Mystik Warrior: (Dark Warrior Alliance Book 2) (7 page)

Orlando’s voice rose above hers, trying to drown out her words as he continued, “She won’t listen to reason and let me and Santiago handle this.”

Again, she ignored Orlando. “And,
they
are coming along to protect me. Want to join us?” she finished, figuring she wasn’t going to win with Kyran, given her brother-in-law’s protectiveness of her. Besides, it couldn’t hurt to have more warriors with her.

Rhys laughed at Orlando’s groan when Kyran nodded and silently climbed into the other back seat. The air became thicker in the quiet of the vehicle as they pulled out of the compound. The three hulking men took all the free space in the vehicle. Elsie felt claustrophobic with them surrounding her and rolled down her window, letting in fresh air.

Kyran finally broke the silence as they drove across town. “So what’s the plan?”

“You guys are going with me so I can speak to Mackendra. She is the leader of SOVA and my friend, so you guys need to hide your weapons and don’t be so intimidating. This woman is a soldier and won’t miss anything. Friend or not, she will be skittish if she suspects something. I haven’t told her that I am a vampire, and I don’t think it is a good idea that she knows that right now. She has hunted skirm for many years and would likely shove a dagger in my chest if she knew.”

“Sounds like my date from Saturday night,” Rhys quipped.

“Be careful of your emotions, Elsie. You are new to vampirism, and your control is so-so at best. Your fangs tend to come down and your eyes glow when you get riled up,” Orlando warned when they parked close to the busy square.

“Okay,” she breathed as she climbed out of the car. Control, she told herself. Remembering that was going to be a challenge. She wasn’t going to back down now though, she considered this woman her friend. After all, Mack had helped her through the toughest times of her life.

Mackendra was easily spotted across the crowd with her short, spiky, black hair and sleeve of tattoos. She grinned to herself as she read the pink t-shirt stretched across Mackendra’s ample bosom. The woman was an activist to the core, sporting a top that read ‘Check Your Boobies Bitches’ with a pink ribbon. The message was clear, and cut to the chase, much like the wearer. Elsie wanted a shirt for herself.

“Hey, thanks for meeting me,” she called out as they approached. She embraced Mackendra and held her close for a moment. She had missed her friend. “I love your shirt.”

Mackendra looked down then met her gaze with a small smile. “I wear it in honor of my aunt. One in eight women are affected by breast cancer, and we’ve got to get the message out. It’s been way too long, El. What happened to you? And who are your new friends?” Mackendra eyed the guys suspiciously, lingering on Kyran for several moments.

Elsie noticed the dichotomy between Kyran and Rhys. Kyran stood rigidly with his arms crossed over his chest while and Rhys was flirting with a couple women to their left. Rhys was no surprise, but something was up with Kyran. His tension was palpable. She didn’t have time to ferret that out at the moment though, and focused back on Mack.

“I’m sorry for not calling sooner. My life took an unexpected, but wonderful turn,” Elsie said then turned to the guys. “This is Detective Orlando Trovatelli. He is one of the detectives who investigated my first husband’s murder.”

Mackendra’s head snapped back to Elsie, then Orlando, and returned to Kyran, whose eyes had yet to leave the female’s face. “You said first husband. Does that mean you remarried?” Elsie wasn’t surprised that her friend had honed in on that little fact.

Elsie felt bad for not including her friend in her life of late, but didn’t allow the censure to rile her. “Yes, I have and I want to tell you all about it, but that’s a story for another time. Orlando and I are here for much less pleasant conversation, I’m afraid.”

Orlando stepped forward and held out his hand. “Nice to meet you Ms. Callaghan.”

After a few seconds consideration Mackendra shook Orlando’s outstretched hand. “I’m not sure if it’s nice or not. What can I do for you?” Elsie had missed Mack’s direct and brash personality. With her, what you saw was what you got.

“Ms. Callaghan, I wanted to ask you about a member of your organization. Elsie told me that you formed the vigilante group SOVA. I’m sure you are aware there have been a rash of unexplained murders in the city...well, we found one victim wearing a SOVA jacket.”

“Oh God, no. Who?” Mackendra’s voice cracked.

“That’s the problem. We aren’t sure. She was a Caucasian with dark brown, shoulder length hair, approximately five feet six inches tall, and around one hundred thirty pounds. That’s all we have at this point,” Orlando replied gently.

“I was thinking it may be Ellen,” Elsie suggested.

Mack turned back to Elsie and then once again turned to Kyran who was staring intently at Mack. “Could be. I haven’t heard from her for a few days, but there are a couple women in my organization who could meet that description. Can you tell me more?” Mackendra asked, crossing her arms over her chest, pushing her breasts against the tight t-shirt. Elsie heard Kyran suck in a breath before he darted off. She wasn’t sure what was up with him, and didn’t have time to decipher it.

