Louisiana Moon

by Rhea, Lani

  Even as her mind whirled with the implications, she continued to flip through the files and found more family history. Letters revealed secret meetings throughout the years, meetings with Kingsley Adams, Stanley and Vanessa’s great-great-great grandfather. The meetings stated hell house was needed to guard the steel cells the Soulscapes were locked in. Inside hell house.

  She sat back. Dear gods. Her father had known they’d rise again to take over the Darkworld. As she looked through more of the letters, she noticed the house was in her family’s name. Wait… She’d inherited hell house? Holy fuck.

  Hours passed as darkness enveloped the light. It wasn’t long before Ryant showed. She rolled her eyes. He had said he would return, but a small part of her wished he had forgotten. Kris stood and stretched. “What are you doing here? Checking on me?”

  “Guilty. I’ve been worried, and it’s always a pleasure to see your lovely face, body, be inside your mind.” He smiled seductively then looked at Darin. “You are nothing but a road block, human. I could easily smash you, but haven’t. Kris and I share a very special bond and you will not break the link.”

  “I already know about the prophecy. You don’t have to remind me.” Darin stared Ryant down. His hands flexed into tight fists.

  “You know what, I don’t have time for this, and you can forget about me helping you with Stanley. I’m tired of your fucking games. I’ve had enough.” Kris stalked to her desk, retrieved the file and book. As she walked toward Ryant, she pushed him out of her office. “Darin, stay here. I’ll be back,” she tossed over her shoulder and ignored his protest as she continued to shove Ryant until he was out of the building. As she gave a final thrust, she locked the door, making sure her wards were set, then faced him. “Go back to your coven. Now.”

  Kris hopped in her car and took off. No clue as to where she’d go or end up, but getting away was what she needed. Away from everything. Everyone.

  After driving a few blocks, she pulled over at the city park and stared through the windshield. Her gaze moved from one park bench to the next, the trees and the emptiness. She wanted emptiness, to be left alone. No worries about anyone specifically, or about people or creatures barging in, making her lose her concentration. Alone time was all she wanted.

  She stepped out of her car and leaned her back against the hood. Crickets chirped, their familiar sound soothing. What was she going to do about the prophecy? About V and their relationship? About Stanley. About Darin? And most of all, what was she going to do about Ryant?

  Exhaling, she peered ahead. She’d picked this spot because she knew she’d be undisturbed. Her fingers clenched into fists as frustration rose within, threatening to singe the air around her with a scream.

  To her right, a twig snapped and she whirled, her gum aimed in that direction. Ryant, his hands spread wide and palms up, strode toward her. Obviously, he hadn’t listened to her when she told him to go back to New Orleans. Great. “What do you want? Can’t I get a break?”

  “I came to check on you.”

  “You mean spy.”

  “However you want to look at it. You’re not safe out here in the open after dark.”

  “I know, but I’m fine. Now leave.”

  “I can’t do that.”

  Of course not. “Where’s Darin? Gods help you, Ryant, if you’ve hurt him.”

  His shoulders hitched. “Your human is fine. Safe. We settled our differences.”

  She didn’t like the sound of that. “What does that mean?”

  “We have an agreement. That’s all that matters.”

  Silently, she searched his expression for the truth. And that’s what she found. Whatever had gone on between the two, she knew Darin was alive. She faced the opposite direction as Ryant stood by her left side. When he didn’t start talking, tension left her and she slumped back against her car. With everything a mess, what else could happen?

  Her cell rang.

  Perfect. She glanced at the caller ID, at the unknown number on the tiny screen. A new client, maybe? She could use something different right now. “Hello.”

  “Is this Kristina Knight, the bounty hunter?” The man’s voice rumbled through the phone.

  “Yes. Who’s speaking?”

  “Jerry, the barkeep.”

  So much shit had gone on, she’d almost forgotten about the day she and Darin apprehended the fae. “Is Stanley there?”

  Ryant stepped in front of her, his shoulders squared as if he was ready for battle.

  “Yes he is, but not for long. You better hurry.” The phone went dead.

