by Aneesa Price
“You said we could help,” Anais interjected, “how?”
“The Goddess of Magick appeared to us and said that we’d find the key in New Orleans. She maintains that we’re on the right path, so, after finding out about your mixed magickal heritage, we think that it might have something to do with you.”
“But we don’t know any of this? How can we help when we’re still learning?” Anais looked at Conall and Niul for clarity.
“We’re not sure. The Goddess is often cryptic but always for a reason. We know that the answer will come when the time is right for it,” responded Niul.
“Aye,” responded Conall. “As frustrating as it is to feel like you have to wait when we need to act and find those missing witches, we have learned that there is method to the Goddess’s plans. So, for now, we’ll teach you, help you grow into your magick and hope that the answers come soon.”
“Okay,” nodded Anais, “teach away.”
“Thank you,” Conall stated softly, taking her hands in hers and placing a quick kiss on her cheek, to the giggling delight of the others. He looked at his new partners in good, “first a quick theoretical lesson and then Niul and I will divide you into groups and begin the training.”
“Count us in,” said Miss Suzette and Raulf jointly, stepping from behind a tree where they’d been shamelessly eavesdropping.
“What?” asked Raulf, when he saw the smirks on their women’s faces. “Y’all knew we were there all along.”
“Yes, brother,” Anais went forward and took his hand, that one word, clarifying and cementing the status of their relationship, “and you’re welcome. You’re both family and we will never exclude you unless it is what you wish.”
Conall came forward and extended a hand to the wolf, “Thank you. I know you’re doing it for your family, not my cause, but I appreciate the offer and am indebted to you for your generosity.”
“I’ll take your gratitude,” responded Raulf. He couldn’t hate this man, though he thought long and hard and envied him still. Anais would continue to be his love but he wanted her happy and so far, the witch seemed to do that. “But I’m not doing this for my family – only – I’m, we’re,” he indicated towards Miss Suzette, “are from strong bloodlines too, strong magick, and we’re doing this because it is right.”
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Blood Lust was pumping, the very air that swum around them throbbed to the beat of the bass provided by DJ Duke. Ironically, Duke had been a real one in the sixteenth century, which of course, his human fans had no clue of as his occupation of playing in clubs and working in recording studios catered perfectly to the nocturnal lifestyle of a vampire. The DJ box was surrounded by of what Anais and Co. snidely referred to as ‘lipstick vamps’ – air-head, pretty girls who lived and loved the life of centuries of non-stop partying.
V leaned into the leather-padded back-rest offered by the booth they were sitting in, looking at their group and flicking her gaze towards the women throwing their bodies around in front of Stephan. “I think we can deduce that immortality doesn’t improve intelligence. I know it shouldn’t bug me. They lead their lives and I do mine but it does. They irritate the shit out of me.”
“That’s the human in you or the witch human in you at least, I think,” offered Sophie. “I don’t get irritated by much but they grate me too. I’m not sure if it’s the fake brains, fake smiles or fake attitudes.”
Feet tapping, Marie interjected, “Oh, stop your bitching and come and dance before the alcohol in these blood-infused drinks, crap blood-infused drinks, gets to me.”
Rose threw a smirk at Marie, “Now you’re bitching. You’re livid that Akeldonna’s used your blood-alcohol idea for her clubs.”
“Of course I’m mad. They took me ages to mix and come up with. We threw her a fantastic opening party and now she frikkin’ steals my recipes!”
Anais, lips curved in amusement, patted Marie’s hand consolingly, “Don’t worry, Marie. Yours is so much better and,” she stopped to sip the Blood Lust blocolate, the chocolate vodka infused blood drink, “you use better quality alcohol and blood. The cow is a cheapskate so yours will always be better. You’re the originale, cher and she’s a cheap copy.”
Marie grinned satisfyingly in response. “So, let’s go dance before the cheap booze hits me.”
“You sure you can dance after all that? I think the cheap booze has already hit.” V, pointed to the number of empty glasses that sat on the table in front of Marie.
