Jewel of Inanna (Perils of a Pagan Priestess Book 1)

by Hannah Desmond

  Taking the crystal from around her neck, she stood on her toes and slipped it over Roland’s neck. “This completes your costume today and I hope you will wear it every day.”

  Roland held the crystal on his palm, closed his fingers around it and smiled. “I feel the magick of it. Thank you.”

  They stood staring at one another witnessing the powerful beings hidden in their daily lives. Today they were expressed for all the world to see and know. Roland laughed exuberantly as he took the Faery queen into his arms and kissed her thoroughly.

  When they separated Lilly asked, “Where did you get this beautiful costume.

  Roland turned around allowing her to view him for all angles, “You are looking at one of Mike Sparks creations.”

  Lilly laughed, “I knew you two were planning something the night you had your heads together in his shop.”

  A gong sounded and the lovers watched as the Pope, holding onto the golden miter atop his head, walked regally up the sidewalk A tall nun with a bushy beard and mustache accompanied him.

  The nun helped the Pope climb into the back of a pickup truck. Climbing in beside him, the nun struck the gong several times.

  The crowd in the street and lining the sidewalks quieted as the Pope raised a frosty mug of beer and addressed his subjects, “Hail to all the Kosmic Debris gathered before me today. I hereby issue an edict to be enforced through midnight tonight. All shall revel, dance, sing, drink and make merry. We do this in honor of the gods of merriment and Kosmic Debris everywhere. It is our sacred charge. Go forth and make merry!”

  The crowd responded with a roar. The Krewe of Nutria, dressed in ragged animal skins and furs, pounded a primal beat on their goat skin drums. The revelers followed in loose lines and small clumps, all swaying to the beat of the drums, smiling and waving as they made their way into the French Quarter.

  Lilly and Roland danced in the streets, lingered with the Kosmic Debris at bars along their route and toasted gods of merriment with beer, wine and an occasional glass of champagne.

  The radiant couple caught the eye of wealthy party hosts standing on balconies above the crowds. A few of the party hosts managed to get Lilly and Roland’s attention and invited them up winding stairways to private parties. Lilly and Roland happily agreed. Relaxing in sumptuous apartments, they met famous artists and musicians, philosophers and gurus. They filled fine china plates at tables laden with rich, spicy food, drank exotic cocktails and, most importantly, made use of the bathrooms.

  Leaving one of the balcony parties, a wave of delight washed over Lilly as she stepped into the street. The sun was shining on throngs of joyful people. Roland was at her side. Laughter, music and magic filled the air.

  The bright colors of a long silk banner unfurled from a thirdfloor balcony. The silky material, light as a kiss, floated over the crowd. Lilly could feel waves of ecstatic love magick floating through the exotic Indian silk, falling softly on the lighthearted crowd below.

  The world slowly stopped. For a moment, she embodied all the joy and magic of the day. Abandoning all care, she floated like a Faery above a sea of color. Soaking in the benevolent energy, she stored the scene in her mind’s eye and held the moment of perfection close. As the afternoon wore on, the magical couple decided to head for Panthea’s for rest and recuperation before the closing festivities on Frenchman Street. Sitting on the couch rubbing one another’s feet, they enjoyed some quiet time. “Where did you disappear to yesterday? I wanted you to come to our Lundi Gras celebration.”

  Roland looked puzzled for a moment, “Yesterday? Oh, I was at the park.”

  Lilly shook her head, “What park?”

  “City Park. James told me it was filled with ancient oaks. He was right. I spent most of the day, lying on the ground beneath a five-hundred-year-old oak tree. The energy of the earth and the oaks renews my strength and my spirit like nothing else. I feel great today.”

  Lilly sat up for a moment and gave him a quick kiss. “You look wonderful,”

  Roland’s hands massaged her calves and thighs, moving up slowly. Suddenly he stopped. Lilly opened her eyes to see him blushing slightly.

  She lifted one eyebrow in inquiry. He laughed a bit nervously and explained, “I’ve never made love to a Faery queen. I’m afraid I may fall short.”

  Lilly laughed, “You? My cavalier, my musketeer, my invigorated Druid, I find it impossible to believe one little Faery could unman you.” Laughing, he scooped her into his arms and carried her into the bedroom.

