In the middle of the night, a dreaming Christine tossed, turned, moaned, and groaned as she pulled at her nightgown and scratched at the air. Suddenly, she jumped out of her nightmare, wide-eyed and panting, cold sweat pouring down her face, while strands of her black hair were plastered onto her forehead.

She quickly jumped out of bed, put on her dressing gown, and hurried to Josephine's bedroom, which was down the hall from her, towards the back of the house. She startled Josephine from her own sleep with her incessant knocking, having her sleepy sister-servant to tumble out of bed, and throw open the door. Once Josephine saw Christine's frightened features, she pulled the girl into her room.

"Cherie, what is it? What's wrong?" she questioned. She pulled out a bottle of wine from under her bed, got a mug, and poured some for Christine to calm her nerves.

After Christine gulped down the contents, she said, "I can't marry him. I can't marry Barnabas!"

Josephine sat across from her at her modest table. "Now, now, missy. You're just anxious about your new engagement, that's all."

Christine grabbed Josephine's hands. "No, Josephine! It warned me! In my dream! It said that it'll kill me if I marry Barnabas!"

"'It'? What are you talking about?"

"The demon from Hell! It told me that it will kill me if I marry Barnabas!" wailed Christine.

Josephine stared at her mistress-sister, trying to figure out what was going on. "Calm down, missy. Tell me your dream, right from the beginning."

After relaxing a bit, Christine began to tell Josephine of her violent nightmare. "I was sleeping when I heard these...taps at my window. I ignored them, thinking that it was just the wind blowing at a tree branch, but the tapping continued. So I got out of bed and threw opened the curtains, and...and that...was when I saw them."

"Saw what, missy?" questioned Josephine, intently listening.

"Eyes. Glowing...red...eyes. The eyes of the demon! I screamed and ran to the door, but it wouldn't open. Then, the eyes seem to draw back into the darkness, but then...the demon jumped through the glass! It was big, with large muscles and black fur, and sharp teeth and fangs! It came upon me and threw me on the bed, and began slashing at me with its horrible claws! Then, it...it...it thrust it's hand into my chest, and snatched out my heart!"

She held her chest as she began to sob. "It glared at me, holding my heart, and then it told me that if I married Barnabas , it will kill me, and my soul will belong to it forever in Hell! And then...and it..ate my heart before my eyes!"

Christine put her head down on the table, crying uncontrollably. Josephine, however, already knew who sent her that dream, and she will deal with "it" tomorrow.

Josephine wearily smiled, caressing Christine's hair. "Ah, missy. It was only a horrible nightmare. No demon is after you. It was probably the excessive champagne or your doubts about marrying Monsieur Barnabas. It was only a dream, cherie."

"But it was real!" protested Christine. "I felt my soul leave me when it-"

"I know, cherie, but dreams always feel real, but it is only in here," she explained, pointing to her head of wavy, black hair that rested on her shoulders. "Once you go back to sleep, after praying for good dreams, you will be able to sleep in peace."

"But-"

"No 'buts', missy. I want you to go back to your room, pray, read from your prayer book, if you must, and then go to sleep. Your father wants me to start measuring you for your new gowns after lunch, especially your wedding gown, hmm? Oh, cherie, you will be the most beautiful bride that anyone has ever seen!"

She helped Christine to the door, opening it.

"But," sniffed Christine, "there will only be his family and Papa there in his house."

"Now, see? Now you're thinking about your wedding . Keep thinking of it. That should give you good dreams. Now off you go. Bonsoir, cherie."

Once she saw that Christine entered her room, Josephine threw back her own curtains, her eyes glowing yellow, focusing her gaze on the moon as her mind connected with the "demon" in question.

Henri...HENRI!

OUIIIIIIIIII?

You will come to me by Madame Lorraine's seamstress shop in the French Quarter at eleven o'clock before noon. Don't keep me waiting.

As you wish...Queen of the Shifters...

Josephine broke the connection, her eyes returning to its hazel normancy. Once and for all, Henri Dazencourt will never interfere again.