Healing the Bayou (6 page)

“Why does it have to hurt so badly?”

“It hurts? Is that why you wanted to get away so badly when I came to hug you?”

I nodded.

“I’ve not heard of it causing pain before. For me it has always been a bit uncomfortable maybe, and your mother complained of it making her sick, but it was never painful.”

“No, Ms. Vivian. The pain is excruciating when it happens to me. This morning at the diner, the waitress touched my hand and my body burned as if my body was on fire. I’m still feeling terribly nauseous, and my muscles still hurt.”

She cocked her head to the side as if I was speaking gibberish and she was trying to decipher my code.

“Can you show me?”

I was hesitant. It had only been two hours since the last time I had been drained, and the last thing I wanted was to go through another session so soon. But I had to be reasonable. This is the only woman who could help me, and I needed to give her to tools to do it.

“I suppose I could.”

Ms. Vivian struggled to stand and I helped her to her feet. Her joints gave away her age. I was still amazed she could touch me without any sparks flying and enjoyed the warmth of her skin. She hobbled to the spiral stairway behind us and called upward.

“Samuel, could you join us please?”

He hadn’t come with us on our way from the diner, and I didn’t even know he was here but wasn’t disappointed when his handsome face emerge from the second level of the house.

The blue jeans he wore fit him nicely, as did the white sleeveless undershirt that clung to his fit torso. My face flushed when he smiled at me. Damn it! I had to remember he was inside my head. My heart jumped into my throat as it became clear what Ms. Vivian had in mind.

“Samuel.” She took his arm and brought him to sit on the couch next to me before joining us on his opposite side. “I was hoping you could be our guinea pig.”

His gaze locked onto mine and his face lit up.

“You know I’m always happy to help when it comes to Eliza.”

“All right, Eliza. Show me.”

I took a deep breath and reluctantly lifted my hand, holding it just over his beautifully chiseled chest, lingering long enough to gather the courage to touch him. This time it wasn’t the pain I was afraid of. It was the person underneath the pain. I flattened my palm onto him and inhaled sharply as a wave of hurt crashed into my body with such force I almost fell backward.

Just as in the dream this man brought me the most pain I had ever felt. But the pain was only the start of it. Inside the pain was a layer of pleasure, another new sensation. And inside of that pleasure was contentment.

There was something about him that intensified every emotion inside me at once, and they all mixed together in this one moment. It became too intense to hold on to. I was losing my balance and suddenly all that was left was blackness.

“Eliza! Eliza!”

Ms. Vivian shook me hard and when I could finally open my eyes, I was staring at the ceiling. My forehead was soaking wet with perspiration, and I had to blink hard to chase away the double vision.

“Oh thank God!” Vivian shouted.

She knelt over me and placed a wet cloth on my forehead. When I tried to sit up, she pushed against my shoulder.

“Stay still, sweetheart. You need to let yourself recover. Oh honey, can you forgive me? I didn’t think it was so bad. Honestly, I thought you were just being a little wussy about it.”

I had to chuckle at her candid confession. At least she was being honest.

“I wish I was only exaggerating,” I said.

“You have more power than you realize. The stronger the reaction, the stronger your effect. I haven’t heard of a healer so gifted since the original Marie Laveau.”

“Who?”

“Your great-great-grandmother. But that’s a long story. One that will have to wait. You need to purge yourself or you’ll be sick all day.”

I scrunched my face. “I need to what?”

She looked concerned, “You’re telling me that you’ve never purged?”

“I didn’t know I was supposed to.”

Hell, I didn’t even know what I was until today!

“You need to purge your spirit. All the negative energy you just took in needs a host to thrive. It will tear your soul apart if you don’t banish it.”

“How do I do that?”

“I will teach you another time when you’re feeling more up to it. You will need a thorough cure all to rid yourself of everything that is surely built up. I will do it for you this time.”

I wasn’t going to argue. Anything she tried to teach me while my mind was this clouded would be gone in a few minutes.

She disappeared for a minute and returned with an herb that smelled like mint. She held it in front of my mouth, and I opened without being asked. It tasted bitter, but she motioned to chew and swallow, so I did.

