The Gathering

by Fiore, L. A.

  “I hope I get to meet her,” Ivy said softly.

  “I’m sure you will.” But thinking about Aria and all that was going on I added, “Not sure how I’ll explain all of this to her?”

  There were times when Ivy seemed so much older than she was. This was one of those times. “Children have an easier time accepting the unusual because they are open to the possibilities of what could be.” Those purple eyes turned to me. “They believe in magic.” Her focus shifted out the window before she said, “In keeping with the idea of working together, I have some info.” She nodded to my tattoo. “That symbol means everlasting life. It’s carved into some of the older buildings in the French Quarter. Bain and I each have a stone with part of the symbol etched into it. Esther thinks the key to restoring my memories is finding the other two pieces.”

  I couldn’t lie, a chill moved through me because this was magic, like hardcore magic, and I was linked to it. It would seem there really were other powers at work. “Any idea on how to find the other pieces of the symbol?”

  “No, but I’m working on it.”

  “I should mention. That symbol was carved in a floorboard in an old house not far from here, a place linked to the case I’m working on. Likely done back in the day. Something was concealed there, but someone removed it.” I paused before adding, “Deaths from back then had the same claw marks as the McKinnons and Henry Werth.”

  Her expression changed, her eyes widened. I could feel her restlessness. “I know we’re expected at your wife’s shop, but would you take me to this place?” she asked.

  “Now?”

  “It’s important.”

  “Okay.”

  The ride over was silent, but before we even reached it, I felt her tense at my side. “This is where it’s drawing its power.” Her eyes met mine. “You said someone carved the symbol in that house?”

  “Yes.”

  “And this is where they found the bodies centuries ago, the ones with the claw marks?”

  “Yes. What are you thinking?”

  “It isn’t a coincidence. Whatever happened then is playing a part in what is happening now. If only we had been flies on the wall.”

  “There are several local historians, not quite a fly but almost as good. I’ll contact them.”

  As soon as we climbed from the car, Ivy went pale. “Death saturates this place. You said Henry was killed here?”

  “Yes, we think maybe the McKinnons were too.”

  “They were.”

  Surprised, I asked, “How do you know?”

  “I can sense them, they linger.”

  It really was all linked. “Kathy and Lee McKinnon disappeared last year. Like, without a trace. We searched the entire city, followed every lead and came up empty. Right before we visited you, their bodies were discovered near a cemetery. Those claw marks across their throats. You’re saying they were killed here?”

  “Yes.”

  “We found nothing, but Henry was killed here, and we never found a trace to prove that either.”

  I wasn’t surprised by her answer. “Magic. This place is haunted by very dark magic.”

  “That explains why it’s sat empty for so long.”

  “Sat empty?” she asked. “It’s been dormant.”

  “What’s been dormant?”

  “Power that strong wouldn’t have languished for generations. Whatever evil punched through this realm, it did so here. It gathers its strength from this place; it’s powerful in this place.”

  “And whatever it is, it killed the McKinnon kids.” I thought I knew where she was going. I didn’t.

  “That kind of power has to be unleashed. When did the McKinnons die?”

  “Last summer, the summer solstice…Kathy’s birthday actually.”

  Pain swept her face. “Rebirth.”

  “What?”

  “The summer solstice is a time of rebirth. If they were killed on the solstice, it wasn’t just a kill; it was a sacrifice and a powerful one too with Kathy being born on the solstice. Their deaths are what triggered the rebirth, and each death since is making it stronger until it can break free.”

  “Why hold onto the McKinnons’ bodies?”

  “The same reason why Dr. Ellis agreed to your visit until he realized you played a part. He’s taunting his prey.”

  I’d be lying if I said it didn’t scare the hell out of me. Something hunting in the city, something we couldn’t see. “How do we stop it?” I asked, but I knew she didn’t know. “What happens if this evil breaks free?”

  She looked grave when she said, “I believe it will be the end of days.”

  That’s what I was afraid of. “So it’s safe to say it has not manifested.”

  “Not yet.”

