Page 3 of Bewitched By the Voodoo King (The Bewitching Hour #7)

My father’s words played on repeat in my head as I packed away a few of my most prized possessions.

The big trunk at the end of my bed full of my cookbooks, baking supplies, grimoires, and clothes would be shipped ahead of my arrival to New Orleans.

I fought back the growing moisture in my eyes as I looked over the bedroom I’d despised for far too long.

But I knew now that I would miss it. Maybe not the lack of hot water in the shower but the lumpy, cozy mattress with a gauzy light pink canopy that was slightly falling down on one side.

I’d never fixed it because I thought it gave the room character.

The worn rug underneath the bed needed a good cleaning and the windows were permanently frosted from the time I was ready for snow and thought I could take it into my own hands if I couldn’t control the weather with magic.

Turns out, spray snow didn’t come off of glass like I thought it would.

All it did was ruin the glass and get me grounded for a few weeks.

At the time I thought it was worth it. Now all I could think about was how much I was going to miss it.

Before I started crying again, I hiked my purse up higher on my shoulder and swiped at my eyes. My mama was waiting for me in the hallway and I was sure my sisters were in the car.

Mama’s short blonde hair was tucked in a thick beanie and her sweater said “World’s Best Nana” across the chest. She wasn’t even a Nana yet.

It was something I would have said to her before, but now I didn’t have it in me.

She wrapped her arms around me and I took a deep breath of her woodsy scent.

The tears I’d been so desperately fighting to hold in quickly overflowed.

She wrapped her arms around me and I fell apart right there in her arms, in the hallway.

“It’s okay, baby,” She rubbed her hands up and down my back as she’d done countless times since I was a child. She’d sat with me at the top of the stairs and held me as I fell apart after my magic didn’t come. She was always there. Now I had to leave her and everything I loved behind.

“I don’t want to go,” I sobbed into her chest.

She ran her hands down the back of my hair. “I know but you’re going to do great things, Maple. You’re going to help that coven.”

“How?!” I jerked away from her. “They don’t even know that I’m a null. What happens when they find that out?”

“Shhhh, they aren’t going to be mad. We didn’t promise them a daughter with magic. We promised them aid and that’s what we will do.”

I swiped at my eyes and untangled myself from my mama’s arms. It was time to do what was needed, even if I didn’t want to.

Somehow on my direct flight to New Orleans, I was seated between two people that did not understand personal space.There was absolutely no arm space and eating the snacks I packed was nearly impossible.

A handful of chocolate-covered almonds, two yogurt squeeze packs, and half of a sandwich because the other half ended up on the floor when one of my seat mates knocked into me and caused it to go flying into the runway.

It wasn’t very good, but it was better than spending $18 on one airport pretzel.

The only promising thing about landing soon—besides getting away from the two people who squished me for almost 3 hours— was the food waiting for me in the city.

I didn’t know what to expect but after doing a deep dive on New Orleans cuisine, I decided this wasn’t the worst thing that could happen to me.

Yes, I was going to marry a man I didn’t know. I was extremely worried he was horrible looking and that was why no one else agreed to marry him. What if he had a wort on his nose? What if he smelled like mothballs? What if he had the smelliest breath?

Yes, I was leaving everything I knew behind. But at least I was moving to a community with deep magical roots. At least it wasn’t as bad as it could have been. Maybe I could do a deep dive into their library!

I could have been shipped off to a part of the country that lacked soul, and good food. Oh! And music. There was great music waiting for me too.

As soon as the plane landed, I placed my hand over my stomach and groaned. “ Oh no .”

The large man beside me paled. “Are you okay?”

“I don’t think those yogurt packs were any good. Maybe they were expired?” I squeaked.

He shuffled into the aisle and motioned for me to go ahead of him and I practically ran off of the plane.

Too mortified that I’d used such a gross excuse, I ran for the nearest bathroom and locked the stall behind me.

The airport was a big one and full of people.

I closed my eyes to try to get some kind of balance back to my brain, but it wasn’t happening with all of the commotion around me.

