Page 22 of Relic

TWENTY-TWO

“Do you know something I don’t?”

I nod, rubbing the middle of my chest. “Not know, but feel.”

“I see.” Horatio squeezes my shoulder. “Let’s go hear the witches.”

Now that I’m close to Horatio again, the strange tug in my chest is gone and I feel like I can breathe again. Upstairs, it sounded like a party down here with how loud their voices were, and I couldn’t relax with my vampire so far away. I hope he’s right and some of the intensity dials back a little.

I start to sit on the couch but Ares, smiling sweetly, waves his hand for me to join him and Samson in the middle of the room.

“I’m right here,” Horatio says, before kissing the top of my head.

“Okay.”

Now standing between the witch and the psychic, the pulsing that’s been fluttering through me since I orgasmed becomes stronger now, focused, and radiating from my chest.

“Whoa.”

Samson, from behind me, puts his hands on my shoulders, while Ares studies my face before extending his hands to me.

“Hold my hands, please.”

I take his hands in mine, and the pulsing shifts to more of a steady beat, like a drum.

“Okay, there it is,” Ares says, his eyes flickering from Samson to me. “That thing you feel is your power, Emery. If you want to conjure it, you only need to focus on it. Do it now. Close your eyes and call it forth.”

“How-how do I call it?”

“Let your instinct guide you.”

I close my eyes, unsure of what to do, so I just try to block out everything else. The quieter the room becomes, the louder this ball of light inside me gets. It sounds like static, sometimes hissing and buzzing like electricity bouncing along a wire.

With my eyes closed I can feel Samson’s powers too, radiating from him but it’s different from mine. It comes off him like ocean waves, wild and intense, but captivating at the same time.

I sense Ares too. He’s like a shadow, or no, actually several shadows, but his energy is not dark or scary. It’s comforting and vibrant, with swirls of color surrounding him.

I’m here.

A smile tugs at my lips. That’s Horatio in my head. I more feel him than hear him. Wow. The bond I’ve felt since he turned me suddenly bursts and spreads over me like warm, heavy rain. Instinctively I know I’m safe in his love and the support of these people who just a few days ago were complete strangers.

I start to open my eyes, but I’m struck by an image of my aunt Sarah. She’s smiling at me, mouthing something I can’t hear until I really focus on her face.

Embrace what you are.

She fades, replaced by a group of milky white shadows of people with only the outline of faces. I don’t know how I know, but these people are my ancestors. A pulse of light shoots out from them and enters me, leaving me that much stronger.

Then Sarah is back, directly in front of me. She reaches out to touch my face but I can’t actually feel her touch.

You put this in me?

She nods, obviously able to hear my unspoken words.

It’s your destiny. You were meant for this. Hold out your hands.

I do, noticing how heavy they feel.

These are your weapons. Use them responsibly. Go ahead. Ask to witness your power.

Ask who?

The ancestors.

My eyes flicker to the pulsing white beings behind Sarah, and I nod.

Please show me my power.

My hands and arms begin to tingle until it’s almost unbearable and then, stunning me, two rays of white light shoot from my palms, so strong I stumble backward, but feel the firm stance of Samson grounding me.

You are safe.

My eyes tingle as Horatio’s soothing words fill my head. Fighting the weight of them, I lift my arms higher, directing the light to a new location. My eyes burn and my gums painfully throb as I shift from the regular guy I was two days ago into this new, powerful being.

I’d swear I’m growing taller as my muscles bulk and my eyesight sharpens. I can see the faces of those ancestors now, recognizing some from old family photos.

There you are.

Sarah’s voice cuts through the chaos in my head.

It’s all in you now, Emery. Generations of magic that were waiting to be released now flow through you.

Why me?

Because the threat is now. Our ancestral home is under attack.

We come from New Orleans?

Sarah smiles, nodding.

You didn’t know? That is why you were called here and why the time is now.

Sudden anger rises up in me.

Why didn’t anyone help me with Linx?

You weren’t ready for all of it, but we did help. That’s why you’re still alive.

Her answer doesn’t soothe me.

Remember the car accident that totalled the Land Rover.

Now, she’s got my attention.

You know about that?

Of course we do. Your great-grandmother’s hand caused that to happen so Linx would spend the night in detox jail and not make it back to you.

He liked to hurt me when he drank too much.

Yes, so he hit a pole that night instead. We don’t kill humans if we can avoid it, and we knew Linx’s time would come and it did.

Horatio.

Your eternal love. It’s no accident your journey led you to him.

Everything he said is true about us?

Every word. He’s waited a long time for love, Emery. He’ll give you everything he’s got to make you happy. All you have to do is open your heart to him. Don’t be afraid anymore. You’re finally home.

I tremble as her words sink in.

What else do I need to know?

