5132
PRESENT
I didn't run.
I walked slowly, enjoying the rain outside. It made it easier to tiptoe between alleys, easier to hide the fact that I might be crying. When I came here, my sole goal was to bring Keisha out in the open. Vent all the things I wanted to say.
Then kill her.
That's what kept me going after the last few days of hell.
And now it wasn't even an option.
"Lana had a family and now she has no one," I whispered, feeling them sound louder than normal.
My hands were started to feel twitchy again. Maybe because I was getting hungry or maybe I was off my meds for too long. Who knew? Just to keep them busy, I pulled the phone out of my jacket, punching a number I thought I'd never use.
It rang twice.
"Mr. Hernandez." I finally murmured, hearing a sharp breath. "I'm in the French quarter now and I'm finally done. Catch me if you can."
I didn't wait for a question or an answer. Instead, I put the phone away, too busy trying not to cry harder. I didn't even realize when I stopped at the cemetery my dad was supposed to be buried in. I didn't deal with death like everybody did. When Samara died, I skipped the whole funeral, too busy fucking Zach to get my mind off of it. I didn't feel a single thing then, not like he did. I was too angry at myself and the whole fucking world, I didn't want to see her dead body, memorizing her short life like every kid at the school did.
I just needed my best friend back.
And, when Zach died? His aunt didn't let me go to his funeral. In her words, I was the bitch that drove her nephew to an early grave. I didn't have the right to see him one last time or say any words. Both times, I couldn't cry. I just went by my day, waiting for the other shoe to drop at anytime.
It didn't.
So why was I now crying?
"Hello, dad. Heard that bitch totally did you wrong." I laughed, the sound scaring a few crows nearby. "I-I don't know what else to say."
I imagined him looking at me with a grimace. It's been too long that I even stopped caring about what people thought about me. I was always running, always after something. Be it a dead mother or a beloved who I could never truly love.
"Wish you were here to give me some advice. I really could use some. Mom will only hate me if I go to her. And, I'm not talking about Keisha if you're disturbed. I've never met her and still, she makes me want to erase her name from my memory."
"D-Did you ever want me? Us?" I braced myself for the disappointment to flow when I finally admitted what hurt most. "I don't even know if it was you who decided to put me up for adoption or Keisha. It's not like I had a bad life. Mom was strict but she loves me. So much that she was willing to make Zach out to be the bad guy. Said he lit some pretty candles and forgot to blow them out when he overdosed. I couldn't bear to look at her after she said that in court. Enough about that. How's afterlife treating you?"
I didn't hear any answer. It was better that way.
"I hope it's better than mine. At least you didn't come back to life and choose violence." The memory of that knife and its hard edge on my skin still made me shudder. "I am going back to that hell, dad. I promised so many things but...there's nothing left for me here anymore. So, I guess this is the last time I'll ever see you. Goodbye, love you."
I turned, fully intended to wait for my demise when I noticed Chiara waiting for me with a frown on her face. Seeing her again made me feel uneasy but I sucked it up with a groan. "Following people around usually gets them a restriction order, not a pat on the back."
She was quick to apologize. "I'm sorry. Look. I'm not here to fight. You looked so upset when you left, I couldn't just let you go like that. I didn't hear what you just said if that's helpful. I just need you to know that you have someone who can help you."
"And, that's you?" Funny how all the people in my life just wanted to help me, fix me but none just wanted to hear me.
"Yes. I don't think you understand the power you have yet. Your mother, Keisha used to practice dark arts, meaning she had a handful of dark objects that I think you'll benefit from. You're not a witch, right?"
"No, I am not." I gritted out.
"You need it more than you think. Just see the collection. If you want to leave then, I won't stop you. The best part? It's close to the cemetery." Without waiting for confirmation, she started waving through the dead, a lightness in her steps that I almost envied.
After following her around for a few minutes, we came to an area surrounded by trees. But it's not the scenery that made me curious, it's the small house in the middle of it did. The similarity between this house and the cabin back home wasn't lost on me.
"Come on."
I tiptoed inside, expecting something like a haunted house. But to my surprise, it was well maintained. The walls were made of wood but the ceiling was all glass. The deeper we went, the more my heart started beating faster. Why did I feel like I came here before?
"You ok?" I heard Chiara murmur.
"Yeah, fine. Just taken aback."
Holy shit. That woman had lots and lots of objects. There were three shelves filled with just books, not to mention the walls were also decorated with various objects. I went to touch one when Chiara recalled. "That takes away magic. If you were a witch, I'd advise against it but you can take it."
I did, along with three more objects that I felt were useful.
Yet I couldn't comprehend something else. "From what I heard from others, practicing dark magic is punishment itself. Why do you want me to own these so bad?"
"You don't have a magic of your own. Wouldn't you want something that can protect you?"
"Projecting, are we?" I pushed, seeing a flash of anger in her eyes.
"It's not about me. It's about you, child. You've been battered-wait." She paused, looking at something behind me. Pushing me aside, she went to the first bookshelf, knocking the books off to find something. It didn't make sense why she sucked in a breath, looking around in frenzy but the way her entire form started shaking had me curious to know more.
"What happened?"
"A book is missing." She looked up at me in fear. "Someone was here. Someone broke in and took it."
"By the way you're panicking I get that it was something important?" I watched as she nodded, cursing whoever dared to do such a thing.
"It's the book of dammed actually, it's full of black magic and secrets. There are things in it that can destroy an entire bloodline. Especially yours. We need to find it."
I wasn't yet that interested until she said the last words. "It can also bring back the dead."
***
VERMON
"Dear diary,
Sandy is dead.
Those sisters are dead.
My Zach is dead.
Mikhail is lost.
And, I am still alive. Still breathing. But if Byron had his way? I'm soon going to meet them all."
***
"Blood, there's so much blood.
I can smell them on me.
On them.
Byron and his master won.
Even the tune of evil can't save me now."
I closed the diary, glancing out of the window with a permanent frown. It was no longer that I'd be in New Orleans. The scenery before me was almost enjoyable if it wasn't Zedkiel sitting beside me looking as smug as anyone could.
It should have been Aaron beside me.
Talking and playing trivia to get rid of his phobia of flying.
But I had a bird to catch and a whole lot of secrets to bury so he was still back home, left at Zedkiel's clan's mercy. They were either going to make him forget or get him to understand. Both options made me terrified of the result.
Fuck, I was going to lose my best friend either way.
"Reading some recent hit novella?" Zedkiel asked casually.
"You know it's not a novella," I gritted out much to his amusement.
"C'mon now! We've got past the trust issues. You can tell me all about the girl. I'm practically dying to meet her."
I decided to just avoid his knowing eyes. "There's no girl."
"But I thought there was one when we first met?" He grinned.
Thankfully it was time for landing so he stopped asking questions.
Instead of going straight to the French quarter, I called the NOPD, sending them the files I was organizing for a while. They knew I was coming so it didn't take long for them to get me to meet the chief.
"Hello, Detective."
"Hello, Chief. Did you get the files?" Anxiously I waited while Zedkiel just stared at me with curiosity. He thought he knew everything but there were things happening that he didn't have an inkling of.
"I did." Chief nodded, sharing the same look with me. "Do you have the original evidence?"
I nodded, bringing the diary to him. It was hard to let this go but I had to remember that it was only for a few days. Chief looked through it until he reached the last part. His eyes widened only for a minute but it was enough to soothe my anxiety.
I had solid proof.
Byron was going down with Valentine.