by E G Bateman
He folded his arms. “I won’t run away. This is my city too.”
Scott thought about it. “I can shield you, but Caleb might be able to break through that. Now that I think about it, it’s a wonder he hasn’t broken through already. He’s ahead of me in ability and he has demonic powers too.”
“Demonic?” Sam asked.
Dick held a finger up. “Oh, right, we didn’t share that part. Caleb’s working in collusion with a high-level demon called Azatoth.”
“The deceiver?” Joseph shook his head. “This is very bad.”
James raised an eyebrow. “He’s a demon. Aren’t they all deceivers?”
Lexi shared a glance with Scott. “What do you know about him, Joseph?”
“My spirits have spoken of him. He’s tried to escape from the realms of hell for eons, moving through the hell dimensions. It takes years of effort on his part. He sends his mental tendrils out, trying to ensnare a creature in another realm. Once he has them, he uses them to help build his power.
“He connected briefly with a human a hundred years ago. The man had no magic and could not call the demon forth, but he was a writer. He attempted to make him use the name Azatoth in his work because names have power. His plan was to spread the name through the human world. It almost worked, but the writer had misheard the demon’s name as Azathoth. To this day, that name is used the world over.”
“Of course! Call of Cthulhu, the role-playing game?” Scott looked surprised by the revelation. “I knew it was familiar.”
“Yes.” The other man nodded. “And the writer was HP Lovecraft.”
Dick steepled his fingers on his chin. “But now he has a sorcerer. It was our dumb luck that he didn’t manage to come through last time in Palm Springs. I doubt we’ll be that lucky again.”
Scott looked at Lexi. “I don’t think there’s anything we can do about the demon right now. If Caleb tries to locate Broullard and he’s not where he’s supposed to be, they might be suspicious.”
“Then let’s make sure he’s exactly where he should be.” Joseph held a voodoo doll in his hand. “May I trouble you, my friend?” he asked the detective.
Broullard sighed, pulled a few strands of hair from his head, and passed them to him.
The man tucked the hairs into the doll’s fabric vest. “I’ll leave this in the bayou when we round the children up.”
The other man swallowed. “Leave it somewhere safe.”
Scott muttered a few words and announced that Broullard was shielded.
Lexi looked at Dick, whose eyes were sad as he watched Agatha play with Marcel. He glanced at Joseph in unspoken communication.
“Agatha. Can you do a very important job for me?” Joseph asked.
The girl looked up and nodded.
The old man crouched and scratched Marcel behind the ear. “Can you and your mom look after Marcel for a little while?”
She smiled. “Sure, until you kill the ghost lady.”
Lexi shook her head. Kids.
By the time Lexi, Dick, and Thomas stepped onto the street, it was 2:00 am. The witches had already left, and the shifters had begun to ferry the children from the bayou.
They walked toward the vamp bar on Frenchman’s Street.
Lexi slid her gaze to Thomas. There was nothing of the predator about him. He walked purposefully but without any real attention. She needed to bring him out of it. “Are you sure the other clans will help?”
He sighed. “Vampires are selfish by nature. Our decisions can be arbitrary. They might help, they might not.”
She stepped around trash bags on the sidewalk. “Why would they hold you in particular regard? Why aren’t you selfish?”
“They show me a semblance of respect because I was a priest. Honestly, I think it simply amuses them. All except Lorenzo. He’s never liked me, clearly.”
Her eyes widened as she glanced at Dick before she returned her focus to Thomas. “How does that work? An ex-priest leading a vampire clan?”
“Vampires can have a crisis of faith too. I didn’t really have a clan. It was more like a congregation and I didn’t sire vampires. My group was made up of people who struggled with what they were. Anyway, the clan we’ll see here is the second largest after Lorenzo’s. Their leader, Anna, stopped all communication with the others a year ago. I’m the only vampire not of her clan that she’ll speak to. She won’t even hear you out without me there.”
