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Christmas Brew (Witches of New Orleans #2) 3. The Help of a Stranger 30%
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3. The Help of a Stranger

CHAPTER 3

The Help of a Stranger

W e spend the next few hours decorating the tree. Margaret’s ornament collection is a hodgepodge of all styles, each one beautiful in its own way. Zeke has focused on the lights, racing up the tree trunk to place the lights in just the right locations, while Drake and I hang the ornaments.

“This is the last box,” Drake says, coming down the stairs with a small container in his hands. “These were her favorites. She insisted on saving them for last.”

Opening the box, I’m surprised to find a small collection of glass balls. Each one is inscribed with a name. I pull a beautiful pink ornament from the box. Written in perfect penmanship is Rose. “Is this me?”

Drake smiles. “Yeah. She made an ornament for each ancestor and family member.”

“I wish I could’ve known her.” My voice sounds sad.

The three of us finish decorating just as the sun begins to set, casting a beautiful glow off the bayou and through the back windows. As the last ornament is placed, Hecate stalks her way toward the tree, batting a paw at the ornaments low to the ground. “Don’t even think about it, girl,” I warn. She glares at me before moving closer to Zeke.

“Don’t even think about it, girl,” Zeke copies my words, glaring at my familiar. “I may be small, but I’m fast.”

I step back, looking at our creation. “It’s beautiful.”

“Yeah, it is,” Drake agrees. He turns, facing me. “Can we talk about what happened upstairs?”

Zeke sits on the top of the couch, and I take up residence on the cushions. “I think that’s a great idea.” I look my handyman in the eyes. “What have you heard about vampires and werewolves?”

Drake sits on the matching chair. “Growing up in New Orleans, you hear rumors of things that seem impossible. Throughout the years, I’ve heard stories of vampires or lycan but nothing more than that.”

“Lycan?” I ask.

“That’s what the wolves prefer to be called,” Zeke interrupts. “It’s a bit bougie sounding if you ask me.”

“What have you heard about the lycan?” I persist.

“There’s a bar in the Quarter that’s owned by the pack. Their alpha runs it, and the rest of the pack are in and out.”

“What about the vampires?” I ask.

“I haven’t heard much about them,” Drake answers. “There’s not as many of them, and they usually keep to themselves.”

Zeke’s tiny laugh fills the room. “Vampires keeping to themselves. That’s a crock of shit. I’ve never met a vampire who didn’t like to stick his or her nose into everyone else’s business.”

“Have you met any in New Orleans?” I ask.

“Plenty of them. Most of them are jerks. There is one that I’m quite fond of. Her hair is the color of fire, and her eyes…”

“Zeke,” Drake interrupts the tangent he is heading toward.

“Yes. I’ve met several.”

“What do you know about Kragen?” I ask.

“Other than he’s one of the most powerful vampires in the world, not much. He has the reputation of being ruthless and deadly.” Zeke has lost his playful nature. “He’s bad news and dangerous.”

“Why would he be in my mirror?”

“Because of that.” Zeke points to the crystal amulet hanging around my neck. “Your ancestor stole it from him, and he wants it back.”

“He can’t have it,” I answer, latching my fingers protectively around the heirloom. “Zeke? Were you in the parking lot today?”

“Maybe…”

“I’m going to take that as a yes. How did you move my car?”

“I was there as protection, and I wasn’t the one who moved the car.”

I stare at the tiny imp. “If it wasn’t you, who was it?”

He sighs. “What do you know about vampires?”

I shrug. “Other than they glisten in the sunlight, and they’re not a fan of garlic, not much.”

“Oh, my stars. They do not glisten in the sunlight. I don’t know about the garlic thing, but I can ask.” He shakes his tiny head in disapproval. “Those damn books make everyone think vampires can glow. Next, humans are going to think that imps are nothing more than demons in disguise.”

“You’re not?” Drake teases.

“Seriously?” He glares at Drake with his answer before turning back to me. “What hit your car today in the parking lot was a vampire. They move faster than humans, even faster than a witch’s eyes can track.”

“A vampire hit the side of my car?” I’m not sure I heard him correctly. “Why?”

Zeke points at the amulet again. “He smelled like Kragen, meaning he’s one of his creations. No doubt, the pirate or someone associated with the pirate sent him after the crystal.”

“Why is he so obsessed with this thing?” I pull the black cord over my head, holding the crystal in my hand.

“May I?” Zeke asks, holding his hand toward me.

“No,” Drake answers. “Nothing personal, man. You just got here, and we don’t know you from Adam. Why would Rose trust you with something that valuable?”

Zeke pulls his hand back, moving across the room faster than the blink of an eye. He returns moments later, holding the crystal ball that’s occupied the space above the television since I’ve been here. “Put the crystal next to this.”

“That’s nothing more than a parlor trick,” Drake says, setting the crystal ball on the table in front of us. “No one uses these things for real.”

“Put the crystal next to this,” Zeke repeats .

I follow directions, placing the soft blue crystal next to the glass ball. The moment the two make contact, the room transforms from the living room I’ve used for the past few months to a roaring sea.

“What is this?” I ask, realizing my clothes are drenched.

“It’s the power of the sea, and this is just the tip of the iceberg. Pun fully intended,” Zeke answers. “It’s true that it was blessed by the Goddess of the Sea.” He looks me in the eyes. “That goddess was married to Kragen.”

I stare at the imp, hoping to process his words. “A vampire was married to a goddess?”

“Yeppers.”

“Holy shit,” Drake says, sitting back in his chair.

