Blood Moon (A Louisiana Demontale): Book 1 of the Crescent Crown Saga

by Schuyler Windham

  “I should have known it was the Casquette Sisters.” Arachne said, holding her stance. “It’s been a while.”

  “Please, set my sister free,” Josephine pleaded with her hands together, tears springing to her eyes. “Give her grace. Give her mercy.”

  “You didn’t give that student any grace.” Arachne dug her boot in a little deeper. Magdaleine whimpered. “You didn’t give Leo any mercy.”

  “Arachne,” Leo sputtered. He could barely speak. He desperately stared up at her. “I’m okay.”

  “Hardly!” Her nostrils flared, eyes scarlet with rage. She met his gaze and breathed hard for a few moments. Then she lifted her boot.

  “Go. Leave.”

  The Casquette sisters disappeared in a rush of wind. Arachne ran over to Leo and fell to her knees.

  “Oh, Leo . . .”

  “It stings,” he trembled as she examined his wounds. His wrists had slowed their bleeding, but his neck was still gushing.

  “At least she missed your artery,” Arachne sighed.

  “What about that guy?”

  Arachne glanced back at the student. “He’s alive, just unconscious. He lost a bit of blood, but it looks like you interrupted them before they got far. Still, we need to patch his wound.”

  “Help him first.”

  “For fuck’s sake.” Arachne shook her head. She hurried to the student, carefully bit her own wrist, and held it to the student’s mouth. He sputtered awake, gasping against the blood dripping into his mouth. Before the student could yell, Arachne looked in his eyes and murmured in his ear. He immediately calmed and stood up. The student nodded, mesmerized by her words. Then he went back to the desk. The fang marks in his neck had turned into two small pink scars.

  “He’ll clean all this up and won’t remember a thing in the morning. Now it’s your turn.” Arachne sauntered over and knelt in front of him. “Thankfully, you didn’t lose much blood.”

  “Am I going to . . .” Leo swallowed hard. “Turn into a vampire?”

  Arachne cocked her head to the side, confused, and then laughed. Her laugh was like wind chimes on a summer porch, melodic and free.

  “Oh, heavens no! If you’re drained of blood you just die.”

  “That’s nice,” Leo muttered. He smelled sweet honey in her hair as she leaned in to inspect his wounds again. He fought the urge to run his fingers through her hair and hold her close.

  “Drink my blood. It will help you heal.” She raised her wrist to his lips. He tentatively tasted it, metallic and salty. “If you die with vampire blood in your system, then you become a vampire.”

  “What?” He tried to spit out the blood he just drank.

  “If vampires had venom that turned all their victims into vampires, there wouldn’t be any humans left on the planet,” she mused. “So silly!”

  “Sure . . .” Leo was entranced by the skin suddenly healing on his wrists. He felt his neck. It had stopped bleeding.

  “You okay?” Her eyebrows were furled together. He fixated on her full, pink lips. “. . . Leo?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Good,” she helped him up.

  “You getting sick of saving my ass?”

  “Hardly,” she smirked. “But I am getting tired of helping you up off the ground. You are rather clumsy.”

  “I was never really into sports. How did you find me?”

  Arachne glared at his blood on the floor. “First, I caught a whiff of the culprits, the Casquette sisters. They were thirsty after being locked up in the Ursuline Convent for so long. They were careless, and hurt a lot of people tonight.”

  She shook her head and her glare focused on Leo. “I trailed them and realized their scent was mixing with yours. Even though I told you not to go out!”

  Arachne turned away slightly, crossing her arms over her chest protectively. “Did you ever think about if your sister lost you? You were reckless.”

  Leo bit his lip and stared down at her with wide eyes. “I had to . . .” Then Leo’s stomach churned as he remembered his sister. “Where’s Monette?” He jerked toward the side door.

  “She’s hiding in your car.”

  Leo breathed a sigh of relief. The thick fog was starting to lift and recede back toward the river as they hurried back to the street. Monette had locked the doors and was hiding under a spare jacket in the back seat. He unlocked the door with his key and opened it.

  “It’s all right, Mona. You can come out now.”

