Crossroads

by Wendy Saunders

  ‘You can’t know that for sure.’

  ‘I do know, which is why I’ve waited here for you for three centuries.’

  Olivia blew out a deep resigned breath. ‘I guess I should…’ she broke off suddenly and frowned.

  ‘What’s wrong?’ Theo asked in concern.

  ‘I don’t know’ she looked up, ‘something doesn’t feel right it’s like…’

  She cried out as she leaned over and stumbled, wrapping her arms around her middle. It felt like someone had lassoed her and was jerking her backwards. She looked up and her eyes met Theo’s for a brief second before she was jerked back roughly and then she disappeared.

  ‘OLIVIA!’ he reached for her but his fingers grasped onto thin air.

  ‘Theo!’ Bridget grasped onto his arm, ‘calm down. I need you to focus.’

  ‘Where is she!’

  ‘She hasn’t left the Otherworld, she’s still here somewhere,’ she shook him firmly, ‘you can find her.’

  ‘How?’

  ‘The same way you jump from one place to another. Close your eyes and instead of thinking about the place you want to be, focus on her.’

  Pushing down the wave of panic he tried to focus his mind, and as he closed his eyes and thought of Olivia everything around him blurred and shifted.

  Olivia sucked in a deep shaky breath and pushed herself up onto her hands and knees. Whatever had pulled her out of Bridget’s cabin hadn’t hurt her but had dropped her unceremoniously down in a heap on some sort of garishly patterned carpet. Her forehead wrinkled and she realized she recognized the ugly bright print. She looked up and gazed around her, taking in the brightly colored mismatched furniture and artwork hung haphazardly on the walls. All the room was missing was a legion of cats.

  She pushed herself to her feet and dusted her hands off on her jeans. The room was much the same as she had last seen it, except for the large circular table in the center of the room, surrounded by four chairs. She was definitely in Fiona’s house but why? How had she ended up there? She blinked and for a second she thought she saw people sat around the table. She blinked and the scene flashed in front of her once more, then disappeared. She thought she’d caught a glimpse of Jake. Moving forwards she slowly circled the table as the scene flashed again, almost like there were two images laid one over the other. She took a deep breath and focused and suddenly the scene in front of her stopped flickering. She found herself staring at Fiona, Roni, Jake and Mac all sat around the table holding hands and at the center was a large silver bowl filled with what looked like a jumble of herbs and was that blood? She frowned as she leaned closer and caught the pungent smell of burning herbs. It was then she realized the bowl was smoldering with tiny tendrils of smoke, rising up and filling the room with a sweet sickly smell. What the hell were they doing?’

  She could see Fiona’s mouth moving but she couldn’t quite catch the words. They were fragmented like a TV channel with a bad signal, she could only pick out a few words here and there.

  ‘Olivia?’ She heard Fiona’s voice, ‘Are…there?’

  A séance? Seriously? Olivia resisted the urge to roll her eyes but instead moved closer, straining to hear whatever it was they were obviously trying to say to her.

  ‘Olivia?’ Theo breathed in relief as the room shifted around him and he found her leaning over a table. ‘Olivia?’

  ‘Theo wait.’

  Bridget caught his arm and held him back as she watched Olivia carefully. ‘I don’t think she can hear you.’

  ‘What? Why?’

  ‘Look at her, she’s witnessing something we can’t see. Don’t interfere, let it play out and see what happens.’

  Bridget sniffed at the air. ‘Willow bark and African dream-root.’

  ‘What’s that supposed to mean?’ Theo scowled in frustration.

  ‘I can smell it on the air,’ she replied thoughtfully, ‘someone’s trying a summoning spell, a very old and potent one. Whose house is this in your world?’

  Theo looked up and scanned his surroundings. It certainly looked familiar but it wasn’t until his gaze landed on the garish mustard yellow couch that he grimaced in recognition.

  ‘This is Fiona’s house.’

  ‘Who is Fiona?’

  ‘She’s a medium, she speaks with spirits.’

  ‘I see,’ Bridget replied as she watched Olivia who was engrossed in something only she could see. ‘She must be trying to relay a message specifically to Olivia.’

