Spells (Bayou Magic 2)

He jerks the toy from the bed over to the bench and manages to maneuver him onto his back.

“We have to retie your ankles and hands,” he explains. “I apologize. I hate to do that on my bench, but I’m not quite as strong in this body as I once was. But don’t worry, it won’t take away from the enjoyment of it all.”

The toy isn’t crying anymore. He’s just lying still, staring at the ceiling, his eyes empty of emotion.

“Here we go, Lucien,” he says and flips on the saw, then buries it in the toy’s chest, right between the nipples.

Screams fill the air.

Blood runs like a river onto the floor.

Ah, yes, disemboweling always was his favorite thing. He works quickly but efficiently. And he rejoices when the life doesn’t leave his toy’s eyes until after the last piece of innard is removed from the body.

“I haven’t lost my touch,” he says with delight.Chapter SeventeenMillieI’ve never been surer or more ready for anything. Lucien and I are linked, have been for centuries, and it’s only right to cement our union here and now, in our home.

I’ve changed into a simple white dress with cap sleeves, and a brown belt cinched at the waist. My hair is down around my shoulders, my makeup is minimal. But I feel beautiful and ready to be bound to the man I love.

Lucien walks into the bedroom from the bathroom and stumbles to a halt. He’s fastening a button on his shirt, but his fingers still as he takes me in.

“It never fails to leave me speechless.”

“What?”

“Your beauty. Your heart just shines through you. You’re radiant, Millicent. In this and every lifetime.”

“You’re charming,” I reply and step to him so I can finish buttoning his shirt. “I think we should do this outside near the garden.”

“I like that idea,” he says and kisses my nose before turning away to fetch something from the bathroom. He returns, holding my crown of flowers, but they’ve been restored to fresh blossoms as if they were just picked this morning. “I thought you’d like to wear this.”

“Oh, they’re so lovely.” I smell one of the flowers before placing them on my head. “There. All ready.”

We walk downstairs and out back to the beautiful gardens. It’s just past sunset, so the sky is deep purple, with the waxing moon our only witness.

Later, once all of this is settled, we’ll have a formal ceremony with a priestess and a feast for all of our loved ones.

But for now, this union, this promise is just between Lucien, me, and the deities.

With a snap of his fingers, the lanterns around the garden’s edge ignite in soft flames.

Lucien takes my hand and pulls our rope out of his pocket. It’s actually three cords in three different colors, woven together.

“We chose gold for wisdom, red for passion, and purple for spiritual strength,” I murmur as I grip Lucien’s wrist, and he mine. “You wanted to add blue for fidelity, and I laughed because no other would ever turn my head.”

He smiles and then stares down at me with so much love, my heart bursts with it as he begins the ritual.

“As this knot is tied, so are our lives now bound. Woven into this cord, imbued into its very fibers, are all our hopes, our Power, and the promise of our present life together.”

He loops the rope around our hands, and I help him tie the knot, then repeat the words back to him.

“As this knot is tied, so are our lives now bound. Woven into this cord, imbued into its very fibers, are all our hopes, our Power, and the promise of our present life together.”

Wind swirls around us as we tip our foreheads together and offer up a prayer of thanks, and then Lucien kisses me, sealing our promise and our connection.

This moment is as beautiful and meaningful to me as any other that would include a hundred people. An owl hoots above as Lucien brushes a piece of my hair behind my ear, cups my face, and kisses me for all he’s worth, as if every time before this he held something back, and it’s finally being set free.

“Follow me, wife,” he says with a smile and leads me into the house and up the stairs to our bedroom. He unties us long enough for us to undress, but then reties the knot once more. “We’ll stay connected all night.”

“In more ways than one.”

That makes him laugh as he snaps his fingers and the candles glow around us. But laughter soon turns to soft sighs as he slowly and methodically stirs my blood into a frenzy of hot need.

He braces our tied hands above my head, and while murmuring sweet words of love and vows of forever, seals the sanctity of the covenant we’ve made to each other.