Chapter Seventeen
Step 1: Send mixtape
Playlist:
Swallow My Pride―Ramones
Purple Rain―Prince & The Revolution
Dig―Incubus
Let’s Stay Together―Al Green
Please Don’t Leave me―P!nk
Try―P!nk
I Only Have Eyes for You―The Flamingos
Little Lion Man―Mumford & Son
Don’t Let Me Down―The Beatles
I purchased a two-piece wooden puzzle with our names on it that snaps together. It’s cheesy, but I know Cristobal will appreciate it. As stern as he is, the man craves love and affection. I wonder if it’s linked to being virtually ignored as a child. The youngest son, he wasn’t viewed as essential. They had an heir and a spare, so he was just more of the same. Often looked out for by the staff, he felt closer to the cook than his own mother.
I smooth out the blank piece of paper, grab a pen, and begin to write.
Cristobal,
I’ve spent the past week thinking. I needed time to do that. To process everything, take stock of my emotions and equalize. But I never meant to do it at your expense. I reached my breaking point, and I took it out on you. It was never my intention, and I sincerely apologize. I wasn’t able to craft my words and express myself adequately at the time.
I wasn’t prepared for the changes the bond has brought. They caught me off guard, and I exploded rather than decompressing and coming back later. Communication is something we need to work on. We’re such different people, it can be hard to see eye to eye, but I’ll keep working for balance because you are the love of my life.
I don’t say it enough. I can’t imagine life without you. I feel safe when I’m with you. I trust you above all others, and I admire your old-fashioned values and manners. Even when you make me want to pull my hair out. I want to make you feel as loved, special, and cherished as you make me feel on the daily. Please extend me the courtesy of romancing you.
Yours,
Dove.
I place the cassette tape in the box and add his favorite candy, la Violeta. The lavender scented candy is native to Spain. I sprinkle the water lilies inside, then seal the box. Cristobal has a particular and expensive taste. I’m a nervous wreck by the time I see the courier off and trying not to open the link too far. I need a distraction. After the intensity of the previous case, we decided to take a week off. My mind and my body rejoiced. I text Fel.
Are you up for lunch at Tia’s? ~L
Oh, I haven’t been there in forever. I’m down. What time? ~F
Now? I’m starving. ~L
Lol, all right, I’ll meet you there. ~F
Tia’s has been a fixture in Cypress since the 1920s. The menu is old-school but cooked to perfection. They’re the epitome of comfort food done right. A trip here is a treat I occasionally indulge in. Too much of Tia’s family recipes, and I’d no longer fit my clothing. The sugar, lard, and salad make the good food taste like heaven, but the calories remain pure evil.
I feel the gloom lifting as I park in front of the quaint building. Tia’s Lunchroom is written across the building in simple black print. The boxy white building has weathered storms, change, and constant generations of patrons. As I park the car, I’m reminded of visits before with family and friends. Tia’s is the place you turned to when you wanted a home-cooked meal without the responsibility of clean up.
I cross the lot and slip inside.
The white and black checkerboard floor and glass dessert case full of freshly baked pies await me like an old friend. Fel waves at me from a wooden both by the window. I make my way over and sit across from her.
“Hey, cousin.”
She smiles. “You look and sound so much better than you did a week ago.”
“Ditto.”
“Trust me. I’ve been making the most of my break … sleeping in, reading, watching television. I’m living the life.”
I laugh. “I’ve been doing about the same. It’s sad that this is the first time I’ve seen you socially in ages.”
“I know. One more meeting would’ve damaged my psyche beyond repair. There’s only so much PC arguing a woman can take,” Fel says dryly.
I laugh. “It feels like things are finally starting to settle. Even the weather. This is the first day without rain.”
“Thank God, the flooding was starting to get out of control. I’d started giving it a little helping hand and making it drain faster,” Fel admits.
“Wow, Fel.”
“I’ve been practicing. I don’t think you’re the only one experiencing an upgrade in powers.”
“How long have you suspected that theory?”
“Since we cast the sunrise circle and Vit came into his own. The power had to come from somewhere. I think if he’d been that inclined all this time at the least he would’ve done some sort of accidental magic.