  Olivia strained to hear what was being said but it was like trying to watch a film with no volume and there weren’t any damn subtitles. It was at that point she realized that frustratingly, she had absolutely no aptitude for lip reading either.

  ‘Arghhh,’ she hit the table and yelled in annoyance, ‘I can’t hear you.’

  The volume suddenly roared in too unexpected, too loud and as she clamped her hands over her ears she managed to pick out one word before the volume disappeared again.

  ‘Soul Collector?’ Olivia frowned, what the hell was a Soul Collector?

  Suddenly the scene in front of her flickered and disappeared. She glanced around the room and found both Theo and Bridget staring at her intently.

  ‘What the hell’s going on?’

  ‘You were pulled here by a summoning spell’ Bridget told her, ‘what did you see?’

  ‘I saw Fiona,’ she turned back to the now empty table.

  ‘Was she alone?’

  Olivia shook her head. ‘She was with Jake, Roni and Mac,’ Olivia looked up at Theo. ‘They looked like they were trying to hold some sort of séance but I couldn’t understand what they were trying to say. It was like I could see them but I couldn’t really hear much. I only managed to pick out one word.’

  ‘What was the word?’ Bridget asked.

  ‘What’s a Soul Collector?’ Olivia asked suddenly.

  ‘The Soul Collector?’ Bridget repeated slowly as her face drained of color. ‘Dear God have mercy.’

  Fiona slumped forward on the table sweating slightly, her hands trembling.

  ‘Fiona,’ Roni jumped up and rushed to her side, ‘are you alright?’

  ‘Phew, that was jolly hard work’ she breathed heavily, ‘bit shaky.’

  ‘Jake get her some water.’

  ‘Best make it a brandy,’ Fiona amended as he rose from the table, ‘and don’t be stingy.’

  Shaking his head and smiling he moved to her drinks cabinet and poured her a large glassful.

  ‘Thank you,’ she took it from him with trembling fingers and downed it in one go, coughing slightly, ‘that’ll hit the spot.’

  ‘So what now? We try again?’ Jake asked.

  ‘Why would we do that?’ Fiona replied.

  ‘Because it didn’t work?’

  ‘Who says it didn’t work?’ she replied indignantly.

  ‘But I thought?’

  ‘Best leave the thinking to the grownups boy,’ she handed him back the glass, nudging him in the direction of the drinks cabinet again.

  Rolling his eyes, he rose and refilled her glass.

  ‘Are you sure it worked Fiona?’ Mac asked, ‘I mean Jake’s right, nothing happened. I thought she might appear or something… I don’t know.’

  ‘Oh she was here alright, I could feel her although it was very faint,’ she frowned. ‘This was never going to be a two-way conversation you know, it’s not a phone call and it’s not an exact science. It was always about getting a message to her.’

  ‘Do you think it worked?’ Roni asked ‘Do you think she understood?’

  ‘I guess we’ll see?’ she took the refilled glass from Jake and this time sipped slowly.

  ‘So now what?’ he frowned.

  ‘Now…we wait.’

  ‘That’s it?’ he replied incredulously, ‘we just wait?’

  ‘That’s all we can do’ Fiona replied, ‘we’re not equipped to deal with the Soul Collector, not without help. We can
only hope Olivia received the message and can come up with some way of helping.’

  ‘And in the meantime the son of a bitch keeps taking souls?’

  ‘Unfortunately,’ Fiona murmured thoughtfully swirling the liquid in her glass, ‘but maybe there is something else we can do.’

  ‘What?’

  ‘Perhaps we can figure out what he is doing with the souls?’ she mused. ‘If he’s keeping them maybe we can find a way to set them free. Theoretically those souls whose physical remains are on life support should be able to return to their bodies. Those whose bodies are deceased should be able to move on to whichever afterlife they are destined for.’

  ‘That’s a good idea actually,’ Roni’s eyes lit up. ‘I’ll go back to Olivia’s books and see if I can dig anything else up on Charun or the harvesting of souls.’

  ‘There is one thing that is bothering me though,’ Fiona looked up at Jake.

  ‘What’s that?’

  ‘Why did he let you go? You said he was following you in the woods?’

  ‘That’s right,’ Jake nodded.

