by Jaymin Eve
One way to find out.
Opening the door, I had to laugh. Inside was full alright, with a selection of beer and wine that would make a nightclub jealous. It was very clear why Michaels lived on the edge of the Quarter, an area usually reserved for tourists and those who liked to make their money from tourists. Locals hardly ever went there, from what I’d learned, but clearly these Daelighters enjoyed the party life.
“Hungry?”
I jumped back from the fridge, swinging around to find Michaels leaning against the kitchen bench. He hadn’t slept long, but definitely looked much more refreshed.
“I’m always hungry, but doesn’t look like you have anything here that is actual food.”
Michaels chuckled, moving around the other side of the bench to open the drawer. He pulled out a bunch of pamphlets, sliding them across to me. Walking over, I picked them up, finding that they were all delivery places.
“Order whatever you want. I have accounts with every single one of them.”
I took my time flicking through them before finally meeting his eyes. “I thought you were sleeping?”
He shrugged. “Like I said, I only need an hour. I’ll nap again later.”
No doubt he was an expert napper.
Before I could say anything more, Daniel entered the room. I zeroed straight in on him, menus forgotten. “When will we be heading to Jackson Square?” I asked, not wasting time on pleasantries.
Daniel’s heavy stare shifted between Michaels and me. Finally, he said, “We can go now, if you’d like. An early scouting trip. If Laous is still in the area, he’ll make contact. He’s no match for me, not now he’s lost the overlord power, so he’ll no doubt just deliver a message.” He focused on Jason then. “Get your people ready, though. Later today we’ll be the ones hunting.”
The daelighter nodded, not at all annoyed by the order. “On it, boss. We’ll be ready and waiting.” Then with a wink in my direction, he left the room.
Daniel turned to me. “I need to grab a few weapons. Wait right here.”
Like there was anywhere else for me to go.
He disappeared up the stairs, only to reappear a few minutes later dressed in similar clothes to before. He had changed his shirt for a long-sleeved black Henley that hugged his body and worked with the dark jeans, heavy black boots, and air of barely contained lethal power.
I wished I knew more about Daelighters and their abilities. Like the super speed thing. Could they all do that? What else could they do? Would any of my training actually come in handy against someone like Laous? There was nothing more annoying than stepping into the role of victim, being the one who had to be protected. I’d worked really hard to never be weak, but something told me I was going to be very outmatched by this alien species.
I needed more information. Knowledge was power. I was slowly coming to terms with everything I’d learned so far – the need to scream and freak out was fading – so maybe I’d ask Daniel some more questions when we were out.
As more of my fear faded, though, anger took over. This trickling urge to lose my shit was starting to churn inside of me. Fury was bubbling uncontrollably under my skin. I finally had somewhere to lay the blame for my years of shitty life – with these alien bastards. It was making me rage in ways I didn’t know my numb, dead-inside body was capable of.
“Are you ready to go?” Daniel asked, interrupting my mental planning of how to take down an entire planet.
“Yes,” I snapped back, pushing past him.
When he caught up to me at the door, he wore a half-smile, which only annoyed me more. Once he unlocked the door, he pushed it wide open and stepped back to allow me to exit first.
Just as I walked out, his hand wrapped around my arm. I tried not to react, but the heat from his palm branded me, along with the buzz of energy he sent into my blood. Non-human bastard.
“Don’t run,” he said slowly. “It’s going to annoy me if I have to chase you.”
I shrugged his hand off. “I want to find my mom. You’re my best chance of that. I will stick around until that part of my life is resolved.”
Keeping my word was important to me. I had so few things in my life that I could control; my moral high ground was one of them. Even these Daelighters would receive the same treatment. As we started along the street, I saw a sign. I’d been right before, Michaels lived on Esplanade Avenue, the street that bordered the Quarter and the Marginy. I had walked past it multiple times over my months here. No wonder I kept running into him.
Daniel was silent and predatory as we walked along. He constantly checked out the scene, keeping track of everyone and everything that moved around us. He scared me in ways – which I would never admit to out loud – I could not explain. There was just something so other about him, and yet at the same time, he looked human. Ish.
“How long have you been in New Orleans?”
His question took me by surprise, but it was an easy one to answer. “About two months. The longest I’ve ever stayed in one place was four months; Laous was lucky to catch us when he did.”
We pushed through a large group of people stumbling home from a bachelorette party. They were very intoxicated, singing, dancing, falling down. It had been the usual huge night in the Quarter. The streets were filled with empty cups and trash, which we kicked out of the way as we walked.
“I know you hate my kind,” he said, taking me by surprise again. “And I don’t blame you for that. Sometimes life just deals us a shit hand. Trust me, I understand.”
Something told me that he did. I’d known it from the first moment I stared into his eyes. Not to mention the wariness he wore like a cloak. It didn’t matter how highly-trained a person was, they didn’t act like they were in a warzone unless they had been in a warzone before. I didn’t know what sort of battle it was, but Daniel had definitely been fighting for his life at one point or another.
Sympathy bloomed within me and I hated the connection that was there between us. I wasn’t naïve enough not to recognize it. Whether it was that I was born in House of Imperial … or something else … there was no denying it any longer. Daniel stirred emotions inside of me and it was confusing as hell.
