“We have to go to the 21st Amendment,” Ivy said.
“I love that place!” Chloe exclaimed. “Jared and I went there on one of our first dates! It was so fun.”
“It’s a Prohibition-themed bar,” Ivy explained. “There’s usually a jazz band playing. It’s decorated like a speakeasy. Kinda like this place was.”
“Sounds like a plan to me,” Mina said. “Shall we get started?”
“I think we should.” Josey gave Archer a quick goodbye kiss and they were on their way.
As they walked down the bricked French Quarter streets, they did turn several heads. Tourists and locals alike stopped to ask to take pictures with them. They gracefully accepted each request. Mina felt slightly uncomfortable with all the attention. She much preferred her quiet swamp home, but it was imperative that Lucy be able to sneak into the cemetery undetected. If Catherine caught the buzz of the attention they were gathering, she may just be distracted enough not to see what exactly was going on.
They had already decided to start the evening at the end of Bourbon Street, at the haunted Jean Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop. The place had been a favorite haunt of Josey and Ivy’s for years. The ambiance and lack of electricity reminded them of days gone by.
They walked into the crowded bar filled with locals and tourists. The candles and fireplace were the only real lighting in the place, and the shadows gave off a creepy vibe. Mina fought a smile as Lucy’s ghostly face appeared in the crackling fire, startling several customers who were nearby. If they weren’t startled by that, the wind that suddenly blew through the bar and extinguished all the candles, plunging the bar into darkness, definitely caught their attention.
As the barmaids busied themselves relighting the candles, Mina and Josey took seats at a table in the corner. Ivy had stopped at the bar to order drinks.
Mina fought the urge to readjust her costume, half afraid that Lucy wasn’t the only one giving a show that night.
“Do you think it’s working?” Mina asked Josey.
“I’m not sure. We’ve only been in the Quarter for about an hour. We need to be sure not to stay in one place too long. The more we move, the harder it will be for Catherine to find us, if she’s looking.”
Ivy finally arrived and placed their drinks down on the table before taking a seat. She smiled, revealing her perfect white, pointed teeth. “Ahhh,” she said. “The one time of the year I don’t have to pretend to be normal.”
Josey and Mina smiled in agreement. “I wonder what all these people would think if they knew about us?” Mina asked, unwilling to say the V word, just in case a bystander overheard.
“Let’s not find out,” Ivy said, reaching down and pulling a flask from a garter belt on her thigh. She twisted off the top and poured a liberal amount of blood into her Bloody Mary. “Want a shot?” she asked, holding out the silver container.
Josey shook her head, grinning. “No, thanks. I had my fill earlier. Archer couldn’t contain himself when he saw me in this get-up. I am quite…satisfied.”
“Must be nice,” Ivy said, raising an eyebrow. “I may have to find myself a little snack when we pass by the vampire bar later.”
“Do what you gotta do, girl,” Josey said, winking. She then checked the time on her phone. “Let’s promenade, ladies, the night is still young. And,” she grinned, “so are we. How about the 21st Amendment next? I think we’ll fit right in.”
* * *
After her appearance in the fire at Lafitte’s, Lucy skirted through the French Quarter, the mere whisper of a breeze on people’s faces. She was on a mission, and she was determined to complete it. She had failed Mina all those years ago. She shouldn’t have chickened out when Madame had asked for volunteers, but the prospect of dying had terrified her to her very core. Even with the promise of immortality, it had been too much to overcome. But, look at her now, the shadow of what she used to be.
The cemetery was dark, lit only by the light of the moon, but Lucy had no problem finding her way to the crypt. She stood before the grave, bowing her head for a moment to pay her respects to the dead that lay just beyond the doorway.
She followed the ritual just as Vivian had instructed her to do. This dirt was crucial to the spell Vivian needed to cast to finally defeat Catherine. Lucy whispered prayers, her request, and added a lot of hope on her part.
The small burlap bag Madame had given her to collect the dirt materialized in her hand and Lucy leaned down to scoop up the dirt from the grave. After, she dropped a few copper pennies that shined in the dim light from the moon.
“What are you doing here?” a voice snarled from behind her.
Startled, Lucy dropped the bag on the ground.
* * *
Outside the 21st Amendment, Mina looked around nervously. “We haven’t seen Catherine all night long.”
“She doesn’t tend to make her presence known in the Quarter too often. She has made many enemies over the years.” Ivy sipped her drink and leaned against the wall. They had wanted to sit in the cozy nook off to the side, but it was already taken by customers. They chose instead to take a table on the sidewalk outside the bar. The spot allowed them to hear the band and enjoy the bar, but also keep an eye out for Catherine.
Josey disappeared into the bar for a moment and came back with a smile on her face. “I just requested the band play us a song. Let’s knock ’em dead on the dance floor.”
“I’m in. I’m all about knocking people dead.” Ivy grinned, taking a swig from her flask.
“You’re such a glutton,” Josey joked.
“Hey, I don’t have an all you can drink buffet in my bed, give me a break.” She turned to Mina. “And you. You’re looking awfully refreshed too. What exactly were you up to last night?”
Mina grinned. “A woman doesn’t bite and tell.”
