Summer's Kiss: Bayou Kiss Series, #1

By Diana Marie DuBois

Fairies or feu follet as they’re known in Cajun country, have been around for centuries though they remain hidden from the human world. Their beloved Princess Alicia is betrothed to Prince Alain. The pending union is a forgone conclusion until an unseen force drives Princess Alicia to cross the veil that divides the feu follet from humans.

The moment she enters her life is irrevocably changed. Cole Scott, a human, helps Alicia recover from a horrific injury and leads her on the path to love.

Purely by accident, Alicia returns home to her native land and she informs her father she has done the unthinkable—fallen in love with a human. Caught between duty to her people and her broken heart, she sets off to find another way. Can love prevail? Will Princess Alicia get her Summer’s Kiss?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Diana Marie DuBois
• Release date: Jun 20, 2016
• ISBN: 9781533703521

Book preview

My Acknowledgements and Thanks

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~Thanks to everyone who encourages me throughout this crazy wild ride I am on.  Without y’all I don’t know what I would do.

~Again to Anya Kelleye, thanks again for a beautiful cover.

~Christopher John, once again you outdid yourself with such an amazing photograph of Allie.

~Allie, you portrayed my fairy more than I could ever have imagined.

~To my beta readers, thanks for enjoying my stories and wanting to read what my imagination brings y’all.

~Anita, hell I have no words, you know I adore you and thank you for being my friend.

~To Lisa and Wendolyn word will never express my gratitude it all ya’ll did for me.

~Charlene I can’t thank you enough for everything you do.  Thanks for being there for me.

~My amazing pixies, I’ve brought a little bit of you into these stories. Dino and Bayou represent you all and your crazy antics.

~Jonathon Williams, all I have to say is thanks for the name, Smalls.

Dedication

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Joy Whiteside thank you for being my biggest fan.

Note to Readers

If you have read any of my other books you will recognize some of the characters mentioned. My world consists of witches, rougaroux, magical dogs, and now fairies....

Past the oldest oak trees, hidden behind the dense Spanish moss hanging from the cypress trees of the bayou, a special creature exists...the feu follet, or Cajun fairies.  For centuries they have been seen by locals as balls of light thought to be swamp gas. But they are, in fact, fairies. They live far back in the bayou protected by a magical veil. By decree of the king of the Cajun fairies, I invite you into the kingdom to hear their stories.

Glossary of Terms

Bayou—Cajun French word for a small river.

Cher—Cajun word for dear.

Cypress knee—A root from a cypress tree that grows vertically instead of in the ground.

Erzulie Freda—The voodoo loa for love.

Feu follet—Cajun fairy often seen as balls of light along the bayou.

Mead—An alcoholic drink infused with honey or anything else the fairies wish to put in it.

Mère—Mother in Cajun French.

Moonstone—An amulet of protection for travelers, also a gift of lovers for passion.

This stone is also known as the Traveler’s Stone.

Pirogue—A small boat made from a cypress tree, used to move through shallow water.

Père—Father in Cajun French.

Queen Mab—Queen of the fairies seen in Romeo and Juliet and other Shakespeare works.

Rougaroux—The Cajun werewolf. Thought to be a folktale, but from my stories that may not be the total truth.

Spanish Moss—A flowering plant hanging from oak trees and cypress trees in Louisiana.

Swamp—A wetland that is forested.

Voodoo—Mysterious religion involving charms and spells that came to Louisiana via the Caribbean.

There are far better things ahead than any we leave behind.

_C.S. Lewis

Deep in the bayou lives the oldest of creatures; a clan of fairies who keep the peace and protect the murky waters, from the tallest oak to the oldest cypress trees. This is my family. I’m Princess Alicia of the Cajun Fairies. We’ve lived here for centuries. But, I am getting off point. This day of all days, the kingdom celebrates the glorious event, Mardi Gras. We fairies celebrate this day, not unlike the humans. We serve up the mead until it flows into the bayou while we dance and party.

