Leo sprung from the entrance toward Monette. He scrambled to untie the rope and held her in his arms. She had dried blood on her arm, neck, and abdomen, and tears ran down her face as she gasped for air. She sobbed, speechless, rubbing her face into his chest.
“What are you up to?” Arachne demanded. The rat demon didn’t answer. She twisted his arm again. “Answer!”
Then the rat demon started to laugh.
“You are the spider demon. You protected this pathetic girl with magic?” He grinned maliciously. “You can kill me if you want. I won’t tell you a thing.”
Arachne held his arm for a few heartbeats more, confusion clouding her face. Finally, she relinquished the demon and stepped back.
“We are leaving.” She nodded to Leo. He let Monette lean on him as they started toward the door. “If you come after us again, I will kill you.” Her words dripped with malice, but she held her head high as she followed Leo and Monette from the chamber, leaving the rat demon sulking on the floor.
Monette hugged the blanket wrapped around her. She stared into the bonfire flames, listening to the lapping of waves against the beach of Lake Pontchartrain. Saint-Germain had strung lights over a quickly constructed terrace bar which glowed under twinkling stars, inspired by the Beltane bonfires.
“I’m sorry this wasn’t the birthday you were expecting,” Leo murmured.
“It’s better this way,” she replied. “I couldn’t be around so many people. This way we can talk.”
Leo peered at her face as she continued to stare into the crackling flames.
“How are you?”
“I’m confused.” She blinked, and then her stormy eyes met his amber. “You fucking lied to me.”
Leo swallowed hard and felt his heart breaking in two. It was as if the rat’s dagger had struck him in the chest.
“I trusted you, Leo,” she sighed. “I thought you trusted me, too.”
“I had to protect you—” he started to explain.
“No,” she cut him off. “No, no, no. You endangered my life by not warning me. Those women in the library . . .”
Leo nodded. “They were actually really vampires.”
“And that rat. He tried to kill me!”
“He would have . . . if we didn’t have the protection spell.”
“Spell?” Monette looked up, her brow wrinkling.
“Arachne is also a powerful demon. Your life was tied to hers so you couldn’t be hurt.”
“I was hurt,” Monette snapped. “The dagger hurt. But what is most hurtful is that you kept all of this from me.” A single tear rolled down her cheek.
“I’m not going to apologize for doing what I thought was best.” Leo cleared his throat, frowning. “But I am sorry that you got caught up in all this. I’m sorry that I hurt you, and that in the end, I couldn’t even keep you safe.”
Monette turned away and stared back into the flames. Arachne hovered behind, anxiously listening in. She now glided over and handed Monette a sangria.
“I know you’re in shock and you probably need a moment,” Arachne murmured. “But do you remember if that rat said anything to you about why he took you?”
Monette shook her head slowly. “He just kept saying over and over that I needed to die for a ritual.” Monette sipped the sangria, and what started as a sip turned into gulps, until the cup was empty. Leo took the empty cup from her and hurried back to the bar where Keres and Saint-Germain stood.
“Rough night, young Leo?” Saint-Germain quipped as he poured another sangria out for Monette.
“Well,” Leo frowned. “Arachne and I are on the rocks, Monette and Arachne were almost killed by a filthy rat demon, and now Monette is pissed at me for hiding magic and vampires from her. So, yeah. Rough night.”
Keres laughed at him and sipped a deep red drink Leo suspected had blood in it. Saint-Germain gave him a wry smile and poured Leo a whiskey. “This is for you, chap.”
“Thanks.” Leo sipped the fiery liquid.
“If it’s any consolation, the storm will pass. They both care for you very dearly . . .”
Leo looked up and his eyebrows quirked up.
Saint-Germain laughed nervously and whispered, “Arachne guards her heart very closely. It may be a while before she concedes this, but yes, I do believe she cares very deeply for you.” Leo thought on this as he scooped up Monette’s sangria and walked it back to her. She cupped it in her hands and glared back to Leo as he sat next to her.
“I’m still upset,” Monette warned, squinting her eyes at him. “But . . . I have a lot of questions.”