“What the fuck is his problem? And, how did he move so fast?” Mackendra demanded. Elsie wanted to curse at Kyran. There was no way Mack was going to miss his movements.

She glanced around and saw Kyran standing in an alley then turned back to Mack. Kyran had taken a huge risk by showing his preternatural speed. “I have no idea. He is difficult to understand on the best days. We are here because my new friends care about the victims of these evil creatures as much as we do. They have fought against them far longer than even you have. I haven’t given up the fight, either, and have been working with them. We want to help keep you guys safe. There have been reports that there has been an increase in the number of women who have gone missing. After finding this latest victim, the police are now looking into SOVA and ways to stop your patrols.”

“I can’t believe you left us for some guy. I never pegged you for one of those women, but I appreciate your help now,” Mack said, looking around, likely searching for Kyran. The woman never let anything go. It gave Elsie time to calm her nerves before her vampiric nature slipped. Showing Mack her fangs or glowing eyes would earn her a dagger in the heart.

“That’s not fair, Mack. I never left the cause. I have done far more than you know,” Elsie protested.

“So, do you have anything else you can tell me?” Mackendra asked Orlando, ignoring her completely.

“She had a bite mark on the left side of her neck and a dove tattooed on her right wrist. You’re being too harsh on Elsie. And, you have been misinforming your members. Vampires do exist, but what attacked you and your friends weren’t vampires. They are called skirm, minions created by archdemons. Now, what can you tell me about your friend? I’d like to notify her family,” Orlando responded.

“I don’t even know where to begin with all that. Are you telling me that vampires are real, but they aren’t evil? I know evil. Evil did this to me and so many others,” Mack spat as she pulled the neck of her shirt away to reveal her scars. “And, you were right, Elsie, it was Ellen. I will tell her family,” Mack insisted, and Elsie noticed the weight Mack carried, weighing her down even more.

Elsie hoped that their friendship wasn’t ruined as she tuned them out while Orlando clarified the difference between vampires and skirm and they began to talk about the dangers and how the two groups could collaborate. She looked around for Kyran, surely he hadn’t left. Where the hell was he? Rhys was still happily flirting with the humans, and finally saw Kyran pacing in front of the fountain.

He was clearly struggling with something. Their eyes locked across the square and he shook his head then vanished. Elsie wanted to throttle her brother-in-law for sifting in the presence of so many humans. Fifty feet away Elsie saw him reappear in a dark alley. He looked at Mackendra one more time and took off running. She looked over at Rhys who had ditched the bimbos and was gaping in shock. The last thing they needed with Zander out of town was Kyran going off the deep end.

“This whole city is filled with fakes and phonies,” Bhric grumbled. He hadn’t gotten his booze, babes, or beignets. Normally, Jace would have laughed and made sure to visit a realm club to allow the vampire an outlet, but today he had no patience for anything but the mission. He had to find a cure for Cailyn, and time was of the essence. He didn’t allow himself to scrutinize why this was such a driving force. He didn’t have the time to go down that path at the moment. He needed to focus entirely on the task at hand. Simple thoughts of Cailyn always led him down a path of lust and desire that wreaked havoc on him, both physically and emotionally.

Zander’s voice brought Jace back. “Not all are fake,
brathair.
And from the looks of it, I need to remind a subject of his proper place,” Zander quipped, shaking his head as they left the latest bogus curio shop. Jace followed Zander’s gaze and noticed a vampire and a human female. They were having sex against a brick wall at the end of the alley while the vampire openly fed from the human. Because he was a sorcerer, Jace saw the aura as Zander sent out a burst of his power and froze the couple’s action. The vampire and human were paralyzed, only able to move their eyes, which bulged when they saw the vampire king.

“Let go of the female, now,” Zander barked, then turned midnight eyes on the human. Jace saw the deep purple of the magic emanating from Zander as he held the human’s gaze. “You left the bar early because you were no’ feeling well and took a cab home,” Zander told the female as he erased her memory of the encounter, and nudged her towards the cab Bhric had hailed. She teetered off pulling her skirt down.

“Now, Jacque. Pray tell, what were you thinking? I am one step from ripping your head from your shoulders. You know the rules. Never expose our existence to the humans!” thundered Zander, fists balled at his sides as he loomed over the shaking vampire. “Feeding openly in an alley off one of the busiest streets in the country is pretty fucking visible.”

“Liege,” Jacque’s body quaked with his fear. Jace expected him to piss himself any second. “Th-this k-kind of thing happens here all the time. Let me explain,” he rushed out when he saw Zander’s anger rise further. “In this city, the humans are steeped in the paranormal. They seek it. There are nighttime tours of graveyards, and people pretend to be paranormal creatures, especially vampires. They are on every street corner. I would have erased her memory of the bite, Liege. I swear. We never leave their memories of the bite, but we don’t worry about being seen.”

