Read Online Dead Lucky by M.R. Forbes - Free Book Online
Authors: M.R. Forbes
Tags: thriller, adventure, Urban Fantasy, Magic, Action, Zombie, Voodoo, New Orleans, undead, Contemporary Fantasy, Gambling, guns, wizard, necromancer, gunfight, alternate earth
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flesh undulating in pace with their heartbeats. Five feet tall at best, limbs and fingers only somewhat defined. They didn't come to talk, and neither did we.
Six bullets, six dead Naga.
"The noise is going to attract more." Dannie said what we both knew.
"Run?"
"Run."
We did, picking up the pace, racing wildly along the path. Tree roots and mud made hazards along the way, and we were dependent on pure luck to guide our steps, getting us through the mess without tripping or breaking any limbs.
We made it another half a mile, the lights getting brighter and closer. There wasn't much further to go.
Something splashed in the swamp up ahead and to the right of us, and the trees started rocking and rolling.
Ten more steps made it clear.
"Whatever it is, we can't outrun it," I said, coming to a stop and grabbing Dannie's arm. That was when she hit some mud, and we both ate dirt.
"Shit. Get up," she said. Whatever was coming, it was fast.
I scrambled to my feet, feeling my pocket to make sure the dice hadn't been lost, before holding out my hand and helping Danelle up. We stood side by side, guns trained on the darkness, waiting to see what would appear there.
It burst onto the path, a massive triangular head, red eyes, white scales, mouth open wide, revealing a deep gullet and huge fangs. It was easily big enough to take us in with one bite. It was ten feet away, and closing fast.
We opened fire. The muzzle flashes lit up the path, and we waited for the snake to react. With pain, with anger, something.
It slowed to a stop. None of the bullets hit it, instead embedding in the trees nearby.
"Marie?" I said, loud enough to be heard, soft enough to not echo.
She appeared on the path, stepping around the snake without fear of it.
"Necromancer. I heard the shots, and thought it was you. I was almost too late." Her white teeth appeared in the darkness. "I trust you have the dice?"
I put my hand on them, feeling their warmth against my flesh.
"Yeah. Take me to your mother so we can be done with this."
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
The Queen and the Fool.
She brought us the rest of the way to the plantation: a large, white building nestled in a small clearing in the swamp. It was old and had seen better days, the paint peeled and the wooden frame showing signs of rot. Even so, it was majestic, and now that I was there it's location made sense.
It was sitting right on top of a massively dense pocket of magical energy.
"How do you stand the noise?" I asked. My head was hurting from the intensity of the thrumming coming from the fields.
"You get used to it," Marie said. "I grew up here, so the sounds are second nature to me."
"Are you a multi?" Dannie asked. "The bullets... and the snake?"
She laughed. "No. The snake was Mother's doing. She can control the snakes, and the snake people. It's part of her gift as Queen of Voodoo."
"Queen of Voodoo?"
She looked at Dannie. "You don't believe, I know. I can see it in your heart. There is no shame. Not all things were intended to believe all things."
She brought us past an iron gate that was sitting half-open, and up a gravel driveway to the house. There was nobody else outside, though there was plenty of light ringing the walls. I would have guessed the illumination would attract attention, but maybe it was supposed to. When you could control the biggest threats on the bayou...
We entered the house. It was your standard plantation, with a huge open foyer and a bifurcated staircase that wound down opposite walls. It was lined with huge portraits in massive gold frames, lots of antique furniture, and the various random vases and lamps that you would expect. Marie led us to the pair of double doors beneath the stairs.
"Be nice to Mother, and she will be nice to you," Marie said.
She grabbed the carved handle of one of the doors and pulled it open. I was expecting a lot of creaking and groaning, but it opened smoothly.
It should have been a ballroom. Instead, it
Six bullets, six dead Naga.
"The noise is going to attract more." Dannie said what we both knew.
"Run?"
"Run."
We did, picking up the pace, racing wildly along the path. Tree roots and mud made hazards along the way, and we were dependent on pure luck to guide our steps, getting us through the mess without tripping or breaking any limbs.
We made it another half a mile, the lights getting brighter and closer. There wasn't much further to go.
Something splashed in the swamp up ahead and to the right of us, and the trees started rocking and rolling.
Ten more steps made it clear.
"Whatever it is, we can't outrun it," I said, coming to a stop and grabbing Dannie's arm. That was when she hit some mud, and we both ate dirt.
"Shit. Get up," she said. Whatever was coming, it was fast.
I scrambled to my feet, feeling my pocket to make sure the dice hadn't been lost, before holding out my hand and helping Danelle up. We stood side by side, guns trained on the darkness, waiting to see what would appear there.
It burst onto the path, a massive triangular head, red eyes, white scales, mouth open wide, revealing a deep gullet and huge fangs. It was easily big enough to take us in with one bite. It was ten feet away, and closing fast.
We opened fire. The muzzle flashes lit up the path, and we waited for the snake to react. With pain, with anger, something.
It slowed to a stop. None of the bullets hit it, instead embedding in the trees nearby.
"Marie?" I said, loud enough to be heard, soft enough to not echo.
She appeared on the path, stepping around the snake without fear of it.
"Necromancer. I heard the shots, and thought it was you. I was almost too late." Her white teeth appeared in the darkness. "I trust you have the dice?"
I put my hand on them, feeling their warmth against my flesh.
"Yeah. Take me to your mother so we can be done with this."
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
The Queen and the Fool.
She brought us the rest of the way to the plantation: a large, white building nestled in a small clearing in the swamp. It was old and had seen better days, the paint peeled and the wooden frame showing signs of rot. Even so, it was majestic, and now that I was there it's location made sense.
It was sitting right on top of a massively dense pocket of magical energy.
"How do you stand the noise?" I asked. My head was hurting from the intensity of the thrumming coming from the fields.
"You get used to it," Marie said. "I grew up here, so the sounds are second nature to me."
"Are you a multi?" Dannie asked. "The bullets... and the snake?"
She laughed. "No. The snake was Mother's doing. She can control the snakes, and the snake people. It's part of her gift as Queen of Voodoo."
"Queen of Voodoo?"
She looked at Dannie. "You don't believe, I know. I can see it in your heart. There is no shame. Not all things were intended to believe all things."
She brought us past an iron gate that was sitting half-open, and up a gravel driveway to the house. There was nobody else outside, though there was plenty of light ringing the walls. I would have guessed the illumination would attract attention, but maybe it was supposed to. When you could control the biggest threats on the bayou...
We entered the house. It was your standard plantation, with a huge open foyer and a bifurcated staircase that wound down opposite walls. It was lined with huge portraits in massive gold frames, lots of antique furniture, and the various random vases and lamps that you would expect. Marie led us to the pair of double doors beneath the stairs.
"Be nice to Mother, and she will be nice to you," Marie said.
She grabbed the carved handle of one of the doors and pulled it open. I was expecting a lot of creaking and groaning, but it opened smoothly.
It should have been a ballroom. Instead, it
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