Bound, An Arelia LaRue Novel #1 YA Paranormal Romance Read Free

the
summer.
     
     
     
     

Chapter 2
    Welcome to Darkwood
Plantation
     
     
    “ What the hell!” Sabrina
aggressively shouted as she honked the car horn and looked at her
cell. “They said one pm, it’s almost two. Where is
everyone?”
    I got out of the car and peered through
the iron gates, trying to make out any signs of life behind it. All
I could see were large oak trees that seemed to stretch out for
miles. In the background, there was a large, ten-columned portico
connected to the main house. Even from the gate, it looked massive.
The summer wind crept through the oak trees and gave me a slight
chill.
    “ Why are you here Arelia?
You know it’s cursed. Sins always must be punished. They must be
trapped and bound,” whispered the wind spirit who thanks to
grand-mere I knew was named Bade.
    I know to most people the whole spirit
talking to them thing would have been extremely creepy and all, but
I was pretty much use to it. “You guys are really irritating. You
know that, don’t you? Please leave me alone and tell your friends
too. I just want to work. I don’t have time for this,” I forcefully
hissed under my breath, so Sabrina wouldn’t hear.
    “ Work? Work is what the
Devil wants you to do,” he continued, “work until your fingers
bleed and your skin is raw. “Why are you ignoring me Arelia? You
can’t ignore us forever.”
    “ Yes I can,” I
replied.
    “ You should turn back now,”
he insisted.
    “ I don’t want to.” I headed
towards Sabrina and ignored him. I felt him linger a bit longer and
then take off.
    “ Oh thank God!” Sabrina
exclaimed as a thin, grey-haired man walked towards us from behind
the gate.
    “ You haven’t been waiting
long, have you?” He asked in a lazy soft drawl as he opened the
gate. His dark skin was slightly moist from the summer
humidity.
    “ If you call forever not
long, then no,” snapped Sabrina rudely.
    His large, brown eyes filled with
amusement at her blatant vulgarity. “My name’s Henri, I’m the staff
manager. Who might you two lovely ladies be?”
    “ I’m Arelia LaRue, and this
is Sabrina Richards,” I replied.
    “ It’s a pleasure to meet
you,” he stuck out his wrinkled hand. I shook it, but Sabrina
pretended not to see when it was her turn. “You can drive your car
right up to the house and park it at the back.”
    We got back into the car. “If he’s the
manager, he could have at least picked a better outfit. He looks
like Colonel Sanders said Sabrina.
    I couldn’t help but laugh. “Maybe
that’s the effect he’s going for. It is the South after
all.”
    The road leading up to Darkwood house
was lined with regal oaks that extended far down enough to scratch
the top of my head. As we pulled up to the front of the house and
got out of the car, Sabrina was in a state of shock. “Can you
believe this? It’s amazing!” The house in front of us was
extraordinarily beautiful and intimidating with its looming white
pillars and lush gardens. “It has three stories. The property has a
swamp and a family cemetery as well,” she rattled on. “Can you
imagine how much it takes to maintain this place? The LaPlantes are
loaded and I’m here to stake my claim.”
    “ What do you girls think?”
Asked Henri as he popped out from behind a tree.
    “ Are you kidding me? “It’s
gorgeous!” Sabrina cried ecstatically.”
    “ Amazing.” I was unable to
comprehend why anyone would want to own such a massive
place.
    “ You ladies come right on
in,” invited Henri.
    “ Of course, but I need help
with my bags, Henri can you help me?” Asked Sabrina reverting to
baby talk. Whenever she wanted a favor from a man she spoke in baby
talk, even if the man was pushing seventy.
    Henri, being the gentleman he appeared
to be, agreed. He didn’t even flinch when she opened the car trunk
to reveal a seven piece Louis Vuitton travel set. It didn’t matter
where Sabrina went; she always traveled with at least seven Louis
pieces. Even that one