Vacherie, Louisiana
The Laveau Plantation
"Are you shitting me," Eden gasped.
Jane nodded. "I second that."
She couldn't believe her eyes when she saw the Laveau Plantation.
The long driveway was lined with massive, oak trees. The house itself was an old fashioned plantation home, with tall pillars lining the two story wrap around porch. It screamed success, prestige, and power.
To their surprise, four vampires stood waiting as they parked their rental car. Two women and two men, all of them with blank expressions.
They stepped out and watched as two of them yanked Adaira and her daughter from the backseat. Eden couldn't contain her curiosity as she regarded the stoic woman beside her.
Her pin straight, black hair almost reached the small of her back and her red eyes were cold.
"So...you guys are like a succubus security detail? Like the Queen's Guard," Eden asked, grinning. Her mate rolled her red eyes fondly.
The woman glared at her and walked away. "Follow me."
Eden scowled. "Well fuck me, I guess."
Entering the extravagant mansion, Eden felt uneasy. The marble floor and persian rugs were so ornate that she regretted not taking off her shoes at the door. Even the Volturi Castle wasn't this lavish.
Looking to her right, she caught Jane smiling faintly. She smirked, knowing her mate was enjoying the intricate decor.
They entered through massive, french doors to what could only be considered a throne room.
Upon a dais, sitting on a massive decorative chair, was the woman they were here to see.
"Hélène, mon amour," Rosemarie Laveau said simply, eyeing her new visitors with narrowed eyes.
"Mademoiselle, we have a delivery. The unruly younglings from Clan Durrandon you sent for have arrived," the rude, female guard announced, smirking mischievously.
"Bring them to me."
The two guards threw Adaira and Billie at her feet and she looked down at them, unimpressed. She could tell they were young succubi, but then again, most of them were young compared to her.
"The Volturi don't lie about, do they? I suspected you would have some trouble, but you've completed your contract within a fortnite," Rosemarie Laveau said, her husky voice thick with a heavy Creole accent.
She glared dangerously at the two bound succubi being held by her guards, and they withered.
When oddly familiar, hazel eyes locked onto Eden, she began stuttering. Jane pinched her ass hard, making her jump and shoot her an apologetic look.
Rosemarie Laveau was the epitome of classical beauty and old world decorum. She looked to be anywhere from mid forties to early fifties, but they were informed that she was over two hundred years old. They could see it in the way she carried herself. Charisma oozed from her pores.
From her flawless, brown skin, to her regal, strong jawline. Her black hair fell in tight curls around her face, but was braided intricately down her back. The dress she wore was a deep crimson, hugging her ample curves in a tantalizing display of pure femininity.
"N-no, Madame Laveau. We take our reputation seriously," she said, trying not to make eye contact with her.
The woman smiled at her. "The correct term is Mademoiselle, as I am unmarried, but thank you for trying, cher."
Eden simply stared at her, obviously dazed by the power of her supernatural beauty. Jane couldn't quite fault her this time. She was having trouble staying focused herself.
"I apologize. What were your names?"
"I'm Eden and this is Jane."
"Wonderful. It's not often I get such lovely guests. You must stay for the sentencing. You've met mon amour, Hélène, but I would love for you to meet my bondmate, Étienne," Rosemarie said, smirking. "He would be enchanted by you both."
The vampires noticed she was looking at them in a way that could only be described as predatory.
"We should be on our way. Aro will be expecting us back for a briefing," Jane said, shifting uncomfortably.
Rosemarie rose a brow. "Non, cher. I insist."
Eden and Jane sat uneasily, feeling all of the curious eyes on them. The room quickly began to fill up with supernatural spectators.
Every member of Clan Laveau was here to see the two women be punished. It wasn't every day that their kind boldy disobeyed the decree of the Mistress of the North American Clans. It was unheard of, knowing how ruthless she could be.
"Adaira and Billie Cohen of Clan Durrandon. You are both here to be punished for your abhorrent feeding practices and your evasion of justice. I've recieved evidence that you and your daughter have killed over two dozen humans in the past year. I created the law for a reason and yet you broke it flippantly," Rosemarie spoke in a tone that made the entire room fall deathly silent. It oozed authority. "What say you in your defense?"
The guards removed the gag in Adaira's mouth first. She gasped for air, looking excited instead of terrified, as she should have been.
