The Malveaux Curse Mysteries Boxset 2

by G A Chase

  Kendell lit match after match and tossed the small fires onto every document she could find. “I instructed the homeless to hightail it out of the Quarter as soon as they heard the explosion.”

  Myles saw the yellowed cover of a file curl at the corners, followed by a blue flame that spread from one cursed loan to the next. “That’s only helpful if the riot doesn’t get out of control.”

  Once the fires had crept up the wainscoting on the far side of the room, Joe stood up and nodded. “That should do it. I don’t want to get trapped in here. Flashlights off.”

  The moment Joe opened the door, Myles had a spasm of fear that the flames and smoke would be isolated to the office, but when he heard the alarm blast through the corridors, one fear was replaced by another. Eight minutes to get our asses out of here. For the love of God, don’t trip.

  Between the smoke, noise, emergency escape lights inside, and mayhem outside, Myles began to wonder if they had, in fact, started the apocalypse. Joe led the way down the confusing array of stairs and hallways. More than once, Myles was sure they were going the wrong direction, but he knew better than to think he knew the way out.

  When they hit the lobby, he saw men hunched at the corners of the marble-covered room. If they’re still in place, we’ve got more than three minutes left. But when he hit the door to the basement, the men got up and raced after them.

  Myles had never flown down a flight of stairs so fast in his life. His feet didn’t even register each step as he glided over the concrete and steel.

  Joe was first out the door, but that was where his leadership ended. “Get in the van. I need to make sure everyone gets out.”

  Myles held Kendell’s hand as they raced up the loading ramp and dove into the back of the black vehicle.

  “Get as far forward as you can,” the driver called out. “It’s going to be a bumpy ride getting out of here.”

  Myles felt every second pass as he ushered in each member of the team. He didn’t realize he was holding his breath until Joe jumped in, pulled the back doors shut, and yelled, “Drive!”

  Myles held Kendell tightly as the van swung hard to the right toward the river. He didn’t dare look out the window at the screaming and swearing people who must have been diving for cover from the speeding vehicle. A block and a half into the escape, he felt the rumble under the van. The sound of the explosion was remarkably muffled.

  “That’s it,” Joe yelled. “We’ve only got six minutes before the police and fire departments cordon off the Quarter.”

  “Don’t worry, Boss,” the driver yelled. “I’ll have us halfway through the Bywater by then.”

  Kendell was shaking in Myles’s arms. “Do you think the dogs are okay?”

  “I’m sure they are. We weren’t far from the explosion. The apartment is easily four times farther away.”

  “I’m more concerned about the riots,” she said. “If I didn’t think I was sending them into a war zone, I’d have Polly and the girls abandon tonight’s gig and go check on them.”

  Joe worked his way to the front of the van with their duffle bag filled with street clothes. “The number one requirement right now is not to change your routine. We’ll swing by the Scratchy Dog and let you out. Just throw the clothes over your leotards and wipe the paint off your faces. That should be enough for you to sneak into the bathroom and do a more thorough job before any authorities show up. Your club is far enough away that they may not even bother, but if anyone does ask questions, use last night as your frame of reference. That way, your stories will match up.”

  Like Kendell could get changed in six blocks in a van traveling at breakneck speed, Myles thought. But to his surprise, when they hit the end of Decatur Street, he was the one still struggling into his tennis shoes while she was wiping the paint off his face.

  The van swung around the corner to the side of the club. Instead of heading for the front door, Kendell pulled Myles into the alleyway. “Time to take a page out of Colin’s book. If anyone wonders where we were, we can say we snuck out for a make-out session.”

  “You’re considerably more devious than I’d given you credit for.”

  She peeked out of the dark alley. “With all the commotion, I doubt anyone will have noticed our absence. Of course, the band knows to cover for us.”

  “I’ll tell Charlie to start spiking the drinks,” Myles said. “That way, even if the cops do show up, they’ll be dealing with a lot of scrambled recollections. And if you happen to have a voodoo spell that would stick us in any video or picture that got shot tonight, I wouldn’t object to you pulling out your magic.”