“You think we’ve all leveled up?”
“Maybe. I know things shift to fit each matriarch. Your power is new and multi-layered now that you’re bonded with the court. Maybe it’s a trickle-down effect?”
“It’s a logical conclusion,” I say, wondering how we’d test it.
“Let’s get our food ordered.”
We walk up to the counter, and I waffle between the fried chicken and meatloaf for my dish. In the end, the meatloaf wins out. I go down the hot lunch line, have the woman behind the counter add mashed potatoes, fried okra, and mac and cheese to the tray. My stomach rumbles. I top my selection off with sweet tea, and a slice of lemon meringue pie.
A comfortable silence settles as we appreciate the food we’re eating.
“Are you still on the outs with the vampire boo?” Fel asks between bites.
“Yes. I’m curious to know who you’re on the ins with in the mansion, though.”
“Percival mentioned it. We text back and forth almost daily.”
“Oh my God, you’re practically hanging out.”
“No, we’re not,” she protests swiftly. “Unless you count library trips.”
I chuckle, thinking about his courtship with Mémé. “I have it on good authority he does.”
“Stop it. You’re going to make me paranoid.”
“Because it would be a bad thing or a good thing?” I observe her carefully as emotions run the gamut on her face.
“I’m not sure,” she whispers honestly.
Holy crap, Percy, what is it with you and women in my family? “Do you want it to be more, Felicite?”
She shrugs her shoulders and stirs her iced tea with a straw.
“Because it’s okay if you do.”
“Is it though?” She shakes her head. “I’m not convinced that’s true.”
“What happened?”
“I don’t know. We’ve been spending a lot of time together just researching and him teaching me. It made it impossible not to see all his qualities. He’s smart, patient, funny, and handsome. Percy never loses his temper with me. He gently guides me to the proper understanding of things. I’ve never met anyone like him.”
“It sounds like a good thing, Fel.”
“It’s a stupid schoolgirl crush I don’t want to embarrass myself over.”
“If you really thought that, you wouldn’t be talking about this with me,” I say gently. “Are you hesitant because he’s a vampire or is there another reason?”
“Well, that and the fact that I think he’s still in love with our grandmother. I’m no one’s stand-in. It’s no secret I favor her. I find it hard to believe it’s a coincidence I’m the one he’s showing interested in. If that’s the vibe I’m getting from him. He’s hard to read.”
I hum as I think on what she says. “I think he’ll always have love for her, but he’s said himself their time was long ago, and ill-advised. That the world wasn’t ready for their relationship.”
Her face wrinkles. “He talked to you about it.”
“Briefly in passing when he wanted to give me a pep talk about taking risks.” I wave her off. “Don’t worry, your vampire boo isn’t spilling his secrets to me.”
She scowls. “He’s not.”
“Yet. But you want him to be.”
“I think I might.” Her face falls. “Is that awful of me?”
“Felicite, no. You like who you like.”
“God, is this how you felt with Cristobal at first?”
I nod. “Yes, but I was too starry-eyed to care much about the consequences. Young amour.”
She shakes her head. “I’m ahead of myself. I’m not sure if he reciprocates what I have going on.”
“I know him well enough to say if you don’t give him a hint that you’re open to it, he’ll never approach you. He’d be too worried about offending or frightening you. He really is such a standup guy. You deserve someone who will treat your properly and cherish you. Percy will do that and more.”
“Is that why you aren’t discouraging me?” she asks curiously.
“Yeah, and I see how much you want to try this out with him. I understand your fear. It’s a big step, and a lot of people won’t understand or approve. There’s nothing wrong with taking your time and figuring out what it is you actually want.”
She nods and toys with the condensation on her plastic cup. “Do you think Cristobal was worth it?”
“Yeah. Enough for me to be groveling right now.”
“What?” She sits up straight. “Now you have to share.”
I laugh. “I made him a mixed tape for Christ’s sake.”
“That’s adorable … and necessary. You were over the top.”
I sigh. “I know I was. I feel like shit about it now.”
