Taming of the Brew, page 14
“Okay, let’s say I tell him what I want, and we do it. I get the feeling that he’s never done it before. Or, if he has, it was a very long time ago. You know, back when the missionary position was the only position. What if he’s bad and it ruins the entire thing?”
“That’s when you train him,” Ofelia replied without hesitation. “I mean … you’re very good. Something tells me he’s going to be open to pointers.”
“And why is that? I’ve never met a man who is open for pointers. Is Sully open for pointers?”
“Zach had a very colorful past before me. He didn’t need pointers. If I wanted to suggest something now, though, he would be game. Well, within reason. He’s not going to dress up in a diaper and let me spank him or anything.”
Angelique’s eyes went wide. “Do you want to do that?”
“No. It was just an example.”
Angelique didn’t look convinced. “Ben is pretty sensitive. He does want me to teach him things about our time. We call them our lessons. I take him to a new place every Saturday morning and he gets to learn about this world with fresh eyes.”
“So, maybe this Saturday you’ll take him to your own personal bayou and teach him something new,” Ofelia suggested. “Don’t be mean about it if he doesn’t know what he’s doing. Just gently lead him to the promised land.”
Angelique snickered. “You have such a way with words.”
“I just don’t want to see you make yourself small to appease him. He wouldn’t want that either. That’s not who he is.”
Angelique sighed. “I know you’re right. It’s just nerve-wracking. I’ve never really thought about having to teach someone before.”
“Don’t be afraid. Embrace it. Imagine being able to teach your future husband exactly what you want. He’ll never make an error.”
Angelique’s eyebrows drew toward one another. “Does Sully make errors?”
“No, but Felix has told me some stories about the errors he’s made. He actually finds them funny. Ben has a good sense of humor. Just … broach the subject after a drink or two.”
“I know you’re right.” Angelique blew out a sigh. “I’ll think about it. Let’s focus on what we’re doing today. Do you even know where we’re going over here?”
“Yeah. It’s one block over from Fats Domino’s house. On Flood Street.”
“Do you have any idea what to expect?”
“Nope.”
“So, it will be a different sort of adventure.”
“Yup. I’m expecting big things.”
“Afraid?”
“Terrified. If they’re working with Odette, it could be a long afternoon.”
EVEN THOUGH PASCAL HAD TOLD OFELIA ABOUT a house on Johnny Jackson Jr. Boulevard, she knew better than risking a visit to that house. If something was going on there—and it likely was—she didn’t want to spook the homeowners. She would only move on that house if it was absolutely necessary. This other house, while clearly a front, was also active.
“Do you recognize anybody?” Angelique asked as Ofelia parked on the street. “Also, you park like an idiot.”
“It’s the truck,” Ofelia complained. “It’s too big.”
“If you say so.” Angelique didn’t look convinced. “I think you’re just a poor driver.”
“Have you been talking to Felix?” Ofelia’s tone was accusatory.
“No, but now I want to.”
“He says I’m a bad driver too, which is crap because as he reminded me earlier, he’s the one who taught me how to drive.”
“I was about to ask why your parents didn’t teach you, and then I remembered who your parents were,” Angelique said. “It makes sense Felix was the one who taught you.”
“Yes, well, I happen to think I’m a good driver.”
“What does Sully think?”
“He thinks everything I do is perfect.”
“He is blinded by love.”
Ofelia ignored the statement as she climbed out of the truck. There were three women standing in the front yard of the Creole cottage. They looked to be throwing chicken feet at a bare patch of earth. They all looked up in tandem as Ofelia pasted what she hoped was a friendly smile on her face.
“Hello,” she called out, waving. Then she caught herself when she tripped over a crack in the sidewalk and viciously swore under her breath before recovering.
“Yeah, that’s not odd or anything,” Angelique drawled.
“You, shush,” Ofelia ordered, not looking at her friend. She could feel Angelique’s smirk as she got closer. “I’m looking for Chantale Boudreaux.”
