“I agree with Jessica.” Tilly pushed her chair back and rose. “I have to get back to work, but we should really do something about this. Maybe see Granny Ledet about a protection amulet or spell or something.” Tilly’s grandmother was a practitioner of voodoo and well respected in her community, but Sabrina didn’t want to drag anyone else into her problems. She had a really bad feeling that something nasty was going to happen, and soon.
“No, leave your Granny out of this. The fewer who are involved the better.”
Tilly’s gaze sharpened like a razor. “What are you feeling?”
Sabrina loved the fact that both of her friends accepted that she had feelings or premonitions. It hadn’t always been the case. Her own parents hadn’t believed her. Only Granny Esmeralda had. Her mother’s mother had raised her after her parents had been killed in a car accident when Sabrina was only ten, an accident she’d warned them about. But they’d ignored her warning and gone on the trip anyway. A semi had veered into their lane, hitting them dead on and killing them both instantly.
“Evil.” It was the first word that popped out of her mouth and it wasn’t quite accurate. “But not just evil. There’s good too. Strength.” She rubbed her forehead, wishing she understood what was happening to her.
“Hey. It will all work itself out.” Jessica offered an encouraging smile. “But right now, we have to get to work.” She stood and waited as Sabrina pushed out of her chair.
“I’ll call my granny later today and ask if there is anything we can do. Drop back later for lunch if you can. I’ve got both chicken and rice and vegetable soup on the menu.” Tilly gave them each a quick hug before heading back behind the counter to help with the increasing crowd.
“Let’s get out of here.” Sabrina suddenly needed to be away from the crowd and outside where she could breathe more easily, needed to feel the warmth of the sun on her face and arms. She strode toward the main entrance, her calf-length skirt flowing around her legs, the bangles on her arm jingling. She stopped long enough to collect her large portfolio bag, easel and stool from behind the counter and waited while Jessica collected her oversized tote and a folding stool.
With a quick wave to Tilly, they were both out the door and on their way to Jackson Square.
“There are things you can do to protect yourself.” Jessica’s purse and tote looked too big for her, but she handled both easily.
“Like what?” Her friend was Wiccan, and Sabrina knew she cast spells on a regular basis. All the jewelry she made was blessed as well and served various purposes, such as to help bring prosperity, health, love or whatever else the person buying it might be interested in.
The dark-blue dress Jessica was wearing left a lot of leg showing and was attracting attention from male passersby. Not that her friend noticed. Jessica seemed oblivious when it came to men. Sabrina often wondered if there was a man back in Kansas who’d broken Jessica’s heart. She’d never mentioned it and Sabrina had never asked, sensing her friend didn’t want to talk about her past. It struck her suddenly how little she actually knew about Jessica.
“You okay?”
Sabrina realized Jessica had been talking to her. “Yeah. Sorry. What were you saying?” She hefted her portfolio over her shoulder, wishing she’d had another coffee. It was going to be a long day.
“You need to cleanse your space by burning sage. Then you can sprinkle some blessed salt around the perimeter of the rooms to keep evil out.”
“Will that actually work?” Sabrina had grown up around voodoo and superstitions, even had a few encounters herself with what some might consider the paranormal, but she’d never experienced anything like the dreams she’d been having.
“Couldn’t hurt.”
They reached their spot in the Square and began to set up. Sabrina unhooked her folding stool from her portfolio bag. Her lightweight easel was next. She’d modified the bag years ago to make it easier for her to carry everything she needed for the day.
Without having to think about it, Sabrina set up her space, turning her easel so she could catch the best light to draw by. Her sketchpad was next, followed by her pencils and charcoals. Once her workspace was set up, she set out a dozen finished pieces that were for sale and stood back critically studying them.
“Wow, those are really different.”
Jessica had assembled a small table and covered it with a black velvet cloth embroidered with various symbols. Displayed on the cloth were several dozen necklaces, half a dozen bracelets and a few anklets. A stand with three-dozen pairs of earrings was situated at the back edge. Her friend had abandoned her own table and was staring at the paintings.