As she held her hands together to pray I closed my eyes, listening to the words even though I could not understand them. A peaceful warmth bubbled in my chest and spread to my limbs. For the first time I could remember there was nothing inside but an incredible peace. I almost completely forgot the torture I had just been through. This was a high I could get used to.

“There now.” Vivian’s voice interrupted my tranquility. “Don’t you feel better?”

“Much better. Thank you.”

I sat up and relished in the fact that there was no stiffness and no aches to be consumed by. Samuel sat on the couch watching us with apology written all over his face. I reached out to comfort him but thought better of it. I was finally feeling better and I wanted to enjoy it a little while longer.

“Samuel, would you mind drawing a white bath for Eliza? I want to have a minute of girl talk with my niece.”

“Of course, Ms. Vivian.”

“No,” I protested, “that won’t be necessary, but thank you. I can take a hot shower when I get back to the hotel.”

“I had Samuel collect your things from the hotel,” Vivian informed me. “They are already waiting for you in your room.”

“Oh, Ms. Vivian, I wouldn’t want to impose. I’m really just fine at the hotel.”

“My niece does not stay at a hotel,” she said with finality. “The room you’ll be staying in was your mother’s. It’s been empty since she died. I thought it only fitting you be the first to make use of it.”

Realizing there was no use in fighting back, I gave in. “Well, thank you for the hospitality.” Vivian nodded to Samuel, and he excused himself. I moved myself to the couch again. Vivian sat beside me, clutching my hand in between hers. The way she looked at me I knew we were about to have a very personal discussion, and I wanted to run for the hills.

“Eliza, is it that intense when you…are intimate?”

I flushed hot and giggled as if I was a schoolgirl. “Ms. Vivian!”

“It’s
Aunt
Vivian to you, Miss Eliza.”

“Yes, ma’am. The truth is, I don’t know what that would feel like.”

“You mean you haven’t ever?”

“Aunt Vivian, I haven’t ever even held hands with a man. Contact always hurt too much to even consider having any kind of intimacy with anyone.”

“Oh, you poor thing! Sweetheart, it’s an entirely different sensation when happiness and lust are involved.”

“I don’t understand. What does the mood have to do with anything?”

“It’s really very simple. Happiness can’t be cured. Love has the ability to mask even the darkest of energy. The feeling of falling in love, that excitement in a first kiss, the passion that comes with lovemaking. It’s all enough to make a person’s heart forget there was any turmoil inside to begin with. At least temporarily. Oh, and you’ve missed out.”

Embarrassed by the information I had just revealed to this woman I hardly knew, I fidgeted. I’d never even tried to let happiness in.

“Excuse me ladies.” Samuel showed himself at the end of the staircase. “Ms. Eliza, your bath is ready.”

“Go on, you will do well to get the relaxation.”

The way he was so formal with Aunt Vivian made it look as if he worked for her. Perhaps he was her butler or caretaker? Vivian waved me away and told me the potions mixed in the bath would help heal me further, and I needed no more convincing to take her up on the offer.

“Eliza,” Vivian called to me just before I left the room. “I think it would be good for you to learn about Marie Laveau. It would help you better understand who and what you are. Would you come with me to the cemetery in the morning?”

“I would love to!” I said with excitement radiating through my body. To see my great-great-grandmother’s resting place would be a wonderful way to learn about my heritage, and I was honored she asked.

I followed Samuel up the stairs and once we were out of sight, he stopped abruptly and turned to face me.

“I hope you understand I really don’t mean to eavesdrop on your thoughts.”

I bit my lip, sifting through my mortifying thoughts to find the one he was referring to. “I understand. I think.”

“Well, you should know I think you have plenty of life ahead of you and you shouldn’t be too worried about lost time. Puppy love is kind of lame, anyway. You didn’t miss much.”

I didn’t have to be able to read his thoughts to know it was a poorly crafted lie he spouted just to make me feel better. But I did not miss the good intention behind it and he knew as much.

“Thank you.” I smiled, and he turned to walk down the narrow hallway.

“This is the room I stay in.” He gestured toward a closed door as he walked by, moving to the next.