The three women exchanged looks. Then, by some sort of tacit agreement, the one in the middle stepped forward. She was slim, but her body looked toned. Her shoulders were strong, and she had a bright pink scarf covering her head.
“I am Chantale,” she intoned. She carried herself in regal fashion, but there was a current of unease flowing beneath the woman’s seemingly calm surface that was impossible for Ofelia to ignore.
“My name is Ofelia Archer. This is my friend Angelique Fleury.”
“I know who you are,” Chantale replied. “I don’t know what you’re doing here, but I know who you are.”
The woman’s demeanor—she wasn’t even trying to pretend she was pleasant—told Ofelia all she needed to know about the situation. There was no reason to play games. “I’m looking for Odette Bertrand.”
Chantale smirked. “And you came here? May I ask why?”
“Because at one time, you trained under her. I’m not sure about your friends, but I’m willing to bet that they did, too.”
“I’m not confirming nor denying that either way. What makes you think that, though?”
“Because everybody in the paranormal game in this town talks,” Ofelia replied simply.
Chantale blinked. “I don’t believe I can help you.” She turned her back on Ofelia and Angelique, but she didn’t head inside. To Ofelia’s way of thinking, the woman knew that they weren’t going anywhere.
“When I was a kid, Odette approached me on the riverwalk,” Ofelia volunteered. “It was not long after I manifested magic for the first time.”
“And what would she want with you?” one of the women with Chantale asked, her shoulders popping huffily.
“She wanted to recruit me.”
“No way,” the third woman replied. “You’re not exactly the kind of person that Odette finds value in.”
“Because I’m not Ceole?” Ofelia asked.
“You’re not one of us,” Chantale replied, turning back. “That should be enough reason for you to stay away.”
“And yet it’s not,” Ofelia replied. She was not in the mood to beg this woman for information. Besides, she knew that would be a mistake. Chantale needed to see Ofelia as powerful. Otherwise, she would continue to dismiss her. “Odette didn’t care that I wasn’t Creole. She didn’t care that I wasn’t black either. She only cared that I was powerful.”
Chantale snorted, and yet there was a gleam of recognition in her eyes.
“It’s true and you know it,” Ofelia said. “At the time, I was confused. I recognized Odette for what she was despite my age, though. Now, I don’t know if you’re currently working with Odette or if you parted ways, but I need to find Odette … and you’re the first stop on my list.”
“Odette is none of your concern,” Chantale countered. “She is not my queen any longer, but she is still a queen.”
Ofelia took that to mean that Chantale had studied under Odette at one time. No longer, though. Chantale was on her own. Of course, she might still be loyal to Odette despite her words. Ofelia wasn’t going to fall for anything just because it seemed sincere again today.
“Your queen is creating zombies who are sentient,” Ofelia started.
“That’s impossible,” Chantale argued. “Zombies are not sentient. That’s basically their whole deal.”
“And yet yesterday morning I saw a dead man. Odette’s grandson to be exact. He was long gone. Then, last night he woke in the refrigerator with filmy eyes, let himself out of the morgue, and took a walk.”
Chantale’s forehead creased, but she didn’t initially say anything. She looked to be taking it all in.
“You’re not surprised,” Ofelia surmised.
“I’m not anything at this point,” Chantale replied. She seemed to be choosing her words carefully. “Nothing you have said is of any importance to me.”
“Oh, yeah? Well, what if I were to tell you that I went to see Odette this morning?”
“A lot of people see Odette on any given day.”
“She was quite chatty when I was with her,” Ofelia continued, refusing to let Chantale’s bad attitude sway her. “She told me about how her family had a falling out years ago, and she blamed it on her daughter. She suggested her grandson was basically a date rapist.”
“She has no family ties,” Chantale said. “We are her family. The girls she rescued, we love her.”
