Jewel of the Bayou

by Lynn Collins

  They had a way out. But still, he felt like he’d been led right into a trap.

  After the dessert had been served, Mandy sat back in her chair, her cup of coffee close by. “I have to say, this is one day I’ll always remember. Meeting the two of you and taking off on this adventure has been exciting. And I can’t even tell anyone what happened, because no one would ever believe me. Not even that we’re eating in this fancy place.”

  “You deserve nice things.” Pru patted the woman’s hand. “I bet raising a child on your own wasn’t the easiest of lives.”

  Mandy squeezed Pru’s hand, then reached over to smooth Opal’s hair. “I’d give up anything to get the honor of raising this one. She’s been an absolute joy.”

  Derek rubbed at the corner of his eye, then texted the driver. “Well, finish up your desserts. Our driver probably wants to get home to his family.”

  “You’re such a soft touch,” Pru whispered to him.

  “Opal, come with me. We’ll be right back so don’t let them take my key lime pie. I’m going to lick the plate on that one.” Mandy pushed herself away from the table and held out a hand for the girl.

  “Honestly, this is not what I expected when we were sent down here.” Pru finished off her coffee. “They could have sent Matilda and Robert for this pick up. My mad fighting skills are being wasted.”

  “Don’t count the assignment over yet. I’ll feel a lot better when we have these two at the compound. I mean, I didn’t expect to get advice from she royalty this trip. I can’t remember the last time the elves got involved in a Council issue. There’s more going on here than we know yet. And we never did find out why your boyfriend from the bar was following us.” Derek pushed his half-eaten brownie away. “I’d feel better if we left tonight instead of tomorrow.”

  “I’ll reach out to the pilot if you’re serious. I hate to rip Opal out of what’s probably her first hotel stay ever. She was talking about swimming in the pool on the roof when we got back. Apparently the first thing she packed was a suit.”

  The idea made Derek shudder. There were way too many dangers that he could see coming with that plan. But Pru was right. They needed to let her breathe a little. She was probably a pawn in this whole war and once she was in the family’s care, she probably wouldn’t get out much. “Wait, hold off on the call. I guess we can do one night in New Orleans. Just don’t take her down to Bourbon Street, please? And if you go to the pool, watch her like a hawk. She doesn’t go anywhere alone.”

  “I’m not an idiot, Derek.” Pru said, a note of resignation in her tone. But she nodded, but then squeezed her eyes shut and her hands rose to her temples. “Something’s wrong!”

  Derek stood, throwing the napkin on the table. He focused on Pru. “Where are they?”

  She waved at him. “Hush a second, let me listen.”

  Derek seethed as he waited. He threw three hundred-dollar bills on the table hoping that would cover their meal. He kept his voice low as he glanced around the room, noticing they were being watched by most of the tables. “Come on, Pru, where are they?”

  “Opal’s in the women’s bathroom, but Mandy…they took Mandy. She threw a cloaking spell over Opal so they thought she was alone.” She stood and started walking to the door. “I’ll get her and put her in the cab. If you’re not there with Mandy in five, I’m sending her back to the hotel and coming after you.”

  He shook his head as they walked through the narrow corridor. “If I’m not there when you’re ready, go with her. She can’t be alone, and I don’t trust anyone else.”

  When Pru started to argue, he held her gaze. “Fine, but you better be back before dawn. With Mandy.”

  “They can’t have gone far. I just put a warning spell on all the doors. I’ll know which one they take before you even get her to the cab. Give me ten minutes before you leave. I may have to clean up some bad guys.”

  Pru watched as he sprinted down the stairs that led to the kitchen. Their waiter had told them if they wanted to see the kitchen, they could go on their way out. Opal had been in heaven. The girl had a wide knowledge of food and chefs, at least in the Louisiana area. Especially for her age. Pru opened the bathroom door and spotted her standing by the window. Opal ran to her as soon as the door opened.

