Chrysabelle had barely closed her eyes when Dominic’s plane touched down in Metairie. He’d given her the plane without any argument, even calling ahead to have it fueled and ready for them when they got to the airport. Apparently, he was willing to keep her happy so long as she was willing to keep those two comarré. Considering she’d had them move into the house while she was gone, it still seemed a slightly unbalanced deal on her end. The only comarré she wanted around her was her brother. Her family.
She tapped her finger on the window, watching the tarmac vanish beneath the halo of the plane’s lighting. What would her brother be like? Would she find traces of Maris in his face the way she could in her own? Was his patron kind to him? Or cruel? She wouldn’t think that. She closed her eyes and tried to focus on what awaited her in New Orleans. She had little idea, but no matter what, she would get the ring and come home with it. Atticus was on standby, waiting for her the moment she returned. As soon as the ring was melted down and the gold stitched into her skin, Tatiana would have nothing left to hunt for.
That melting would irrevocably disperse the dark power whatever twisted being had laid into the sacred metal. She shuddered at the thought of a being powerful enough to meld the sacred with the profane and prayed the melting would be enough to keep her safe. There was no way the ring could hold its power through that, was there? Because if something that dark was laid into her skin and it reacted with Mal’s blood now coursing through her veins… She shuddered. Pain skittered down her spine and she inhaled, the plane’s air conditioning icy in her lungs. She closed her eyes and concentrated on a long slow exhale to flush the pain out.
Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn’t. Mostly it didn’t.
Movement jostled the seat beside her, sending tiny shards of pain into her back and opening her eyes. “You okay?”
She nodded at Mal as he settled into the seat. Mortalis must still be sitting near the cockpit. He and Mal had left her alone during the flight so she could sleep and gather her strength. Not that she’d told them that’s why she needed to sleep, but Mal had a way of figuring things out, and chances were good he knew she was still in some pain. She should have let him kiss her after she’d given him that last draught of blood at the house, but she wasn’t even sure how effective days’ old, cold blood was in strengthening him. Still, any power from the transfer would have helped. Her back throbbed. “Great. You?”
“Fine.” He cocked a brow. “Any reason I shouldn’t be?”
“We are about to enter a city off-limits to vampires.”
“Only recently off-limits.” He settled back while the plane continued to taxi. “But New Orleans has always been a tricky city for vampires. Every time I’ve been here, I’ve had to watch my step. But once you understand the place, its draw is hard to deny. It’s like a beautiful woman.” He looked at her, his eyes slightly hooded and flashing small sparks of silver. “Difficult, but worth the effort.”
She pursed her lips. “Are you saying I’m difficult?” She ignored that he’d also called her beautiful.
He sighed and went back to staring straight ahead. “Yes.”
“When were you here?”
“Been coming here since the city was founded in the early 1800s, but my last trip was in the 1920s, right before the ban went into place. After that I returned to Europe.”
And Tatiana, Chrysabelle thought. “What makes it tricky?”
“Besides the varcolai and witches, the city is rife with churches and cemeteries. Many of the estates even have their own chapels. That’s a lot of enemies and hallowed ground to deal with. Plus there’s the heavy fae population—although it wasn’t a haven city when I was there. That happened while I was in the ruins.”
“So now that it’s officially off-limits to you, how are we going to get you in?”
“I’m your personal escort and bodyguard. They have to let me in.”
Mortalis walked toward them, his jaw tense and his gaze distant. “No, they don’t. And chances are zero they will. Even if I vouch for you.”
Chrysabelle sat up a little. “But you’re willing to vouch for him?”
Mortalis sat across from them, his six-fingered hands folding over his kneecaps. His eyes lost their faraway glaze to penetrate in Mal’s direction. “I don’t know what weight it will carry, but yes.” He scratched one horn. “You need to know that there are some here who care very little for me and my family.”
Chrysabelle tried to hide her surprise. It was the first she’d heard of Mortalis having family. Not that his past was any of her business, but she’d always thought of him as such a solitary being. “You mean like parents or—”
The plane came to a stop and he stood. “Gather your things. It’s time to get going.”
So much for that conversation. Easing to her feet, she pulled on the long white leather coat she’d found packed away in the depths of her mother’s closet. She’d found her mother’s silver body armor and a few other comarré things as well.
A light drizzle greeted them as they exited the plane. Mortalis had a car waiting for them, a sleek navy SUV. A driver, a young shadeux fae with budding horns and the requisite six fingers, got out from behind the wheel and popped open a large black umbrella. He met Chrysabelle as she stepped onto the tarmac. “Ma’am. I’m Amery, your driver. Do you have baggage?”