  “I’ll see what I can do. Music works wonders.” She did a long inspection of his face. “You’ll pass. If anyone notices any paint on you, just say it was soot from the alleyway. Let them draw their own conclusions about what you were doing.”

  * * *

  After another quick change into her Olympia Stain outfit in the back room, Kendell snuck onstage and picked up the set list as if she’d been playing all night. The sweat and exhilaration of the night’s real activities helped add to the image of the emotionally charged musician. With subtle winks and nods to the rest of the band, she let them know the night had been a success, at least so far.

  For the first time in Kendell’s musical career, however, onstage was the last place she wanted to be. The dogs might not be in harm’s way, but they would certainly be howling at all of the activity on the street, and they had a doggie sense for when she or Myles was in trouble. Then there were the rioters. Kendell knew she was directly responsible for the chaos that was sweeping the Quarter. Her imagination developed detailed images of looting, burning, and fights. All she could do was hope it wasn’t as bad as she feared. But most of all, she wanted to find out how well their plan had worked.

  Myles was busy with his usual banter and mixology, but from the quick glances he made toward the back courtyard, she knew he was also antsy to check in with Sanguine.

  This night must be the longest of my life. Aren’t we done with this set yet? She tried to focus on keeping time with the group, but with each new person who entered the club, she looked up, hoping it wasn’t the cops. After an hour of dealing with her nerves, Kendell set the guitar back in its stand.

  Polly looked all too happy to cut the night short as she stepped up to the microphone. “You’ll have to forgive us. We’re going to end a song or two early tonight. Watch yourselves on the way home. We’re getting reports of unrest in the Quarter. Be safe!”

  Charlie helped Myles transfer everyone’s drinks into to-go cups. The bartenders weren’t exactly rushing people out the door, but with the warning of trouble in the streets, people had an understandable desire to get home as quickly as possible.

  Myles ushered the last person out and locked the door. “At least the police never showed up.”

  Charlie peered down the street before closing the indoor shutters. “From what you told me, I’d guess they’re a little busy keeping a lid on things in the Quarter. I’m just glad it didn’t boil over onto Frenchmen Street. I can’t imagine what the bank must look like.”

  “I wish I could tell you,” Myles said. “We were huddled in the back of the van, so I’ve got no idea if it’s still standing or just a pile of rubble.”

  Kendell appreciated the speculation, but the boys were taking way too long closing up. “Can we please open the gate to hell now. I need to know how Sere is doing.”

  Myles put his hand on Charlie’s shoulder. “I hate to do this to you, but would you mind hanging out up front? Someone needs to keep an eye out for the cops.”

  Charlie looked around the room. “Looks like I’m on cleanup duty. Anyone who said being a bar manager was more prestigious than being a lowly bartender never hung around after the doors closed.”

  The band was already waiting in the courtyard. Polly was fidgeting like a girl expecting bad news from a boyfriend. “We did what we could with Professor Yates to stabilize Sere, but if this didn’
t work, we’ll all need to get back to his lab as soon as possible. His equipment must look like a blinking Mardi Gras float. I don’t think that man has slept in five days.”

  “Right,” Myles said as he opened the speakeasy. “I just hope it’s not all three of them on the other end of this call. I can’t deal with Colin’s nonsense at this point.”

  Kendell had been so busy with the plan and execution of blowing up the bank that she hadn’t considered what must have been going on in hell. Sanguine wouldn’t have let Sere out of her sight, but that meant Colin would be left on his own, and that was never a comforting thought. “I should have grabbed a drink before coming out here.”

  Myles set the final shutter of the speakeasy in place and drew the veve. “Here we go—all or nothing.”

  Sere’s young smiling face dominated the image. “I’m cured.”

  The band sent up a roar of applause, but Kendell knew nothing was that easy. “Is Sanguine there with you?”

