Lucifer's Pride

by G. P. Ching

  But if Ravenguard’s senses were to be believed and he truly smelled the obsidian blade on the wind, that meant one of two things: either the blade was close but not too close, perhaps hidden in one of the businesses or homes outside the wall of the cemetery, or the blade was here, shrouded by Soulkeeper magic. Either Theodor or Victoria Duvall must have cloaked it. That would explain why Lucifer could not smell it, but the hunter could. As admissions counselor, he was partly immune to the magic of Veil Island. This immunity was why Juliette’s song had little effect on Ravenguard and he was the only one other than the Devil who could overpower Kirsa.

  Lucifer stood and sniffed the air experimentally, but all he could detect were the smells of the city: Cajun cooking, beignets, the remnants of alcohol and vomit from Bourbon Street, all layered under vehicle exhaust and suspended in lingering humidity. Closer still, he smelled the sweetness of flowers left at a few of the graves, and under it all, the plaster and dried bones of the graves themselves. Not a hint of obsidian.

  As he scanned the mausoleums, a plan formed in his brain, ugly and genius. It curled the corners of his mouth. As soon as he was strong enough, he’d make this cemetery his home. A little magic, a little sorcery, and the humans would forget it ever existed. He’d erect a cabin here, close to the tree, and leave only to use Juliette to attract new souls. He’d grow stronger here.

  Yes, it was all clear now. New Orleans had welcomed its newest resident. If the obsidian blade was here, the Soulkeepers would do anything to retrieve it. The one thing he could count on when it came to Soulkeepers was their frustrating propensity toward self-sacrifice. One of them would come for it. They’d risk their life to keep it from him. And when they came, he would be watching, waiting. They’d lead him right to it.

  He leaned back in the grass next to Ravenguard, his head resting in the web of his threaded fingers, and smiled at the clear blue sky. The trap was set. All he had to do was wait.

  4

  The Secret Society

  Finn stumbled forward as he and Theodor materialized on a sidewalk near a weathered yellow building with a wrought iron balcony. Although he was proficient at disseminating now, he’d never done it with someone else in the driver’s seat. Being broken apart and towed through space and time was a disorienting experience, and he caught himself on his knees, breath coming in quick gulps as his heart pounded in his chest.

  “I had to get us out of there,” Theodor said. “Whatever he did to Damien, Lucifer would do far worse to us.”

  “Where are we?”

  “Dumaine Street. Not far from the cemetery, but far enough.” Theodor glanced toward the setting sun. The gas lamps along the buildings flickered to life in the twilight.

  “Is Damien dead?” Finn recalled the look on the angel’s face as he’d blown apart into a shower of sparkling light.

  “Angels are immortal. I do not believe what Lucifer did to him is permanent, but I have a feeling it will be some time before we see Damien again.”

  “Great. So… why are we here?” Finn frowned at a shop window to their left. It was filled with voodoo paraphernalia. The shop door was open, and Finn spied a selection of carved wooden statues and hanging herbs. A dark and unsettling vibe made the hair on the back of his neck stand on end. Were those dried entrails? A shrunken head?

  “This city is one of the oldest in America. These walls harbor old magic. Voodoo magic.” Theodor took a step toward a separate door to the right, lit with a gas lamp. A few mailboxes were built into the wall, each with their own number. Apartments. “We need a place to stay and this place is safer than most from Lucifer’s power. Come with me.”

  “How do you know there’s a room for rent?” Finn didn’t see any signs.

  “Perhaps I read an ad in the paper this morning while you were getting ready,” Theodor said. Finn narrowed his eyes on his mentor. There just so happened to be an ad for a rental in the very building with voodoo magic in its walls? He didn’t think so.

  “What the hell is going on?”

  Finn and Theodor whirled to find Wendy standing beside them. “Wendy! You’re back!” Finn jogged toward her and swept her into a hug, which she thankfully returned.

  “You shaved your head!” she said, her smile widening.

  Finn ran a hand along the smooth skin of his crown. “Uh, yeah.”

  “I like it! You look tough.”

