Garden of Dreams and Desires Read online

  He took his cup to the table, leaving her behind. “I can’t, I have work to do. Being Guardian is a full-time job. And, like I mentioned, I need to visit Olivia.”

  She stuck her lip out. “What about the self-defense lessons we started?”

  “If you’re not up to visiting your mother, I doubt you’re up to sparring with me. Besides, I thought you were going shopping today?” He’d enjoyed the few lessons he’d given Harlow, but that was before Ava Mae had taken over, and he had no desire to give her any more advantage than she already had.

  “I am going shopping, but that’s not exactly a high-stress activity. I guess there’s always tomorrow.” She huffed out a breath. “Unless you’re going to be too busy chasing whatever baddie you’re after now.”

  He drank his coffee, which was better than snapping back that she was the baddie he was after. It also helped to temper his response that he believed that Harlow, despite being Ava Mae’s prisoner, was still capable of witnessing everything that was going on around her. He held his eye contact with Ava Mae, daring her to look away and praying that Harlow really could hear him. “I can’t make plans for tomorrow until I see how today goes. It’s my job to keep the city and all its citizens safe. And I’m not going to start shirking that duty just because Branzino is no longer a threat. There are still plenty of evils that need eradicating.”

  Whether it was the mention of her father or evils that needed eradicating, the tiniest hint of alarm flashed in Ava Mae’s gaze. She spun toward Lally, who was watching with the sharp-eyed expression of someone who thought they might have to act on a moment’s notice. “How long before breakfast?”

  “Ten minutes or so.” Lally turned and started cracking eggs with an unusual amount of force.

  Ava Mae nodded. “Fine. I’ll come back down then. I just remembered something I need to do.” With a furtive look at Lally, she took her coffee and went upstairs.

  Ava Mae set her coffee cup on Olivia’s dressing table and pushed open the door to her mother’s closet. The soft breeze wafting through the cracks of the door hidden behind the clothes greeted Ava Mae like an old friend. The tree sensed her just as she sensed it.

  Deep within her, Harlow shifted uncomfortably. What are you doing?

  What I should have done days ago. She walked in, closed the door and leaned against it. Whether or not Augustine had meant his words to scare her, they had. Did he know she’d taken over Harlow’s body? She wasn’t sure he even knew about the tree, but all his talk about eradicating evil made her think he was up to something. Something that involved her.

  Leaving the house and being away from the tree for a short time wasn’t an issue, but if he did something that prevented her from getting back here, she would be in real trouble. She’d weaken, and with the way Harlow had been fighting back, Ava Mae could lose her control. If she was away long enough, she might weaken to the point of no return.

  That could not be allowed to happen. She needed some insurance. The kind only the tree could give her. She shoved the clothes aside to stare at the outline of the hidden door. Not so hidden now, not since she’d wooed Harlow into unlocking it and stepping through.

  She pushed it open and walked out onto the small balcony that abutted the tree’s trunk. She closed her eyes for a moment, inhaling the acrid, sooty scent that smelled like home because it was. The tree was the only home she’d known. She went to the edge of the narrow balcony and wrapped her arms around the trunk, pressing her face into the charred bark.

  Harlow cringed, causing Ava Mae’s stomach to sour, but the tree vibrated with welcoming power and after a moment of contact, she felt whole again and Harlow fell silent and still.

  She released the tree and stepped back, staring up at the spiderweb of branches that mapped the space above her. Confidence filled her. No one would unseat her from this body. No one. She wasn’t sure how she was going to make that happen, but she’d figure it out just like she’d figured everything else out.

  The closest branch was above her head. She climbed onto the railing, using the trunk for balance, and took hold of one narrow offshoot. It snapped cleanly in her grasp. She hopped down off the railing and stuck the twig in the pocket of her robe. She’d carry it in her purse when she left the house today; that way, even if Augustine prevented her from returning, she’d have a piece of the tree with her to give her strength and keep Harlow from wresting control back. At least for a little while.

  I hate you, Harlow whispered. She sounded very far away.

