Royal Street

by Suzanne Johnson

He stepped back into the transport and nodded at me. I filled in the edge I’d wiped out earlier and fed energy into it. As he faded in a shimmer of light, Zrakovi said five words that echoed Gerry’s: “Stay out of the Beyond.”

  Alex and I stood silently for a few seconds, then I flopped back in my chair. “Sit here, he says. I don’t want to just sit here and wait. Maybe if Gerry knows the Elders are onto them I can talk him into backing down, staying hidden in the Beyond. I need to get in touch with him again.” I doubted I’d be able to sleep for a week, much less bring on some weird elven magical dream on demand.

  “You absolutely do not need to get in touch with Gerry.” Alex leaned over the chair and got in my face. I glowered at him. He knelt, a hand on either arm of my chair so I couldn’t move, and his voice was firm. “Look, I know you love Gerry no matter what he’s done, and you want to try to summon him and warn him to stay where he is. Am I right?”

  I gave him a blank face.

  He shook his head. “You have to do what Zrakovi said and keep a low profile till this is over. If Samedi finds a way to get to you, you’re as good as dead.”

  He paused for a moment. “And you’ll get me killed, because I’ll have to try and save you.”

  I rubbed my temples with my fingers and shut my eyes, willing it all just to go away.

  “How much do you know about the Wizards’ War of Nineteen Seventy-six?”

  I looked at him in surprise. “I know there was a group of rogue wizards who went up against the Elders. And I know Gerry fought in it—and he fought for the Elders.” I didn’t see his point. “Why?”

  “It started a lot like this, only without the hurricane. Actually, I read about it in one of Gerry’s books. One of the ancient gods from the Beyond took advantage of an ambitious wizard who let him come and go freely. Over time, he was able to draw dark wizards and other mages to his side. They finally launched a full-scale assault against the Elders. The only reason the wizards won is that they were able to draw the fae to their side, and the vampires stayed neutral.

  “That might not happen this time.”

  CHAPTER 37

  We went to the Quarter to get the Pathfinder, then I drove home while Alex picked up lunch. He didn’t want me to go since I was unofficially under house arrest, hiding from the Baron Samedi.

  I’d been thinking about the transport in the library, which made me think of summoning circles. I could summon creatures from the Beyond as long as I knew their true name. Could I summon Gerry? I had tried just after he’d gone missing and it hadn’t worked, but maybe he hadn’t been in the Beyond then. Maybe now it would work.

  After lunch, I left Alex working on reports—enforcers must spend half their time doing paperwork—and went back to the library. I’d stacked Gerry’s books along the walls as a stopgap measure until I had time to blend his collection with mine, and I crawled around the edges of the room, scanning titles. I pulled out a bulky leather-bound volume with thin, parchment leaves edged in gold. The Book of Summonry had been a prize in Gerry’s library. He’d bought it at a wizard’s auction in Europe about a decade ago for enough money to feed a small nation for a month. It was a seventeenth-century original, and I’d never actually seen Gerry read it. He always said possession was its own reward.

  “What’s up?”

  I jumped like I’d been hit with a stun gun. Alex lounged in the doorway with a suspicious look on his face. Sebastian twined around his legs, eyeing me with malice.

  “Finish your reports in triplicate?”

  “Don’t change the subject. What are you doing?” Alex could read me way too well. “And did you know this was here?” He’d picked up Charlie the elven staff, which had made its way to my worktable.

  “That thing just flat-out gives me the crawling creeps, but it was pretty cool using it against the Lafittes because it doesn’t drain my energy like my own magic does.”

  “Nice try. Now, what are you doing?”

  “I want to try and summon Gerry.”

  Alex banged his head against the doorjamb. “Did you listen to a single word of what Zrakovi said?”

  “If I can get him back here, you can arrest him.”

  Alex tensed. “Are you insane? I know you’re feeling guilty about feeding Zrakovi information on Gerry, but you know what will happen if he’s arrested, don’t you?”

  I looked at the floor, then back at Alex. “I do know. But at least he won’t be slaughtered by Samedi. At least he’ll have a hearing. Maybe the Elders will strip him of his power but let him live.”