  “So, the transition was successful… for both you and Mike?”

  “Ms. D put me back into my body on the island and lo and behold, I got kicked out again. Ended up here. Sorry, I don’t know about Mike. I saw a flash of Ms. D hovering over me, and then I was gone.”

  Theodor rubbed his chin. “It’s possible Michael returned home. Finn, when you were ejected, you said you thought of me and arrived by my side. Michael would likely think of his aunt.”

  Finn agreed, which meant that Wendy, for the second time, had thought of him. He smiled at her, warmth blooming in his chest, and pulled her into his side. Her freckles fanned out across her nose when she looked up at him. Sweet.

  Behind them, the door to the building opened with a long, slow, creak. Theodor hadn’t even knocked. “Can I help you?” The foyer inside was dark. Finn could barely make out a silhouette beyond the door, but the voice was distinctly male, a double bass that seemed to reverberate in the narrow space.

  “We’re here to rent the apartment,” Theodor said.

  “Come in. I’ve been expecting you. Watch your step.” A dark hand pointed toward the legs of a coat rack that extended into the walkway.

  Theodor entered first and Finn followed, wondering how the man could possibly be expecting them. Had Theodor planned for this? Why? If he’d believed he could close the portal, why would he need an apartment?

  There was a click as Wendy closed the door behind her and the dull lights took over for the gas lamps that lit the streets. Finn blinked until his eyes adjusted. The man inside was dressed in a flowing white shirt and khaki linen pants. Despite the dim lighting, he wore sunglasses, and it didn’t take long for Finn to guess he was either fully blind or close to it.

  “I am Dr. Louis Beauvoir, landlord of this building and owner of Beauvoir’s Voodoo Emporium.” Finn wondered what kind of doctor the man was.

  Theodor extended his hand. “Theodor Florea, and this is Finn and Wendy, my students.”

  “I smell magic on you like ozone after a rain. What have you three been up to?”

  “Fighting with the Devil,” Theodor said flatly.

  Dr. Beauvoir grinned slowly and broke into a laugh. “A worthy pastime. Come. I’ll show you the apartment. You do know it’s a studio flat? Plenty of square footage but only the one room.” He turned in Wendy’s general direction, his nostrils flaring.

  “That will be sufficient,” Theodor said.

  They followed him to a set of doors at the back of the building and up a flight of stairs. “There’s a small courtyard out back. We share with the neighbors. No magic allowed.”

  “I understand.” Theodor tugged at his collar. The stairwell was hot and dark. At the top was a metal door that looked heavy and out of place. The man produced a key and let them in.

  “Wow,” Finn heard Wendy say from behind him. He was thinking the same thing.

  The space inside was wide open, with a wall of windows that faced the balcony. Aside from a galley kitchen and a single bathroom with a pedestal sink, there was nothing but space. Not even a bed. There was, however, a small loft.

  “You have access to the roof. View of the quarter and the river. It’s twelve hundred a month,” Dr. Beauvoir said.

  Theodor walked to the windows, his lanky silhouette breaking the light from the street. “We’ll need protective wards,” he said. “Ones that our enemies cannot detect as our own.”

  “I already have a few in place, but if you’re expecting me to keep out the Devil… Fifteen hundred dollars per month. And the rule is if you shed blood in this space, you cleanse the area of all negative energy a
fter you finish.”

  “Deal.” Theodor reached out and shook the man’s hand, then produced a wad of cash from his pocket.

  “A pleasure to have another practitioner on the property. Welcome.” The man nodded and retreated from the room with careful, measured steps.

  Once the door was closed, Finn spoke up. “I thought you were confident you could destroy the tree this morning? When did you have the time or the inclination to line this place up?”

  Theodor glanced at Wendy who was hugging herself in front of the windows.

  “I didn’t line this place up. I saw an ad for it in the paper this morning, and when I disseminated from the cemetery, it was the first place to pop into my head.”

  “But Beauvoir said he’d been expecting you.”

  Theodor shrugged. “He’s the preeminent voodoo practitioner in New Orleans. We’ve never met before, and I didn’t call to say we were coming if that’s what you’re wondering.”

