Jake (Immortals of New Orleans Book 8)

by Kym Grosso

  “I suppose it depends on the situation, but yes. Becoming vampire…we are not born like wolves. We die and are reborn into our lives. Sometimes by choice. Sometimes by force. When Dominique was turned, I imagine life would have been very difficult.”

  “This city’s had its fair share of drama. War. Disease.” Jake’s gaze went to the paintings. “And these creepy kid pics? They almost remind me of a death portrait.”

  “They were popular during Victorian times. I myself was never fond of following trends,” Quintus noted, his expression impassive.

  “Thank God for small favors,” Kai said. “Those things have always given me the chills. Humans…they hold the body in too high regard. It’s the soul they should be worried about.”

  “To be fair, there was a time this city was filled with the bodies of the dead. Yellow fever. Had them piled in the streets.” Jake slowly began to ascend the steps. “It killed the humans faster than they could bury ‘em.”

  “I don’t hear the voices anymore.” Kai stilled, listening. The hiss of the wind rattled outside but the house remained quiet. Her eyes went to the landing; a long cord dangled from the ceiling. She imagined someone hanging from it, a chill running up her spine. “Something about this house…”

  “It’s not just magick,” Jake told them.

  “No, it’s…I don’t know…I don’t have much experience with this. But it feels…” Haunted. Kai hesitated, her words lost as her attention was drawn to the rectangular attic door.

  “Spirits wander within.” Quintus placed his palm on the wall, closing his eyes.

  “Awesome. Just what we fucking need.” Jake shook his head in frustration as he waited for Kai to reach the top. He looked to Quintus. “What the hell, man? Are you working as a psychic now?”

  The vampire’s eyes flashed open, a secretive smile curling on his lips. “There are many things you don’t know about me, wolf.”

  “I heard them.” Kai stepped past Jake, peering into the master bedroom. “Look at the furniture. It’s…beautiful.”

  “It’s a helluva bed, but I could skip all the religious artifacts. Dominique definitely played up the whole scary-as-hell house,” Jake commented as he ran his fingers over the empty holy water receptacle, its tarnished bronze still managing to sparkle in the flickers of remaining daylight.

  Kai glanced to the four poster bed, a large wooden rosary wound tightly around its post, the cross lying on a pillow. Her eyes were drawn to the high ceiling; the wooden planks were painted a teal hue. “I didn’t know Dominique but I must say I find this home interesting and beautiful. I know it’s a little…”

  “Creepy,” Jake said as he opened a closet door and peered upward, noting its tall ceiling. “Take this for example. It’s unfinished. The ceiling. There’s a hole up there.”

  Kai jolted as footsteps sounded from the hallway. She ran out of the bedroom only to find it empty. Her eyes widened as she heard the creaking of floorboards above. Instinctively she reached for the cord. As her fingertips brushed its frayed edges, Jake blocked her from touching it.

  “No, Kai.”

  “What?” her eyes flared in anger. While she appreciated his help, she was hardly frail. “They’re up there.”

  “Who’s up there?” Jake asked.

  “I don’t know…I think…” The children. Kai bit her lip, trying to formulate her thoughts. She’d never been psychic but she’d sensed them, heard them. “Whoever is here. I think they’re spirits.”

  “Don’t take this the wrong way, because I’ve seen you go all lethal as hell on me with your beast. But if this is something of an ethereal nature, we need to be careful.” Jake’s eyes darted to the ceiling and back to Kai. “We don’t know what we are dealing with. None of us are witches or mediums.”

  “I do dabble a bit in the craft but I’ve never cared much for ghosts,” Quintus added. “I think it’s prudent to have the Alpha check first.”

  “But they were speaking to me…wait.” Kai’s voice trailed off as she heard the faint sound of giggling. She looked to her left; the voice was close as if a young girl were standing next to her. “Did you hear that?”

  “Hear what?” Jake asked.

  “I…I just heard. It was laughter,” she whispered.

  “We aren’t hearing anything,” Quintus told her.

  “I just heard it. There is more than one. They’re young. Maybe something happened to them,” Kai speculated. Dread curled in her stomach, and she wondered if they’d been hurt while they’d been alive.