"Mistress Rosemarie, please hear me out. We found your daughter! Ardenne is alive and well," she annouced proudly, her eyes wide.
A series of dramatic gasps erupted in the room, followed by loud chatter as everyone began to gossip. Eden and Jane looked at one another, not expecting this new development.
The expression on Rosemarie's face was pure and unadulterated loathing. Her hands clasped tightly in her lap as she fought the urge to march down the steps of her dais and snatch the woman's spine from her body.
"How dare you speak my daughter's name. If Étienne were here he would have your tongue removed," Rosemarie hissed. Her face flushed from anger. Beside her, Hélène placed a hand on her shoulder to calm her.
Adaira blanched, not expecting such a reaction. "No, please! Your daughter was at our home when we were arrested," she insisted, pointing in their direction.
"The two Volturi guards can bear witness."
They sat gaping as all eyes turned to them. The confusion and shock rendered them both speechless.
"Ardenne does not go by her given name. She was raised an orphan, presumably by humans. The poor girl didn't even know what she was, but she was powerful already. Yes, Mistress. She inherited the gene," Adaira continued, noticing the intrigue on her superior's face.
"She is called Raven. Raven Hastings."
Both Eden and Jane couldn't believe their ears. They knew Raven was a succubus, but they didnt realize she could possibly be this woman's daughter. Looking at her now, they both began to notice how eerily similar they looked. Eden realized why her eyes were so familiar.
"Even if they know this Raven, how can I verify she is my Ardenne. I have every reason to believe she was killed. What evidence can you provide me that this girl is my child," Rosemarie demanded. She was unwilling to accept that the baby she mourned was still alive.
The silence was palpable as Adaira floundered. In the end, it was Jane who spoke. Feeling sympathetic for the woman, she tugged Eden with her as she stood up. At first the newborn was confused, but then she remembered the picture in her wallet.
"Mistress Rosemarie, my partner has a picture of her," she said, watching the woman's eyes narrow. "May we approach?"
Rosemarie swallowed thickly before nodding.
If she was honest with herself, she was afraid to see this girl. If Adaira believed her to be Ardenne, their had to be a striking resemblance between them. If it wasn't truly her, she would regret seeing what her lost child could have looked like.
After ascending the steps, Eden pulled the photobooth picture from her wallet and carefully handed it to the older woman. Adaira and Billie looked on with bated breath.
Rosemarie glanced at the familiar face and gasped. Her eyes watered as a jolt of recognition hit her.
She had always believed the bond between a mother and her child was eternal, and in that moment, her belief was proven to be true.
Somehow, her soul recognized this girl as her daughter. Her child, whom was ripped away from her. The one who she had spilled rivers of blood for and would spill oceans more to have back.
"Mon bebe, Ardenne," she gasped, covering her mouth as her tears overflowed. Her eyes stung, as she hadn't allowed herself to weep for decades. "Petit mwen! I've found my Ardenne!"
The room exploded in raucous cheers and joyful weeping. Adaira smiled to herself, feeling confident that she and her daughter would be allowed to go free.
"I planned to reunite the both of you, but the Volturi guards interrupted me," she said, scowling at the two vampires.
Rosemarie looked to her mate and pointed at her captives. "Hélène, take them to the dungeons and fetch Étienne. We will resume this trial later."
Adaira and Billie struggled against the guards as they were yanked to their feet.
"Wait! I helped you find your daughter and this is what I get?"
"Yes, and a thank you," she replied, raising a dark brow at her.
After they were dragged away kicking and screaming, she turned back to Eden and Jane with hyper focus.
"Where is she now? I want her brought back to her rightful home. She needs to be with her family before her awakening begins. God only knows the confusion she must be in," Rosemarie said, her motherly instincts making her frantic.
Eden grimaced, glancing sideways at Jane.
"It's already begun. Her family is helping her through it as we speak. She's having a rough time."
"A human family?"
"No. She was raised by a coven of vampires. The Denali Coven. She and I went to school together."
"Ki? Vampires?"
All chatter ceased as Rosemarie gripped the armrest of her chair hard, causing it to splinter and then shatter onto the ground. She didn't even seem to notice as she glared at them with eyes as black as the depths of hell. Her powerful aura caused the atmosphere in the room to thicken.
When she spoke, her tone was chilling.
"I have a new contract for the Volturi."