  They awoke at twilight to voices in the courtyard. Roland made a pot of coffee and Lilly walked out onto the gallery to greet her friends below. Robin Hood, Friar Tuck and Gemma, dressed as Maid Marion, waved. Madeline, a convincing Marilyn Monroe, beaconed her to join them.

  Lilly threw a kiss to her friends, leaned over the wrought iron railing and asked, “Where are the rest of the merry men?”

  “Sodding drunk on Bourbon Street,” Owen replied in mock horror.

  Lucky came strutting out of his apartment in full Pirate attire, announcing a pot of gumbo was available for the hungry group.

  Before joining their friends, Lilly touched up her face paint and Roland straightened his lacy shirt, collar and cuffs. As they were going out the door, Lilly turned and put her hands on either side of Roland’s smoothly shaved cheeks. I almost didn’t recognize you this morning without your side whiskers. You are even more handsome than I imagined under all your hair. Rubbing her hands on his face she kissed both of his smooth cheeks.

  ~

  The moon was rising over the Crescent City as Frenchman Street filled with disheveled, drunk and stoned revelers. Many of the bright smiles of the morning had transformed into the faces of unrepentant sinners.

  They gathered in the darkness for the final celebration of the sensual pleasures. A band set up in front of The Green Man bus across from the Dream Palace. Stilt walkers and fire jugglers arrived. A man, bare except for a pair of leather chaps, put the torch to a bonfire in the center of the street.

  The Krewe of Nutria added primitive drum beats to the electric rock. Primal impulses possessed the crowd, the waking world abandoned or forgotten. Consumed by a wave of atavistic resurgence they danced wildly around the fire. Costumes came off, inhibitions disappeared and discernment dissipated in Bacchanalian frenzy.

  Like Cinderella’s ball, the party ended at midnight. Police riding abreast on tall horses made their way slowly through the French Quarter, crossed Esplanade Avenue and onto Frenchman Street. An authoritative policeman’s voice announced through a bull horn “Mardi Gras is over. Clear the streets.”

  The department of sanitation truck followed the line of horses.

  The sanitation truck halted at the glowing embers of the bonfire. Disgruntled firemen arrived from the corner fire house. They were not amused and shouted threats about jail time for whomever had built a bonfire in the middle of a city street.

  Lilly and The Green Man Band, minus Bart, headed for the shelter of their bus. The rest of the Kosmic Debris scattered into the cosmos until next time.

  Chapter 25

  Sex Slaves = Freedom

  It was after noon when Lilly slowly opened her eyes. She had to pee, but didn’t want to disturb anyone. Lying quietly, she noticed something was missing. She lay still for a moment listening. It was quiet. There were no mule drawn buggies rolling by, no sidewalk conversations or delivery trucks squeezing through the narrow street. She yawned and closed her eyes. Her mind sought the sweet rest and oblivion of sleep but her bladder broadcasted a persistent message. She slowly crawled over Roland and tiptoed to the tiny bathroom at the back of the bus. The light went on automatically when she shut the door and she let out a scream as a strange creature stared at her. She burst out laughing as she realized it was her reflection in the mirror. The face paint, so beautiful yesterday, had become a mess of streaks extending into her hair which stuck out stiffly in all direction.

  One breast ha
d popped out of her gold bodice, and where was her skirt? After a failed attempt at getting the paint off her face and out of her hair with the trickle of cold water the bus provided, she slowly opened the bathroom door and peaked around to see several people stirring.

  Roland was sitting up rubbing his eyes as she climbed back into the narrow bed. He looked at her face, smiled and shook his head.

  “I’ve got to go home immediately and clean up,” she explained.

  Roland shook his head, “You don’t want to walk through the Quarter. I’ll take you up to Jason’s apartment. You can wash your face and brush your hair.”

  “Roland, where are my clothes? Where are my wings?”

  Looking around, Roland pointed to a big mirror inside the bus. Hanging over the mirror, draped across the dash board were a pair of glimmering Faery wings and a luminescent skirt, dirty and a bit torn, but still recognizable. A frown formed between Lilly’s eye brows. Roland quickly assured her,”No worries, baby, I’ll get some clothes from Leon, he will have something that fits you.”