“That’s an understatement.” Zeke laughs. “Kragen wants it back and will do anything he can to get his hands on it. Until the human contacted him, he had no idea where the crystal was or who had it.” I don’t question how he knows about Oswald.

“Now, he does,” Drake finishes the sentence.

“Now, he does. My guess is the mirror is just the first of his attempts. He’s not going to stop until he gets it back.”

“Nothing personal, Zeke, but we need more help than an imp.” My words are harsh, and I almost feel guilty.

Zeke stands from the couch. “It’s a good thing I’m old and have a thick skin, or that would’ve hurt a little.”

“I don’t mean to hurt your feelings, but two witches and an imp are no match for an ancient vampire. And from what you say, he has more vampires under his command. ”

“Then we call in the cavalry.”

“Who exactly are the cavalry?” Drake asks.

“That woman at the tarot shop holds a lot of power, as does the old woman in the parking lot.” Zeke crosses his arms over his chest as he speaks.

I think back to the parking lot and the homeless woman. “Ms. Bessie?”

He laughs. “Don’t let that old bag fool you. She holds more power in her pinky than most witches hold in their entire body.”

“She saw you.”

“Yeah. The two of us have a sort of love-hate relationship. Mostly, she loves to hate me.” He brushes his shirt of invisible lint. “It’s okay, though. She’s only got a few years at best left in her old bones.” He laughs at his words. “Jokes on you, Bessie!”

“Let’s go.” I stand, moving toward the door.

“You want to go find this woman now?” Drake asks. “It’s getting dark.”

“From what I saw this afternoon, Kragen isn’t going to care what time it is. Waiting until tomorrow is just one more day he has to get to me or the crystal.”

Zeke and Drake share a look. “She’s got a point,” Zeke agrees.

The three of us drive Drake’s truck back into town, parking in the same lot I was in earlier. His truck is less likely to draw attention. “Where does Bessie usually stay?” I ask the tiny man.

“Hell, I don’t know. She just seems to show up when I’m around.”

“Then get out of the truck. ”

He stares at me like I’ve lost my mind. “Why?”

“So, she’ll show up.”

“Rose, I meant figuratively, not magically.” He turns, muttering something under his breath.

“Then we’ll all walk together,” Drake announces, turning the truck engine off. “It’s still early in the Quarter. Surely, we’ll run into her.”

“I doubt it, and don’t call me Shirley.” Zeke falls off the truck seat, laughing at his joke. “Get it?” Neither Drake nor I laugh at his words. “Really? You don’t get it? Gods, you two are young. I’ll explain another day.”

The three of us exit the truck and move toward Jackson Square. Zeke jumps to my shoulder and perches himself high. “I hope you don’t mind. The view up here is better than looking everyone in the ass.”

“I don’t mind, but what if a human sees you?”

Zeke laughs. “It’s New Orleans.”

“True,” I answer as the three of us work our way closer to the iconic landscape. The area in front of the cathedral is full of tourists enjoying a local jazz band playing Christmas favorites.

“This is where she’d be,” Zeke says from my shoulder. “She loves crowds.”

I don’t question him as the three of us work our way through the tourists, looking for the familiar homeless woman. “Anyone want to tell me what I’m looking for?” Drake asks, scouring the crowd.

“She was older and thin…”

“Come with me,” a voice says, pulling my arm. I grab Drake and follow the woman out of the crowd into a nearby alley. Whoever this woman is, she’s well-dressed, and her hair is perfectly coiffed.

She stops, turning to face us. “Why are you here?”

I stare into her eyes, instantly recognizing them from this morning. “Ms. Bessie? You…you look so different.”

“It’s me, girl.” She looks at the imp on my shoulder. “I should’ve known you had something to do with this, Xyqloux .”

“Don’t look at me that way, Elizabeth . The girl twisted my arm and dragged me out here against my will.” Zeke just threw me under the bus.

“Your name is Xyqloux?” Drake asks, making me laugh.

“It’s a family name,” he retorts. He turns back to Bessie. “The pirate showed up at the house.”

“Shit,” Bessie whispers, walking in a circle. “That means he found her.”

I hold up my hands. “Wait. How do you know anything about this?”

Bessie sighs. “Your aunt was my best friend. We grew up together in the bayou, and we learned to hone our craft while there.”

I stare at the formerly homeless woman. “What the hell was today, then? You took my money.”

“No, you offered money. I accepted.”

I don’t know how to respond. Technically, she’s right. I did offer. “What do you know about the pirate?”

“Other than he’s a dangerous, not much. I’m sure Zeke has filled in the details up to now.”

“Not really,” Drake and I say in unison.

Bessie scoffs. “Not a surprise. Margaret would be so…”

“Stop!” I interrupt. “How about we start at the beginning and explain why you two seem like the world’s worst guardians.”

Bessie and Zeke turn, facing me. “Now who’s being rude?” Zeke asks.

“She’s got a point,” Drake adds.

“The vampire in the parking lot earlier would’ve killed you had I or Zeke not been there. He would’ve been in your car with your blood drained and the crystal missing before you realized what was happening. The only thing that prevented that from happening was us, the world’s worst guardians .”

“Bessie protected you with a spell while I fought with him,” Zeke announces.

“You fought a vampire?” I’m not sure why that surprises me.

“I may be small, but I’m not helpless. I fought a vampire and won. Your standing here right now is evidence of that.”

“Thank you.” I look between the two of them. “Thank you, both.”

“Don’t thank us. We’re not doing it for you.” Bessie’s words are harsh. “I made a promise to your aunt that I would protect you and the crystal after she was gone. That’s what I’m doing.”

“Me, too.” Zeke’s voice has lost the usual edge it carries.

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