Page 44 of Xavier

“I’m leaving in six days,” he said. “I’m not looking for commitment, and I sure as hell don’t give a damn what other people think. All I want right now is to kiss you.” His breath warmed her lips. “Just one kiss.”

Like a moth drawn to a flame, Lissette couldn’t resist the light, the heat...the kiss. She leaned into him, her lips barely brushing his.

“Hello,” a female voice called out from the doorway.

Lissette stepped back so quickly, she bumped into Johnny’s cage. It rocked violently and would have fallen over if Xavier’s reflexes weren’t as sharp as they were.

He encircled her waist with one hand, grabbed the cage with the other and steadied her and the cage.

Johnny squawked, flapped his wings and cried, You break it, you buy it, asshole.

As soon as her feet were firmly under her, Lissette stepped out of Xavier’s arms, painted a smile on her face and turned toward the woman standing in the doorway. “The store is closed. You’ll have to come back tomorrow.”

The woman, middle-aged with a warm smile and medium brown hair, stepped inside anyway. “Are you sure? I need a gift for my niece’s birthday party. It’s tomorrow, and I don’t have time to drive all the way to New Orleans. I won’t take long. Promise.” She gave Lissette a wide-eyed, pleading look.

Lissette glanced at the clock on the wall. “Five minutes, tops. I have places I need to be before the sun goes down.”

The woman clapped. “On it.” She hurried to the nearest shelf of Voodoo souvenirs and lifted a small doll with a pin in it. “My niece loves everything Voodoo. I got her a book about it for her last birthday, much to her mother’s horror.” She grinned at Lissette and held up the doll. “Think her mother will lose it if I get her one of these?”

Lissette shrugged. “Probably. Your niece might decide to use it to punish her mother.”

“All things Voodoo are fascinating,” she said as she moved from a display of tarot card decks to stacks of miniature coffins. She lifted one of the coffins, opened the door, studied the skeleton inside and closed it. “Oh, this might be just the thing to add to her collection of Voodoo curios.” She hurried over to the counter where Lissette was stowing the bird food. “I’ll get this and that black spiked collar. She’ll love it.”

“Do you want me to wrap it?” Lissette asked, praying the woman would say no.

“Oh, would you?” the woman cried and reached out to touch Lissette’s arm. “That would be so nice. And if you have a card you can attach to it, put from Aunt Odette on it. You’re such a dear.”

Lissette froze under the woman’s hand. She was, perhaps, the first person in Bayou Mambaloa who’d touched her besides her cousin and grandmother. “You’re not from around here, are you?”

“Actually, I’m from Thibodaux,” she said. “I heard the cemetery here was vandalized and came to check it out. We had something similar happen in Thibodaux recently.” She shook her head. “Such a shame. Whoever did it took all the reliquaries from family tombs. Our town is up in arms and afraid.”

“Why are they afraid?” Xavier asked.

Odette turned toward Xavier, dropping her hand from Lissette’s arm. “From what my niece told me, the reliquaries provide protection to the family. They’re afraid they’ll be vulnerable to bad things happening.” She touched a finger to her chin, frowning. “What did she call it?”

“Bad juju?” Lissette offered.

“Right.” Odette shot a warm smile at Lissette. “If they ever get them back, how will they know which reliquary belongs to which tomb?”

“Most of the boxes or containers are very distinct, wither wooden, brass or a combination of both. They might have images of saints or symbols carved or painted on the surfaces.” Lissette cut a piece of wrapping paper from the roll and laid the miniature coffin in the middle.

“Wha kinds of symbols?” Odette asked. “Like a pentagram?”

“Those are for witches,” Lissette said. “Voodoo reliquaries often have geometric patterns, a moon or a star, maybe a symbol resembling the sun.” Lissette held up the coffin. “Others carve coffins to protect the spiritual integrity of those who came before and are yet to come.”

“What does a triangle mean?” Odette asked.

“It’s the symbol of divine power.” Lissette laid the coffin back on the wrapping paper and made quick work of neatly folding it around the gift.

“Divine power, huh?” Odette tipped her head to one side, her brow wrinkling. “What if the triangle covers the tip of a sword?”

Lissette glanced up. “Like a sword with the triangular tip of an arrow?”

Odette shrugged. “I suppose.”

“Why?” Lissette asked, her body tensing.

“I saw such a symbol somewhere and wondered what it was.”