Ardal (The Sabbats)

Chapter Three

Tuesday, October 29 th .

Nine Saint Gillian Street. New Orleans.

Ardal woke happy and filled with new enthusiasm for the party and the coming hours leading up to it. Meeting Faba Shadowwalker had done that for him. Having someone new in his life opened up all sorts of possibilities that he had filed away as heretofore unattainable.

Descending the creaking mahogany staircase, he smiled hearing the chatter and laughter coming from the kitchen at the back of the house.

Faba’s voice seemed to stand out from the others, and he wanted to hear every word she had to say on any subject. A craving inside Ardal stirred hot and the need to know everything about Faba became his fervent desire. He hadn’t felt this way for a long time. Perhaps since Ember.

A hand on the newel post, he turned the corner and nearly stepped on Nexa who was scampering to greet him. Ardal bent down and patted Rowanne’s little dog on its head and she licked his hand.

“Good morning, Ardal,” called Misty from the other side of the kitchen. She had arrived early—perhaps in the middle of the night as was her custom—and she was busy helping Angelique cook breakfast for her guests.

“Good morning to everyone,” said Ardal. “Did I oversleep?”

“There is no timeline on frivolity,” said Misty. “I trust you enjoyed your evening at the Spotted Dog?”

Ardal laughed. “I found it extremely interesting and entertaining, Misty. Meeting people turned out to be easier than I had imagined, and yes, I had fun.”

“Wonderful. Please sit down and I’ll get you a coffee.” Misty turned quickly towards the long table and sparks flew out of her silvery hair. The air snapped with the electrical energy she exuded from her body and her keen mind. “You can sit right there next to Faba.”

Ardal sat down and Angelique winked at him as she set a mug of hot coffee on his black placemat.

“Are we making a craft today, Aunt Misty?” asked Pete.

“Angelique is the one to ask about crafts, my little hawk. I think she has something fun up her sleeve for the little ones.”

“Are there other kids coming besides me?” asked Pete.

“Forest and Noel are already here. They are upstairs in their bed,” said Misty. “Gillette will be here soon with Pete and Saffron. Lots of children to play with.”

Pete frowned. “We have two Petes. That will be a mix up, won’t it, Aunt Misty?”

“Not at all if we go back to calling you by your middle name, Paul.”

Paul laughed. “That’s a quick fix, Aunt Misty. How did you get so smart?”

“I married a genius. We cohabitate in close proximity, and I got smart by osmosis.”

The smile on Paul’s face vanished. “I have to get my tablet and Google that word you just said.”

“Go for it,” said Ardal. “Your search for knowledge continues. I commend you, Paul.”

Sitting next to him, Faba’s close proximity caused Ardal to break out in a sweat. The kitchen wasn’t hot. Au contraire . The window facing the garden was wide open and the black curtains swirled in the chilling October wind.

Hoping no one at the table noticed, Ardal wiped his forehead with the napkin next to his silverware.

“It’s shivery cold in here,” said Paul. “Why are you sweating, Ardal?”

“The coffee is hot, Paul. I hope I remember to call you that when Gilly gets here.”

“The girl who’s coming with her children; is she part of your family, Ardal?” asked Faba.

“She’s my sister.”

Faba’s dark eyes sparkled. “Ooh, how interesting. I can’t wait to meet her.”

“She’s my heart and my lifeline,” said Ardal. “My connection to reality.”

“Wow. Your sister must be something, Ardal.”

“She’s a special person.”

“I’m sure I’ll like her,” said Faba. “Are her powers strong?”

“Is that a concern?” Ardal read something into the question that perhaps wasn’t there, and he pondered it.

“Not at all.” Faba flashed him an extra sweet smile. “We all have our strengths and our weaknesses.”

“So true.” Ardal stared into Faba’s eyes and cared about nothing but being close to her. He felt himself being drawn in by her charisma and he did nothing to prevent it. He easily could have, being the most powerful witch in the room—almost on a par with The Great One.

Misty smiled at them across the long black table thinking she’d made the perfect match. Ardal read her thoughts and completely agreed. Faba was the one for him.

Decorating for Samhain continued after breakfast and as the cornstalks were put into place and a bevy of black cats were corralled into the front yard—temporary pets for the occasion—excitement rose.

“There aren’t nearly enough pumpkins,” said Misty as she viewed the assortment lined up on the back porch.

“We couldn’t get a hundred and thirty-seven into the trunk of the Caddy,” said Ben. “Should we go back and get more?”