  “Stanley’s at Joe’s Bar. I’ve got to go.”

  “I’m coming with you.”

  “Whatever you want. I can’t stop you. I have to do my job.”

  Kris walked briskly to her car and got inside. She watched Ryant as he waved his hand and dissolved into thin air. Thankfully, he hadn’t asked to ride with her. She wasn’t ready for the close confines.

  She started her engine and pulled away from the park. “All right, Stanley Adams, we need to talk.”

  24

  Kris pulled into the parking lot of Joe’s Bar. The front door busted open. Ryant flew across the lot with his hands clutched around a man’s neck. The man broke the blow as his back slammed into a brick wall. Chunks fell around them. Soon, their altercation was surrounded by people pouring from the bar and off the streets.

  Hastening to Ryant, she weaved her way through the throng. Who in the hell did he throw out of the bar? In her hurry, she shoved people aside.

  “Hey…” a woman snapped.

  If they didn’t like it, she didn’t care. Shit always rained on a damn parade.

  At Ryant’s side, she bent and grabbed his arm. Muscles flexed under her fingers. “Ryant, what are you doing? Where’s Stanley?”

  “Escaped, because this mortal fool couldn’t contain him,” he snarled and didn’t remove his hands from around the man’s neck as he bore him to the ground.

  She peered into the man’s face. Jerry, the barkeep, turned several shades of red, then purple as he gagged. Kris shook her head, crouched at their side then loosened Ryant’s hands. “You’ll never learn. You can’t get information out of anyone by doing what you’re doing. Let him go.”

  For a second, she thought Ryant might ignore her then his fingers released and he pulled his hands away. Jerry closed his eyes, gasping for air like it was his final breath, which it had probably been darn close to.

  When she set a hand on Jerry’s shoulder, he flinched and stared up at her. The poor man had been through a lot the past week. “Where did Stanley go?” Her voice was calm.

  “I’m sorry. I tried to explain to him.” Jerry pointed at Ryant.

  “Ignore him. He’s hot tempered over this issue. Where did Stanley go?”

  “He met up with the same man I saw him with last time, and they left. But before they did, your fellow put this on the bar.” The barkeep reached inside his pocket and extracted a note. He handed it to her.

  She stared at it. “Did you get a good look at the other man?”

  “No. He wore a trench coat, a hat and dark glasses.”

  Ryant snagged the note and read then lowered his hand as he stared off into space.

  Kris slipped it from his hand. Ms. Knight, bring no one and meet us at the house. You know which one. We know you’re looking for Rita. We have her. You can have her, safe, if you do as we say.

  Oh yeah, she knew what house the note meant. As much as she hated the idea, she also knew she would go back there and alone to rescue this Rita person. She looked at Ryant. “I’ve got to save Rita.”

  “Tomorrow. Not now, we need time to plan.”

  “They might hurt her.”

  “I’m sure she’ll be okay for another few hours. We need a plan.”

  “What if she’s already dead?”

  “She won’t be. Darin’s at Club Fifteen. Let’s go.”

  A fleeting concern about Darin being at Club Fifteen tugged at he
r but she kept thinking about Rita and how so damned close she’d been this whole fucking time. Rage gnawed at her insides. She wanted to burn the house to the ground, rid the place of its evilness.

  Ryant broke into her musings. “You have the book on you?”

  “Yes.”

  “Have you looked through all of it?”

  “A little. There’s too much information I never knew about. It’s taking time to sort through and absorb what I’m reading.”

  “What have you learned so far?”

  She looked at him. “You didn’t read the book?”

  “I can’t. The writing is foreign to me.”

  Kris glanced at the road ahead, at the gleaming headlights coming toward them. “I’ve learned V and Stanley may be kin to me, which is strange. I never envisioned being related to vampires. And I’ve inherited the hell house. Why didn’t you tell me about this book?”

  “I learned about it several years ago. Since then, I’ve tried to locate you. Would you have listened anyway? I figured you would ignore my words. You’re so stubborn.”

