They were deadly orbs.
Raven swallowed hard.
“I, of course, had to kill Luke, which is a shame because besides being a loyal employee he was a fantastic chef. Regardless, I cannot tolerate such talk.”
“Of c-course n-not,” Raven stuttered.
Laroque tossed the bag at Raven’s feet. “So, you see, we must get going. I have a boat that just docked at the Marina, and we’ll be heading off to New Orleans. You haven’t been back to your old neighborhood in a long time, juste?”
Raven grabbed the bag. “N-no, I haven’t. Not since I was a little girl. How are feeling, by the way?”
Raven sensed Laroque watching her. “Such a dedicated physician. I feel fine. I read your work and I’m amazed I never thought of that idea-a naked DNA vaccine. I mean it, Raven, you should be doing medical research.”
The innocent volley of compliments coming from Laroque did not fool Raven. His eyes betrayed him and behind them lay volumes of anger, rage that was directed at her, and she could see he was doing his level best to hide that fact.
Somehow he believed Luke, but why he’d still killed him, she didn’t know. Perhaps he’d seen signs of a change in Jade when he rescued her and brought her back to New Orleans. He was a smart man, and a simple blood test was all he needed to verify the transformation.
She walked toward the bathroom. “Can I get changed first? Have some coffee, take a shower?”
He motioned with his hand for her to follow him. “No, I’m sorry. We don’t have time. Once we’re on the boat, you can shower.”
Her gaze darted around the room. It was inconceivable that it was just the two of them there. The rest of them must be waiting outside. If by some miracle it was only the two of them, maybe she could make a run for it. He was still too weak to chase her very far. Hey, a girl could hope.
“What about the storm? Won’t we be heading into it?”
His eyes flashed a deadly warning.
“Some thank you,” she muttered under her breath. He dragged her out the back door and into the sunshine. Once there, he pointed to the black Mercedes in the driveway.
All her big plans at escape were dashed as she noticed Mick solemnly standing by the driver’s side. So much for a getaway. Raven knew Mick liked Luke. He told her they’d been friends for almost five years. She figured he’d exact revenge for his friend’s death somehow, but for the meantime he would wisely follow orders.
Raven stared blankly when she made eye contact with Mick. He subtly cast his eyes downward, his skin flashing a hint of the blush of embarrassment. His movements were swift as he walked around the car and opened the door for her, never forgetting his manners. She felt his anger toward Laroque, which was not of her imagination. Raven surprisingly discovered that along with her new human frailties came her new human gifts. Without the dominant Lamai DNA, she believed her mother’s psychic talents could shine through. She hoped it was true. She needed some type of advantage.
“He’s such the Southern gentleman-gentle-beast, I should say,” Laroque kidded, but Raven found no humor in anything he said. “Get in.”
How could she have fallen for his puppy dog eyes and sudden remorse? He’d easily convinced her that he’d somehow lost the anger he harbored for Tobias-except when she thought back, he never actually said the words. He merely asked for her help, and she romanticized the rest. If she were still Lamai, she would have realized he was full of shit. Raven silently berated herself for being so naïve. Being entirely human, she was experiencing naïveté. She fell for it hook, line and sinker. She realized she had a lot to learn, especially in matters of unwarranted trust.
She replayed their exchange in her mind. He talked of his love for Nicki and about how much his daughter meant to him, but he’d never once said he’d given up on his plot for revenge. Raven understood that her once-keen senses had dulled.
Her mind raced as the car pulled onto the main road.
But she still would have helped him, because she owed Jade that much, at least. She’d let her emotions get the better of her when she’d attempted to frighten her little sister in the hospital the day she kidnapped her. Seeing the past through Jade’s experience caused her to lock on with such force that she’d drained her almost completely. She’d had to transform her or lose her-and that she could not live with. Her mother would never forgive her, and Raven’s belief that her mother was still alive in a different form was very real.
She knew her mother had watched what went on. She saw the astral visit Jade had with Nicolette when she drank her blood. “Your sister would never kill you,” her mother had said to Jade.
What happened? How did things get so ghastly? Her world was spinning out of control, and she was helpless to stop any of it.
Her mother. It always came full circle and ended where it began, back with her mother. It was the love of three men for one woman that knocked Raven’s world off its axis and spun it blindly into chaos. Somehow it all seemed so familiar-as if this drama had played out before, during a different time, but the players were the same.
Her eyes became heavy with the passing miles, and soon she drifted into the dreamtime.
A man wearing armor and holding a shield stood before her. He was beautiful. Standing over six feet tall with black eyes that matched his wavy hair, he looked out over the landscape. Somehow Raven was able to know his thoughts, see what he saw. And what he saw was a fair-haired beauty named Helen.
Menelaus was his name. He was the king of Sparta. Helen was his wife. She was gone. No, not gone-stolen from her king. Visions flashed, and Raven saw that Laroque’s soul inhabited the body of King Menelaus, and Nicolette was Helen.
The image of a young girl appeared, and Raven knew it to be herself, incarnated as Hermione, the daughter of Menelaus and Helen. She watched as her father looked to the horizon, undoubtedly wondering how to get his beautiful wife back home.
He would need help-Achilles’ help.
He turned to his daughter. “Don’t worry, little one. I will bring back your mother, and they will be sorry they ever heard the name Menelaus.”
She knew her father meant what he said and would not rest until Helen was back in his bed.
Tobias stood with the gorgeous young woman known as Helen. He looked similar to the way he did now, except that the woman called him by another name: Paris.
They were in bed together, having just made love. Paris vowed never to allow her to return to Menelaus, and she was quite happy in Paris ’s arms. But she missed her daughter.
Menelaus had other plans, though, and they all involved bringing Helen home. It would not be an easy task, and Menelaus knew he would have to deal with Hector, Paris ’s brother, in the process.
At the thought of Hector, his image flooded Raven’s mind. He was pure muscle, standing just under six feet tall, with hair as black as night and eyes as blue as the sea. He was very protective of Paris and vowed to fight to the death to protect Helen.
Raven knew immediately Hector’s soul was that of Frank Dubois.
A swirl of mists wiped away the image of the two lovers in bed and replaced it with another. Lush greenery now surrounded Raven, the air full of moisture, the grounds wet after a spring rain.
Raven made her way through the forest and was transported to a castle on a steep hill. There she saw the walls shining with sand-colored marble and flags flying high above the tower.
Again the silhouette of a lonely man stood stark against the brilliant marble walls. Raven wanted a better look at him, and she soon found herself standing beside him-only he did not see her.