Sabrina released a pent-up breath, wondering what her friend would think. “Yeah. My style has changed lately.”
“Ever since you got back from your trip up north.” It wasn’t a question. Both Jessica and Tilly knew she hadn’t been the same since then. “They’re darker, more emotional.”
Sabrina made herself really scrutinize the paintings. Technically, they were probably the best work she’d ever done. It was the subject matter that was the most bothersome. She’d always painted city scenes and people, loving to depict the vibrancy of New Orleans. It was a bonus that they sold well to tourists.
But these paintings were different. The dark, mysterious bayou filled with shadows that hid some unseen terror, a hint of a wolf in one, a flash of something else in another. What it was, even she wasn’t quite certain. An enormous serpent-like creature slithered through one painting, while a tall man in a suit stood at the edge of another, his face lost in the deepening shadows of early evening.
She reached into her bag and pulled out the final painting, knowing she wouldn’t sell it no matter the offered price. Beside her, Jessica sucked in a breath. “Wow.” There was no mistaking her friend’s reverent tone. “That’s incredible.”
He was incredible. She rested the painting against the low concrete wall behind her and admired the wolf that dominated the scene. He was enormous, his sharp fangs exposed, his head raised. It seemed as though he’d step off the canvas any moment and prowl through the streets of the city in search of prey. Fierce and magnificent, he was primal power at its most basic.
“Thanks.” It probably wasn’t a coincidence that the wolf in the painting resembled the one tattooed on her back. The skin on her back tingled and she reached behind and touched the area through her tunic.
Since she was a teenager and dreamed of the wolf, she’d considered him her guardian, her spirit guide. Maybe it was because her last name was Wolfe and it seemed only right that the wolf belong to her. Either way, she knew the painting belonged to her, but she couldn’t resist displaying it.
Jessica sank down onto her stool and glanced around. It was still too early for the tourists to be out and about, but there were a few locals checking out what was available for sale on their way to work. “I think I should come over to your place this evening and we can do a protection spell.”
Sabrina didn’t want to make a bigger deal out of her dreams than they already were, but she couldn’t help but worry. She’d never had dreams this vivid in her life, nor had she had ones that frightened her so badly. The man in her dreams, not her fantasy lover, but the man with
the voice
, scared the crap out of her. She didn’t think she ever wanted to meet the speaker in person.
Decision made, she felt a little better. “Okay. I’m doing readings at the café until nine, but after that.”
“Works for me. I can always have a brownie and a latte while I’m waiting for you.” For such a tiny person, Jessica had an enormous appetite and sweet tooth. Her friend rummaged around in her large tote and pulled out a four-foot strand of semi-precious stones, beads and metal charms, which were spaced about two-inches apart for the length of the cord to create a lariat-style necklace that could be worn in various ways. “Here, take this. It’s been blessed for warding off evil.”
Sabrina shook her head. “It’s beautiful, Jess, but that necklace is one of your most expensive, and I can’t spare sixty bucks right now.” The stones glittered in the morning sunlight, their sheer beauty driving back her shadowy thoughts of the night before.
Jessica shook her head. “It’s a gift. The purple stones are amethyst, the pink ones rose quartz. There’s regular quartz and agate as well. All of them are good for warding off negativity and evil.” She stood in front of Sabrina and wrapped the length of cord once around her neck before loosely tying the dangling ends. “The beads and charms have been chosen because they’re protective. I blessed it too just last night. Didn’t know why I did, but I do now. It was meant to be yours.”
“Jessica,” she began, but her friend shook her head.
“No, do this for me. I can’t stop the dreams from coming, but this is one small way I can help.” She smiled. “That and by cleansing your apartment later and doing a protection spell.”
Tears pricked Sabrina’s eyes. Her friends were the best in the world. Other people might laugh at her or dismiss her dreams, but not Jessica or Tilly. They not only believed her, they wanted to help her.
She hugged Jessica, wrapping her arms around the much smaller woman. The scent of Jessica’s vanilla perfume made her think of cookies and home. It was the smell of comfort and protection, of all things good in the world, and she inhaled deeply before releasing her friend. “Thanks. You’re the best.”