  Don’t worry, Sister dear. Ava Mae smiled as she left the closet. You’re only going to be with me a short while longer.

  Neither Augustine nor Lally said a word until Ava Mae had gone back upstairs. Lally shook her head, her voice low but strong. “That woman makes me want to strangle her.” She set the table. “Poor Harlow, trapped in there, unable to do anything.”

  “I know. It’s hard not to do something physical, but I can’t see how that would help Harlow. I will find a way to free her. I promise.”

  Lally nodded. “Well, if you’re not going to be here today, I’m glad that woman isn’t going to be, either.”

  “Lally, if she does anything to upset you—”

  “Don’t you worry about me.” She patted his arm before returning to the stove. “She can’t hurt me anyway. Not much.”

  For her sake, he smiled. “Good. But if you need a place to go, you can always go to the Guardian house. I’ll make sure Beatrice and Dulcinea know, too. In fact, I’ll ask them if they mind you having a key. Not that Beatrice goes out too much now that she’s got morning sickness.” His two lieutenants who lived there would be lucky to have Lally around. The woman was a treasure. “And I can have Nekai add you to the house’s protection ward. It’s a little hard to find otherwise.”

  “Thank you, Augie. I appreciate that, but you know I don’t do well leaving this house.” She dumped the eggs she’d scrambled into a pan slick with bacon fat. “You be home for supper?”

  “I should be.” Despite Lally’s reassurances that she could take care of herself, he was loath to leave her alone with Ava Mae, no matter how briefly. “If not, I’ll call, okay? And if I can get home early, we’ll go see Olivia.”

  “Good enough.”

  Ava Mae’s return for breakfast dampened his mood again and after a tense meal spent dancing around Ava Mae’s innuendos and deflecting Lally’s pointed comments, Augustine busied himself with made-up chores until Ava Mae left. She took off in Olivia’s Bentley convertible, ignoring the late-model hybrid Harlow had driven to New Orleans. He couldn’t blame her. Harlow’s vehicle had definitely seen better days and the deep red Bentley was a peach of a car. Didn’t matter what Ava Mae drove, though; he’d still know where she was. He’d stuck a GPS tracker on both cars and dropped one in her handbag. He wasn’t about to let her disappear with Harlow’s body.

  Fully kitted up in sword, knives and a new pair of fae leathers Fenton had ordered for him, Augustine gave Lally a nod. “All right, I’m off. You need me, you call.” He kissed her cheek.

  “I will. You be careful now.” She smiled as she smoothed the collar of his long coat. “You look awful handsome in this getup. Wouldn’t want any strange women getting ideas and following you home.”

  “Yeah, we have enough strange women in this house already.”

  She laughed as he left and in a few moments, he was in his car, the sleek Tesla Thrun he’d inherited with the job of Guardian. Driving such a fine piece of machinery usually righted his mood, but nothing could shake his worry for Harlow. He was so lost in thought he drove past the turn for Lafayette Cemetery Number One.

  He swung around, parked on Coliseum and got out, going into his newly discovered smokesinger half form that allowed him to ghost through the high wall surrounding the hallowed site. He’d only used the form a few times now, but with each shift it got easier and his confidence in the ability grew, something he knew Fenton would appreciate.

  Inside the cemetery, he strolled t
oward the Miller crypt with the collar of his long leather coat turned up against the chill of the February morning. Fallen leaves crunched underfoot, releasing the damp scent of earth. After a quick check that no one else was around, he took the few steps to the crypt’s entrance and pulled on the rusted sconce beside it. Soundlessly, the door swung open.

  He slipped in and used another sconce to close the door. Simultaneously, a section of the crypt’s floor slid back, revealing a set of worn steps leading into the earth. Into the Pelcrum. The headquarters for all the secret and not-so-secret dealings of the fae. He strode down into the cavern, the soft glow of the gas lamps along the wide hall welcoming him as he made his way past a number of doors to open the double set at the end.

  Fenton waited at the grand meeting table in the war room, as did a large mug of coffee at Augustine’s place. “Morning. How are things?”

