by G A Chase
Sanguine had done her best to keep what few cards she had left secret from Colin. “He doesn’t know everything, but since he has the vault, all he really needs is the cane to implement his plan. So far, he still thinks of me as naïve and easily read. He believes because we have a relationship, I can’t lie to him.”
“Do you have a relationship?” Kendell asked.
Sanguine suppressed her usual snarky response. “I haven’t slept with him in this form, if that’s what you’re asking. But I won’t deny that the feelings I have for him aren’t as easily ignored as they used to be before he met me in person.”
“What about the gates?” Polly asked. “Has he made any move on the fourth one in the bank?”
Sanguine was happy her grandmother’s island was only being invaded with a hologram, but even that was too much, considering the emotions she still needed to process. “According to my animal spies, he did go to the bank. From what Colin explained regarding his plan, I think he wanted to put the fear of the devil into the loas of the dead. But I don’t know if he talked to Baron Samedi. If he did approach the fourth gate, it wasn’t intentional. Whatever is happening with the seven gates isn’t part of his plan. It’s as if our portals are sitting in his path like potholes and he keeps tripping into them.”
From the way Polly fidgeted, she looked like someone who’d been caught cheating and didn’t want to suffer punishment alone. “But he could have talked to his kids.”
“He didn’t bring back the pastel drawing that would have indicated he’d passed through the gate.” Sanguine shrugged her wings. “If he did meet with them, maybe they didn’t let him pass.”
Myles picked up a rock and threw it toward the water. “But him going through the gate is just a matter of time. If he was able to convince his wife of his rehabilitation, how much more cooperative would he find his children?”
Kendell stopped him from throwing another rock. “We did what we could. We tried to see Baron Samedi. With that evil woman in tow, it’s not a surprise the voodoo loa wouldn’t show himself. But if he knew we were there, hopefully he got word to Baron Malveaux’s kids.”
Polly kicked at the dirt. “Or he thought you were there to encourage the kids to let Colin pass. After all, he’s already made it through the first three gates, including mine. I knew having the fourth gate to hell match up with the seventh gate to Guinee was going to bite us in the ass one day.”
Myles started pacing. “That means he’ll be up to my gate any day now.” He turned back to Sanguine. “Then he’ll be coming after you. Sounds like he’s already softening you up. And finally, he’ll take on Kendell. The whole reason we’re here is because he’s proven he can best her.”
Kendell took him in her arms. “Maybe allowing him to pass wouldn’t be the worst choice. It’s either have him in life as a normal person, or leave him in hell, where he truly becomes the devil.”
“There isn’t anything normal about him,” Polly said.
“We don’t really know what happens when someone is redeemed through all seven gates.” From the way Kendell’s voice rose in pitch and volume, Sanguine could see she was on a roll. “After forming the gates, we all made the journey to get out of hell, but as we were all guardians, the process was mostly just a technicality. I’ve passed between dimensions without the benefit of the gates or Samedi’s cane. It’s changed me. So what if Colin is playing us all so that he can go through the final gate? Redemption isn’t supposed to be just going to a parole board and saying the right words. There’s an expectation that the condemned have dealt with whatever desire spurred them to act. If he’s lying to us, he might end up in as bad a shape as I was. And if he’s being truthful, maybe going through the final gate and transitioning from hell to life will cleanse him.”
“You’re not really talking about him being baptized like a born-again Christian,” Sanguine said. “Besides, getting him to pass through the final gates is not as simple as putting up a sign that says This Way Back to Life, and we can’t just force him through the gates. He has to show up to each one on his own, and then he has to prove he’s worthy. Since Colin is no longer interested in returning to life, he has no incentive to play your little game. The minute he figures out what’s going on, all he has to do is not show up.”
“Then why has he gone through the first three gates?” Polly asked. She never did pick up on what was happening the first time it was explained.
Sanguine really didn’t have time for this foolishness. Though she knew Colin’s objective, she didn’t know how he intended to get the cane or why he felt so confident in his ability to subjugate Guinee. All this talk of gates back to life was just proving to be a distraction. “Other than the first gate, his passing through them has been an accident. As for getting through Mary’s gate, I think it’s pretty clear he only did that to capture Kendell. I don’t know why he hasn’t figured out what’s going on. After all, he did break into our ceremony. He can be a little dense at times, especially when it comes to emotions. Maybe he doesn’t really know where each gate is located. He did have to rely on his bat spies, after all, and he couldn’t trace down each of their directions in the short time of our ceremony. But whatever is prompting him through the gates, I don’t see him trying to defend himself to Myles. Assuming he does make it that far, is there even anything he could say to justify the fact that he possessed your body?”
Myles looked from Kendell back to Sanguine, his brow furrowed. “I can’t say I’m excited about having to confront him, but if he were to show up, at least I would be in a position of authority. I don’t know if I would let our nemesis pass or not. Having that guy back in life would mean I could never turn my back on him. Even if he weren’t trying to take over as the devil, his actions toward Kendell alone are enough to make me want to end him each time we meet, but him being here would mean we’d have you back with us to help. Leaving him in hell hasn’t proven to be a long-term solution. At least with Colin in purely human form, I’d have a fighting chance of beating him.”