“No,” Chrysabelle answered. She wasn’t staying that long.
Amery pointed toward the sacres in her hand. “Would you like me to put those in the back?”
She hadn’t bothered strapping them on beneath her coat since she was getting into the car anyway and they made sitting uncomfortable for any length of time. She glanced at the fae thinblade at his hip. “No. They stay with me.”
“Very good. To the car, then.” He walked beside her to the vehicle and opened the rear passenger door, holding the umbrella until she was in.
Mal climbed in from the other side, taking the captain’s chair opposite hers as he shut the door. Mortalis settled into the front passenger’s seat. Amery dropped the umbrella through the back hatch, closed it, and got back behind the wheel.
He looked at Mortalis expectantly. “I can’t bypass the checkpoint.”
Mortalis stared straight ahead. “I know. I’m willing to vouch for him.”
“That will just get you banned, too.” The driver glanced briefly back at Mal. “He could… go around.”
Mortalis turned his head, finally making eye contact with the driver. “Hugo know you make those kinds of suggestions?”
Amery paled beneath his smoky gray skin. “No, sir, I just thought—”
Mortalis held up a hand. “It’s a good one. What about once he’s inside?”
Amery shrugged. “He keeps his head down and his fangs in, he should be okay. The checkpoints are hella tougher than the patrols. The current guardian is pretty slack, and if a patrol does pick him up, a couple of bills will set him loose.”
Mortalis twisted to look at Mal. “How well do you know the city?”
“Well enough.”
“Good. You’ll stay with us until Amery says you can’t go any farther, then you hike in and meet us at Jackson Square. It’s always crawling with tourists and those damn vampire tours, so you should blend in fine.”
Mal frowned. Chrysabelle didn’t blame him. Getting dumped in some random spot would have ticked her off, too. She expected an argument any moment, but Mal just slanted his eyes at her and nodded. “I don’t like it. But I’ll do it.”
“So noted.” Mortalis jerked his chin forward. “Let’s go.”
She peeked at Mal. Maybe this was all part of Mal’s decision to stop arguing with her. But she was surprised how quickly he’d decided to do this. She leaned over toward him. “You okay with this?”
“Yes.”
Not like he had a choice. She shifted forward, grabbing the back of Mortalis’s seat. “Can’t we try to go through the checkpoint with Mal in the car?”
Mortalis turned the air conditioning down. “Amery?”
Amery met her eyes in the rearview mirror. “We could all get banned.”
“Vampires that big a problem here?”
He shook his head. “Used to be. Not since New Orleans became a fae haven. We gave up Manhattan in exchange.”
“We?” She laughed without much humor. “I didn’t realize the fae and the vampires had gotten together and divided the States up.”
“Not the States. Just certain cities. Keeps peace.” He looked out the window. “Or it did.”
“Why is New Orleans such a draw for vampires? The city seems synonymous with them. Or did.”
Mortalis made eye contact with her, one brow raised like he wished she hadn’t asked the question. Then he shifted to Mal. “You’ve been here before. Why did you come?”
Mal was silent a few long seconds. “New place to go, I guess.”
“But you’ve been here more than once. Why come back?”
A rare, puzzled look crossed Mal’s face as he thought. “I don’t know. But even now, I feel drawn to the city.” He narrowed his gaze. “Why is that?” His question held the implication that Mortalis best explain.
Mortalis took a deep breath. “Not long after New Orleans was founded, a French witch, Aurelia La Voisin, took a fae lover, who proceeded to break her heart. She cursed the city to get revenge on him. From that time forward, any vampire who set foot within the Orleans Parish was able to daywalk so long as they stayed within those limits. The fae counteracted with a spell that causes the effect to be erased from a vampire’s memory the moment he leaves the parish, but the urge to return always remains.” Mortalis paused for a moment. “You’ll be able to see me during daylight hours, too. Because of the fae’s distant shared bloodlines with nobility, shadeux are also visible.”
Chrysabelle’s jaw went south. “Are you telling me New Orleans is the Ville Éternelle Nuit? That’s not real. It’s a legend, a myth like—”
“The Kubai Mata,” Mal interjected.
She closed her mouth and rested back in her seat. Mal looked as shocked as she felt. No wonder every vampire she’d ever known had spoken about the Ville Éternelle Nuit as if it were Valhalla. Organized search parties had been sent out to find it. Starting in the late 1700s, the ancient books were filled with the mention of the mystical place.
Except it was real. And right in front of them. New Orleans was the City of Everlasting Night.
Doc had just left Fi to die and there was nothing he could do about it. Driven by the other mind inside his, all he could manage was to keep his human form and head toward the destination the compulsion demanded. If he ended up somewhere besides the Glades, he’d be shocked. He pushed hard for more speed. Jostled, the baby in his backpack began to cry.
