Page 69 of The Child of Rue Royale
“Any color you want. But I’ll need a chair. Like the old days. I’ll sit in it and force you to talk to me when all you want to do is work.”
“Sounds glorious,” I say sarcastically, but it actually does.
“Cassius just got here, do you need anything?”
I tell him no, and once he leaves, I work up the courage to crouch next to the box he brought in. I pull the tape from the top, slowly opening the sides as if something might jump out at me. But nothing does; in fact, it’s exactly what I expected. Old books, some crystals, even the planters from my dead plant experiment, sans dead plants. At the very bottom is a velvet bag, and my heart drops at the sight. No. It couldn’t be.
I grab it swiftly, untying it and shaking the contents into my open palm. And out drops multiple vials of the daywalking potion I created for Bastian. It’s such a bittersweet sight, the oily potion mixed with Bastian’s blood tears of desire and my saliva. The wonderful times we had and the horrendous all come flying back to me. I look at Aven in his swing, the new spell room where I will continue my studies of being the best witch I can be, and I think, it all has to be worth something. It has too.
“Cassius!” I call down the hallway, and within minutes, Cassius is turning the corner, making his way to my spell room.
I hold the vials out to him; his brown eyes are suspicious, his mouth slightly open. “Take these, in case of emergency.”
“Is that?” he asks, his face disgusted by the potion he reviles.
“Just in case. You may never know.” I place them all in the pouch and give him the bag. And to my surprise, he takes it without a word.
We spend the next day unpacking, organizing, ordering groceries, and getting settled. I haven’t been able to work with Bastian’s memories; I haven’t been able to mentally prepare for the blessing ceremony, which is in one day. I find myself completely overwhelmed, in need of fresh air. So I go to the place that cooled me, that calmed me during my pregnancy.
Memories flood back as I sit on the edge of the pool, and I can’t help but smile. The place where Bastian and I spent so much time together while falling in love, the place where I cooled my overheated body with Chantal while I was pregnant.
“Hey,” he whispers, walking behind me. I look up to meet his gaze while he pulls up his sweatpants, cocooning me as he slides his feet in the water. I lean back against him and exhale.
“I snuck in here the whole time I was pregnant with Chantal. And we just floated, wondering what our future held.”
“You snuck in? This place was yours.”
“Well, it took Cassius my entire pregnancy to offer it to me.” I laugh.
“Idiot,” he says, shaking his head. “We had some good times in this pool, you and I.”
I look back, reaching up to kiss his lips, our house of memories so full of love, it’s brimming. “The blessing ceremony is tomorrow. After that, we go to Pirate’s Alley, and we do everything we can to make you remember. It has to be the answer,” I say as he smells my hair.
“It’s one thing after another, and I can’t keep up. But I know the only way through this is to keep going. Get through the blessing ceremony and then get you to Pirate’s Alley to take your mind back in time.”
“If there’s anyone that will get this figured out, it’s you. It’s you.”
I nod, loving the confidence he has in me, wishing I had it in myself. His strong arms fold tighter around me, his chest pressed against my back.
“We are close to getting the answers we need.” He tucks his chin into the crook of my neck, and I reach back to run my fingers through his hair.
“Tomorrow I have to go in front of all of these witches, pretend my son is a daughter, while my mother tries to find signs from her dream. I know I’m not always the optimist. But I also know that this is worth fighting for. There’s nothing bad or wrong about us being together. There’s nothing bad or wrong about Aven. Why should I be punished for having this family? I’m going tomorrow, and I’m doing what my mother is asking because she believes something will be revealed. But there must be a reason for all of this. There’s got to be.”
Bastian leans in to kiss me, his lips caressing mine delicately, his arm winding around my waist. “Aster, the little witch of my heart. Youcan move mountains. You raise the dead. You heal traumas, and you’re all mine.”
“Yours.” I sigh and then whisper, “Kiss me like you mean it.”
The next day, I pull the beige gown made of lace on Aven and share a disgusted look with Bastian.
“I just don’t feel good about this,” he says before he kisses me and Aven goodbye, a pained look on his face because he can’t go with us. “Be careful.”
I promise him I will, and that we’ll be home as soon as possible.
I awoke at sunrise and asked my ancestors and grandmother for strength getting through this day. Now is not the time for weakness. Now is the time to keep my head up and find the inner strength that’s buried deep inside me.
THE AMBIANCE AT THE BLESSINGceremony would be considered beautiful by most standards. But being back at Aunt Violetta’s only fills every pore with dread from the memories it holds. Climbing the steps every couple of weeks, handing all my money over to her, and begging for more than scraps. There’s no love left in me for that woman, even when she smiles to my face, even when she tells me that my time will come.
The ceremony will take place in the yard with a backdrop of the swamp, under a canopy of Cyprus trees, Spanish Moss swaying in the breeze. Nearby, a table is set for a feast. A massive centerpiece of wildflowers is lined down the middle, and overhead, baby’s breath floats like little clouds, as if hung from heaven. With floral place settings and teacups filled with pink and green teas before every seat, everything looks so ethereal, everything placed with great care.
