Forever Charmed (The Halloween LaVeau Series, Book 1) (32 page)

I swallowed hard,
then asked, “For the book?”

He nodded. “Yes, for the book.”

And now she was coming for me? This couldn’t end well. And I thought I had problems before. If what he said was true, I had a lot more to worry about than a few botched spells.

“
Have you always lived in New Orleans?” I’d play the same question game with Liam as I had with Nicolas.

“
No, I lived in Bayou L’Ourse,” he offered casually.

My eyes narrowed. “
So you are both from the same town? You know each other well, don’t you?”

“No.” He didn’t meet my stare.

“You are both from the same town, currently live in New Orleans and show up on my doorstep within hours of each other, but you don’t know each other?” 

“I didn’t say we don’t know each other,” he said.

“Yes, you did. When I first met you all.” I pointed my fork at him.

“I may have crossed paths with
Nicolas at the coven meetings.”

My heart rate increased. “Wait. Why would a vampire be at the coven meetings?”

“Didn’t he tell you? He’s a witch too,” Liam replied as if this was common knowledge.

“
He didn’t tell me,” I said softly.

Why had Nicolas left out that detail about his life?

“So if you didn’t ask me out just because of Nicolas, then why did you ask me out?” I cast a glance his way.

He smiled.
“I asked you out because I think you’re a fascinating person. With a name like Halloween how could you not be?”

I tried to hide my smile.
“Having a name like Halloween isn’t easy.”

“Y
ou certainly make it seem easy.” He grinned then took another drink from his glass.

“
Why does Nicolas tell me that you’re dangerous, then you warn me that Nicolas is dangerous?”

“
I can assure you I am not dangerous.” He placed his hand on mine. “I’m a sucker for a pretty face though.”

“Flattery will get you no
where, Mr. Rankin.” I pointed with my fork.

“It’s not flattery,
Hallie. It’s a fact.” He took a drink of wine.

“
That doesn’t really answer my question though. Why should I be afraid of Nicolas?” I wouldn’t take my eyes off him until he answered.

He leaned forward, placing his elbows on the table. “
I’m just not sure he has your best interest at heart.”

“
But you do?” I asked with a raised brow.

“
Absolutely.” He took another bite from his plate.

I’d
taken the last bite of my tiramisu when I felt eyes on me. The ghosts had entered the restaurant. This was not good. How had they gotten in? If they could come in here, then I would probably no longer be able to keep them out of the manor. I had to find a way to protect myself from them. With scowls on their faces, they looked like they were completely pissed off. This was no longer about being reanimated. This was now more about revenge against me.

“
Do you see them?” I asked with a tilt of my head.

Liam looked
toward the restaurant’s entrance. “You mean the gang of ghosts over there?”

“
Yeah. They want me to reanimate them.” I blew the hair out of my eyes.

He shrugged.
“So do it.”

“
What? Are you crazy? I don’t want the one I’ve got. Why would I want to add more to my list?” I loudly whispered.

He finished his last bite.
“Did you tell them to go away?”

“Of course I did,”
I said.

“I’m not sure there’s anything else you can do then,” he said.

“Can you please get me out of here? And without the ghosts seeing us?”

“
Come on.” He grabbed my hand and I couldn’t deny that this touch felt fantastic. “We’ll go out the back door.”

“
I don’t think we’re supposed to do that,” I warned, glancing over my shoulder.

“W
e aren’t supposed to do a lot of things, but sometimes it’s necessary.” He pulled on my hand.

I hid my smile. Liam was definitely the bad boy type. And that was a bad thi
ng for me. With some dirty looks from the chef, we slipped through the kitchen and out the back door into the alleyway. We made it around the side of the building and Liam peeked around the corner.

“
Are they there?” I whispered.

“No.” He shook his head. “Th
e coast is clear.”

Running from ghosts was getting the better of me. Something had to be done.

“I’m so sorry, but I think
I need to get home so I can find a spell that will protect me from the ghosts.”

“
If you say so,” he said. “I still think it wouldn’t do any harm to help them.”

“
I’ll make my own decisions, thank you very much.”