Trust your power. When you want to use it, remember your ancestors and me. We’re always here when you need us.

I notice as her body starts to fade.

Trust your power and you’ll be victorious.

The visions around me fade into the background and as the room I’m standing in comes back into focus, Sarah’s last words linger.

I blink and sway, finding myself supported by Samson and Ares, but who I want to see is Horatio. Swinging toward him, I launch myself into his arms. He wraps his arms around me, kissing the side of my head.

“Are you alright?”

Nodding, I lift my head. “Yeah. I learned a lot. I saw my aunt Sarah and my ancestors. I’ve always been a witch.”

“Same thing happened to me,” Samson says with a soft smile. “I found out late in life too. I will say though that your powers far surpass mine.”

“How do you know that?”

“I felt it. It’s a very good thing we found you before anyone with ill intentions did.”

“Speaking of which,” Ares says. “We know why the IDVs have targeted Emery.”

“Why?” Horatio asks, still holding me like a toddler to its parent.

“Orson is looking for the blood of a chosen witch. That witch would be Emery. He knows the lore and that Emery’s powers, combined with the blood magic of an elder vampire, is enough to defeat him. He also knows, sadly, that if he can drain Emery, the power shifts and he’ll be able to take over the city.”

“Fucking hell,” Morticia mutters.

“Unfortunately, Orson’s known for a long time what we’re only just learning,” Mattheus adds.

“But the good news is we found Emery first,” Ares says. “Or rather, in time at least.”

“What happens now?” Morticia asks. “Do we wait?”

“No.” I turn toward the door, sliding out of Horatio’s arms. “No, we don’t wait. I can… feel them, I guess. There are some in the Quarter right now. On Bourbon.”

“Then that’s where we’re going,” Horatio says. “Are you ready for this, my love?”

I nod, my body tingling and vibrating. “I was literally born for this.”

Chapter 23 Horatio

“Let’s get you in some decent clothes.”

Emery nods, following me. With my hand on his back, sensations of white hot light vibrate through me, twisting around my heart and through my core. It’s breathtaking.

“What?” Emery asks.

“Sorry. I can feel your magic, and it’s incredible.”

He smiles. “It’s pretty cool.”

As I lead my love up the stairs, the sound of breaking glass meets my ears. It’s some distance away, but I can definitely hear it.

“What is that noise?” Emery asks.

“You can hear it too?”

He flinches, holding his hands to his ears. “Ow.” He crouches down, clearly struggling.

“What’s wrong?”

“Pain,” he whispers. “Fuck.” He opens his eyes. “Orson. I can… feel him. He’s calling out to me.”

“Why can you sense him and I can’t?” Emery shakes his head. “Fuck. If you can sense him, can he sense you?”

“Oh, he can feel me. He’s trying to get in my head.” He stands upright again, a determined look on his face. “There’s no time to wait, Horatio.”

Without words, Emery pushes past me to the bedroom where he throws on his jeans and sneakers. He seems almost in a daze as he flies down the stairs and out the door, heading toward the Quarter. We scramble after him, all of us on alert for IDVs or Orson.

When we reach Bourbon Street, Emery turns to face us, his face a mask of anger. I’ve never seen him look like anything other than an angel, so the contrast is startling and more than a little hot. As we suspected, there are throngs of mindless IDVs wandering the streets like zombies, tourists and locals running in fear.

Emery twitches, turning sharply in the direction of an abandoned building at the end of an alleyway. “There. He’s there.”

I grip his arm. “Let’s go then.”

Before we can take off, Samson grabs Emery’s shoulders. “Listen to the magic inside you. When you don’t know what to do, let it guide you.”

Emery nods, but his eyes are so glazed I can only hope he heard it.

We take off in the direction of the building, but in seconds find ourselves surrounded by IDVs closing in around us. When I look around, the tourists and locals of the French Quarter are suspended in time.

Seemingly out of nowhere, Emery is rushed by an enormous IDV, but before I can even react, Emery has slashed the offending vampire’s throat. He then flips the man onto the ground, straddles him, and rips his head clean off his neck.

I’m stunned speechless, and my cock swells, apparently more than a little horny for my little nugget of violence.

Emery stands, eyes focused on the alley leading to the building. As two more IDVs come at him, he growls and knocks them out of his way.

“Go,” Mattheus yells. “We’ll handle this lot.”

I catch up with my love, and Emery grips my hand, pulling me with his newfound strength toward the building. There’s something odd about him though. He’s not speaking much. It’s as if his sole mission is reaching Orson. That worries me. Does Orson have some kind of control over him?

“Talk to me, Emery. How do you feel?”

He twitches as if my voice startled him, but after blinking, he nods. “I’m here. I feel… Driven. Time is important.”

“Yes, let’s continue.”

