Only By Moonlight (37 page)

“You just made my night,” Gina replied with a
smirk.

The vengeful woman charged LaShaun. Gina
faked a punch but kicked out with her left leg instead. LaShaun
took the blow to one leg and stumbled. Gina barked with glee like a
victorious she-wolf. She swung a fist that struck the side of
LaShaun’s face. LaShaun cried out as she scrambled to get away.

“You’ve got this under control. I’ll meet you
back in the circle.” Montgomery strode away.

Gina panted out as she danced around, like a
predator toying with her prey. She jabbed with her fists and moved
in on LaShaun. “Damn right I’ve got this. Guess you’re worn out
from all the excitement. Am I right, Miss Cutie Pie? Killing you
will make sex with your hubby even hotter. I’m going to ride him
like the fine stallion he is with your blood still on my
hands.”

LaShaun stood straight in one quick motion,
pressed the muzzle of her derringer into Gina’s belly and fired.
Gina’s eyes went wide and her mouth worked but not a sound came
out. Then she gave a scratchy whimper as she clutched at the
wound.

“The only thing you’ll be riding tonight is a
magic carpet to hell,” LaShaun said. She delivered a backhand slap
that sent the woman to the ground.

LaShaun turned her attention back to the
clearing. Her goal of stopping Abiku seemed beyond her reach. She
could only hope to leave behind clues to guide Miss Rose and the
twins in marshalling forces against his cult. With a certainty that
she would not survive, LaShaun strode back to the clearing. She
tried to make out Chase, but shadowy figures seemed everywhere. Two
people locked in a struggled blocked her path to the door of the
crypt. She ran full on using the energy of her momentum to push
them aside.

With one strong pull of the iron ring LaShaun
found herself in the opening. The door swung smoothly on oiled
hinges. A polished ebony coffin lay on the dusty brick floor.
Spider webs thick as rope hung from the walls. Three tombs were set
in each of the three walls. The brick opening of the one in the
center had been broken open. Metal lined the vault. The pieces of
an ancient wood coffin lay in a pile.

“As you can see we had a new coffin built,”
Montgomery said quietly. His eyes looked glazed with a crazed
zeal.

LaShaun spun around to face him, concealing
the gun in her back waistband in the process. Chase stood to his
left, his face a blank mask. “Why?”

“Because a king deserves better,” Harry
replied from another corner.

LaShaun brushed a hand along the wall causing
years of dirt to crumble to the floor. “The maid has been on
vacation for a few centuries. Why not move your king to a grand
mausoleum?”

The middle-aged man’s mouth curled into a
sneer. “We created a magnificent resting place made from the finest
Makassar ebony from Indonesia.”

“I have to agree it’s beautiful.” LaShaun
made a half circle around the coffin.

She expected one or both of the men to stop
her. Harry seemed too intent on gloating. Chase gazed at a point
somewhere beyond her. The blue glow came from within the dark wood
coffin. LaShaun reached for the lid.

“He grew strong here, but soon he won’t need
this place. The living don’t need a grave,” Harry said with a nasty
smile.

“You’re lying. He’ll always need this coffin,
otherwise you wouldn’t have gone to so much trouble,” LaShaun shot
back. She placed a hand on the lid, bowed her head and prayed.

“How dare you defile the seat of his
greatness by mumbling a feeble creed,” Harry shouted.

“The Bible says the faith of a mustard seed
can move mountains. I’m sure it can chop up a little wood.” LaShaun
said another line of prayer, this time in Latin mixed with Creole
French. The light inside the coffin grew fainter.

Harry balled both hands into fists. He took
two steps forward then glanced at Chase. “Come forth, master. Let
us squeeze the life from her worthless body.”

“Yes,” Chase said in a hoarse voice.

“This slut doesn’t realize she’s defeated.
You’ll beg us to kill you very soon.” Harry laughed feverishly as
he reached for LaShaun.

LaShaun pulled the antique knife from the
sheath on her belt with one hand and pushed the lid of the coffin
open with the other. A black heart lay nestled in silk surrounded
by a gruesome vine with leaves shaped like claws. As she stared at
it, the vines began to writhe like snakes.

“Nothing can destroy the power, you stupid
bitch,” Harry said.

