by Laura Hawks
“No! Of course not,” she stated emphatically. “I’ll do whatever it takes to make sure they don’t hurt you.”
He gave her a smile and pulled her into a big hug, his scheming mind seeing her resolve for freedom being chipped away. He would give her a reason to live and a will to continue to do as she was told without a fight. He would break any resolutions she had to escape by causing her to develop feelings for Nathan, to protect him, care for him, maybe even fall in love with him. Coyote didn’t care as long as his alter ego did the trick and he was able to get the desired results from the young, foolish child.
Admittedly, there was a small part of Coyote who also enjoyed this situation. He hated Mel for getting involved by training and helping to protect the guardian of the gem and preventing him from acquiring it for himself. He detested Mel and Clarissa for defeating him and each and every obstacle he sent them. Each of his schemes to get the stone: setting the neighboring wolves to attack Clarissa’s family; conniving to set up Jes’Sakkid in hunting for the gem; securing Xon to search for the stone; sending demon after demon to hunt Clarissa down; making deals with the Rougarou to capture Jasmine, only to fail and capture Trinity instead; and now using Trinity all this time to hunt for the stone her mother had protected. Yes. This was the perfect revenge for them circumventing him from his goal for so long. Break Trinity to nothing more than a shell of a being who wanted only to be with him, then spurn her when the time was right and know none would ever suspect it was Coyote pulling the strings until it was far too late.
Chapter 16
Jasmine needed some air before she entered her safe haven of a home in the French Quarter. The revelations of the evening were a bit much to take in and Coyote’s insinuations didn’t help. True, he didn’t say anything in particular, but it was his tone which put so many doubts in her mind. She wasn’t cognizant of the idea her powers had been dampened in order to help hide the natural abilities of the gem. She was still trying to comprehend everything she had learned in the past few hours, if for nothing else but to ground her sense of self.
The chicory-scented coffee and the sweet smell of the herbs and spices of the city wafted over the light breeze as she walked along the Mississippi River. The lights of the city sparkled in the swift moving water. She looked up at what few stars could be seen as a result of the city lights, but they were pretty none-the-less. Jasmine was so caught with her own thoughts she never sensed them until they appeared on either side of her. She started to scream for help, but she was gone from the spot she occupied before the first sound left her throat.
She found herself in an isolated room, a sickeningly sweet cloth being held against her nose and mouth. Blackness quickly enveloped her in its blessed stillness. As she fell unconscious, the Rougarou caught her crumbling form, lifting her with ease to the waiting gurney.
Trinity was thrust into the room. She wasn’t sure who the woman was or why she was there, but the call that she had been hearing only moments before had increased in its intensity, reverberating in her mind as she moved closer to the unknown female. It was all Trinity could do to not pass out from the loudness of the shrill sound in her head.
“Focus. Call the sound to you. Have it manifest itself in your head,” the voice instructed her.
Trinity closed her eyes and held out her hands. She did as she was told, no questions asked. She pleaded silently for the call to come to her. Repeatedly, she requested for the piece to answer her, to appear before her. She concentrated on producing whatever was causing the ringing in her head. She thought it was coming to her. She could feel something trying to make its way to her, but then she lost focus as another sound pierced her concentration.
Her eyes snapped open. The unknown woman was now awake and screaming as she held her head. Blood dripped down her nose and from her ears. She could hear the woman’s heart beat faster and the sound surprised her. Trinity reached for the woman, though whether to help her or to silence her even she wasn’t sure. Before she could touch her, the woman was gone and so was the sound within her head. Trinity collapsed.
Tyler was late for setting up his table and chairs around St. Louis Cathedral. Being that he was fairy-born, he had the ability to tell fortunes and it made him enough to help pay for the everyday needs of survival in the Human Realm. He was tugging his cart along the street when he saw one of the other tarot readers looking anxiously his way.
“Tyler!” Max called, jogging towards him. “I’ve been looking for you. Your roommate, Jazzy. Something’s wrong. Come on. Leo can watch your stuff, man.”