  “But we have no idea how long it takes to manifest.”

  A strange look moved across her face. “No, but there will be signs.”

  “Like bodies popping up all over the city.”

  Silence answered that, but I got my answer. Yes, it was a sign. “And a woman being detained for twenty-two years of her life.”

  I recognized her expression now; something just fell into place. “S. Steiner wrote a book,” she said.

  “Who’s that?”

  “I don’t know, but it was a book in the library at Misty Vale. There are signs signaling the beginning of the end, but it was his knowledge that seems rather astute, considering what we’re learning.”

  “I’ll look into this S. Steiner. Maybe he isn’t just a doom and gloomer, maybe he can help.” It wasn’t lost on me that I was actually entertaining the idea that someone most would claim was a crackpot was someone I was willing to seek advice from. If things weren’t so dire, I’d actually find this all very amusing. “What happens now?”

  “The pieces are there. We have to put them together,” Ivy said.

  “All right, but if the end game is to take out evil, how do we destroy it?”

  “We’re not trying to destroy evil, just wrestle it back under control. It isn’t a battle; it’s a balance of power. Evil is growing too strong.”

  “Why here? Why New Orleans?”

  Her expression shifted so quickly I couldn’t discern it, and I had the sense what she said wasn’t what fueled her reaction. “According to Esther, this is a mystical epicenter.”

  She offered that so nonchalantly. “Come again?”

  A smile curved her lips. “Sheriff, you’ve seen things even before this case. You must have seen things you couldn’t explain. At least now you have a bit of an explanation. Those unexplained things are happening here because this city is the meeting point for all that is supernatural.”

  That’s information I would have liked to have before I took this fucking job.

  “You are a part of this. Even if you knew, you would have come.” It was still unnerving that she could read my thoughts. She gestured to my tattoo. “That is proof.”

  “We battle back evil and then what? Wait for it to manifest again? If we believe what the evidence is saying, it tried two hundred years ago. It will try again.” She was thinking something, but she kept it to herself. I moved on. “Did Ellis give you the marks as a child?”

  “No, I got them from the ones who were trying to sacrifice me.”

  “Sacrifice you. To what?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “Did you start the fire?”

  “I believe I did.”

  I rubbed the back of my neck and let out a breath. “I can’t say I blame you.”

  “They don’t like fire,” she offered.

  “The creatures?”

  “Yes, they shy away from it.”

  That was good to know. “Thanks.”

  “When I was younger, after the fire, there was a nurse or maybe she was a paramedic. She was the one who took the photos of my wounds. She also gave me a tiger’s eye stone. She knew I was different; she didn’t seem surprised by it. Is there a way to track her down?”

  “That’s funny you shou
ld say that because there is no record of your case; the fire was ruled accidental. You weren’t even reported as being there, but there is a file on you with those photographs. This woman is another piece of the puzzle, and I can look into her, but it’s a long shot.”

  “The fire was ruled accidental? He really had kept me prisoner.” She shook her head. I felt her anger, but she moved on. “I don’t think they’re going to stop killing, not until it comes.”

  “Evil?” I clarified.

  “Yes. We have to do more than react, and I think getting my memories back is key. I know more, but I can’t remember.”

  “So back to the beginning, we need to find the pieces of the symbol.”

  She smiled. “Yes.” She looked back at the house, her thoughts elsewhere. “There is no darkness in that symbol, so if someone carved it, they were fighting what was coming.” Her eyes found mine. “Maybe they were the ones who stopped it.”

  I reached for my phone. “I’ll get Nick to contact the historians now.”

  I parked down the street from Dahlia’s store; Ivy met me on the curb, but she was looking down the street to the sign of a hunter’s moon. “Are you ready?”

  “Yes.” She twisted her fingers together. “I’m nervous, but after what we just discussed, I’m excited to think of nothing more than interviewing for a job. Something normal.” I understood that all too well.

  The bell jingled over the door, but Ivy was already inside walking around. Dahlia came from the back, her focus went from Ivy to me. She smiled as she joined me.

