Getting out of the swamp was the first hurdle I'd have to cross. After that, dragging a vampire body to Cain's truck, tossing him in the bed, and taking him to Vilokan Asylum would be the second challenge. I could only hope that Annabelle and company would spot me at the entrance to Vilokan again. They were expecting me, after all.
Thankfully, it was the middle of the night. I could take Cain's truck close enough to the Vilokan entrance that, if I was lucky, no one would notice me dragging a staked body through the street.
I managed to get the boat back to where Cain had it waiting when we first got to the swamp. Tossing Joe into the truck bed wasn't a problem. Driving a truck, well, compared to riding my motorcycle or even driving Devin's Subaru Impreza, was an odd experience. It's funny how weird it feels when you're so far off the ground in a vehicle of such size.
Still, I managed. It drove, more or less, no different than any other car. In the truck, though, I felt like I was the queen of the road.
Thankfully, Cain had an after-market GPS. I entered the St. Louis Cathedral into it since I didn't know the precise mailing address of the Voodoo underworld. It got me where I needed to go.
Nightlife in the French Quarter, generally, is pretty hopping. Not quite as much around the cathedral. I took Joe, draped a blanket from the back of Cain's truck over his shoulders, and threw his arm over my neck and back. As I dragged him through the street and into Pere Antoine alley, a crowd of young, spunky females eyed us.
"Fucker had too much to drink," I said.
The girls giggled and returned to their conversation about boys and the bitch who'd wronged them in some way earlier in the evening.
I propped Joe against the wall beneath the camera, at the entrance to the Asylum.
The camera moved a little, focusing on me. They knew I was here. Now, it was just a matter of waiting for Pauli to show back up and teleport me in.
I stood there, constantly checking to make sure no one was approaching from either end of the alley for what felt like twenty minutes. Then, a dim, blue glow formed on the wall in the shape of a door. Seconds later, Pauli and Devin showed up.
"About time," I said. "No snake form teleporting this time?"
Pauli shook his head. "Too risky to teleport a vampire. It could dislodge the stake."
I looked at Devin. "Hey, babe."
"Hi," Devin said, then looked away.
"What's wrong?" I asked.
"Nothing," Devin said.
"Your mom is doing fine, by the way."
"Thanks. That's good to know."
"And I'm doing great, too. You know, since you asked."
"Sorry," Devin said. "It's been a long night out."
"He's had too many cocktails," Pauli said. "We're lucky he even made it up all the steps to come to get you."
I nodded. I hadn't ever seen Devin drunk. He had a few drinks, from time to time, at Nicky's. But I'd never seen him indulge to the point of intoxication. Whatever. He was stressed. Everyone's allowed to let loose from time to time.
"I'm glad you're doing well," Devin said.
"Even mastered this whole shifting thing," I said. "You should have seen me out in the swamp. And the wolves! Holy crap, it was something. I'll tell you about it more when you're sober."
Devin nodded. "Yeah. Sorry. I don't really feel like myself. Not used to drinking like this."
"Can you two at least help me get this vampire down the stairs?" I asked.
"Sure thing, Nyx!" Pauli said.
I cleared my throat. "Remember, I prefer Nicky."
"Yeah," Pauli said. "I almost forgot. Apologies!"
I cocked my head. Neither of them was acting quite the same. "Did you guys do something that you're not telling me?" I asked.
"Like what?" Devin asked.
I grunted. I imagined them sleeping together. Devin getting his rocks off with Pauli because, well, I hadn't put out. I know it was silly, so I didn't press the issue. And this wasn't the time for a conversation like that, anyway. Not just because Devin was drunk but because I had to get the vampire back to Hailey and the asylum before the end of the witching hour.
"Never mind," I said. "It's been a long night for me, too."
Devin nodded and, stumbling a little, tried to pick up Joe. He had the strength to do it, but once Joe's total weight was held in his arms, Pauli quickly grabbed Joe and steadied him. "I've got this," Pauli said. "You've had too much to drink to walk, much less drag a vampire down the steps."