Papa said someone would be waiting for me by luggage claim with my name on a sign. I squeezed my eyes closed, unlocked the stall, and walked down to baggage claim.

Smooth jazz blasted through the room as a five-member band played their hearts out in the center of the airport. It was welcoming and immediately, my shoulders relaxed. If the worst thing I had to go through was a stinky, wort-nose husband… It wouldn’t be so bad here.

I was wrong.

Oh, boy, I was so wrong.

The drive into the coven was something out of a TV show.

I’d seen them all and this was what it was like.

There was a private parking garage and a huge courtyard in the center of the Spanish architecture.

Surrounding the entire estate were huge oak trees.

Their branches were big enough to carry my entire family and they looked like they wanted to with how they dipped to the ground.

Spanish moss covered everything and gave me the chills.

The driver in the front seat, who was not from the coven, I’d risked it all apparently, tipped his hat to me as he pulled into the parking area.

“Have a nice stay, miss.” He held his hand out and I placed mine in his hesitantly. He pulled his back with a scowl. “A tip?”

“Don’t speed or you’ll get a ticket?”

His mouth dropped open as he shook his head and kicked my luggage before he got back into his SUV and sped away.

“That’s a good way to get shot.” A little voice said from the shadows.

I jumped. “What?”

The little girl laughed and came into the light. “Nothing, but he’s not going to be happy with you. You should have brought cash.”

Her curly brown hair was pulled back tightly against her scalp and she wore some type of uniform.

She probably went to a private school… but that was strange considering witches didn’t like humans teaching their children.

Her light brown skin had a sheen to it, which made sense with all the humidity in the air.

I hadn’t chosen well with my clothes for the flight.

A long-sleeve top and jeans? I’d lost my mind.

“And you are?”

“Amelia. You’re here for Rune.”

She cocked her head as she stared at me with big brown eyes. “Um.”

“Leave her alone, Amelia.” A voice said from behind me. I turned to find a woman with deep black hair and pale skin staring at me. She was a tall willowy woman but her features were sharp. “I’m Babette. I’m sorry I wasn’t here on time to meet you. Amelia likes to lurk where she doesn’t belong.”

“Nice to meet you, Babette.” I held my hand out to shake hers but she merely stared down at it like it was offensive. “I’m Ma-”

“Maple,” She turned on her heel and began to walk away.

I grabbed my bag from the ground and raced behind her.

“I know who you are. Don’t offer your hand so easily.

Anyone could read you around here and you wouldn’t be wiser.

Fortunately, I don’t feel like getting sucked into my magic today.

I thought your coven would have prepared you better. ”

Oh.

Oh.

They had diviners here and by the sounds of it, many . This was news. I mean I figured but I also didn’t know much about their magical affinity either. I was way behind.

“Did you not learn that in your magical classes?”

I nodded. Unsure of what to say. What did they know about me? What did I tell them? Papa told me not to mention I was a null.

She waved her hand. “Different cultures I guess. You’ll catch on quick around here.”

When we finally entered an air-conditioned building, I felt like I could breathe again.

It was so nice to be out of the humidity.

My shoulder ached from lugging my suitcase around but I didn’t utter a peep.

I didn’t want anyone to assume I was weak, especially Babette.

It seemed like something she looked for.

“You’ll be meeting with the Voodoo King soon enough,” Babette sighed as she stopped in a hallway full of doors. “This will be your room until they decide what to do with you.”

What to do with me? I could have cried. I hated it here already.

There was no tour. Just some weird kid and now a weirder woman that wasn’t friendly at all.

There weren’t any people milling about. There weren’t kids screaming or playing.

It was quiet and terrifying and absolutely nothing like what I was used to.

Who were these people? I would take back the cold shower any day if I didn’t have to go through with this!

She pulled a key from the back pocket of her jeans and unlocked the door. The dark oak door swung open to a small entryway that led immediately into a little kitchen and then to a bed and a sitting area.

“They will come for you later tonight,” Her lips curled in an unfriendly smile before she closed the door behind her and I was left alone. I sunk down onto the corner of the bed and tried to give myself an internal pep talk. I could do this.