Grim Tidings

by Theophilus Monroe

  Then we will have to be careful. We need to make the most of our one chance to take her by surprise.

  “And we should shut up. If she’s listening to us now, we’ve already spoiled it.”

  You should shut up. I can keep on talking. She can’t hear me.

  I chuckled to myself. “Convenient. Now you can say whatever you like to me about it and I can’t even argue back for risk of being caught.”

  Not a bad thing. I get too much lip from you as it is.

  I smiled widely. She was right. I had a tendency to argue with Isabelle just for the sake of arguing. We’d come a long way, she and I. We trusted each other, at least. I even allowed her to use my body to date Mikah. But old habits die hard. And being able to argue with Isabelle was, strangely, comforting. I already had a vampire faux goddess trying to boss me around. I wasn’t sure how much tolerance I’d have for Isabelle “telling me like it is” since it felt like I was already the puppet of other “people’s” machinations. Oggie wanted me to help win some kind of war that he insisted was coming. The Loa here all knew about Isabelle now, and Oggie had warned that they’d all try to manipulate me to use her to their various advantages. Mercy and Nico had me between a rock and a hard place. A girl has to maintain some semblance of control over her own life. At least I knew we could still argue about boys.

  I took a deep breath and knocked three times on Oggie’s door.

  Seconds later, the door swung open and he stood there, smiling widely. With all that had happened, I’d nearly forgotten how attractive he was. The human who hosted him—who knows what happened to that guy’s soul—clearly had been something of a gym rat in life. I traced the veins that overlapped his bulging bicep with my eyes as he extended his arm, taking my hand—as if I needed help crossing a mere office threshold. Still, the flirtations between he and I made it clear that we both found each other attractive. I’d only started to pull away when I found out that he was one of Erzulie’s three husbands—a fact that I’d come to find out had absolutely nothing to do with love. To her, he was a tool—a way to manipulate his domain toward her interests. For him, he didn’t have much choice. When Erzulie claims someone, be it genuine or not, a man simply can’t help but at least feel like he is in love with her. Oggie had been forcibly married to her long enough, though, that he’d recognized that his feelings were not his own. Still, he was now one of the headmistress’s spouses. Considering that she’d secured her position by outmaneuvering his plea to condemn Maman Brigitte before the Voodoo queen probably didn’t do much for his recognition that nothing he felt for Erzulie was remotely real.

  “Adjusting well to being back at the Academy?” Oggie asked, leaning against his desk.

  “Would be easier if it wasn’t for my new classmate.”

  Oggie sighed. “I presume you’re not talking about your sister.”

  I shook my head. “Can you believe it? A vampire?”

  “It is concerning,” Oggie said. “Vampires are the result of the Bokors having summoned the Loa through their dark rites. The Academy has always had a clear position in opposition to the Bokors. It’s why I brought you here. The Bokors gain power every day. With a vampire coven rising in the city, it’s only a matter of time before we’re in an all-out war.”

  “And this particular vampire…”

  “Mercy Brown might be the most formidable vampire I’ve ever encountered. For the life of me, I cannot trace her lineage. There simply isn’t any evidence of any Bokor activity surrounding her person or community at the time she was turned.”

  “Sounds like you’ve done some digging into her past.”

  “Records indicate that she died in 1892 in Rhode Island. Tuberculosis, apparently. But many legends… and horrors… surround her person after that. All I can figure is that her diagnosis was either incorrect, or some other vampire… someone ancient… might have taken pity on her and turned her as her earthly life faded.”

  “But she survived the bite, obviously. Otherwise she would have become a corpse. A zombie.”

  Oggie nodded. “Not many vampires survive their first year. Their hunger is insatiable at first. They almost always attract the attention of hunters before they have a chance to come into any of their abilities.”

  “Well, clearly she survived a lot longer than that.”

  “All I can figure is that some other vampire, someone much older than she is, was looking out for her. Protecting her. Helping her adjust to the hunger.”