  “Is that her?”

  “Yes.” Ivy was peering into a case of rings. “Looks like she’s a fan.”

  “She’s older than I thought she’d be.”

  “Physically, but she’s young in life experiences. That’s what she’s hoping to change.”

  “I’m glad I can help.” She pressed into me, lifted her chin. “It’s nice to be a part of your work.”

  I pulled her into my arms. “I like you being included.” I kissed her, feeling eyes on me. Ivy was standing by the counter, but her focus turned away.

  Dahlia crossed the distance and extended her hand. “I’m Dahlia. My partner isn’t in today, but you’ll meet her. As you can see, we have an eclectic selection of trinkets created by local artists all with an occult edge.”

  “I could spend hours looking.”

  “I know how you feel. The job would be working the register, but more importantly, learning about the artists and their work, so you can discuss the pieces with customers. Does that sound interesting to you?”

  “Very much.”

  “Josiah explained you just got into town, so I’m guessing you’d like to take a few days to get your bearings and to see the city.”

  “I’d really like to work though too.”

  “Okay, well why don’t we make your first day next Monday. That will give you a little over a week to get settled.”

  Ivy looked uncomfortable before she added, “I don’t have papers or a license. I can’t even prove I am who I say.”

  “The sheriff vouches for you. That’s good enough for me, but you’ll want to get identification. The sheriff can help you with that.”

  I loved my wife. “Yes. We’ll take care of it,” I replied.

  “Thank you.” Ivy’s eyes were bright. “Thank you for this.”

  “We all need help sometimes. Asking for it can be hard, but it shouldn’t be. We’ll start you part-time, Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, nine to three.”

  “Sounds perfect.”

  “Welcome to Hunter’s Moon, Ivy.”

  That night, Dahlia walked in the door, and I had her up against the wall. Before she could exhale, I had her panties off and my cock inside her. It was hard and fast. We didn’t kiss, and we didn’t talk, just stared at one another as I brought her to the edge and then over it.

  “What a nice way to come home,” she said breathlessly.

  “You’re a beautiful woman, inside and out.”

  A blush rose on her cheeks, her eyes turned bright. “Oh do go on.”

  “I intend to woman, all fucking night.”

  She laughed. I lifted her and started for the bedroom.

  “Aria called today.”

  Her face lit up. Dahlia and Aria were like two peas in a pod. “How is she?” Dahlia asked.

  “Itching to get away from her mother.”

  “Are you surprised?”

  “No.” I wanted to share with Dahlia all that I had learned, my hesitation in bringing Aria here, but I wasn’t sure I wanted to put that burden on her just now.

  “You know she is welcome here whenever.”

  “I do.”

  She brushed her fingers over my jaw. “You’re beautiful too, Josiah, inside and out.”

  I dropped her on the bed before yanking my shirt off. “Oh do go on.”

  19

  Ivy

  I had a job. One I hadn’t started yet, but I had a job, a little normal in a life that was anything but. I snuck out of the house again because I was a thirty-two-year-old woman who was getting a late start. I wanted to see and learn everything.

  I hadn’t realized where I was heading until I got there. The temperature was cooler the closer I grew to the plantation house. Evil saturated the place, but there was something else here. I couldn’t quite put my finger on it, but it wasn’t all darkness. Someone had carved the symbol, someone knew what was coming, but even that wasn’t what I felt. It was older and more familiar.

  I walked around and hadn’t noticed when I was here with the sheriff, but there were dandelion clocks growing around the plantation. I wasn’t aware that dandelions grew in the bayou. They looked beautiful, and with the creepy house as a backdrop, I couldn’t help the shiver. Evil pressed against an unseen border. I could feel the intent…the need…the hunger.