  ‘I wonder what attracted him to you in the first place? I mean you would have thought he would stay closer to town where it’s easier pickings.’

  ‘That’s what I said,’ Roni spoke up.

  ‘So what was he doing in the woods? And why go after you? What were you doing at the time?’ She turned to Roni, ‘I mean I know you went out to harvest the willow branches but what were you doing at the exact moment you first realized he was there?’

  ‘I umm…’ Roni flushed bright pink, ‘well we were…um…’

  ‘Oh for God’s sake,’ Jake sighed, ‘I was kissing her.’

  Mac’s brow rose as his mouth curved in amusement.

  ‘I see,’ Fiona answered absently, ‘a strong emotion, perhaps that’s the lure?’

  ‘What?’

  ‘I don’t know,’ she shook her head once again brisk and businesslike. ‘I need some time to think this over, so all of you out of my house and I’ll call you if anything changes.’

  Being summarily dismissed they stood and retrieved their jackets, filing out of the house in silence and leaving the strange old woman surrounded by an army of cats muttering thoughtfully to herself.

  Slamming the door open Olivia stormed out of the house and stalked angrily down the path, past legions of overly cheerful gnomes.

  ‘HADES!’ She yelled as she flung open the garden gate and headed out into the street, ‘HADES!’

  ‘Olivia,’ Theo rushed out after her with Bridget close behind him, ‘calm down.’

  She stomped out into the middle of the road and raised her face to the sky.

  ‘HADES! I KNOW YOU CAN HEAR ME!’ she turned in circles staring up at the sky as it began to churn with dark grey clouds. ‘HADES!’

  ‘Why don’t you shout a little louder Olivia,’ a calm voice spoke up behind her, ‘I don’t think they quite heard you in Tartarus.’

  She spun around and saw Hades standing behind her. No longer wearing his immaculately tailored suit he was now clad in ancient armor, which was splattered with blood and other fluids she didn’t even want to try and identify.

  ‘IS IT TRUE?’ she stalked towards him angrily.

  ‘Is what true?’

  ‘Is the Soul Collector loose in Mercy?’

  Hades drew in a deep breath as if he were searching for some patience.

  ‘Yes, Charun is loose in the mortal world.’

  ‘Why didn’t you tell me?’

  ‘Because there is nothing you can do about it.’

  ‘But he is stealing human souls.’

  ‘You mortals are so excitable,’ he sighed in annoyance.

  ‘People are dying’ Olivia’s voice dropped to a deathly whisper.

  ‘Mortals die all the time, I told you there is nothing you can do about it.’

  ‘But you can,’ Olivia demanded, ‘you can pull him back to the Otherworld.’

  ‘No I cannot,’ he explained patiently. ‘I can walk the Earth but I have no authority there. If you have a problem with that I suggest you take it up with my brother Zeus although I can guarantee you won’t find him as accommodating as I am.’

  ‘Then what use are you,’ she whispered angrily.

  ‘Be very careful Olivia,’ his voice was low and dangerous, ‘I have tolerated a lot from you. I have killed mortals and stripped the flesh from their bones for a lot less. There is a line…be very careful you do not cross it.’

  She watched him with hot angry eyes but wisely kept her mouth shut.

  ‘Now if you’ve quite finished with this little tantrum, go and find the Crossroad before it’s too late.’

  He disappeared and Olivia found herself standing in the middle of the road clenching her fists, as she tried to rein her temper in.

  Chapter 15.

  Charles paused and looked up at the darkening sky, breathing in deeply. New Orleans was always at her best at dusk. Like a sultry temptress she flaunted herself with the teasing promise of pleasures sated and deep secrets revealed and both the natives and visitors alike loved her for it. The air itself seemed to sizzle with a vibrant energy, so vibrant it could almost be seen flowing through the streets like rainbow colored ribbons. The city was alive, pulsing and throbbing like a heartbeat. After all there was nowhere else in the world that exuded Southern decadence quite like New Orleans.

  He turned onto Bourbon Street, heading through the bustle of people. The air hummed, music pumped from doorways in dozens of varieties from Jazz and blues to Creole and back again, which all coalesced to form the unique sound that was pure New Orleans. The air was scented with the mouth-watering scents wafting from nearby restaurants and cafes.