“What did he say?”
“He hasn’t yet. I sent it off by courier before I drove here.”
“Now we wait?”
“Nothing else to do but that.”
“You wouldn’t change anything knowing what you know? Even with the hardships you’ve already faced?”
“I’ve been asking myself this very question. The only thing I would change is how I felt. I’d have been more upfront with everyone. That time of discovery was vital to who I am now. As for not being with Cristobal … If I’m honest, I can’t even imagine what that would be like long term. I wasn’t happy when I was gone. Content, busy, and successful for the most part, yes. We both know those things aren’t the same thing as having joy. Being with him is complicated, but I do feel it’s where I’m meant to be. Whether I feel that on my own or the universe hardwired me to feel that way I’m not sure.”
“And it doesn’t bother you?”
“I think it always will to a small degree. But the benefits far outweigh that.”
She nibbles the inside of her jaw thoughtfully. I tried to help you out, Percy. You deserve happiness, too.
A tentative caress through our bond has me closing my eyes. I’ve missed this.
“I accept your apology, dove. I look forward to seeing what else you have planned.”
“Clear your schedule, mi rey.”
“Done, reina.”
“I’ll be by at nine o’clock sharp to pick you up. Dress semi-casually.”
I open my eyes and grin.
“He got it?” she guesses.
I laugh. “He did. He accepted my apology. Tomorrow I’ll initiate step two.” I wiggle my eyebrows. “I’m having fun keeping him on his toes. Usually, he’s the one wining and dining.”
“What are you doing tomorrow?”
“Recreating our first date, which was basically a day and evening out in New Orleans.”
“That will be fun!”
I nod my head. “What are you going to do about Perc?”
“You like him, don’t you?”
“Yeah, the guy deserves some happiness.”
“I’m going to spend more time with him and see what goes from there.”
“Sounds like a solid plan.”
“I never thought my life would be like this,” she laughs.
“So awesome?”
“So crazy.” She gestures wildly with her hands.
“Girl, you’re an Esçhete. You know we don’t do normal.”
“Yeah, I’ve come to realize how very true that statement is over the past year.”
***
I knock on the front door holding a single red rose. Gil answers.
“Aaaah, my lovely. You do not do things by halves.”
I laugh. “Where’s my date, Gil?”
“Being held up by the rest of the court who are utterly amused by this turn of events. Step in. You are truly a vision.” Gil takes my hand. “Spin.” I slowly rotate, and he clucks his approval of the lightweight boat neck, strapless, blush-colored dress with a pastel floral pattern across the top to the waist and along the top of my thigh down to the end of the dress that stops at my calf. I’ve ditched heels for a simple pair of pale pink canvas shoes perfect for walking the city.
I’ve pinned my hair off my face in a chignon.
“Do I pass inspection, my good sir?”
“Oui.”
I laugh. “I’ve missed you.”
“I see I’ve missed all the action while in France, but I have secured the things we will need for your coronation. Soon we will try on your dresses?”
“Yes, the date is speedily approaching.”
“And yet you no longer seem nervous.”
“There’s something about fighting for your life that places things into perspective.”
He hugs me. “Come, cherie.” He pulls me in and shuts the door.
“Look at that, Mom and Pop are going to paint the town.” Renee lets out a low wolf whistle.
“Stop it.” My face heats, and he laughs roguishly. I think he was a pirate in another life. With his blinding white smile, mischievous nature, and the rock-like diamond in his left ear, it’s not hard to imagine.
“You look good.” He comes over and kisses my cheek.
“Thank you.”
Ada and Ruby rush over.
“Is everyone here?” I ask.
“Oh, we weren’t about to miss this for the world, poppet,” Ruby drawls.
Ada laughs. “It’s a big deal when we see the boss man thrown for a loop.”
I grin, pleased to hear my plan is working so far.
“Where is my vampire boo?” I ask, knowing he can hear me.
“Your wh-what?” he sputters.
I giggle as laughter fills the space, shaking out the stale air of discord left behind after our fight.
“Welcome to dating in the twenty-first century,” Luz says. Her full-bodied laugh is infectious.
