The Dolls Page 28
“I’d still want you around all the time,” I say.
We continue to walk in silence, our fingers threaded together, our breath heavy, until we reach my back wall. Caleb helps me over and follows a second later, landing with a soft thud beside me.
He moves closer and pulls me toward him. “If you were just a normal girl, and I was just a normal guy, I’d probably do this”—he kisses me softly—“all the time.”
I kiss him back, hungrily, and after a pause, he responds with a hunger of his own. The garden, the woods, Carrefour itself all disappear as I fade into him. He holds me, caresses me, drinks me in like I’m the only thing anchoring him to earth.
When the kiss ends and we finally pull away, there are tears in his eyes. “But I let my guard down once. I let my feelings, my pride get in the way. And you almost died.”
“I didn’t die, though,” I whisper. “You saved me.”
He shakes his head. “Next time, we might not be so lucky.” He takes a deep breath. “Eveny, I love you. But this is why protectors are forbidden from having a relationship with their queens; I can’t think straight and protect you when I feel like this.”
“But—” I begin.
“I’m sorry,” he says. “I’m so sorry. I can’t do this. But I’ll always be nearby, watching over you if you need me.”
“Caleb,” I say desperately. “I do need you. I need you now. I need you to be with me. I need you to forget all the things we’re supposed to do and just follow your heart.”
He smiles sadly. “I’m sorry, Eveny. But you know as well as I do that’s not how this town works.”
And then he’s gone, back over the cemetery wall, before I can say anything else. I stare in the direction he disappeared for a very long time, tears streaming down my face, before I whisper, “I love you too.”
I turn and walk slowly toward the back door of my house. The world feels like it’s been upended again. I want to go after him, to beg him to stay, to plead with him to reconsider. But I saw the resolution in his eyes. I’ll have to find another way.
I open the door. The first thing I realize once I’m standing inside is that something feels different. There’s a heaviness in the air that puts me instantly on edge.
Before I can say anything, Boniface steps out from the living room, his face creased with concern. “Honey, I didn’t know—” he begins, but a voice behind him cuts him off.
“I’ll take it from here,” says the tall, handsome man who rounds the corner behind Boniface. His hair is sandy, his eyes a brilliant green. I recognize him instantly.
“Dad?” I ask in disbelief.
“Eveny,” he says. He crosses the space between us swiftly and pulls me into a tight hug. I’m so shocked, I can barely hug back.
“What are you . . . ?” My brain is suddenly a jumble of questions, and I can’t find the words to ask him why he’s here. “You left us,” I finally manage to say, my voice breaking.
“I had to,” he says. “I had to keep you safe. Staying would have put you in terrible danger.”
“But . . .” I can hardly believe what I’m seeing. “You came back.”
“You needed my help.” He touches my cheek gently, and for a second, I’m not thinking about the present; I’m thinking about the moments like this that we missed, the times he should have been there to hold my hand, the instances I felt so abandoned by both of my parents when one of them was out there all along.
“But why now?” I manage. “After all this time?”
“What happened with Main de Lumière is only the beginning, Eveny. You’re going to be in danger until we figure out how to stop them for good.”
I nod. He’s right, of course.
“So the way I see it,” he continues gravely, “we have two choices: You and I can run tonight, go somewhere they’ll never be able to find us. Or we can stay and do our best to protect this town. It’s up to you, Eveny. I’ll stand by you, whatever decision you make.”
My heart hammers, and my Stone of Carrefour grows hot against my chest. Magic is in my blood—it’s who I’m destined to be. My mom believed I’d become the greatest queen the world has ever known, and I won’t let her down. I take a deep breath and steel myself. “We’ll stay.”
“You’re sure?” His eyes bore into mine. “You could die trying. You realize that’s a risk, don’t you? I’ll do everything I can to protect you, but there’s always a chance. . . .”
“Mom lost her life trying to make things right,” I say. “I have to stay—for her. Carrefour was her home. It’s my home. Everything about this place, it’s who I am. I can’t run from that anymore.”
