Epilogue
The Dark Revelation
I pushed black snakes off me, and they hissed.
Delphine yelled, “I told you not to drink her milk!”
I took in my surroundings.
We were in our bedroom, and Emily still slept on the bed, but they had me on the floor.
Boris, Wassily, and the rest of my men were no longer in the room.
Instead, Tisha stood with some of his men and several of Delphine’s men.
Pushing away other snakes, I rose to a sitting position and looked at my cousin. “W-what happened?”
“No.” Delphine waved him away. “ You get to talking.”
Baba stepped closer to the circle, but didn’t enter it. “Did you find the original, Kazimir?”
“Yes.”
Gasping, Delphine edged back. “Y-you found her?”
“Well, I found her apartment.” I shoved away more hissing snakes and sat up. That was when I realized I wore no clothes. I slowly stood. “What happened to make all of you come in here?”
Baba tilted her head to the side. “And when you found the original’s apartment, did you go inside?”
Guilt filled me as I stepped over snakes and left the circle. “No. Pavel convinced me that it was my mouse’s journey.”
Tisha widened his eyes. “Pavel?”
Yes, Tisha. Things are about to get way more odd the longer we stay in New Orleans.
To my shock, Baba held a large white robe in her hand. “So, you did not open the door or go inside of the original’s apartment?”
“I did not.” I went to her, took the robe, and put it on.
Baba curved her lips into a wicked smile. “Well done, Kazimir.”
I raised my eyebrows. “Well done?”
Then, Baba stepped around me and headed over to Delphine. “You are not the only one that can play chess, little one.”
“Little one.” Delphine mocked. “I know what you are, and you don’t scare me.”
“And I know what you want to do.” Baba pointed at her. “No matter how compassionate your purpose is, you cannot move the Lion and Mouse around like pieces on a chess board.”
Delphine’s men stepped forward.
She held her hand in the air.
They moved back into position.
Baba continued not even caring that the men had intended to harm her. “As you already saw with Maxwell, you move the lion to one space and the whole board will crack.”
Delphine’s small frame shook with anger.
“I did not see that happening to Maxwell.” Baba shook her head. “Did you see it?”
“Of course I did not—”
“The Lion and Mouse are not pieces. They are monsters. Erratic. Unpredictable. If you want them to help you create a better world, then there is only one thing you must do.”
Delphine crossed her arms over her chest. “Tell them what I want.”
“No. Close, but not exactly.” Baba lowered, placed her hand into the circle, and plucked a snake from the floor. Its scales shimmered in the room’s dim light as it coiled around her arm.
Delphine’s men tried to step forward again.
She sneered and held her hand up. “Step back. There’s nothing you can do with this one anyway.”
“That is right, boys.” Baba glared at them. “Stay over there.”
I raised my eyebrows.
Delphine rolled her eyes. “What advice do you have?”
“You never tell them both. You simply tell the Mouse everything. Share it all. And then she will convince the Lion.” Baba held up the snake, its ribbons of emerald and sapphire sparkling under the flickering chandelier light.
Delphine narrowed her eyes, yet I noticed that lip shiver again.
Whatever was going on. . .the fact that Baba was messing with that snake surely put Delphine on edge.
Baba studied the snake. “By the way. . .thank you for staying out of Paolo’s dreams. I appreciate that.”
With that, Baba dropped the snake back into the circle.
Fast, it slithered away to the other side of the circle as if terrified.
Delphine spoke, “When I was a little one, I read this Russian story about Baba Yaga. She lived in a hut that stood on chicken legs, deep in the forest.”
Baba turned to her. “She did.”
“She was an old woman with iron teeth. Sometimes, she was menacing. Other times, she offered guidance. Regardless, she was very mysterious, powerful, and deeply connected to the natural and supernatural world.”
Baba shrugged. “It is good you have read up on Slavic folklore.”
Delphine’s eyes darkened. “But have you read up on my gods?”
The space crackled between them.
“I have.” Baba nodded. “What do you want from me? Shall we debate on whose gods are more powerful?”
“Mine are ancient.”
“Mine too, and both are woven into the very fabric of the earth, air, and water. Both are steeped in the history of the world itself.” Baba sighed. “And both still bow down to something greater than themselves.”
“I asked you to stay out of my way.”
“What occurs here will also affect my bloodline too.”
Delphine blinked.
“Besides, I have done my best to stay out of the way—”
“You damn near led the Lion to the original—”
“I did not tell him to drink the milk—”
“But you knew he would drink it?”
Baba grinned. “The fact that you told him not to do it. . .well that was probably why he did it.”
I frowned.
“He was not meant to find the original.” Delphine gestured to Emily on the bed. “She is supposed to find it with the Eye of the Gator.”