"Can't wait to get this vampire to the asylum. He smells horrible, worse than most vampires. And the odor is only getting worse."
"We can take him there for you, Nicky," Pauli said. "If you'd like to go ahead."
I cocked my head. "Annabelle said I shouldn't go through Vilokan with your escort. I'd rather not piss her off."
Pauli smiled. "Yeah, that makes sense. Duh, right?"
I nodded and, following Paul and Devin, who had Joe over each of their shoulders, I walked through the magical doorway that led into Vilokan.
Chapter twenty-five
Holy crap. The stairs going down into Vilokan weren't only numerous. They were steeper than standard stairs. I was mildly impressed that Pauli and Devin, particularly given Devin's intoxicated state, were able to manage it.
"Devin, let me do it. I can help carry him."
Devin and Pauli exchanged glances. "Probably a good idea," Pauli said.
I took Devin's place and helped Pauli take Joe Blow—I'd given him a surname by this point—down the rest of the way.
I was out of breath by the time we made it to the bottom of the stairs. Hailey was waiting for us with a wagon.
I didn't even smell her. Joe's scent was so overpowering. Not uncommon, really. When more than one vampire is around, their odors seem to blend into one giant stink cloud of nasty.
"You did it!" Hailey said, smiling wide, her massive incisors reflecting the blue hue of Vilokan's magic firmament.
"We did," I said. "We need to get him to the asylum."
Hailey nodded. "You guys okay?"
Pauli nodded. "The warlock had too much to drink."
"Why don't you two go lay down? I can take it from here."
Pauli scratched the back of his head. "Alright. But we'd like to help."
"Nothing you can do," Hailey said. "Besides, you know the security at the asylum. Annabelle only gave me clearance, you know, for the ritual."
"The ritual, right," Pauli said.
"What ritual?" Devin asked.
"You weren't told what's happening?" I asked.
Devin shook his head. "Yeah, we're pretty much in the dark about what's happening. Annabelle just told Pauli to come to get you when you showed up outside."
I nodded and, leaning toward Devin, tried to kiss his cheek. He pulled away.
"Devin, what's going on?" I asked.
Devin snorted. "It's nothing. Just embarrassed. You know, I smell like a distillery right now."
"You know I don't care," I said.
"But I do," Devin said.
I nodded. "Whatever. We should be done soon, though. I'll check with Cain in the morning, but I think he's going to let me go now that I have this bat shifting under control."
"And my mom?" Devin asked.
I shrugged. "Like I said, she's doing well. But I imagine Cain will want to keep her a little while longer."
"The witching hour is here," Hailey said. "Sorry guys, but we need to get going."
"Of course," Pauli said. "Come on, Devin. Let's take you back to my place so you can sleep this off."
Devin nodded, and he and Pauli walked off, down one of the alleys between Vilokan's closely set buildings.
"You think they slept together?" I asked, picking up the handles of the wheelbarrow.
Hailey shrugged. "Never know with Pauli, I think he'd sleep with an ape if he had the chance. That boy gets around."
I grunted. "I just can't believe that Devin would..."
Haily shrugged. "If he did, Nicky, he isn
't worth your time. You deserve better than that."
I nodded. "I know. I mean, you're right. But I love him."
Hailey sighed. "I'm sorry. I know it sucks. But we don't know what happened. Maybe he really is just drunk and embarrassed."
"Yeah," I said. "I hope you're right."
My stomach was in knots. It's one thing for Devin to be acting strange while three sheets to the wind. But even Pauli wasn't acting like himself. Didn't flirt with me once. Didn't call anyone "bitch," which I'd learned quickly during our previous encounter was his favorite word. If Pauli was acting out of character, too, it only lent credence to my suspicion that they were hiding something from me.
Hailey was right, though. If we were going to help Malinda and use this youngling to do it, we needed to act fast while her power was still at its max. I'd deal with my suspicions and my probably unwarranted anxieties later.