Before I had a chanc
e to step forward, he grabbed my hand again and swung me into the circle of his chest. His arms held me in a tight embrace. Then he pressed his lips against mine. My heart raced. This was crazy… kisses from both men. Liam’s lips moved across mine with a sense of urgency. I reluctantly pushed at his hard chest and backed away him away.

“
We need to go,” I said softly.

The warmth of his lips lingered on my mouth. Liam
nodded and helped me into the car.

During the ride home Liam tried to keep the conversation light. I knew he sensed my tension. He asked about the process of running a bed
-and-breakfast and about my mother’s business. I was thankful for the easygoing chat.

Nicolas’ car wasn’t there when we’d returned
to the manor. My heart sank a little. I was so torn as to what to do.

Liam held the door open for me.
“Do you want me to help you with the spell?”

I shook my head.
“I think I have to do this on my own.”

He brushed my cheek with his hand.
“Let me know if you need help.”

I nodded. Liam walked up the stairs. When he turned the corne
r, I slipped into the kitchen. I’d been through the spell books and hadn’t seen anything to keep the ghosts away. I was sure Aunt Maddy had a protection spell though. It would have to do.

I pulled the book from the shelf,
then collected the ingredients that I needed.

After performing the spell, I headed upstairs. It had been a long day. Tomorrow I had to begin preparing for the Halloween
Ball. There was only a day until the party. I should have told them that there wasn’t enough time, but I had been so thrilled that they’d asked that I couldn’t possibly have said no. How pathetic was I? I’d show them how to really throw a party though. It would be the party of the century.

I woke in the middle of the night with a strange pull willing me out of the bed. The overwhelming desire to go outside compelled me from bed, down the stairs and out the front door. The wind was cold against my exposed skin. I had no idea what was bringing me out here.

I stopped in the middle of the front driveway. I looked up at the rolling clouds. They zoomed past at a million miles a minute. Was I dreaming? No, this seemed all too real. A tingling sensation started at my feet and moved slowly up my body, flowing up my legs, through my torso, over to my arms and up to my head.

I collapsed to my knees.  My body was drained a
nd my limbs were lifeless. I fell forward onto the ground and couldn’t move. The smell of grass and dirt assaulted my senses. It felt as if something was draining all the energy from my body. The clouds zoomed past above me. The wind whipped around my body, yet I still couldn’t move. I willed my body to move, but nothing happened.

My thoughts became foggy and I only remembered bits and pieces. Someone
swooped me up and into his strong arms. I couldn’t open my eyes to see who it was. I smelled the familiar spicy scent. It was definitely a male. He carried me across the yard.

W
e moved up the stairs of the manor and through the front door. He carried me up the stairs and into my bedroom, laying me gently on my bed. He pulled the cover up over me and tucked it tight against my body. I was warm again and drifted off to sleep easily.

When I woke in the morning, I
wasn’t sure if it had all been a dream. I opened my eyes and looked around. Nothing was out of place. When I pulled the covers back though, I realized it hadn’t been a dream. My gown was stained with dirt and grass. Who had carried me inside? And what had happened?

Throwing back the covers,
I jumped out of bed and threw on a white long-sleeved shirt and jeans. When I stepped into the hallway, everything was quiet. No noise came from Isabeau. Today was the day when I would talk with her. She had to be out of the house by the Halloween Ball. I didn’t want her to ruin it for me.

In my bare feet,
I eased down the stairs, careful not to make a noise. When I stepped into the parlor, I was startled to see Liam and Nicolas talking to each other. Were they challenging each other to a duel? They didn’t notice me at first and I thought about sneaking back out and listening to the conversation from the hallway. Unfortunately, they were talking so quietly I couldn’t make out what was being said.

My
contemplation was over though because both men turned to look at me at the same time. The solemn looks on their faces had me nervous.

“
What’s going on?” I asked.

I wanted to ask which one had brought me inside, but it would have to wait.

They exchanged a glance, then glanced around.

“
What are you all looking for?” I asked.

“
Where is Isabeau?” Nicolas asked.

“
I have no idea. Why? I guess she’s in her room.” I frowned.

“
She must leave right away. Your life depends on it.” Liam didn’t take his eyes off me.

I felt my chest tighten.
“What? What are you talking about?”

“
We’ve discovered information about her.” Nicolas’ face darkened.