Tyler dropped the handle of the cart, letting Leo take care of it by stashing it near Max’s table and began to sprint with Max towards the Moon Walk.
“What happened? Is she hurt?”
“Man, I don’t know what the four-one-one is. All I know is Sandi found her standing by the café like she was one of those freaky mimes wearing a mask of blood. When Sandi got to her, Jaz didn’t know who Sandi was. She is with her now, sitting on the amphitheater’s steps. She called me over and I said I would keep a look out for you and bring you there when you showed. Dude, you’re fucking late. Of all days, today you had to be fucking late?”
“Tell me about it. Thanks, man. I appreciate you keeping an eye on her. Owe you and Sandi a bottle of chianti.” Tyler saw Jaz and Sandi sitting midway up on the half-circle stone steps in front of the Moon Walk. Tyler added a bit more speed in crossing the street, dodging the cars while doing so. “Jaz! Hey Sandi. Jaz? You doing okay?”
Sandi nodded her greeting back, a very worried look furrowing her brow. She didn’t say anything, figuring it was best to sit back and let Tyler help Jaz. They had known each other all their lives. Like siblings, according to the way they described themselves.
Jasmine gave Tyler a puzzled yet worried look, then glanced quickly at Sandi before turning to the newly arrived male, almost as if judging the woman’s expressions would aid her in being concerned if the male was friend or foe. Tyler could tell she was skittish at his familiarity so he gave her a disarming smile. Although they couldn’t be seen in this realm, he fluttered his wings. The sound could not be heard but it sent a soothing, calm wave of energy, which would help settle her down and even get her to accept him.
“I feel fine,” Jasmine responded. “Who are you?”
Sandi spoke up. “I got her to understand we know her, so she wouldn’t freak out. She says she doesn’t remember anyone, not even her own name. I told her it’s Jasmine, but we call her Jaz or Jazzy. She was pretty bloody. There was blood from her ears and her nose. I cleaned her up as best I could.”
Tyler nodded as he sat down by Jasmine’s feet. “Thanks, Sandi. I really appreciate you taking care of her and watching over her until I got here.” He rubbed Jasmine’s leg a bit softly then dropped his hand. His eyes searched Jaz’s face. Small, telltale shadings by her jaw showed a blood trail, but Sandi did well in getting her cleaned up. Unless one knew what to look for, it wasn’t readily noticeable. “Do you remember anything? Does anything look familiar? What’s the last thing you remember?”
Jasmine looked around. “I remember this city. I know I am in New Orleans and I have traveled a lot of different places, but this has always been one of my favorites.”
“That’s right, Jazzy. You have traveled and you said New Orleans felt different than any other place you have seen. The smells and the sounds were unlike anywhere else. It’s why you like it here so much.”
Jasmine gave the first hint of a smile since she found herself standing in the middle of the sidewalk, unsure of anything. “Yes. That’s true.”
“Do I look familiar or do you see anyone’s face in your mind?”
She frowned again and shook her head. “No. I only remember landmarks, smells, places.”
“What is the last thing you do specifically remember?” Tyler asked again, since she didn’t answer the question the first time.
Jasmine frowned, trying to think clearly. Finally, she shrugged and shoo
k her head. “I can’t recall any one thing in particular. I hear music in my head.” She hummed a few bars of a Viennese Waltz. “But outside of that, just blackness. Nothing comes through.”
Tyler gave her a weak smile. “Well you remember the city, and that’s a start. I bet things will fall in place little by little. I’m Tyler. We have been besties since we were kids and we share a cottage here in the quarter. Would you mind if I feel your head to see if maybe you hit it or something?”
Jasmine didn’t hesitate. “That’s fine.” She lowered her head, her hair fanning about her as Tyler ran his fingers through it, talking to her all the while.
“We also have another roommate. He is your boyfriend, I guess you would say. You have also known him since you were, like, twelve.” Tyler stepped back after his examination. “I don’t feel any lumps or spots where you might have damaged your skull.”