  Augustine knew exactly what Fenton meant. He settled into his chair and took a drink of coffee before answering. “She finally left her room and came down to breakfast.”

  Fenton’s brows lifted. “That’s… good. I guess. Any change other than that?”

  Augustine shook his head. “No. Ava Mae is still running the show. She said she’s going out shopping today.”

  “Maybe you should have one of the lieutenants trail her.”

  “I planned to. I put a tracker on the car. Actually, let me call Cylo before we go any further.” As an ethos fae, Cy could mimic anyone so long as he’d seen them. So even though Ava Mae knew what he looked like, he could choose a new identity and keep himself perfectly hidden. In fact, he could change his look throughout the day, never giving her the slightest hint she was being watched. Augustine grabbed his Life Management Device, unlocked the screen and tapped Cy’s speed dial.

  Fenton frowned. “Is your com cell not working?”

  Augustine touched the tiny gray dot stuck behind his ear. “It’s fine. Just a little early for voices in my head.” Using the LMD manually turned the com cell off automatically.

  Cy answered. “Hey boss, what’s up? How’s our girl?”

  “She’s the same.” Cy and Harlow had bonded over their shared geek love of online gaming and a sci-fi show called Star Alliance. “She’s also why I’m calling you. Ava Mae plans to go out shopping today. I want you to tail her, make sure she doesn’t do anything to harm Harlow.”

  “You got it. She’ll never know I’m there.”

  “That’s the plan. Check in with me when you can; otherwise, just call me when she returns home.”

  “You got it, boss. How do I find her?”

  “She’s in Olivia’s red Bentley. The car has a tracker on it but so does her purse. As soon as we hang up, I’ll send you the links for both. You shouldn’t have any trouble locating her.”

  “Cool. I’m on it.”

  Augustine hung up, swiping his finger over the screen and sending the links as promised. Then he set his LMD down and picked up his coffee. “That’s one less thing to worry about today. What else is new? Any ideas on how to get Harlow back? Nekai turn anything up?”

  Fenton’s slow nod was a sure sign there was something new. “I’ll get to what’s new in a moment. The best Nekai’s been able to come up with so far is a spell that would put her in a type of stasis.”

  “You mean like a coma?” Augustine didn’t like the sound of that at all.

  Fenton made a face, tipping his hand back and forth. “Sort of. Because it would be magically induced and not medically, it wouldn’t be as taxing on the body. More like a very restful sleep. But it’s a stopgap measure, not a cure.” He pushed his glasses back on the bridge of his nose. “At least we know it’s possible if Ava Mae gets out of control.”

  “I guess. What’s the other news?”

  “In my research on Harlow’s condition, it occurred to me that we fae may not be the most expert source of information on this type of possession.” He slanted his eyes at Augustine. “I was thinking you might talk to your mother, see if she knows of anyone who might be knowledgeable about exorcisms. If we get to that point.”

  Augustine’s jaw tensed. “The last time I tried to talk to my mother, she refused to even see me. I am done trying to reach her.”

  “But Harlow’s life is potentially at stake. I just thought—”

  “There is nothing I wouldn’t do for Harlow.” Augustine hesitated. “Do you really think this is a path worth pursuing?”

  Fenton shrugged. “It might be grasping at straws but right now, straws are all we have.”

  Augustine grimaced. “Maybe there’s someone else we can talk to then. My mother isn’t going to help us. That bridge isn’t just burned, it’s gone. Besides, if there is any way around it, I will not put Harlow through an exorcism.”

  He stared at the enormous fleur-de-lis inlaid in the table’s center, memories churning through his mind. His mother had done that to him as a child. He’d been terrified by the process, somewhat because of the mysticism surrounding it but more by the idea that he was possessed by something evil. All because he’d been born blatantly fae, unlike his half-human, half-smokesinger mother, who could easily pass for human. Not long after kicking him out of her home for being too fae, she’d gone to live at the Ursuline Convent. She still lived there, doing menial labor in exchange for her room and board.

  Her faith had become her Guardian, but her son, who was Guardian of the entire city, she ignored. The irony was not lost on him.

