Read Online Nancy K. Duplechain - Dark Trilogy 03 - Dark Legacy by Nancy K. Duplechain - Free Book Online Page B

wing bones raised under his skin and the little purple feathers
beginning to emerge. She lit a black candle and placed it before a picture of
the Virgin Mary that she kept in the center of the altar and then made a paste
out of crushed bay leaves, sandalwood dust and holy water. Rubbing the paste on
his shoulder blades, she prayed the Apostle’s Creed seven times in a
gentle and soothing voice, and then called on the Archangel Michael.
    “Saint Michael,
guard this young man, Noah, all of his days until the hour of his death.
Protect him from all evil. Remove these wings from his body, for they are his
father’s wings, and his father has made his decision to turn his back on the
Heavenly Father.”
    Noah’s eyes
found Nadia’s as Cee Cee took a spool of black lace and wrapped it around his
chest, covering the paste and his wings seven times, and fastened it in place
with a safety pin and a Sator Square for protection against evil and its
influences.
    “Sator, arepo,
tenet, opera, rotas … rotas, opera, tenet, arepo, sator,” she whispered, and
then patted him on the back. “All done, my baby.”
    He put his shirt
back on and turned to her. “That’s it?”
    She nodded.
“Sleep with that on you tonight. Tomorrow they should be gone.”
    “I don’t know
how to thank you,” he said, smiling.
    She didn’t
return the smile, instead looking at him with weary sympathy. “Now, I have to
tell you somethin’. One day, your wings just might grow back.”
    “Why?”
    She patted his
knee. “They’re coming back now because you need them to help you protect
someone. When you feel someone you love is being threatened, your body will
respond to your heart’s desire to save them in any way you can.”
    “I don’t need to
fly to be able to save anyone.”
    “You don’t know
that,” said Nadia.
    Noah rolled his
eyes at her.
    Cee Cee tilted
her head. “Maybe. Maybe not. But I’m gonna trust you know what you doin’.” 
    The phone rang
then. Cee Cee picked it up. “Hello? … They did?! I’ll ask Miles to … I think he
can help, Clo … All right. We meetin’ at Clovis’ house? … I’ll be there as soon
as I can.” She hung up and turned to Noah and Nadia. “I gotta go, my babies.”
    Cee Cee grabbed
her rhinestone-studded Elvis purse and ushered them out the door. When she
opened it, a tall and pretty girl about Noah’s age with dark skin and dark blue
eyes was coming up the stairwell. Her lashes were wet, and the whites of her
eyes were red. She was bundled in a black trench coat with a sleek red dress
peeking out and holding her black heels in one hand and a little black purse
hanging from one shoulder. She stopped and looked up at Cee Cee.
    “Oh, you’re
leaving?”
    “I gotta go.
What you need?” said Cee Cee.
    “Grave moss.”
    “I ran out the
other day. Haven’t had a chance to get more. It’ll have to wait, my baby. Come
back day after tomorrow. Oh, Noah and Nadia, this my niece Ruby.”
    “Hi,” said Noah.
    “Hello,” said
Nadia.
    Ruby gave them
an uninterested nod of her head and then said to Cee Cee, “Can you at least
give me a ride home?”
    “How’d you get
here if you didn’t drive?” Then she noticed her appearance. “Oh!” She crossed
her arms. “When you gonna leave that fool alone?”
    Ruby rolled her
eyes and headed back down the stairwell. Cee Cee and Noah and Nadia followed.
When they got to street level, Ruby said, “I didn’t come here for a lecture. I
just needed a ride.”
    “Baby, I can’t
right now. You can stay here if you want.”
    “I have school
tomorrow.”
    Cee Cee seemed
flustered, but then it looked like a light bulb went off in her head. “Noah!
Can you give Ruby a ride home?”
    “What?” said
Ruby. “Naw, that’s okay.”
    Noah shrugged.
“I guess. Where do you live?”
    “She lives in
Algiers, about a mile after you get off the bridge.”
    “Yeah, that’s
fine,” said Noah.
    “Wonderful!
Problem solved! Now if y’all will excuse