Lucky for Jacque, a human male chose that moment to wander down the street and pass the opening of the alley a few feet from where they stood. The human male was heavily tattooed with piercings and wore a cape over black clothing. The guy turned his head and smiled at their group, proudly displaying fangs in his mouth. Jace shook his head. He would never understand humans and the things they did.

“You disgrace the name of vampire. You fail to consider how others in the realm will view this behavior. You will work with the Dark Warriors here in New Orleans to deliver my message to every bluidy vampire in this city. Engaging openly in feeding of any kind is unacceptable and forbidden. Use discretion in your dalliances. I will have eyes and ears everywhere. Anyone caught will become my personal guest in the dungeons of Zeum. Now, get yourself together, you have work to do,” Zander turned on his heel and stalked away. If this guy knew what was good for him, he would follow orders. Zander never made threats he didn’t follow through on.

As they turned to leave the alley, Bhric picked up where they had left off. “I say we go to Old Absinthe House like Killian suggested. We are running around this city blind, maybe someone there can help. ‘Tis too bad none of the NOLA Dark Warriors have ever had a need for Marie Laveau.”

“Despite the fact that the only reason you want to go to Absinthe is to get your booze and babes, I do think it is the wisest course of action,” Gerrick added. Jace didn’t know if he agreed or not. If they went into this club it wasn’t going to be a quick visit with Bhric sating his needs, but they were running out of options.

“Lead the way,
brathair,
” Zander replied tersely. The king was still clearly upset by the vampire’s behavior.

Undaunted by the irritation in Zander’s tone, Bhric took out his cell phone and pulled up directions to the well-known bar. The bar had been established over two hundred years earlier by two cambions, and contained various levels. The ground floor was for humans while the levels below ground were for the supernaturals. Only select humans were aware of the lower levels.

“We aren’t far. Follow me, I know the way,” Bhric said as he waved his phone in the air.

As they got closer to Bienville and Bourbon, more and more supernatural creatures were milling about. A group of imps, Valkyrie, and nymphs giggled as they passed, waving at Bhric. Jace grabbed hold of Bhric’s arm and kept him moving forward. If he stopped with that large group they’d be there all night.

Tendrils of various types of enchantments flooded the night sky. He scanned the area searching for enemies, but with so many supernaturals in one place his senses were bombarded with energy. The rush invigorated him. He needed to concentrate so he could distinguish and separate the various colored lights associated with the different creatures. Magic wielders were the only creatures capable of seeing the festival of colors emitted by magic.

He focused and the first species he noticed was the Valkyrie and the luminescent threads of the spell they used to bind and hide their wings. There was a large group of the females standing outside the club. He continued his search and detected no threat. He took a moment to soak in the power around him. It fed his soul like nothing he had ever known. If it wasn’t for his magic, he’d have lost his mind centuries ago.

The red light the vampires gave off flared, drawing his attention. A nearby group of vampires caught sight of their king and bowed to Zander, while a couple light demons nodded their heads in recognition. Zander acknowledged them as they entered the busy establishment, and encountered wall-to-wall humans. Jace looked around for the entrance to the supernatural section.

“Killian said we enter the lower levels through the janitor’s closet. The entrance is monitored by a brownie,” Bhric shared as if he’d read Jace’s mind.

They made their way past the ancient wood bar, which proudly displayed its centuries of use. The antique fixtures winked in the low lighting. They were a contrast to the jerseys and helmets hanging from the exposed cypress beams of the ceiling. Somehow the combination worked for this place.

They reached a short hall, and Jace noticed several doors lined both sides. They stopped at the one labeled “Janitor”. Zander opened the door and led the way into the small space.

Jace watched a smile of recognition spread across Zander’s face as he addressed the brownie. “Clarence, ‘tis been too bluidy long. How have you been?” Zander bent his large frame and held his hand out towards the four-foot male. Zander’s hand engulfed the small, delicate-looking hand.

Clarence smiled wide, revealing yellowed, blunt teeth. “It’s good to see you too, mate. I’m doing well. Pedro and Francisco are good to me. Rumor has it that you’ve mated, and now I can see that is true. The colors of your completed soul are truly amazing. You must tell me all about her.” The elf-like creatures had the ability to see people’s aura, and work earth magic so it was no surprise that he could see the colors of the mating. Jace only hoped Zander didn’t indulge the small male or they would never get out of there.

Zander settled his free hand on the small creature’s shoulder. “Aye, the rumors are indeed true. I have found my other half and she is beyond anything I ever hoped for, but, that is a story for another time. I’m afraid we are here for an urgent matter involving my mate’s sister. She was enchanted by a Fae, and we need assistance. Are either Pedro or Francisco here?”

