Rise of the Firebird (33 page)

“Really? Cause you do know you’re waking up to Harley at the moment,” teased Fox and dodged the pen Harley threw at her. “Seriously though, watch yourself with them. I don’t trust any of the slimy gits. If you don’t turn up on time at Silvian’s, we will storm the place.”

The horn of Mama Lya’s Bentley blared from outside half an hour later. Harley had changed into jeans, stuffed into a pair of Doc Martens she used when hunting, and an off the shoulder Rolling Stones shirt. Underneath the loose shirt, she had on a holster that Isabelle had made for her. It slung over her right shoulder and looped down to sit flat on her ribs on her left hand side. In it, she had sheaths for two throwing knives and a handgun. A handy thin strap of leather belted across her stomach to hold it in place tight and flat. The holster was hidden well under the shirt and there was no way she was walking into that house again without being armed.

Harley grabbed her bag and leaned over the new bike Blue Jay was working on to give him a kiss goodbye.

“Be careful,” he advised. “You armed?”

“Of course. If I’m not back by closing, I’ll meet you at Silvian’s.”

“You will have to pay me overtime with all these openings and closings I’m doing, boss.”

“You wish. I’ll see you soon.”

The house on Coliseum Street radiated menace when they pulled up next to the sidewalk. Eyes were watching Harley and she felt the gaze of the unseen observers sticking into them like barbed wire. Mama Lya took Harley’s forearm and traced protection symbols on it with a finger. Almost instantly, Harley felt something drop over her and the needle feeling coming from the house lifted.

“Thanks, doesn’t look like we are going to be subjected to the Lorraine welcoming party this time,” Harley commented.

“That’s cause we aren’t welcome,” Mama Lya spat. “Too bad.” Harley felt the invisible wall holding her back from the gate.

Harley hadn’t seriously studied magic, because despite the touch of talent she had, she’d never been interested beyond laying protection wards around the shop. She had no idea what Mama Lya was doing on a fundamental level as she started drawing invisible veve in the air, but Harley knew Mama Lya was fraying and unravelling whatever it was that was supposedly meant to be keeping them out. There was a sharp pop in Harley’s ears, like an invisible bubble had burst, and they were instantly allowed access through the gate.

“They’re going to be pissed that you did that,” Harley said clutching her left arm nervously as she followed Mama Lya’s straight back as they walked into the garden.

“I don’t care. They’re rude to keep a woman my age waiting in the afternoon heat.”

“We left you there because you were not summoned.” Like some creepy black version of Lurtz, Lorraine was standing on the porch looking pissed.

“You rang,” Harley whispered under her breath before she could stop herself.

“What are you doing here?” Lorraine asked, her carefully painted lips pressed tightly together.

“We need to talk, so go get Frankie, Pierre and Madeline…and any other council members that happen to be here,” Mama Lya replied.

“You’ve no authority to give orders here!” Lorraine said shrilly. Harley had an overwhelming desire to slap her hard. She was waiting for Lorraine to start stamping her Jimmy Choo on the ground.

“Can you do it without arguing for once?” Harley sighed. “Seriously, do you think we would be here if it wasn’t important?”

Lorraine looked down her nose at her as if she was surprised Harley had spoken up. Harley was a little surprised herself but she was all tapped out of diplomacy.

“The others can decide what to do with you.” Lorraine flicked her hair over one shoulder in an annoyingly high school, mean girl’s gesture. “Follow me.”

Harley made sure Lorraine’s back was turned before emulating her hair flick and exaggerated the snotty attitude. Mama Lya grinned and it probably would’ve made her laugh loudly if it wasn’t for the circumstance they found themselves in. They were led through the house and into the courtyard. Harley risked a glance upwards. The story mansion had a mezzanine running around the loop of the inner courtyard, reminding Harley of an amphitheatre. It had always spooked her out.

She stopped looking up when Pierre appeared. He was a white Frenchman with a long face and pencil thin moustache. His face was lined but his hair was still dark, streaked only with a little grey.

“And what do we owe the honour, Madame Lya?” he asked, his voice dry as cornhusk.

“I’m sorry for barging in the way I have, Pierre, but I’m mighty disturbed and it needs to be discussed at once,” Mama Lya said, folding her skinny arms.