He rolled his eyes. The vampire halfling was nothing but trouble. Preacher would be after him. As would any nearby fringe who enjoyed the taste of newborn blood and heard the wailing. It was like a siren. He had to get the halfling quiet. He shifted his movement to adopt the most even rhythm he could. Finally the crying faded.
And as long as the compulsion didn’t force him to shift into his leopard form, he could manage this small grasp on reality. In his animal state, fighting the compulsion was impossible. In his human state, at least part of his mind was his own, and with that thin sliver he was able to formulate a plan.
He would deliver the little beast to Aliza, or if she was really dead, then he’d find whoever was behind this spell and sever this control they had over him. By any means necessary. Then he could get back to Fi. Mother Bast, if Preacher had hurt her, Doc would hunt the daywalking bastard down and shred him to ash.
Miles disappeared under his feet and the landscape around him shifted to a very familiar one. An hour later, he came to a stop in front of Slim Jim’s cabin.
The old man was on his narrow front porch, the glowing end of a cheroot lighting up a patch of his face. An assault rifle rested on his knees, and a long-faced hound curled around his booted feet. “That you, Doc?”
“Yes, sir.” Doc prayed the baby kept quiet. He liked Slim Jim and didn’t want to involve him in any unnecessary trouble. “How are you tonight?”
“Jess fine.” He pushed up his Florida Gators ball cap to scratch his forehead. “That pretty little blonde thing come out with you?”
“Chrysabelle? No, sir, she’s on other business.”
Slim Jim nodded. “Quite a looker, that one. You should bring her around again sometime.”
“Will do.” Doc pointed toward the line of airboats out at Slim Jim’s dock. Aliza’s was parked at the far end. “How long ago did Aliza come through here?”
“Earlier today. Strange her being gone so long but”—he shrugged—“I keep outta other people’s business. You need a boat?”
“Sure do.”
“Got anything to do with the old witch?”
Doc suppressed a smile. Interesting question for someone who kept out of other people’s business. “I have a delivery for her daughter.” That sounded plausible, especially since he used to deliver Dominic’s drugs to her on a regular basis.
Slim Jim’s small eyes opened a little wider. “The stone girl?”
“She’s not stone anymore.” The compulsion came on strong again. It wanted him to stop talking and move. He flicked a talon out on one finger and dug it into his thigh. The pain helped fight the urge.
“You don’t say. Haven’t been out that way myself lately. Most my hunting trips been taking me down toward Deadman’s Key and thataway. Snakes down there is something awful.” He grinned, showing off a missing tooth. “Money in skins is better than ever.” He shifted to scratch the hound’s back end. “And Aliza said she’d take her own deliveries with her when she got back.” He stood, hoisting the gun over one shoulder. His other meaty hand went into the pocket of his overalls, coming back out with a set of keys. He tossed them to Doc. “Last one on the right. Y’all can pay me when you get back.” He sat down, but the dog got up, gave Doc a hard stare, then woofed twice before lying down again.
Go. Now.
Assuming he would be able to come back. “Thanks, Slim Jim. Appreciate it.” Keys in hand, Doc headed for the boats. He climbed aboard, then eased the backpack off and nestled it down between the metal ribs of the boat’s hull. He unzipped the pack and checked on the baby. Sleeping. He guessed. He thought about checking for a pulse but wasn’t sure a half-vampire child would have one. Satisfied, he got the electric engine going, the carbon fiber blades whirring softly to life, before hopping into the driver’s seat.
He glanced back at the cabin. A small light glimmered through the window, and only the dog remained on the porch, staring out at Doc as if watching him.
Doc turned back around and moved the boat forward. Maybe the dog was watching. Maybe the dog wasn’t just a dog. Who knew? He had a half-vampire, half-fake-comarré child on board and his mind was being controlled by a witch.
Nothing was what it seemed anymore.
Forward.
“I hear you,” he said to whoever was in his head. And I’m going to kill you if given the chance. But that last thought he kept to himself. Or tried to. If Aliza was dead, whichever one of her coven had taken over must be controlling him. Witches had magic, but varcolai had strength and speed and a great need for revenge.
It wasn’t going to be a fair fight. Not by any stretch of the imagination.
The Glades whizzed by with all the usual hellish sounds and smells. How anyone could live here was beyond him. Soon, Aliza’s house and the houses of her coven appeared on the horizon. A new house sat to the left of hers. He squinted at it. From what he could see, it looked complete. How could anything have been built that fast?