I watch amused as Luz, Miles, Percival, and Larkin flank Cristobal down the hall.
“We expect you to treat him well you know,” Marcellus says, joining us from the opposite end of the hall.
“I will.”
He smiles. “I believe you.” It’s as close to approval from him as I’ll ever get.
“Don’t stay out too late or get into trouble while you’re in the big city,” Ruby drawls.
“I’ll try not to,” I respond to their heckling, but I only have eyes for Cristobal. The black slacks, white button-up, and gray vest fit him to a T.
I hold out the rose. “For you.”
His lips twitch. “Like I gave you on our first date.”
I nod.
“Thank you.” He leans and brushes my lips with his. “I’ll put it in water.”
“We’ll do that. You two go have fun.” Luz takes the bloom and we’re ushered toward the door after a few photos have been snapped.
I’m almost dazed on the doorstep. “What in the world?”
“I may not have been the best company of late.” He clears his throat.
I reach down and squeeze his hand. “I’m sorry.”
“We both have much to learn when it comes to how far we can push boundaries,” he admits. “I love the fire inside of you. I don’t want to extinguish it.”
I lead him to the car and open the door. He bristles but allows it. I grin. “Thank you for being such a good sport.”
“For today only,” he warns.
It’s more than I hoped for. I scramble around to the driver’s side, and we pull onto the road.
“Fill me in on what I’ve missed.”
“More preparations for the coronation, meetings, and Gils’ phone calls every other day from France.”
“Be honest, you sent him there with the black card to get him out of your hair.”
He chuckles. “Perhaps.”
“That’s a yes from you.”
We spend the road trip filling each other in on our week. He laughs when I lead him to Café Du Monde.
“I didn’t realize you were such a sentimentalist, Ms. Esçhete. Recreating our first date.”
“I wanted to go back to the start. The craziness of the upcoming events and the Djinn really threw us for a loop. It became all about getting things done, surviving, and we lost sight of the best part … us.”
“Do you mean that?” he whispers quietly. Seeing him uncertain is a shock.
“Of course I do.”
“There are times I worry I have pushed all of this on you, reina. Seeing you happy and initiating things has been good for my soul.” He pulls me closer to his side, and I enjoy his slight warmth as we weave our way through the crowd to the building with the green and white striped awning, and a line out toward the street.
“I insist you let me pay.”
I smirk. “Okay.”
We make our way to a table outside, and I do a bit of quick magic.
“What was that?”
“A powdered sugar repellent,” I answer honestly.
His full-bodied laugh is like sunshine, warming me from the inside out.
“Brilliant.” Little is said as we finish our snack.
“I thought we could wander Jackson Square for a bit,” I say, thinking of my odd new friend, Sabrina. She’d get a kick out of Cristobal, and I think vice versa.
“I haven’t been by in ages. It’d be interesting to see who’s still around these days.” We leave our plates, and he offers his hand. I loop mine through it, and we walk across the street to the square full of people on lunch breaks, tourists, palm readers, painters, and more. We peruse the tables slowly. I catch a glint of dark hair and spot Sabrina at the very end of the line. I tug Cristobal’s arm.
He smiles down at me. “What?”
“I want you to meet someone.”
He arches an eyebrow as I break away from the candle table and lead him to Sabrina.
She looks up and grins with a slight bow.
“My friend has come back to visit me and brought more royalty I see. It’s an honor, my Lord.”
“This is Sabrina, Cristobal. Sacha and I met her recently.”
“The pleasure is mine, Sabrina.”
“I see you took my advice?” Sabrina says cheekily.
I laugh. “I did.”
“I wondered if you would read for Cristobal.”
He clears his throat. “Not many can.”
Sabrina sits up straight. “I can, my Lord.”
He arches a thick brow. “If you’re sure.”
“Please, sit.”
He perches on the edge of the lawn chair, and I plunk down in the one beside him with glee. She removes the black velvet bag, and I feel the pull of the cards. There’s more to them. They have a magical weight that intrigues me. She slides the cards over to him.