“Yes. Yes.” Baba crossed her arms over her chest. “You knew the eye could help her go in her mind and see the things the other alters could not see.”
Intrigued, I moved closer to them.
“However,” Baba’s voice held an edge. “You had possession of that eye several months ago, but gave it to the Alligator Don telling him all about how this eye was from his family and would give him power.”
Delphine sucked her teeth.
“You gave him the Eye, so the Lion could get it from him, knowing that the Lion would kill him.”
I glared at Delphine. “Is that true?”
Delphine kept her view on Baba. “If you knew that, then why didn’t you tell them.”
Baba smiled at the both of us, then began to hum a low song as she headed away.
I called after her, “Baba, come back.”
“My grandson will be here soon, and that will be a lot. I must prepare.” Baba waved us away. “Besides my other little babies will be getting up in a few hours.”
Delphine scoffed but held her tongue.
What the fuck is really going on?
Delphine turned my way. “I have to give you something so you never go back in her mind again—”
“This Absinthe of the Ages.” I glared. “Did you have possession of that bottle too?”
“I did.”
“And then you gave it to this Quarter Master guy?”
“I did.”
“So, I can go kill him? Why?”
Delphine directed her view to Emily. “She’ll be waking up soon, and then I can tell the both of you.”
Fucking sneaky witch. I knew she was hiding something.
However, once she mentioned my mouse, all my focus returned to her.
I looked that way.
Emily’s features were peaceful in sleep, devoid of any worry about the craziness that had happened inside of her mind and around her.
Seeing her like this made me feel fiercely protective. “Will she be fine?”
“She will.”
“Does she know that I was in her mind?”
“We will see.”
I turned back to the witch.
Delphine’s expression softened. “You must understand. . .I did what I thought was best.”
“Maxwell is in a hospital fighting for his life. Is that what was best?”
Delphine stepped back like I slapped her. “I did not foresee every outcome, but I maintain that my choices were the right ones, all things considered.”
“Baba is right. If you have some mission, tell my mouse. She may help because in the end. . .” I gestured to her men behind her. “Because in the end, I do not care about humanity. I only care about my mouse and my cubs. Play around with me again and I will fucking kill all of you.”
Rage crossed their faces, but they were smart enough to remain there.
“And as you and all of your families burn in the flames that my bombs have set all over this fucking city. . .” I curved my mouth into a joyous smile. “I will sleep like a baby.”
I left her, walking around the circle and heading to our bed.
Fucking witch!
There, I stood, watching Emily’s peaceful slumber.
New Orleans, a city already rich in history and mystery, was about to become the stage for an unprecedented conflict, one that would draw killers from every corner of life.
Misha, David, Blue, Giorgio, and others were coming to this old city, each with their own agendas, their own battles to fight.
The air ran thick with the excitement of war.
What would this battle look like?
Would it be an inevitable clash of titans?
A fight among gods and monsters?
It does not matter. My mouse is giving me that wedding. That’s all I care about.
I didn’t give a fuck how many people we had to kill, I would finally have that lavish wedding.
Still, the irony was not lost on me.
Love and war.
Life and death, all dancing together in a murderous ballet choreographed by fate and deadly choices.
Lurking in the shadows, the sicarios would wait.
Patiently.
Hoping for the opportune moment to strike.
It better not be during my goddamn wedding.
Stress gathered around my shoulders.
But amidst this swirling vortex of potential doom, one truth stood resolute, unyielding, and crystal clear.
In the coming days, we would face trials that would test the very fabric of our beings. Allies and enemies would reveal themselves. But as long as Emily and I stood together, united in our love and purpose, there was nothing we could not face, no enemy we could not defeat.
Not a cartel.
Not any sicko man.
Not a woman.
Not a ghost.
Nor a witch.
Together, we will kill them all.
And this conviction was not born of arrogance or delusion but of our unshakeable bond. Our shared strength forged in the fire and sealed from death.
The wedding, then, would not just be a celebration of our love, but a declaration of our strength, a signal to all who dared threaten our peace that we were not just survivors, but conquerors.
All will see that when they step onto that roof and hear my lions roaring at them. Cages or not, they all will know. . .
When the dust settled, when the last enemy fell and the final score was tallied, we would emerge victorious, not just in battle, but in life.
Suddenly, Delphine loudly shrieked and held her fisted hands out to her side. “Praise Jesus!”
I looked her way, and in Delphine’s eyes. . .I swore I saw a quick glow before they darkened back to brown.
Then, a huge smile spread across her face. “Praise God.”
“What?”
“My nephew. . .” A tear fell from her eye. “That stubborn boy finally woke up.”
All tension eased from my body.
Thank God, Maxwell. We all need you.