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Cassie took a deep breath and a sip of water before she started. “There was a man named Novak. About ten years ago, he attacked me in a graveyard. He stabbed me and left me for dead. Somehow, I survived. They arrested him, but last year, he escaped. He came back to finish the job. That didn’t work out so well for him. He got the electric chair. He’s dead now. And I’m still here.”
It was strange to boil down the last ten years of her complicated life into a few succinct sentences. It felt good to get it out, but there was so much more to the story, even if you didn’t consider how she sometimes got visions or saw ghosts.
She shook her head to clear away those thoughts. “You know, I’ve practiced that speech in my head a thousand times, give or take a million. I don’t even know if I explained it well enough.” Her face was feverish now. It was probably the color of her hair. “I’m sorry. That’s a weird thing to spring on someone. Not exactly dinner conversation.”
Jason squeezed her hand and waited for her to look him in the eyes. “Thank you for telling me. I’m sure that wasn’t easy. But a couple of scars won’t scare me away. I’ve got a few, too, you know.”
The release of her anxiety was overwhelming, and Cassie could feel the tears forming in her eyes. Luckily, Armand saved her by pushing through the double doors from the kitchen with a massive plate in each hand. She used the distraction to blink back the tears, but she could still feel Jason’s eyes on her.
“For you, sir, Cajun shrimp and scallops over angel hair in a creamy white sauce.” He put Jason’s plate down in front of him and turned to Cassie. “And for you, ma’am, a seafood medley containing shrimp, scallops, lobster, and calamari in a mushroom and garlic red sauce.”
“Armand, this looks amazing.” She looked up into his smiling face. “Thank you.”
“It is my pleasure.” He brought his hands together like a clap of thunder. “Bon appétit!”
10
Cassie kept her hands deep in her jacket pockets as they trekked down Basin Street toward their destination. The temperature had cooled considerably, and while she would’ve appreciated the excuse to lean into Jason’s side and soak up his warmth, she relished the way the chill in the air cleared her head.
The rest of their dinner conversation had not been as heavy as it was before Armand had delivered their food, and for that she was grateful. They talked about the city and Jason’s cousins. They discussed how the truck with the NOMA’s new pieces got delayed yet another day. What a strange coincidence that Magdalena had suddenly stopped texting them both now that she knew they were in the same city together.
Mission accomplished, I guess, thought Cassie.
The restaurant’s owner had joined them for dessert, bringing out an enormous slab of tiramisu for each of them. Cassie knew she couldn’t refuse, even if she’d wanted to. And she didn’t. Somehow, she found room for every last crumb while Armand regaled her with stories of his childhood adventures with Jason.
They had excused themselves after a round of handshakes, which turned into backslaps and hugs. Jason had slipped several twenties into the hand of their server on the way out the door, and Cassie caught Armand beaming after them. She wasn’t sure when she’d visit New Orleans again, but she knew she’d be back to Armand’s Bar & Grill the second she landed.
Now the two of them walked off their meal, groaning and complaining about their full stomachs, but knowing full well they didn’t have any regrets. It felt good to stretch her legs, and it helped Cassie rid herself of the nerves that had built up over dinner.
“Since we’ve technically had dessert already,” Jason started, “I feel like you have something else up your sleeve.”
“Busted.” Cassie gestured down the street. “We’re supposed to meet someone around here who’ll give us a special tour of the city.”
“A special tour?” Jason raised an eyebrow. “A friend of yours?”
“Not exactly.” She winced. “More like the sister of a random lady I met on the plane down here.”
Jason looked caught between comedy and concern. “Well, this should be an interesting night.” They stopped in front of a large metal gate. There was a plaque next to it that read SAINT LOUIS CEMETERY NUMBER ONE. “It’s probably not the cemetery. They don’t do tours at night.”
“There are some exceptions.” Jason and Cassie both jumped as a woman stepped out of the shadows. “But you have to know the right people. And I am the right people.”
Sabine Delacroix was the spitting image of her sister in all the ways that mattered, from that same golden glow beneath her skin to the wiry gray peppered throughout her dark hair. But her eyes were a shade cooler and her smile a fraction sharper. And while Celeste had dressed in muted tones that oozed elegance and class, Sabine, it seemed, didn’t mind sticking out in a crowd. She wore a full-length dress with a heavy shawl over her shoulders. The layers of purple and blue flattered her figure as they draped across her chest and pinched in at the waist.
Magdalena would’ve approved.
“Ms. Delacroix?” Cassie held out her hand. “I’m Cassie Quinn. This is Jason Broussard.”
Sabine’s smile grew wider. “Two for one, my lucky night. The Broussards have a long history in New Orleans. I’m happy to make your acquaintance.” She shook Cassie’s hand, and then Jason’s. “Both of you.”
Sabine’s mind was as quiet as Celeste’s had been, but without the momentary lapse that had brought about the vision of the two sisters standing in front of a raging fire. If they were twins, Sabine likely had the same ability to close herself off to Cassie. Had Celeste warned her sister? The way Sabine lingered on her face made Cassie think she had.
“It’s true that most people can’t enter the cemetery at night, but I don’t think the spirits will mind, as long as you stay close to me.”
Cassie couldn’t tell if Sabine was being theatrical, but considering there was something more to the Delacroix sisters than they let on, she had an inkling the warning held some weig
ht. Ghosts weren’t usually dangerous, but there were exceptions to the rule. And Cassie was sensitive to the spirit world. How many would come up to her seeking help? She hadn’t prepared for this, and she wasn’t sure how she’d be able to hide it from Jason.
As if on cue, Jason leaned close as the older woman unlocked the gate. “Are you okay with this? A cemetery, I mean. It won’t bother you?”