  “I don’t like what’s going on,” Jake said. “But if these spirits or whatever the hell you want to call them are trying to talk to you, we can give it a try.”

  Kai reached for the cord but Jake clasped onto it. “I go first. Stay back a minute.”

  “I’ll be fine,” she insisted.

  “I’m sure you will but let’s just say I pull on this here and something not so spooky comes flying out of there.”

  “Like what?” Kai asked, a hand on her hip.

  “I don’t know. Bats? Spiders maybe. This house is pretty old. Who the hell knows what is up there?”

  “I don’t care for rodents,” Quintus added.

  “You can always flash up,” Jake suggested to the vampire.

  “True but we’ve gotta bounce as soon as we get this Kris. Those demons out there. They know where we are.” A black shadow flashed by the window. “I need my strength.”

  “Fuck.” Kai jumped away from the glass.

  “They can’t see you,” Quintus said. “Not yet. This place has wards. But Kasdeya…”

  “She’s clever,” Kai said as Jake reached for the cord.

  “Very,” Quintus agreed, pausing as they peered upward. “But remember, all vampires can be killed just like humans.”

  “Stand back,” Jake ordered. The creak of the wooden door opening echoed in the house, specks of dust spraying outward as stairs unfolded onto the landing.

  Kai blinked in astonishment as she caught sight of three white orbs dancing in the darkness. “What are those?”

  “Spirits.” Quintus raised a curious eyebrow.

  “I can feel them. They’re humans,” Jake whispered.

  “I feel magick but it’s not necessarily from an adult. I don’t live in a place where I have access to many hauntings. I’ve seen a stray ghost over the years, but I’ve never encountered ones like these. They almost feel musical to me.” Kai reached her fingertips into the air and one swooped down to buzz her. She waved her hand away as it rebounded up into the attic. “Playful. Like kids.”

  “Kai’s right,” Quintus agreed.

  “They’re children. But something bad happened here,” Jake said, his voice heavy with sadness.

  “Are you all right?” Kai asked him, placing her hand on his shoulder.

  “I’ve never sensed a human’s pain so much.” Jake cocked his head in confusion.

  “Your mate. She’s affecting you. As Alpha you feel your wolves. As the mate of a pixiu, you are realizing the good fortune of others she’s absorbed…their psychic gifts. It’s opening pathways to humans. These children…they were all once human.” Quintus’ eyes met Jake’s. “They’ve been here for a long time. Someone did this to them.”

  “I can see them.” Jake closed his eyes, his brow furrowed. “They were murdered. By three adults. A human was involved. The human was a male. I see a vampire. I can’t see if it’s male or female but the fangs… And…” Jake hummed as the visions passed before him. His eyes flew open in shock, meeting Kai’s. “Jesus. A wolf.”

  “A triad. Interesting,” Quintus mused.

  “I don’t know what it means.” Kai kept her eyes trained on the balls of light.

  “Triple deities,” the vampire stated.

  “Goddesses?” She’d deliberately avoided researching the occult for fear it would draw attention to her, but she regretted her lack of knowledge of other creatures.

  “One demon or Goddess but there’re three beings,”
Jake said. “I’ve never met a triad, but to be fair, it’s not like this wolf is looking for that kind of shit. No thank you. That kind of stuff is not my thing.”

  “It’s rare when it’s natural. But these three may or may not have been organically created. They can use demonic forces to conjure the magick.”

  “Demons?” Kai asked. A horrifying thought ran through her mind and she blurted out her suspicion. “Were the kids murdered as part of a sacrifice? I’ve heard that vampires stay away from babies and children because their life forces are so new.”

  “Did the vampire take their lives?” Quintus asked.

  “The human. The male. He did this,” Jake said, his attention on the stairs. “But something else happened to them…I don’t know exactly. We need to go upstairs.”

  “Are you sure?” Kai asked as her Alpha headed upward, holding onto the rails.

  “They’re harmless but…the way they look…” Jake sighed.

  Before Kai had a chance to respond, her mouth gaped at the sight of the three girls. The smallest wore a white nightgown, blood splattered down the front, her spine visible through the five-inch wound in her neck. A second girl, who appeared no more than ten years old, wore a blue school dress. A bright red bloom gushed from her stomach, while the white ribbons in her hair bore the bloody fingerprints of her attackers. A teenager stood nude, her body mottled with bruises.