  He appeared, a little boy. Not the same one from Misty Vale. His clothes were more modern, his hair blond not black. He didn’t have his front teeth, his mouth turned up into a wide smile. He laughed, and I could hear it being carried on the wind. Clouds rolled in, and the temperatures dropped. The little boy’s smile faded, his blue eyes went wide with fear. He screamed; my hands moved over my ears as tears burned my eyes. I wanted to go to him, to comfort him, but my feet wouldn’t move. He ran right at me, terror in his expression. Claw marks appeared on his throat, the blood gushing from the wound, each drop that landed on the ground formed a dandelion clock. His lifeless eyes were the last things I saw before he faded.

  “No!” I dropped to my knees, the pain eviscerating me from the inside. I didn’t know him, but watching his death stole a little piece of me. It was an echo of what had been, what could happen again unless we stopped it. We had to stop it.

  The farther I walked from that ugly place, the warmer I grew. The heat of the sun pushing back the lingering cold and the last of the horrifying image I wanted to put from my mind but didn’t because it was a reminder that there was more to why I was here than experiencing the world. Someone approached, it wasn’t until he was closer that I recognized him as the man I had seen my first day. Dressed again in black, carrying his umbrella, he was strolling down the street. Our eyes connected, his were bright blue. His steps slowed, his focus never left me. As we grew closer, something moved across his expression before he smiled and continued on his way.

  I couldn’t help glancing back; he was gone. I stopped walking and stared at the empty street. Where the hell did he go? Was he another ghost? It was New Orleans, and I apparently attracted them.

  I was pondering that when I reached the house and stopped dead. Bain was outside working on his bike. His arms were showcased in the white tank he wore. The man was ripped with muscle. I felt my heart pounding in my throat, and my legs went a bit weak. I tried to remember the man he had been once upon a time, but I didn’t remember him being so…awesome.

  His head lifted, those gray eyes that hid so much collided with mine. I couldn’t read him. Couldn’t read his cr
ew either. I wasn’t sure why that was, but the one person I’d love to get inside his head was one I couldn’t. He had to remember, at least in part, what we were. There was a part of me that wanted nothing more than to compare notes, but Bain was more the silent type. There was kindness in him, offering his place to Aine and me, making that amazing meal the first night, but unlike some in his crew, he wasn’t a big talker.

  And me, I grew tongue-tied whenever he was near. I knew we had a history, a past, a connection, but on just a purely superficial level, the man made me hot. A thirty-two-year old virgin and the first introduction to a man was that magnificent one. It wasn’t a wonder that I forgot my name when he looked at me. When he touched me, I grew so warm I was sure I’d go up in flames, and that kiss. He’d only been playing a part, but that kiss, that peck on the lips…holy shit. I hadn’t stopped thinking about it. I wanted to kiss him for real. I wanted to do a hell of a lot more than kiss him. The world could be ending, but my brain was thinking about sex with a man I didn’t know, but somehow did. That was life, bad timing or not.

  Aine appeared, carrying two bottles. “Oh there you are.” She skipped down the steps and handed one of the bottles to Bain. “Do you want one?” she asked then shoved it in my hand. “Drink it. I’ll be right back.”

  She hurried inside, but I was too busy watching Bain drinking his beer, his head back, his long neck exposed. My eyes tracked a bead of sweat rolling down his throat, over his Adam’s apple until it disappeared under his tank. I had a good enough imagination to see it rolling between the muscles of his pecs, the ridges of his abs and how I wanted to follow the path with my hand and my tongue. I held up the bottle, but instead of drinking it, I pressed it to my forehead to cool off.

  Aine returned. “We’re going into town tonight. You’re going to see Mardi Gras at its finest.”

  I sneaked a glance at Bain to find him watching me. I had the terrible suspicion that unlike me, he could read me just fine. I drank the beer, the whole bottle in one long gulp. It went right to my head, and I felt a little dizzy, but I was also pleasantly relaxed.

  Aine grabbed my hand. “Let’s get dressed.”

  I didn’t want to get dressed. I wanted to pull up a chair and watch Bain work. He was leaning against his bike, his bottle hanging from his fingers, but I swear he was reading my mind because his eyes grew really dark. I was feeling relaxed enough that the idea of throwing caution to the wind and running my hands over that body was not out of the question.