Leo sighed as he slumped back down onto the log, preparing himself.
“I get that vampires and demons and all that exist. I’ve seen them with my own eyes. But why were they attacking me?”
Arachne glanced anxiously over at Leo and then back to Monette. “We don’t know exactly,” Arachne responded. “But since I met your brother, we’ve been working on a project together.”
Monette rolled her eyes. “I know you’ve been ‘working on a project’ together.”
“No, no,” Leo waved his hands, his face flushing with embarrassment.
“Leo insisted that I take a stand to organize the vampires under one banner,” Arachne explained. “Right now, vampires can essentially run wild. So, Saint-Germain suggested we find an ancient relic which would apparently give me the power to rule over the vampires, therefore keeping humans safe.”
“I . . . see . . .” Monette frowned.
“Now that you’re healed, Eshe will undo the protection spell,” Arachne stated. “I’m glad it kept you safe while it was in place. But clearly we need to rethink our plan. We should keep you safe by bringing you to the Magnolia Mansion.”
“With Saint-Germain?” Leo raised his eyebrows.
“Yes.” Arachne gave him a look. “She’ll be safe there.”
“If you think . . .” Leo sighed as he stood again and began to pace on the beach.
“What’s this relic you’re looking for?” Monette asked.
“Technically there are three,” Arachne replied. “The crown. The sword. And the sceptre. The mother of demons, Lilith, brandished these relics when she reigned over hell. You can ask Saint-Germain for more information. He’s been trying to translate some ancient texts to determine where they’re hidden.”
“Oh?” Monette turned her head to gaze over at Saint-Germain, who poured a whiskey and chatted with Keres. She laughed at a joke he was telling and sipped from her blood-red drink.
Monette stared at Leo intently. “Tell me everything.”
So he did as he paced back and forth, waving his hands in front of him emphatically as he told the story. He explained how Arachne and he met. The encounter with Nathan at the bar. The Casquette Sisters. He explained in great detail the Mardi Gras parade and party, and how Arachne was a spider demon and Eshe was half-vampire, half-witch. He described what happened with the witches and how Arachne and Saint-Germain had been trying to gather alliances across the city for their strange plan. Finally, he concurred with Arachne and the issue that they couldn’t even find the relics that they needed for their plan in the first place.
Monette sipped her sangria and listened to this all wordlessly. Finally, her cup was empty, and she was ready to respond.
“When we were children . . .” She wavered, her eyes stormy as she strained to remember, staring down at the scars on her arm. “You remember. You thought we could do magic.”
Leo nodded his head. Arachne raised her eyebrows at this, tilting her head as she listened.
“I didn’t want to believe it. I thought that was crazy!” She shook her head, laughing a little. Then she readjusted her glasses and rubbed her fingers lightly on her forehead. “But . . . it’s true.”
She paused as she brushed her hand over her scar. He realized that he had done all of this to keep Monette safe, and she was right. All he did was endanger her further. All he did was invite danger into Arachne’s life . . . jus
t to what, try to keep New Orleans humans safe from creatures of the night? He was a selfish idiot to expect they could protect anyone.
Monette stared at him, her eyes intense as she spoke, interrupting his self-deprecating thoughts. “When that beast attacked us . . . I could tell you were doing something. I felt it in the air. Quivering with energy. The trees were bending to your will.”
“What?” Leo gaped. He didn’t remember that. He just remembered his fear and resolve facing the monster. That he had to protect Monette at all costs. What was she talking about?
“Do you think we’re witches?” she asked.
Leo shrugged. “I don’t know. It’s possible . . .”
“Shit. I need a refill,” Monette laughed. Then she slowly stood and sauntered over to the bar.
“Are you done pacing?” Arachne pouted. “You’re making me nervous just watching you.”
Leo scooted over next to Arachne on the log, flashing her a sheepish grin. The blaze reflected like smoldering coals in her eyes. He clasped his hands together, resting his elbows on his knees.
“Arachne, I’m sorry.”
She looked up at him, her expression blank.