  I bit my tongue. I wanted to tell him about Nico. I felt like he should know. But I wasn’t going to risk my parents… or my sister. Or Pauli. If Oggie knew, he’d try to do something. If he moved against Nico, I knew Nico wouldn’t hesitate. He’d use my parents to turn my sister and then they’d all end up dead—or worse. They’d be vampires that he’d use against me. “Well, if what you say is true, you think he’s connected to the house in the French Quarter?”

  Oggie nodded. “I’m almost certain of it. The way that place was warded, it was done by someone who knew to ward against me and my aspect. And the fact that someone has been sending vampires to your plantation… it means he knows you are a threat, too. I suspect he’ll reveal himself in time, if we keep our wits about us.”

  “Perhaps Mercy will reveal something, give us some clues.”

  Oggie shook his head. “Not saying it’s not possible, but she’s on her second century, and she hasn’t survived this long by being careless. Still, the very fact she came here to learn suggests she is bold and overconfident. Keep your eyes and ears open.”

  I nodded. “So, I’m pretty good at summoning Beli now… obviously.”

  “Clearly,” Oggie said. “But now we need to focus on the forms your soul weapon might take. A blade is quite useful, but circumstances might occasionally call for something else.”

  I focused my mind and spoke the name—Beli—and the dragon’s essence materialized as a stake in my hand.

  Oggie raised his eyebrows. “Well that’s certainly a timely manifestation.”

  “I’ve been fending off a lot of vamps lately. It’s almost like Beli just knew what form to take.”

  “But did you ask for this weapon, or did Beli assume this form of his own accord?”

  “Well, I thought I was summoning the blade… and this showed up. So I guess he did it.”

  Oggie nodded. “What we need to practice is how to communicate your will to your elemental. There may be times when Beli does not know your needs, when you need to ask him for the form you require.”

  “I don’t get it. I mean, I was able to stake vamps with my blade just fine.”

  “From a bit of a distance, perhaps. But with a stake… How close were you to this vamp when Beli appeared that way?”

  “He was all over me,” I admitted. “Come to think of it, my blade probably wouldn’t have been too easy to wield at the time.”

  Oggie nodded. “It seems you still need a long-range option. Something with projectiles.”

  I raised my eyebrows. “That’s possible?”

  “Probably the safest way to go after a vampire… I mean, aside from fire magic. If Isabelle can give you that, that’s the way I usually do it.”

  “In limited quantities I can pull off some fire spells,” I admitted. “But they aren’t our forte.” In truth, Isabelle was pretty kick-ass with fire magic when she was in control. But I hadn’t ever been able to pull it off on my own very effectively. I’d tried. The problem was to just get the spell to ignite, I usually had to draw on all the magica I could take from Isabelle at any given moment, which meant I had one shot. And worse than that, I was just as likely to blow up the city block with it as I was to produce just enough to light a candle. I hadn’t tried to use fire magic on my own in years—and there was a patch of charred ground in the back woods of my plantation that served to remind me why.

  “Then projectiles will prove your best weapon. Vampires are most deadly in close proximity.”

  “Unless they learn to use projectil
es themselves.”

  “Or if they are older and have abilities that give them the ability to attack from range. But you’ll find that most younger vamps are too overconfident to even bother with weapons and very few survive long enough to come into their abilities.”

  “I thought if they were staked, they’d just come back once the stake was removed. Isn’t that how Ramon, the vampire Ashley and I staked last year, came back?”

  Oggie nodded. “That’s true. So far as I know the only way to completely eliminate them is with fire or, uniquely in your case, to send them to the land of the dead. But most hunters know to burn those they stake.”

  I cringed. “I guess that’s what Ashley and I should have done in Ramon’s case.”