Dick clapped him on the shoulder. “Well, it’s a good job we have you with us.”
The other man seemed disinclined to speak after that. He walked faster to move ahead of his companions as they made their way through the streets.
As Thomas stepped out to cross the road, a sudden surge of power stole her breath. A hooded man appeared beside her with his arms outstretched. She and Dick were bathed in a blue-white light. Lexi couldn’t see the man’s face and before she could react, Thomas’ head was detached from his body, which fell. A bright flash illuminated the street and a moment later, a boom filled the air. It could only be the sound of something fast colliding with something impenetrable. In the next moment, Lorenzo stood in front of them. He picked himself off the ground, smiled and gave her a little salute, and was gone.
Lexi turned to the hooded figure, but he was gone too.
The two companions stared at Thomas’ desiccating body.
Dick caught her arm. “We need to get to the apartment.”
She created a shield around them which faded and died after a few seconds. “Shit.” She didn’t need to look at the scar to know that it was empty.
He lifted her unceremoniously and moved at vamp speed, only stopping when they reached the door to the building.
She wriggled out of his grasp. “Let go of me.”
The vampire dropped her. “I could have simply left you.”
Her face flamed with shame. “It would have been preferable. Open,” she commanded and held her hand out to the door. It blew into the hallway.
Dick frowned at her. “How did that work and the shield didn’t?”
“I’m closer to Scott so the magic’s coming back.” She stormed through the entrance.
As they made their way up the stairs, she glanced at the scar which slowly filled with light. Better late than never.
The vampire gestured over his shoulder at the damaged door. “Aren’t you going to fix that?”
Lexi stopped and gave him the stare.
He rolled his eyes. “Okay. I’m sorry I threw you over my shoulder like a rag doll. I panicked. I didn’t even see him move and it freaked me out.”
She marched down the stairs, lifted the door, and leaned it against the frame. “There, fixed.”
As they entered the apartment, Broullard jumped up. “You were qui…” His voice died in his throat and he stared at their faces.
Lexi went directly to the bourbon, stared at the bottle, then sighed. She glanced speculatively at Dick.
“Hey, I’m off the menu, remember? God, you’re worse than…me.” He dropped into a chair and looked at the detective. “Lorenzo attacked us. He killed Thomas.”
Broullard narrowed his eyes. “How in hell did you two survive?” He looked from one to the other. She ignored him and stared at the bourbon again.
The vampire answered. “Honestly? I don’t know. A guy appeared—a sorcerer, I guess—and shielded us. Thomas was too far away. I don’t know how the guy knew it was coming or who he was. He wore a Saints hoodie.”
The other man shrugged and shook his head. “Him and everyone else. Why did Lorenzo wait until you were outside to attack?”
“Scott has this building shielded.” Lexi rubbed her face. “Can you check that the others got home safely? Then, we need to speak to Joseph.”
The door opened and Scott entered. He walked quickly to Lexi. “Are you okay?”
She looked at her feet, swamped by a feeling of failure. “Lorenzo killed Thomas.”
He sighed. “I felt you were angry.”
&
nbsp; “It was nothing.” She looked away and her face colored.
Dick raised an eyebrow. “I think we all felt she was angry when she blew the front door off its hinges.”
“I didn’t hear anything. I only just got back.” Scott backed out of the room and returned a minute later. “The door’s fixed.”
Lexi sat heavily. “Okay, where are we?”
Broullard pocketed his cell. “Everyone made it safely home.”
The vampire retrieved a glass. “What the hell are we going to do?”
She was at a loss. “We’ll have to try to approach the clan without him.”
“What about this other sorcerer? Are Kindred back?” the detective asked.
The question went unanswered as she thought through their options. “Okay, change of plan.” She stood, took the key from her pocket, and held it up to Scott. “At first light, we go to see what this unlocks. If Kindred is back in town, I’ll have to see them.”
