached him. “I am Giselle
Jareau
, and you are
Colt?”

“Colt
Wacumin
.
I’m a friend of Miss Desiree.”

“Well Colt, I will be forever grateful to you.”

“I’m glad it turned out well for her, miss.” Giselle noticed him look
toward Desiree.

“What coven do you hail from?”

“I have no coven to speak of.
Been on my own long as I
can remember.
Had me a real nice foster family once, but I never really
fit in. It seems I have the mark of a watcher.”

Giselle lifted her brow, recalling the stories Angelique used to spin. “I
know. And you will be part of a coven—mine.
Under my
protection at all times.”

“Are you a princess or something?”

Directly meeting his gaze, she smiled.

“Yes, I am the tenth power, which means queen to the royals.” Colt
looked unsure. She put it another way. “I have a great power. I am in charge of
all the witches.” Stunned, he dropped to one knee. She asked his allegiance.
“Colt, Julien and I must travel to Cottonwood Landing. Will you please watch
over my friends? Simon will be healed by sunset and we will need him to join us
by then.”

“Oh yes, of course, miss.”

“Thank you. You can get up now.” She watched him approach Desiree. He
placed his hand on her shoulder and she watched Desiree cover his hand with her
own.

Smiling, she turned to find Julien, when sudden and unexpected, the
veil returned. Placing her hands out in front of her, she centered herself.
Fighting the rising panic, Giselle fought for breath when the veil showed her
mother embracing a man.
An evil man.
The veil dropped,
and she felt as if she were standing in the same space. This man knew of her
presence but her mother did not. With her back to Giselle, the man hugged her
mother stroking her hair and whispering in her ear. His fingers lengthened to sharp
knives and when he bared his fangs his smile showed the wickedness of a
warlock.

Terrified for her mother, she stood frozen unable to move. Watching the
warlock revert to his human appearance sickened her. He looked exactly like the
traveler she believed to be her father. She knew her mother was being deceived.
Or was she? Could this warlock be her father? Was her vision past tense?
Present?
Future?
Maybe the man—the warlock who smiled
at her was her father? Shaken, the veil began to fade out, leaving her with too
many unanswered questions.

Giselle fisted her hands until the veil slowly released her from its
grip.

Julien stood in front of her.
“Giselle?
Giselle?
Are you alright? Was it something about the war?”

Beads of sweat rolled down her temple and she found it difficult to
breath. An asthmatic sounding wheeze came from her throat and she felt her
lungs and chest constrict.

She covered her face. “I think I may have been fathered by a warlock.”

“Impossible.”

“The veil showed me my mother. She was with a man, a wicked man. A man
who is no more a witch than the warlock you destroyed out in the woods today.”

“I know your father, Giselle. He’s not a witch, he is a traveler.
An immortal.
Where did this come from?”

“I just saw it.”

He shook his head. “No. There must be an explanation.”

“Who can explain that? Who knows the truth?”

Julien grabbed her by the hand and pulled. “Your mother, that’s
who
.”

****

Desiree sat by Simon, patiently waiting for him to stir from the
healing sleep. She continued to bathe his wounds, dipping a cloth into a basin
filled with water from the cavern pools. As she wrung it out over his body, she
watched his wounds froth. The restorative properties in the mineral bath were
working. She wouldn’t have believed it if she didn’t see it for herself.
Although she was a witch and grew up believing in magic, witnessing this kind
of power was a rarity.

Simon was stretched out with only a scrap of clothing covering his
groin. The rest of his body lay naked, every scar on display for her eyes to
see. No wonder he tried so desperately to hide them from her sight. The ugly
jagged streaks marred his skin. The pain he must have endured to seek vengeance
in the name of his Aimee, in the name of—her—had to have been immense.

Desiree’s hands shook as she submerged the cloth in the water bowl. Struggling
with her emotions, she thought endlessly about her future. With so much to
discover, and her life just beginning, Desiree wanted the freedom to indulge in
her true calling. Yet, deep down, she knew she was the reincarnation of Aimee
Granvil
. And that the man that lay before her offered a
love which crossed the boundaries of space and time. Part of her wanted him
desperately, and the other part wanted to run away. Desiree hung her head and
cried, knowing Colt
Wacumin
quietly watched over them
like a guard to the highest ranking generals of the royal army.

Chapter Thirty-Three

Cottonwood Landing

Cecily
Jareau
played with the pendant she
wore around her neck. Nervously, she pulled the rounded locket from side to
side while she snuck away from Cottonwood Landing through the hidden tunnels.
Reaching the path she’d walked as a younger woman, she anxiously awaited the
arrival of Zacharias.
The one man who stood by her for twenty
years and never turned her away.
He understood and cared for her. He
loved her. And it was Zacharias who first told her of Jacques
LaFeoure’s
deception. He explained Jacques’ determination to
acquire power at any cost. Impregnating her with the hopes for a female child
would give him the opportunity to discover if his blood could indeed produce a tenth
power. When Zacharias told her where to find him, she saw the horrific evidence
for herself. His eyes had glowed and his fingers lengthened into knives as he
laughed at her ignorance.

