The Gathering

by Fiore, L. A.

  “She’s okay.”

  “She didn’t look okay yesterday.”

  “The conversation with Tristan hit a nerve. She’ll be fine.”

  “Jareth’s messenger is due back tonight with the stone. I don’t think it’s a coincidence the stones are with the ones who answered the call,” Brock said.

  I didn’t either. Ivy had said she had wanted to get locked away, knew Ellis would choose her home to do so. It was like she planned her own capture. But why? And why for so long? Ellis had let her go pretty easily considering how long he held her, but she had just as easily obliterated the spell that held her. She could have escaped long before she did. Why hadn’t she?

  “You good with finishing this up?” I asked Brock.

  “Yeah. Where are you going?”

  “I want to check something out.”

  I parked next to the crumbling fountain. I’d like to see the place come back to life, didn’t sit right seeing it so neglected.

  The front door creaked when I pushed it open; even knowing the place had been lived in, and recently, a musty smell from being sealed tight for so long hit my nose…the power of magic, to not just conjure but to deceive. Stepping inside, I still felt it, even with Ivy no longer being bound here. I knew this place, just like I knew her. I studied the staircase that at one time had been amazing, now just a crumbled mess. Memories teased my brain. Echoes of the past came from down the hall, running footsteps, laughter. Amazing that after countless centuries, it still lingered. Was that why she wanted to be locked away here? Was it simply that she didn’t remember, but she felt the closest to what she’d lost here? I didn’t feel the dark magic. Ellis and his minions’ imprint had already faded, swallowed up by the love that still saturated the place.

  I felt my visitor before he strolled through the front door I’d left open. The fox. He was a shifter, and as the alpha shifter, I could have forced him to shift. I didn’t. He walked past me and down the hall, stopping occasionally to make sure I was following. He walked out the back door, through the rundown courtyard, stopping in the far corner. I didn’t see it at first; the grass and weeds were grown over it. The fox started to dig; I heard his nails on the wood.

  I finished clearing the door, an old wooden one with stone steps that led down. From the condition of it and how rusted over the hinges were, it hadn’t been opened in a long, long time. It was dark and damp, the cobwebs so thick I had to brush them out of my way. There was no electricity, but I saw better in the dark. It was a large cellar, the entire footprint of the house and then some, and it was empty, but there was something down here, the persistent tingling at my nape was evident of that. I was beyond the house and still the cellar continued. Whatever was down here was growing stronger. A power I’d never felt before. And that was when I saw the roots of the tree. The one that was only a stump, the one Ivy had dropped down next to, the one we had planted; its roots fed deep underground and a room had been built around it. A root cellar. The roots looked like lava, fire swirled through them, and they pulsed with power. As it was above was not as it was below. The tree appeared dead, but the power of the tree wasn’t dormant; it was awake and growing, and carved in the center of the tree was the symbol.

  I brought Ivy home, to her root cellar. “How did you find this?” she asked.

  “Your fox.”

  “It’s waking up,” she whispered, her eyes bright seeing the roots of her tree burning like fire.

  “You wanted to be locked up here because your presence would recharge your tree,” I said, my focus on her. “The symbol…”

  “It’s mine,” she whispered.

  I glanced over at her tree and the fire that burned within it. “You summoned Ellis; you stayed locked up because of that. You put the symbols around the city, and I’m guessing…” I pulled out my necklace, “…you created these too. It’s all part of your plan, Ivy. You need to remember.”

  31

  Ivy

  The city burned, the air so thick with smoke it blocked out the sun. The streets of New Orleans had turned into a battlefield. In every street and every alley, pockets of fights between good and evil raged. Humans, unable to fight, huddled together, behind overturned cars and smoldering buildings, seeking in vain for a means to escape, to find safety in a city that was no longer safe. Sections were cordoned off for the wounded, but there was no medicine to aid what ailed them. Death would come, painfully but thankfully swift. Evil seeped into the world untethered, claiming and destroying everything in its path. It had planned its re-emergence with tactical precision. It had waited too long; it would wait no longer.