He slowed the boat and the compulsion took over again, stronger than it had before but still not as strong as when he was leopard. Following the commands inside his head, he docked the boat at Aliza’s, scooped up the baby in the backpack, and climbed the stairs to the house.
He opened the screen door and went in, past the kitchen and into the living room. It was empty.
Except for a demon, trapped in the base of an aquarium. The thing reared to life when Doc walked in. Recognition filled him with dread. Not just any demon. The Castus he’d seen at Tatiana’s. Maybe the one Creek had just tangled with. Bitter fear soured Doc’s gut. This was way more than he’d bargained for. The Castus pointed a talon-tipped finger at him. “What’s in the bag, shifter?”
Doc backed up. “Nothing.”
“I smell new blood.”
Of course he did. “That’s probably because—”
Evie came in from another room. “Shut up, Doc. You too, demon.” She held a small undulating ball of smoke in one palm. The compulsion. He pushed against it and while it was still there, it was definitely weaker. “You.” She jerked her chin at Doc, then the thumb of her free hand back toward the room she’d just left. “Inside. Quietly.” She glanced at the bag on his shoulder.
So she didn’t want the demon to know about the kid. Too bad. Doc nodded and dropped the bag off his shoulder. The jostling caused the baby to stir. The demon’s gaze riveted to the backpack. Working quickly, Doc got his fingers inside the zippered opening and yanked it down, revealing the child, who immediately started to cry. “Don’t you want to make sure the kid’s okay? After all, who knows how much a half-vampire, half-comarré baby can take?”
“A halfling? Give the child to me,” the demon howled, straining against the invisible barriers keeping it in the aquarium.
“No!” Evie lunged for the backpack, dropping the ball of smoke. “It’s mine.”
The compulsion disappeared. Doc gasped at the sensation of it leaving his body but recovered in time to snatch the baby away from her. “Like hell.”
Evie called up fire, juggling it over one palm. “Give me the baby.”
Doc lifted the backpack over his head. The kid was wailing like its lungs were police sirens. “Touch me and I drop the backpack.”
“You wouldn’t.”
“Try me.” He wouldn’t. Vampire, comarré, or whatever the kid was, it was still the innocent here.
The fire vanished from her hand. “I’ll just recall the compulsion then and make you turn the baby over.”
Her shoulder twitched, jumping toward her ear. “Kill me and the spell that keeps the demon bound will disappear. And if you think he won’t kill you for the child, you’re a fool.”
The demon was practically drooling at the child. “She lies!” it howled. “I will spare you. The varcolai are as much my children as the vampires.”
Evie snorted. “When my mother gets back, you’re in big trouble, demon.”
“I wouldn’t count on that. Your mother’s dead.”
Evie’s face went blank, then morphed into a mask of rage. “She’s not dead.”
Sensing a nerve, Doc pushed, hoping to throw her off balance. “You don’t believe me, ask Preacher, the vampire who fathered this child. He killed Aliza when she tried to abduct the kid. Or didn’t she bother telling you she was headed out there?”
With a scream, Evie whipped her hand up and shot a bolt of fire at him. Doc dodged it, almost dropping the child. He slid the bag across the floor and into the safety of the kitchen, then grabbed her around the waist and brought her down. He straddled her, holding her arms down. She twitched like crazy beneath him. “Get off me!”
“Not until you’re tied up.” He looked around for something to secure her with.
The demon hissed. “Fire!”
Doc glanced back down in time to see both of Evie’s palms lit with blue flame, her fingers pointed in his direction. He lurched back and rolled away, grabbing a metal tray off the ottoman and holding it up as a shield.
The fire struck instantly, exploding like fireworks and heating the tray until his skin sizzled. A snarl of pain echoed over the sound of the baby’s wailing, the demon’s howling, and the crackle of flames. Doc tossed the tray, shaking his burning fingers.
Evie lay where he’d left her, a dark hole scorched in her chest. Small flames and wisps of smoke danced off her clothing. Her open eyes stared lifelessly at the ceiling.
Doc felt for a pulse. Nothing. The aquarium shattered behind him. He jerked around in time to see a red blur streak past. The baby. He scrambled to his feet, making the kitchen a split second later. The Castus had the infant in its massive hands. The smell of sulfur was unbearable.
It took one look at Doc and smiled. “No one else can know about this child. You must die.” He cradled the child in one arm, his other shooting out toward Doc.
Doc tried to move, but the tip of the Castus’s razor-sharp nail caught his forearm. A white-hot streak of pain flared with the line of blood.
The Castus reared back again. Suddenly his face contorted and his hard red eyes rolled into his head. “Not now!” he bellowed. A second later, he disappeared in a flash of smoke and fire.