Blood Pool

Chapter Twenty-two

Dusk fell on the island of Hannah ’s Vineyard like the final curtain call of a brilliant Broadway show. Mick led Raven into Laroque’s house through the back doors, and she noticed the familiar basement door where she’d originally snuck in.

On that fateful day she’d kidnapped Jade.

Flipping on the lights, Mick walked into the sunroom. He pressed a button that automatically closed the blinds which covered the three walls of windows. Raven followed him into the kitchen. He took out a beer for himself and offered one to Raven.

She accepted. “Sure, thanks.”

“You might as well get comfortable. We’ll be spending the night here. Are you hungry?”

Raven drank the icy cold beer from the dark green bottle, savoring the flavor. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d eaten anything.

“I don’t really know,” she answered.

Mick looked into the freezer and pulled out a frozen pizza, popovers and a foil-wrapped log that had tofu loaf written on it. Not the gourmet comestible he had in mind. He turned the dial on the oven to three-hundred-seventy-five and unwrapped the loaf.

“Where did the others go?” she asked, taking another sip of beer.

Mick was rifling through the cabinets and smiled upon finding a can of mushroom gravy.

“I’m not sure. Henri and Philippe drove off somewhere. My orders were to come in, make you something to eat and make sure you don’t escape.”

“Henri was the man Laroque was traveling with?”

After placing the loaf in a pan, Mick began to open the can of gravy. “Yes, an old friend from New Orleans.”

“About that escape plan… I won’t tell if you won’t. I could knock you over the head with something heavy, like that meatloaf,” she said.

He gave Raven a playful jab. “It’s tofu loaf, and that wouldn’t make a dent on my hard skull. Nice try, though.”

“You’re not going to let him kill me, are you?” Raven asked, finishing the beer. She walked over to the refrigerator and took another. “I need to calm down and think of a way out of here. Oh, did I say that out loud?”

“Boy, one beer and you’re gabbing away. You’re an easy and cheap date,” Mick said as he smiled at Raven, who sat at the kitchen table.

It was a spacious kitchen with a center island and an indoor grill. The floors were Mexican tile in a light grey color and the walls were stucco. Large planters with palms, ficus trees, hibiscus and dracaena stood in otherwise empty corners. It was a lovely kitchen, but it lacked the warmth of a woman’s touch.

“I’m nervous, not easy-big difference. And this isn’t a date, is it? If so…you’re a lousy one. I noticed you didn’t answer my question,” she added.

“I don’t really know what I’m going to do. I like you, Raven. I don’t want to see you die, but I don’t know what I can do. Laroque’s my bread and butter.”

Raven caught him looking a little too long at a picture of Jade that hung from a magnet on the fridge. More puzzle pieces shifted and fell into place.

She teased the fine-looking Lamai. “Ah, and you’re also in love with Jade.”

He turned, almost dropping the pan as he went to place it in the oven.

“You are in love with her!”

Mick looked away. He was a striking man, his skin the color of rich milk chocolate. His features were fine, and he wore his hair cropped close to his scalp.

Raven flipped the cap from her beer bottle in the air. “That would present a problem. Killing her father wouldn’t exactly put you in her good graces.”

“Ya think?” he joked. He swiped the cap in mid-air.

“Does she know?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

She waved her index finger at him. “Oh, don’t start the ‘ma’am’ shit again. Call me Raven.”

“We’ve been seeing each other for a short while, Raven. I know she doesn’t want to see you hurt, and I can’t say I’m too upset she’s a Lamai now.”

“Okay, so one day I could be your sister-in-law. You don’t want my death on your hands, do you?”

Mick took out some pre-packaged salad that hadn’t been opened. It was chock full of vegetables, including carrots, radishes and snow peas. He emptied the bag into a colander and rinsed the pre-washed mixture.

“Nice try, but your death would never be my fault. Laroque is the one hell-bent on killing you.”

Raven got up and went to the sink to pick out a carrot. Her stomach was rumbling with hunger. “Whatever helps you sleep at night, Mick, but you know and I know, and so will Jade, that you could’ve done something to stop this and you didn’t.”