Dick poured a large drink for himself. “What if it’s the other you?”
Lexi exhaled impatiently. “Honestly, I don’t know. But I don’t think they’re all in on Caleb’s plan.”
He laughed without humor. “How can you be sure of that?”
She pushed her irritation aside and explained. “When the chief thought he was talking to Alice, he didn’t speak to her as though she knew what was going on. He also explicitly told her to keep out of sight but wouldn’t say why.”
Absently, she turned the key in her hand. Am I really about to meet my doppelgänger?
Chapter Forty-Seven
“Are you kidding me?” Lexi stared at Scott.
He held the key and looked at the door in front of them. “Apparently not.”
“They live on the same block?” She ended the sentence on a squeak.
The two of them had set out after first light. The key had led them first to the left. Then left at the corner and left again at the next. She took it from Scott. “Is anyone in there?”
His face strained with the effort. “I can’t tell. There’s a strong shielding spell on the building.” He thought for a moment. “You give it a try.”
She barked a laugh. “If you can’t get through that, what’s the point in me trying?”
“Come on—reach out and see what you get.”
Lexi closed her eyes and placed her hand over the scar.
“It’s empty. How could you not see that?”
“I think your doppelgänger does live there. The protections on the house let you through but not me.”
“Great.” She sighed. “That puts you on lookout duty.”
She stepped to the door with the key in hand. It swung open before she had a chance to use it and she looked at Scott and held the key up. “So, what was the point of this?” She turned to the open door and entered.
The house was still. The first floor held a business, with its entrance from the street. This hallway led directly to a stairway and the second floor. She climbed the stairs, entered a sparsely decorated living room, and froze when she glanced at a photograph on the wall. It could have been a picture of herself if she had ever worn a police uniform. Once again, the doppelgänger stood with the same man as in the other photo. They were both in uniform. The woman’s face, while identical to Lexi’s, did things hers never did—smiling broadly and openly. It was disconcerting.
She glanced into the kitchen, where two cups and plates lay in the sink. Following the hallway to a bathroom, she noted men’s and women’s products on the shelf.
Okay, so she doesn’t live alone. Does she live with her blood match? Does she even have a blood match? She made a mental note to ask Broullard.
In the bedroom, a photograph drew her eye once again. It looked exactly like she might have looked in her early twenties if she had ever worn a wedding gown. The groom’s face was obscured by the veil and a thousand pieces of confetti frozen in the air.
Lexi gazed at the bride who seemed so in love and so happy. She wanted to smash her face in. She felt like this creature—this unnatural doppelgänger—had somehow stolen her life.
The front door opened and closed downstairs. Someone was home. Her gaze darted around but there was no exit.
Quickly, she moved to the doorway of the bedroom but the top of someone’s head was already visible on the stairs.
She had no choice but to retreat into the bedroom and step into a cupboard with louver doors. The coat hangers were effectively stilled with an arm and she tried not to breathe. A figure moved around outside the cupboard. Through the slats on the door, she could see a pair of men’s boots walking around the room. They stopped at the cupboard door and steam rose to her nose, accompanied by a smell of cinnamon. He held a cup of spiced latte and his other hand grasped the cupboard handle. She slipped her hand into her pocket to slide a blade out and her vision blurred. It took a moment to realize she was somewhere else.
Horrified, she spun and gaped at the giant creatures that surrounded and loomed over her. One was directly above. In a flash, the katana was in her hand. She lashed out at the monster closest to her. The blade burst through its skin and hit something hard—bone?
“How cool is this?”
When she whirled again at the loud voice, an avalanche of hard, white balls struck her and flung her off her feet.
“What have you done?” Scott screeched.
Lexi staggered to her feet. “What is that? Where the hell are we?”
He sighed. “We’re in my dimensional pocket.”
Irritated now, she kicked the balls out of her path. “And what is that?” She pointed at the oddly slumped creature and realized they were everywhere.