  Alex shook his head. “Do you think Gerry would want to live that way?”

  Maybe not, but at least it would be his choice.

  “Let’s just try it,” I said. “It might not even work. If it does, and he wants to stay and face the Elders, he can. If he doesn’t, then at least he’ll know the Elders are onto his plans. He might try to save himself and get away from Samedi.”

  Alex looked at the floor and his shoulders sagged. I knew I’d won. “Let me get my gun, just in case you get him and he agrees to come in.”

  Gerry was Red Congress and could zap a gun out of Alex’s hand faster than Alex could even think about shooting, but I didn’t say so. If Gerry turned himself in, he wouldn’t fight.

  Sunshine didn’t seem to fit the mood for summoning, so I closed the library curtains and kept only one lamp on. I swept away the Zrakovi portal and took out my jar of salt. Then, on impulse, I set it back on the shelf and instead picked up a jar of cold iron filings, which were stronger.

  Alex returned with a pistol in a shoulder holster—not the monster handgun he’d lost at the Napoleon House, but the smaller one he’d been trying to teach me to use. He watched as I formed the circle, leaving about six inches open.

  “What are you using?” He touched the metal filings, careful not to break the circle.

  “Iron, for extra strength. Just in case something has Gerry’s full name and can answer to his summons. With all that’s going on, you never know.” I looked at his gun. “What kind of ammunition do you have?”

  “Standard issue. Wizards are basically the same as mundane as far as ammo goes. Do I need something specialized?”

  “I have no idea.”

  “Well, good. Now I feel better.” Alex hopped up on the worktable and watched as I placed two purple candles at noon and six o’clock just outside the circle, and two gold at three and nine. I lit the candles and turned off the lamp. I wanted all the energy directed toward the circle.

  Between the candles, I placed the items I’d used to try and summon Gerry before: the pipe, the picture of us from Jazz Fest, one of his journals, and the Meisterstück pen.

  “Have you ever seen one of these done?” I asked.

  “Only once, during training. I’ve done lots of transports, but by the time I’m called in, the summoning’s over and things have gotten out of control.”

  “I know you know this, but just a reminder,” I said. “Don’t break the energy field for any reason, even with a bullet. It might look like Gerry but not really be him. If it isn’t Gerry and something else manages to show up from the Beyond, we don’t want it running loose. It can’t leave the circle.”

  He nodded. I could feel his tension, so I fingered the mojo bags in my pocket for a minute, breathing deeply—only to have the sound of Beck’s “Loser” come blasting from somewhere in the vicinity of Alex’s jeans.

  Talk about a mood killer.

  “Sorry.” He retrieved his cell phone and looked at the screen. “It’s Ken. Might be about the murder cases. Hold on and let me take it.”

  He walked into the sitting room to take the call, so I closed my eyes and focused on Gerry. I could probably do the ritual better without Alex’s anxiety mucking up the works anyway.

  I fixed Gerry’s face in my mind, took my place on the cushion next to the circle, and pricked my finger with a lancet. “I summon Gerald Michael St. Simon,” I said quietly, letting several drops of blood hit the iron filings.<
br />
  I waited. Twice, a shape began to materialize but faded. I concentrated harder, pricking my finger again and adding more blood to the circle. I heard Alex come back into the room and stand behind me, but kept my concentration.

  “DJ,” he hissed. “Open your eyes.”

  A figure had finally materialized, but it wasn’t Gerry. Wasn’t even pretending to be Gerry. It was a tall, powerfully built man, a white skeleton painted on his dark skin. He wore a top hat and a tuxedo jacket over a bare chest. Around his neck was a strand of dead frogs. At least I thought they were dead until one kicked a feeble leg and let out a hoarse croak. I stood up and stepped back, looking into the smoky gray, twinkling eyes of the Baron Samedi.

  He bowed his head briefly in greeting. “Good evening, wizard. I had hoped our first meeting would be in the Beyond, but since you called my good friend Gerald Michael St. Simon, I couldn’t resist answering.” His voice was deep and melodic, hypnotic, yet carrying with it dark tones that called up images of pain and blood and sex. I felt his power crawl across my skin, but no emotions. My empathic skills didn’t work on Samedi. Probably a good thing.

