The King of Bones and Ashes by J D Horn

Author:J D Horn [Horn, J D]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781503954311
Publisher: 47North
Published: 2018-01-23T07:00:00+00:00

SEVENTEEN

“Cursing is dark magic. The darkest,” Fleur said, leading them up Decatur Street, past the old Mint and into the Marigny.

Fleur walked a few strides ahead, her usually pinned-up hair down, breezes from the river lifting it, giving it a wild, untamed air. Her movements were smooth. Fluid. Predatory. It seemed as if she might take to the night sky at any moment.

Alice walked beside Lucy, who in spite of the ridiculous appliqué bee on her backpack, seemed diminished, muted, in her athletic trainers and gray T-shirt. But it was more than the change of wardrobe. The beams of a passing car illuminated the apprehension in her cousin’s down-turned eyes.

“I’m tired,” Lucy said. “Why are you dragging us all over the stupid French Quarter in the middle of the night?”

“We left the Vieux Carré when we crossed Esplanade,” Alice said. “This is the Marigny. It was once part of the de Marigny plantation. Its last owner, Bernard, introduced the game of craps to America.”

“Thank you, Miss NOLA,” Lucy said, glaring at her. “And speaking of craps, do you have any other information I couldn’t give one about?”

“Well, the French Quarter. Its architecture is actually Spanish.”

Lucy’s jaw dropped and her eyes opened wide. “Oh, my God . . .”

“I’m sorry. I just had a lot of time to read. Sinclair had a good library, and they’d order anything . . .”

“We’re hunting,” Fleur cut her off, eyes fixed on Lucy. “You’re the one who wants to lay a curse. This is where a good curse starts,” she said, her voice hard, sounding indifferent to her usually coddled daughter’s complaints.

“Hunting for what?” Alice said, feeling uneasy for the first time. When Fleur and Lucy showed up unannounced at her father’s door, going out on an adventure with them had seemed a lark. Daniel had even packed snacks for her to take along, though she had left the brown paper bag beside a sleeping man whose cardboard sign said he was hungry.

“Back when I was a girl, a small girl,” Fleur said, “younger than either of you two, a strong witch could still kill a man with just a needle and a poppet made from his handkerchief. But a curse, a true curse that’s going to settle in and last, that took something more even then. You’ll soon see, but you needn’t worry. This is Lucy’s spell. You’re just along for the ride.”

It was almost two a.m., but a couple of wiry young men–brothers, most likely—with dirty blond hair and similar rakish features, stood outside a closed tattoo shop singing about another lonely night in Cajun French. One of the boys took his hand off the keys of his accordion just long enough to point at a hat on the ground. A sign next to it read “Natchitoches or Beer.” He smiled, winked, but never stopped singing. Alice shrugged and smiled back. She didn’t have even a coin to offer. Still, she would’ve liked to stop and listen for a while, but Fleur carried right on past.

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