Nurse Rutherford took Joe's staked body on a gurney to wherever she needed to take him to safely unstrap him, fix him to his sunlight collar, and make sure he was freshly fed. At Vilokan Asylum, staking vampires was acceptable in only the most emergent situations. Heartburn-not the kind that resulted from spicy food, the kind that ended a vampire's existence-was strictly prohibited. The Asylum existed to help supernaturals adjust, to be productive members of their respective species' communities while minimizing their threat to humans. Eliminating them, short of an order from the Voodoo Queen, was off the table. Even then, from what I understood, such orders were rare and weren't issued carelessly. Not without a proper trial by the tribunal-a board of supernaturals consisting of the Voodoo Queen, a representative from the Vampire Council, and Cain.
Once we were finished with Joe, I presumed the Asylum would take him in. Debbie would have another bloodsucker to commiserate with, at least.
Hailey snickered as we walked through the halls past a male patient who, running the opposite way, had his gown over his head, displaying his bulging belly and the rest of his unsavory parts in all their glory. He was screaming at the top of his lungs, "We're streaking! Come on, everybody!"
"I think someone's watched Old School too many times," Haily quipped.
I cocked my head. "Is that a movie? Hard to catch up on decades of cinema in just a few years."
"It's a Will Ferrell classic!" Hailey said. "You've got to see it."
"Will Ferrell streaks in that movie?" I asked, raising one eyebrow.
"All you see is his butt," Hailey said. "It's funny as hell."
"You've now provided enough information to convince me that I should just take your word for it."
Hailey giggled. "It's such a funny movie! But I'd probably avoid it too if I knew that before I watched it."
I shook my head. "At least he was alone. Usually, if something like that happens here, it catches on. Crazy follows crazy. Especially during a full moon. It's like everyone knows Cain is out of commission and things get out of hand pretty quickly."
"I can imagine," Hailey said. "Poor Nurse Rutherford."
"The first time I was here, we had an ogre who decided it would be funny to defecate in the ventilation system."
"An ogre?" Hailey asked. "I didn't even realize they were real."
I nodded. "Apparently, they are. Though, I've never met one other than that guy."
"What's the streaker?" Hailey asked.
"No clue," I said. "Could be anything, I suppose. This place takes in all kinds. If I were to guess, he was probably a member of the Voodoo community. Maybe another witch, like Malinda, who warped his mind by a spell gone awry."
We heard a loud howl echoed through the halls.
"And werewolves?" Hailey asked.
I nodded. "Locked up. Probably not residents, when I was here before, a crop of werewolves would arrive every full moon. Unlike the group that assembled at the swamp tonight, these are probably those who don't have their other nature under control."
Hailey stared at me blankly. "But didn't the wolves break out when you were here last time?"
I nodded. "They were let out. By Alice."
Hailey nodded. "You're right. I remember. Let's hope we don't have a repeat of that incident tonight."
"It's probably why we haven't seen a nurse at all since Rutherford let us in. With her as head nurse otherwise occupied, I imagine it's an all-hands-on-deck situation. They have to be ready just in case."
"In case they break out?" Hailey asked.
I shrugged. "I couldn't tell you. Cain, obviously, knows what he's doing. I think it's just as much a worry that they might hurt themselves. I don't know what the nurses would do if one of them got hurt, but they have to be on the lookout, no less. After the incident a few years ago, I imagine it's as much to ensure that no one lets them out as anything else."
"Good thing," Hailey said. "Witches don't fear much. But werewolves are one of a few species resistant to most magic. If someone let them out, well, I'd probably run with my skirt over my head like that streaker."
I chuckled. "Well, let's be glad that the wolves are under lock and key."
"At least, with the nurses occupied, it will give us some time to cast this spell," Hailey said.
I nodded. "Yeah, spellcasting is usually forbidden in the asylum. The whole place is usually warded to prevent the use of magic inside."
Hailey nodded. "I was told the wards were ineffective during the witching hour. One more reason, beyond the fact that I'm more powerful now than at any other time, to act fast. Where's Malinda?"