  By 1PM the group, minus Bart, was sitting at the round table in Valentines. The place was closed for Ash Wednesday except for the members of The Green Man Band who were Jason’s guests. He put a pot of coffee on the table and joined them. “Is Bart here?”

  Everyone shook their heads. “Last seen yesterday with Joan of Arc,” Trey explained.

  The timer on the oven binged and Jason brought out scrambled eggs and piping hot biscuits with butter and jam. As the group dug in hungrily, he went out to get a newspaper from the stand in front of the restaurant.

  Jason opened the paper and sat, sipping his coffee. Lilly looked up, yelped and almost dropped hot coffee in her lap. Everyone stared at her. She couldn’t speak for a moment but kept pointing to the newspaper. Jason turned it over to see what she was so upset about.

  Pointing frantically, Lilly spoke in a strained voice, “Let me have it please.”

  Staring at her from the front page of the New Orleans Times Picayune was Alex’s face beside an older man. The headline read, International Business Man and Local War Hero Arrested for Sex Trafficking. Lilly was shaking so hard she couldn’t hold the paper, her eyes were bugging out of her head so shocked she couldn’t focus on the words.

  Jason took the paper from her and read. “Lawrence Brankston, an international business man and with local Vietnam War hero, Alex Castiglio, were arrested Mardi Gras day in New Orleans. The charges: Sex trafficking. Allegedly the two men have been trafficking young women from Southeast Asia to various countries, including the United States. The arrests come after an extensive investigation by the FBI into the human trafficking growing in the U.S.

  “Lawrence Brankston.” Lilly interrupted him, “Read the part about Alex, please.”

  “Alex Castiglio, youngest son of the New Orleans Castiglio family, a veteran of the Vietnam war and highly decorated Air Force officer returned to New Orleans after his discharge from the USAF. He became the private pilot for New Orleans native and international businessman, Lawrence Brankston. The Castiglio family has been attempting to shed their Mafia profile since the murder of Carlos Castiglio Sr in 1956. There has been no comment from the family since Alex Castiglio was taken into custody yesterday.

  “The arrest took place at Lakeside Airport in New Orleans early Mardi Gras day. Fifteen young women, ranging in age from fourteen to seventeen were on the plane. Castiglio was arrested disembarking from the plane. Brankston was arrested at his home on Audubon Place. At this time, neither Brankston nor Castiglio have made a statement.”

  Lilly’s mouth hung open as she shook her head slowly back and forth. Finally, she took a breath and banged the flat of her hand on the table. “This explains a lot! The mother fucker was involved in this horror while he was married to me. I don’t doubt he would have sold me into sex slavery if I hadn’t escaped when I did.”

  Tears burned her eyes. She couldn’t catch her breath. Jason jumped up and grabbed a glass of water from the kitchen. Roland held her hand as she sipped the water slowly, taking great gulps of air between swallows.

  Her body shook and she laughed hysterically. The band members stole glances at Lilly and each other, not knowing what they should do or say in this awkward situation. Lilly calmed herself and looked from face to face. “Thank ya’ll for being here, for being kind to me. This is huge! You have no idea! This is great news. I am free and I’m sure the girls he was kidnapping and selling into sex slavery think this is great news too. This explains his aura looking like a dirty rag. I am so grateful to be here safe with you sweet, gentlemen. I am blessed to be alive.”

  Roland put his arm around her chair, “This is big news for you and for those who love you. It’s been hard knowing that there is someone out there who wished you harm.” Tears filled Lilly’s eyes and she laid her head on Roland’s shoulder. Roland put his arm around her and kissed the top of her head.

  Lilly gathered herself together, looked up and said, “I want to go home and soak in a bubble bath and really relax. I’m ecstatic, excited and exhausted.”

  “Do you want me to walk you back to Panthea’s?”

