Garden of Dreams and Desires - Kristen Painter Page 0,13
I am truly sorry, but that is not something I can be a part of. You might find someone willing to practice that kind of craft but I would be very careful. A spirit like that cannot just be loosed. It must be contained somewhere new or it will wreak havoc on whoever cast it from its home. It might still.”
“What if I destroyed the tree?”
Her mouth quirked up in a sad, strange way. “If that was possible, it would have been done years ago.”
“So there’s no other way?”
“No.”
Her answer sent a deep ache through him, the kind of pain he’d felt when Olivia had lain dying in his arms. “I can’t believe there’s nothing that can be done. I won’t accept it. I won’t give up hope.”
“Good.” She wrapped her fingers around his. “There is always hope.” She let his hand go. “Now listen to me. If Olivia’s daughter is still in there, she may be able to fight her way back out. Surround her with the things she loves. Keep those memories alive. And if you truly love her—”
“I do.”
“Then tell her. Love is a powerful magic in its own right. Give her a reason to want to fight. Something to fight for.”
“If I tell Harlow I love her, the only one who’s going to hear it now is Ava Mae and she’s the last one who needs that encouragement.”
Jewelia’s eyes narrowed and her gaze swept him. “She’s been after you, eh?”
“Relentlessly.”
She nodded. “Girl knows sleeping with you would widen the chasm between her and her sister. Ava Mae must know Harlow loves you. If she could cause Harlow enough hurt, Harlow would most likely retreat and lose whatever hold she has left.” She shook her head. “You must not let Ava Mae know how you feel.”
“I have no plans to, I promise.”
“But Harlow needs to know you love her. It will give her strength, I’m sure of it.”
“I’m all for that, but how?”
Jewelia fell silent. “If you’re willing, I have an idea.”
“I’m willing. Whatever it is.”
She folded her hands before her. “You must use bokura.”
Augustine jerked back. “The same stuff that killed Dreich? No.”
“The powder is only the tool. The one wielding the tool did the killing. A little bokura will put the dominant spirit to rest, letting Harlow come forward. You can tell her your feelings and reassure her that you are doing everything you can to set her free.”
“I don’t know.”
“I am not Ogun. You can trust me.”
The idea scared him, but the reward was worth the risk. “I… am willing to try.” At least that way if Harlow didn’t make it, a thought that tore a hole in him, she’d know how he felt.
Jewelia patted his hand again. “Let me get you some and then I’ll tell you exactly how to use it.”
Chapter Three
Giselle sat with her sister, Zara, in the sunroom at the rear of her sister’s house. Her home had become their informal headquarters, a logical choice considering the plans they were implementing. Ian, one of the coven’s Circle of Thirteen, the council who helped the coven leader rule, lounged nearby.
Since the death of Evander, their father, Ian had become quite a bit closer to Giselle and her sister than the average coven member. She smiled. That had more to do with his willingness to share his prodigious talents than his position in the coven.
A drop of condensation ran down the side of Giselle’s sweet tea. She caught it with her finger and flicked it into the air. “How are things proceeding? I assume that’s what you wanted to discuss when you asked me to come over.” At some point, Giselle imagined their meetings would be held at her new home, previously her father’s house, but that would be a while yet based on the way the remodeling was dragging on. And of course, that garden didn’t hold the same promise as Zara’s.
“It is.” Zara shook her head, the lines around her eyes more pronounced. “Things are proceeding too fast. I want to unseat the fae as much as you do but we have to slow down.” She ran her hand along the arm of the tufted chaise, her fingers worrying the slightly worn velveteen. Zara’s sentimental nature had kept her from replacing anything when she’d moved into their late mother’s Garden District mansion nearly twenty years ago. She had, however, added even more plants, to the point the house looked and smelled like a botanical garden, but then that wasn’t so