Avenge (9 page)

“
Well,
I’m here if you need to talk. Okay, we’re off. See you later.” I
gave her a final wave as she headed back to the training center,
but she didn’t wave back.
Poor
thing
, I
thought
, it’s a good thing she’s
busy.

Max came up and stood beside me,
taking my hand and kissing my palm. “The realm door is opening;
it’s time to leave.” I nodded and squeezed his hand, and closed my
eyes. No matter how many times I did it, I never got used to the
feeling of changing realms. I may have an immortal body, but it’s
still a body and getting sucked through different realms was not
pleasant. Just as I finally braced myself, remembering to breathe,
I stepped through and left my realm.”

Chapter
Ten

“
Welcome to Louisiana!” A
warm voice with a beautiful French-Creole accent greeted
us.

“
Water,” I croaked. Max was
already on it and handed me a bottle he kept on him for when we
transferred.

“
Are you okay there,
darlin’?”

I attempted to nod, but ended up
choking on the water. Max filled in for me. “She’s fine, or at
least will be. She still isn’t a fan of transferring realms at
great distances.”

“
Who is?” the woman teased.
I finally composed myself to look up, and almost started choking
again. “You sure I can’t offer you somethin’ to ease your throat?
How about some good sweet tea? They don’t make it like this where
y’all hail from.”

“
No, no thank you. I’m
okay. I was just surprised when I saw you. I apologize. You’d think
after being star struck a few times, I’d get used to it. I’ve
always been a fan of yours.”

“
Well, aren’t you just the
sweetest thing!” She held out her hand for me to shake. “I’m Sadie
Ann. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“
And you.” I turned and
introduced the renowned jazz singer to the rest of my team, who all
took turns either drooling (Zander and Adam) or stuttering
(Cassie). Only Lola seemed herself, but I guess coming from the
showbiz world she was used to it. Sadie Ann Jennings was a
legendary beauty who was cut down in her prime when a jealous
ex-lover murdered her in an “if I can’t have her no one can”
murder-suicide during the 1960s.

“
So I know y’all just got
here, but I’m fixin’ to get started right away. We have seen a big
growth in attempted soul theft, and our research shows that one of
your covens has settled in our fine city of New Orleans, which I
figure is kinda appropriate, but I sure do wanna kick their sorry
butts for disruptin’ my peace and quiet.”

James, acting as leader for our team,
took over. “Well we’re happy to help in any way we can. We have a
little more experience in battle, so if you need any support that’s
what we’re here for. But for now, please fill us in on the
details.”

“
According to my psychic
sources in the Quarter, there’s a new group that’s been trolling
Bourbon Street on the weekends looking for young blood. Their hope,
as far as we can tell, is to get ‘em good and inebriated and then
cause an ‘accidental death’ via a fall or somethin’ like that. I’m
sure if they could kill them outright, they would, but they know
that’ll raise too many red flags and they don’t want to get
caught.

“
Then, before they can
arrive here they’re snatched. And since the victims aren’t
children, we don’t have Guides waiting. Five in the last month
alone have disappeared!”

“
You use psychics?” I asked
incredulously. That idea sounded beyond hokey.

“
The real ones, not the
Dionne Warwick kind. They’re some of our best sources. They have a
connection to the human world that we simply don’t have. And with
so many drawn to our fair city, we never lack for information or
people willing to help. I’m surprised y’all don’t use them
yourself.”

It made perfect sense. I couldn’t
believe none of us had thought of it before. James, seeing the
question on my face, explained. “Many of our Patroni are a little
more old fashioned and don’t always see the benefit of change. I’m
working on that.” He turned back to Sadie Ann. “Have your sources
given you any specifics on the coven?”

“
Only that they’re large.
One of the largest we’ve ever seen as a matter of fact. I know this
may take several days, so I’ve arranged a few guest rooms for you.
Why don’t you go put your stuff down and meet me back here in say a
half hour? Louis here will take you to the quarters.”

A very distinguishably handsome man in
his fifties with dark, ebony skin and a bright smile walked over.
“Welcome to our Parish. I’m Louis Boudoux, the New Member
Orientation Councilor for Louisiana.”

“
Oh wow, I didn’t know
Patronus had those. It could have come in handy my first few
weeks.”

Max leaned over and took my overnight
bag and placed his hand into mine. “We do have them. I convinced
James that you didn’t need one and that we—and by ‘we’ I mean
me—could train you ourselves. I didn’t want to leave you that long.
Usually, new recruits are sent for weeks of training in all aspects
of becoming a Patronus. Kinda like boot camp, but less
brutal.”

Louis smiled and nodded. “Your beau
there is correct. Though I’m surprised they granted such an
exception. You must really be sumptin’ special.”

Max squeezed my middle, causing me to
squirm under the uncomfortable spotlight and turn a few shades of
red. Everyone had heard that the “original souls” found their way
back to each other, but few on other realms actually knew who we
were.

I needed to change the subject away
from me. “Louis, this place is beautiful. I’ve never seen anything
like it. It’s nothing like our realm. Ours reminds me of a college
campus.”

“
No ma’am, I suppose it’s
not. Each realm is unique to the area in which it resides. This
here is a replication of a turn of the century plantation home.” He
motioned toward one of the stately homes closest to him. “We have a
total of twenty on our grounds, all slightly different. I’d say
that it’s been recently remodeled, but that was over 100 years
now.”

