16. Sixteen
SIXTEEN
My plan was to go home and stew. I wasn’t really angry with my parents — they hadn’t technically done anything wrong — but I was agitated.
My mother’s insistence that I provide a grandchild irritated me to no end.
She had grandchildren. Knowing Miles, he would give her at least one more before it was all said and done. Maybe I didn’t want to be a mother.
Honestly, I wasn’t certain how I felt about that. I was getting to an age where it might make someone else start thinking hard. Given my genetics, apparently, I had an extra twenty years on that front, or that was the rumor. It was a relief, because I had no idea which way I was going to land.
I loved my niece and nephew. Of course, I could send them out the door to their parents after a few hours, so that made me love them more than if I had to put up with their constant moods.
I wasn’t the type who needed a child around to justify my existence.
I also didn’t know if I wanted to forego motherhood entirely.
I pushed it out of my mind. I just needed a little sleep.
I was back in the French Quarter when I got a text from Toni. It was simple and to the point: We’re at the riverwalk.
That was it. Nothing else. Who was “we?” I was curious and yet in no mood to walk that far.
I texted back, despite my survival instincts, asking why I would possibly want to go to the riverwalk. It wasn’t as if there was free booze being distributed there. That never happened.
Toni’s response was quick: The coven is trying to get in touch with the Axeman’s spirit.
Oh crap!
Briefly, I closed my eyes. I didn’t have much faith in any coven. Toni hadn’t said which coven was performing the ritual, but there was only one that did things like this for attention. Margie’s coven.
Margie Wormwood — I’m not making up that horrible last name — had gone to school with Toni and me. She’d been a pain in the ass then and was an even bigger pain in the ass now. She fancied herself a “proper” witch, meaning that she’d gone through training and could handle herself in a crisis.
My magic was instinctive. My mother had walked me through some of it, but she hadn’t been all that interested in continuing my studies once Holly was gone. Did she blame the magic for what had happened to Holly? I never asked because … well, we never talked about it.
Holly’s disappearance had changed my family forever. How could it not? The weird thing was, we never talked about those changes or how we could make things better. We just lived, and while I wouldn’t say we pretended it had never happened, it wasn’t that far from the truth.
I typed back to Toni that I would be there in fifteen minutes. If I didn’t go, I would wonder. If I did go and it turned out to be nothing, sure, I would be angry with myself, but that wouldn’t be as bad as wondering.
When I got to the riverwalk I found people milling about in every direction. Not just witches and interested paranormals, but tourists and summer revelers as well. The coven had sent out a notice, and apparently, everyone wanted to see what they were up to.
That was typical.
I pursed my lips as I took in the scene, then shook my head when I found Toni standing with several people I recognized.
I started in her direction but detoured when I caught sight of Charlie and Jack.
They’d positioned themselves at the edge of the crowd where they could see things clearly but not close enough to draw attention.
“What are you guys doing here?” I asked when I grew close.
Jack, his arm around Charlie’s waist, looked surprised to see me. “Hey, when did you get here?”
“Just now. How did you guys find out about this?”
“We went for dinner at one of the restaurants near Jackson Square,” Charlie replied. “We decided to take a walk after and just sort of happened on whatever this is.”
“It’s a séance,” I replied grimly. “They’re going to try to call the Axeman.”
“Really?” Jack rubbed his hand over Charlie’s back. “That’s … interesting, isn’t it?”
That was not the word I would use. “It’s something.”
“Where have you been?” Charlie asked. “We haven’t seen you since this morning. They said you hadn’t been back in your office.”
“I didn’t go back,” I confirmed. “I went to lunch with Lex, then we went to see some witches I know. They suggested that we’re dealing with the soul of the Axeman, who might be possessing someone.”
Charlie didn’t look taken aback by the suggestion. “Huh,” she said. “That’s interesting.”
“It is,” I agreed. “After that, I went to talk to Marie Laveau.”
“It’s so weird that you can say that and legit mean it.” Charlie looked awed. “It’s just … amazing.”
I smiled at her wonder. It was hard not to like her because she was just so real. You never got anything fake from her. She was smart, happy, and blunt. Not mean blunt, just truthful. I liked her because of it.
“She didn’t have much to add, but she didn’t disagree about a potential possession, and if what Alice said was right about what happened fifty years ago … .”
“Yeah, I have some calls in on that,” Jack said. “No one knows about it. A couple of guys even laughed at me. But I’m not ruling it out.”