“Nothing except a sacred knife of purest
silver, like the one I’ve got in my hand. You idiots thought I
didn’t have a back-up plan. The knife Montgomery took from me is
harmless. I bought it at the local hardware store,” LaShaun said.
She raised the knife high above her head.

Montgomery stood gaping at her in shock.
“Stop her, Abiku!”

Chase took two long strides across the dusty
floor. He towered over LaShaun for a few seconds. Harry panted with
anticipation, his eyes bright with excitement. Instead of striking
out at LaShaun, Chase spun around and landed a crushing punch that
caused facial bones to crack in Harry’s face.

“No, no!” Montgomery started toward Chase but
stopped short at the deadly look in his eyes.

Chase kicked Harry’s limp body aside and
confronted him. “You’re next.”

“You’ve awakened, Master. Remember who you
are,” Montgomery said in a strained voice.

“I know exactly who I am,” Chase growled. He
attacked Montgomery with a series of power blows that sent the man
reeling against the wall.

“Keep him busy, baby. I’ve got work to do,”
LaShaun muttered, praying that Chase’s control held.

One of the vines wrapped around her wrist.
She winced from the sensation of acid eating into her skin. Searing
pain shot up her arm as if sizzling poison flowed through her body.
LaShaun grew weak, her mind and vision became cloudy.

“Now, LaShaun. Do it now!”

The voice jolted LaShaun back from the brink
of passing out. She concentrated all of her will. In a flash she
saw the brutal injuries of the teenage boy, and saw countless other
bodies; the victims of vicious killers Montgomery and his cult had
helped go free. With a cry of wrath LaShaun plunged the knife into
the quivering slimy heart, then again, and again. A stench rose up
as viscous fluid flowed from each stab wound. A roaring gust of
wind slammed the heavy stone door shut. She screamed for Chase, but
a sound like thunder drowned out her voice. Dust and brick shards
swirled into a whirlwind until LaShaun was blinded. Then everything
went black.

Chapter 21

She dreamed, or maybe she only thought she
dreamed. Figures stumbled around weeping bitterly as they were led
away. Some begged for mercy. Others snarled in angry defiance.
Uniformed figures efficiently brought order to the pandemonium.
Hands that tenderly rubbed her face pulled her attention away from
the commotion. Soothing voices spoke to her. LaShaun felt sure she
heard her grandmother speaking words of strength, urging her to
return. LaShaun’s eyes snapped open to find a cloaked figure
bending over her.

M.J.’s worried frown melted into relief. She
took a shaky breath and let it out. “You better wake the hell up so
I can whip your behind. This is another fine mess you’ve gotten me
into.”

“Hi.”

“Don’t ‘Hi’ me like we just met for coffee
and donuts, girl. I hope you can answer some questions. I got a
tricked out empty coffin that looks like it costs more than my
house. It’s filled with some weird dead plants and what looks like
a burnt human organ. “

“Chase is here,” LaShaun rasped through a
throat dry as dust. When she coughed, an emergency medical tech put
a bottle of water to her lips.

M.J. waited until LaShaun finished before she
spoke. “Chase took a blow to the head or something. He can’t tell
us a damn thing.”

LaShaun shot upright and realized she lay on
a stretcher in an emergency van. “Where is he? How bad is Chase
hurt? I’ve got to see him.”

“Whoa, you, you’re not going anywhere. And
Chase is just fine. The emergency medical tech doesn’t think he got
hit hard enough to get amnesia. But a CT scan will rule out serious
injury. He’s just as worried about you.” M.J. gave her a head to
toe glance. “I don’t blame him. You look beat to hell and
back.”

“You have no idea,” LaShaun retorted. “Let me
see Chase.”

“He’s on his way to the hospital. I told him
you were already there. Only way I could get him into the
ambulance. Don’t worry,” M.J. said cutting off another outburst
from LaShaun. “You’re on your way to join him.”

M.J. nodded to the EMT, a tall black woman
who nodded in response. The double doors to the vehicle whooshed
shut and it started to move. The woman gently cleaned LaShaun’s
injuries.

“How you get this nasty burn on your wrist?”
the EMT asked, her brow furrowed in curiosity.

“You wouldn’t believe it if I told you. Trust
me; you don’t really want to know.” LaShaun sank onto the stretcher
again and closed her eyes.