  Once it took New Orleans, it would spread out across the land. It didn’t discriminate; it would take everyone. It would turn the lush green of the forests black in death; it would dry up the oceans and pollute the air with its poison. Even if you escaped, you wouldn’t live long. There would be nothing left but chaos and darkness.

  It hit so hard I stumbled. I saw him fall and fought through death to reach his side. I caught him, held him in my arms, but his eyes no longer saw. The pain ripped through me. He was dead.

  Bain’s body was curled around mine. I felt his heart beating and his warmth and drew comfort as I stared into the darkness with tears rolling down my cheeks.

  I walked down Chartreuse Street to the bookstore. As soon as I opened the door, the old woman appeared. “Welcome back.”

  “Who are you?” I asked without ceremony.

  Her old eyes sparkled. “You’re asking the right questions now.”

  “My tree, I was the one to cut it down. Why did I do that?”

  “The guardians of nature are very strong in certain magic, including granting wishes.”

  “Do you mean the fairies?”

  “Yes. Did you know the veil is the thinnest during the summer solstice? It’s the only time they can pass into our world, or we can pass into theirs.”

  “What are you trying to tell me?”

  “You have all the answers. You just need to put it together.”

  “You won’t tell me?” I asked.

  “I can’t, but I will tell you this. Fear is a dangerous emotion. It is what festers; it is what gives evil power.” She touched me again, and again something familiar moved through me. “There is a reason it feeds only on humans.”

  “Because they don’t see what else is in the world.”

  “All boogiemen through the ages are based on the supernatural. Things seen by humans who couldn’t explain it and so turned it into something evil. You once said we could learn a lot from humans. You were right.”

  Tears welled. “That was real?” My heart hiccupped. “You’re my mother.”

  She touched my cheek; it was so familiar. “Yes. You knew then, and you know now. Humans are both the solution and the weakness.”

  “Who am I?”

  “Who you are isn’t important. What you will do is. Save them, Ivy. They are yours.”

  The others were in the kitchen, but I was on the Internet researching the boogieman. My mother had been right. Story after story, fairy tales, urban legends, and all of them were a twisting of the supernatural. Fear spun into make-believe. Evil was feeding on that fear. If it escaped New Orleans, there would be no stopping it, all those people in the dark, raised on stories of the boogieman and myths. They needed to know. Humans needed to see.

  I walked into the kitchen and interrupted when I said, “Humans need to know about the supernatural.”

  Josiah was visiting. He was like a fixture at the house these days, looking for answers and not getting them. He hadn’t been expecting that. His eyes went wide. “I don’t think that’s a good idea, Ivy.”

  “I’m with the sheriff,” Jareth added.

  “Fear fuels it and a part of fear is intolerance, but that is only because of misunderstanding. There’s a reason it’s only hunting humans. Their fear of the unknown makes them vulnerable, easier to manipulate. We have to take that out of the equation. It isn’t just our extinc
tion we are talking about. It’s not right that they aren’t included in the effort to save them.”

  “How do you know it won’t be open season on the mystics?” Brock asked.

  “Because it would be like informing a rabbit that a dog lives in the house. It doesn’t put the dog at risk, it just makes the rabbit more cautious.”

  Josiah rubbed his neck and grinned. “That actually makes a hell of a lot of sense.”

  “How would we do that, inform humans that their neighbors are lycan and vampires?”

  “Carefully,” I offered. “And we need to complete the symbol.”

  “My man is returning this evening,” Jareth stated. “He sensed he was being followed, so he hung with a lady friend for a few days to throw off his tail.”

  “Someone knows what he was retrieving?” Josiah asked.

  “Or they tracked him because he left and we stayed. If I were watching us, I’d want to know what he was up to.”