  “They took Grams. They didn’t even see me. I guess she covered me before we even left the table. Why would they take her? She’s not a powerful witch like you are. I would have screamed then, but Silva told me to be quiet.”

  “Wait, was Silvia here?” Pru glanced down at the girl as she scanned the hallway. They’d go out the way they came in. The opposite way Derek was heading.

  “No, today. She said something was going to happen tonight. That she could feel it. She said I should just listen to Grams and not say anything until you came to save me.” They passed by the table where they’d eaten dinner. “I guess we’re leaving?”

  “Yep. We’ll wait for Derek and Mandy at the car.” Pru was thinking about the message from the elven girl. Had Silvia known what was going to happen because of her skills? Or had this been the elven plan all along? She needed to let Derek in on the information.

  Outside, their cab sat by the curb. The neighborhood was quiet, but Pru felt the energy from the ancient graveyard across the street. Warning bells, ghostly whispers all focused on her. “Get in the car. I’m going to wait for Derek out here.”

  The girl climbed into the car and the driver smiled at her. He leaned out the window to Pru. “We’re missing a couple.”

  “We’ll wait for a few minutes.” She reached out her senses and judged the man. It wouldn’t do to put Opal in a car and have him take off with her. But all she got was human. Solid, family man, with a love of meeting people. He was clean as far as she could tell. She stepped over to the curb and pulled out her phone to pretend to call Parris. Instead of using the cell, she reached out to Parris’s mind. She pushed the message mentally and verbally. To a casual human observer, she’d look like she was in a cell conversation. “I need to talk to you.”

  “What’s wrong?” Parris sounded worried, distracted. “I’ve felt an issue all night, but I didn’t want to disturb you.”

  “Just tell Derek that the fae knew about the ambush. At least the child Silva did. I don’t know if she’s just precognitive. Or this might be coming from the she.” She glanced around the building. The valets were watching her, but with the look of teens who needed a good lay rather than enemies that she needed to slay. Still, she felt the urgency. And she knew Derek was going up against forces he might not be able to conquer.

  “Pru, don’t worry. You are doing what you need to do. And so is Derek. We need Mandy almost as much as we need the girl. I know it.” Parris’s voice sounded comforting in her head.

  “I know,” she said into the phone. “I just don’t like it.”

  Parris didn’t respond and after a few seconds of quiet, Pru put the phone back into her purse. She glanced down at the dress she’d had so long, waiting for the right time and sighed. All dressed up with nowhere to go. At least she wasn’t frozen in stone. Every time her heart pained about the reclusive Derek Chandler that would be her response. There was a price to being human. Stone hearts never broke.

  6

  Derek dodged another punch and wondered why these guys weren’t using magic. They’d been nothing but brute force since he’d found them dragging the substantial, unconscious body of Mandy through the kitchen door. He’d stunned them then gotten her out of the way, sitting her up against the building’s back wall before the first one had come out from under his stun spell. Then the guy had tried to open Derek’s face with his fists. He’d read them, but right now, he was a little busy throwing his own punches.

  Parris’s voice echoed into his mind. “Um, Derek?”

  “I’m a little busy here,” he grumbled as he just dodged another swipe from the second man. They were confident in their approach to taking him down, but now that the fight had gone longer than they’d expec
ted, they were getting tired and frustrated.

  “I know but I have a message from Pru.”

  He sighed as he swung his leg up into a perfect roundhouse kick and hit the first man squarely in the head. He’d be out for a while. Now the odds were even. As long as someone bad didn’t tag team into the fight. “What? She’s taking the kid shopping while we’re here and I shouldn’t wait up?”

  “No.” But Derek heard the chuckle in Parris’s thoughts. “She said that the fae had known about the trouble coming. The child warned Opal to follow Mandy’s instructions and to trust the two of you.”