His face colored. “It’s a Taco Bell chihuahua. I collect them. I just bought that one from a guy a couple of days ago. It was the only one missing from my collection and you killed it.”
“I thought it would eat me. How are we here?” Still a little dizzy, she sat on the floor and picked up one of the white beads that was currently the size of a basketball.
The sorcerer pulled the bag from his back and sat beside her. “A guy turned up at the house. I couldn’t get past the shield to get you out but your dimensional pocket is linked to mine, so I pulled you out that way.”
She looked at the canvas bag. “Hey, wait. Your dimensional pocket is inside that bag.”
“Yes.”
“So…” She threw the ball aside and dragged the bag into her lap. “Inside this bag, in my hands, is a dimensional pocket with us inside it.”
“I guess.”
“And there’s a bag in there, and inside that, is a dimensional pocket with us inside it. Man, that is so fucked up.”
Scott took his bag. “It’s the same dimensional pocket. There’s only one of us.”
Her face turned sour, having been reminded of the doppelgänger. “Speak for yourself.”
He stood and held his hand out. “Let’s get out of here before you have an existential crisis.”
“Can we not go anywhere yet?” She placed a ball behind her neck and lay down to stare at the giant toys.
The sorcerer muttered a word and the balls rolled back to the split in the fabric. “What’s up? Did the mage see you?”
Lexi felt the tug of the ball at her neck. She sat and it rolled with the others. “No. I don’t think so. Uh…so it was a mage.”
“Definitely. And fairly powerful too from what I could tell. He could sense me too, even though I was shielded. Did you learn anything?”
“She’s a cop. You’d think Broullard would have mentioned that. And she’s married.”
Scott didn’t respond. She assumed he would be navigating her conflicted emotions.
Good luck with that.
She watched as he sealed the rip she’d made in the toy. “Scott, what if I am the doppelgänger?”
He lowered his hand and turned to her. “Joseph said you’re not.”
“Would he even know? I have no real memories of childhood. I could quite easily have si
mply appeared one day. My whole life was about being a legacy and working for Kindred. Now, it’s all about working for Dolores. This Alice has a career and a husband. There were two cups in the sink and two toothbrushes.”
“You feel like she’s stolen your life.” He held his hand out.
Lexi took it and pushed to her feet. They were back on the street. She turned to the house and looked at the windows. A shadow shifted at one of them. “Let’s go.”
They didn’t speak again until they had turned the corner.
Scott turned to her. “I feel like we’re missing something. Why did they create her?”
“Maybe they fixed in her what they couldn’t fix in me.” She shrugged. Talking about this made her feel exposed and she didn’t like it. It was time to change the subject. “I’m sorry I broke your toy.”
He rolled his eyes. “They’re collectibles.”
“Right. I’m sorry I broke your collectible toy.” She smirked.
As they entered their building, he paused and pointed up. Someone was up there. He mouthed, “Broullard.” They continued to where he leaned against the wall.
Lexi nodded at him. “I thought you’d have been at the other end of the country by now.”
He straightened quickly. “I sent my wife to stay at her mother’s, but I have some news.”
She sniffed the air and smelled cinnamon—exactly the same as in the mage’s house—and was immediately on the alert.
Habit kicked in and she stepped ahead. “Me first.” She moved forward to check the apartment.
Scott smiled at the other man. “Have you been waiting long?”
“Only a couple of minutes. I thought you were in. It smells like Betsy’s been baking pastries. Is she back?”
“Hmm!” Lexi frowned, looked around, then glanced at Broullard “Back? Oh, Betsy, no. She’s not back. You had news?”
He sat on a stool at the counter. “The shifters are gearing up to attack Lorenzo’s clan.”
The sorcerer gaped at him. “Do they know what Lorenzo did to Thomas and his entire clan?”
“They do, but you know what shifters are like. It’s all ‘I’m more alpha than you are’ with them.” Broullard shook his head.