  “Let’s have a lycan fete,” Aine suggested. All heads turned to her. “We want to tell humans about us, but they need to see us before that. They need to know we aren’t that much different than they are. A fete is a big celebration…with Mardi Gras over it gives them another reason to party.”

  “That’s a really good idea,” Josiah said.

  “Where would we have it?” Brock asked.

  “I’ll figure it out. What will you need?” Josiah offered.

  “We’ll take care of it. You promote it; we’ll be there,” Brock said.

  “All right. I’ll need to inform the mayor.”

  All eyes turned to Bain. As the alpha, it was his call. “I want perimeters and patrols. All of us in one location will be very tempting.”

  “I’ve got reserves; I’ll post them too,” Josiah offered.

  “Awesome. We need food.” Aine jumped up and grabbed Brock’s hand. “Let’s go shopping.”

  “How did I get roped into shopping?” he moaned as Aine pulled him away.

  Later that night, we were outside around the bonfire when I felt the collective go tense. “Someone’s coming,” Bain said as he stood.

  Josiah’s car pulled up the drive. Tension relaxed. Twice in one day. He climbed from the car, walked around it, and held the door for Dahlia.

  “Were you expecting them?” Bain asked.

  “No.”

  “Dahlia looked excited, and Josiah looked resolved.”

  “Sorry for just popping over,” he said as he approached. “This is my wife, Dahlia…”

  Jareth approached. “Hello.”

  “Fucking hell,” Josiah muttered.

  Dahlia preened. “You’re a vampire.”

  His smile was slow to form, but Dahlia clearly thought it was worth the wait. She had stars in her eyes. “Shall I give you the tour?” Jareth offered his arm.

  “You’re leaving with me, wife.” Josiah called after them.

  She lifted her hand and wiggled her fingers. “Of course, dear.”

  “Fucking vampires,” he muttered again.

  “I heard that,” Jareth replied.

  “I don’t care,” Josiah countered.

  “You want something to drink?” Aine asked.

  “Yeah, a bottle of Jack.”

  “Okay,” Aine turned for the house.

  “No, I’m kidding. A beer would be nice though.”

  “You got it.”

  “So, what’s up?” I asked as we settled back around the fire.

  “The mayor would like to meet you. An event as big as the one you’re planning, he’d like to know the newcomers throwing it.”

  “Seems reasonable,” Brock said.

  “It might be a good idea to clue him in. He’s the face and voice of the city. He can help calm the masses when the shit hits the fan,” Bain suggested.

  “I’m thinking that too,” Josiah agreed.

  Josiah’s cell went off. He checked it. He went from the man to the cop in a blink. “What’s wrong, Nick?” He paled and stood. “Where? I’m on my way.”

  Bain was already up. “What?”

  “We need to get the mayor. I think we can tell him without having to tell him.”

  “What does that mean?” I asked.

  “Easier to show you.”

  Aine came out with his beer. “I have to leave. Could you please stay with Dahlia?”

  Aine glanced at me before she said, “Of course.”

  “Thank you.” He reached for his phone. “I’ll text you the location. I’ll get the mayor and meet you there.”

  Even before we arrived, I felt death. Bain pulled over, but our focus was on the section of the bayou that spread out before us. Everything was dead…the trees, the grass, even the wildlife.

  “It’s starting,” I whispered.

  A car pulled up, a man’s voice laced with fear pierced the silence, “What the hell happened here?”

  The mayor was visibly shaking when he joined us. “What caused this?” Wide fearful eyes scanned us, desperately looking for answers.

  I answered him, “You’ve got a war happening in your city and the ones the most at risk are the ones who have no idea it’s happening. They need to know what’s here and what’s coming.”

  “What’s coming? What could have done this?”

  I looked back out at the bayou. “If left unchecked, death for all of you.”

  Fear coated his next words. “I don’t understand. What did this?”

  “In a word…evil,” Josiah offered.

  “Evil?”