  Trey cleared his throat and gave Roland a hard look. Lilly saw Trey’s pointed stare. Not wanting to come between Roland and his band mates, she kissed Roland on the cheek, “Thank you, baby. I’ll go by myself, no one is threatening me any longer. You enjoy some time with your bandmates. I’ll be fine. I’m sure the Castiglio family has more important things on their minds than me. I’m going home to take a long hot bath, change my clothes and revel in this new development. I was married to a monster and now, thanks to his own wicked nature, I am free of him and his family.”

  Chapter 26

  Venus and the Moon Spell Disaster

  Lilly walked home on a cloud of euphoria. Arriving at her apartment, she lit scented candles, put on soft music and sank into a warm bubble bath. She began to breathe deeply, filling her lungs completely. Yesterday she had hoped to embody the freedom of a Faery and today she succeeded. Her diaphragm relaxed, her worry lifted and her mind floated free. All things were possible as the world without the threat of Alex was gone. She no longer had to be called Lyla. She was Lilly LaCouer and she was 100% free.

  Slipping into her fluffy pink bath robe, she lay on her bed and closed her eyes. Several hours later she woke, made coffee and sat cross legged on her bed. She placed the Priestess crystal on a tiny hook on the window and watched it catch a ray of sunshine and splash a violet tinted rainbow on the wall.

  Her flute lay on top of the nearby dresser. She picked it up and lifted it to her lips. The music flowed effortlessly as she closed her eyes and let the music come.

  In her mind’s eye, the room filled with iridescent butterflies floating through the air. Marveling at the musical vision, she silently thanked Roland. Playing music with him had opened a portal of magickal visions and music. Sheet music was a thing of the past. It seemed she only had to close her eyes and let the music pour forth.

  The sun was beginning its descent into twilight when Lilly put the flute away and thought about getting some food. She was getting dressed when there was a knock on the door. Looking through the peep hole, she recognized Mr. Marlon Brando look alike, Lucky. She threw open the door and smiled broadly. Lucky returned her smile and stood looking into her eyes. ‘What is with this guy and the eye contact?’ she wondered. “Hi Lucky, what can I do for you?”

  She stepped back and Lucky stepped into the living room. “A few of us are going out on my sailboat. We are going to have dinner on the boat, watch the moon rise and look for shooting stars. You know, it will be far out.”

  “Far out, huh? I’m ready for something far out. When do we leave?”

  Lilly climbed into Lucky’s VW van along with Forest, Owen and Gemma. “Hey, Lucky can we drive down Frenchman Street? If Roland is around, I’d love for him to join us.”

  The VW bus drove slowly past the Dream Palace and stopped in front of
Valentines. Lilly hopped out of the van and knocked on the door to the bus. There was no answer.

  She got back in the VW van and shrugged, “He’s not here. He’s going to miss a good time.”

  Lilly sat quietly as Lucky drove and her friends chatted, exchanging stories about their Mardi Gras adventures.

  When the van turned onto Pontchartrain Blvd Lilly called out, “Hey everyone! From now on I want ya’ll to call me Lilly. I’ve been going by Lyla as my crazy ex-husband and his family were looking for me. They are a dangerous bunch so I’ve been keeping a low profile. Now, it’a over. I am free to be myself. Please, call me, Lilly.”

  Her friends called out, “Hi Lilly!” and the riders in the VW bus dissolved into laughter. A few minutes later they were carrying baskets of food, bottles of wine and packs of beer as they climbed aboard Lucky’s thirtysix foot sailboat, Cat Eye.

  They set sail as the sun dipped into Lake Pontchartrain. The water was smooth as glass forcing the Cat Eye to rely on her engines to propel them into the lake. Leaning back on a cushioned bench in the luxurious cockpit, Lilly watched the stars as they appeared one by one on a canopy of indigo blue. She lifted her glass of wine and sniffed the sweet aroma. Lucky lit a fat, oily joint and passed it around. Lilly took deep breaths of the briny sea air, closed her eyes and smiled to herself. “My life is practically perfect. I’ve got a good man, a job, an apartment, a beautiful flute and friends. It’s smooth sailing from now on.”

  The wind picked up as they ate dinner on the aft deck. Lilly shivered and Lucky grabbed a blanket. His arm went around her shoulders with the blanket and stayed there. His arm tightened slightly around her shoulders as he spoke quietly in her ear, “Did you bring your flute?”