Shunning the thought from her mind, she focused on finding a way to fix
the horrendous curse Giselle carried, before it was too late. And it must be
here, on the sacred grounds of Cottonwood Landing, where she would kill her
daughter. Arriving at the secret location she and Zacharias agreed upon, she waited.

Zacharias stepped from the brush with his arms outstretched in a
welcome gesture. A smiling Cecily went to him. He held her in a protective embrace
and spoke in a soft, comforting tone.

“My Cecily.
You’ve come home. I’m proud of you. After all these
years, you’ve come when I called. The time is growing near for you to prove
your worthiness. Have you traveled here with Giselle?”

She held her eyes down, ashamed of her failure. “She has yet to
arrive.”

Zacharias’ grip tightened on her arms, pushing her back to look into
her eyes, “Do you know where she is?”

“No. But last I heard she was on her way here. She is due to arrive in
Cottonwood Landing any day now.”

Zacharias loosened his hold on her, quickly responding to her curious
gaze. “She could be in grave danger. I wouldn’t want anything to happen to her.
After all, once you kill her, she will be reborn a very powerful witch.”

Cecily relaxed. “Yes, I understand.”

“You need to get back to the royals before they notice you are gone.
Remember, Cecily, you must bring Giselle to me alone. No travelers—you remember
what I told you about the travelers?”

“Yes—some have been turned. Just like Jacques.”

“Those fools think it can’t happen. You saw proof, didn’t you?”

“Yes. It was horrible.”

“Once the blackness is scrubbed from Giselle, she will be made our
queen. It is only then we can set the world on its true path.”

“I trust you, Zacharias.”

As he pulled her back into his arms and held her close, he stroked her
hair. Something about his tone told her he was smiling.
“Yes,
Cecily.
I will take care of her. You can trust me.”

****

As Julien escorted Giselle to Cottonwood Landing, she thought of all
the things that could go wrong. Would they welcome her? Slowing her walk, she
stalled. “What’s the big deal about Cottonwood Landing, anyway?”

He looked over at her. “You know nothing of its greatness?”

She shrugged her shoulders. He shook his head in disbelief. “It’s where
our laws are derived, wars declared.”

Coming up over an incline, they stopped to gaze at the sight before
them. Giselle stared in awe. Not far away was Cottonwood Landing. It stood in
the distance, a true castle. “It’s so beautiful. I know so little of all this.”

He chuckled. “You’ll learn soon enough. Cottonwood Landing is like the
human version of The White House. When you take your rightful place, it would
become Cottonwood Palace, complete with a royal guard.
Much
like the humans’ Buckingham Palace.”

“Well, when you put it that way, I get it.” She lifted her brow. “But, if
I’m such a big deal, why aren’t there armies of witches lining up to greet me?
How come I get one traveler, no offense, to escort me to my rightful place?”

“Because the royals were told you could destroy them. That you were
innately an evil being, someone who will penetrate the sacred hallow of
Cottonwood Landing and invite the blackness in.”

“Oh—is that all?”

Laughing at her reaction, he pulled her along. “Come, Little Witch.
They won’t believe that when I’m done with them.”

As they got closer, Giselle pulled her hand from his grip. Trying to be
discreet, she rubbed her sweaty palm on her ripped jeans. She ran her fingers
through the tangled mess on her head.

Julien glanced at her. “Don’t worry. Even when you look your worst,
you’re one of the most beautiful women I’ve ever seen. Please know how much
I’ve loved you.”

Loved?
She stiffened, recognizing the finality of the word.
She glanced at Julien, who offered her nothing more than a sad smile. “Come on.
We’re almost there.”

Finally arriving at the path leading to the massive electronic gates, she
let out a sigh of relief. “If the warlocks are getting bold enough to attack
witches not far from the gates of this place, why wouldn’t I be a target?”
I wouldn’t be if I’m one of them.

Julien said nothing. He snapped his fingers, and a thin layer of energy
crackled and popped.

“What was that?” she asked.

He smiled.
“My protection shield.
It’s my true
calling. We were invisible to the human eye, a cool breeze to those with
supernatural ability, and a warning sign to anything less than—
savory
.” He winked at her.

Slowly, the gates opened. Beyond them lay a very large, well-kept,
sprawling Victorian-style estate. Clearly home to a large number of guests, the
estate was the size of a hotel.

Giselle reached out for him.