  “A manifestation of evil, something tangible, something that can reach out and touch you, and it’s coming,” I added.

  Disbelief warred with feared, the mayor started to pace. He dragged his fingers through his hair. “You’re talking supernatural.”

  “Yes.”

  “I don’t believe in that.”

  In the next breath, Bain shifted. The mayor screamed then stumbled backwards, landing on his butt. The blood drained from his face, shaking hands lifted to ward Bain off. He shifted back.

  “He’s not what you need to fear,” I said.

  “This is really happening.”

  I felt sympathy that this was how he had to be introduced to the supernatural, but time now was a luxury we didn’t have. “If it gets out of the city…” I gestured to the bayou, “That’s what will become of the country and then the world.”

  “Whatever you need, you’ve got it. Just stop this.”

  32

  Josiah

  The stationhouse was in overdrive. At least Mardi Gras was long over, but we had the fete and whatever the fuck was coming. Even those who weren’t in the know knew something was happening.

  I was exhausted by the time I got home. I had no sooner opened the door when I heard Rebecca. What the fuck was she doing here? I walked into the living room. Dahlia was standing by the window, wringing her hands—a sign that she was distressed. Rebecca was on her phone, and my daughter was sitting on a chair looking dejected.

  “Hey, pumpkin.”

  Aria’s head snapped up and light returned to her when she jumped from the chair and ran to me. I dropped to my knees, braced, and folded her into my arms when she crashed into me. I inhaled her. God, I’d missed her.

  She was anxious; I could feel it in how tense she was. “What’s wrong?”

  “Mom doesn’t want me,” she whispered.

  Anger flared, I tapped that shit down. “What do you mean?”

  Tears brightened her eyes. “Mom doesn’t want me.”

  “Dahlia.”

  Dahlia was already crossing the room. “Come, Aria, I have new jewelry to show you.” She took her hand, kissing the back of it. “It’ll be okay.”

  Aria didn’t want to leave, her head turning to me. “Go with Dahlia. It’ll be all right. I just need to talk to your mom.”

  As soon as she was out of earshot, I crossed the room, took Rebecca’s phone, and threw it against the fucking wall. She shot up from her spot outraged. She was outraged. H
er daughter had been sitting three fucking feet away from her, a bundle of nerves, and she was talking on her fucking phone.

  “You’ll replace that,” she hissed.

  I fisted my hands because I wanted to wrap them around her neck. “What the fuck are you doing here? You know I don’t want her anywhere near this city and sure as fuck not now.”

  “Why not now? It’s always not now with you.”

  I can’t believe I ever found this woman attractive. “The city isn’t safe.”

  “According to you, no city is safe, but I have the chance to go away with my boyfriend, and I’m going.”

  “Boyfriend? Since when?”

  “It’s fairly new, but I want to explore it.”

  “No. I told you she can’t be here. I need more time to get a better handle on what’s happening.”

  “I’m not asking, Josiah. It’s already June; I’ve had her for two months longer than I should have.”

  Longer than she should have! Rage exploded in me. “She’s your daughter.”

  “Whatever.”

  “You can’t postpone a trip with a complete stranger for another month for the wellbeing of your daughter?”

  “Your daughter is odd.”

  I went cold and hot all at once, hearing her speak of her daughter like that. I was going to fucking kill her. “What did you say?”

  “She’s weird, quiet, and odd. I don’t think she even feels emotion.”

  “That’s bullshit. She was just sitting here terrified that you brought her when she knows I want her safely away from here, and she was worried because she knew we’d end up doing exactly what we’re doing…fighting.”

  “You see more of her than there is.” Her hand flipped through her hair. “She’s emotionless with me, and frankly it’s a drag.”

  I drew my next words out very slowly as I worked to rein in my temper. “You find your daughter a drag?”

  “I’m going, Josiah. If you don’t think she’s safe, get Dahlia to take her away.”

  “Dahlia has a job.”

  “Not my problem.” She strolled to the door.