“Bitch.”
The song the band was playing finished, and they struck up a spirited tune.
“Is that Ain’t She Sweet?” Mina asked.
Josey reached out for her and Ivy’s hands. “Of course it is. C’mon. Let’s show these youngsters how it’s done.”
* * *
Lucy turned to see Catherine standing behind her.
“I’m running an errand for Madame Vivian,” Lucy said. It was the truth, really.
“Is that right?” Catherine turned those unnaturally blue eyes on Lucy, and Lucy could almost feel the woman poking at the corners of her mind.
“This doesn’t have anything to do with those three friends of yours making a spectacle of themselves in the Quarter, does it?”
Lucy shook her head, keeping it clear of any thoughts of Mina and the others.
“I had a feeling you were cooking something up. Mina just can’t let it go. You would think after one hundred years, she would give up.”
“You would think after all that time, you would too,” Lucy retorted.
An evil smile crept across Catherine’s face, and she reached her hand out toward Lucy. A hard wind began blowing through the cemetery. Catherine began to chant, and Lucy felt the energy creeping out of her. Completely weakened, Lucy had no choice but to return to the hotel. She could hear Catherine’s laugh echoing as she slowly faded away.
* * *
As the band played, Mina, Josey, and Ivy danced, drawing the attention of the patrons. Some of whom stepped on the dance floor themselves and tried to mimic the women’s fast-moving feet. Others took out their phones and started to record them.
Mina smiled, watching Josey and Ivy dance beside her. The only one missing was Lucy. Mina’s breath caught in her throat and she missed a step as she wondered if Lucy had been successful.
Ivy cut a glance at her, and Mina shook her head, concentrating on the music again. When they were done, she was going to get an update.
The song ended and the bar erupted into applause. The three women, panting from exertion, took a bow. When they returned to their table, a bartender delivered a round of drinks.
“This round i
s on us. The next few are from customers.”
Ivy raised her glass to the bartender. “Thank you. And thank our fans as well.” She then took a greedy sip.
The bartender grinned. “I will.”
Mina grabbed her phone from her small purse and texted Alcide. Almost immediately there was a reply. That could only mean one of two things. Either the mission had gone well, or it had failed.
She swiped to read the message.
Her hand flew to cover her mouth to keep from crying out. Her phone crashed to the ground.
6
“I’m so sorry, Mina!” Lucy cried, hanging her head, her dark hair flowing about her shoulders. In her distress, her energy fluctuated, and she faded in and out of sight. Tobias sat beside her, stroking her hair and trying to comfort her. “I let you down. Again!”
Blood tears streamed out of Mina’s eyes. She was torn between comforting her dear friend and facing her own fear of failure to complete their plans. The dirt would have to be collected before midnight the next night. If Catherine succeeded in casting her spell again, it would be another hundred years before she and Sebastian could be together.
When Mina had returned to the Chateau Rouge with Josey and Ivy, they had chosen to meet Lucy, Alcide, Chloe, and Jared on the roof, away from prying eyes.
Ivy resorted to pacing back and forth by the pool, then by the iron railing to smoke. She cursed low under her breath.
“We should go back to Vivian,” Lucy said.
“What can she do at this point? She’s also affected by the spell that surrounds that crypt,” Ivy said. “It has to be someone not in our circle. How do we go about asking someone we don’t know to go scoop up some dirt from some old creepy tomb of a long dead voodoo queen? That’s not exactly something you just casually ask someone to do. Plus, they have to have some knowledge of the ritual. We can’t have some poor soul negatively affected because they offended the dead.”
“I can do it,” Chloe said, her voice barely a whisper.
“That’s unacceptable,” Alcide said. “It’s much too dangerous for you if Catherine catches on.”
“How would she catch on? There are tours through the cemetery every day. I will simply take a tour, and when I can, I’ll sneak away, grab up the dirt, and head back here. She won’t be looking for someone like me. I’m just a tourist out for some sightseeing.”
Ivy looked at Alcide. “It could work. Madame Vivian could do a protection spell on her in the morning. Teach her what she needs to do. Catherine will want to save her strength for tomorrow night’s ritual, so she won’t be out stirring up trouble, or snooping into what we may or may not be up to. As far as she’s concerned, she probably thinks this is over.”
Mina’s heart raced. “It’s a definite possibility. It’s worth a shot, and it’s the only chance we have.”
“You can’t go alone,” the ever-protective Alcide said. “And I cannot go with you as I am included in that list of people who cannot get close to the crypt.”
“I’ll bring Jared.”
Alcide raised an eyebrow. “You will agree to this?” he said to the man beside Chloe.
“He’s not the one who will be possibly agitating a dead Voodoo Queen.” Chloe responded.
“I’m in.” Jared reached out for Chloe’s hand. “We’ll have a grand adventure.”
“I will go with you to Vivian’s,” Alcide said. “I will make sure there are no signs of Catherine.” He picked up his cell phone and punched in a message. “And I will see if there is someone Sebastian can send to keep an eye on her as well. I know he has some servants he’s trusted for years.”