  The buildings were elegant and gracious. Spanish colonial railings edged romantic balconies, each different in design. Some were strung with ropes of fairy lights which laced around brightly colored flowers in full bloom. Some hung great swaths of bunting in riotous colors, which looped across the street connecting the buildings.

  Charles crossed the street and paused in front of a large corner building with peach colored walls. The first floor boasted a beautiful balcony with deep green shuttered windows overlooking Bourbon St, the ground floor was warm and welcoming with Cafe Lafitte in Exile scrawled above the open doorway and music pumping out into the warm evening air. Dating back to 1933 and the end of prohibition Cafe Lafitte was the oldest operating gay bar in the whole of the United States. An incredibly unique landmark of the quarter it had been frequented by the likes of Truman Capote and Tennessee Williams. But famous or simply infamous, local or visitor they all came and were all welcome.

  He stepped across the threshold and glanced around, grateful it wasn’t yet too crowded. The main floor was dominated by a large angular bar with seats set up around it. He didn’t have to look far to see two familiar faces.

  ‘Charles,’ Danae waved him over to where she sat comfortably next to her brother at the bar, sipping from a tall glass.

  ‘What’s wrong with you?’ Charles frowned as he looked down at Davis who was scowling at his sister.

  ‘Don’t pay any attention to him’ she laughed, ‘he’s just annoyed because he’s been hit on three times since we walked in.’

  ‘Shut up Danae.’

  ‘Aww, it’s not your fault you’re so pretty,’ she tapped his cheek insultingly.

  ‘You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?’

  ‘Yes,’ she took another sip, ‘it’s payback for saddling me with the name Helga.’

  ‘That’s enough you two’ Charles sighed, ‘Davis are you sure this is the place.’

  ‘Yes I am,’ he nodded.

  Suddenly Danae’s phone vibrated in her pocket. She slipped it out and scrolled through her messages.

  ‘Damn it,’ she frowned.

  ‘What is it?’

  ‘It’s Jake again,’ she looked up at her brothers. ‘Jonathan Bailey just died and now
it looks as if it’s attacked two kids in Mercy and that’s just the tail end. Apparently it’s been hunting along Eastern Massachusetts since the Gateway was first opened. Charles, we need to do something.’

  Charles frowned as he regarded her thoughtfully.

  ‘Charles?’ she repeated, ‘it’s getting out of control.’

  ‘We can’t’ Charles replied quietly, ‘we’re so close.’

  ‘I know you want Olivia back, I do too, but at what price? Because even from what little I know of her, she wouldn’t trade her life at the cost of a hundred and forty others.’

  Charles’ jaw clenched tightly.

  ‘You know I’m right.’

  ‘I can’t’ Charles whispered, shaking his head. ‘I can’t leave her there Danae, she’s my daughter.’

  ‘I know’ she stood up, fishing in the pocket of her jeans. She pulled a couple of bills and dropped them on the bar before grabbing her jacket.

  ‘Where are you going? Davis frowned.

  ‘Back to Mercy’ she replied, ‘you two can do this without me. You don’t need my help but they do.’

  ‘Danae…’

  ‘No,’ she shook her head firmly, ‘you don’t get it, these people are my friends. I have lived among them and worked alongside them for nearly two years now. I can’t just abandon them.’

  Charles nodded and stood aside to let her pass.

  ‘Danae wait!’

  She turned back and looked at her brother.

  ‘Just be careful, okay?’

  ‘You know me,’ she grinned suddenly.

  ‘That’s what worries me,’ he muttered sourly.

  They both watched her disappear through the main door before Charles finally turned back to the bar and signaled the bartender.

  A young blonde guy in a black t-shirt with the bar’s logo on the pocket, sauntered over casually. ‘What can I get you honey?’ he smiled warmly.

  Charles leaned over the counter and replied quietly, ‘I’m here to see Julien.’

  The guy pulled back, his eyes narrowing as his gaze swept over Charles from head to toe, his mouth pursing in contemplation before finally nodding to the left of the bar, where a set of stairs led up to the first floor.