“Sure, y’all just watch me.” Marie made a point of strutting her stuff on her way to the dance floor.
Anais grinned in appreciation of her friend’s sense of fun. It had been a few grueling days of events and magick training and they were due for a break. “We better go before she hurts herself.”
Anais leaned over and whispered in Conall’s ear, seductively letting her lips graze the tasty appendage, savoring the involuntary shudder it elicited. “Don’t take too long now, I’m feeling a need to work off all this energy that the lessons have given me and I think you can help.” She teasingly dodged the smoldering kiss she could see was coming and followed the rest of the ladies to the dance floor.
Conall lingered over the sight of Anais’s derriere moving in tune to the music as she made her way to her friends. Turning to his, he quickly erected an invisible sound barrier over them so that no one could hear them but they could hear what was happening around them. It wasn’t that he was uncomfortable in a vampire club crawling with supernaturals but he’d learnt the hard way to always be prepared. “This is the first time we’ve been alone since the last time we were in the Quarter. No vampire women, no Voodoo mama and no broody werewolf. So, how’s home, Sylvain? Is ma in a state?”
Sylvain eyed his friend thoughtfully, things between Conall and Anais had progressed to a serious state even if they pretended as that it was a fling. “Your home is lovely and unchanged. The change seems to be coming from this quarter. And yes, your mother is in quite a state. It took much convincing from me and your sisters to stop her from coming here.”
“Why would she want to do that? I’ve been on missions for the Goddess before? Surely she’s not concerned for my safety?”
“Aah, Conall, you display a son’s foolhardiness.” Niul explained. “Of course your mother is concerned for your safety. She’s a mother, isn’t she?” He raised an enquiring brow at Conall who sheepishly nodded before he continued, “But what our friend, Sylvain, is referring to is your mother’s concern for her son’s heart, not his body.”
“What?” Conall was mystified and then realisation shone on his face and he narrowed his eyes at Sylvain, “Did you rat on me to my ma, Syl?”
Sylvain held up his hands in his defense, “Of course I didn’t nor did your sisters, though Fianna was close to spilling. Your mom’s psychic, Con, what do you think?”
“Fuck! Now she’ll definitely be coming down. And if she doesn’t make it down here, she’ll be watching us like a loaf of bread in the oven of a starving man when we take Anais home with us.” Conall grumbled, nearly grabbing a blood infused drink, and then blinking, went for his tall one of Guinness. “Okay, enough of that, I can see that you both want to have a go at me about Anais and I’m not falling for that. Let’s chat about the mission while we have the chance. I’m still no nearer to figuring out what the Goddess meant for us to come here unless it has to do with the powers that Anais has.”
Niul nodded in ascent, “Been thinking of that, I have and we’d be on the same page. The vampires have seemed to be there usual selves and I can’t pick out anything going on with the council. The recon I’ve been doing has shown that they live large and sleep like the undead,” Niul grinned at the pun.
“And,” added Sylvain, “nothing new on the missing witches. There’s no link to any vampires in one of their activities before they went missing and nothing to raise any flags.”
Conall nodded, “My gut tells me there’s something about in New Orleans but I can’t put a f
inger on it. So, in the meantime, do you agree that we carry on teaching the ladies, do recon and see what it leads to?”
Sylvain grinned wickedly, “Sure. That’s the only way I see for us right now. And speaking of carrying, you better go and join your lovely lady before that big vamp over there gets a bit too friendly.”
Conall did a double take in the direction where the ladies were dancing. A huge blonde vampire was trying to wedge himself between Anais and Sophie. Conall swore, earning bigger grins from his friends. “If he doesn’t stop poking at her, it’ll be bloody in Blood Lust because I’m going to cut off his fingers and then his balls.”
Conall promptly disengaged the magickal sound booth and swift-footed it to Anais.
“This place is unbelievable!” Conall leaned down to whisper in Anais’ ear, liking the feeling of getting close as they moved to a ballad of love lost and yearned for. “It’s hard to reconcile a public night club with one meant for the supernatural crowd. Maybe it’s because I can sense and spot the supes amongst a crowd and there’s an overwhelming amount of them here. It’s like the unusual is celebrated here and with us being part of that unusual, I can see why you’ve made this your primary base.”