I turn back to see my friends tearing through IDVs, but I’m worried they’ll be overpowered by the sheer number of them. For now, I have to trust and follow Emery. If we can get to Orson, we can stop this. At least that’s my hope.

When we reach the building, Emery kicks the door open, ripping right through the chains and lock on the handle. He glances at me, a sly smile on his lips. “This is badass.”

“You’re doing wonderful. Still feel okay?”

“Strong but…odd. It’s like there’s something in my chest causing my actions. I can feel Orson.”

As I feared. “I’ll be by your side.”

“I know.” He closes his eyes for a moment. “Upstairs.”

We creep along the darkened halls, pausing in front of a room where bright light floods the hall. Emery nods in that direction before squaring his shoulders to enter, but two IDVs leap from a darkened room, shrieking as they attempt to bite Emery.

I’m in the perfect position to attack, and I do. I slam my hand into the stomach of one, ripping out its guts before turning on the second one and slashing its neck open. I toss both bodies down the stairs, while Emery watches on with a sexy smile.

“You’re so hot.”

“As are you, my love.”

Before we can continue, another one falls from the rafters, this time a woman. She lands on top of Emery, clearly going for his throat, but before I can jump into help, two more descend on me.

“Guard your throat,” I yell out. “Mind the teeth.”

I subdue the two attacking me just in time to see Emery stand with the woman in his arms and unceremoniously toss her through the window, broken glass and all. He cracks his neck, his anger now radiating from him, his fangs descended. I’m going to fuck him senseless later.

His demeanor cracks for a second as he grins. “Dirty vampire. Stay focused.”

“Oh, I’m focused.”

The air crackles, thick with magic even I can feel, but it affects Emery even more so. He turns towards the room at the end of the hall where the light is still spilling out from, and nods. I hurry to follow after him.

As we enter, we find Orson hovering about three feet in the air, a woman over him chanting something as she sprinkles some kind of powder on his body. She turns her head toward us, her eyes going wide as she backs away from Orson.

“You,” she hisses, glaring at Emery. Then her eyes settle on me and her expression changes to one of fear. “You turned him,” she says, more a statement than a question. She exhales slowly. “Well, this is pointless then.”

“What’s happening?” I ask.

“I have nothing to say.” She runs toward the window as if she plans to jump. Considering how old and frail she looks, that doesn’t seem like a good idea, but she’s obviously got magic on her side.

Orson opens his eyes, but it seems he’s unable to move as he struggles against his invisible restraints. The old woman climbs onto the window sill, gazing down below her, but in the blink of an eye, Emery moves and has her in his clutches.

She struggles against Emery, murmuring something unfamiliar. Emery raises his hand, using his nails to slash her throat. The old woman cries out, grabbing at her throat, but it’s not pain she screams. It’s anger. Instead of blood that I would expect to gush from her wound, thick, black sludge does instead. This is no mortal woman.

“We had a deal, Orson,” she yells. “A deal,” she repeats, her voice weakening.

“You must go back to where you came,” Emery says, in an eerie voice. “This is not your world.”

“Nooooo,” the woman hisses. “He promised me life.”

“He doesn’t have it to give you.”

Orson must have resurrected her, but how? He struggles to free himself, and the more the woman weakens the more her magic seems to as well.

“We have to hurry, Emery.”

He nods as if to acknowledge he heard me, but he never takes his eyes off of the woman.

“What’s your name?” Emery asks her.

“Madame Lucille de Bouron,” she says, proudly. “I ruled the city once.”

“And Orson brought you back from the dead?” I ask.

“He needed my magic. I needed his life force,” she says plainly.

“What have you done to Orson?” Emery asks. “Why is he like that?”

“I was in the midst of fortifying his magic.” Her dead eyes shift from Emery to me. “But it is no more. I will return to my grave and wait for the next power hungry person to seek me out.” Her gaze hardens as she looks at Orson who is screaming silently. “He’s useless to me now that you’ve fulfilled your destiny.”

“Is he behind the infected vampires?” I ask.

The woman nods. “Yes. Without my magic, they will cease to exist.”

“Break the spell then,” Emery says.

“You can break it.” Her eyes seem to bore into Emery as his widen and glow a bright green.

I rush forward. “Are you hurting him?”

“On the contrary, vampire.”

Emery’s body begins to shake and his hold on the woman releases as he turns to Orson. He lifts his hands and the same green light from his eyes emits from his hands, pushing into the barrier surrounding the vampire.

The old witch steps next to Emery, a knowing smile on her lips. “You are the one the shadows spoke of. The one whose awakening would bring untold power. I wish it had been you to seek me.”

“My powers will never be used to harm others,” Emery says, still shaking but unwavering in his power directed at Orson.

The shield around Orson cracks like glass, his screams now audible and loud enough to shake the building. Almost immediately, an army of footsteps reaches me and I rush to the window to see hoards of IDVs marching toward us. I turn back, ready to battle Orson.