“Rescued, huh?” It was an interesting word choice, Ofelia mused. If she’d had more time, she might’ve tried to dig deeper into Chantale’s relationship with Odette. She didn’t have time, though. Jared was out there … and Odette had nothing to lose, so she was twice as dangerous as she had been only hours before. “Did she convince you she was rescuing you when she taught you her brand of voodoo?”
“She did rescue me,” Chantale replied. “I had a mother who preferred drinking to feeding me. I had a father who only came home one night a week, and when he did … well … let’s just say I wish he would’ve never come home. Odette recognized my greatness and nurtured it. I will forever be grateful.”
Odette had found a vulnerable child and convinced her she was doing right by her, Ofelia realized. When Odette had approached her, she’d been a vulnerable child too. Her father was mentally ill—something Ofelia couldn’t put a name to at that age but understood on some instinctive level—and her mother was disinterested in her new abilities. Ofelia had been primed for somebody else to step in … and yet Odette hadn’t managed it with her. Apparently, she had with Chantale, and it wasn’t all that surprising. Odette saw a void and tried to fill it.
“Jared is a zombie,” Ofelia volunteered, changing course quickly. “Odette denied knowing anything about what happened to her grandson and pointed me toward Dora Landry. I obliged her and questioned Dora. Do you know what happened when I was with Dora?”
“Something terminally boring I’m guessing,” Chantale replied. “Personally, I’m having trouble staying awake for the story. It must’ve been dull as a cloudy day to have been there.”
Ofelia didn’t deny the charge. There was no point. “Jared showed up when I was there,” she supplied. “He talked but was still a zombie. He kept saying over and over that he had to kill Dora. I’m sure you know why that is.”
“I’m sure I don’t,” Chantale countered. “I don’t care either.”
“He wanted to kill Dora before I had a chance to figure out Odette was lying to me,” Ofelia volunteered. “His orders were to exterminate her. When he failed at that, he ran … right back to Odette. She’s abandoned her store in case you’re curious. I went back to talk to her. She packed up what she could and left.”
Chantale’s expression was carved out of granite. “And what exactly do you want me to do about that?”
“You don’t have to do anything,” Ofelia replied “I just want to make you aware that Odette is apparently declaring war. That means anybody who helps her will be dragged into the battle.”
“Odette doesn’t need help to beat you,” one of the other women sneered. “You’re nothing but a pebble in her shoe.”
“Except she ran, which seems to indicate otherwise,” Ofelia pointed out. “If she wasn’t frightened of me, she would’ve ended me when I was in her store. She had plenty of opportunities.”
“She’s not the monster you make her out to be,” Chantale countered. “If she left her store, she had a reason.”
“Yes, she’s up to something and she doesn’t want me to stop her.”
“If you say so.” Chantale feigned a big yawn. “If that’s all…”
“It’s not all.” Ofelia knew she couldn’t force the woman to talk. Especially not here. This was not her turf. It was Odette’s turf. “I need you to send a message to Odette for me.”
“I am not Odette’s keeper,” Chantale replied.
“Maybe not, but she’s your keeper.”
Chantale’s eyes narrowed, but she didn’t say anything.
“Tell Odette that I’m coming for her. She can’t hide from me forever. She should’ve just faced me head-on this morning. Now it’s going to turn into a big thing.”
“Is that supposed to frighten her?” Chantale demanded.
“It’s supposed to serve as a warning,” Ofelia replied. “Whatever her plan is, I’m going to stop her.”
Chantale’s lips twitched. “Do you really think you have the power to do that?”
“I really think I do.” Ofelia bobbed her head. “Now, thank you for your time. I’m sure I’ll be seeing you.” With that, she turned on her heel and didn’t stop until she was back in Sully’s truck.
“What do you think you accomplished there?” Angelique asked.
“Absolutely nothing,” Ofelia replied. “It was more about feeling them out.”
“And?”
“And they’re going to fight with her. I’m not sure they knew about Jared, though. I registered legitimate surprise from Chantale when I told the story. She covered well, but she didn’t know all of it. It doesn’t matter, though. When it comes time to do battle, they will side with Odette.”