  “But if that’s true…” Finn frowned. “Creepy as hell.”

  “Powerful,” Theodor said. “Exactly what we need to mask our whereabouts, especially once we start practicing again.”

  Wendy pivoted to face them. “So, this has been fun, chaps, but I guess this is when we talk about how I get home. Unfortunately, I don’t have any money or power, so… Can one of you spring for a bus ticket? I don’t think calling my parents will go over well.”

  A wave of disappointment washed over Finn. He liked Wendy a lot and had hoped she would stay for a while. But he supposed she had to go home to her parents.

  “I’d like you to stay and help us,” Theodor said.

  “What?” Wendy’s eyebrows shot up and Finn’s head whipped around.

  Theodor glanced between the two of them. “You may not be a Soulkeeper, Wendy, but my experienced eye tells me you have the potential to practice magic. If you’d like to learn, I would like to teach you.”

  Wendy’s mouth dropped open. “Are you serious? Me? You think I could learn magic?”

  “Yes.” Theodor grinned. “You were able to learn to fly on the island. Soulkeeper or not, you have potential for the extraordinary. I can teach you the craft.”

  Finn’s stomach twisted. “No. I don’t think this is a good idea.”

  “What? Finn!” Wendy shot him a scathing look.

  “It’s dangerous. There are side effects… consequences.”

  “Dangerous?” She laughed. “How is it any more dangerous than falling off a high wire or starting myself on fire? After Revelations, I imagine magic will be a piece of cake.” She pushed her hair out of her eyes and tucked it behind her ear.

  “I didn’t shave my head,” he blurted. “Using magic did this to me!”

  Wendy balked at that. For a few minutes, she stared at him, taking him in. Then she stepped closer and cupped his face in her hands, turning it left, then right. “Your eyes are different too. Silver…”

  Finn looked down at his toes.

  “They’re beautiful.” His gaze snapped up to find her smiling. She placed a kiss on his forehead. “I’m staying.”

  At once, Theodor clapped his hands together and announced, “It’s settled. We will train here and become a coven. Lucifer won’t stand a chance against us.”

  “You don’t have to do this,” Finn whispered and touched his forehead to hers, her brown hair falling like curtains on either side of his face.

  “No, I don’t. But I want to.” Her breath smelled like cinnamon gum. Finn breathed it in and allowed the happiness that was filling him to creep like a blush all the way to his eyes.

  She pulled back abruptly and looked at Theodor. “Hey, before we become a coven, can we get something to eat? I’m starving. This body hasn’t eaten in weeks.” Incredibly, Finn hadn’t noticed until then how peaky her complexion looked.

  He held out his hand to her. “I know just the place.”

  “Finn?” Theodor cast him a sideways glance.

  But as soon as her fingers met his, he carried her away.

  After a meal that started with gumbo and ended with pecan pie and plenty of flirting in the middle, Finn returned to the apartment with Wendy to find that Theodor had done some decorating while they were gone. There were three chairs: one made of ornately carved wood, one plush leather, and one upholstered in a floral fabric with sleek nailhead trim. There were beds too—one upstairs in the loft for Wendy and old-timey ones with curtains for privacy in the main room for Finn and Theodor.

  “Excellent. Where did you find all this?” Finn asked Theodor while Wendy tested the floral chair.

  Theodor cleared his throat. “Found the chairs in a local antique shop. The rest I conjured. That was the best I could do… left to my own devices.” The magician gave him a harsh look. Conjured products came from somewhere, which meant the beds were stolen. He was sure the magician would have preferred to obtain them the traditional and legal way but clearly couldn’t do so on his own.

  “Sorry about that,” Finn said guiltily. “Wendy and I needed time to catch up, and I thought you’d want some time to yourself anyway.” In fact, Finn hadn’t thought of Theodor’s feelings at all. It was unlike him. Only now did he consider the man might have wanted to go too.

  “In any case, I must dine now. I’ll leave you to settle in.” If he was upset with him, Finn couldn’t tell. His face was thoroughly impassive, his complexion waxy again. With a curt gesture in lieu of goodbye, Theodor departed through the front door.