  Derek wanted to think about that development, but he had one more problem. He put everything he had into the punch and the second man went down on top of his friend. A cook who had been outside for a smoke slow clapped. “Parris, hold on to the connection for a minute? We have an observer.”

  Derek pulled out a handkerchief and wiped his face and hands. Blood and sweat stained the white cloth almost immediately and when he was done, he threw it into the dumpster by where Mandy sat, still unconscious. He stopped in front of the skinny man. He was black skinned and he leaned against the wall with a confident air. “What sect are you from? The she? Coven X? The Council? Or the local non-denominational sect?”

  “I could just be a human. Watching two other humans get their butt kicked by a warlock. You didn’t use your magic except for the first strike. Interesting battle tactics. Is there a reason?” He took out a cigarette and offered one to Derek.

  He refused the offer with a shake of his head. “I find that magic sometimes just complicates the situation. If you can do it the old-fashioned way, it’s easier.”

  The man shook his head. “I’m called Phantom. It’s a little over the top but better than the name I was born with. I swear sometimes parents just want to mess their kids up for life with a pain in the butt name.” He took a drag off his cigarette before he responded. “I ‘m from the local group. After your contact with Beau, we’ve been watching you. I have to say, we were totally surprised by what you learned about Opal. I mean, we knew she had power for a kid, but being an original? And she was in our backyard all this time. We really missed the boat on that. But Mandy’s an excellent mother bear and she refused to even let us talk to the girl.”

  “And now you want her for your own? Is that why you sent the goons?” Derek glanced at the still unconscious men. He needed to get Mandy and get out of here before his ten-minute window with Pru ended.

  “I’ll let her know to wait.” Parris’s voice sounded in his head.

  He let his shoulders drop. He wasn’t alone. This was just like having a video camera on him all the time. Well, hopefully, she could be felt when she was attached. Otherwise, he was in big trouble. With her and Ty. He focused back on Phantom who shook his head, like he finally understood.

  “Your coven is strong. Maybe it’s because of the originals, or maybe it’s the family and friends plan. Although I get the feeling, you’re the weak link there.”

  When Derek didn’t answer, he continued. “We want to help. We will support you as long as you take care of our sisters. And believe me, when a redneck calls you family, the bond is hard to break.”

  “You didn’t send the goons.” Well, at least that was one group off his list. “Do you know who did?”

  “Not a clue. But I’ve seen Coven X use humans for their dirty work for years. Maybe it was them. Rumor has it that they tried to kill your Parris when she was a child.” He studied Derek. “And that maybe the Council didn’t want to stop them.”

  “Life’s complicated.”

  Phantom laughed as he put out his cigarette. He threw a bottle to Derek. “Smelling salts. It should wake her up. I’m going inside and reporting a fight, so you might want to get out of the alley sooner than later. The cops tend to come running here. We serve a lot of rich people. They don’t like to show the rough side of the city to the people who pay to keep the lights on.”

  Derek took the bottle and opened the seal under Mandy’s nose. Her eyes flew open and her hand gripped his arm.

  She croaked out one word, “Opal?”

  “She’s safe and with Pru. We need to get you out of here. I understand you all have a pool party to get to.”

  “It’s always something with that girl. She wants the moon and stars.” Mandy chuckled as he helped her up. “I guess finishing my pie is out of the question.”

  “I’ll buy you a whole one at the hotel.” He put his hand on her back and quickened their pace.

  Phantom was still at the door and watched them as they moved toward the street. “Moon and stars, huh? She just might get them. Safe travels, outsiders.”

  Mandy looked back as the man went inside. “A friend of yours?”

  “Not really.” They didn’t talk again until they reached the cab. He helped her into the back seat with Opal, then nodded to Pru who climbed into the cab after him. “Hotel Monteleone, please.”

  “Yes, sir.” The driver met his gaze but if he noticed Derek’s bruised face, he didn’t say anything more. Money bought availability as well as a lot of silence.

