Chapter 11

Vicki was shaken to the core. "How old is the woman?"

Neiva looked around and made a sign of the cross over each of them including Penny. "She be as old as dis island. She waited a long time before bringing her daughter to the world and when she did she put her on a plantation where she could watch her and when she was ready she made the pact with the dark one himself."

Penny felt a chill brush over her. "Oh look Vicki Roger has Quentin and Barnabas with him." Vicki looked up to see the three men rushing down to the beach. When Barnabas saw her standing with the two girls a wave of relief rushed over him.

"Vicki you are not hurt?"

Vicki shook her head. "No, I was winded. The baby is fine, she has been talking to us."

Curiously Penny looked at Vicki's stomach and put her fingertips to Vicki's stomach. "I am fine Aunt Penny."

Penny smiled and nodded, "She is fine."

Anger filled Barnabas as the fear passed. Moving to Vicki he grabbed her by the shoulders. "Why did you go horse back riding? You could have lost the baby or broken your neck!"

Stopping he looked at his wife in shock. Her face had twisted into fear a look he thought he would never see on her face.

She gently disengaged her shoulders from his painful grip. "I am sorry Barnabas. It was only an accident there was no harm."

Vicki stepped away from her husband and began walking back to the house. Roger moved to Barnabas, "Quentin, you stay here with Barnabas. I will take Vicki to the house."

Quentin nodded. He believe they all were shocked by Barnabas' sudden anger at his wife and his rough treatment of her. Penny shot an angry look at Barnabas and hurried with both horses in tow after Roger and Vicki. Quentin placed a comforting hand on Barnabas shoulder.

"Lets take a walk." Barnabas looked sheepishly at his cousin.

"Did you see how she looked at me?" Patricia and Neiva looked at Vicki then to Barnabas, "Mister Barnabas, she was hexed by Grannie Bouchard, she was going to fall. The bebe saved her from being hurt."

Barnabas and Quentin looked at Neiva. "Did you say Grannie Bouchard?"

Patricia nodded, "Yes she be an evil one dat old crone."

Quentin looked at Barnabas, "Are you thinking what I am?"

Barnabas looked at the girls. "Where does this Grannie Bouchard live?"

"Now Barnabas you are not thinking about going to confront that woman are you?"

Barnabas waited for one of the girls to answer him. "Well? Where does she live."

Patricia sighed and looked at her sister. "She be on da udder side of de island. She can be anywhere she wan. She have de evil dark juju and will bring hurt to those she don like."

Barnabas looked out at the perfect scene of tranquil beauty and he felt anything but tranquil and the feelings he had towards Grannie Bouchard were not beautiful. "I will not allow that witch's curse to continue against my family or my wife even if it's through her mother."

Quentin sighed, turning to the two girls he smiled, "Thank you Patricia and Neiva, why don't you go and check on Vicki. Barnabas and I will find Grannie Bouchard."

Neiva turned and smiled, "Wait."

She moved to the foliage near the beach and began to gather some sea grass and odd but pleasant smelling herbs forming them into two bracelets. Then reaching into her pocket she took a pod and put something inside. Finally she took the two bracelet chains to the seaside. Soaking them into the ocean's water she came back and put the bracelets around each man's wrist. "This will keep her bad juju from hurting you when you go see her. Do not look into the she devils eyes she will capture you and won't let you go."

Quentin smiled indulgently at the girl. "Thank you Neiva, but no one can hurt me."

Neiva returned his smile. "Because you are an immortal does not mean you cannot be held by the she devil's magic and it is very dark."

Quentin recalled how Angelique could hold him. He allowed Neiva to put the bracelet on him. "Thank you. Now why don't you go up to the house and make sure that Dr. Hoffman has gotten there and has examined Vicki."

Patricia smiled and nodded, "She be dere now. We will go. You be good careful so you no be hurt by the old crone Grannie Bouchard."

Barnabas watched the girls lead the young boy up the path to the house. "I hurt her Quentin. I have never wanted to hurt her even when she came back from the past and I felt she knew about me then. I did not want to hurt her; I just wanted her to be mine. I have hurt too many people in the past and vowed I would never go back to that. If that woman is Angelique or her mother I will send her back to the pits of hell where she belongs."

Quentin rocked on his heels as he studied the toe of his foot. "Then we need to go prepared if it is Angelique or her mother."