As soon as we stepped into Jackson Square, he closed the distance between us.
“Don’t wander off,” he told me.
Pressing closer to his back, I fought the urge to reach out and grab his shirt. I accepted I was human, vulnerable, especially compared to these creatures, but I was not weak. I would not rely on Daniel, but I could be cautious.
“Café Du Monde works for our cover,” he decided. “Maybe we can drag Laous out from whatever shadows he’s hiding in.”
From my observations, it wasn’t always that easy to get a table there, especially during one of the busy times. Right now, it would be filled with people looking for some early morning pick-me-ups after a big night. Somehow, though, the universe loved Daniel, because we walked straight into an empty double-seater.
“Sit,” he told me.
I crossed my arms over my chest and tilted my head to the side as I waited for him to realize that I was not a pet for him to order around.
He let out a grumbling sound. “Could you please sit down, because if the server passes us by, we won’t see them for another hour.”
He’d said please … good enough. Pulling out my chair, I dropped into it. Daniel took the other chair, sliding his massive frame in gracefully. I spent the next few minutes observing my surroundings, cataloguing exits, watching the people who sat around us.
My eyes ran over each and every individual, because even though I had no idea what Laous looked like, I felt like I would know him when I saw him. In my head, he was an evil, ugly asshole, and I should recognize that without any trouble.
A waitress skidded to a stop beside our table. “Ready to order?” she said.
I swung around to face her. She was tiny, her wild dark curls springing up on her head. She was lithe, built like a dancer, with huge blue
eyes. There was no immediate accent – she didn’t sound like a local, but clearly already had the swing of this busy job.
“We’ll have a dozen beignets,” Daniel said without preamble. “And I’ll have a café au lait.” He paused and turned toward me. “Do you drink coffee? Would you like something else … tea … or maybe hot chocolate?”
I snorted, managing to keep it low and under my breath. But if the arch of his eyebrow was any indication, he still heard me. “If I don’t have coffee I’m inclined to turn into a raging psychopath. Literally.” Especially after being knocked out and waking with the headache of all headaches.
“That explains a lot,” Daniel said with a half-smile.
Ignoring him, because it did actually explain a lot, I returned my gaze to the pretty waitress. “I’ll have the same as … him. Make it large.” I jerked my hand in Daniel’s direction.
“No problem,” she said in a harried way. “Be right back with your order.”
She was gone as quickly as she appeared, disappearing into the crowd. Off to the side, I could see a line was starting to form as people waited for tables. Actually, that line had probably already been there. Daniel had ignored it just like the locals usually did. Tourists were the ones who waited in line.
I tried really hard not to bounce in my seat, but I’d had no coffee or food for hours. And it was beignets and liquid-life – aka coffee – from Café Du Monde, a running fantasy of mine for the past eight weeks straight. My excitement could barely be contained.
“You’re not as worried about your mom as I would’ve expected.”
A flash of anger cut through me, wiping away those tendrils of excitement I’d stupidly allowed to build. I leaned forward on the table, my eyes no doubt flashing my fury at Daniel.
“You know nothing about my feelings.” My rebuke was low and forceful as I emphasized each and every word. “My relationship with my mother is complicated. I don’t want to see any harm come to her, especially not at the hands of a Daelighter. But just because she’s my mom by blood, doesn’t mean she’s ever acted like a true mother.”
Because we were so close, our faces only inches apart, I saw every emotion that crossed Daniel’s face. His eyes blazed with gold, and judging by the angle of his jaw, he was clenching his teeth. There was a darkness in his gaze, and just like I’d known he’d been to war, in some way I also knew he understood what I was saying about family. On a personal level.
“Who in your family?” I asked, most of my anger gone now.
There was a long pause; I didn’t think he was going to answer. Then, as the waitress reappeared with our order, he said, “The ones who cared are long gone. The rest are blood only. Not family.”
That made sense considering he was related to a psycho like Laous. Another chink loosened in my cold, dead chest – my heart actually hurt for him. His confession had been matter of fact, like it didn’t affect him, but I saw deeper. The wounds were still raw.
We were quite the pair.
Still, there was no way to be truly sad when I had coffee and beignets sitting in front of me. So why couldn’t I take my eyes off Daniel? It was like for the first time in my life I felt camaraderie with someone. Damn him! Why did that someone have to be from an alien species that had been hunting me my entire life?
“I’m going to need you to tell me more about this world that I’ve been dragged into.”
He nodded. “I will tell you everything you need to know, but not here.”
I accepted that and was finally able to turn my attention to the food before me; the scent of coffee could no longer be ignored. Leaning forward, I closed my eyes and slowly inhaled the rich, dark aroma. When I picked up my cup and took the first sip, a low moan actually escaped from my mouth. I was no longer in control; my senses were firing, and this was probably the best coffee I’d ever had.
The plate of beignets, topped with their white powder, was my next focus. Reaching forward I lifted one, careful not to disturb the sugar. I really wanted to inhale as well, taking in their unique scent, but a nose full of powder was not my idea of a good time.