  Wendy stood and stretched. “Thanks for dinner. I’d love to stay up and chat until dawn, but I’m beat. Going to Hell and back will do that to you.”

  He smiled and kissed her on the cheek. “Go lie down. I’ll still be here when you wake up.” She disappeared up the stairs to the loft bedroom.

  Finn turned the leather chair to face the window and sat down, suddenly exhausted himself. He wasn’t sure why he chose the leather, but everything in him knew this chair was his. The floral was Wendy’s, and without a doubt, the wood was Theodor’s.

  As he watched the streetlights flicker outside his window, a bitter taste filled his mouth. His time with Wendy had distracted him from the day’s events, but now, in the quiet and stillness of being alone, it all came back to him. He’d been rejected from the island. He was no longer a Soulkeeper. Hope must have tried to call him by now, to assure him she was successful with Mike and to make sure he was okay, but he’d been cast from the bus with nothing but the clothes on his back. His phone was still on board. She’d have no way of reaching him or even knowing where he ended up. No matter. With magic, he would rectify that situation post haste.

  He held out one hand and concentrated on a symbol that resided over his heart. It was a five-pointed star, the representation of conjure, and it allowed him to fold space. This was how he’d summoned the chainsaw in the cemetery. He’d concentrated on the thing he wanted, activated the symbol, then plucked the item from an array of choices that appeared before him like pins on a Google Map. It took more energy to pull something from far away than it did to retrieve it from the next room.

  He concentrated on his backup earpiece and activated the symbol. The electronic device appeared to him in his room in Beaverton, where he’d left it, next to his gaming console. He experienced a brief pang of homesickness for his father, before sweeping the device into his metaphysical hand and returning fully to the leather chair. He tucked the earpiece into his ear and tapped. HORU formed beside him.

  “Finn! I’ve been so worried!” She blinked large anime eyes at him, her tail wagging.

  “Sorry, HORU. When I was… ejected from Revelations’ bus, my earpiece stayed on board. I’m only now getting a chance to check in.”

  “Why would Bus eject you?”

  Finn suppressed a giggle at how HORU thought of the bus as a sentient being. As an artificial intelligence, she often did not understand why other systems weren’t as smart or as sophisticated as she was. “It’s complicated. It has to do with magic.”

  “O
h.” She pressed a holographic finger to her lips. HORU never understood magic.

  “HORU, I also left my phone on board. Can you check if I have any messages or missed calls?”

  Her ears twitched. “No. Your last call was from your father, three days ago. You called him back. The call lasted three minutes.”

  Finn bristled. “Are you sure? No texts or messages? Nothing from Hope?”

  “No. Nothing.”

  But how was that possible? It had been hours since he was unable to pass through the dragons to get onto the island. Surely Hope would call to make sure he was okay. She could have called from the island’s one working phone or used HORU to contact him or even taken a trip back to this realm on the bus to text or call. Why would she leave him hanging?

  Unless she was too busy thinking about Damian to care what happened to him. He rubbed his stomach, which had started to ache. Maybe the Soulkeepers were glad to be rid of him. He’d broken the rules after all. Ms. D had looked terrified when she’d found out about his tattoos. They were probably celebrating not having to deal with him anymore. What could he contribute now that he was corrupted?

  He scowled. “HORU, can you access the copy of your database on Bus?”

  “Yes, Finn. The network we set up is still in place. The connection is slow, but it is there.”

  “Delete everything they have. Everything. The analysis of the scrolls, the data on the demons. I want the only copy to be right here with us.” He pointed at his earpiece.

  “This command cannot be undone.”

  “I know. Delete.”

  HORU stilled, her body blinking as she did what he asked her to do. After several long moments, she gave him a wide grin. “Done. Is there anything else I can do for you tonight?”

  Finn leaned back in his chair, brimming with smug satisfaction. “No. That will be all.” He snorted as she blinked out of sight. The Soulkeepers had never appreciated him. Ms. D thought he was a kid and Hope treated him like he was disposable. Not anymore.