11. Eleven
ELEVEN
Luc stopped me as I was getting ready to head to Bywater. I was still debating going home to get my vehicle when he appeared at my side. I sensed his presence before he closed in, but didn’t turn to face him, instead letting him set the pace.
“Are you sure?” he asked in a low voice.
Briefly, I closed my eyes. I didn’t like hearing the fear in his voice, but I didn’t blame him for being nervous.
We were a family of paranormals and were used to weird happenings.
Miles, however, had no witchy abilities I could discern.
He was half-vampire, but never used those abilities.
Well, that’s not entirely true. I was convinced he’d used his vampire charms to snag both of his wives.
He either didn’t care about hanging on to them or couldn’t work his mojo long enough to try.
I had no idea what would happen with Luc and Peyton.
Their mothers were both human, so their genes would be pretty diluted.
It would likely be years before anything manifested, so now it was just a waiting game.
My life was not static and calm. I was constantly in trouble because of the nature of what I did for a living.
I never talked to my niece and nephew about my job, however.
I didn’t know what they thought I did for a living.
The incident at my parents’ house was the first time Luc had ever seen anything of that magnitude, and he was still traumatized.
“I’m sure that this has nothing to do with what happened a few weeks ago,” I promised. “This thing that’s happening, this time it’s different.”
“Are you going to stop it?”
“I’m going to try.” I turned to face him, debating. “If someone calls your mom or dad — or Grandma and Grandpa — and demands they play jazz, you lock yourself away and call for help. Otherwise, you’re good.”
“Play jazz?” Luc’s little brow wrinkled again. “I don’t get it.”
“I know.” I ran my fingers through his hair to straighten it. “It’s going to be okay. I’m going to figure it out.”
Technically, I couldn’t make that promise. I had no idea what we were dealing with. But he needed to feel safe. “You have my number. If you get afraid, call me, okay?”
Luc nodded.
“I’ll come to you wherever you are,” I continued.
“Even at my mom’s house?” Luc looked hopeful.
“Yup.” I bobbed my head. “I will find you no matter what.”
Then he did the most unlikely thing a teenage boy would ever do and hugged me. “I’m glad you’re my aunt.”
I smiled. “I’m glad you’re my nephew.”
Miles emerged from Ruby Slipper with Peyton in tow. He saw the tail end of the hug, raised an eyebrow, but didn’t say anything to embarrass his son.
“We’re going to see Mom and Dad,” he volunteered. “Do you want to come with us?”
That sounded like a fate worse than death. “I’m meeting some people at a job. Thanks for the offer.”
“What sort of job?” Miles’s eyes narrowed suspiciously.
“Don’t worry about it.” I ruffled Luc’s hair one more time and earned a scowl. He was back to being a teenage boy. “Have a good time with Grandma and Grandpa, huh? Give them a good kick in the behind for me.”
Peyton giggled, and Luc managed a smile. Miles still looked as if he wanted to push me. Instead, he sighed.
“Try to stay out of trouble, Freya,” he said. “You’re my only sister. By law, I have to care about you.”
I mock clutched at my heart. “That could be the sweetest thing you’ve ever said to me, Miles.”
ULTIMATELY, I DECIDED TO WALK. I was part vampire, so I could walk faster than a human. It was as fast as driving in New Orleans. My only problem was not being seen. I was used to using my witchy powers in conjunction with my vampire ones, so I cast a glamour to hide myself as I went.
When I reached the address Charlie had provided I found police tape and three police vehicles outside. A feeling of dread filled my stomach almost immediately.
“Is it the same thing?” I asked as I stopped behind Charlie and Jack, who were drinking coffee outside the perimeter of the police tape.
Charlie almost dropped her paper cup, but I caught it for her and handed it back. Jack looked startled, but his coffee didn’t as much as slosh.
“Where did you come from?” Charlie gasped.
“My mother and father,” I replied dryly.
She made a face. “I mean —”
I knew what she meant. “I can fly under the radar when the situation requires.”
“It’s the middle of the day.” Charlie took a big, exaggerated look up and down the street. “I would have seen you.”
My shoulders hopped. “Not necessarily.” I looked at Jack. “Is it the same as yesterday?”
“It appears to be,” he replied, taking a sip of coffee and looking at me over the rim. “Detective Barry is inside. As soon as he gets clearance, he says we can join him.”
“He’s awfully amenable,” I noted. “I’ve never known cops to be so easygoing.”
“You don’t like police officers?” Charlie asked.
Now it was my turn to make a face. “Who does?”
