rest go unsaid, not wanting to make her
uncomfortable.
“ Some things aren’t meant
to be.” She shrugged her shoulders, but swallowed hard. I wanted to
talk to her more about it, but I could see James signaling me that
it was time to go out of the corner of my eye.
“ Well,
I’m here if you need to talk. Okay, we’re off. See you later.” I
gave her a final wave as she headed back to the training center,
but she didn’t wave back. Poor thing , I
thought , it’s a good thing she’s
busy.
Max came up and stood beside me,
taking my hand and kissing my palm. “The realm door is opening;
it’s time to leave.” I nodded and squeezed his hand, and closed my
eyes. No matter how many times I did it, I never got used to the
feeling of changing realms. I may have an immortal body, but it’s
still a body and getting sucked through different realms was not
pleasant. Just as I finally braced myself, remembering to breathe,
I stepped through and left my realm.”
Chapter Ten
“ Welcome to Louisiana!” A
warm voice with a beautiful French-Creole accent greeted
us.
“ Water,” I croaked. Max was
already on it and handed me a bottle he kept on him for when we
transferred.
“ Are you okay there,
darlin’?”
I attempted to nod, but ended up
choking on the water. Max filled in for me. “She’s fine, or at
least will be. She still isn’t a fan of transferring realms at
great distances.”
“ Who is?” the woman teased.
I finally composed myself to look up, and almost started choking
again. “You sure I can’t offer you somethin’ to ease your throat?
How about some good sweet tea? They don’t make it like this where
y’all hail from.”
“ No, no thank you. I’m
okay. I was just surprised when I saw you. I apologize. You’d think
after being star struck a few times, I’d get used to it. I’ve
always been a fan of yours.”
“ Well, aren’t you just the
sweetest thing!” She held out her hand for me to shake. “I’m Sadie
Ann. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“ And you.” I turned and
introduced the renowned jazz singer to the rest of my team, who all
took turns either drooling (Zander and Adam) or stuttering
(Cassie). Only Lola seemed herself, but I guess coming from the
showbiz world she was used to it. Sadie Ann Jennings was a
legendary beauty who was cut down in her prime when a jealous
ex-lover murdered her in an “if I can’t have her no one can”
murder-suicide during the 1960s.
“ So I know y’all just got
here, but I’m fixin’ to get started right away. We have seen a big
growth in attempted soul theft, and our research shows that one of
your covens has settled in our fine city of New Orleans, which I
figure is kinda appropriate, but I sure do wanna kick their sorry
butts for disruptin’ my peace and quiet.”
James, acting as leader for our team,
took over. “Well we’re happy to help in any way we can. We have a
little more experience in battle, so if you need any support that’s
what we’re here for. But for now, please fill us in on the
details.”
“ According to my psychic
sources in the Quarter, there’s a new group that’s been trolling
Bourbon Street on the weekends looking for young blood. Their hope,
as far as we can tell, is to get ‘em good and inebriated and then
cause an ‘accidental death’ via a fall or somethin’ like that. I’m
sure if they could kill them outright, they would, but they know
that’ll raise too many red flags and they don’t want to get
caught.
“ Then, before they can
arrive here they’re snatched. And since the victims aren’t
children, we don’t have Guides waiting. Five in the last month
alone have disappeared!”
“ You use psychics?” I asked
incredulously. That idea sounded beyond hokey.
“ The real ones, not the
Dionne Warwick kind. They’re some of our best sources. They have a
connection to the human world that we simply don’t have. And with
so many drawn to our fair city, we never lack for
uncomfortable.
“ Some things aren’t meant
to be.” She shrugged her shoulders, but swallowed hard. I wanted to
talk to her more about it, but I could see James signaling me that
it was time to go out of the corner of my eye.
“ Well,
I’m here if you need to talk. Okay, we’re off. See you later.” I
gave her a final wave as she headed back to the training center,
but she didn’t wave back. Poor thing , I
thought , it’s a good thing she’s
busy.
Max came up and stood beside me,
taking my hand and kissing my palm. “The realm door is opening;
it’s time to leave.” I nodded and squeezed his hand, and closed my
eyes. No matter how many times I did it, I never got used to the
feeling of changing realms. I may have an immortal body, but it’s
still a body and getting sucked through different realms was not
pleasant. Just as I finally braced myself, remembering to breathe,
I stepped through and left my realm.”
Chapter Ten
“ Welcome to Louisiana!” A
warm voice with a beautiful French-Creole accent greeted
us.
“ Water,” I croaked. Max was
already on it and handed me a bottle he kept on him for when we
transferred.
“ Are you okay there,
darlin’?”
I attempted to nod, but ended up
choking on the water. Max filled in for me. “She’s fine, or at
least will be. She still isn’t a fan of transferring realms at
great distances.”
“ Who is?” the woman teased.
I finally composed myself to look up, and almost started choking
again. “You sure I can’t offer you somethin’ to ease your throat?
How about some good sweet tea? They don’t make it like this where
y’all hail from.”
“ No, no thank you. I’m
okay. I was just surprised when I saw you. I apologize. You’d think
after being star struck a few times, I’d get used to it. I’ve
always been a fan of yours.”
“ Well, aren’t you just the
sweetest thing!” She held out her hand for me to shake. “I’m Sadie
Ann. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“ And you.” I turned and
introduced the renowned jazz singer to the rest of my team, who all
took turns either drooling (Zander and Adam) or stuttering
(Cassie). Only Lola seemed herself, but I guess coming from the
showbiz world she was used to it. Sadie Ann Jennings was a
legendary beauty who was cut down in her prime when a jealous
ex-lover murdered her in an “if I can’t have her no one can”
murder-suicide during the 1960s.
“ So I know y’all just got
here, but I’m fixin’ to get started right away. We have seen a big
growth in attempted soul theft, and our research shows that one of
your covens has settled in our fine city of New Orleans, which I
figure is kinda appropriate, but I sure do wanna kick their sorry
butts for disruptin’ my peace and quiet.”
James, acting as leader for our team,
took over. “Well we’re happy to help in any way we can. We have a
little more experience in battle, so if you need any support that’s
what we’re here for. But for now, please fill us in on the
details.”
“ According to my psychic
sources in the Quarter, there’s a new group that’s been trolling
Bourbon Street on the weekends looking for young blood. Their hope,
as far as we can tell, is to get ‘em good and inebriated and then
cause an ‘accidental death’ via a fall or somethin’ like that. I’m
sure if they could kill them outright, they would, but they know
that’ll raise too many red flags and they don’t want to get
caught.
“ Then, before they can
arrive here they’re snatched. And since the victims aren’t
children, we don’t have Guides waiting. Five in the last month
alone have disappeared!”
“ You use psychics?” I asked
incredulously. That idea sounded beyond hokey.
“ The real ones, not the
Dionne Warwick kind. They’re some of our best sources. They have a
connection to the human world that we simply don’t have. And with
so many drawn to our fair city, we never lack for
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