  Monette peeked through the jacket, and then leaped from the car and into Leo’s arms.

  “Oh my God, I thought . . .” She burst into tears. “My phone died, and I couldn’t call 911! I didn’t know what to do!”

  “You’re fine,” he murmured, embracing her. “You’re safe now.”

  Arachne approached Monette and looked into her watery eyes.

  “Don’t worry. I called the authorities. You two can both go home now.” Arachne smiled gently.

  “Don’t we need to stay because we’re witnesses?” Monette asked. “Are those crazy ladies still out here?”

  “I sorted it out,” Arachne said firmly. “They only need one of us to explain what happened. You might as well go home and rest.”

  Monette was trembling too much to argue. Leo gave her a reassuring nod, then he escorted her to the passenger side of the car. After he closed the door, Arachne motioned to him.

  “Like you, I can’t influence her mind,” she muttered quickly. “You need to lie to her. If she doesn’t buy it, she’s going to get caught up in all of this. I doubt you want that.”

  Leo nodded slowly, his heart sinking. The last thing he wanted was for Monette to get hurt. Even if he told her the truth, would she believe him? And he remembered Arachne was trying to keep the supernatural concealed from the human world. One more person knowing wouldn’t help her do that.

  “Arachne . . . ?”

  She turned to him, sweeping her rose gold curls from her face. A knot formed between her brows.

  “I’m sorry for worrying you.”

  Her shoulders slumped and a small smile touched her lips. Then, in the blink of an eye, Arachne had covered the few feet of distance between them and her arms wrapped around his neck.

  She rested her head on his shoulder and murmured in his ear, “I’m just relieved you’re okay.”

  Leo tentatively wrapped his arms around her to return the hug and grinned sheepishly as she stepped away to stare up at him. Her face immediately flushed, and she turned on her heel to rush back toward the university library, shouting over her shoulder at him, “Don’t do it again!”

  “Goodnight, Arachne.” Leo smiled tenderly and turned back to his car.

  Chapter 7

  Monette was dead asleep on Leo’s sofa, curled up in a blanket. Leo laid awake in bed, staring up into the dark until tendrils of morning light glowed through his window. His mind was racing, and his heart thumped wildly. He tried to focus on his breath and clear his mind, but his thoughts kept bouncing around like grease in a pan.

  He heard Monette stir down in the living room and swung out of bed to check on her.

  “Good morning,” she yawned. “What time is it?”

  Leo went straight to the coffee pot and got it started. “Nearly eleven.”

  “So late?” Monette wrapped the blanket around her and came to sit at the table. Leo poured them both cups of coffee. Her hair was frizzy and tangled, like the twigs of an eagle’s nest.

  “Last night . . .” Monette frowned. “That lady was biting that guy.”

  Leo sipped his coffee and tried not to meet her eyes. “Yes, they’re sick in the head. They think they’re . . . vampires.”

  Monette’s eyes widened and she gasped. “That’s disgusting! I . . . hope they get help. It’s really scary they’re still out there.”

  Leo nodded solemnly. “The police are on it, and that student is going to be okay.” The lie rang false on his lips, but he forced the words into the air between them.

 
Monette held her hands to her heart. “I’m relieved to hear. I was so scared for him!”

  “You don’t need to worry about it anymore.” Leo smiled reassuringly. “I’m going to keep you safe.”

  Monette returned his smile and sipped the coffee.

  “I know your heart is broken from the fiasco with Nathan,” Monette murmured. “But you’ve been distant lately. I’m worried about you.”

  Leo looked up from his coffee to meet her stormy eyes. He felt a pang of guilt. What could he say?

  “You know you can tell me anything,” Monette pressed. “You’re not alone—we’re in it together.”

  “It’s not a big deal.” Leo shrugged, feigning a smile.

  “Leo, please,” Monette sighed. “You look miserable.”

  “I didn’t sleep last night.”

  Monette shook her head. “There’s something else.”

  Leo grasped for something. His lips parted, but no words were coming out.

  “Who was that girl last night?” Monette raised an eyebrow. A blush warmed Leo’s face. He couldn’t help it. “She hugged you.”

