“Je suis désolé, mon chér.”
Enola nodded, accepting her aunt’s apology.
“Tomorrow you will learn your entire history. But for now, I will explain what happened to you tonight.”
“Okay.” Enola’s voice was small. She didn’t know how many more revelations she could take in one night.
“More than a century ago, your ancestor, Auriette Moreau, cursed her persecutors with the same fire that was used to execute her.”
“Oh, my goodness,” Enola gasped.
Ruby stood and walked over to Enola. She placed her hand on both cheeks, and looked her straight in the eye.
“Nola, baby, Auriette Moreau was the most powerful Voodoo priestess in history. When she places a curse, it sticks.”
“Oooh...kayyy? I don’t get it,” Enola admitted.
“My dear child, it’s you. Margo was right. When you were attacked, you turned to fire. You, Nola, are the curse that Auriette bestowed upon her enemies.”
“Wait…what does that mean?” Enola asked with tears forming in her eyes.
“It means,” Marie verified, “you are not only a powerful Voodoo priestess, with unimaginable abilities, but you’re also a—”
Enola was irritated by the mysteriousness in her grandmother’s tone. She just wanted everything on the table. She felt as if she was going to choke on the fear and anger that consumed her.
Enola rubbed her neck and pushed loose strands of hair from her sweaty forehead. She tugged at the ties of her halter dress. It was so goddamned hot.
“I’m a what?” she yelled in a voice that even she didn’t recognize.
“See, Gran!” Margo squealed.
“Enola, baby, calm down,” Gran said in a soft, soothing voice. “Nola, baby, look at me.”
Enola looked into her grandmother’s eyes as she spoke softly to her. It was then that she realized that her grandmother wasn’t speaking aloud. She was in her head.
“My sweet child, calm yourself. Breathe.”
Enola inhaled a deep breath and exhaled. As she looked into her grandmother’s eyes, she noticed that they’d gone from hazel to pure gold. Enola began to feel a cool breeze, and she knew that her grandmother was doing something magical to her.
‘What are you doing to me?’she asked with her mind.
‘I’m helping.’
‘What am I, Gran?’
‘You are the most powerful magical being in the world.’
‘And what is that?’
‘You are not only the most powerful Voodoo priestess, but you are unstoppable! You’re a…
‘A what?’
‘A Phoenix.’
CHAPTER EIGHT
Enola rolled over reluctantly, saying a silent prayer that the reason she was so hot was because the sun was overpowering the sheer window coverings. She kicked the sheet off her nearly naked body, took a breath and calmed, realizing that it was just fucking hot in Louisiana. Between being attacked by monsters and weird familial legacies, Enola decided that it was time for her to go home. Besides, she’d returned to New Orleans because she’d thought her grandmother was on her deathbed. There was no way that the vibrant woman she’d encountered the night before was dying.
