Chapter 1

 

A feral vampire loose in the French Quarter was one way to spoil a lot of folks’ Friday night. Pauli—now in boa constrictor form—wrapped himself around me and transported me to Chartres and St. Philip. The vampire already made it quite a few blocks from Casa do Diabo on the Esplanade end of Decatur. I half suspected he was trying to make his way to Vilokan, which was hidden in a mystical doorway in an alley on one side of the St. Louis Cathedral.

Appearing out of thin air with a flash of rainbow light would probably strike people as odd—but I didn’t have much choice.

I heard a few gasps as I appeared on the edge of the sidewalk. Think quick, Annabelle! I flashed a grin, gave a bow, and removing one of my shoes, I held it out to the crowd. Several onlookers applauded, filled my shoe with spare change, and went on their way.

Brilliant idea, my soul-fused familiar and ghostly partner, Isabelle, remarked, her voice echoing in my mind.

I chuckled. “It was the only thing I could think to do.”

I dumped my change-filled sneaker in the instrument case of a saxophone player on the corner, put it back on, and looked around trying to catch a glimpse of the vampire. The first concern, of course, was for any human who might get bitten. Just as serious, though, was the fact that Kalfu was actively hunting vampires. It wasn’t that I gave more than a handful of shits about what happened to vampires—but when Kalfu bit one, he would steal their powers. In this case, a newly formed vampire wouldn’t have a clue what powers he actually had. Only through centuries of feeding on humans, getting a taste of human souls, can a vampire get a handle on their abilities. At least that’s what Mercy had told me—and she was the only vampire I knew who had lived long enough to know.

Mercy is going to try to cut him off at St. Ann, which is just a couple more blocks down. If we keep pressing on, he won’t have too many places left to go.

“That would work,” Pauli said—being a “snake,” he could hear Isabelle. Most animals, in fact, could. Even though Pauli had a human soul and preferred to shift into a human shape that closely resembled the body that used to be his—a body that Kalfu now possessed—his body was still, technically, a snake’s body. He had to be in his “natural” form in order to teleport. If he shifted into human form now, he’d appear completely naked in the middle of the French Quarter—in other words, it would be nothing all that out of the ordinary. Still, at the moment we needed his abilities.

“Pauli,” I said, “can you zap around and try to find him? Even with Mercy pressing forward the opposite way, all he’d have to do is duck inside a shop, find a place to hide, whatever. He has the advantage unless we can figure out where he’s hiding out.”

“You got it, honey!” Pauli exclaimed.

I grinned a little. His over-the-top flamboyance seemed to make even dire situations, like this one, a bit more jovial than normal.

I heard a scream. I turned my head.

I think that was a block over, toward the river. Maybe he’s in the French Market?

“How the hell did he get over there?” I wondered out loud.

Truth be told, vampires moved fast. Very fast. Even a young vampire, like this one, could move faster than the average person. And older vampire, like Mercy, was practically a blur when she moved. It was one of her few remaining abilities that made her terrifying. Needless to say, in spite of her attempts to prove her trustworthiness, I still felt like it was only a matter of time before she turned on me. It was just her nature…

I hung a left down Dumaine toward the French Market. The screams continued—I tried to zero in on them.

“Somewhere inside,” Pauli said. “Too many people, I can’t figure out where it’s coming from.”

I pressed through the crowd, through the golden archway at the market’s entrance. Someone was screaming—it sounded like a child for Christ’s sake, and people were just ignoring it, examining melons to see if they were ripe, browsing handmade jewelry, and other such bullshit. I pushed my way past a woman who seemed offended by the fact that I dared shove her aside in my effort to hopefully save someone’s life.

Then I saw it. A boy, hunched over the body of what looked to be a teenage girl, blood pouring from her neck and his mouth. He turned to me and grinned.

“Beli” I said aloud, summoning the dragon elemental who formed itself into a variety of weapons—this time, a stake. The boy cackled, blood pouring from his fangs.

“Pauli,” I said, “I need a distraction.”

“You got it!” He flung himself across a number of tables. Nothing like a snake in a market to cause a panic. Someone being assaulted? Whatevs… But a snake? Yeah, that freaks people out.

I didn’t recognize this particular vampire—he was probably in his twenties. He likely graduated the Academy—undoubtedly from College Samedi—before I’d arrived. I plunged Beli into his chest, and his body dissipated in a cloud of black smoke.

I bent over toward the girl.

The bite… it’s too deep. We’re too late.

“Fuck that,” I said. “You can heal these bites.”

No, Annabelle… If you do that, she’ll turn. Let her go…

I drew on some of Isabelle’s magic. She cut me off.

“Isabelle, we are not letting this girl die.”

She’ll only hurt someone else. She’ll become like he was.

“I won’t let that happen! Now let me access your magica!”

Isabelle sighed. Fine, but when this goes south, it’s your mess.

I nodded and inhaled deeply—Isabelle’s green magica filled my eyes. I placed my hands to the girl’s wound and released the energies into her. Her wound healed in seconds.

The girl was shaking uncontrollably. She reminded me of a younger version of myself. Long dark hair, a slender frame, and wide eyes—only they weren’t wearied by years of trauma and bitterness. Not like mine had been by the time I was her age. The trauma she now knew… it was just beginning to set in.

“My name is Annabelle,” I said. “You’re safe now.”

“I’m Hailey. Please… is he gone?”

I nodded. “Nice to meet you, Hailey. I promise, he’s gone. He can’t hurt you anymore. But I need to take you with me now.”

“To the hospital?”

I shook my head. “They can’t help you. But I will. I promise, I will.”