“Mama Lya? I thought I heard your voice. Hello, Harley,” Francois appeared out of nowhere looking tall, broad and ominous. Harley ignored him, but Mama Lya gave him a nod. Harley didn’t know if it was the protection that had been placed over her, but she could feel the power humming out of his aura. Whatever he’d done to get this newfound boost couldn’t have been good.

“The killings in the city are getting out of control,” Mama Lya stated now that formalities were out of the way. “The majority of them are supernatural in nature and while I know there are squabbles at times, it’s starting to concern me. Innocents are getting caught in the crossfire and that’s something that cannot be allowed.”

“We are aware of the unrest, Madame,” Pierre said. “You did not need to trouble yourself to come and share this.”

“Oh, it wasn’t any trouble, and I knew you would have to be aware of it. Even the damn normal people are starting to clue in to what’s happening. Isn’t that the whole point of this little Council? To make sure things like this don’t happen in our city?”

“It hasn’t escalated far enough to warrant our involvement, Lya,” said Francois, his black eyes the coldest Harley had ever seen.
Oh, Frankie what have you done?
Harley’s ribs were starting to itch, a sure sign that trouble was brewing.

“How far does it have to go?” Mama Lya shouted. “What are you all afraid of?” Her hand moved quickly before Francois could stop her and she ripped away the illusion that surrounded them. Harley tried not to jump when the balconies above her were suddenly lined with people. Magic was pulsing from nearly everyone. She spotted witch doctors, brujas, a few wiccans, shape sifters, vodun priests and a prowling Tehuantl. Rogue Dark ones. Red lights were flashing behind Harley’s eyes and she fought the urge to reach for her gun.

“How dare you use your power in this sacred place!” Lorraine screeched.

“How dare you all for letting the chaos in the streets go on while you hide here in your ivory tower,” Mama Lya spat. “Well,
we
are not scared to stop it. We will get our people together and do
your
job before anyone else is killed. Come on, Harley, they aren’t going to help us.”

“We forbid you to interfere in these matters, Lya,” Pierre hissed. “There is more going on here than you know.”

“Oh. I know what’s going on here, Pierre, make no mistake, and it
sickens
me. How dare you corrupt this council’s purpose for your own quest for power. New Orleans is meant to be a safe place for neutrals and a sanctuary for those who do not wish to get caught up in the wars between the Illumination and the Darkness. Now you’re letting war spread out among our streets because of some alliance with the Rogue Darkness? Well, no more. Come, Harley.” Mama Lya turned on her heel and stormed towards the courtyard doors. Pierre made to grab Harley but she was quicker, her knife slicing the tips of his fingers.

“Don’t you dare fucking touch me,” she growled, “or next time, you’ll lose all of your fingers.” Pierre looked at the blood gushing from his fingertips in shock. He flicked the blood out towards her, but she was already well out of range. “Yeah, I’m not that stupid either, old man.” He laughed and the blood travelled back up his hand, into the cuts before they healed.

Harley ran and didn’t stop until she got back out to the sidewalk. Mama Lya tossed her the keys and Harley jumped into the driver’s seat. Tyres screeched as Harley floored it.

“That bastard Pierre tried to get his blood on me,” she said indignantly. She was spooked and there was no way to hide it.

“Did he succeed, Harley?” Mama Lya checked down her face and clothes.

“No, I mean I wouldn’t have been able to leave if he had. He tried to grab me first.”

“Idiot man. That didn’t go as well as I hoped. There is something evil going on there, Harley. I felt it. They’ve gathered dark powers to New Orleans.”

“Do you think they are behind the killings?”

“Maybe not all of them, but definitely some of them. You had best not go anywhere unescorted from now on. You drew blood on Pierre and he’s not the kind of man to let that pass.”

“I’m going to Silvian’s tonight, and if they are stupid enough to try something there, it isn’t me you will need to worry about.”

“Good, make sure you stay there. I need to make some phone calls and you should get Isabelle to do the same. We need to get some hunters here and fast.”

“You will start a war doing that, Mama!”

“It’s not to start a war. It’s to protect the streets and the normals. I don’t give a damn what the idiot council do to each other but I won’t let it spill out into public. Make the calls, Harley. I’ll do the same. There are some I could call on that owe me a favour.”

“Do
me
a favour and call Abélard to come around and spend the night. I don’t want you alone,” Harley said once they pulled up in front of Silvian’s grand house. “Are you sure you don’t want to come in?”