Guys never can trust an old suitor when it comes to their women. You’ll pass Colin on because Kendell wants you to, but that’s okay because then he’ll be mine to deal with. “If he shows up out here in the swamp,” Sanguine said, “I fully plan on telling him that he’s down to me and Kendell when it comes to the gates back to life. He has a right to know what he’s in for. No one should have someone else’s idea of redemption forced on them simply because they’re trying to be a better person. It’ll be up to him to decide if he wants to return to the land of the living or remain in hell as the devil. As for his idea of resurrecting lost souls, I’ll confess I see his point. People shouldn’t have to die, and I’ve never been a fan of the loas of the dead. Everyone should have a say in what happens to them.”
Kendell leaned down to stare into the connection. “You can’t be serious about letting him harvest souls to populate his hell.”
“All I’m saying is I see his point. And whether I agree with him or not, fighting with him isn’t going to change his mind. He does listen to me, though. I may not be able to talk him out of his plan, but maybe I can be the advocate for each dead soul he approaches with his offer of life everlasting in hell. We all know how slippery he can be when it comes to talking someone into doing something that might not be in their best interest. Everyone deserves proper representation.”
Myles got down on his knees. “So I’m guessing your agreement to return to the living after six months is out. Sounds like the only way you’ll let Colin proceed with his plan is if you would be there to prevent him from truly becoming the devil.”
You’re cleverer than I’ve given you credit for. “If he passes through the seven gates—no matter what he becomes—I’ll return to life. There wouldn’t be any reason for me to stay here. But if he’s determined to follow his plan, I need to stay and be the voice of reason. You must see that.”
“Is there no third option?” Polly asked “Why don’t we just keep the cane an
d leave him in hell?”
“Because he’ll come busting back into life as the devil,” Myles said. “We’ve already seen what happened to Kendell when she crossed dimensions without using one of the established paths that Mary laid out. Imagine someone who considered himself the devil going through that mind-altering process.”
Sanguine ruffled her wings. “There’s also no guarantee that he wouldn’t retain his devilish powers. I’m able to keep them in check here in hell because this is my grandmother’s realm. Back among the living, I wouldn’t have that kind of control. He’d be like the puppies when they transform into hellhounds, only in Colin’s case, he’s reasonable in hell and a monster in life. As much as I hate to say it, keeping him locked up here like he’s in a cage just isn’t an option. We’re down to his redemption or escape, or our surrender.”
From the way Kendell arched her back, she seemed ready for a fight, but the movement lasted only a moment. “As Myles said, we’re behind you no matter your decision.”
49
Colin sat in his loft and watched the paddle wheeler pull out from its dock. He felt like a riverboat gambler who’d just lain down his cards. All that was left was for his opponents to show theirs so they could figure out who had won. Unfortunately, at the moment, he was the only one sitting at the card table.
Though Colin had lost control of Kendell’s soul, Myles would be desperate to prevent another threat to her—perhaps enough to take Colin’s offer of steering clear of life in exchange for ownership of the cane. Eventually, that fool has to figure out he’s no match for me. Even if Colin did somehow lose this hand to Myles, they both still had chips on the table. If he’d read Myles correctly, the man would be counting what he had left to lose. A true gambler knew—whether winning or losing—to read his opponent in times of crisis, not measure the stack in front of him.
Kendell was a worthier opponent, but as was often the case with reckless players, after she’d gone all in, he knew he had her. She’d need one hell of a hand to stay in the game. She’d gambled well, and he would miss her savvy way of playing her cards, but in the war of attrition, she’d lost more than she could afford.
The strongest competitor was Sanguine. They’d gone hand for hand, and he still didn’t know her strategy—or even how many chips she had left. As the one overseeing his hell, she had an undue advantage, but Colin had never decried how the deck had been shuffled, and he had no intention of showing weakness now. There had been plenty of times in life when he’d controlled the way the cards were dealt. Lack of fairness was just a part of the game.
His bigger concern involved his feelings for her. She held the advantage over their relationship. He desperately wanted something more, and she knew it. What she wanted, however, eluded him. It’s going to come down to just the two of us. The sooner the rest drop out of the game, the better.
The loas of the dead were a no longer an issue. By threatening Baron Samedi, Colin had ensured that word would spread throughout Guinee about the devil’s impending return. The loas could be a gossipy bunch when they weren’t competing for control. His message would work its way to Baron Kriminel. There was bound to be a battle once Colin returned to the voodoo purgatory, but as Baron Malveaux, he’d had a hundred years to learn each of the loas’ weaknesses. I’d best not get ahead of myself.
With Myles and Kendell off licking their wounds and Sanguine playing her card of emotional distance, Colin grabbed his coat and headed out to the river to consider his next move. The cool breeze off the river always helped him focus on the world around him. It was such a short walk to the nearest bench that he considered it part of his backyard.