As I took my first bite, my next moan was much louder. Movement from across the table drew my attention, and I was surprised to find Daniel just staring at me. His coffee remained untouched in front of him, and he had not started on a beignet.
That was worrying – no one ignored these fluffy clouds of delicious. Had he seen something that I missed? Was Laous here somewhere?
“Everything okay?” I asked as I swallowed the last of the ball of magic.
He leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms. “I’ve just never seen someone quite so passionate about food before.”
For a brief moment, I contemplated letting the embarrassment that was trying to well up take over. I didn’t though, mostly because I sensed Daniel wasn’t insulting me. There was … interest in his gaze. I’d surprised him.
“Does your kind eat food?”
Since I was struggling not to shove the entire plate of beignets in my mouth, the only explanation for his reticence was that they didn’t eat. Maybe Michaels’ menus had just been for show. Or for the human girls they brought back from the Quarter.
Daniel answered by reaching forward and snatching up a beignet and popping it into his mouth without spilling a drop of the white sugar.
Well, okay then.
A waiter passed by our table, his hand snaking out to grab my almost empty coffee cup. Quick as a flash, I latched onto his forearm. Narrowing my eyes on him, I said, “The only reason you should be touching my cup is if you plan on refilling it.”
His mouth dropped open as he looked between me and my mug. “So … so sorry,” he stuttered, before quickly releasing the handle and hurrying away.
Shaking my head, I was reaching for my coffee – before another overeager staff member tried to remove it – when Daniel let out a low rumble across from me. The sound drew my attention, and as he tensed, so did I.
“He’s here, isn’t he?” I asked, no louder than a whisper.
Daniel inclined his head ever so slightly, and without another word, I quickly ate another beignet, because I knew this was going to be my last chance. Laous was here.
It was time to get my mom back.
4
It might have been my imagination, but it seemed the café got really quiet then – a lull, like it was holding its breath, waiting for a storm to hit. I couldn’t see anything out of place, so Laous had to be behind me. I didn’t want to turn my head and alert this asshole to our presence. Not until I knew the plan.
“Okay, so he’s here. Has he spotted you?” I murmured, pretending to take a sip of coffee.
Daniel lowered his head, which in no way did anything to hide him. He was humongous, like the worst person ever to try to play hide and seek. “He’s busy right now trying to set fire to the building.”
“What?”
I couldn’t stop from spinning now, scanning across the crowd. It took me about five seconds to spot him. He was standing in the main entrance, looking pretty unimpressive. Besides the fact that he had a shaved head with the dark red symbols tattooed on the right side like Daniel, I would never have thought that he was a Daelighter.
He was so … ordinary. Squinty eyes. Weedy arms and legs. Roundish body. Like a bunch of body parts had been put together, but nothing actually went with the other. He took a step forward, lifting both of his hands on either side of him. When they were around shoulder height, I felt the first flickers of heat.
Daniel’s chair crashed as he shot to his feet, his hands also filled with fire. I added that to my mental list of Daelighter abilities and moved myself even further down the evolutionary ladder. Some of the other diners started to react, but since a lot of them seemed to be drunk, they weren’t panicking as fast as they should have been. Most of them probably thought this was some sort of NOLA show, but they’d change their tune once they felt the very real heat from the flames.
Laous shot out balls of f
ire, catching the nearby awning, which was almost immediately alight. It was then the patrons started screaming and rushing from the café.
“Guess he’s not afraid of you,” I quipped to stem my nerves. Part of me was thinking I should have taken the council up on that offer to go straight to safety.
“Just stay close to me,” Daniel warned, positioning himself protectively before me, “until I figure out what he’s up to. No Daelighter would make a scene like this in public, but Laous clearly does not care about any repercussions of his actions now.”
Great, he was a complete madman and he had my mom.
“Remember,” Daniel said, “Laous wants you. He needs your blood and will stop at nothing to get it. Protecting you is my first and only priority.”
I could tell that Daniel was majorly regretting allowing me to stick with him, but it was too late to do anything but try to get out of this alive.
The café had emptied, flames roaring across the front of it, and … Laous seemed a little scarier as he strolled toward us. Especially since there was nothing I could do against magic fire.
“I’d suggest leaving now,” Daniel warned Laous. “Return Callie’s mother to her home and get out of New Orleans.” He sounded so casual. “You’re no longer overlord. The power of our house is mine to command.”
Laous paused, a disturbing sort of smile tilting up his thin lips. “I don’t need the power from Imperial any longer. Did you know that the stone I procured from the first girl does a lot more than just lead me to the next secret keeper?” Before Daniel could answer, he continued on: “I’m going to find the original starlight stone, and there’s nothing you can do to stop me. Soon, Daelighters will realize how stupid we were to place true power in the hands of these grubbers.”
“Grubbers…?” I murmured.
“Ignore him,” Daniel bit out. “It’s … a term that some Daelighters use for humans.”
Should have guessed it was a derogatory name. Sounded like they thought we lived in the dirt and bathed in mud. It didn’t bother me, though. The opinion of Laous was not going to keep me awake at night. What he did with my mother, on the other hand, was a different story.