I nodded and looked to my right. I almost jolted out of my skin when I found Knox leaning against the cement wall, arms folded over his chest. He wasn’t watching the witches in the middle of everything. He was watching me.
Heat flooded my cheeks as I stared back at him.
“What’s got your attention?” Charlie asked, suddenly alert. “Is something wrong?”
“Nothing is wrong,” I told her. “I see someone I need to talk to. I’ll be right back.” I took a step in Knox’s direction but pulled up short when I realized he was heading for us.
“Ah,” Jack said when he caught sight of Knox.
I gave him a sharp look. “Ah, what?”
“I didn’t say anything.” His smile was flat. “Just … ah.”
I glared. He smiled. Charlie looked a little lost until Jack leaned in and whispered something to her. She grinned.
Great. Just great. Everyone was conspiring against me now.
I slid my eyes to Knox as he moved in close. Not close enough to touch me — something I definitely didn’t want — but close enough that I could feel his warmth. It was already Satan’s armpit humid out tonight. I didn’t need any added warmth.
“And how did you spend your day?” he asked. He gave Jack and Charlie a nod. “I didn’t get a call or text, so I guess that means you sat on your butt and did nothing.” There was a twinkle in his eyes that irritated me.
“Actually, I’ve been all over the city.” That wasn’t untrue. I had been all over the city. “I have a new theory, in case you’re interested. Not one I came up with on my own.”
“Did Lex come up with it?” Knox asked, looking unhappy. Come to think of it, he always looked unhappy when Lex’s name came up, even if he was the one bringing him up.
“No. He was with me when some friends suggested it.”
He waited me out.
“My friends — they’re witches in Marigny — think it might be the soul of the original Axeman coming back to possess someone,” I explained.
“You mean those chocolate bar witches? I’m familiar with them. Do you really think they have any idea what’s going on?”
Kit and Kat. The chocolate witches. He wasn’t the only one in the area to refer to them that way. They absolutely hated it. “I’ll be sure to send your regards,” I said.
“Go ahead.” He didn’t look bothered. “I’m not afraid of them.” He didn’t make eye contact. “What else did you find out?”
“Not much. A friend in the cemetery told me it sounds plausible. Kit and Kat pointed out that we don’t know who the original Axeman was, so it’s impossible to follow that soul.”
“Can you follow a soul?” He looked suddenly interested.
I shrugged. “I’ve never done it, but something tells me it can be done.” My fingers itched when magic sparked to life in the center of the coven circle. They were getting ready to put on a show.
Knox followed my gaze. “Why aren’t you with them?”
“I’m not much of a joiner.”
He smirked. “How come?”
“I’m a loner. Always have been.”
He inclined his head to Charlie and Jack. “You’re joining with them.”
“You make it sound dirty,” I complained.
He barked out a laugh so loud several heads turned in our direction, including Margie the Menace’s.
“Oh, great,” I muttered.
She made a beeline for us. It wasn’t to see me, although she would talk down to me for not being involved in what she considered a huge, important event. This time she was interested in Knox.
“Hello,” Margie cooed like a constipated pigeon as she grabbed Knox’s hand without asking. “How are you?”
Knox looked thrown. “Um … .”
“We’ve met before,” Margie told him. “I’d never forget you.”
“Of course,” he said automatically. “I could never forget.” He smiled, but it didn’t touch his eyes. When he tried to pull back his hand, Margie kept a firm grip. I had to hold back a laugh because Knox’s expression was straight out of a horror movie.
Knox looked to me as if I was going to help him. I just smiled. “So you’re conducting a séance,” he said, giving his hand a terrific pull. He managed to break free, but he slapped himself in the chest when his hand came loose.
“We are.” Margie did a little hip shimmy before focusing on me. “I’m surprised you’re here.”
“Why?” I asked, genuinely confused. “I would think you’d want to put on a show for my benefit.”
She rolled her eyes. “You are so full of yourself.”
“It was a simple statement.” Margie and I had never gotten along. She was one of those kids who believed she could make herself feel better by making others feel worse. I happened to be her target more times than I could count. “What made you decide to call for the Axeman?”
She gave me an “Are you kidding me” look. “Um … unless you’ve been under a rock — and with you it’s hard to tell given the people you hang out with — the Axeman has returned to finish what he started.” She said it in a theatrical voice.
I blinked. “How do you know it’s the Axeman?”