Barnabas sighed and ran a harried hand though his hair making it more tousled than it was by the wind. "I need to go make it right with Vicki."

Quentin smiled, "Then give Professor Stokes and me a chance to prepare our show down with Grannie Bouchard."

Barnabas nodded, "Oh Elliott went to the University earlier, I don't know if he has returned." Quentin looked around and then started walking Barnabas towards the path to the house.

Barnabas knocked lightly on their bedroom door. A soft voice, one he recognized as a voice that was filled with hurt and fear called, "Come in."

Julia had met Barnabas in the hallway and apprised him of her exam. "She is going to be bruised and has torn the 3rd intercostal muscle. The baby is fine. Barnabas, there are fingerprint bruises on her arms. Did you squeeze her arms and shake her?"

Julia held a disapproving tone in her voice and she was not holding back. "You need to be mindful of the fact that she is in a delicate condition. I realize you were worried when you heard she fell from the horse. When in fact the horse laid down to get her off its back. That meant the horse did not want to hurt her only wanted her off his back."

"I know Julia, I over reacted. I need to correct this wrong, will you excuse me?"

Julia shook her head, "There is no excuse for a grip to be that tight it makes marks. Don't let it happen again Barnabas."

Barnabas had hung his head and Julia thought he was truly contrite. "She was going to lay down and take a nap, she was really upset."

Barnabas felt worse than he had before the incident. "Then all the more reason for me to correct this wrong."

Opening the door, he stepped into the room and looked over to the bed. "Vicki?"

He noticed she was not in the bed. Looking about the room, he saw her in front of the mirror, gently sliding her robe back over her shoulders. "Vicki, I am so sorry."

He moved to her and hesitated before putting his hands on her arms. As he gently laid his hands on her arms she flinched and recoiled. "Oh my precious love."

Vicki turned away from him; walking to the balcony. Barnabas felt helpless. "How can I express my deepest sincerity that I am truly sorry for mistreating you? I was so worried and thought you might have injured yourself more than you had. I was grateful to see you were unharmed and then I do not know what came over me, I was angry with myself for allowing you to be on that horse."

Vicki turned and looked at him, "Barnabas, you do not allow me to do anything other than what I wish to do. You frightened me with your anger. Then you hurt me. That was not the man I married that was some monster that wanted to hurt me. That is what I saw in your eyes. Can you tell me how I can or could get that picture out of my mind?"

Barnabas hung his head. "I don't know how to tell you how to forget my lapse of proper manners. I cannot tell you anything more than I love you and I want to correct what was done."

Vicki hugged her arms around her chest. She closed her eyes and the tears streamed down her face. "I am tired Barnabas. I need to lie down. I would like to be alone to think about us."

Barnabas moved to her and put his arms round her shoulders. Vicki forced herself to not flinch or recoil. "I just need a little time. I know that you over reacted and I reacted. It was also a shock to discover Angelique's mother is on the island. Perhaps I should go back to Collinsport."

Barnabas gently turned her to face him. "I am going to take care of this 'Grannie Bouchard'. Quentin, Professor Stokes and I are going to confront her."

This information alarmed Vicki. "What if she is Angelique or her mother? What if she tries to hurt you?"

Barnabas saw her concern and smiled, "Then we shall deal with her as we see fit."

Vicki pulled away from her husband. "Don't be glib Barnabas this is serious."

Barnabas curbed his need to put levity into the situation. 'Vicki, with Quentin and Professor Stokes, helping me I hardly think I will be over whelmed by a old woman."

Vicki shook her head, "She is not just an old woman Barnabas she is a witch. Neiva and Patricia said she had sold her own daughter to the Prince of Darkness, turned her over to the evil one. If she would be willing to do that with her own child, what would she do to you?"

She went into his arms; laying her head on his shoulder. "I cannot help but be concerned if she is a Bouchard, she will be out for vengeance. Barnabas there is something you need to know about me."

She was afraid to look into his eyes; fear of what she would see when she told him she was a white witch. Turning she faced him and was about to confess when there was a knock on door; then Quentin's voice. "Barnabas?"

Vicki stepped back from her husband. "One moment Quentin." Barnabas looked at his wife. "You wanted to tell me something?" The voices of Quentin and Professor Stokes could be heard through the door.

"I got everything we need here Quentin, the girls were very clever in giving you those bracelets."

Vicki sighed and looked away from Barnabas. "You go on just promise me you will be careful."