I looked around at the expansive
grounds, littered in giant oak trees covered in Spanish moss that
people lounged under. Beautiful large houses with giant white
pillars and wrap around verandas with rocking chairs were all
around me. It was so peaceful, it was no surprise several people
were napping. “I love it.”

“
This one here,” he said,
pointing to one of the smaller houses with a sunny yellow façade
trimmed in black with big, black shudders on each of the outside
windows, “is modeled after the famous Houmas Plantation where I
served as cook for the masters of the house during my
lifetime.”

“
You were a slave?” Cassie
asked. She was such an advocate for equal rights during her human
life, I could imagine the things that she might say about the
slavery that occurred in this area. Her eyebrows were already
raised and she was balling her fists.

“
Yess’um. I was born into
slavery and was so until I was whipped to death in 1857 for trying
to help my wife and son escape. Since then, I’ve happily been a
Patronus and helped other souls escape a doomed destiny. I think
it’s kinda poetic that I am doin’ now what I died for. But, I’m
happy about it. I wouldn’t have changed nuthin.”

I didn’t have any reply to that and
was glad when he stopped walking. “Here we are, the guest quarters.
We have reserved four rooms for you. Ladies, you’ll be sharing the
master suite since there are three of you. Gentleman, you’ll be
doubling up in rooms two, three, and four. I hope you don’t mind
bunk beds.”

I resisted the urge to pout that I
didn’t get a room with Max, but since this was a work trip and not
vacation, I didn’t feel I should be too disappointed. Cassie took
the key, practically squealing when she eyed the giant master
bathroom complete with claw foot tub.

“
First dibs!” she called,
throwing her overnight back down and quickly examining each of the
different bath salts and candles that adorned the
bathroom.

“
You’re going to have to
wait. I think Sadie Ann wants us back to the headquarters so we can
get started. We need to change into our fighting gear and get
going.”

“
Lucy,” Lola asked. “Will
your new power work okay here in this district?”

It was a question I hadn’t thought of,
and I suddenly became nervous that I would be without it. I’d only
had my new silver skin for a few months, but I already couldn’t
imagine a battle without it. “I don’t see why it wouldn’t work, but
I’ll check with Max and James to be sure.” I wished I could try it
now, but it only worked when there was actual danger
around.

The girls and I were changed and ready
for battle a few minutes later when we met back up with our hosts.
“Tonight we’ll visit Bourbon Street and meet up with a few of my
contacts. We may get lucky and spot a vampire, but I’m more
interested in making our presence known so they stop using this as
their huntin’ ground,” Sadie Ann explained.

“
Remember, though we will
be able to see and hear everything happening on earth, they won’t
see us unless they have a sixth sense. Any vampire or werewolf in
the area will spot us and hopefully report back to their leaders,
and they’ll stop trolling.” James’s voice was confident and he
stood with his shoulders back, arms clasped behind him like a
military leader delivering orders. I bit my lip to keep from
shouting back, “Sir, yes sir.”

“
I’m confused,” Lola
interjected. Her voice was quiet. She hated being the new kid.
“Wouldn’t it be better if they didn’t know we were here? So we
could capture them instead of scaring them off?”

“
It’s a good question,
Lola,” Adam responded. Having the most military background besides
James, he was a great source of information. “Both the vamps and
weres have very keen noses, so they’d sense our presence anyway if
we snuck up. By making ourselves known, they’ll try to take us on
head-on. They’ll prepare for it first of course, but they find
their greatest victories and rise in status by defeating their
enemies head-on. They’re not ones to run away.”

“
And if this clan is as old
as we think they are, they’ll be even more likely to want a
head-to-head battle,” James added as he placed weapons on his thigh
and waist for easy access.

Lola chuckled and shook her head.
“What’s so funny?” I asked.

“
It seems stupid to me. How
many vampires or werewolves have won against a team of Patroni?
They’re all gonna end up dead because they’re so prideful—not that
I’m complaining. It seems silly to me. What’s the
point?”

“
It only takes once, one
slip up from us and they win. That’s all they’re looking for
really. One chance to make a name for themselves and obtain more
power,” James reminded her. “And power is all they’re interested
in.”

I knew that James was thinking about
the Patroni he lost all those years ago, and I changed the subject
to keep his head in the game. “Sadie, I’ve never been to New
Orleans. Tell me what the legendary Bourbon Street is
like.”

She and Louis both chuckled and shook
their heads sadly before Sadie spoke. “It’s such a shame, you know?
New Orleans has one of the richest histories in our fine nation and
all people seem to think is that it’s a great place to get liquored
up. They seem to forget about the rest nowadays.”

My face flushed with heat from
embarrassment and guilt. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean it that way.
I only—”

“
It’s okay, I know you
didn’t. It’s a bit of a sore spot for us locals. I really feel bad
for the Nevada bunch. Those poor people get it even worse with
everyone thinkin’ their state is only about legal prostitution and
‘what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas’ debauchery.” She squeezed
my arm, reassuring me that I was forgiven for my crass assumption
and continued. “The French Quarter is an amazing place to be, both
day and night. It’s a shame you didn’t get a chance to visit when
you were alive. The antique shops and art galleries that line Royal
Street can keep you busy for days and have happily emptied many a
pocketbook. You can tour St. Louis Cathedral, which in my humble
opinion is one of the finest churches in the South. And don’t even
get me started on Café du Monde. I swear I can still taste that
powered sugary goodness if I close my eyes and think about
it.”