  The valet stopped them as they climbed out of the cab. “I’m so sorry, sir. The hotel will cover the cost of your taxi due to the inconvenience. Your car has been found and the keys are right here in the valet box. Unless you want to take them with you.”

  “No, the box is fine. Where did you find it?” They would take a private car to the airport in the morning. There was no knowing what had happened to the rental and who’d done it.

  This time the kid blushed and Derek knew that the party line was going to be a lie. “My boss had moved it a block down due to the parking laws. He walked up right after you left.”

  “You’re not going to like the bill, but don’t jerk this guy around, okay?”

  The kid nodded, his eyes widening even more at the thought of what the bill might be. Derek decided since the hotel didn’t want to tell him the truth, he’d let them pay for the cab and the extra he’d promised. He leaned into the cab’s window and gave the man a business card and a hundred-dollar bill. He took the cabbie’s business card in exchange.” The concierge is going to pay you. If there’s a problem with the amount we set, have them call me.”

  When they got back to their floor, Derek stopped them in their hallway. “Okay, we need to get something straight.”

  “I know, I can’t go to the pool. It’s okay, we can watch television instead.” Opal leaned on the wall, waiting for Mandy to open the door.

  “If you want to do that, it’s fine, but that’s not what I was going to say. I was going to say we can only have pepperoni pizza at this pool party. And it must be deep dish. I’m not budging on that.” He watched as the girl’s eyes widened.

  “You mean, even after what happened to Grams, we can still go?” She looked from Derek to her grandmother, wanting someone to approve of the plan.

  “If you get ready now. No lollygagging. And we’re not staying up there all night. Go get changed.” Mandy opened the door, then closed it after Opal had entered the room. “She’s going to remember this forever. But are you sure it’s safe?”

  “The hotel has wards set up for traveling Council members. It’s where they stay when they are in New Orleans. If there’s a problem, we’ll know it’s coming from the Council because they’re the only ones who can get inside.” Derek looked at Pru. “Aren’t you swimming?”

  “I’d be a bad bodyguard if I wasn’t.” She opened the door to their room. “Five minutes.”

  Mandy watched the door as it shut. “The girl likes you.”

  “Opal is a good kid.” He paused at the door, wondering if he should wait for Pru to come out. He wanted to end the conversation especially since he knew Mandy wasn’t talking about Opal, but now, he had nowhere to go since Pru was in the room. She might be changing in the bathroom but should he risk it? He decided he’d wait for her to come out to go into the room change into a suit, since mostly he was going to be on the side,
watching.

  “Thank you, but I wasn’t talking about her.” Mandy hummed as she entered her room. “Do you think my suit will still fit? I don’t think I’ve been swimming for years.”

  He stood frozen in the hallway as he considered Mandy’s words. Pru couldn’t have a thing for him, could she? He would have known. Either way, he needed to stop it. He didn’t have time for a love life, especially with someone who he worked with. He had to trust that they’d protect each other. Feelings just got in the way. Maybe Parris would talk to her. He went into his room to get ready for the impromptu pool party. One that he probably shouldn’t let happen. Not after tonight.

  As he waited, he called room service and set up a late-night delivery of pizza, sodas, chips, candy and hot wings. He also ordered drinks for the group including a six pack of beer, even though he didn’t know if any of the adults would feel comfortable enough to actually partake.

  When he finally got upstairs, the pool area was deserted and beautiful. The night sky sparkled with stars and Derek took his first long breath since dinner. He reached out to feel the hotel’s wards, and as expected they were strong and comforting. But it had been humans trying to kidnap Mandy earlier. This was a bad idea. He didn’t even have to reach out to Ty to know what his partner would think of it.

  “Ty doesn’t have to know everything.” Parris answered his unspoken question in his head. “If nothing happens, you just get on the plane tomorrow and come home. If something happens, I’ll know and I’ll send help.”

  “Seriously, you need to announce yourself. You’re going to give me a complex,” Derek groused.