  I felt myself being drawn in by his gaze, and broke eye contact.

  “Don’t look him in the eye, Alex,” I whispered.

  “Oh no, Alex, do look at me. Look at me closely, and I can show you one of my powers. You see, I know how you will die, both of you.” Samedi laughed, a sensual, earthy sound.

  Alex didn’t respond. I could only hope he had the good sense to keep his gaze on the floor and his hands away from the gun.

  “Where is Gerald St. Simon?” I asked. “Is he still alive?”

  Samedi smiled at me and I felt his allure. I could walk through the transport, and he would take care of me. I heard his voice in my head. I’d always keep you beside me. I’d never leave you.

  “DJ, step back!”

  Alex’s voice wrenched me back to reality. I jerked my gaze to the frog necklace, my heart pounding. Samedi had almost sucked me in.

  “Your father …” I flinched at that reference to Gerry. “Oh yes, little elfling. I know he is your father. His death will give me a lot of power, but you.” He smiled broadly. “You could bring me to my full power, either through your death or by joining with me. It is your choice.”

  So Jean had told me the truth about Samedi’s plans—talk me into an alliance and kill me later, or just go ahead and kill me sooner. Either way, I ended up dead and Gerry couldn’t be helped.

  Samedi caught my eye again, and smiled. “You could bargain for your father’s life. If I have you, I do not need him. He is old and weak, and you have power you do not even understand.”

  So people keep telling me.

  The seductive glamour flowed off Samedi. My knees weakened, and I wanted to crawl toward him, to ask him to take me. I forced my eyes away from him again, and focused on the miserable, frightened eye of one particularly large frog. Its tiny nostrils flared as it struggled to breathe, and a fine stream of blood ran from its pierced side to pool on the floor.

  “What is it you want me to do?” My voice came out in a whisper.

  “Come to me, and I will tell you.” Samedi reached for me, but Alex took my arm and tugged me back from the circle.

  “I’m okay,” I lied. “Let him play his games.”

  Samedi laughed again. I heard a window break behind me as the sound penetrated the room, but I kept my eyes lowered.

  You will come to me soon, wizard—you and your enforcer. His voice was in my head again. Perhaps you think your father deserves to die, as punishment for working with me. But I have a new friend with me now, too, one you might wish to save.

  Wagging his fingers in a parody of a wave, Samedi’s image faded as quickly as it had appeared, leaving behind something small and shiny. Since he hadn’t been the one I summoned, he apparently didn’t have to wait for me to release him. I made sure his energy field had faded before reaching out a shaky hand to break the circle.

  “DJ, we have to leave. Jake’s missing—it’s what Ken was calling about.” Alex’s voice shook.

  “What?” I turned to stare at him, my heart dancing crazy rhythms.

  “We’ve gotta go. I’ll tell you on the way.”

  “Let me grab whatever Samedi left in the circle and we’ll go.”

  I bent over and picked up the silver chain Samedi had left, and a chill of fear sped through me. Oh my God. Not just a chain—U.S. Marine Corps dog tags. The name stamped on the first line was Warin.

  I handed it to Alex, whose face paled as he turned and headed for the stairs.

  I pulled out my backpack and grabbed the four potions I had left from my Jean Lafitte escapade: mist, arctic, sleep, and torch. I stuffed them in my pockets. None were lethal, but they’d have to do. I knew physical magic didn’t work right in the Beyond, but maybe potions were different. I got a couple of cords and strapped the elven staff to my thigh, then hung both mojo bags on another cord around my neck.

  By the time I got out the back door, Alex had already pulled his car onto the street and was waiting for me, thunderclouds on his face.

  He lurched the car away from the curb before I had the door closed.

  “Tell me what Ken said.”

  “Leyla got to work and couldn’t find Jake. She finally went upstairs and his door was open, blood everywhere, no sign of him. Louis is locked in his room and won’t answer the door. She knew Jake and Ken were tight, so she called him instead of going through 9-1-1.”

  “So we’re going to be dealing with the police?”

