Daughter of the Thirteen: Bourbon Street Witches Book 1 by Lorraine Kennedy Read Free Book Online

didn’t mind. A little solitude would help her think her situation through.
    From the bedroom window, she could look onto the St. Louis cemetery. Though the moon was waning, the night was still bright enough to illuminate the many tombs, and the silent angels watching over them. As she stared down at the eerie scene, a chill settled over her.
    She was absolutely certain someone was hiding among the tombs - watching her. A shadow moved and Marcos stepped into the moonlight.
    Tilting his head, he looked up, and then acknowledged her awareness of him with a bow.
    Even from a distance, she could feel him pulling at her. Just the memory of being in his arms made her heart beat a little faster.
    Though she tried to block it out, she yearned to feel his kiss, and to experience that hot - sweet sensation again.
    But was that exquisite sensation worth her soul?
    Laurel turned away from the window.
    From the small dresser, she took out her mother’s amulet and slipped it around her neck. It was the only protection she had, and though it might help to keep the demons at bay, she knew it would do little to protect her from Marcos. That was especially true if she allowed her own body to betray her.
    How had he found her?
    It happened so quickly, she wasn’t even sure what hit her.
    The room went completely black, but then it changed and she was reliving it all over again.
    She was a child, no more than five years old.
    Every night, she’d wake the nuns with her screams. Her nightmares were troubling to the sisters, especially when she told them about the monsters that would come out of the ground.
    That was when Sister Agnes brought her an annulet to wear - the same one she was wearing now.
    When the other children had seen her wearing it, they’d laughed at her and called her a witch. After that, she’d taken it off and refused to wear it. Though Sister Agnes feared her nightmares might get worse, they’d actually gone away after that.
    The memory had always been there, but buried in her subconscious. Wearing the amulet must have brought it all back.
    Lifting the amulet so she could study the symbol, she was more confused than ever.
    Why would her mother have something connected to witchcraft?
    Even more curious was that Sister Agnes gave it to her, though the nun had to be aware of what the symbol meant.
    Clutching the amulet in her hand, she strayed to the window. This time when she looked down at the cemetery, he was gone.
    She sighed with relief, but it was a hollow relief. He might be gone now, but he knew where to find her.
    Laurel’s attention was drawn from the window when she heard someone enter the room.
    It was the girl with the burgundy hair.
    “Hello.” Laurel smiled. “No one told me your name.”
    “I’m Arlene,” she said, her words laced with a faint Cajun accent.
    It almost sounded like Sister Brunson, who came from Canada.
    Arlene sat on the edge of her bed, careful not to put any wrinkles in her green silk dress, which matched her eyes perfectly.
    “What’s that you’re wearing?” she asked.
    With some reluctance, she showed Arlene the amulet, explaining where it came from.
    Arlene gasped. “You won’t want to flash that around. Some of the girls here are afraid of witches.”
    “But I’m not a witch!” Laurel protested.
    “Aren’t you?” Arlene smiled. “If that belonged to your mother … I would say that’s exactly what you are.”
    Laurel’s hands began to shake. The thought was mortifying. She would go to hell for sure.
    Arlene’s smiled widened. “You would think that I just slapped you in the face. It’s okay … I am too. It’s not just me … Mora also.”
    Now this had Laurel’s attention. “Really?”
    Arlene nodded. “Watch this.”
    With one finger, Arlene pointed to the closet door and it opened.
    Laurel’s jaw dropped. “You can make things move?”
    “Oh a lot more than that, but you have to be careful. There’s always a price to pay for using magic.”
    “What