“It’s just how New Orleans is,” Anais shrugged. “Take the Quarter – windows of shops advertise supernatural - vampire-themed accommodation and events, psychic readings, voodoo tours and ghost-hunting. People probably come to the club thinking it’s a tourist gimmick. People only see what they want and what their minds and beliefs can handle. I’ve been doing it here for years, decades at a time, and the only humans that have an inkling of what’s going on has been Miss Suzette, Raulf and their Voodoo, Shifter families and I believe it’s because they’re not really the usual human crowd.”
Conall glared at another man, a shifter this time, approaching them. Didn’t the idiots see that she was with him? He pulled Anais closer possessively, loving the way she curved into him.
“I’m quite happy with our little arrangement, so you can stop shooting daggers at all the guys around us, Conall. They’re just flirting and dancing, having fun. Vampires are by nature, flirtatious and sexual creatures. You know that. Have a heart, Conall.”
Conall inwardly frowned at her reference to them as a ‘little arrangement’ but let it go, now was also not the time to speak of what he felt for her. “I’ll have their hearts, alright, if they don’t keep their paws to themselves.”
“Such a strong, powerful and good looking man and yet you’re so jealous of them.” She gently moved his face to look down into hers. She caught the smile he gave at the statement and held it. “Rest assured, lover, you’ll be the only one warming my bed tonight.” Anais looked over to Niul snuggled up to V and Sophie draped in the arms of Sylvain. “It looks like we’re not the only ones that will have that pleasure tonight.” Marie and Rose were likely being attended to by two very handsome vampires, including the blonde Adonis that Conall had nearly dragged away from her earlier.
“It’s been a tough few days; they’re all entitled to a bit of fun and a night off. They’ve each taken well to learning the craft. Your sisters have thankfully been focused, more than I anticipated having seen how they’re given to continuous squabbling.”
“Exactement! We’ve all earned tonight’s play time. And I’m about ready to go home and play a different game with you.” She slipped out of his arms as the number neared to the end, the implications of her invitation and the close proximity to him making her heavy with wanting. “I’ll go freshen up in the lady’s and then we’ll be off?”
“I aim to please, Madame.” Conall bowed slightly drawing out a giggle from her, making his lips curve in response. “I’ll wait for you at the table.”
Anais made her way to the bathroom, her smile slipping. She’d been feeling the glow wanting to erupt while she was on the dance floor. At first she thought that it was due to her nearness to Conall and then recognized, as flashes of unknown others came to her, that it was the witch magick. She was so tired of being the centre of attention with one or other drama and they all needed the night off that she decided to keep quiet about it. The flashes had intensified in frequency and she got a sense of urgency from whoever was sending it to her, so she decided to escape to the only private place a nightclub offered - the loo.
A piercing voice interrupted her thoughts. Akeldonna’s equivalent of a handmaiden, the Greek vampireress, Elektra approached her as she was about to escape into a cubicle. “Anais, how lovely to see you?” Air kisses were followed by useless platitudes as Anais nodded, smiled and returned the fake niceties.
“Elektra,” Anais pasted an extra-wide smile onto her face, “the drinks here are so good.” Thank God Marie wasn’t here to hear that and clomp her over the head. “I’ve had so many that please excuse me. I need the little girl’s room pronto.”
“Of course, I completely understand. Your dear Marie does try, poor girl. But some things do require talent and more than a clever little idea. But we’ll let that be our little secret.” Elektra leaned in conspiratorially, “That Marie is a spit-fire but these Cajuns seem to be. The men are good for it in bed but I admire you putting up with it in Marie and your other child, Rose. Their attitudes would drive me mad. But I understand the bond between maker and child, even the unruly ones; it’s our curse when we turn those wild cards. They’re either a hit or a miss but,” Elektra waved a jeweled hand in the air, as crass as her orange-red hair and electric blue hooker get-up, “like I said, I admire your tolerance of your ‘misses’ with those two.”