  “I’m sorry,” Fenton said quietly. “I knew you’d… that is, I didn’t mean to stir up your past.”

  The fact that Fenton knew what Augustine’s mother had done to him those many years ago didn’t surprise him. The cypher fae knew everything. “I know you didn’t. Anything else?”

  “Yes. I had a feeling you’d respond to my suggestion about contacting your mother the way you did, so I reached out to Detective Grantham—”

  “What’s he got to do with Harlow’s situation?”

  “Nothing directly, but he did tell us his grandmother was a mambo.”

  “I remember. She was the one who verified the powder we found in Dreich’s home after his death was bokura, the zombie dust.” The light clicked on in Augustine’s mind. A mambo was a voodoo priestess and voodoo had many religious elements in it. “You’re thinking a mambo could very well know how to handle a possession.”

  “I am.”

  Typically the fae avoided voodoo the same way they did witchcraft, but this was a special case. And perhaps, in some ways, a new age. What difference did it make where the help came from? “Is his grandmother well? I thought she’d been sick.”

  “She had been, but she’s better now.”

  “Did you ask Grantham about her helping us?”

  Fenton nodded. “I did. He talked to her and she agreed to meet with you, so long as Grantham is there, too. I’m sure she’s as trepidatious about meeting you as you are about mixing voodoo into this situation.”

  “If it helps Harlow, I’m all for it.”

  “Good. You’re to meet him at her house in a couple hours. She lives out in Treme.”

  “Near Father Ogun?”

  “In that neighborhood, yes.” Fenton tapped his LMD. “I’m sending you the directions now.”

  Augustine’s LMD buzzed with the incoming info. “Thank you for setting that up.”

  “You’re welcome, but it’s not exactly free. Grantham needs our help with something, too, so you can expect to talk to him afterwards.”

  “Quid pro quo. What’s he need?”

  “Tourists have been disappearing.”

  “Sounds like a job for City Hall. Or the tourism board.”

  Fenton shook his head. “I don’t mean tourism’s down, I mean tourists have literally gone missing.”

  “Mardi Gras was two days ago. They’re probably just sleeping it off somewhere.”

  Fenton shook his head. “Six tourists in three days. Valuables left in their hotel rooms, except for the things they might have been carryi
ng on their person. This isn’t just a case of someone passing out by the river, or in the wrong hotel room. And to make matters worse, it seems one of the tourists is Robbie Pellimento.”

  “The senator’s son? You said seems. Does that mean you don’t know if he’s actually missing?”

  “Correct. Robbie has a reputation as being quite the party animal. It could be he is actually sleeping it off somewhere. Or still partying. Or trying to avoid his mother, the senator. Whatever the case, Senator Pellimento was scheduled to arrive in two days to dedicate that new statue in Audubon Park.” Fenton heaved out an unhappy breath. “However, since Robbie has been incommunicado, she’s arriving today.”

  “And that’s a concern because?”

  “While it’s pretty common knowledge that Irene Pellimento is on track to be the next president of the Southern Union, what’s not well known is her hatred of othernaturals. If she had her way, we’d all be rounded up into camps. And we might be, if she ends up president.”

  Augustine frowned. “I’m not saying I doubt you, but this is the first time I’ve heard about this. Not that I follow human politics much.”

  “I do and I can tell you, Pellimento’s sly about it, but digging into the legislation she’s passed has brought to light a frightening number of anti-othernatural rulings.”

  “So basically, if her son is among these missing tourists and this turns out to be othernatural related, she’s going to hate us more than usual?”

  Fenton’s eyes narrowed behind his glasses. “She has the power to take New Orleans away from us, Augustine. To destroy our Haven city designation.”

  “That’s a fae thing. She has no say over that.”

  “She does if she makes it illegal for fae to own property or hold a job here.” He pointed a finger at Augustine’s smirk. “I’m not joking. If her son dies and she becomes the next president of the Southern Union, she will make our lives very difficult. Actually, it won’t take her becoming the president to make our lives hell. As I’m sure you can imagine, Loudreux is very concerned this not happen.”