  “Arachne,” he muttered.

  “Ah-ha!” A sly grin spread across her lips. “You like her!”

  Leo ran his hands down his face and sighed.

  “You’re lovesick!”

  “Sure.”

  “No wonder you’ve been acting so strange!” Monette brought her fist down into her palm like she’d solved a murder mystery. “Does she know? Are you dating?”

  She knows, he thought. Arachne can hear my heart. Leo rolled his eyes and wondered why he ever humored her. “Kind of . . . not . . .”

  “It’s a yes or no question, Leo.”

  “It’s not that simple!” Leo snapped. “I flirted with her and she told me she wasn’t interested. But I still am, and I can’t shake the feeling. She knows, she just . . . I don’t think she feels the same way.”

  “Oooh, you’ve got it bad!” Monette grinned, reveling in his alleged lovesickness. “You know what you have to do?”

  Leo slumped in his chair and took a long swig of coffee behind a sour frown. He just wanted this conversation to be over as soon as possible.

  “You have to ask her on a date!”

  “No . . .” Leo gritted his teeth together. “That’s not a good idea.”

  “Big. Romantic. Gesture.”

  “Mona, no . . .”

  “What do you have to lose?”

  Leo couldn’t explain that Arachne was an ancient and dangerous vampire who was busting her ass trying to keep him safe from other bloodthirsty vampires.

  “I’m not sure we’re good together,” Leo admitted. “She’s arrogant, and kind of a hot-head.”

  “What do you like about her?” Monette leaned in over the table, her eyes alight with curiosity.

  “I don’t know,” Leo said, exasperated. “Her smile, her lips? Damn it, her hair smells like honey. She’s smart, ambitious, and deep down she cares about people even though she doesn’t want to admit it too much.”

  “Oh yeah.” Monette leaned back in her chair smugly, arms crossed over her chest. “You’ve got it so bad.”

  “I already flirted. Don’t women not like to be . . .”

  “Harassed? Yes,” Monette laughed. “But you didn’t really try, did you? You should ask her straight up. If she says no, then respect her space.”

  “I’m not asking her out on a date,” he insisted.

  Monette threw her hands up playfully. “Okay—do or don’t do whatever you want! I just hate to see you mopey like this. It’s not a good look on you.” She stood up, leaving the blanket hanging on the back of the chair. Leo followed suit. “It’s late,” Monette said. “I need to head out and grab the next trolley.”

  “Mom and Dad are probably worried; you never came home.”

  “I hope you do something good for yourself.” she came over and softly kissed his cheek. “You deserve it.”

  “I’ll think about it,” he chuckled. “Take care, Mona.”

  Leo paced his living room. He was relieved Monette took his lies as truth and left his place in a decent mood. However, she had planted seeds about doing what he’d always wanted to do, but he hadn’t yet mustered up the courage.

  He needed to touch base with Arachne about what happened the previous night anyway, so it wouldn’t be especially weird for him to go over to her apartment. He paced for a few more minutes, mulling over the words he wanted to say. Finally, he nodded and pushed his way out the front door.

  Arachne answered promptly and welcomed him in. Eshe was sitting cross-legged on the floor, writing in a leather-bound journal.

  “I cleaned everything up last night. The security footage is always the worst of it,” she said. “It’s almost as if it never happened. How’s your sister?”

  “She believed what I told her,” Leo replied. He felt something rub against his leg and looked down to see a black cat.

  “Perfect.” Arachne flashed a fanged grin. “No worries, then!”

  Leo sat on the sofa and shrugged his shoulders. The cat hopped up next to him, staring expectantly. Leo tentatively hovered his hand over the cat’s head. It rammed into his hand and urgently rubbed its cheeks against his fingers. Leo then scratched the cat behind the ears and down to its tail as it arched its back, purring intensely.

  Eshe looked up from her journal to observe. “Ozul likes you.”

  “He didn’t like me the day I saw him on your balcony.”

  “He’s protective of us because he’s my familiar.” Eshe turned back to her journal. Leo opened his mouth to ask her what that meant when Arachne sat down next to him on the sofa.

