will face it
again. Here.”
“Yes,” Erin answered. “I am very grateful for the opportunity.”
A smile split the woman’s dark features, rocking Erin with its unexpected whiteness.
Here was Teague’s grandmother in the smile they both shared. And, Erin realized, the
darkness that lay beneath the blinding smile.
“I hope you still feel that way when your time here is done.” The woman turned slightly,
as if to leave, then stopped. “But be warned, Erin McClure. The darkness I spoke of
isn’t what we do here in the bayous in the full of the moon. It resides in you and
one other. Make no mistake, Erin McClure. The choice will be yours. May you both find
the light.”
This time she faced Teague, completely shutting Erin out. Belisaire lifted her hand
to caress the side of his face as one would a small boy. So incongruous to the woman
of a second ago, so … grandmotherly …
“It takes too much to bring you to me,” she said to Teague, who stood still under
her touch.
Erin was captivated by the notion of Teague being raised by this woman.
“But this time I forgive your long absence.” She dropped her hand to his and covered
it tightly.
Teague leaned down and kissed her cheek. “You forgive too much, Grand-mère.” He grinned.
“And I’ll always let you.”
The older woman smiled in return, then her features tightened, and just like that
Belisaire the
mambo
was back. Teague straightened, but she held his hand.
“You will have a choice to make too,
chèr
. My only guidance is to trust your heart. It is time.”
Her whispered words were meant for Teague alone and just barely reached Erin’s ears.
“The only heart I have belongs to you alone, Grand-mère.”
She dropped his hand with a sharp snap. “Then you are already lost.”
Teague’s smile vanished, and his voice dropped to a rough whisper. “Are you just now
accepting that, Grand-mère?”
She just turned and walked away, melting back into the trees like a wraith. Erin looked
around and realized she and Teague were alone once again. Or were they?
She shivered. “Quite a woman, your
grand-mère
.”
“And at times a real pain in the ass,” Teague muttered.
Erin was dying to ask him a hundred questions about the older woman, not one of them
having to do with her research. “I take it the evening’s festivities are over?”
Teague turned his attention to her. Erin felt it like a live thing, touching her.
“No. We follow. The invitation has been issued.”
Erin laughed. “Then I guess it is a good thing you’re along. I never would have deciphered
that as an invitation.”
Teague didn’t respond. He simply studied her for several seconds, the heat creeping
back into his dark eyes.
It filled her just as swiftly.
He stepped closer. She didn’t move.
“Your first choice is now, Erin.”
She curled her fingers into her palms against the sudden need to touch him. To connect
with him in a physical way, as if that could diminish or explain the connection she
felt with him on an entirely different plane.
“And what is that?”
“Follow me into the swamp. To Belisaire. Enter my world.”
Erin shivered. It was a delicious sensation she didn’t want to stop. She wanted him
to touch her, run his hands over her sensitized skin, prolong it.
“Or?” She struggled to keep her voice even.
“Walk away, Erin. There are things you don’t understand.”
“That’s precisely why I am here, Teague. To understand.”
“I’m not talking about voodoun rituals and plant medicine.”
“Well, that’s the only thing I’m talking about.” If he believed the lie, then maybe
she could too.
“Your decision is made then.” It wasn’t a question.
“It was made long before I met you, Teague. I have to do this.”
“Already ignoring Belisaire’s advice. I learned long ago the folly of doing that.
She is never wrong.”
“I
want
to do this. My
choice
.” She stepped back, a
again. Here.”
“Yes,” Erin answered. “I am very grateful for the opportunity.”
A smile split the woman’s dark features, rocking Erin with its unexpected whiteness.
Here was Teague’s grandmother in the smile they both shared. And, Erin realized, the
darkness that lay beneath the blinding smile.
“I hope you still feel that way when your time here is done.” The woman turned slightly,
as if to leave, then stopped. “But be warned, Erin McClure. The darkness I spoke of
isn’t what we do here in the bayous in the full of the moon. It resides in you and
one other. Make no mistake, Erin McClure. The choice will be yours. May you both find
the light.”
This time she faced Teague, completely shutting Erin out. Belisaire lifted her hand
to caress the side of his face as one would a small boy. So incongruous to the woman
of a second ago, so … grandmotherly …
“It takes too much to bring you to me,” she said to Teague, who stood still under
her touch.
Erin was captivated by the notion of Teague being raised by this woman.
“But this time I forgive your long absence.” She dropped her hand to his and covered
it tightly.
Teague leaned down and kissed her cheek. “You forgive too much, Grand-mère.” He grinned.
“And I’ll always let you.”
The older woman smiled in return, then her features tightened, and just like that
Belisaire the
mambo
was back. Teague straightened, but she held his hand.
“You will have a choice to make too,
chèr
. My only guidance is to trust your heart. It is time.”
Her whispered words were meant for Teague alone and just barely reached Erin’s ears.
“The only heart I have belongs to you alone, Grand-mère.”
She dropped his hand with a sharp snap. “Then you are already lost.”
Teague’s smile vanished, and his voice dropped to a rough whisper. “Are you just now
accepting that, Grand-mère?”
She just turned and walked away, melting back into the trees like a wraith. Erin looked
around and realized she and Teague were alone once again. Or were they?
She shivered. “Quite a woman, your
grand-mère
.”
“And at times a real pain in the ass,” Teague muttered.
Erin was dying to ask him a hundred questions about the older woman, not one of them
having to do with her research. “I take it the evening’s festivities are over?”
Teague turned his attention to her. Erin felt it like a live thing, touching her.
“No. We follow. The invitation has been issued.”
Erin laughed. “Then I guess it is a good thing you’re along. I never would have deciphered
that as an invitation.”
Teague didn’t respond. He simply studied her for several seconds, the heat creeping
back into his dark eyes.
It filled her just as swiftly.
He stepped closer. She didn’t move.
“Your first choice is now, Erin.”
She curled her fingers into her palms against the sudden need to touch him. To connect
with him in a physical way, as if that could diminish or explain the connection she
felt with him on an entirely different plane.
“And what is that?”
“Follow me into the swamp. To Belisaire. Enter my world.”
Erin shivered. It was a delicious sensation she didn’t want to stop. She wanted him
to touch her, run his hands over her sensitized skin, prolong it.
“Or?” She struggled to keep her voice even.
“Walk away, Erin. There are things you don’t understand.”
“That’s precisely why I am here, Teague. To understand.”
“I’m not talking about voodoun rituals and plant medicine.”
“Well, that’s the only thing I’m talking about.” If he believed the lie, then maybe
she could too.
“Your decision is made then.” It wasn’t a question.
“It was made long before I met you, Teague. I have to do this.”
“Already ignoring Belisaire’s advice. I learned long ago the folly of doing that.
She is never wrong.”
“I
want
to do this. My
choice
.” She stepped back, a
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