Serendipity (Bayou Magic 3)

* * *

“We need this time together,” Millie says. The three of us are up in the attic of Millie’s house, sitting in the same spot we had when Millie showed us the hiding hole where she found the items hidden from her past life.

The rest of the house is quiet. Lucien is reading, and Jackson and Cash are talking quietly in the library.

Miss Sophia and the others went to bed. Even Lucien’s parents decided to spend the night. We’re all safe and under one roof.

Our sanctuary.

“This house is huge,” I inform my sister. “I mean, I knew it was big, but we have thirteen people sleeping here tonight, and there is room for all of them.”

“The inn is officially full,” Millie says with a laugh. “We’re at capacity. But I’m grateful that we have the space. This would have been much more difficult without it.”

We hear a door slam downstairs. Twice.

Then some scraping along the floor in the attic.

“She’s been more active,” Brielle says as she seems to watch something move through the attic. “Your ghost. She’s not just unhappy at having so many people here. She’s also looking out for you and Lucien. I don’t think she was related to you before. She just feels responsible for you. She’s protective.”

A door slams again, and we suddenly hear a baby crying.

“I hear the baby,” I say in surprise.

“I can, too,” Millie whispers. “Yes, things are ramping up, that’s for sure. The energy surrounding the house is just massive. I feel as if my skin is vibrating with it. But it doesn’t feel like bad energy. It’s protective.”

“My abilities are ramping up, too,” I confide. “I can feel emotions now. I can’t read thoughts like Millie can when she lowers her shields, but things are definitely growing and changing. Like my psyche is getting ready for tomorrow.”

“It’s happening with me, too,” Brielle says. “I should also add that the girls are gone now. As soon as we got to the house earlier and found them all, they stopped following me.”

“Thank goodness.” I run my hand down Brielle’s long, dark hair. “I hate that they followed you. It’s just damn creepy.”

“All of this is creepy,” Brielle says with a sigh. “I want to talk about tomorrow night.”

“No.” I shake my head. “I don’t want to overthink it. To overanalyze. We have a plan, a very good one thanks to Lucien, and I know it’s going to work. I don’t want to keep talking about it over and over again.”

“I don’t want to pick apart the plan,” Brielle says with a scowl. “That’s not what I meant. I just wanted to say that I think we should open the doorway between our minds the way Millie and Lucien do with each other. We need to be linked at all times during the eclipse. This asshole likes to separate us. Confuse us. We can’t let him do that.”

“Okay, I agree with that,” I reply with a nod. “I want to be able to reach out to each of you with my mind.”

“We can do that,” Millie says. “It’s a simple spell. Lucien will help.”

We’re quiet for a long moment, soaking in our love for each other and the noises in the house.

“This reminds me of when we were kids.” I reach out for Brielle’s hand. “When we’d hide under the stairs.”

“I hate that house,” Millie whispers. “I’ve never hated anything the way I do that house.”

“And none of us ever has to go back there. We aren’t vulnerable little girls anymore,” Brielle reminds us. “We’re powerful witches. And this son of a bitch underestimated our power.”

“Damn right,” Millie says and covers our hands with hers. “We will come out the other side of this.”

“What will we do then? I don’t remember a time he didn’t torment us.”

Brielle blinks at my question. “You’re right. Well, I guess we’ll figure it out. But the most important thing is, he’ll be gone, and we can do whatever the hell we want.”

* * *

Just a couple of hours later, I slip quietly into the bedroom in case Jackson is already asleep. Millie coached Brielle and me through some meditations, and we spent time together, getting stronger.

We’ve always been strong together.

We’re even more so with our men.

After I close the door as silently as possible, I turn around to find Jack sitting in a chair by the window, a book in his lap, and a candle burning at his elbow.

“Hey.” I grin and hurry over to him, sitting in his lap. “I thought you might be asleep.”

“I was waiting for you,” he says and nuzzles my neck. “What were you girls doing for so long?”

“Just sister stuff.”

He waggles his eyebrows, and I scoff, smacking him in the shoulder. “You’re such a pervert.”

“I didn’t say anything.”

I laugh and glance down at his book. “What are you studying?”