  “How are you?”

  “I keep wondering why they were after me. They knew my name.”

  Arachne listened intently, her eyebrows furling together with concern.

  “What if Nathan had something to do with this?”

  “It’s possible,” Arachne reflected. “The Casquette Sisters were locked up in the Ursuline Convent within an ancient relic for a long time. Nathan could have let them out and convinced them to kill you on his behalf.”

  “Well . . . we need to figure out what to do about him,” Leo sighed. “Probably before we get this damn crown. But more importantly, I wanted to ask you something . . .”

  Arachne began to nod when there was a knock at the door. She glided over and opened it to find Josephine. A hiss escaped Arachne’s lips.

  “Wait!” Josephine put her hands together like a prayer. “I am here on diplomatic terms.”

  Arachne put her hands on her hips and tapped her foot impatiently.

  “You showed my sister mercy. I thought it only just to tell you why we attacked your pet.”

  “Pet?” Leo rose from the sofa, clenching his fists. The cat peered over at Josephine and then back up at Leo.

  “Come in,” Arachne welcomed Josephine through the door. Eshe waved from where she was sitting on the floor. Leo tentatively sat back down and crossed his arms over his chest. Josephine took the plush chair across from them. “Wine?” Arachne offered.

  “Please,” Josephine folded her hands in her lap. “A touch of blood wine is always appreciated.”

  Arachne poured glasses for herself and Josephine, water for Leo, and a warm mug of what looked to Leo like blood-cocoa for Eshe, who still sat cross-legged on the floor and warmed her hands on the mug over the coffee table. The cat curled up next to Leo’s lap, wrapping its tail to its nose. When everyone was settled, Josephine took a modest sip from the blood wine glass and cleared her throat.

  “As you are most likely well aware, my sisters and I were trapped in a relic in the Ursuline Convent for a couple centuries. This was by the hand of a militant witch who hated us.” Josephine shuddered. “We were tortured by that object. The previous evening, we were freed from the relic.”

  “By Nathan?” Leo asked.

  “I wouldn’t know.” Josephine seemed taken aback. “I don’t know who released us; howev
er, I detected a particularly malevolent presence. All we knew was relief from that torture device.”

  Arachne sipped her wine and then leaned forward, listening intensely.

  “We owed our rescuer our lives, of course. So we listened when it told us what it wanted in return.” Josephine took a lace fan from the pocket of her dress and began fanning herself. “It told us we must destroy Arachne’s human pet, Leonidas Gaumond.”

  Leo and Arachne shared a troubled glance. Sure, Arachne was strong and capable, but whatever or whoever released the Casquette sisters wanted Leo dead. Even still, Leo’s heart fluttered with worry for Arachne, and then his fists clenched again. He wouldn’t let anything happen to her if he could help it.

  “I apologize for delivering this dire news. I confess I am afraid for our lives now that this creature will come for revenge. However, I felt compelled to warn you of this evil entity and its dreadful intentions.”

  “Thank you, Josephine.” Arachne set her wine glass on the table.

  Josephine snapped her fan into place and promptly finished her wine.

  “You are a gracious host, my Mistress.” Josephine curtsied to Arachne. “I regret what we did, and hope to make it up to you.”

  “I shall call on you.” Arachne nodded curtly and escorted Josephine out the door. When Arachne returned to the sofa, she let out a long breath.

  “If it wasn’t Nathan,” Leo struggled. “Who was it?”

  “It must be political,” Arachne decided. “The only other person who knew of our plan to gain power was . . .” Arachne’s face phased from confusion to anger.

  “. . . Saint-Germain,” Leo finished her sentence.

  Her eyes were like fire, and she stood quickly.

  “We’re going now.”

  Chapter 8

  The air was humid and cool, and the streets were bustling with people as Arachne and Leo stormed toward Saint-Germain’s shop. The worn wooden door to his warm, dusty store opened with ease, and the bell rang.

  “Saint-Germain!” Arachne shouted.

  The sprightly man danced out from the back room. He was wearing a scarlet red robe with a stark white kerchief in the front pocket accented with black suede shoes.