“Sometimes I don’t know why I say some things. It wasn’t right . . . earlier.” His words lingered in the air. “And, fuck. I didn’t even know if I wanted to own up to the magic bit either. Not without Mona confirming it. But after everything that’s happened, I should have figured I remembered right. So when you asked me in the bar if I was a witch . . . I really didn’t know. I . . .”
She cut him off. “You don’t need to feel bad. I feel a little better knowing I wasn’t the one who got you wrapped up in all this. You were marked from the start.”
Leo raised his eyebrows at her, and Arachne patted his shoulder reassuringly. She smiled back at him weakly. “I don’t blame you for feeling frustrated. Everything about our situation is surreal. I’m sorry I’m making this difficult. I’m sorry I’m not ready. But I do like you. I really do.”
Leo scooted a touch closer and leaned toward her. He cupped her cheek with the palm of his hand.
“You let me know when you’re ready,” he breathed. “But so long as I can kiss you, that’s all I need.”
A blush dashed across her face which caused his heart to flutter. He leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers. She kissed him back, her tongue dancing with his. His fingers curled into her hair and he pulled her closer under the starlit sky. Despite everything that had happened, he was happy.
Chapter 18
Leo awoke in bed with Arachne sleeping on his chest. Her strawberry-blond hair spilled over her back and her fingers gently gripped the fabric of his v neck t-shirt. Her breath was soft and deep. Leo smiled, watching her sleep. All their problems seemed miles away now. Even if they weren’t yet intimate, it felt good to wake up with Arachne in his arms. She trusted him enough for that, at least.
An urgent buzzing noise on Arachne’s nightstand ruined the moment. Arachne blinked her eyes open and yawned.
“What’s the buzz?” she murmured.
Leo reached over and glanced at the caller ID.
“Monette.”
“She okay?”
The phone stopped buzzing before he could answer it. He flipped through his text messages and then put the phone face-down on the side table.
“She’s more than fine.”
Arachne rolled over and looked up at him, raising an eyebrow.
“She’s demanding we go over to Saint-Germain’s mansion. Looks like they stayed up all night translating the prophecy.”
“They have a lead?” Arachne propped herself up, ready to leap from the bed.
“Yes . . .” Leo sighed, lamenting how a moment of heaven could end so abruptly.
Arachne and Leo strolled up the winding path to the Magnolia Mansion from his car, enjoying the briny wind blowing in from the south. They wandered the halls until they reached the study, a mahogany den with plush chairs and ceiling-high bookcases, the opposite of Saint-Germain’s quaint shop.
“You’re going to Israel!” Monette exclaimed, spreading her arms out with a flourish as they stepped in. Dark half-moons hung under her twinkling, bespectacled eyes.
Arachne sighed in exasperation. “Boring.”
Leo gaped from Monette to Arachne and back.
“What?” Arachne shrugged. “There are way more interesting places in the world to visit.”
“I guess you’d think so since you’ve traveled the whole world, but I’ve never left the country.”
“Do you have a passport?”
“No . . .”
“No matter!” Saint-Germain clapped his hands. “I shall have you one made post-haste.”
“Y’all are ridiculous,” Leo muttered, putting his hands up. “Let me get this straight, Mona. You came straight over here after a traumatic experience with a demon who tried to kill you, didn’t sleep, and instead translated Sumarian texts with this piece of work.”
“Proto-Sumarian, but yes. I wanted to prove that I could be helpful to you. After all, I’m near completing my PhD in archeology and middle east ancient languages,” she nodded earnestly. “And honestly, I couldn’t sleep after all that, anyway.”
“Mademoiselle Monette has been tremendously helpful.” Saint-Germain beamed. “We make a good team!”
Leo balked and his breath hissed through his teeth.
“Leo . . .” Arachne glanced at him sideways, a tell-tale eyebrow quirked. “Did it ever cross your mind, in the many months we’ve been struggling to translate these proto-Sumarian texts, that your sister was near completing her PhD in archeology and . . . ancient languages?”