“No, I’m not in the party mood,” Mama Lya said as she took the keys from Harley. She hugged her tightly, more tightly than she had in years. “Make sure you watch yourself.” She let Harley go and got into the car, driving away without a backwards glance. Blue Jay was standing on the porch leaning against a white column, a beer in his hand.

“Harley? You okay?” He put the beer down and hurried down the stairs. She walked through the gate, felt the brush of Silvian’s protection wards and let out a shaky breath she didn’t know she had been holding. Blue Jay hugged her tightly and she tried her best not to start crying.

“What happened,
cher
? You look grey.”

“Fucking Frankie…council…bastards,” she managed before she started to sob. “They are behind everything, Blue Jay, I’m sure of it.”

“Shhh, don’t cry, honey.”

“What the hell happened?” Isabelle appeared out of the house. “Are you hurt?”

“I’m not hurt,” Harley said and let Blue Jay go. “We are going to have big trouble real soon, Belle.”

“I knew it,” she sighed. “Let’s get you inside.” Her blue eyes scanned the length of the street before shutting the black door behind them. Fox and Silvian were arguing over cocktail recipes when Harley sat down at the marble bench, unstrapped her holster and dumped it next to her.

“My, isn’t that something different to pull out from under your shirt,” Silvian smirked and handed her a frozen margarita. Harley leaned over to take the tequila bottle, having a hearty swig before taking the offered drink from him. “I take it your trip to the Conseil Neutres didn’t go well.”

“I may have started a war.”

Silvian laughed and it slid heat all over her skin, “If I had a dollar for every time I heard that. What happened?”

Harley waited until Isabelle had retrieved Hamish from the BBQ out back before she told them what had happened at Coliseum Street. Silvian refilled her glass expertly as she continued to empty them. How he managed to make cocktails in a crisp white shirt without getting fruit juice splatted over it was beyond Harley’s comprehension.

“The sour twat faced bastards,” Hamish growled when she had finished. “If the council have invited ex-Darkness to town, then it explains why so many of the killings have been part of rituals. They were probably the ones that didn’t want Yanka taking control again. Those crazy Council bastards don’t know what they have invited in.”

“They know, they just don’t give a shit,” said Fox.

“I will make some calls in the morning,” Isabelle promised. “I’ve already emailed a few that I didn’t tell you about. After last night’s stroll in the streets, I thought they’d be needed.”

“It’s a good thing I purchased such a grand house with so many rooms.” Silvian smiled as he gave Fox a lime to chop up.

“I don’t expect you to house all the hunters. Most will probably object to it on the grounds that they hate other people,” said Isabelle. “I don’t think I could handle a house full of hunters.”

“Well, I expect you and Hamish to move in tomorrow at the very least. No, don’t argue,” he held up his hand. “I’d sleep better knowing that you were in a place that’s properly protected. Besides, if anything should happen to you two, I’m sure Anyanka would come back and kick my behind.”

“I thought you would enjoy that kind of thing,” Fox quipped as she sipped on her beer.

“There’s a difference between a bit of pain in the bedroom to getting your ass whooped, as you Americans would say. Anya’s ass kicking wouldn’t be enjoyable,” Silvian said. “She’d make sure of it.”

Fox laughed, “And you haven’t even seen her hopped up on
Groenn Skaer
power like she is now.”

“I shudder to think, but that’s Aramis’s concern and Yvan’s worry,” Silvian replied. “There’s nothing in this city strong enough to get into this property, Miss Harley, so rest easy.” Harley smiled but the sick feeling curled in among her ribs refused to fade.

Mama Lya was telling Abélard all about her trip to see the Council, when she felt something disturb her wards. “Lya, I’ll be around in ten,” he said soothingly. “You have the rum ready and we can talk this out before you do anything rash.”

Mama Lya’s skin was tingling and she knew something was standing behind her in the dark hallway, “I got none. Can you grab me a bottle on the way over? Something nice. Take your time and I’ll get something cooking.”

“Lya, your voice is changed…what’s happening?”

“Nothing at all, you old goat,” she said and hung up on him. She didn’t want him to walk in on whatever was about to happen and get himself killed. Mama Lya walked calmly to her kitchen and poured herself a glass of the rum.