  He shook his head. “I told Ken to hold off till I checked it out and called him back.”

  I pulled out my cell phone. “We need to call the Elders.”

  “Don’t waste your time. I know what they’ll say.” His knuckles had turned white from his choke hold on the steering wheel. “They’ll tell us to sit back and let them handle it. Jake will be dead before they make a decision.”

  I pulled out my phone anyway and hit 2 and send. It was a sad state of affairs that I now had the Speaker of the Council of Elders in Gerry’s former spot on my speed-dial list. The Speaker didn’t answer, however. It was Zrakovi himself, sounding unhappy.

  “Drusilla, we just received a breach alarm from your address. What is going on?”

  I forced myself to breathe. I needed to sound calm, even though what I felt was more akin to hysteria. “I tried to summon Gerry, to convince him to turn himself in. Baron Samedi showed up instead. He has taken Jacob Warin, Alex’s cousin, into the Beyond. Jake is a mundane. He can’t defend himself. We have to go in there and—”

  Zrakovi cut me off. “You will do nothing, Drusilla. Do you understand me? Given the number of wizards we have available, if we charge in without securing the alliances of other, stronger groups, we’ll start a war we can’t win.”

  His voice had risen to a shout, but I couldn’t respond. How long since Samedi had taken Jake? What had they done to him?

  “Do I make myself clear?” Zrakovi’s voice made the phone vibrate. No more Mr. Nice Wizard.

  “Crystal.” I hung up on him.

  “Told you.” Alex didn’t even ask what Zrakovi had said.

  We were silent on our drive to the Gator, each lost in our thoughts. Jake was tough, and he’d try to fight them not knowing what he was up against. But he’d probably be kept alive as long as Samedi thought him a valuable hostage.

  This was my fault, and I had to fix it.

  CHAPTER 38

  My nerves skittered as we walked into the Gator and saw Leyla behind the bar. She left her customer mid-order as soon as she saw us.

  “I had to open today. Jake’s gone, and it looks like something bad happened up there.” She looked as if she’d been crying.

  Alex gave her a curt nod and strode toward the back hallway.

  “What should I do?” Leyla watched Alex disappear into the stairwell. “I called Jake’s friend, the detective, but the police haven’t shown up.”

&nb
sp; “Ken called Alex—he’s FBI. He can handle it,” I said. “Can you run the place alone? Or do you have a friend who can come and help you?”

  She nodded.

  “Then business as usual. Close early if you need to. We’ll find Jake.”

  “But—”

  I ran toward the back and left Leyla to cope as best she could.

  I found Alex sitting on Jake’s sofa upstairs, looking stunned. The apartment door had been battered, and upended furniture littered the living-room floor. Blood. A lot of blood.

  “He’s gone. Looks like he put up a big fight.” Alex picked up a CD case from the floor near his feet and threw it at the wall hard enough to break the case and dent the Sheetrock.

  “Did you ask Louis what happened?”

  “He said a giant snake with a human skull floated down the hallway a few feet off the floor, followed by a couple of guys Louis has seen hanging around South Rampart in Old Orleans. Not Lafitte’s people. It happened early this morning. Louis ran in his room and locked the door. He heard what sounded like a fight, then nothing. He didn’t even know Jake was gone.”

  A slow-birthing horror grew inside me. “God. This is my fault. Oh dear God.” I sat on the sofa and tried to breathe.

  “How?” Never had a single syllable sounded so hopeless.

  “Louis. I brought Louis here. It was like hanging a neon sign over Jake’s head that he was tied to this whole mess.” Jake was a brave and honorable man, and I couldn’t bear the thought that I’d gotten him mixed up in this.

  I got to my feet and began pacing. “We need to make a plan. We have to go after him.”

  “You talked to Zrakovi. I know what he said—to stand down. He’s looking at the greater good and all that crap I was spouting at you this morning.” Alex looked as though the greater good had kicked him in the gut.

  We stared in silence at the blood soaking into the hardwood floor, till I couldn’t stand it any longer.

  “I’m going after him. I know it’s a long shot, but I have to try. Jake’s only there as bait because Samedi wants me—it’s why he left the dog tags in my summoning circle.”