  She’d agree to that. What would V know that Kris needed to know to stop the Soulscapes? She and V hadn’t parted on very good terms the last time they met. How would she handle the information Kris was about to dump on her? Did V even know they were cousins?

  They arrived at Club Fifteen. Music pumped out of the club into the street. Several people lined the gray brick wall behind a black velvet rope.

  “Come on.”

  “Are you sure Darin is inside?”

  “I’m positive your human…er…Darin is there.”

  Kris tilted her head as she squinted. Ryant had tried to be civil? Since when? What exactly had gotten into him?

  She exited her car, circled the front and stood by him. He smiled. The muted glow of the streetlight glistened off his tawny eyes, making her want to continue to stare at them. She dragged her gaze away.

  After they stopped by the vampire bodyguard standing in front of the doors, Ryant leaned over to whisper in the man’s ear. When the vamp got a clear view of her, he smiled. She cocked an eyebrow and continued to stare at him as Ryant left her side. When he winked, her lips went slack with surprise. A bloody wink?

  She didn’t have time to find out because Ryant was back and tugged on her wrist as he entered the club, dragging her behind through the ebony slate-covered double doors. The music deafened her. She couldn’t hear her own heart pounding. The dark room was filled with writhing people twisting to music. Some stood to the side, lining the walls.

  “Do you remember the first time we met—at the ball?” Ryant asked.

  Well, that had come out of the blue. If her memory served her right, she’d spotted him long before the ball. His handsome face had mesmerized her. She hated to admit how he’d drawn her to him with one look. She had been in town searching for the perfect dress. The seamstress stayed open late for her private fitting. That was when Kris saw Ryant in a crowd of many, when he worked alongside his father as they prepped for the ball.

  How free spirited he had been. Now look at him. He was tense and rigid just as she was. What had they become? If it wasn’t for the hunters killing her parents and breaking up their relationship, so much time wouldn’t have passed between them. It was now because of the demons that they were back together.

  An unfamiliar conversation passed through her mind. She recalled as a child, eavesdropping on her parents, something about Soulscapes and stopped, pulling Ryant to a halt. She faced him. “You said vampires had nothing to do with my parents’ deaths, right? Only that hunters killed them. Do you still hold your words true?”

  “Yes, always have.”

  A chill ran through her, prickled every hair as it raced to her toes. She stared off, down the dark alley they stood in. She searched, not for anything in the dark, but for something that led her to believe the statement was true. “How do you know?”

  He pulled her tighter into his chest. “You know the saying—When the dust settles, all is clear. I went back to your house after the detectives left and searched. I smelled charcoal planted in your father’s office. That’s when I found the legacy book. I continued to search.

  “I thought, at first, the demons might have killed them, but I knew they were locked up. I overheard a customer one night bragging about the killings, and I went after the hunters and wiped them out.” He paused. “Do you have the book on you? Or did you leave it in the car?”

  The vampires hadn’t killed her parents. Nor the Soulscapes. The memory of her listening in on her parents flooded back.

  “Mason, what are we to do with our daughter? We have to keep her safe.”

  “I don’t know, Jane. I really don’t.”

  “We could hide her. Keep her out of harm’s way.”

  “No, we will protect her. There’s a spell in the book, if the time comes she needs to use it.”

  What exactly where they trying to protect her from? The hunters? The demons? She shook her head. The book. She had to get the book. She knew for damn sure she could be rid of the demons. Then she’d worry about the hunters later. She yanked Ryant by the hand.

  “Where are we going?”

  “The book holds a spell.”

  25

  Back out front, in her car, Kris flipped through several pages and searched for the spell her parents had discussed. Where was the damn thing? After half a dozen more, she found it. There, surrounded by drawings placed by her father. She smoothed her fingertips over the etched design of purple crystals. “I need better light. Let’s go to your office.”

  Once inside, as she passed a room, she heard Darin’s laughter ring out. She stopped and peered inside to see him sitting at a table surrounded by V, Sparky and Zeke. Her mouth dropped open at the sight of one human and three vampires playing cards.

