her.
“Wait!” She cried
out when I stepped onto the ledge.
I paused, gazing down
into her impossibly blue eyes. “It’s going to be ok,” I willed
her to trust me. I saw an emotion flick over her face before her eyes
slid closed. She nodded slowly and I took one step, dropping stories
to the courtyard below.
I set Ana down but as
soon as she took one step, she limped. I immediately went to scoop
her up again but she declined. I closed my eyes at the rage that was
threatening because she got hurt. How fragile she was. Was it broken?
Would it heal? I should have gotten there earlier. And I felt like I
had failed, even as the house behind me became consumed with flames.
I put Ana’s arm
around me, understanding her need to be self-sufficient. She had been
doing things for herself her whole life. I couldn’t wait to change
that. I couldn’t wait to take care of her.
We had slowed down
because of Ana’s ankle, and Luke turned around to see what was
keeping us. When he saw that Ana was attempting to walk by herself,
he shook his head and ran back to help.
I ignored the fact that
he had my girlfriend’s arm around his neck because we really needed
to get out of there. Sure enough there would be others attracted to
the scene. The burning just seemed to release the evils of the house.
LaLaurie would be present until the burning was complete, plenty
enough time to call someone else after Ana, to entice them.
We finally slowed our
place when we got to the moonwalk by the river. I would have to send
Luke back to get the car eventually, but right now I think Ana just
needed to sit.
“Breakfast?”
She looked up at me,
surprised. She paused and I wasn’t sure if she was going to reply
or not. Maybe she just needed to comprehend all the supernatural
occurrences that she encountered.
“Yeah,” She smiled
dreamily back at me.
That word was never
more welcoming.
“Good, I know the
perfect place.” I led us towards Jackson Square.
Ana was looking around
the city as if taking inventory. Looking at the French Quarter, she
seemed relieved. It had been two months and downtown didn’t sustain
much damage. It was a city that needed to be run, and many of the
residents were already strolling in for work that morning. I was
impressed that the humans had been so resilient in returning and
going back to their normal lives. And as it so happened, it was still
a recovering city so our stunt at the LaLaurie mansion went
undiscovered.
“Wait here,” I told
Ana and Luke as I recognized the white-and-green canopy.
I jogged to the front
of Café Du Monde. There was one worker on the patio setting up
tables. For whom? I wondered idly.
“I’m sorry were not
open yet,” She said to me kindly, without looking up from her work.
I took out my wallet.
“We just need a couple of au laits and an order of beignets.” She
turned to me, ready to chastise me but stopped as she saw the bills I
held up in my hand. “Please?”
“How many?”
I gave her a smile.
Ten minutes later, I
had the coffees and bag of beignets in my hand. Ana rewarded me with
an impressed smile when I returned. I was amazed how great she could
make me feel for something so miniscule.
The sun was rising over
the Mississippi and, for a second, with the silence and lack of
artificial light in the city, I couldn’t tell what year it was.
Ana walked a while more
before choosing a bench facing the river. Luke sat on the other side
of her and, once again, Ana was in the middle.
Epilogue
“Do we know anything
new yet?” Luke asked me while I waited in the foyer of our house.
We had brought Ana back that day and given her the guestroom of our
spacious New Orleans property. Since the night of the LaLaurie
incident, Luke had told me what he overhead the young Vasquez telling
Ana before he killed him. The boy had apparently escaped with Ana to
the balcony to trade her to another supernatural. “LaLaurie is
nothing. She doesn’t want you dead for what you are.
“Wait!” She cried
out when I stepped onto the ledge.
I paused, gazing down
into her impossibly blue eyes. “It’s going to be ok,” I willed
her to trust me. I saw an emotion flick over her face before her eyes
slid closed. She nodded slowly and I took one step, dropping stories
to the courtyard below.
I set Ana down but as
soon as she took one step, she limped. I immediately went to scoop
her up again but she declined. I closed my eyes at the rage that was
threatening because she got hurt. How fragile she was. Was it broken?
Would it heal? I should have gotten there earlier. And I felt like I
had failed, even as the house behind me became consumed with flames.
I put Ana’s arm
around me, understanding her need to be self-sufficient. She had been
doing things for herself her whole life. I couldn’t wait to change
that. I couldn’t wait to take care of her.
We had slowed down
because of Ana’s ankle, and Luke turned around to see what was
keeping us. When he saw that Ana was attempting to walk by herself,
he shook his head and ran back to help.
I ignored the fact that
he had my girlfriend’s arm around his neck because we really needed
to get out of there. Sure enough there would be others attracted to
the scene. The burning just seemed to release the evils of the house.
LaLaurie would be present until the burning was complete, plenty
enough time to call someone else after Ana, to entice them.
We finally slowed our
place when we got to the moonwalk by the river. I would have to send
Luke back to get the car eventually, but right now I think Ana just
needed to sit.
“Breakfast?”
She looked up at me,
surprised. She paused and I wasn’t sure if she was going to reply
or not. Maybe she just needed to comprehend all the supernatural
occurrences that she encountered.
“Yeah,” She smiled
dreamily back at me.
That word was never
more welcoming.
“Good, I know the
perfect place.” I led us towards Jackson Square.
Ana was looking around
the city as if taking inventory. Looking at the French Quarter, she
seemed relieved. It had been two months and downtown didn’t sustain
much damage. It was a city that needed to be run, and many of the
residents were already strolling in for work that morning. I was
impressed that the humans had been so resilient in returning and
going back to their normal lives. And as it so happened, it was still
a recovering city so our stunt at the LaLaurie mansion went
undiscovered.
“Wait here,” I told
Ana and Luke as I recognized the white-and-green canopy.
I jogged to the front
of Café Du Monde. There was one worker on the patio setting up
tables. For whom? I wondered idly.
“I’m sorry were not
open yet,” She said to me kindly, without looking up from her work.
I took out my wallet.
“We just need a couple of au laits and an order of beignets.” She
turned to me, ready to chastise me but stopped as she saw the bills I
held up in my hand. “Please?”
“How many?”
I gave her a smile.
Ten minutes later, I
had the coffees and bag of beignets in my hand. Ana rewarded me with
an impressed smile when I returned. I was amazed how great she could
make me feel for something so miniscule.
The sun was rising over
the Mississippi and, for a second, with the silence and lack of
artificial light in the city, I couldn’t tell what year it was.
Ana walked a while more
before choosing a bench facing the river. Luke sat on the other side
of her and, once again, Ana was in the middle.
Epilogue
“Do we know anything
new yet?” Luke asked me while I waited in the foyer of our house.
We had brought Ana back that day and given her the guestroom of our
spacious New Orleans property. Since the night of the LaLaurie
incident, Luke had told me what he overhead the young Vasquez telling
Ana before he killed him. The boy had apparently escaped with Ana to
the balcony to trade her to another supernatural. “LaLaurie is
nothing. She doesn’t want you dead for what you are.
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