look of astonishment on Marta’s face made Michelle smile. “I wish I could speak with him. All these years I’ve tried to summon him, but it has not worked. And you walk in and…”
Michelle covered Marta’s hand with her own. “Finish your story.”
“Yes, of course. Tarsa bound Sebastian’s soul to a bochio , making it so that he was released for one hour a day, at sunrise.”
“A bochio ?”
“A wooden carving. It was the precursor to voodoo dolls, if you like.” Marta got up and refilled her mug. She took Michelle’s cup, poured out the almost untouched coffee and refilled it before sitting back down. “ Bochios are not evil, nor are voodoo dolls unless people use them that way. The carvings can be used for protection. In this case, it was used to protect Sebastian’s soul, as it has done for years.”
Michelle wanted to tell the woman that this wasn’t the time to go into a lecture about voodoo and religion. But Marta seemed to know that and continued talking without being pushed.
“She meant to unleash his spirit after Sarya and Nadim had a chance to run away together, but Mr. Maddox’s reaction caused a change in the plans. I think, personally, that she might have kept Sebastian’s spirit trapped in retaliation for the slaves who were killed. Then, before she could release him, she herself died.”
The weight around Michelle’s heart increased. “That means he’s stuck, right?”
“Possibly.” Marta cocked her head just slightly. “Over the years, my ancestors have tried to break the spell, to no avail. My great-grandmother, though, was very powerful. She couldn’t release him, but she did perform a ceremony that she felt altered the curse.”
“Did it work?”
Marta shook her head, then frowned. “We did not think so at the time. But now that you can see him, I think it might have.”
Michelle’s hands shook. She grasped the mug, trying to keep them steady. “How exactly was the curse changed?”
“I think you know.”
Marta’s answer was soft, but it still sent chills up Michelle’s spine. “Holy crap, he really is a male sleeping beauty. And I’m his Princess Charming.”
Chapter Six
The world stopped revolving, or at least it did for Michelle. She sat rock still in her chair, staring at her coffee cup. “Things don’t work this way, you know. I may write fables, but they’re fiction. Real life romance never works.”
Marta gave her a small smile, then blinked her eyes rapidly. Michelle figured she was giving herself time to compose a decent answer that refuted Michelle’s words. Before she could though, Michelle continued.
“Besides, I’ve kissed him, and he’s still cursed. He still disappeared this morning.”
Right after he gave me the most fantastic orgasm I’ve had in ages.
“That was lust,” Marta said. “You must kiss him with love on your lips.”
“People don’t fall in love at first sight. You have to get to know someone, and even then you don’t really know them.”
Because they turn out to be like Justin, screw you one minute and then screw you again, in a totally different manner the next.
“Hannah and I fell in love at first sight.” Her current muse’s voice was so full of conceit she wished he were real so she could smack him.
“Can it, Charles! Nobody invited you to this discussion.”
“Charles?” Marta looked around the room, her eyes wide in amazement. “Are you a spirit guide?”
Michelle put her head on the table. “No, I’m a writer who hears her characters’ voices sometimes. Ignore me.”
The room grew silent for a few moments, and then Marta pushed back her chair and walked to the stove. “You cannot tell me you didn’t feel something for Sebastian during the time you spent together.”
The sound of eggs cracking reached Michelle’s ears and her stomach growled. “Yes, I felt pity for him, for what he’d gone through.” Which was true. The fact that she’d felt extreme lust didn’t have to
Michelle covered Marta’s hand with her own. “Finish your story.”
“Yes, of course. Tarsa bound Sebastian’s soul to a bochio , making it so that he was released for one hour a day, at sunrise.”
“A bochio ?”
“A wooden carving. It was the precursor to voodoo dolls, if you like.” Marta got up and refilled her mug. She took Michelle’s cup, poured out the almost untouched coffee and refilled it before sitting back down. “ Bochios are not evil, nor are voodoo dolls unless people use them that way. The carvings can be used for protection. In this case, it was used to protect Sebastian’s soul, as it has done for years.”
Michelle wanted to tell the woman that this wasn’t the time to go into a lecture about voodoo and religion. But Marta seemed to know that and continued talking without being pushed.
“She meant to unleash his spirit after Sarya and Nadim had a chance to run away together, but Mr. Maddox’s reaction caused a change in the plans. I think, personally, that she might have kept Sebastian’s spirit trapped in retaliation for the slaves who were killed. Then, before she could release him, she herself died.”
The weight around Michelle’s heart increased. “That means he’s stuck, right?”
“Possibly.” Marta cocked her head just slightly. “Over the years, my ancestors have tried to break the spell, to no avail. My great-grandmother, though, was very powerful. She couldn’t release him, but she did perform a ceremony that she felt altered the curse.”
“Did it work?”
Marta shook her head, then frowned. “We did not think so at the time. But now that you can see him, I think it might have.”
Michelle’s hands shook. She grasped the mug, trying to keep them steady. “How exactly was the curse changed?”
“I think you know.”
Marta’s answer was soft, but it still sent chills up Michelle’s spine. “Holy crap, he really is a male sleeping beauty. And I’m his Princess Charming.”
Chapter Six
The world stopped revolving, or at least it did for Michelle. She sat rock still in her chair, staring at her coffee cup. “Things don’t work this way, you know. I may write fables, but they’re fiction. Real life romance never works.”
Marta gave her a small smile, then blinked her eyes rapidly. Michelle figured she was giving herself time to compose a decent answer that refuted Michelle’s words. Before she could though, Michelle continued.
“Besides, I’ve kissed him, and he’s still cursed. He still disappeared this morning.”
Right after he gave me the most fantastic orgasm I’ve had in ages.
“That was lust,” Marta said. “You must kiss him with love on your lips.”
“People don’t fall in love at first sight. You have to get to know someone, and even then you don’t really know them.”
Because they turn out to be like Justin, screw you one minute and then screw you again, in a totally different manner the next.
“Hannah and I fell in love at first sight.” Her current muse’s voice was so full of conceit she wished he were real so she could smack him.
“Can it, Charles! Nobody invited you to this discussion.”
“Charles?” Marta looked around the room, her eyes wide in amazement. “Are you a spirit guide?”
Michelle put her head on the table. “No, I’m a writer who hears her characters’ voices sometimes. Ignore me.”
The room grew silent for a few moments, and then Marta pushed back her chair and walked to the stove. “You cannot tell me you didn’t feel something for Sebastian during the time you spent together.”
The sound of eggs cracking reached Michelle’s ears and her stomach growled. “Yes, I felt pity for him, for what he’d gone through.” Which was true. The fact that she’d felt extreme lust didn’t have to
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