  “Oh Goddess,” Kai whispered. Tears sprung to her eyes. “What happened to you?”

  “We see. You can change now,” Jake told them.

  “What is happening?” Kai asked in amazement as their transparent apparitions morphed into a youthful innocence, appearing as they’d once looked when they’d been alive, happy. The youngest, who appeared five years old, held a teddy bear in her arms.

  “Humans. It’s amazing how the spirit can remain on Earth for so long.” Quintus came up behind Kai and Jake.

  “I…I don’t know that I’d call it amazing. These girls have been living in this attic for over a hundred years. It’s…I don’t know. It’s sad. Tragic. Who would do this to them?” Kai asked.

  “The triad,” Jake responded.

  Kai ducked to avoid hitting her head on a beam as she navigated through the claustrophobic room. Its oak floor had been painted seafoam green. Pink insulation lined the ceiling and walls of the unfinished attic.

  “They aren’t confined to this room but they are to this home. They’ve chosen it.” Jake kept his eyes on the girls, who all wore a solemn expression.

  “But they are…were just children when this happened.” Kai wrapped her hands around her waist as a cool breeze crept through the roof space. “Imagine how terrified they were.”

  “This was their only safe harbor,” Quintus said.

  “The smallest. They slit her throat and drained the blood to drink it. The other girl. She was stabbed in the stomach so they could inflict the most pain while she died. And the teen…fucking hell,” Jake spat, his jaw ticking in anger. “They raped her. They gagged her. Suffocated her. She choked until she died. They were creating their goddess. These three met somewhere…came together. The human…he was related. He was her stepfather.”

  “Evil,” Quintus commented, carefully inspecting the room.

  “It’s sick is what it is. If I met them, I’d kill them myself,” Kai added.

  “Dominique,” Jake said. His eyes went to the vampire. “I’m pretty sure she was their mother. I can’t be one hundred percent sure but I keep seeing her face. She’s dressed…she’s living in another time. I don’t see fangs. She…she’s not a vampire yet.”

  “Maybe they killed her too?” Shock rolled through Kai as the middle child hovered towards them. The young girl’s spiral curls hung perfectly around her face. Her immaculate dress, neatly pressed, showed no sign of the stab wound. Still unable to shake the earlier images out of her mind, Kai attempted to communicate. “We’re here because we’re looking for something.”

  “The Kris,” the girl said.

  Kai gasped as an image flashed into her mind; the child held the knife to her abdomen, blood pooling onto the fabric. “I’m so sorry. We aren’t here to hurt you. But yes, we need the Kris.”

  “You must ask my mother,” she replied.

  “Do you know where it is?” Kai pressed.

  “She hid it. They don’t know she took it. It’s a secret.” The girl held her fingers to her lips, looking from side to side. “Shh.”

  “You don’t need to be afraid,” Jake told them. “I know some very bad people did this to you, and if you really want to cross over, I know a few mediums that can help you…”

  “Kasdeya. She wants it. Mother doesn’t want her to have it. Not ever.”

  “Your mother. She’s human?” Quintus queried.

  “Don’t believe them,” she replied. “Mother’s not like the others. She’s beautiful.”

  “Is she a vampire?” Kai asked.

  “She didn’t want to be a vampire. She visits us. Don’t tell Father. Father…” the girl looked over her shoulder as if he’d appear any second, “he’s angry.”

  “What’s your name?” Knowing she could never have children was a burden Kai had accepted long ago. But her protective instinct crushed her heart, at the way these young girls had suffered.

  “I’m Serafine. That’s my baby sister, Poupon. She’s too afraid to talk. I’m eleven. I’m a big girl.” She looked to the teen, whose expression remained somber. “That’s Delia. They kept her quiet, so she won’t speak to strangers ever again.”

  “Serafine,” Kai began. She deliberately kept her voice soft and even, hoping to earn the girl’s trust. “We are looking for the Kris. You see,” Kai’s eyes darted to Jake, who nodded, “I’m a special creature too.”