“Me.” Charlie’s smile was the thing gumdrops were made of. Sweet, sugary, with just a little bit of stubbornness. “They get a bad rap. They’re here to protect and serve.”
“See, I’ve always had a theory about police officers.
” I leaned against the police car behind me, not caring that I would probably be admonished when one of the uniforms going door-to-door noticed.
“There are some who join with the express interest of taking care of other people. Those are the ones with a hero complex. Unfortunately, there are a lot who are control freaks, and that’s why they joined the force. They want to lord it over others.”
“Oh, I don’t believe that,” Charlie protested. “You’re just being cynical.”
I cast a look to Jack and found him struggling with a response. He agreed with me. He had seen it for himself. On the flip side, he didn’t want to crush his wife’s spirit.
“There are a lot of personality types on a police force,” he said.
I arched an eyebrow, and he sent me a helpless look.
“Detective Barry isn’t helping us out of the goodness of his heart,” Jack offered.
“This is all about the Legacy Foundation, not us. That said, I’m grateful we’re being given access.
Hopefully that means we’ll be able to deal with this, and soon.
” He sent a pitying look toward the house. “I don’t want this to continue.”
“No one does,” I agreed, stretching my arms over my head.
“Were you asleep when I texted?” Charlie asked, guilt flooding her face. “I didn’t mean to wake you. I assumed you were already up.”
“I was up,” I assured her. “I had breakfast with my brother, niece, and nephew this morning.”
“Oh.” Charlie straightened. “You don’t mention them much.”
I had a framed photo of Luc and Peyton on my desk at work, but she was right, I didn’t talk about my family a lot.
“My brother has the kids half the week, and not always at the same time. They have different mothers. He’s amiable with both of his ex-wives, and the schedules often switch weekly because my niece has a lot of activities.”
“Your brother has been divorced twice?” Charlie’s eyes went wide. “How old is he?”
I laughed at her response. “Older than me but not old enough to have divorced twice. He’s a great father but sort of a putz as a husband.”
“I kind of want to meet him,” Charlie admitted. “I want to meet your parents, too.”
I tried to picture Charlie with her earnest smile sitting across from my mother in her opulent parlor. “I’m not sure that would be as much fun as you assume.”
“No?” She cocked her head. “Why? You’re part vampire and part witch. I’ll have to meet your parents at some point.”
I pursed my lips. How could she not see what a nightmare that would turn into? “We’ll see,” I said. “I’m not sure they can help with this one.”
“But … .” Charlie took a step toward me.
Jack’s hand landed on her shoulder, and he gently pulled her back. “Charlie, when Freya wants us to meet her family she’ll introduce us.”
Charlie’s shoulders slumped. “Right. Sorry. Sometimes I get pushy.”
“It’s okay,” I assured her. I wasn’t offended. “It’s not you. My parents are just … difficult.”
“Difficult how?” Charlie was practically salivating over any tidbit regarding my parents I might throw her way.
“Let’s just put it this way.” I leaned closer.
“We did not have a lot of money when I was growing up. They live in the Garden District now, in one of those ostentatious mansions. My mother still decorates as if she’s on a budget.
So if the neighbors get expensive garden dragons, my mother wants dragons, too.
She always goes for anything that’s bejeweled. ”
Jack’s lip twitch had me smiling. He got it.
“One day,” Jack said to placate his wife. “I’m sure you’ll meet them one day. For now, we have to focus on this Axeman.”
“What do you know?” I asked him, hoping to direct the conversation to safer waters.
“A call was made and the couple was found dead during the overnight hours,” Jack replied. “That’s it.”
That was enough. “I was talking to Alice Cullen last night — she has a lot of seer in her — and she claimed this happened before, almost fifty years ago. Several houses were attacked, the inhabitants killed, and then it just stopped.”
“Who is Alice Cullen?” Charlie asked. “Is that Knox’s wife?”
“Mother,” I corrected, not seeing the danger zone I was stepping into until far too late.
“You know Knox’s mother?” Charlie tilted her head, and a small smile played across her face. She was trying to be coy but failing miserably.
Oh, crap! I’d walked right into that one. When I flicked my eyes to Jack, I found him looking smug.
“She won’t let it go,” Jack assured me. “I’m warning you now. It’s better to just roll over and show her your belly.”
That was not how I wanted it phrased. “Sometimes I don’t think before I speak,” I lamented.
“Yeah, she doesn’t either. She’s good at catching others.”
On a sigh, I surrendered. “Knox and I had a conversation last night. He mentioned his mother might have information. I went there to talk to her and stayed for a family barbecue.”