Tyler honestly wasn’t sure what to do. He couldn’t take her to a hospital. He wasn’t sure about her physiology not standing out from a full human and he couldn’t risk taking the chance of causing more problems.
“Maybe I should take you home and let you get some rest? Maybe things will look familiar or the rest will help?”
Sandi frowned. “Maybe she should go to the hospital or clinic? Just to make sure? After all, she was bleeding from her nose and ears. Maybe it’s a type of aneurysm or tumor or something? Maybe she had a stroke?”
Jasmine may not have remembered much, but somehow she knew the hospital was not a place for her. “No. I don’t want to go to a hospital. Other than my memory, I don’t feel injured in any way.”
“There doesn’t seem to be any lump on her head, so I don’t think taking her to a place like that will help. It’s more selective in what she can recall. Places, scents, sounds, that is all very generalized. But people, faces, things which would be closely related are things she is unable to recollect. If she doesn’t remember anyone in a day or two, or the condition worsens and she forgets more things, then I’ll take her.” Tyler turned to Jasmine. “How about it? Want to head home?”
“Maybe? Pictures and things might help bring back memories. I’m willing to try.”
“Do you feel okay to walk?”
Jasmine nodded. “Yeah. I don’t feel like I am physically hurt or anything. I just can’t remember anyone. Not even myself.”
Tyler patted her hand. “It’s going to be okay. We will figure out everything. Let me grab my cart from Leo and I’ll meet you ladies across the street.”
Without waiting for affirmation, Tyler was down the couple of steps and dashing across the street to get his gear. He pulled out his iPhone from his jeans pocket and quickly selected Logan’s number.
“Answer, god damn it!” Tyler growled into the phone as he was beyond being patient for the ringing to be answered. “Come on. Come on! Stupid asshole fuck. One time I need you to fucking answer.”
“Hello?” Logan answered, unknowingly interrupting Tyler’s tirade. Loud noises came through the phone’s speaker from the background so he was almost yelling.
“Logan? Get your ass home. We got a situation.”
“Jazzy? Is she okay?” Logan knew the only situation Tyler would have where he would call Logan in on would be with regards to Jasmine.
“Physically, she’s fine. However, there is a little issue of her memory. She doesn’t seem to have one. She can’t remember me, you, or anyone.”
“I’ll be there in fifteen minutes. I need to notify my parents and her grandmother before I just disappear.”
“Fine. See you in fifteen.” Tyler closed the phone and stuck it in his back pocket just as he returned to the two women after obtaining his gear.
Sandi gave Jasmine a hug, then embraced Tyler.
“I’ll stop by later and see how you all are faring.”
Tyler shook his head. “I think resting tonight would be good for her. Let her regain some semblance of where and who she is. Coming by tomorrow would be better.”
“Okay, Ty, but if you need anything, you just call me. Jaz, I’ll see you tomorrow. I promise. Get some rest and hopefully you will feel better then.”
“I will, Sandi. Thank you for all your help.”
Sandi turned and headed back to Max and Leo while Tyler asked Jasmine if she might know which direction their place was. She hesitated a few minutes while Ty waited patiently, hoping she would inherently sense the correct direction. Jasmine pointed towards Bourbon Street and Tyler gave a soft chuckle.
“Seems like we are always on that street, but no. We live this way.” He pointed straight ahead towards Esplanade and started walking towards the French Market. He was aware she would follow him as soon as she felt comfortable enough to do so. Considering Jasmine had already accepted her name and that they lived together without too much questioning or disbelief, he doubted it wouldn’t be long before she was beside him as they walked.
When they approached the little white, trimmed in forest green, Creole cottage, Logan was already pacing on the small porch. As soon as he saw them he jumped over the couple of steps to race towards them, pulling Jazzy into his embrace. She pushed him away, stepping back out of his reach.
He was flustered and hurt for a moment, before he realized she in fact did not remember who he was.
“Sorry,” he said contritely. “Come on. Let’s get you inside where it is safer while we try and figure everything out.”