Her gaze locked to his and she felt her lips form a small pout as she waited for his assurance he would be careful. "I promise you I will return to you this evening in tact and minus one menace in the form of a Bouchard."

Vicki moved into his arms; placing a light kiss on the corner of his mouth. "Thank you."

She watched him move towards the double doors and exit to the hallway. Closing her eyes she sighed. "It was better this way mommy."

Vicki heard her daughter's voice. "Was it? I am keeping a terrible secret from him." T

here was a deep sigh within her mind as she heard her daughter's grown up voice. "It is not a secret mommy, deep down he knows something."

Vicki looked to the ocean and smiled, "I suppose so. How about a nice long walk on the beach?" T

here was the sound of excitement in the voice. "You love the beach and so do I, go change and lets go for a long cleansing walk, and maybe you can feel better and understand why Daddy was so upset."

Vicki looked at her shoulders and winced feeling the deep bruising from the intense hold Barnabas had on her. "Or maybe we can figure out who or what Grannie Bouchard might or might not be."

There was a more contemplative tone to her voice. "Maybe we could level the field of play by giving Daddy, Uncle Quentin and Uncle Elliott a edge on this risky game."

Vicki moved to the dressing room and changed into a pair of capris and a light top. "Now, what shall we practice doing?" Vicki walked down to the water's edge and looked out over the distant horizon. An island steeped in tradition, darkness, and beauty. This was where she needed to be and what she needed to do to protect those she loved. Sitting down lotus fashion at the water's edge, she closed her eyes and began to form the power she had yet to tap into in the center of her being.

Josette fell quiet to allow her mother's mind to clear and then focus on the source of evil and darkness. From the distance she could hear the island drums beginning to beat softly and then they became more frantic the sound increased. "Into darkness to find the source."

Her mind reached out, going to the far side of the island to a neatly kept lawn and small house that set in a quiet neighborhood appearing to be alone on the end of a cul de sac. The house was clean and neatly kept. The old woman that stood at the counter hummed while she ground up leaves with her mortar and grinding stone.

The door opened and two men walked in. "Oh you come to see Grannie Bouchard?"

She crooned with a old woman's voice. "What can old Grannie do for you? Do you want your palms read? Your cards foretold? Oh, I know maybe a love potion?"

The two men chuckled, "No, we were looking for the natural oil perfume of the island for our wives."

The taller of the two tourists that had seen too much sand surf and beer teetered on the edge of the doorway. The shorter one wrinkled his nose smelling something noxious.

"Ahh the sweet scent of the Gardena? Or maybe the more exotic jasmine?"

"What do you think Bob? Gardena or jasmine?"

The one called Bob moved to the shelf, "May we smell them?"

She smiled and her teeth were perfectly sound with a hint of a yellow tinge from tobacco. Grannie pulled down two vials, taking the stopper from one vial she handed it over. "This is Gardena."

Bob sniffed it and nodded, "Nice, here Frank, what do you think?"

The one called Frank took the vial and sniffed. "Very nice. So what does Jasmine smell like?"

Grannie pulled another jar down and removed the stopped and waved it under their nose. "Jasmine, the sweet seductive flower of the night."

Both men nodded. "I think my wife is more the Gardenia."

Bob said as he waited for her to get a bottle of Gardenia down. The other man nodded, "So is my wife." She sold the two the bottles of perfumes for twenty dollars each.

Vicki pushed forward looking the room over. The men left and Grannie went back to her task when she stopped and looked around the room. "Who is there?" Vicki drew back, "Angelique? Is that you?" She began moving around the room trying to 'feel who was invading her space.

Vicki whispered "Conceal from the evil eye." She scooped up a handful of water and spoke as the water fell from her fingers, "Water shield." The water formed a bubble around Vicki and her presence; as quickly as she had been present she was now obscured by the island's water.

"Hmm someone is playing with water." Grannie began to speak in an ancient tongue calling on the wind.

Vicki could feel the wind lift up around her and her spell was being attacked, reaching out she found the rocky wall that jutted into the water, "Rock shield." She spoke and once again, Grannie felt her spell stopped.

"Well, well a worthy adversary. By the powers of darkness I command you appear!"

Vicki smiled and opened her eyes and whispered softly, "By the power of light I command you are blinded." A piercing bright light flooded into the room and like an arrow straight and true, it filled the room with a brilliant light causing Grannie Bouchard to scream in pain.