Large brown eyes became even bigger. “Oh no, that is terrible. Yes, they are both here. I will let them know you wish an audience. Go right on through to one of the back tables.” The brownie nodded his bald head to Bhric, then Jace and Gerrick as he crossed to the back wall and began muttering words in his native tongue.

Jace watched the orange and yellow light emanate from his fingertips, and a door appeared where there was once a smooth wood-panel covered wall. Jace had never cared for the smell of nightclubs, he thought, as sex, sweat, cigarette smoke, and alcohol hit him the moment Clarence opened the glowing door.

A steep, stone staircase led the way to the revelry below. Torches hung on the walls and provided the only illumination. As Bhric brushed past and began descending, Jace noted the vampire’s fangs were out and his eyes were glowing. They’d be getting no help from him until the vampire had a drink, or two. Sighing, Jace followed the others down.

The bump and grind of bodies enveloped Jace as he reached the bottom step. The supernatural floor of the club was much like upstairs, with the antique wood floors and a large aged bar. The difference was in the clientele. Supernaturals came in all shapes, sizes, and colors, and most couldn’t blend in with human society without drawing attention. He looked around and saw Bhric hadn’t wasted time grabbing a drink at the bar. Several empty shot glasses were already upside down in front of him and he was grabbing a bottle from the bartender.

The atmosphere of the club was intimate, and Jace found himself missing Cailyn something fierce. He wanted to explore and learn every inch of her, from her breasts to her sex. It was more than a want. He needed to have her as much as he needed his next breath. For the millionth time he wondered at his reaction to this particular female. He didn’t ponder that long, as nausea hit him, and bile rose in his throat. He hated the way his mouth watered and turned sour.

He forced a deep breath in and out. Where was the bathroom? He frantically searched over the patron’s heads. Goddess, he was pathetic. A little arousal and he couldn’t get to the toilet fast enough. Long ago he’d given up the expectation that his suffering would ever end, or that he’d have a normal relationship. But one tiny human entered his life, and breathed new life into his hope. It was a useless emotion in his opinion, and he hated that he had even a smidgen of it. As he started to spiral downward, a large heavy hand landed on his shoulder, bringing him back from the edge. He looked back and held Zander’s steadying gaze. He was the only person who knew what Jace had gone through all those centuries ago.

“Put it oot of your head, I need you to focus right now. Cailyn needs you. Are you good now?” Zander asked after a few seconds.

“Yeah. I’m good.” It was a struggle, but the reminder of the danger Cailyn faced pulled him back from the edge.

“Okay, follow Gerrick to that back table over there,” Zander instructed, as he pointed to an empty table in the corner. Together they crossed the busy dance floor and he slid into the booth before Zander.

A male fire demon approached the table. Fire demons were creatures whose flawless, luminescent skin and earthly beauty masked a deadly interior. It was unwise to piss one off, unless you enjoyed regenerating burned flesh, but they were always good to have on your side seeing as they were loyal to their core. “What can I get you guys?”

“House whiskey, double,” Jace ordered, scanning the crowd, once more thinking about Cailyn. He avoided thinking about how much he lusted after her, and wondered how she was currently doing. Was she frightened by the predicament she was in? The thought of her frightened had his gut churning and his teeth clenching. When he got a hold of the Fae who did this, he would relish torturing the bastard. No one would hurt her and get away with it. As a healer, he could slice away limbs, cut out his heart and have him on the brink of death only to bring him back and do it all over again. A feral growl escaped his throat.

“Here, drink this. ‘Twill help,” Zander’s voice brought him out of his violent fantasies. He hadn’t even heard the other’s order, let alone the drinks being delivered.

“Zander, it’s an honor to have you in our establishment. Next time we expect to meet this mate of yours,” Francisco boomed as he approached their table.

“My mate hasna been to your fine city, but expressed a desire to visit, so I’m sure I will be bringing her here soon enough. ‘Tis good to see you both again.” Zander stood and held out his hand to greet the two cambions.

“We will hold you to that. Now, what can we do for you?” asked Pedro, smiling like he had found a long lost friend. Zander shook their hands and retook his seat in the red leather booth.

Jace was anxious to get to business, and nearly jumped out of his shit-kickers. Thankfully, Zander got right to the point. “We need information about Marie Laveau. Killian said you guys have your ears to the ground and little happens in your city without your knowledge. As I’m sure you know, we have searched numerous voodoo shops to no avail. We need to find one of her Mambos.”

There was a pause as Francisco ran his long fingers over his blue silk shirt and considered his words. “Dante informed us that you may be stopping by, and why, so we did some digging. We had to call in some huge favors for this, so you owe us. Our source said to visit Tia at Marie Laveau House of Voodoo. We can’t guarantee she will give you any information, but she is the one you want.”