Sebastian, Mina thought, her heart racing again. They were so close to being together. If only they could get the dirt they needed for the final spell. A little after midnight the next night, they could finally be together. She hadn’t told him yet that Lucy had failed. She couldn’t.
“It’s settled,” Alcide said. “Chloe will meet with Vivian tomorrow. There is much you need to remember. If the ritual is not performed exactly, the next spell won’t work.”
Chloe nodded. “I understand. I’m here to do whatever I can to help.”
“I don’t like this.” Alcide lit a clove cigarette, then blew out the smoke. “But it doesn’t seem we have any other choice.”
* * *
Mina lay on the bed, unable to sleep. There were so many what ifs crowding her mind. What if Chloe couldn’t get the dirt? What if Vivian’s plan didn’t work? What if they had to wait another hundred years to try again?
A light breeze blew through the room, along with the scent of gardenias.
“Hello, Lucy.”
The brunette materialized at the foot of Mina’s bed, her face pale, even for a ghost.
“There’s no reason to be sad, Lucy,” Mina said. “You did the best you could. We all did. We all thought our presence in the Quarter would distract her.”
“It just seems so hard. Now, Chloe is going tomorrow. She’s just a mortal. What if something happens to her? She’s been so happy here.”
“We have to have faith, Lucy. We’ve gotten this far.”
“That’s true. Just one more day. Oh, Mina! You and Sebastian will be together.”
“Yes, we just have to get through tonight.”
Lucy reached out and placed a ghostly hand on Mina’s. “I haven’t always been there for you, but I can be here tonight.”
“Thank you, my friend. It’s going to be a long night.”
* * *
The elevator door opened and Sebastian stepped out into the open air of the hotel’s roof. He slid the skeleton key with the heart-shaped top out of his pocket and into the wrought iron gate. He hadn’t used the key to the rooftop pool in years, not since Mina had left. Had no reason to. After Archer had died the second time and Mina moved out to the country, some of the light had left the Chateau Rouge, and the rooftop parties had ceased.
The gate slid open with only a slight creak, and he stepped into the pool area. It looked much like it had back then. Even Alcide standing by the railing was the same.
“Good evening, Alcide,” he said as he approached the man.
Alcide nodded. “Good evening.”
“What happened tonight?”
“Lucy was unsuccessful.”
Sebastian’s heart knotted up in his chest. Without the dirt, they couldn’t conduct the spell. “Tell me.”
Alcide filled him in on the particulars. And the plan for Chloe to try to retrieve the dirt the next day.
“Chloe is a mortal,” Sebastian said.
“That is my concern as well. And that’s where we could use your help.”
“Anything.”
“We need someone to watch over her and her boyfriend, Jared. I would go, but I suspect Catherine has some spies lurking about the Quarter. And my presence would alert them to our plan. This is our last chance before tomorrow night.”
Sebastian nodded. “But would she not be looking out for those close to me as well?”
“Perhaps. But what choice do we have? She may not be that attentive tomorrow. She will need all her resources and strength to complete the spell again. In addition, she may be arrogant enough to believe that she has thwarted our plans.” Alcide said.
“I will send Aaron to oversee Chloe’s quest. We have to succeed this time. I can’t wait another century for my Mina.”
Alcide nodded. “This time, Catherine will not win.”
7
Chloe stepped out of Vivian’s with no small feeling of trepidation. If a ghost-like Lucy couldn’t sneak in and scoop up some dirt, what chance did she have?
“Second thoughts?” Jared asked her, squeezing her hand.
“Not second thoughts so much as wondering if I’ve finally lost my mind.”
He pulled her close and placed a kiss on her forehead. “I have all the faith in the world in you. If anyone can do this, you can.”
His unwavering confidence in her warmed her heart and chased away the linge
ring fears she had. It hadn’t been that long ago when she’d been stuck with Chandler in Dallas, listening to his constant criticism and putting up with his not so subtle affairs. Life here in New Orleans with Jared had truly turned her into a different person.
She felt in her pocket for the small bag Vivian had given her for her mission. She had to do this. If not for Mina, for Alcide, who had taken her under his wing only a year ago and became her family, which made Mina family too. Failure was not an option.
* * *
“Good afternoon, my name is Ellie Doyle and I will be your guide for this cemetery tour today.”
Ellie dressed as most guides did, in a shirt with the company’s name embroidered on the front. She had short dark hair that swayed as she turned to point out the front gates of the cemetery and then back to the group.
“Just a few basic instructions,” she said. “Always stay with the group. These cemeteries are known for pickpockets who just love to catch tourists out by themselves.”
Great, Chloe thought. Now I have to look out for pickpockets too? She shook off her fear. God help the man or woman who stood in her way today.
“Now, if you’ll follow me,” Ellie continued, giving them all a brief history of the cemetery. “New Orleans, and South Louisiana in general, isn’t like other towns. You can’t bury the dead in the ground because with the water levels, the coffins could literally float back up to the top. So they started to bury their dead in vaults. Some were extravagant structures that were almost like small homes. New Orleans also has a year and a day policy,” she said. “After a year and a day has passed, coffins can be removed and the remains pushed to the back to make room for another body.”
Several of the tourists shuddered at this bit of information.
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