Prologue
The full moon overhead cast down a pale silvery light, painting the swamp with ghostly fingers of illumination. Deep shadows danced amid the bushes and thicket that grew on either side of the narrow path.
Some people thought the swamp was a dark and mysterious place fraught with all kinds of danger, and it could be, but for Angelique Santori and her two sisters, it was home.
“I had so much fun tonight,” Angelique’s youngest sister, Monique, said.
“That’s because Alex Whitmyer kept asking you to dance,” Dominique, the middle sister replied. The three had spent the evening at the Voodoo Lounge, a popular dance bar in the small town of Dark Waters, Louisiana.
“Be careful with that one,” Angelique said. Alex was a wealthy townie who had a terrible reputation for using women, especially young women from the swamp.
“Oh, you don’t have to worry about me with Alex. I know he’s a total creep, but he’s very good-looking and is a great dancer,” Monique replied.
In the faint shaft of moonlight, Dominique’s wide smile was obvious. “So, basically you’re just using Alex because he looks good on the dance floor.”
Monique laughed. “That’s it, and he makes me look good on the dance floor.”
“Oh, what shallow women we are,” Angelique said and they all laughed. There was nothing better than spending time laughing with her sisters.
By that time, they had arrived at Monique’s small shanty. “Good night, ladies,” she said. “I’ll see you both sometime tomorrow.”
Angelique and Dominique said their good-nights and watched as their sibling crossed the short bridge that would take her to her front door. Once she was safely inside, the two continued their walk toward Dominque’s shanty.
“What do you have planned for tomorrow?” Dominique asked as they bent to go under the Spanish moss that hung like a lacy shroud from a bald cypress tree.
“Mama is going to take me around the swamp again and show me where she gets some of the medicinal plants she uses,” Angelique replied.
“Ah, so another day of education for you,” Dominique replied.
“Exactly. I swear, if I live to be a hundred years old, I still won’t know everything Mama knows about the swamp,” Angelique said. “What about you? Do you work tomorrow?”
“Yes, it’s back to the grind serving the fine people of Dark Waters at the café.”
They stopped walking as they reached Dominique’s shanty. “Are we getting together for dinner tomorrow night?” Angelique asked. “Last I heard Monique was going to fry up some fish for us all, but she didn’t mention anything about it.”
“As far as I know we’re still on for that. I think it’s set for six tomorrow evening, but if anything changes, I’ll give you a call. Good night, Angelique.”
“Sweet dreams,” Angelique replied.
She watched as her sister went across her bridge and into her place, and then Angelique continued on her way. Even thoughAngelique was the eldest of the three, at twenty-nine years old, she still lived at home with her mother.
More than anything, Angelique wanted to be a healer. She wanted to help people who were in emotional and physical pain, and there were many plants in the swamp that held medicinal properties. Nobody knew more about that than Angelique’s mother, Mystique Santori.
Right now, Angelique considered herself a student. Eventually she would strike out on her own, but for now, living with her mother worked for her and her mother appreciated the company. In fact, that’s a lot of what kept Angelique in her mother’s home. Her mother had a fear of living alone and liked having Angelique around.
Deeper and deeper she went into the swamp. The moonlight disappeared, unable to pierce through the thick foliage overhead. Still, she walked nimbly on the narrow paths, instinctively knowing where to step and where to jump to avoid pools of dark water.
She had grown up here and knew it like the back of her hand. Finally, the shanty came into view. It was high on stilts and even though it was after midnight, lantern light flowed from the windows.
Mystique was definitely a night person and often saw her clients in the middle of the night. The lights in the shanty indicated to Angelique that her mother was probably still awake.
She ran up the bridge, and when she reached the front door, she unlocked it and went inside. Unlike most of the shanties in the area, this one was relatively large, with a living area, the kitchen, a bathroom and three small bedrooms.
Inside, it smelled of green plants and summer flowers and the faint lavender and vanilla that were her mother’s favorite scents. Angelique walked to her mother’s bedroom door and knocked. “Mama, I’m home.”
She paused and when no response came, she knocked again, this time a little harder. “Mama?”
Her mother was a light sleeper. It was unusual that she wouldn’t answer Angelique. A bit of concern swept through Angelique. She twisted the doorknob and opened the door.