“So, what do we do next?”
“I don’t know.”
“I have an idea. If you’re interested that is.”
“I’m always interested when you have an idea,” Ofelia assured her.
“Well then, I think you have to stop looking for Odette.”
Ofelia made a protesting sound with her tongue. “She’s dangerous.”
“She is,” Angelique agreed. “You can’t control her, though. You can, however, control Jared. He proved that earlier.”
“No, he proved Odette could control him.”
“That doesn’t mean she’s the only one who can control him.”
Ofelia thought about it for several seconds, then nodded. “Actually, that’s a very good point. Maybe it’s time to focus on Jared instead of Odette.”
“See.” Angelique preened. “I’m more than just a pretty face.”
“Yes. You’re a horny pretty face.”
“Oh, you just couldn’t let it go, could you?”
“Nope. I really couldn’t.”
14
FOURTEEN
Ofelia’s mind was busy for the drive back to the French Quarter. Since Angelique had the day off, she went with Ofelia to Krewe, where Ben was manning the bar.
“There’s two of my favorite ladies,” Ben said when he saw them. His smile for Ofelia was genuine, but all of his energy was pointed at Angelique. “How are you?”
“I’m good,” Angelique replied. She hopped on a stool in front of him. “Ofelia made me go to a Nickelback concert, but I survived.”
Ben paused drying the glass he’d been working on when they came in. “I don’t know what that means,” he admitted after a long stretch of silence.
“Sorry. I keep forgetting you’re behind the times.” Angelique winked. “Nickelback is the band music goes to when it wants to die.”
“So … they’re bad?”
“They’re so bad that the entire world mocks them.”
“I guess I’ll have to give them a listen so I can mock them with you.”
Angelique’s cheeks turned pink with pleasure under Ofelia’s watchful eye.
“So cute,” Ofelia teased. “I would suggest playing them now, but I banned them from the jukebox.”
“And I bet you got zero complaints about that,” Felix announced as he appeared from the private doorway that led up to Ofelia’s apartment.
“What are you doing here?” Ofelia demanded. It wasn’t that she wasn’t happy to see him—she was almost always happy to spend time with her brother—but she wasn’t expecting him. That made her suspicious.
“Sully asked if I would stop and feed Baron his lunch since you guys were otherwise engaged,” Felix replied. He glanced over at Angelique and Ben, smirked, and then focused on his sister. “I’m a good brother, so I did as I was ordered.”
“You just wanted to see if you could find someone to hit on here since I told you it was a bad idea to hit on people at your own bar,” Ofelia countered.
“Au contraire, mon frère. I am the brother all brothers should strive to be.”
“I don’t have any new workers for you to hit on.”
“You wound me.” Felix ambled over to the bar and stood next to Ben. “I could always hit on Angelique. She likes it when I flirt with her.”
Ofelia recognized what he was doing right away, but given the way Ben stiffened, she decided to let it play out. “Angelique was just talking about how much she loves being flirted with,” she drawled. “That was half our conversation during the drive to the Ninth Ward.”
“You went back to the Ninth Ward?” Felix dropped his “I’m going to flirt with your girl until I get a reaction” schtick. “Why would you possibly go back there?”
Since the bar was mostly empty, except for a few regulars who Ofelia knew were in on the big paranormal secret, she didn’t adjust her tone when responding. “Because I was attacked by a zombie and Odette fled her store. I needed to see if I could track her down.”
“And did you?”
“No, but I left a message with a few of her acolytes.”
“Meaning what?” Ben asked. He was still close to Angelique—in fact, if Ofelia was not very much mistaken, he’d moved closer to her after Felix’s shameless show of unnecessary flirting—but he was clearly focused on their new problem.
“Meaning that they’re loyal to her. I’m not sure if they’re actively working with her, but they’ll make sure she gets the message.”