  “You live, you learn.” Oggie walked to the door and opened it. “You might want to release your elemental. We’re heading to the gymnasium to practice.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  I had to admit that the timing of learning to summon Beli as a projectile weapon was convenient—if I ever had to take out Mercy, doing it from a distance would be my best shot. Not that it had come to that yet—eliminating her now would certainly incur the wrath of Nico, who still had my parents enthralled by his influence. In truth, I wasn’t sure how extensive his power was. But it was at least nice to know that the new ability Oggie had taught me gave me another option that the vamps might not see coming. After all, when they’d “tested” me before, I’d never dispatched any of their lackeys beyond close range.

  It was a difficult tactic to master—after my afternoon practice session with Mikah, I managed only modest success. It was enough to show some promise—I just needed more practice. Beli had manifested as a crossbow of sorts, with a bolt that was just as good as a stake if it were to strike a vampire in the heart. And due to the unique ability my dragon blade/stake/crossbow offered, it would send the vamp directly to the realm of the dead, to Samhuinn, where they belong.

  Mikah grabbed my arm, stopping me mid-stride. Maman Brigitte and Aida-Wedo were standing outside the first-year dormitory, clearly in a heated argument.

  “What did you think would happen?” Aida-Wedo asked as the python curled around her neck hissed at Brigitte. “He was bitten just a few months ago and barely recovered. And you bring a vampire into the Academy!”

  “Unless you forget, it was a Petro Loa, Kalfu, not one of the Ghede, whose dark aspect assaulted your initiate!”

  “Excuse me?” I asked. “Did something happen?”

  The two Loa looked at me disdainfully—it wasn’t personal. But by speaking to them directly, I was breaking protocol.

  “Speak to Ogoun about it,” Brigitte said curtly.

  “And now you’re one to insist on following tradition?” Aida-Wedo said, narrowing her eyes at Brigitte before turning to me, softening her countenance. “Our new vampire initiate claims that Pauli attacked her. He’s being held by Erzulie now for questioning.”

  “Pauli wouldn’t attack anyone,” I said. If he were of his previous mind, he wouldn’t. But I couldn’t deny what he’d told me. Around vampires he got a hunger… something came over him. But did he attack Mercy?

  “That doesn’t sound like Pauli. Is Mercy okay?” I asked.

  “She is fine,” Aida-Wedo said, Brigitte still turned away from me before snapping back at Aida-Wedo.

  “It is the principle of the matter,” Brigitte said. “A student who attacks another student… that is an assault in its own right. But since he likely attacked her for no other reason than that she is a vampire, this is a hate crime. Forget expulsion, he should be banished!”

  “A hate crime?” I asked. “You can’t be serious. And how do we know what happened anyway?”

  “Mercy reported the incident straightaway, which Pauli apparently denies,” Aida-Wedo said. “It is his word against hers.”

  “Can I see him?” I asked. “Pauli is my friend.”

  “When Erzulie is done with her inquiry, he will likely be permitted to return pending a formal disciplinary session. Barring any third-party witnesses, he is entitled to a fair hearing.”

  “Which will leave my initiate susceptible to a second attack!” Brigitte protested.

  “I’ll make sure that doesn’t happen,” I said.

  Maman Brigitte glanced at me condescendingly before storming off down the hall, Aida-Wedo briskly following behind her. Maman Brigitte didn’t believe me. And frankly, I wasn’t sure how long I could defend Pauli anyway. Erzulie and Brigitte were in league with one another before, and if Mercy insisted that he attacked her, if she told them to believe her, they’d agree with her without even thinking about it. There was only one way to fix this, and that was to take it up with Mercy directly.

  I leaned over to Mikah, grabbed his hand and squeezed. “That’s from Isabelle,” I told him.

  Mikah kissed my cheek. “And that’s for her. You both did a great job today.”

  I smiled. I gave Isabelle half of the afternoon session once I felt I had summoning Beli as a crossbow down pat. With the herbal remedy Mikah had made, I’d quickly resumed control and avoided the headache entirely.

  I turned and walked into the dormitory. Mercy stood next to my bed anticipating my arrival. So far, she was the only other student who had made it back from training aside from Sauron, who was snoring like thunder.