“You live here? Do you work for Vivian?”

“No. The Voodoo community is very close knit. I stay here with a few other younger members. She mentors us. Camille from the diner, she lives here too.”

I had to keep myself from frowning. They lived together which probably meant they did a few other things together at least on occasion.

He read my thoughts again. “I’m not interested in Camille.”

He opened the door next to his, and we stepped inside. The room was beautifully decorated in pastel colors. The soft green carpet was luxurious under my bare feet. A pink canopy draped over a king-size bed with an eggshell blue comforter. Next to a hand-carved dresser was my black luggage that stuck out and looked terribly boring in comparison to everything else in the room.

“This is where you’ll be staying. The bathroom is just across the hall. Do you need anything?”

“Um, no. I think I’m all set.”

“OK, well if you need anything just think it,” he teased, and my heart quickened. He knew what he was doing, and he was enjoying doing it. My body reacted to him without permission, and I was powerless to keep him from knowing about it.

Chapter Six

Aunt Vivian woke me up early the next morning, and after a delicious breakfast that highlighted Samuel’s exquisite cooking skills, I had some time to socialize with the other housemates. We all gathered around the dining room table drinking coffee and becoming acquainted.

Camille was the same delightful ball of sunshine that I had left at the diner, and another young man named Marcus thanked me for Camille’s new attitude. He told me how she had been impossible to live with the last few weeks—she’d just broken up with her boyfriend and was making everyone else pay for his infidelity.

Marcus was much smaller than Samuel but only a few inches taller than me. His blond hair was long and unkempt, and he had that California surfer look. The comedian of the group, he amused me with wisecracks about Samuel’s stoic demeanor. It was something I appreciated since Samuel hadn’t spoken to me all morning. I almost thought I had upset him somehow, but apparently he was just the strong, silent type.

The glares that came from Samuel’s end of the table frightened me a bit, especially when his face hardened even more with each dig Marcus made. He didn’t as much as flinch at Samuel’s silent threats. He was eighteen and invincible in his own mind. Or, just maybe, Samuel wasn’t as dangerous as he looked.

“Look, his face is turning as red as his shirt,” Marcus teased.

“I think it’s cute.” Camille winked.

I chewed at my lip to bite back the mounting unwarranted jealousy. Clearly she was on the rebound, and I couldn’t blame her for turning her attention to a man who was as sexy Samuel. I tried to chase the thought away before he caught it. Nervously, I shot him a glance, and his expression told me I was unsuccessful.

“You all need to leave my boy alone now,” Aunt Vivian warned.

Marcus reached up high and dug his knuckles into his friend’s hair. “Oh, he can take it.”

I held my breath, preparing for how Samuel might react, relieved when the two started wrestling like a couple of high school jocks. Of course it didn’t take long before Samuel’s superior size won out and he had Marcus in a head lock, begging for mercy. I liked his playful side much better.

“Eliza,” Marcus breathed heavily, “you have a hell of a keeper. You lucked out for sure.”

“That’s a conversation for another time, Marcus,” Samuel said.

“What do you mean, keeper?” My interest was piqued, especially when Samuel’s gaze intensified at the mention of it.

“Samuel is right, Eliza,” Aunt Vivian stated with the same unwavering conviction. “Come with me. I have something for you.”

Aunt Vivian led me to her room and gave me a very classic-looking black dress that came down to my knees to wear on our outing to the cemetery. She wore a matching one along with an oversized hat with a brim that nearly covered her entire face.

As we were readying to go, I glanced out the window and caught a glimpse of Samuel leaving the house ahead of us in a hurry. My heart sank with disappointed. He wouldn’t be coming with us.

* * *

When Aunt Vivian brought me into the city of New Orleans the next morning, I had no idea what to expect. The Saint Louis Cemetery Number 1 was thrown in the middle of one of the busiest parts of the tourist district, and there was a monstrous gathering of some of the strangest people you’ve ever met piled behind the gates of the resting place of hundreds of souls.

Even without the other visitors it would have been crowded, given the number of crypts standing from one end of the graveyard to the other with barely enough space to walk between them.