  Sere stepped away from the gate to show a very tired-looking guardian angel. “I’m here, but it hasn’t been easy avoiding Colin. Sere and I have been setting up hiding places outside of the city. One problem seems to inevitably lead to the next, and I figured this was as good a time as any to teach Sere about playing hide-and-seek.”

  Myles sat next to Kendell. “Let’s start with the good news for a change. What’s the situation with Sere?”

  “You probably know better than I do. We’ve avoided the Quarter, as Colin was sure to return to his condo when not in search of his daughter, so I can’t say how the other projected bodies are faring. There’s no longer a cloud around Sere, and as you can see, she is a lot more energetic.” Sanguine stepped aside so the team could watch Sere twirling around the courtyard like a helicopter trying to leave the ground.

  Polly got out of her chair and leaned in toward the gate. “We were having a hell of a time figuring out how much energy to pump into her. Looks like the settings might still be too high.”

  Sanguine turned to watch Sere as she transitioned from spirals to somersaults. “If you can provide a dial to ramp up or reduce a child’s energy, you might become the savior of every parent, including this one. For the moment, I think hell is stable.”

  Kendell knew everyone wanted to bask in their success, but leaving Colin to his own devices made it seem as though they were once again playing right into his hands. “Where is Colin?”

  “I don’t know. Even as an angel, I’m finding it hard to be in two places at once. Keeping on the move has meant we’re always hidden from him, but it also means I don’t know what he’s been up to.”

  Myles kept his arm around Kendell. “What can we do to help?”

  “I could really use a babysitter.”

  Polly motioned to the band. “Consider it done. We can grab our instruments and give Sere a private concert if she wants. All she’d have to do is promise to stay in the courtyard. We’ll even teach her some new dance moves, or maybe she can teach us. All those calisthenics she’s doing are making me feel old. Maybe I should talk to Professor Yates about sending some of that energy my way.”

  Kendell feared she and Myles were once again putting too much on Sanguine’s shoulders. “What will you do?” she asked her friend.

  “I need to find Colin. Now that we’ve all but proved that the intense energy drain is not needed for a single person, I’m afraid he’ll resort to his previous plan of stealing souls from Guinee.”

  Myles balled his hand into a fist at Kendell’s side. “It does seem like each time we clean up one of his messes, we only show him how to do it right next time.”

  58

  Sanguine loved watching over Sere, but having Colin in close proximity to his daughter brought out the swamp witch’s fiercely protective lioness. She had to keep the two as separated as possible. Once Kendell and the band had headed off to grab their instruments, Sanguine turned around and caught Sere in midsomersault. By spreading her wings, Sanguine turned the potential crash into an airborne pirouette.

  “I need to go deal with your father. Promise me you’ll stay here. Polly Urethane and the Strippers have agreed to play a set just for you, but I need you to behave. They can’t come rushing to help if you get hurt.”

  Sere held Sanguine tightly around the neck. “I promise.”

  “I don’t know how long I’ll be, but remember what I taught you. Think of a bird, and it’ll come take your message to me wherever I am.”

  The way the girl nodded sent waves of strawberry-blond hair into Sanguine’s face.

  Sanguine lowered Sere to the ground and kissed her forehead. “I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

  Without waiting for a reply that might tug too strongly at her heart and prevent her from leaving, Sanguine flew up and out of the courtyard. More and more, I am growing to hate the need to deal with you, Mr. Devil.

  She flew in low over the parking lot that surrounded his condo. After three flybys, she realized he wasn’t home. Not a surprise. He’s probably investigating how well the seal between the dimensions worked out.

  Flying through the Quarter only confirmed that this wasn’t a place for Sere. Since Sanguine’s grandmother had designed the buildings in hell, every one of them, including the old bank, looked completely untouched. The wild-eyed people projections with pieces missing, however, were in states of panic. Not one man strolled confidently through the streets as if he owned the place. Colin should have been there. He wasn’t the type to hide while observing society’s breakdown. Why aren’t you investigating what just happened? Do you even know?