“It would probably save time if I duplicated the ones we already have,” said Misty. “There are a lot of preparations to be made without meddling in the world of the mundane and going back to that overcrowded market.”

“If you make over a hundred more,” said Ben, “where will we put them?”

“Perhaps I’ll wait until just before the contest,” said Misty. “That would be the wise thing to do and would eliminate the problem of storage for the next twenty-four hours.”

“A solid solution,” said Paul. “You are a clear thinker, Aunt Misty.”

“Thank you, Paul.” With that problem solved, Misty moved on to other issues. “Ardal, would you and Faba go to the Irish Channel district and see if you can raise Rufin? He hasn’t responded to his invitation, and I’m worried he may not be well.”

“Of course. He lives on Laurel Street, doesn’t he?”

“Number thirteen.”

“Faba and I will do a wellness check.”

“Thank you, sweetheart.”

“Is it a long drive from here?” asked Faba.

“Near the Mississippi River,” said Ardal, “but we’ll transport, and it will only take a minute to get there.”

“Ooh. Another chance to transport,” said Faba.

Thirteen Laurel Street. Irish Channel District.

Ardal reached for Faba’s hand, pictured Rufin’s run-down mansion on Laurel Street and bingo, they were standing on the broken flagstone path in front of the ancient house.

It stood in testimony to being one of the first houses ever built in New Orleans. Not far from the river, it probably belonged to a wealthy merchant who traveled the waterway.

“This looks like the scary houses they have in the horror movies,” said Faba. “Is Rufin a witch?”

“A powerful one. He’s come back from death and the brink of death several times. I’m not sure what state he’ll be in when we find him.”

Faba made a face riddled with apprehension. “I hope he’s alive and we don’t have to go you-know-where to check on him.”

Ardal used the doorknocker and tapped a few times. No response, so he tried again. Nothing.

“Try the door handle and see if it’s locked,” said Faba. “This may be an emergency, and we’ll have to go in, invited or not.”

Ardal turned the handle, and the ancient oak door creaked open. He stepped into the foyer and called, “Rufin, are you in here?”

His voice echoed back to him and Faba jumped and clung to his arm.

Meow.

“His cat isn’t dead,” whispered Faba. “Let’s go in and see if he’s been feeding the cat.”

“Uh huh. That would be an indicator,” said Ardal.

Easing their way through the cluttered foyer, they crossed the living room and entered the kitchen.

“Empty bowls,” said Faba.

“Feed the cat while I search the rest of the house,” said Ardal. “I believe he has a secret room where he likes to hide from the rest of the world.”

“Secret rooms are so much fun. We have one at our house.”

“I never had one,” said Ardal. “Of course, how could I? I never had a house. I ran away from foster care and lived on the street.”

“Oh, no. What a sad story.” Faba held him in her arms and kissed him. A hot burning kiss that made Ardal forget about why he was here in Rufin’s crumbling mansion.

A noise from upstairs startled the two of them and Faba held Ardal tighter. Her warm body pressing against his sent his mind wandering away from that crazy witch, Rufin Pictou and what he might be up to.

“What was that noise?”

Forcing himself to let go of Faba, Ardal turned towards the creaking staircase, “Take care of the cat and let me check out the second floor. I don’t want you getting hurt.”

Ardal took the stairs two at a time, carefully jumping over the steps with missing boards.

“Where are you, Rufin?” Ardal called out to him. “Misty sent me to see if you were well. She wants you to come to Saint Gillian Street for her Thinning of the Veil Event.”

Rufin’s voice came from inside the walls of the ancient relic. “I have things pending and may not come until later tomorrow.”

“But you are coming?”

“Definitely. No one turns down an invitation from the Great One.”

“You may want to come earlier, Rufin. My sister has already arrived.”

A long period of silence before Rufin spoke again. This time his tone was much gentler. “I’ll be there in an hour.”

Ardal smiled. “Wonderful. I’ll pass that along to Misty.”

He ran downstairs, and Faba had filled up both of the cat’s bowls. “What did he say, Ardal? Is he sick? Why didn’t he answer Misty?”

“He’ll be over in an hour.”

She smiled. “Mission accomplished.”

“Uh huh.”

Ardal gathered up Faba and transported the two of them back to Misty’s garden.

Nine Saint Gillian Street. Garden District.

“Did I hear you tell Rufin that your sister had arrived at Misty’s house?” asked Faba.

“A white lie to get him going. Rufin has always been in love with my sister…and she will be here shortly. I can feel her presence. We’re extremely close.”