  “Sorry about your friend,” Mercy said. “He was a liability.”

  “He didn’t attack you, and you know it.”

  Mercy shook her head. “Not yet. But you know as well as I do it was just a matter of time. But don’t worry about him. I will tell them to clear his name and forgive the charges entirely once we’ve finished our task tonight.”

  I gulped. “Tonight? Are you serious?”

  “What? Did you think I enrolled here so I could further my education? I’m here for a reason, and I do not intend to linger pointlessly. First, you need to get changed. You can’t go to the land of the dead looking so… alive.”

  “You want me to take you with me to Samhuinn?”

  Mercy nodded. “And there should be quite a crowd there… all the vampires you’ve staked, all looking for their revenge.”

  “But Baron Samedi dwells in the in-between, in some kind of purgatory hidden in the ley lines. That’s where I found him before.”

  Mercy’s tongue danced across her fangs. “And I’m inclined to bring him back after you’ve turned him green. Before Erzulie can pull it off and he tries to exert his influence over us… over Nico and me. But we have another task to complete first. We’re not going to the Baron. Not immediately.”

  “Excuse me? Isn’t that what Nico wanted?”

  “You are going to help me bring Ramon back. Is that too much to ask, or do I need to command it?”

  I sighed. “You realize you could do better than Ramon. He has no control. He’s been a vampire as long as you, but he’s still basically a serial killer.”

  “He was turned as long ago as I—even longer. But in the last century he’s spent no more than a few months without a stake in his chest. He needs time to tame his hunger. And I can make sure he does. I can command it.”

  “I can’t stop you from making me do this. But it sure sounds like you love him.”

  “It isn’t love,” Mercy hissed. “I do not need to explain my feelings to you.”

  “Of course you don’t,” I said. “But if you’re capable of love…”

  “Then maybe I wouldn’t be a monster?”

  “That’s not what I was going—”

  “But it’s what you meant.”

  When she speaks of Ramon, she sparks an aura. It’s dim, but it’s there. I think we should help her.

  I sighed. Had she bitten a romantic? Consumed something of a soul inclined to love? Maybe over time the vampire’s capacity to love returns as their hunger wanes through the centuries. Isabelle had sensed something human about Nico, too. He had an aura. If Mercy was developing one… and Nico had one… it meant vampires could be saved. It meant there
was hope for my parents. If there was any chance that bringing back Ramon would make Mercy something close to being human—someone who could love, someone with a conscience—I had to agree to help. After all, with her abilities, there was no telling what she could do without a conscience. Helping her recover some sliver of humanity might, at the very least, give her some pause before manipulating people—even the Loa—toward her will.

  “Mercy, you don’t need to command anything. I’ll help you.”

  Mercy nodded. “Then sit down. I need to prepare you for death.”

  “Excuse me?”

  Mercy grinned widely, again showing off her vicious chompers. “To prepare you to encounter death. I do not intend to kill you. I will require your abilities in order to return, so it is in my interest to see to it that you are protected. In this guise, you will not fool anyone. But you will honor the dead as such, and they will permit your passage into their domain.”

  “Prepare me, how?”

  “The traditional death mask was used by the ancient Aztecs who had apparently summoned a gateway to the realm of the dead. When the elders would travel there, they were not going to deceive any of the souls who lingered there that they were truly dead. But the mask was a way of honoring the dead—of showing that the living did not take their lives for granted. For them, death was a mystery every bit as profound as that of life. It was a way to exist that was not less than living. It was simply the next chapter in our cosmic existence.”

  I squinted as Mercy began applying white paint to my face. “I didn’t take you for the… scholarly type.”

  Mercy huffed. “I’m not. Not usually. When you’ve lived more than a century, you’ve seen everyone you loved in life grow old—grow old without you. You’ve seen them die, and then you’ve seen their children grow old and die, too. You come to realize that you’ll never join them, that you’ve been somehow spared a death… or robbed of it, however you choose to look at it.”

  “I never thought about how hard that must be,” I said.