  After an hour of searching every section of the Quarter for Colin, Sanguine flew in a wide circle over the city. Where the hell did you go? She made a pass over the club, fearing he might have doubled back to steal his daughter, but the girl was still dancing her heart out in the brick enclosure. In desperation, Sanguine spread her wings and flew as high into the sky as she dared. At the outskirt of the city, she barely made out the long town car headed toward the swamp. If this is another misdirection, I’ll never forgive you.

  In spite of her desire to beat him to her cabin, Sanguine flew over the lake to think. Colin could be headed to her home for only a couple of reasons. A grand gesture of showing up unannounced to profess his love seemed the least likely. She shook her head at the overly romantic thought. A stronger possibility was a move on the sixth gate back to life. She knew he’d met with Myles at the fifth, but neither man had been overly forthcoming with details of the conflict. He probably thinks I stashed Sere on my island. He must have noticed the change in our puppet people after Kendell and Myles’s adventure and assumed I would have wanted the girl as isolated as possible in case things didn’t go well.

  She kept a safe distance from the gravel parking lot. If Colin did want to traverse the swamp to her cabin, he could do it on his own. She had no intention of showing him the way. More than one person had gotten lost in the maze of rivers. She settled into a cypress tree to watch his progress.

  However, instead of hunting around for her canoe, he casually walked around the lot with his hands in his back pockets, staring out toward the lake. The loud engine noise of an airboat cut the calm like a leaf blower on a Saturday morning. How is he influencing the projections to do his bidding? This isn’t the first time either. I need to remember to talk to Kendell. Someone on her side of the gates must be working for him. Probably that voodoo witch Delphine.

  Once the propeller-driven craft glided up to the dock that extended into the lake, Colin jumped aboard. The shallow-draft hull swung on the water as if skidding on ice. The pilot aimed the bow to follow Colin’s outstretched arm and gunned the engine.

  Looks like he knows where he’s going. She wasn’t sure if she should feel annoyed or flattered that he remembered how to get to her cabin. Either way, her island of seclusion wasn’t as covert as it had been.

  She took flight and circled the swamp in order to approach her island from the opposite the direction, leaving the air
boat to make its way alone. Since apparently she wouldn’t get the satisfaction of watching Colin fumble his way through the marshes, there was no point in not beating him to their destination. At least that way he’d still assume Sere was hiding somewhere among the cypress trees and alligator-infested waters. Let’s see how you like being deceived about something important.

  She landed on the cabin’s porch shortly before hearing the roar of the engine in the distance. Quickly, she rumpled the hammock and did what she could to make it look as if the cabin had just been vacated by Sere. When the engine stopped its infernal racket, she walked around the porch to watch Colin make his way over the island. He looked ridiculous in his suit. So this isn’t a social call.

  She stood with arms folded and wings flapping in anticipation of a fight. “What are you doing here?”

  He stopped a good thirty feet from the tree. “I thought we should talk. A lot has happened in the last couple of days, and I missed you.”

  But at this range, you’re sure to hit me. She squeezed her eyes shut at the bad pun. “What’s on your mind?”

  He shifted his eyes from the tree to the meadow. “Is Serephine here?”

  “She’s safe.”

  He turned back to her. “That’s not what I asked. I’d like to see my daughter.”

  “And give you an opening to abduct her? Not likely. She’s just fine where she is.”

  He walked up to the base of the tree like an expectant suitor. “You’re just full of information today.”

  “I suppose I’m not feeling very chatty. When I see you in your high-powered arrogance, I know you’re up to something. Out with it.”

  He looked even more ludicrous up close. No sane person wore a business suit to the bayou. “Not until you come down. I don’t like this feeling of being judged by a self-righteous angel on high who is unwilling to descend to my level.”

  She uncrossed her arms. “I suppose that’s fair.” She jumped off the porch and spread her wings for a gentle glide to the ground. “I could use a walk. Talking with you has a tendency to make me edgy.”