A Late Summer Bloom (9 page)

Desiree and Simon argued as they arrived at Beaumont Plantation. “We
must announce ourselves, Desiree. We cannot barge in on them like a couple of
scoundrels.”

She stared at him, her mouth quirked up in amusement.
“Scoundrels?
How old
are
you?”

Simon opened the car door and stepped out. “Let me handle this. I can
make do without your modern techniques.”

She rolled her eyes and watched him study something not visible to the
human eye. She found it fascinating that he could read a spell simply by
looking at it in thin air. He had explained that he had been doing it for far
too many years, and it was a very simple process.

After a few minutes, her impatience flared to life. She got out of the
car and leaned against the door. “Hey, I thought you were an expert at
unraveling protective spells.”

“I am. However, this one has been erected by a fellow traveler. It
makes it more difficult.”

“Uh, huh.
So, what do you plan on doing?”

“Silence—I’m sending a telepathic signal.”

Desiree offered a sarcastic laugh and grabbed her bag.
“Oh, for fucks sake!”
She dug down into her purse.

“What could you possibly possess inside that bag of tricks to—
”

She pulled out a cell phone and held it up. Finding the listing,
Beaumont Plantation, she smirked. “In order to get past this invisible dog
fence, we use our cell. That’s how we modern day witches do it.”

Simon jerked his head in the direction of the main entrance.

Desiree’s mouth dropped open when Julien Beaumont strode down the path.
The heavily muscled traveler was as good looking a man as she’d ever seen.

She stared at Julien, watching the rough and ready traveler gracefully
lift his arms, waving them as a dancer would perform a ballet. When she let out
a little squeak of awe, she immediately felt Simon’s eyes on her, watching her,
gauging her reaction.
Overbearing brute!

****

All four walked the grounds of the estate, coming to rest on the back
porch. Desiree looked around. “It sure is quiet. I’m not used to the silence.”

“Because you’re always talking,” Simon said.

Desiree shot him an irritated look. “I’ve seen enough grass, Giselle,
show me to your room. I want to freshen up.”

“Oh—of course.” Giselle turned around. “It’s this way.”

“It’s amazing—a house in the middle of nowhere, complete with a
protection spell, and still you lock the back door?”

Giselle giggled. “No. I don’t stay in the main house.”

Desiree reached out, pulling her friend to a stop. Angry, she glanced
over at Julien for an explanation. He offered her nothing but a shoulder shrug.
With her hands on her hips, she turned back to Giselle. “You mean to tell me,
you sleep in the servant’s quarters? He hasn’t even let you in the main house?”

Julien interjected. “It’s not what you think—the house was, it was—well
it...”

“You are mumbling, Mr. Beaumont.” She turned back to Giselle. “Have you
been inside at all?”

“Well, no, but—”

“But nothing.
You are the tenth power and mister personality here
decides to put you in the—the maid’s quarters? You deserve better than that. A
traveler should kneel before you. Not this, ‘do as I say’ crap he’s dishing
out.”

Julien chuckled at her zealous rant. “Hold on just a minute, Miss
Mercier. You haven’t the faintest idea what’s been going on.
The
tenth power?
Let me ask you this, why is she afraid to tap into her
power? I’ve been trying to teach her for the last two days. She doesn’t try. And
what of her true calling? She says she hasn’t discovered it, yet something
holds her back. How can I help her fight the most powerful warlock of our time
if she refuses to help herself?”

Simon spoke. “Desiree, this is between—”

“Stop talking about me like I’m not here!” When Giselle shouted, the
winds picked up. The trees danced in the glory of the wind, and a bolt of
lightning crackled in the distance. The change in the atmosphere was immediate.
“I am standing right here. All three of you are arguing about me, over me, at
me. I get it! I’m of no use to anyone.” There was more lightning, more wind.

Desiree watched Julien go to Giselle, taking her gently by the hand.
“You’re right. Let’s talk about this inside. All of us.” Giselle responded with
a small smile, causing Desiree to roll her eyes.
Really?

Julien held the door open for her and Giselle walked inside. Desiree
watched as Julien glanced up at the tree tops. Following his eyes, she, too, noticed
the tranquility. The trees were still, and the electricity buzzing through the
air was no more. Julien followed behind Giselle.

Desiree noticed Simon studying the atmosphere as well. She got closer
to him and his posture stiffened. “Don’t worry. It’s me, Desiree. I’m not
gonna
try to hook up with you,” she snapped.

His shoulders relaxed. “Hook up? What does this mean, hook up?”

She shook her head at his obvious lack of modern language and leaned
over to whisper in his ear. “Just so you know
,
I’m not
leaving this house until I am confident this jackass does the right thing by
Giselle. And if you don’t want me to go to Cottonwood Landing, then you will
just have to stay here with me.”

Desiree pulled the door open with force. As she walked in, she glanced
back at him. “By the way, hook up? It means fucking. Or do you not know
that
word, either?”

****

When the screen door slammed behind her, Simon stayed in the same spot,
unmoving. The feel of her breath on his ear made his loins ache. And her use of
language caught him somewhere between amusement and shock. Simon bowed his head
when he realized his simple plan had backfired. He must remain with Desiree
until Giselle was ready to fight or he was ready to live.

Chapter Fifteen

Night came quickly as Simon and Julien laughed like old friends.
Desiree was quiet, almost reflective while she helped Giselle clear the table. In
the kitchen, Desiree prodded her friend. “Why do you act human, Giselle? Among
us, I mean. I know the importance of keeping up appearances, but here, we are
all supernatural. Hell, I don’t even know how old Simon is. But dishes?
Really?
I haven’t washed a dish in years.”