When the light from Emery’s hand reaches the vampire, his skin blisters and smokes.

“That’s it,” the old woman says. “Your power is impressive.”

Her body begins to dry and shrivel as she watches Emery. It seems the more he aims his light at Orson, the more she slips away. Is she giving her magic to Emery?

Emery twitches, and looks pained, and it’s all I can do to stand back and not whisk him away. The old witch’s expression changes to melancholy.

“It was nice to feel the city once more,” she says, her voice now faint and otherworldly, as if mixed with the voices of the past. “I do miss her.”

Our friends enter the room, covered in ash and vampire goo. “More are coming,” Mattheus says.

Samson gasps. “Lucille De Bouron,” he whispers.

The old woman only briefly gazes at Samson with her cloudy eyes.

“Nooo,” Orson screams. “Stop. I-I’ll do anything.”

I approach my old nemesis. He glares and growls in response. “Poor Orson. Defeated once more, but this time, you won’t survive to return. You should have stayed in the shadows where I put you.”

“Fuck you, Horatio,” he spits. “You waste your power. You could rule the city, but you give it to the people like a fool.”

“It seems to be working out just fine for me. You on the other hand…”

Emery violently shakes, drawing my concern, but then I feel the bond we share, pulsing softly with love, and I know he’s okay.

“Stand back.”

Lucille falls to her knees as smoke rises from Orson’s body. Flames ignite and as he burns, his screams shake the walls around us. Samson moves next to Emery, putting his hand on his shoulder. That seems to help Emery stabilize, and as he stops shaking, the color of the light pouring from his hands grows brighter.

The old woman’s clothes, a Victorian era black dress, pool on the floor as she continues to shrink away. “Guard your power,” she warns in a shaky voice. “Others will want it for themselves.”

She moans as her body turns to a pile of dust. Orson’s screams finally fade as his body rattles and burns away, leaving only a pile of ashes that fall to the floor in a body shaped clump.

Emery stumbles backward, slumping into my arms, and I hold him to my chest, kissing the top of his head. “You did it, my love. You did it.”

He gazes up at me with happy but tired eyes. “I did it.”

By the time Emery is strong enough to exit the building, we step out to find the day bright. Tourists happily stroll the Quarter, unaware of what happened here today. All traces of the IDVs are gone, and for the first time in a long time, I sense a calm but vibrant energy swirling around the city. This is the New Orleans I love.

Samson leads us to a forgotten cemetery where the tombstone of Madame Lucille de Bouron is. “It’s been a long told fable about the infamous witch,” Samson explains. “If someone is willing to trade her, she’ll give them her magic in exchange for their life force. Orson must have thought being a vampire would allow him to give her life while maintaining his own. Once you interrupted the ceremony, they were both weakened enough to destroy.”

Emery, clutching my arm, shakes his head. “I can’t believe all of this happened.”

“You were destined to come here,” Samson says. “The magic inside of you brought you here so you could step into your full power.”

He nods, his eyes glassy as he gazes up at me. “What now?”

“Our city is safe, but no doubt, other threats will arise. For now, we go home and rest.”

Morticia steps forward, studying Emery. “Never thought I would say this, but I’m glad you came. Turns out you’re not an annoying little mortal after all.”

Emery chuckles. “High praise.”

“Thank you all so much for what you did to support me and Emery.”

We turn to leave, but Ares appears, strolling toward us with a large bottle in his hand.

He smiles warmly at Emery. “The spirits told me of your success today. Well done.”

“Thank you for your guidance,” Emery replies.

“What is that?” Mattheus asks, pointing at the bottle.

“Oh, just a little something to make sure Lucille stays in her grave where she belongs.”

“How did you know—” Emery cuts off his own words. “The spirits told you.”

Ares nods. “Stand back. It’s pretty smelly.” He pulls the cork from the bottle, and sure enough my nose twitches from the awful scent of sulfur and something else.

Ares pours the thick liquid over the grave, causing the earth beneath the stone to bubble. A squeal of pain reaches my ears as black smoke rises from the site. A moment later, iron bars shoot from the ground, closing over the grave in an elaborate shape, then it’s over.

Ares smiles at his work. “It’s a sigil that will keep her locked in no matter who tries to get her out,” he explains. “This black magic witch is contained.”

Emery exhales slowly. “I can feel it. The difference in the air.”

“Yes, my love, so can I.”

He gazes up at me, sliding his arms around my waist. “Can we go home now? I think I need another bath.”

“You must be hungry.”

His eyes flash red. “Starving. Feed me, my vampire.”

“With pleasure.” I kiss his forehead. “Then tomorrow I’ll teach you how to hunt mortals for food and fun.”

Emery laughs. “Sounds like a plan.”