“How close?”

Ardal thought Faba’s eyes had turned an uncomplimentary shade of green just for a second. He looked again and the green was gone. Possibly his imagination. “Let’s go inside. I could use a cup of Angelique’s hot cider.”

“That sounds deliciously warming. I’m chilled from spending time in Rufin’s dreadful house.”

“He’s not much on maintenance,” said Ardal. “I have to admit it.”

Not long after they went inside, the weather changed significantly. A sudden gust of high wind changed what had been a cloudy day with periods of drizzle into bright sunshine with not a trace of humidity.

“Ooh, what is the weather doing?” Faba peered out the kitchen window.

Ardal smiled. “Gilly must be here. She doesn’t like rain.”

“So she changed the weather?” Faba shook her head in disbelief. “I don’t think so. You’re putting me on, Ardal.”

The back door opened, and Saffron and Pete ran in ahead of their mother. Gilly was loaded down with luggage belonging to the kids and Ardal rushed to help her with it.

“Thanks, Ardal.” The moment she was free of her burden, Gillette wrapped her arms around Ardal and kissed him. “I missed you so much.”

“Same. It’s lonely on the mountain.”

“Who is this?” Gillette’s bright eyes landed on Faba. “I don’t think we’ve met.”

“This is Faba Shadowwalker,” said Ardal. “She’s Misty’s cousin.”

Sparks flew as soon as Gillette’s eyes met Faba’s. Exactly the opposite reaction Ardal had been hoping for. He was becoming more and more attached to Faba and longed for his beloved sister to like Faba as much as he did.

Not to be.

“Ardal tells me you live in Texas, Gillette.” Faba’s tone was friendly and delightful to Ardal’s ears. He watched Gillette’s face hoping her attitude would soften towards Faba.

“Texas and West Virginia. Lately I’ve been thinking of moving back to West Virginia permanently. I have a business to run there and a lot of kin living in the mountains.”

From across the room, Misty noticed the chill in the air and moved closer to smooth things out. “Can I see you in the front parlor for a moment, Gillette? I’d like to have a private word with you.”

“Of course, Misty. We have a lot to catch up on.” Gillette followed Misty down the hallway.

Misty closed the parlor door and looked Gillette in the eye. “I chose my cousin Faba for Ardal because they are perfectly suited for each other.”

“She’s beautiful,” said Gillette, “and very tall.”

“Yes, and besides that, she’s a lovely girl. I want you to get to know her before you make any snap judgements and deprive Ardal of the companionship he deserves.”

“I felt a contrary vibe from her, Misty. I don’t want my brother getting hurt by another pretty face. It has happened before.”

“None of us want that to happen,” said Misty. “Please give it a bit of time and let Nature take her course. Promise me you will not interfere.”

“I won’t interfere. I promise.”

They stepped out of the front parlor into the foyer and the bell chimed and startled both of them.

“Rufin is here,” said Misty before she opened the door.

Gillette backed into the parlor. “Did you invite Rufin Pictou, Misty? I can’t believe you would do that to me.”

“Long past time, Gillette. Samhain is upon us and it’s time for all tattered relationships to be made whole again. You and Rufin will make up before the beginning of the new year.”

Gillette raised an eyebrow. “That only gives us until tomorrow at midnight. Not much time to deal with the problems that tore us apart. Not with someone as stubborn and mulish as Rufin.”

Misty looked towards the front door and sent a mental message to her house. The door opened by itself with a loud creak and Rufin stepped into the foyer.

“Rufin, how lovely to see you.” Misty wrapped him in a hug. “I’ve missed you so much.”

“Ardal told me Gillette was here,” he mumbled in a low voice. Long black hair half covering his handsome face, he pulled his black cloak tightly around him, but Misty could easily see Rufin had lost weight. Too much weight lost for his tall frame. His handsome features had become sharp and crow-like.

His pet crow flew off his shoulder and sat on the newel post.

Caw. Caw.

“Gillette arrived an hour ago and she’s right here,” said Misty. “Why don’t the two of you talk in the front parlor?”

Gillette was trapped and she could do nothing but let Rufin into the parlor. “Hi, Rufin.”

“Gillette, you are as beautiful as ever.”

The tension in the front parlor was thick as porridge and shrouded the two people facing each other in a cocoon of isolation. They had to face the obstacles between them before they could go forward.

Misty closed the door and locked it from the outside. She smiled and went back to decorating her house for the party.