The Witching Hour

Rowan wakes up at four o’clock in the morning and has a few hours to herself before Michael wakes up. She walks around the Garden District before going to the house. Once there, Rowan plays with the Mayfair coins and jewels, including the emerald necklace, whispering to Lasher. He moves tree branches like the wind but disappears when the workers show up and begin their day. When Rowan goes into the garden, she finds a purple iris that Lasher has mutated.

Rowan and Michael get their state driver’s licenses and go out to eat. They stop by the famous Café du Monde and go through the Irish Channel. Rowan tells Michael about her plans to use the money from the legacy to create Mayfair Medical. He appreciates the idea but worries about Lasher. Rowan distracts Michael with sex. At the house, air conditioning and an alarm system are installed. Other renovations, like replacing appliances and cleaning up the pool, are also completed. Dr. Larkin is upset when Rowan tells him she’s staying in New Orleans, and she rents her house to Dr. Slattery, who boxes up her things and ships them to her. Rowan buys two cars, and Michael buys a work van. Then, Rowan suggests they go on vacation to Florida.

Michael and Rowan go to Destin, Florida, and buy a house on the beach there. She considers bringing her boat to the nearby marina and is upset when she gets her period. They talk about how much they want to have a baby, then decide to get married as soon as possible. Michael feels like Belle has blessed their union.

Rowan dreams about working on a deformed and misshapen body. When she wakes up, she realizes Lasher has put the emerald necklace on her. Rowan curses him, takes it off, and hides it before Michael wakes up. Then, she takes the emerald to Mayfair and Mayfair to store it there. They inform her that she must wear it at her wedding in order to keep the legacy. Michael continues his work on the house.

Aaron catalogs the books in the First Street library. Rowan and Michael, at the request of the Mayfairs, agree to wait eight weeks to have the wedding. Michael touches Beatrice Mayfair’s hand and sees that she isn’t “one of them” (852). He calls his Aunt Viv to invite her to the wedding. Later, Michael finds the mutated flower that Lasher left for Rowan and throws it away. One evening, while Rowan is out with Mayfairs, Michael goes to the house by himself. He decides to swim in the pool, which has been completely restored, and has a vision of Stella’s party and Arthur Langtry. Lasher tries to drown Michael, but Michael manages to get out of the water.

Afterward, at the hotel, Michael tells Aaron and Rowan about this encounter. He mentions his heart racing after the event, and Rowan listens to his chest with her stethoscope and diagnostic sense. She feels that he is physically okay and they have sex. A little while later, the lawyers at Mayfair and Mayfair have a conference about the medical center Rowan wants to build. Rowan decides to have the wedding at St. Mary’s Assumption Church and the reception at the house. As Christmas draws nearer, Michael remembers seeing Lasher in the church when he was a child.

Mayfairs have a garden party at Cortland’s house in Metairie 10 days before the wedding. The Mayfairs have become fond of Aaron and Michael’s Aunt Vivian, who has come to town. Women compliment Michael to Rowan, and she thinks about how much she desires him, as well as her long-term goals for Mayfair Medical. Fielding, an older Mayfair, talks about Carlotta battling Lasher for the house and letting it fall into ruin. Michael realizes the keyhole front door of the house appeared in his visions, as well as in paintings and pictures of various Mayfairs. Fielding says Cortland was “one of them” (877), a witch. There is a pact about the 13 witches coming together and creating a doorway. Stella tried gathering 13 Mayfairs together at a party, and some Mayfairs saw Lasher that night. There are younger Mayfairs who long to see Lasher. Others have seen him with Deirdre or in the garden. Gifford tells Rowan that Cortland raped her mother and Rowan should avoid Lasher at all costs. Rowan says the family is more important than Lasher.

After the party breaks up, Michael, Aaron, and Rowan take a car back to New Orleans. Michael says the number 13 refers to the number of generations, starting with Suzanne. Rowan is the 13th witch and the doorway. Aaron warns Michael that Lasher is a trickster, but Michael argues that there is a purpose for his return to life. Rowan thinks to herself that his purpose was to get her to New Orleans. She tells Michael to ignore Lasher and asks Aaron to give her away at the wedding. He agrees.