He pulled his coat up around his neck and sat on the cold metal to watch the water. Using the cane to maneuver souls from Guinee to hell involved the fewest unknowns in completing his plan. But getting hold of the cane had proven more difficult than he’d hoped. Relying on Sanguine’s love for him being strong enough for her to convince Myles of his inevitable loss was becoming a long shot. Colin needed to start working on a fallback plan. Finding time alone was always a problem. If he and Sanguine did become a couple, he’d have precious little privacy to work on his creation undetected. Without the cane, the problem—as always—was amassing enough power in the vault and having the ability to control it.
His vault had only lasted a few days with its battery backup. Even when activated, the damn box wasn’t controllable. At the very least, he needed an on-off switch. A power dial would be even better. Capturing souls from one dimension and releasing them in another would take finesse. First I need a source of power. There’s no point worrying about the controls if I don’t have a way to make the system work.
Once the power problem was solved, he needed to reconfigure the vault to connect to Guinee. From there, snatching souls from the voodoo loas of the dead would amount to little more than proper advertising of his club along Afterlife Street. No one really wanted to die. They just didn’t want to get sick, feeble, or aged. Bringing them to his dimension would solve the problem of the fate humanity had feared for all of its existence. Bowing down to the devil would be a small price to pay for escaping death. With eternity in front of him, he’d own every human soul by the time he was done. But first he needed to confirm that a soul could be transferred into one of hell’s human puppets.
The river current swirled from the conflicting forces of incoming tide and melting snowpack from far upstream. Though powerful, the moving water would be hard to transform into a means of running his vault.
He kept his back to the World Trade Center. Obviously, all the little people and actions in his hell were being powered by the paranormal generation field he’d created in that tower, but the controls weren’t accessible. I need a way to tap into that power source.
A family with three little children walked between him and the river. He watched the youngest daughter skipping along the concrete path. Could the answer really be that simple? He pulled out his cell phone and called for his town car.
The family was a good hundred yards away by the time he saw the elegant black vehicle working its way through the parking lot. He signaled to the driver to follow along on the narrow access road that was used mostly for emergency vehicles and deliveries.
As he walked far enough behind the family not to be noticed, he tried running the computations. He didn’t really need to power up the vault for it to work its magic. He only needed it as a doorway between dimensions. The real energy source was the relationship between the human soul and an empty voodoo-powered body. He just needed to establish the connection as if he were wiring up a piece of metal to opposing battery terminals.
The family was busy reading every touristy sign they ran across as the little girl mindlessly skipped farther ahead unattended. She’s not real, just a projection. Besides, who’s going to stop me? As he passed the two adults, he tossed a handful of coins off the side of the path like someone feeding breadcrumbs to pigeons. The two remaining children dove on the money that had scattered between the rocks of the levee. Once the parents turned to investigate the reason their little ones had scampered over the edge and toward the river, Colin made his move. He had the little girl under his arm and in the back seat of the town car before her cries had a chance to alert her parents as to the abduction.
He covered the girl’s mouth with his hand and yelled to the driver, “Take us over the Industrial Canal, and be quick about it.”
At any moment, either of the two human puppets in the car might be taken over by Sanguine, and Colin would end up with way too much explaining to do. He had to move fast. The long black car wove down the narrow streets, avoiding pedestrians and parked delivery trucks. The child squirmed in his arms, but her actions were more like those of a fish caught in a net than a human figuring out a way to escape. A rumbling under the wheels let Colin know they were crossing the bridge. They’d be at the vault in a few minutes. “Relax, little girl. I’m about to give you your heart’s desire. Haven’t you ever he
ard the story of Pinocchio?”
Dragging her out to the partially submerged wreck took more strength than he’d have imagined, but once in the wheelhouse, he tossed her into the vault and shut the door. Without the power to keep the vault in its interdimensional realm, the normal latches once again worked easily. He threw the large lever and dogged the hatch shut. “You won’t have to be in there for very long. I promise. Just don’t hurt yourself.” Or that body.
He pulled the pipe tool out of his pocket and waved it around the door, feeling its energy. Like a magnet calling to others like itself, the corresponding power from his cursed items locked itself in the vault with the girl. Step one completed.
His suit was soaked from working through the hip-deep water to the boat. Falling over the edge on the way back to the town car didn’t help, but it wasn’t as if he could get much more uncomfortable. The driver stood calmly beside the open door as if Colin had just come out of Commander’s Palace. “Back to the condo?”
“No. Take me to the bank. There’s someone I need to talk to.” Colin feared that saying anything more would call forth Sanguine. He’d been lucky so far. She must be really pissed if she’s still holed up with her emotions.
He twirled the pipe tool nervously as they made the short drive back to the Quarter. The first test of stealing Kendell’s soul had worked better than he’d expected. That proof of concept was enough to risk step two, though what he had planned wasn’t going to get him everything—or everyone—he wanted. The biggest challenge was the vault. With his possessions inside, he should be able to snatch anyone associated with the curse, but that was a very limited number of people. Ultimately, he needed a much bigger connection to human souls, but he needed to work methodically. The first challenge was bringing a human soul into his realm in a physical form.