Anais mentally gritted her teeth. Smiling broadly, she put on an Oscar-winning performance. “I appreciate your understanding of what I have to go through. But you’re right, as always, dear Elektra, we makers have to live with the consequences of turning just anyone.”
Elektra beamed at Anais, “I’m so glad to hear that you share that perspective. A pity that we live so long with our mistakes, isn’t it? Tell me, what do you think of Akeldonna’s newest brain child. I just loooove Blood Lust. It’s so in-your-face-chic.”
“Once again, you’re right. It is genius!” Anais clapped her hands in acknowledgement. And take that back to your bitch boss too!
“It is, isn’t it? I’m so glad I’ve run into you. Now I can tell Akeldonna that there’s an added health benefit to her club. Having some fun has done wonders for your looks! I’ve never seen you look better. You’re nearly glowing!”
Another mental gritting of teeth, then did a magickal scan to check if she was visibly glowing. Nothing was leaking so Elektra was just being her bitchy self then.
“Is our dear Akeldonna here?”
“She’s somewhere. I must tell her you’re here.”
Checking to see if the smile was still pasted on her face, she leaned in to air kiss and escape, “Please do. I’d love to see her again. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got to do my business here so I can get back to that delicious fun!”
“Of course. I’m going to have a delicious little snack.” Elektra beckoned a dazed-looking woman with a black painted nail, pulling her into a corner cubicle.
Anais let herself into a cubicle, as far away from Elektra’s as she could find and allowed the repressed shudder to escape. Thankfully Elektra wasn’t a messy eater and the only sounds that she was done with ‘her snack’ was the opening and closing of the door and the thumping of the enthralled human when she left. Another shudder. Anais hated the out-dated and technically illegal practice of drinking from the source. Elektra must be following the new ‘organic movement’ that claimed that drinking directly from humans was healthier for a vampire. It was the vampire equivalent of healthy organic eating. Anais dreaded to think of their interpretation of ‘free-range’. Yuck. It was cruel and unnecessary given the advent of blood banks. Anais hadn’t had blood directly from a human in decades. She breathed deeply and took solace from the thought that Elektra was one vampire who would definitely go to hell when she was snuffed out.
Centering h
erself and going to that place inside where the magick lived, she forced the negative thoughts away and focused. She felt the glow erupt from her, grateful that the floor-to-ceiling toilet cubicles would hide it. As the glow was let out, the flashes came in. They were ghastly, dark, scenes of girls and women, young and old, being held in a dark, dirty cell. They looked ragged and unkempt. Some were walking around, talking to themselves; others sat in a daze. Dark, damp, the smell of blood seeping into soil assaulted her senses before she found herself looking through the eyes of the sender.
“Help us.” The words jolted her. It was the voice of a young girl with the lilt of the Irish tongue. God! Were these the girls Conall was looking for? The surprised realization broke the link. Silently cursing, she linked in again and felt the girl’s relief.
“Help us, please. We won’t last long,” the girl said.
“Where are you?” Anais sent back.
“I don’t know. They kidnapped us then gagged and blind-folded us so we couldn’t see. We travelled for what felt like days, so I don’t know.” A sob escaped the girl.
“Hush,” responded Anais gently, “I’ll help but I need some more information. Who kidnapped you? What are they doing with you?”
“Vampires. Draining us. Torture.” Struggling to speak, the girl sent images to Anais instead. It made her want to gag. The women were being raped, tortured and fed on by vampires. She didn’t recognize any of them. The girls had the pale complexion of humans that did not go out into the sun very often.
Anais felt the girl weaken and slip away. “Hang on!” She sent a mental shout. “I need more information so I can help you!”
“Can’t talk. Connection…making…too weak.”
“Okay. Take a break. I’m going to speak to some friends and then I’ll connect with you later. We’ll figure something on. Just hang on, okay?” Anais felt a slight mental nod come through and then nothing. The connection was gone.