He stares at me for a minute. “Your mother would be so proud of the young woman you’ve grown up to be.” He smiles sadly. “I’m with you. So let’s win back Carrefour and avenge your mom’s death. Whatever it takes.”
“Whatever it takes,” I agree, my heart hammering. I don’t quite know what to make of my father’s return after all these years, but my gut tells me the emotion in his eyes is real. So I push aside thoughts of Caleb, the Dolls, and everything else I’m responsible for, and for just a second, I let myself believe in a future that isn’t fraught with complications and lies.
Outside, a mist begins to rise over the cemetery as the setting sun paints the sky a burning red. By the time morning comes, news of my father’s return will have begun to spread. There will be no going back from the decision we’re making tonight, the decision to stay and defend what’s ours. We’ve chosen our path.
The only way through the fire is forward. I know that now. And I’m ready to fight.
Acknowledgments
This book was the result of some pretty incredible teamwork, so I’d love to say a huge “thank you” to Holly Root (the world’s best literary agent), Nick Harris (who provided the seed from which this book grew and who has been a huge advocate for the story), and Sara Sargent (whose patience, vision, keen editorial eye, and witty emails kept me sane—and made this book a thousand times better). Novelist Wendy Toliver—my longtime friend and the closest thing I have to a writing partner—also supported me every step of the way and speed-read drafts for me in record time. She’s a rock star.
Thanks to Jerry Gandolfo of the New Orleans Historic Voodoo Museum for welcoming me into his world and helping me to understand the intricacies of a fascinating spiritual system in which herbs, dolls, spirits, and magic intersect. And of course thanks to the people of New Orleans: your city’s beautiful blend of history, culture, food, drink, architecture, excess, faith, and bon temps inspires me to no end.
Thanks to the other great folks of Waxman Leavell Literary Agency, The Story Foundation, and Balzer + Bray, especially Sam Howard, Taylor Haggerty, Julianna Wojcik, Alessandra Balzer, Donna Bray, Caroline Sun, Emilie Polster, Stefanie Hoffman, Alison Klapthor, Viana Siniscalchi, and Veronica Ambrose. A special thank-you to literary agent Farley Chase (a foreign rights superhero) and the lovely Kate McLennan in London.
And thanks to all my family and friends whose patience I certainly tried while writing this novel! Special thanks to my very own Prince Charming, who listened to me babble endlessly about magic, brought me flowers when I was under tight deadlines, and took me out for Louisiana-style crawfish to celebrate the completion of drafts. I love you, Jas!
About the Author
Like her main character, Eveny Cheval, KIKI SULLIVAN used to live in New York and now calls the American South home. Unlike Eveny, she finds it impossible to keep her rose garden alive and has been singlehandedly responsible for the demise of countless herbs. She may or may not have hung out with queens of the dark arts, strolled through creepy New Orleans cemeteries at night, and written the first book of this series with a redheaded Louisiana voodoo doll beside her computer. Find Kiki online at www.kikisullivan.com.
Visit www.AuthorTracker.com for exclusive information on your favorite HarperCollins authors.
Credits
Cover art by John Dismukes/Mendola Artists<
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Cover design by Steve Scott
Copyright
Balzer + Bray is an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.
The Dolls
Copyright © 2014 by Kiki Sullivan
All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Sullivan, Kiki.
The dolls / Kiki Sullivan. — First edition.
pages cm
Summary: “Eveny Cheval returns to Louisiana after growing up in New York and discovers she’s a voodoo queen” — Provided by publisher.
ISBN 978-0-06-228148-7 (paperback)
EPUB Edition JULY 2014 ISBN 9780062281494
[1. Voodoo—Fiction. 2. Friendship—Fiction. 3. Louisiana—Fiction.] I. Title.
PZ7.S9524Do 2014
2013047968
[Fic]—dc23
CIP
AC
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14 15 16 17 18 LP/RRDH 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
FIRST EDITION
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