“I want you to shuffle them until they feel right for you. I will do a simple three card spread.”
I admire his strong hands and long, artistic fingers as he shuffles the cards with ease and confidence. I can feel bits of his own magic sparking to the surface. I want to cozy up to him and rub against him like a cat. I settle for watching him like a stalker. There’s been a shift for me over the past week. It’s a combination of missing him, and our magic and souls beginning to settle in together.
He stops shuffling.
“Okay, now I want you to cut the deck four times, please.”
Why four?
Sabrina smirks. “Because his soul is no longer just his own. No, I don’t read minds. Your face was very expressive just then.” She winks.
When he finishes, she spreads the cards in a fan. “Pick three, whenever you’re ready.”
He pulls three. She flips over the first. The passionate couple embracing brings heat to my face and neck.
“The Lovers. You’ve met your match. The two of you complement one another perfectly. Your love is flourishing, never take it for granted, because love-starved can turn.” She flips the next card with five wands. “Hmm, the five of wands. You will face competition and scorn. Together you’re very powerful, and others will seek to diminish or possibly possess that for themselves.” Cristobal tenses as she flips over the final card. A beautiful woman with brown skin, big amber eyes, and full lips greets us. A crown of flowers is woven into her dark hair. “The Empress. She stands for fertility and feminine energy. You will overcome your rivalries and grow. Her energy will be good for you and your people. As you join his court, you are stepping into a motherly role. The cards are giving you a blessing of sorts.”
“I need all of that I can get.” Sabrina laughs. “I can see the two of you are a good match. Don’t worry so much.” She pats my hands.
“Thank you, Sabrina.”
He reaches into his pocket for a wallet.
“No, allow me to give this to you as a coronation present.”
He laughs. “Clever. I will accept it as such. Thank you.”
“Enjoy the city,” Sabrina says as we stand.
We leave her with a wave.
“It’s been ages since I had my fortune read.”
“Did you like it?”
“It was incredibly enlightening.”
“You know the next place you took me is what won me over.”
His brow wrinkles. “Really?”
I nod. “Because it showed me who you were behind all the pomp and circumstance.”
We catch a trolley to Storyland Park, holding hands as we work our way through the fairytale-themed park.
“What made you take me here?”
“Other than the obvious irony of a witch and a vampire in a fairytale-themed place? I always saw you as magical, beyond your abilities. You were so pure to me.”
I laugh. “I was until you took care of that.”
He presses his lips together. “I’m sorry. But it’s more than that. You still maintain this radiating aura of goodness.”
“Even now?” I whisper.
He pulls me to his side and kisses my forehead. “Always.”
“Do you remember what happened here?” I whisper, pausing at the pirate ship.
“You told me that Peter Pan was one of your favorite stories.”
I nod my head. “And then you asked me if you could kiss me.”
“Yes, and you offered up your cheek.” I laugh.
“Damn right. It was the first date.” I elbow him playfully.
“I knew then you’d always keep me guessing and amused in the best possible way. I’d grown so bored with things before I met you. It had begun to blur together.”
I remain quiet, letting him process and speak in his own time. “I’d considered going to ground for a bit. That’s why I had you make the protection spell, so I’d be safe there if I decided to go through with it.”
“Cristobal,” I whisper, stunned.
“No one knew. Eventually, we all do it. The press of years and responsibility become too much. You put those you trust in charge, and you let yourself reset. It’s a painful process when the hunger sets in, but afterward, the bliss of nothingness.”
My stomach lurches. “If I hadn’t been the one to do the spell for you―”
“We might’ve missed one another completely. Never doubt that you are my light in the darkness, Louella. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for you, and that will come across in fucked up ways at times. Just know I always have your best interest at heart.” He cups my face and runs his thumb over the apple of my cheek. “I love you.”
“I love you, too,” I whisper.
“One day you and I are going to share the same name.”
I groan. “Can we get through the insanity of this year first?” I rest my head on his chest as he laughs.
“Of course, reina.”
We continue to walk, and I bask in the deeper level of understanding we’ve managed. Sometimes things have to break down, to be built up stronger.