***

Sunlight filtered through the canopy of
leaves overhead. LaShaun emerged from the yellow striped tent, her
heart pounding but in a good way. For once her boisterous Uncle Leo
did not blurt out one of his signature hearty jokes. He strode
forward with his chin up, looking every inch the dignified senior
male family member. He offered his dark-suited elbow and LaShaun
delicately looped her arm through his. Music from the small band
swelled into the wedding march. They followed the linen and bamboo
carpet down the center of two rows of chairs. The seed pearls on
her wedding gown seemed to have a magical radiance. Father
Vavasseur from St. Augustine Catholic church stood beneath the arch
covered with flowers. Jessi, Chase’s niece, beamed at the attention
she got spreading rose petals from a basket as she marched ahead of
them. When Chase turned to gaze at LaShaun, her breath caught.

She and Chase didn’t have to discuss going
ahead with the wedding despite the mayhem of the previous two
weeks. Their vows of holy matrimony would wipe out the profane rite
forced on them. They’d each only spent a day in the hospital to
rule out serious internal injuries. Next had been the endless
interviews with the state police and district attorney. Abiku’s
cult members had been arrested. They faced charges of battery,
kidnapping, and criminal property damage. Allison Graham faced a
much more serious charge for a crime that hadn’t even taken place
in the woods. Police had gone back to her house to find her
husband’s dead body stuffed in a huge antique trunk stored in the
attic. Though Greg wouldn’t say a word against his mother, the two
younger children had given deputies enough information to paint a
grisly picture. In spite of his flaws, Jonathan Graham hadn’t known
his wife was involved with the cult. The children hid during a
violent argument between their parents. When all was quiet, Allison
had locked them in their room with games and food for several
hours. She’d told the kids she needed to “clean up daddy’s
mess”.

Yet on this wonderful day of days, LaShaun
pushed aside thoughts of darkness or death. Chase watched her walk
slowly toward him. He smiled at her with great love in his eyes.
Tears threatened to ruin the perfect make-up Savannah had
painstakingly applied only an hour ago. LaShaun blinked rapidly,
determined not to get watery so soon. Uncle Leo grinned as he
handed her off to the groom. The priest cleared his throat loudly
when Chase bent down to kiss LaShaun.

“Ahem, let’s do the marrying first. Kiss on
my cue, oui?” The priest raised an amused eyebrow at them.

“Right,” Chase whispered and took LaShaun’s
hand instead.

LaShaun listened as Father Vavasseur read the
wedding sermon in a solemn tone. As they got to the vows, sniffles
and camera clicks came from the small audience around them.
Savannah, Katie and Adrianna, dressed in light green dresses
embroidered with flowers at the neck and bell sleeves, wore
expressions of joy. Their husbands looked dapper in their dark
suits. Chase’s brother stepped forward with the emerald green
velvet box holding their wedding bands.

“The bride and groom have their own wedding
vows. First the bride.” Father Vavasseur nodded to them.

“From this day until my last breath I will
cherish you. Our hearts have been as one since the moment we
touched. I stand with you through whatever happens in our lives.
Before God and the world I declare my everlasting love for you,”
LaShaun said softly.

“Now the groom,” Father Vavasseur said as he
beamed at Chase. He winked. “You’ll get to kiss her soon, son.” The
audience laughed.

Chase took a deep breath. “You know I’m not
one for long speeches, or poetry. So I’ll just say I’m going to be
your protector, provider, friend, handyman, car mechanic and
anything else you need me to be. And one day if I’m very, very
blessed, I’ll be the father of your children.”

“That’s so beautiful,” a female voice said
from the audience as louder sniffles could be heard.

“Chase Matthew Broussard, do you take this
woman to be your lawful wedded wife before God and this assembly?”
Father Vavasseur intoned.

“I do, with all my heart,” Chase replied and
slipped the gold band inlaid with diamonds on LaShaun’s finger.

“LaShaun Gloriana Rousselle, do you take this
man to be your lawful wedded husband before God and this
assembly?”

LaShaun sighed and slid the matching gold
band on Chase’s finger. “Yes, I do.”

“Now’s the time, son. Kiss your wife,” Father
Vavasseur boomed with glee.

When their lips met, applause broke out in
the crowd. Jessi gleefully tossed red and pink rose petals all
around them, as did Savannah, Katie and Adrianna. The shouts and
applause swelled as they clung to each other. Music played. All of
the sound faded into the background for LaShaun. All she could hear
was their twin heartbeats as they sealed their vows.