“I know.” Her dry reply made them both laugh.
Sabrina picked up the long strands of gemstones and beads and admired the necklace. It really was a work of art, and she’d cherish it forever because of the sentiment behind it.
“You can wear it as a bracelet too if you want. Just wrap it around your wrist and tie the end.” Jessica picked up another long strand and showed her what she meant.
“I think I’ll leave it as is for now.” She felt better having the stones and beads wrapped around her neck. Right or wrong, she felt more protected and less vulnerable than she had when she left her apartment this morning.
A group of four women, obviously professionals from the way they were dressed, stopped in front of her paintings. While three of them studied the various canvases, one of them pointed at her necklace. “Your necklace is absolutely gorgeous. Where did you get it? I’ve got to have one.”
“Funny you should ask.” Sabrina smiled and pointed toward Jessica’s table and the display of jewelry. “This is the wonderful woman who crafted it.”
The women shifted their attention to Jessica’s table and Sabrina watched as her friend sold all four women jewelry, including two of the lariat-style necklaces. Jessica caught her eye and winked at her while she continued to chat with the women. Her friend was a natural saleswoman, never pressuring a customer to buy, yet most of the folks who stopped at her table purchased something. She simply had a special touch.
Luckily, she often got the overflow from Jessica’s table and vice versa. It was only one of the many reasons they liked setting up next to one another. They also watched each other’s wares when one of them went to get something to eat or drink or to take a bathroom break. She’d often sold jewelry for her friend and there were times she’d come back with a fresh cup of coffee only to find several of her paintings had sold. When things were quiet they chatted as they worked on new pieces for sale. It worked out well for both of them.
Sabrina touched her necklace one final time as she took a deep breath and slowly let it out. Slightly more relaxed, she picked up a charcoal pencil and began to sketch her friend in action. No more dark drawings for her. At least not today.
Chapter Two
Sabrina loved working at Café Ledet, both behind the counter and when she did card readings. The crowd was always eclectic and never failed to entertain and inspire her. It was a welcome supplement to her art career, which was growing nicely. She’d had a good day in the Square and had sold five larger paintings as well as two-dozen art cards that she’d had printed of some of her more popular pieces.
Days like today always made her feel good, but a late buyer had left her running slightly behind schedule. Not that she was complaining, as the guy had laid out three hundred dollars for one of her new canvases. She’d managed a quick trip home to drop off her gear, change her top and grab a salad before hurrying back to the café for her night job.
Tilly had left to run an errand but had promised to be back by the time the café closed at nine. As promised, Jessica was sitting in a corner reading a book while she ate a brownie and sipped not a latte, but an iced coffee. Sabrina checked her watch. It was half past eight. Only thirty minutes until she was done for the evening.
She’d had three readings tonight, which wasn’t bad for a Wednesday evening. There was always a bigger crowd on Friday and Saturday nights, but she preferred to work the weekday nights for those who didn’t like to come downtown on the busier weekend evenings. Tilly let her set up and do readings in a corner table, not charging her for the space or asking for part of her fee. To Tilly’s way of thinking, if folks came in for a reading, they would always buy something to eat or drink before or after their reading. And ninety percent of the time they dragged a friend or two with them and they bought something as well.
The arrangement worked out great for both of them. Café Ledet was well known for having a tarot reader there six nights a week, so she wasn’t the only professional working there in the evenings. There were two other women who came in two nights a week to do readings as well. Sunday evenings were reserved for live music, usually a solo performer with a guitar.
The art on the wall was available for sale and Tilly got a commission for whatever she sold. That was more than fair to Sabrina’s way of thinking. She studied the paintings as she absently shuffled her tarot deck. Tilly had two of her pieces left, but it was probably time to swap them out. After a while, the regulars stopped noticing the canvases if they weren’t changed. She’d do that tomorrow when she stopped by for her morning coffee.
The low hum of the music and conversation soothed her as she continued to shuffle the cards. The long, warm day in the Square coupled with her restless night had left her drowsy. She yawned and glanced at her watch again. Twenty-five minutes left.