Spells: A Bayou Magic Novel, стр. 48
She runs toward the bathroom, making us all chuckle.
“I like her so much,” Gwyneth says. “She’s helpful and sweet. And such a good witch.”
“She is talented,” I agree. “Oh, Daph and B, I keep meaning to talk to you, but also keep forgetting. Our coven is performing an All Hallows’ Eve ritual the day after tomorrow, and I want you to come.”
“Us?” Brielle asks.
“Yes. You’ve never been before, and I think you’ll really love it. It’s beautiful. You can just watch.”
“Are you going to be dancing naked under the blue moon?” Daphne asks.
“No—”
“Yes,” Lucien and I reply at the same time. I bump him with my hip.
“No,” I repeat. “But I’ll dance for you naked after.”
“If everyone keeps their clothes on, I’m in,” Brielle says. “I think it’ll be fun to watch, and the members of your coven have been nothing but accepting and protective of us. How can we not support this? It’s like Christmas for you.”
“Oh, I’m even more excited now.”
Gwyneth sighs as she tosses her used towel into the hamper under the sink. “I think that’s all of it back here, boss.”
“You were an amazing help tonight,” I say. “I’m so grateful you were here. Thank you for everything.”
“It’s my pleasure, honey. I’m going to head home and see what kind of trouble Aiden got into while I was gone.”
“Have a great night.”
“I’ll walk you to your car.” Lucien squeezes my hand. “I’ll be right back.”
Lucien escorts his mom out the front door.
“Okay,” Daphne says as soon as the door closes. “Now that he’s not within earshot, I can say this. I love him, Mill. He’s so nice, and smart, and the way he looks at you is just…gah.”
“He’s the best,” Brielle agrees.
“Hey,” Cash says, looking up from his phone. He’s been in the corner, checking in with his team. He arrived late because of an investigation that ran long. He looks exhausted.
I know he’s been working hard on our case, and that ours isn’t the only one on his plate.
“I mean, he’s the best for Millie.” Brielle walks over and plants a kiss on her husband’s lips, sans prosthetic teeth. “No one’s better for me than you, babe.”
“That’s right.”
“Thanks, guys,” I say with a happy sigh. “I’m so mad at myself for fighting the attraction for so long. Because he’s amazing. I could have been having the best sex ever all this time.”
“That is a bummer,” Daphne adds. “But it happened when the time was right. I’m really happy for you.”
“Don’t make me cry,” I say, pointing to my sisters. “Now, I’d better take this trash out so we can all go home.”
“I can do it,” Cash offers, but I wave him off just as Lucien walks back into the café.
“No, I’m fine. It’s not heavy. I’ll be right back.”
I can hear Esme struggling to get back into her catsuit as I pass the restroom.
“Come on, you son of a bitch.”
“You okay in there?”
“Do you have a crowbar?”
“No, ma’am.”
“Then I’m okay. I just might have to go home half-naked.”
I laugh and continue through the reading room to the back door. It’s pretty dark back here, but I don’t bother to turn on the light.
I know my way around like I know my own reflection.
I open the door, and just as I step out, my foot catches on something and I pitch forward, falling flat on my face.
I shriek, then wince when I feel the scrapes on the heel of my hand.
“Damn it.”
“Are you okay?” Esme asks as she hurries outside. “I just left the bathroom and heard you…oh, goddess.”
“What?” I glance over and feel the blood leave my face. “Oh shit. LUCIEN! CASH!”
The words come out in a scream. I crab-crawl away from the body on the ground just as the others come running outside.
“Motherfucker,” Cash spits out, pissed as hell. “I was twenty yards away. He dumped this one right under my nose.”
“Under all our noses,” Lucien says as he steps gingerly around the corpse, careful not to touch anything, and helps me off the ground. “Are you hurt?”
“Just my hand.” I show him the scrapes, and he lightly brushes his thumb over the flesh, leaving it as good as new when he’s finished.
“How did you—?”
“Practice,” he murmurs before kissing my forehead. “Lots of practice, a stór mo chroí.”
Cash is already on the phone to call for help.
Brielle and Daphne take the trash I brought outside to the dumpster.
Esme’s standing by the door, watching with wide eyes.
“What’s on your hand?” I ask her. It’s red.
Blood red.
My goddess, is Esme possessed by Horace?
“Oh, it’s food coloring,” she says, waving me off. “From the hot chocolate.”
I nod, but I’m not convinced. This body wasn’t here earlier. Esme went to the bathroom, and when I came back here, I literally fell over a dead man.
Sirens fill the air, and I know we’re in for a long night.
“You guys should go home,” I say to my sisters and Esme.
“Not yet,” Cash adds. “We’re going to have to take statements. It won’t be too bad because I was here.”
“You couldn’t have stopped this.” Brielle takes his hand, trying to reason with him.
“It’s my fucking job to stop this,” he says, shaking his head. “Right under my damn nose. He’s an arrogant son of a bitch.”
Chapter Twenty-Two Lucien
It’s imperative that I hide my grimoire. I feel him growing impatient, and I know the time approaches when we will have to fight him.
My wife is in bed with our daughter, Sabrina, snuggled up at her breast. The baby hasn’t been feeling well, so Millie has been bringing her to our bed for comfort.
What she doesn’t know is that having both of my girls with me brings me comfort, as well.
Tarot, Millie’s familiar, is curled up at the end of the bed and opens one eye when I get up and walk