Page 53 of Gilded Lies
“There you are, child. I knew you wouldn’t take long before you found me.” A beautiful black woman with an array of colorful dreadlocks settled over her shoulder steps from a curtain of beads. Love radiates from her and gives authenticity to her friendly smile.
“I think we are in the right place,” Rune says.
“For sure.
The energy around her lures me deeper into her tarot shop. Shelves of crystals, incense, and books are carefully placed around the room. Silk cloths hang above those shelves. Some feature colorful displays of the third eye. Others have the Universe.
Kind eyes find my hand settled over my tiny baby bump.
“Madam Celeste?”
“Hmhm” she hums. “Come in, child, I’ve been waiting for you to arrive. Give me a hug. I just need to make sure you are real. It’s been forever since I’ve had a Lafleur in my shop and I’ve missed your energy, baby girl. I see everything worked out with you and your men.”
Missed my energy? I swallow thickly. “I, huh…I’m not sure how, but yes. A friend says we have you to thank for that.”
Madam Celeste picks up the pendant from around my neck and nods her head as if the emerald is speaking to her. “Hmhm,” she offers again.
“We’ve come to give this back to you. I don’t know how any of this works, but I think this protected me. I think it worked. Thank you.” I’m rambling, but I’m at a loss as to what I should say.
“Child, I know it worked. Or you wouldn’t be standing here today. “She presses the pendant into my hands. “That is for you to keep. That belongs to you. I was only the keeper for a short time until you came back to N’awlins, sweet child.”
Madam Celeste looks at Rune and takes in his braid and the protective hand he has around my middle.
“I saw three shadows around you. Protective energy. This man is one of them. Where are the other two?”
“That is a good question. They scooted out early this morning and no one will tell me where they got off to.”
Madam Celeste drops her chin to her chest and closes her eyes. And I swear I see the magic around her swirl and glitter a moment before she raises her head and looks Rune in the eye.
“She’s going to love the surprise. You best get her home.”
His smile beams with pride. “Thank you, Madam Celeste.”
The tiny bell rings over the door and I turn to see a woman walk in with similar colored hair to mine.
“Detective Lafleur?” Madam Celeste walks to the front of the shop and I look at Rune.
“Lafleur,” I repeat. “What is our case detective doing here?” I never really thought of the detective investigating Einar Weston’s death as odd. There are millions of people with the same last name as mine. Just a curious detail I shrugged off.
“Right on time.” Madam Celeste greets the detective with a quick hug like she gave me.
“You know the detective, too?” I get a soft smile from the detective.
Madam Celeste holds a hand out to me and I take it. “Detective Lafleur? Yes, and you do too, baby girl.”
“Yes, we’ve met. Hi Detective.”
“Magnolia. Everything okay with you?”
When I first arrived in New Orleans I did the same thing here that I did in Seattle. I got a detective on my side and told them if I went missing there was only one person responsible.
“Yes, thanks to you. Madam Celeste, the detective is overseeing the case where my former guardian tried to kill me. How odd we are all here at the same time.”
Madam Celeste clucks her tongue while shaking her head. “Not odd at all, baby girl, given you both have known each other since you were born.”
My eyes widen and my heart squeezes from the sudden surprise thrown at me. “Excuse me?”
“Miss Magnolia Lafleur, meet your sister Miss Mia Lafleur. You were both born by these hands.” Madam Celeste holds her hand up. “Fate and an evil curse separated you. But now you are both where you belong. Together. Finally together.”