Hurry up, Licia, Mony hollered from my room.

All right, one more little dash of glitter.

I floated out and my best friend smiled. Here, you should wear this one. Mony held out my favorite pink and silver dress, the one that brought out the silver in my eyes, and I stepped into the shimmering material. Once we were done, we bounced and floated down the hallway and outside.

The festivities had already started. Decorations littered the trees. Lightning bugs hung from the moss, looking like little bulbs that illuminated the area.

Oh Mony, look...it’s so beautiful.

It is.

She gazed up and laughed when a small butterfly landed on her nose. They looked eye to eye until finally, Mony blinked and it flew away.

Ma mère and père walked out, standing on the steps behind us. All hail the king and queen and their daughter, Princess Alicia.

Trumpets sounded as we walked down the steps, and I looked up into the sky. Baby fairies danced above us, twinkling like stars. The Spanish moss swayed two and fro in sync with the music playing. We walked out under the trees. The music from washboards, accordions, and fiddles set my feet to moving.

Come on, Mony. I grabbed her hand and we let our feet dance around, twirling under the trees and the moonlight. We swirled through the trees, letting the music move us. After we danced for what seemed like hours, I decided to take a break. I left Mony on the dance floor and made my way to the table laden with an array of deserts and beverages.

Are you having fun? Ma père handed me a glass filled with the best mead.

Yes, Père. I sipped and the red liquid slid down my throat. The taste of strawberries exploded over my taste buds, and the sweet absinthe followed.

Licia, come dance. Mony along with a few other fairies waved me back over.

Coming! I laughed, put down my cup, and turned to ma père. Come dance, Père.

He shook his head. I’ll wait for your mère.

I laughed and met Mony back on the dance floor once again. We circled and twirled all over, letting our wings out to flutter against the humid air.

––––––––

I woke, stretched wide, and then realized something as my hands ran down my body. My eyes popped open and I looked down. Holy crap, I’m naked. How did I end up here?  I must have had too much mead last night. Oh wow, ma père is going to be upset. My eyes glazed over the vast area of the bayou.  I lay on the other side of the levy not far from my home, completely naked.  Thank goodness for the huge oak trees and our fairy veil that disguised me from the outside world.

Behind me, twigs broke and footsteps approached, so I quickly tried to cover myself with a few of the scattered leaves.  A laugh escaped my lips when I realized they weren’t enough. As I tried to disappear, I saw a man walk into the clearing in the distance.  His short black hair was cropped tight to his scalp. I wanted to see more, but before I could, a voice called out to me.

Licia, where are you?

I ignored the voice, grabbed a bunch of low-hanging Spanish moss, sticking a bunch of leaves into it, and wrapped it around me sarong style. On my tippy toes, I moved closer to the huge trees guarding the entrance of our home. I peeked around one of the massive oaks and got a better look at the human man.  My curiosity begging to get the best of me, I stepped one foot out. Before I could emerge from my hiding place, I was yanked backwards.

Licia!

I jumped and immediately my hand covered my heart. Damn Mony you startled me.

She eyed me. What in the world are you doing? she said disapprovingly. You can’t cross the veil. It’s too dangerous. She let go of me and placed her hands on her hips, tapping her foot.

I sighed, exasperated. Mony, what does it look like I’m doing?

My best friend and lady-in-waiting looked me up and down. The better question is, where are your clothes, Licia?

Blowing a strand of hair out of my face, I harrumphed. You know, I don’t know, Mony. The party last night must have been one hell of a revelry though. The mead was plentiful, and I must have had quite a bit of it, I snickered.

Licia, language please.

I knew her frustration was disappearing when she chastised me for my choice of words. I stalked away from the tree, taking one last longing glance over my shoulder at the human male. As he glanced in my direction, Mony began to rhyme her words, placing a heavier veil on us in case he could see us, but not before I caught a glimpse of the most beautiful deep blue eyes I’d ever seen.

Come on, Mony, he can’t see us. I