"This way," I said. "She's not in the commons. She must be in her room."
Chapter twenty-six
I placed my hand on Malinda's. "We're here, time to wake you up."
A glow formed under Malinda's hand. I wasn't sure why, but this magic wasn't hindered by the usual wards that prevented spellcasting. Not really a spell, Malinda told me before. There's a difference between innate magic, wielded by an adept witch or a supernatural creature as a part of their nature, and an actual spell. Spells require casting-this wasn't like that. This was more like the kind of magic that affected a werewolf's transformation or allowed a vampire to simply remain as a vampire even under the asylum's wards.
Thank you, Nicky... Malinda said in her astral form.
"After we awaken her," Rutherford said, handing a bag of what I presumed was freshly acquired vampire blood to Hailey, "she'll probably find it hard to control her body. Her muscles are atrophied. She'll need therapy to strengthen her body again."
To move at all will be amazing...
"She understands that," I said. "You ready, Hailey?"
Hailey nodded. "Tell her to relax. Breaking a vex like this can be painful. I can loosen its hold on her, like opening the gate to her mind, but she'll have to push through the pain and walk through it."
I heard her, Malinda said. I will do what I need to do, no matter how much it hurts.
"She heard you," I said. "She's ready."
Hailey ripped open the top of the blood bag and dipped her wand into it. She muttered something under her breath in a language I didn't understand as the whole bag drained as the wand absorbed it all.
"I know how this is going to look," Hailey said, glancing at me and then Nurse Rutherford. "I need you to trust me."
Rutherford nodded.
Hailey thrust her wand into Malinda's chest-almost as if she were staking her heart. But Malinda wasn't a vampire.
Hailey's red vampire eyes started to glow as red energies flowed down her arm, into her wand and filling Malinda's heart.
Malinda's projection disappeared. Then, in her actual body, Malinda gasped, then screamed.
Hailey yanked her wand out of Malinda's chest and, pressing her hands against the wound, muttered something else in the same language as before. This time bright green energy flowed from her fingers into the wound.
Malinda's whole body convulsed in pain.
"Nurse," Hailey said, an urgency in her voice. "Hold her down. She's back, but she's in pain."
"Of course
she is!" Rutherford shouted. "Nicky, you hold her down. I'll go get something for the pain."
I nodded and held Malinda's hands tight. Her body was weak, but with a pain-induced surge of adrenaline, she was stronger at the moment than anticipated.
Hailey took a step back and abruptly turned and looked out the door down the hall. "Nicky?"
"What is it, Hailey?"
"I sensed something. Someone else in the asylum just cast a spell."
"What? Are you sure?
"It could be anyone," Hailey said. "It's the witching hour, maybe another patient."
"It's not another patient," Malinda said, still wincing in pain. "It's them! The other witches. They've come for me!"
"Shit," I said. "Alright, Malinda. We're going to get you out of here."
With a shout, uttering another incantation, Hailey jumped out into the hall and, with her wand extended, shot a powerful surge of red magic from her wand.
"Get her out of here!" Hailey shouted.
I nodded. Taking Malinda in my arms, I ran out the door.
There was a witch, shrouded in a shimmering gold gown, who had her wand extended. She was tossing spells that matched the gold of her gown toward Hailey.
Hailey intercepted the spell with another shot from her wand.
"Hailey.. can I..."
"I'll be fine! Just get Malinda someplace safe!"
I nodded, turned, and with Malinda in my arms, I took off down the hall, my heels clicking on the checkered tile floor.
Until two more witches, dressed the same way in gold, appeared in a flash of light- a portal of some kind-cutting me off on my path.
I turned around again. I couldn't stop these witches. Handling vampires was one thing-but these witches, whatever they were, had a power I didn't know how to thwart. At least Hailey stood a chance taking out the first witch in gold.
But when I turned, a force struck me in the back. I fell to the ground, dropping Malinda.
Bat Shift Crazy: An Ex-Shifter turned Vampire Hunter Urban Fantasy (The Legend of Nyx Book 2) Page 14