  “You fly,” said Serafine, a smile curling onto her lips.

  “I, uh,” Kai stammered, attempting to conceal her surprise at the statement, “I haven’t seen yet what I can do.”

  “You’re like a warrior fairy. You sparkle like gold. You make it change. It’s magick,” she said, wonder in her eyes.

  “Yes, I can do that. It’s something I’ve been able to do since I was a child.” Kai knelt down, taking in the sight of the smallest girl and then focused back on Serafine. “I have a sister too. She’s innocent like you. Someone very bad took her. And these people…they want to hurt me too.”

  “The knife is special,” Serafine whispered. “It is the only way to stop them.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “The goddess. Kasdeya.”

  “But sweetie, Kasdeya is a vampire,” Kai said, her forehead crinkling in confusion.

  “Kasdeya is the trinity.”

  Jake blew out a breath, his eyes darting to Quintus. “She’s not just a vampire. She’s a goddamned three-headed Goddess.”

  “Things just got a whole lot more complicated.” Quintus nodded.

  “Serafine, I need the Kris. Kasdeya might have my sister or know who took her. You know my fairy wings?” Kai asked gently.

  “Yes, they’re so strong. You’re scary, but pretty too.”

  “Thank you, honey. But my wings…everything about me…Kasdeya, she’s been trying to kill me ever since I was your age. If you show us the Kris…let us borrow it, I’ll be able to find my sister. We can find who did this to you and make sure they never do it to anyone else.”

  “My mother…have you seen her?” Serafine twirled a lock of her hair round her finger.

  “Your mother was sick but she’s okay now. She’s been staying with friends, resting.”

  “Friends like him?” Serafine’s eyes went to Quintus, who gave a small smile. “He kills people.”

  Kai’s heart sank at her words. Quintus was lethal, but he’d lived a long life, had learned to protect himself from evil.

  “Quintus. He’s a vampire. But he won’t hurt you. And he’d never hurt your mom either. He’s my friend. He’s been helping me.”

  “He’s lonely. Mr. Vampire, you need a f
riend,” Serafine told him, compassion on her face. “You need to be nice. Stop killing people.”

  Kai gave a sad smile. “Quintus will be fine, I promise. Yes, your mother is with a man like him. He’s strong. He can protect her. She’ll come back to you soon.”

  Kai’s heart tightened at the white lie. From what Jake had told her, although Dominique was alive, she wasn’t the same person she’d been. The demon had nearly destroyed her. Serafine looked to each of her sisters, and Kai suspected they communicated silently.

  “Do you promise mother won’t be angry?” the girl asked.

  “I promise you. I will go see her myself.” Kai wasn’t sure how she’d make it happen, but she wouldn’t go back on her word to a child. “It’s okay. You can trust it with us.”

  “It’s hidden where she sleeps,” she whispered. “But you need to hurry. The wind. It carries demons. They can see you. They could try to steal it.”

  “Thank you,” Kai said, exhaling an audible breath. She glanced to Jake, and reached for his hand as he extended it to her. “I promise you Kasdeya will never hurt you again. Or your mother. We need a few days but we can do this.”

  “Thank you,” Jake said, backing away from the entities.

  “Grazie, patatino.” Quintus gave a small bow in thanks, waiting as Kai stepped onto the ladder.

  “Goodbye,” Kai said, but as she turned to the girls, they’d disappeared.

  “Let’s go, sweetheart. We’ve gotta get out of here.” Jake glanced around the attic one more time before following Kai downward onto the landing. The whistle of wind whipped through the drafty home as Quintus made his way into the hallway.

  “This way…try that bed,” Kai said, her pulse racing. Her eyes went to the window, and she noted the ominous darkened sky.

  “Wait up,” Jake told her, following on her heels.

  “Here.” Kai pointed to the four poster bed. She ran her palm over the dark mahogany post but sensed nothing. “I don’t get it. Do you think it’s between the mattresses?”

  “Maybe, but think about it. If you were hiding something special, where would you put it? My guess is,” Jake ran a hand over the snowy Marseilles bedspread, tracing its intricate pattern, “you’d put it somewhere that it wouldn’t be easily discovered.”