"Wicked! You are wicked! I will find you and you will pay for hurting old Grannie." Vicki watched her stumble around in the shop, knocking over bottles and spilling potions that hissed and was soaked up in the time worn wooden floor.

"Oh you think you are so smart, well you are not that smart, I will find you and you will pay for your wickedness."

Quentin, Barnabas and Stokes stood outside her door and had witnessed the light penetrating the interior of the building and heard the scream of the old woman. Barnabas entered first followed by Quentin. Stokes stayed outside watching what was happening.

He smiled, "So the powers of a white witch are as strong as those of a dark powers witch interesting." He had muttered to himself more as an observation.

Barnabas moved into the room, "Grannie Bouchard, are you Martha Bouchard the mother of Angelique?"

The old crone screeched, "Oh who do you think you are Mr. Barnabas Collins? What have you done to my daughter? Are you the bringer of the light?"

Then as quickly as she had said this, she was struck silent for just a moment. "Nooo, you are the darkest of darkness. You are the shadows and they follow you into your undead world! You cannot bring light, you are not allowed into the light." She set her rummy gaze on Quentin, "I know it cannot be the immortal one that would be wolf by the light of the full moon. So who?"

Then she saw Elliott out in front of the building. "Oh it might be you man of knowledge and deliverer of death!"

Elliott put his hand in the pocket of his white linen suit coat. There he clutched the symbol to ward evil and to protect

. "No you old witch, I am not the one that brought the light. Look for a white witch obviously a very powerful one. There you will see your deliverance to your lord and master, the prince of one hell."

Grannie Bouchard screamed out her frustration. "Why have you come?"

Barnabas bore down on her and pinned her surprisingly strong body to the counter, "If I find out you are trying to harm my family or my wife, I will twist that scrawny neck off of your body. Do not test me woman, you will learn to regret your actions."

She laughed at Barnabas, "She is weak and not worth my attention blood sucker, if I wanted I could tear her to pieces and put her bones out so the vultures could suck the marrow from them. Do not threaten me Barnabas Collins. If I find out you have harmed one hair on my little girl's head, I will set you on fire and send you to sea to feed the sharks."

Vicki began to blow sand over the water and she spoke softly, "Like each grain of sand placed upon the waters of life, may you be visited by all the evil you have done Martha Bouchard, may you feel the pain you brought to the innocent. Feel their pain, know their anguish and find at the end of your journey like the grains of sand upon this shore, you will be swallowed and returned to the one you call master."

The room filled with a howling wind, surprising those that occupied the interior of the house as well as those outside the house.

The crone was caught up in the vortex of wind as it swept into the house. The scream was ungodly she felt her body being tortured and torn asunder feeling the backlash of all her evil deeds she had done over the past four hundred years.

A thousand whispering voices like the sands on the beach washed over her tormenting her with their laughter and screams of fear. When the wind lifted the woman; it danced her slight form about the room to take her into the center vortex and disappear with only her screams echoing around the room when she departed.

Quentin and Barnabas turned to look at each other. "What the hell happened?"

Elliott chuckled from outside the door, "She has been disposed of by a white witch, a very powerful one. Apparently, she tried to use dark magic on a white witch and it backfired. The white witch used her powers to turn the dark powers on the witch sending her back to hell."

Barnabas and Quentin both looked confused, "How is this possible?"

Elliott motioned them to follow him from the building. "I believe that even though she has been banished, her house still holds the dark aura of her magic. Come my boys and I shall explain."

Vicki leaned back on her hands and watched the sun slowly lowering its warming rays and colorful array into the cool waters. She knew it was an illusion; however, felt she enjoyed the thought of it sinking into the cooling water to travel through the earth to reappear the next day in the east

. "Mommy that felt right. Are you happy that you sent another dark soul back to its master?"

Vicki supported her self with one hand behind her while she rubbed her belly with her other hand. "I think I helped save some unfortunate person from any more of her nasty mischief. I wondered sometimes that if the dark ones were to feel the pain they cause others they would not be so quick to practice their dark powers."

There was a long pause before Josette sounded tired. "I think we have done our good deed for the day. I cannot help but feel this island has more darkness. Someone here must have turned Martha Bouchard, and when they find out she has been vanquished, they will be searching for the power that did such a thing."

Vicki thought a moment, "When and if that time comes, then we will be ready."