Leo pursed his lips, and stared at the arching ceilings with his thumb and forefinger to his chin. “Hmm . . . did it ever occur to me . . .” he shrugged and gave her an innocent half-smile. “Not particularly . . .”
“You sabotaged us.”
“I did what I thought was right.”
“The important thing is I’m here now,” Monette interjected.
“The important thing is that you get some sleep,” Leo countered. “And stay out of this. It’s dangerous!”
Monette stuck her tongue out at Leo and turned back to examine her notes.
“Lilith’s regalia are in the Tomb of the Fallen, located under the Temple Mount in the heart of Jerusalem,” Monette explained. “I will draft some notes for you to find the entrance . . .”
“Monette should come with us.” Arachne smiled wryly.
“No way!” Leo protested.
Monette pushed the glasses up the bridge of her nose as a puzzled look spread across her face.
“We’ll need someone who understands ancient languages to navigate the tomb, I imagine. I only know ancient Greek.” Arachne shrugged innocently.
Monette pondered. “That makes sense.”
Leo pressed his lips together in a deep frown, but decided to drop it. He was outnumbered.
“Do you want to hear the prophecy?” Saint-Germain tittered like a bird.
“Of course we do!” Arachne laughed. “I’ve been dying from anticipation.”
Monette pulled her notes out and took a breath before she read the words aloud:
Two brothers, ravaged by war
Their hearts torn asunder for
The hand of their maiden fair
The key held only by heir
Mother of Demons, darkest Queen
Her power many seek to glean
Halo of stars, hellfire’s light
Unlock the shackles of endless night
To the crescent Temple Mount
Three trials, unwise to discount
Guardians dedicated to defend
The crown for when the Queen ascends
Deep in the belly of the Earth
Womb where all life is given birth
Tread wary Tomb of the Fallen
Lest ye be trapped at the bottom
Crescent crown, sceptre, sword
Endowed al
l three by celestial accord
Cunning magic bound by none
But the heirs of winter moon and summer sun.
Leo shook his head when Monette finished. “What the fuck was that? Doesn’t sound like a prophecy so much as shitty death metal lyrics.”
Arachne burst into laughter, propping her hand on his arm for support.
Monette blushed and glared. “I took some . . . creative liberties with the poem. So it rhymed.”
Saint-Germain nodded proudly.
“But seriously. What does it mean?” Arachne looked from Saint-Germain to Monette.
Monette stared intently back at Arachne and said firmly, “It means we’re going to Israel.”
Leo and Arachne sat down on the next plane to Israel out of Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport. Monette sidled into the chair across the aisle as Leo flipped through his miraculously made passport book. Was it forged? Was it real? Leo didn’t want to know. He shoved it in his bag and kicked it under the seat in front of him. He squirmed in his own seat and stretched out his legs.
“What is it now?” Arachne raised her eyebrows. “Afraid of flying?”
“Are you mad at me?”
“For the translation?” She clucked her tongue a few times. “No. I know you wanted to protect your sister from all of this.”
Leo hesitated. “I’ve never . . . flown in first class before.”
“Get used to it.” She crossed her arms. “I’m not flying coach.”
“It’s nice . . .”
“Too nice?”
Leo nodded.
“Dammit, Leo, we offered to do a teleportation spell, but you refused.”
“Teleportation sounds like a good way to get spliced in two,” Leo cleared his throat.
“Agreed,” Arachne smirked. “However, if we’re being followed, time is not on our side. It could have been worth the risk to be spliced.”
“Maybe for you!” Leo laughed. “Must be nice . . .”
Leo trailed off as a stewardess sauntered over to take their orders. Arachne smirked and flipped her hair over her shoulder before ordering a glass of champagne.
They had a layover in Newark before setting off eastward. Leo awoke as the plane skirted to the runway, the sun glinting through the window. They stopped in Tel Aviv for a couple hours before their connecting flight shuttled them to Jerusalem. From there, they took a taxi downtown and settled into a couple hotel rooms overseeing a streetside bazaar.
Blood Moon (A Louisiana Demontale): Book 1 of the Crescent Crown Saga Page 17