Giselle piled the dirty dishes in the sink. “It was how I was raised.
My mother made me do all the things humans did. I don’t ever recall her
practicing magic in the early years. And Angelique wanted to be supportive. When
I refused to practice, she didn’t push. I never even went to spiritual class. I
guess she thought it best, since I could go, one way or the other—if you know
what I mean.”

Giselle turned the water on. Soaping up a sponge, she cleaned each
dish.

Desiree stood beside her, towel in hand.

As she handed Desiree a clean plate, she giggled. “Boy, you certainly
look like a fish out of water.”

“I feel like one too. I—”

“Spit it out, Desiree. What else do you
wanna
know?”

“I
wanna
know why you haven’t told Julien
your true calling?”

She handed Desiree another plate. “Besides my supposed tenth power, I
don’t know what it is.”

“Yes, you do.”

“I don’t
wanna
talk about it, Desiree.”

Desiree reached over and shut off the water faucet. Within seconds,
each dish was washed and dried.

“Really?
I wanted to—”

“What? Play house?”

****

Giselle puckered her lips in an attempt to suppress her emotions.
Although Desiree’s words were hurtful, they were true. “Okay—and why not? Can’t
I just make believe? Can’t I
pretend
to have a man like Julien interested in
me,
the woman, and not
me,
the tenth
power? I’m very well aware of my future. It’s not like yours, filled with love
and happiness. It’s dark and filled with the blood of witches everywhere. The
ugly stench of death owns my subconscious mind, and pretending it doesn’t exist
is the only way I can stay sane.”

Giselle turned and left Desiree standing alone in the kitchen. She forced
herself to smile as she joined Julien and Simon at the dining table. A few
minutes later, when Desiree walked in, the men fell silent. The tension was
thick, the unease obvious. Giselle cast her eyes away. “Desiree, I’m sorry
about before. I think I’ll go to bed now. I’ll see you all in the morning.”

Julien stood up from his chair. “You may stay in the main house, Little
Witch. There’s a beautiful room just at the top of the stairs.”

“No, thank you, Mr. Beaumont.
I’ll stay in the cottage. It’s where I
belong.”

****

Julien stared at the empty doorway. He felt something stir deep inside
him, a sensation he couldn’t describe. He yearned to see Giselle smile once
more. Turning to Desiree, he creased his brow.

“What was that about?”

Desiree pulled out a chair and sat down. Resting her elbows on the
table, she cupped her face with her hands.
“
Merde
.
Where do I begin?” With her fingers pressed to her temples, she looked at
Simon, then Julien. “Get comfortable boys. I’m about to tell you the story of
Giselle
Jareau
, our tenth power.”

Desiree took a sip of water from her glass. “I might leave a lot of
things out, but I will tell you what I can. I met Giselle when we were very
young. As far back as I can remember
,
she didn’t know
she was born a royal. At the age of about seven or eight, Giselle found out
about her heritage. But she never acted like a princess and her coven never
treated her that way. Her mother, Cecily, believed her to be what is called
e
sprit
scission,
which means split spirit. She believes Giselle’s spirit
splintered due to the bloodline of her father.”

Julien cocked his head. “Isn’t that the million dollar question? No one
knows her bloodline. What did her mother say about the father?”

“Not much. Only that she had been impregnated by a cursed witch, and
she believes Giselle carried that curse with her into the earthly realm when
she was born. It was clear to the royals, when Cecily emerged from the cavern
with her newborn baby, she was different. A little off, as they say. She never
revealed the identity of Giselle’s father, leaving the coven to wonder about her
aura and allegiance.”

Julien drummed his fingers on the tabletop. “So, Giselle thinks she carries
a curse? Did her mother tell her she was cursed?”

Desiree lowered her eyes as the sadness of Giselle’s secrets tumbled
out. “Yes. When Giselle was ten, her mother told her she had the blood of
Natas
running through her veins.”

Simon sighed. “Nice thing to tell an innocent.” He shook his head.

Julien realized in that moment how wrong he’d been. “So, it’s not her
fault. She’s not purposely avoiding her calling, she’s afraid of it because she
believes it is dangerous to the people she loves.
Right?”

Desiree nodded in agreement. “Yes. I learned a lot when Giselle came to
stay with me in the quarter. I don’t think I saw her smile but once on the
first day she arrived, and the smile wasn’t for me, but for a little runt of a dog.”

Julien shifted in his chair, knowing all too well that dog was him.

“However, she does smile around you, Julien.
A lot.”

Desiree took another sip of water. “Anyway, she told me of her life with
Angelique, an old family friend. She was home-schooled, isolated. No one taught
her magic for fear she would hone her power to destroy mankind. No one knew
what to do with her since she discovered her true calling, which she does
indeed believe is a curse.”

She held up her hands in a stop motion. “I will not tell you what her true
calling is, Julien. I will not betray her by telling something I’ve held in
confidence since I was ten years old. Let her tell you. Give her a little more
time. And now
,
 
I
heard that crazy bitch, Cecily, is back?”

Julien raised his brow.
“Her mother?
Back?
From where?”

Desiree leaned over the table. “Nine years ago, Cecily
Jareau
took her daughter from the only life she knew and
dragged her to the bayou, where she promptly dumped her off. No one has seen or
heard from her since. Now, she’s back and wants a
reunion
?”

Julien stood up and paced the length of the table. “There is no curse,
is there, Desiree?”

“I just think she’s so scared by her true calling, she’s afraid to use
all her gifts, so she repels them.”