  Kris stepped inside. V pulled her intense focus from Darin, saw Kris and stiffened. With a fake smile glued in place, V said, “I’m glad you’ve brought the human back, Kris.”

  “His name is Darin.”

  “I don’t think he minds that I gave him a nickname.”

  “I do. Get it straight or lose your tongue.”

  V snarled, whipping the chair from underneath her as she flashed to Kris. Even as V’s icy blues stared deep into hers, Kris didn’t move. Not that she was afraid of the female. She glared into V’s eyes, daring her to start something.

  “Back off, V.” Ryant’s voice boomed from behind Kris.

  She smiled as V dropped her gaze, spun and slithered back to her seat.

  Kris turned to Darin. “Are you all right? Safe?”

  “Yes, playing a game of Oklahoma Rummy.”

  “Good.” She focused on V again and waited until the female looked back. “You and me. We need to talk.”

  V glanced at Ryant then back at Kris and said, “Whatever we need to discuss can be shared here. I’m not leaving Darin.”

  Fine. Whatever. As long as she received the answers she needed, Kris didn’t care where they talked or who heard. She strolled to the empty metal chair in the corner, scooted it across the floor and sat by Darin. Ryant stayed by the door. He leaned into the doorframe and kept a watchful gaze on them.

  She plopped the book on the table, and V glanced at it. “What’s that?” She pointed at the book.

  “You don’t recognize it?”

  “No.” She frowned. “Well, I don’t know.” V’s fingers drummed on the table.

  “Your human name was Vanessa Adams, am I right?”

  V lifted her gaze from the book to Kris. “Ryant told you?”

  “No. I’ve been investigating and it’s just now making perfect sense. Is this why you had a look to kill on your face when I left the club?”

  “I don’t like wolves, and besides I didn’t want Darin to leave.” She smiled at him.

  Darin smiled back and winked at her. Kris quirked an eyebrow. What could she say? V did like him and he certainly seemed to like her well enough.

  “V
, there might be a spell in the book that will place the Soulscapes back where they belong. I need you to help me decipher it. Will you?”

  “Let me look.”

  Kris turned the book to V for a better view. The vampire slid the book closer. “Powers of the ancients make it right. Banish the darkness with the light. So let it be and end this night with zeulanium. That’s it.”

  That was it? She’d thought there’d be more. Kris eyed Ryant. “What the hell is zeulanium?”

  He pulled away from the doorframe. “You’ve been gone too long. I believe I have the recipe in my office. Come on, follow me.”

  After thanking V and leaving Darin completely agreeable to staying with the other vamps, Kris followed Ryant to his office. Upon entering, she bumped into his back when she stopped without warning. She tiptoed to get a better view over his shoulder and wished she hadn’t. Wished she’d just turned and run.

  The Throne leaders, vampire and fae, and their companions, turned and stared at them. The only member absent was her uncle. Her heart plummeted to her stomach. What were they doing here? Were they here for her? Kris wasn’t about to accept the job. Not now. Not ever. She didn’t spot Queen Cekah. Good.

  Deep lines of disapproval cut furrows on the Throne leaders’ brows. Oh shit. What were they thinking?

  Ryant slowly walked into the room. Kris stayed by the door.

  The other three vamps behind her slid around to stand by Ryant. The vampire leader, Thore, who she remembered as a child, paced away from the small group toward Ryant. Under the lights, the head Throne’s ebony hair had a blue tint.

  “Why have you let this matter go on as long as it has?” His dark as midnight eyes searched Ryant’s face. Thore’s plum colored lips thinned to a line, and he looked cold and very hungry. Angry.

  “I am sorry,” Ryant responded, his head hung low.

  “You shouldn’t have let the matter get this far. You disappointed your parents when you started this coven, turning humans into vampires for the sole purpose of creating an army. This never should have happened.” Thore’s hand slashed the air.

  Kris cringed when he’d brought Ryant’s parents into the conversation. They had hated the fact she and Ryant were a couple. “Why are you surprised he did?” She couldn’t hold back the remark on the tip of her tongue.