“You think Laroque is stupid enough to leave just the two of us here? He’s got shifters patrolling the grounds. Those dogs out there are wolves. And his charms of protection are active and vastly improved. He learned from the last time, when you came and snagged Jade. He fixed things so he would feel it if anyone who didn’t belong here entered this space.”

Raven slumped while Mick continued. “Plus, the boat is gone, and in case you didn’t realize, we’re not on Mirabelle Cove. We’re on the Vineyard.”

She sulked. “Yes, I noticed.”

“I’m thinking, though. The men outside are loyal to him. I tried feeling them out before, when we were in the Keys.”

“They were there?” Raven asked.

“Yeah, patrolling the grounds. They’ve worked for him for at least a decade.” Mick oiled a cookie sheet and placed the frozen pizza and popovers on it. He opened the oven door and slid the food inside.

“Laroque will kill me at the festival tomorrow night. A big sacrifice, I suppose.” She let out a distraught sigh.

“Your father would never allow that to happen…”

At once, it became daylight in the yard. One-thousand-watt sensor lights blazed, making it impossible to see what was going on outside. Mick ran to the door. “Stay in here,” he commanded.

Of course, Raven followed him.

The backyard was vacant of any large trees except for one massive oak. Its branches, practically bare, cast shadows of skeletal limbs onto the manicured grass. At the base of the oak, two grey wolves stood hunched, snarling at a massive black animal.

Raven could see the well-toned muscular form underneath the ebony fur that gleamed in the lamplight. She knew it was Bo. Lamai or not, Raven could tell when her man-her wolf-was near.

One grey wolf attacked the black beast, going straight for his jugular, but Bo swiftly moved out of the way. Unfortunately, he spun around into the other wolf.

Mick’s eyes glowed a golden color almost identical to Bo’s, and his fangs extended. His head swerved sharply and he was suddenly looking at Raven. “What part of stay in here didn’t you understand? Get back inside.”

“Bo…” she whispered.

A hand clamped over her mouth. Her eyes widened as she tried to look at who grabbed her, but all she saw was blackness.

“Bo went to Hannah’s Vineyard,” Julianna said, gazing into her crystal pyramid. “The charms around Laroque’s house have changed from their greenish aura to red. He would know if someone had broken through, probably as soon as the perpetrator, meaning Bo, got within a certain distance of the perimeter.”

“I agree,” Solaris said, tossing small bones onto a velvet cloth. “Bo is on the Vineyard and he’s in danger, outnumbered.”

Julianna had closed The Bed and Brew early that night to prepare for the next day’s festivities. Solaris had resumed planning the Nights of the Parades once they had the epidemic under control. There were no new cases of the virus. News of Frank’s disappearance had died quickly, thanks to some spells performed by Emerald, Julianna and Solaris.

Mordred and Bridget were busy in the back preparing food for the following night. While kneading many loaves of dough, they tossed flour at each other, enjoying the moment. The scare of only a couple of weeks ago, when Mordred fought for his life, seemed years away.

Emerald sat next to Tobias and Jade, silently envying the young lovers in the other room. She was distracted and lost in thought, daydreaming about her wedding day, which would take place on the Winter Solstice.

“We searched the Vineyard-used our abilities to try to hone in on Raven’s energy. How did Bo know she was there?” Tobias asked.

Emerald’s lips parted slightly and her eyes rolled back, revealing only the whites.

A hollow voice came from petite blonde’s mouth. It was the voice of Queen Rhia. “I told you to follow the heart. The heart knows more than the mind, Tobias.”

Emerald slumped over, and Tobias grabbed her before she slid off the chair. He gathered her in his arms and laid her down on a quilted lounge chair by the roaring fire. Her eyes fluttered open and she smiled at Tobias, who gently stroked her cheeks.

“Follow Bo, my sweet. He knows where Raven is. His is the heart you must follow. Go. I’ll be fine. We’re fine,” Emerald whispered as she touched her belly. “I need to go shopping with Iris anyway. My jeans don’t fit anymore.” She raised her head and their lips met. “Go find your daughter.”

Jade stood and headed for the door. Tobias joined her.

As they walked over the threshold, both became one with the vapors.