He turned and headed towards the door, holding it open for them both.
Tyler climbed up the stairs carrying his gear. “Give her time, Logan. She just needs time and everything will be right as rain.”
Logan hoped so, but he didn’t say anything, his eyes solely on Jasmine as she entered the abode. She looked around, hoping for anything which would generate a memory. A spark. A glimmer of something which would cause her to recall a life she didn’t seem to be able to at the moment.
Tyler brought his things to his room, grabbed a beer from the kitchen, and sat in the corner of the living room, keeping a wary eye on Jasmine and her reactions to everything.
Logan stopped by the liquor table and asked if anyone needed anything. Tyler lifted his beer in a salute to acknowledge he was already good as Jasmine shook her head. She felt so out of place, her eyes wandering around to everything the room had to offer. There were some pictures of her and Logan in an embrace and of the three of them at a table with several drinks in front of them. Jaz moved to pick up one picture frame, then another. She looked in the mirror to compare her face to the one in the pictures and realized she did know both men, even if she couldn’t recall them.
Logan poured a shot glass with whiskey and downed it in one shot before he refilled the glass again and moved over to the sofa. He was close to Jasmine, but far enough away to grant her some space.
“Does anything look familiar?” Logan asked. He was amazed she was accepting all of this so calmly, almost rationally. If Jaz were anyone else, he was sure they would be freaking out.
She shook her head. “I get a sense of the city and the national landmarks. I know I have been here, as well as traveled to various other cities. But, no, nothing else is familiar. Not even these pictures. It’s like I am looking at someone else entirely.”
“When is the last time you saw her, Logan?” Tyler asked between swigs of his beer, deciding it wasn’t strong enough for what he wanted, but he needed to be lucid enough to help Jasmine. So much for protecting her as well as keeping her calm. Epic fail on the first part.
“She left the wedding about three hours ago. Said she wanted to give me an opportunity to visit with my family. She realized it had been a while since I spent any time with them, especially my mother. We are still dealing with the issue of Trinity being gone for as long as she has.”
“Who is Trinity?” Jaz set the pictures down and moved to sit in the chair by the couch.
“She is my sister who was kidnapped over five years ago. We have never found her, nor has there been any ransom request for her.�
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“I’m sorry.” Jasmine felt bad, yet something tickled her mind, even though she couldn’t quite figure it out. It wasn’t a face or a spark of anything she could actually remember, just a sense of familiarity, but not knowing exactly why.
Tyler spoke up from his corner. “Sandi found her about an hour ago, so that leaves approximately two hours unaccounted for.”
“She didn’t say she was going anywhere in particular. Just that she was headed home when she left me.”
“Still. A lot can happen in two hours.”
“Hey. Did I like, turn invisible or something? Stop talking about me as if I wasn’t right here in the same room.”
Tyler chuckled. “Well, she hasn’t lost her sense of dignity or her spirit.”
“Sorry. We are just trying to figure out everything from what we know. Didn’t mean to not include you. Would you like to add anything? Maybe where you went after you left me at the wedding?”
“No. I don’t remember anything, especially a wedding. However, I do notice, neither I nor you are dressed appropriately for a wedding. Maybe I came home to change?”
Tyler and Logan looked at each other and frowned.
“What? Do I always wear jeans to such a special event?”
Logan shook his head. “No. You were wearing a dress, but you didn’t or wouldn’t have needed to come back here to change.”
Jasmine looked perplexed and was about to ask why when she was interrupted by a knock on the door. Logan finished off his second shot of whiskey before he stood to admit their newly arrived visitor. He was pretty sure it was Spiderwoman, since they rarely got any other guests to their abode. Mostly, because it was warded in order to protect Jasmine from being discovered.
After checking through the peep-hole, Logan opened the door and let Archanidou inside. Jasmine’s grandmother sauntered in and headed directly for Jasmine, taking her face between her hands. Jasmine jerked her head away and scowled. “Excuse me? Who are you?”