The Blood Eagle in the Big Easy (23 page)

Leonard shook and pulled himself to his knees. “You can’t be... there isn’t anyway that you could be...You’re lying!”

Standing there I watched as the realization of what was happening rolled through the room like a tidal wave. Looking at Leonard sadness filled my soul. I slowly made my way down the dais. “Didn’t you find it odd that the Gatekeeper before you gave you just one unbreakable law?” Pausing before Katherine I swept the glowing sapphire tip through her bindings causing them to fall to the floor. “That law stated that the Progenitor was allowed free reign.” Anger crept back into my voice as I neared the cowering man. “I allowed you to sit upon the Throne of Comus in the hopes you would become a better man than you had been in the past.” Leonard scrambled back against the closed doors trying to force himself through. “I was wrong in doing so.” Stopping a few feet away from him I knelt as I held Gungnir, the spears true name, firmly in my grasp. “Leonard?”

Leonard looked at me as he whispered. “Yes?”

“I would run if I were you.” Expanding my will through Gungnir I forced the doors open. “Pray we never meet each other again.”

He shuffled his feet back pushing his rather large hindquarters through the threshold before scrambling to his feet. He stopped and turned to me his voice shaking as he spoke. “You should have killed me.” Hatred rolled off him in waves. “I would’ve killed you on the spot and your little whore too.” He shook violently as he gathered what little courage he had left as he turned and ran as fast as his feet would carry him from my sight.

‘I suppose that makes me a better person.’ I thought to myself, ‘Or it makes me a fool.’ Turning my attention to the silent room behind me for the first time since his departure, many sat with their mouth agape and shock was the emotion of the moment.

Silence reigned as I strode through the room and up the stairs to the Throne. Taking my seat I looked out over the Kings and Queens that assembled before me as I cleared my throat once more to address them properly. “Greetings to you one and all Kings and Queens of the Mystick Courts of Comus.” My voice seemed to magnify itself slightly with each word until my voice filled the room vibrating the walls.

Each member of the court stood as they gave me a bow before taking to their knee. Even Katherine surprised me by following their lead before she spoke. “My liege what is your will?”

Taken aback by her acquiescence to my will I didn’t answer right away until I saw Katherine give me a glowering look. It let me know that all was right in the universe once more. “Rise and be at ease.” I waved them to their feet. “First and foremost, anyone who wishes to relinquish their posts may do so now with no questions asked.”

I paused for a moment as three newly appointed members of the court vacated the premises behind their master before proceeding. “Secondly, it appears that there are several posts that need filling.” Leaning back in the throne I felt uncomfortable. “I will leave the particulars of that in your capable hands. A new Gatekeeper should be appointed by the close of day.”

“Your will be done.” Katherine intoned as the room fell in sync.

“My final request.” Standing as I spoke and proceeding down the stairs with Gungnir in hand and a heavy heart, I was filled with a weight I hadn’t known in many years. “Please keep my secret safe.”

Katherine smiled as something wicked flitted through her eyes. “Of course my liege.”

By her tone I knew there would be hell to pay as soon as we were alone but it was a price I was willing to pay to keep those around me safe. “Thank you all for your continued service to the greater good.” Bowing as I spoke I stood beside Katherine and gave her my best ‘I’m so innocent’ smile.

She followed me as I left the room. Feeling the effects of the beating she leaned against me as I forced the doors open, leaving the MCC to deal with the inner workings of the day to day politics. “So you’re really Comus?”

The Staff of Gungnir clacked on the marbled hallway as we made our way through the building. “I’ve had many names over the years, Comus is but one of them.”

“Is there anything else I should know?”

“I’m sure that you would think so.”

She grabbed my arm and swung me around as she glared at me. “For heaven’s sake Viktor, stop with all the cryptic mumbo jumbo.”

I opened the front door for her, bowing slightly as she stormed through it. “Where do you want me to start?” I asked her as I Followed in her wake to my car. “Do you want to know about how I don’t know my true name or nature?” Clicking the key fob I unlocked and opened the passenger's side door for her. “Get in line!” Closing the door I walked around and climbed in the drivers seat. “I don’t know some of those answers myself.” Shaking my head in anger I started the car and put it in gear. “It isn’t as if you were totally honest about your heritage when we met!”

“Oh hell! That was forty years ago. Get the hell over yourself!” She growled giving me the finger in the process. “Maybe you could have said something around the time I gave birth? Don’t ya think?”

Trying to keep my emotions in check and my foot off the gas I glowered at the world at large. “Like what? Oh by the way honey I know you’re pregnant with my child but there’s a few things you should know.” I slammed my hand on the horn as someone cut me off. “I’m over twenty eight hundred years old and I have no idea who I am or where I came from! Surprise!”

Katherine rolled her eyes as she crossed her arms. “Sounds pretty stupid when you say it like that.”

“Never get’s any better no matter how I say it!” My anger faded quickly and I realized that I was more embarrassed than anything. People counted on me, trusted me, and I didn’t even know who I was. I was ashamed that my secrets had been laid bare in the light of day.

She reached out and touched my hand as she spoke gently. “How about an easy question.” Her eyes were filled with understanding and kindness as she gripped my hand once more. “How did you wind up here in New Orleans of all places?”

Bowing my head slightly as I kept my eyes on the road ahead I told her everything. It had been nearly two hundred years ago when I found my way to the city. Louisiana had recently become a state in the union. I ran across an old medicine man who had been injured fighting a kappa. I nursed him back to health and he introduced me to the local spirits. Many were benevolent but many more were not. One day I was gravely injured when I was attacked by a group of marauding werewolves. One of the spirits saved me on the condition that I swore to serve those under his protection for at least one hundred years plus one day. I owed him my life and promptly made a blood oath with the land. That was the start of things. Later the men and women who formed the Krewe of Mystic had a noble idea, so I aided them in their tasks. We came up with the entire Comus concept so I wouldn’t have to be a part of the day to day actions of the court yet be able to maintain the directives they had set forth by enforcing the will of Comus once a year.

It was a good plan actually. Leonard wasn’t the first douche to become Gatekeeper and I was sure he wouldn’t be the last. This was the first time though that I had ever felt a need to throw one out of office bodily. And since that had happened I would be holding on to the Scepter. It was one of the few things I had yet to collect of my items I had lent out over the centuries. The Scepter was a beautiful piece of art as well as a deadly weapon. Who knew, it might be just what I needed to kill Gullveig once and for all.

“So were you ever going to tell me all this?” Katherine questioned.

“Maybe one day but more than likely no, no I wasn’t.” I confessed.

“And our daughter, is she like you? Will she live forever?” she asked hopefully.

“I honestly don’t know, but I suspect she is at least partially like me. I just don’t know if that means she will have a longer than average lifespan or not.” I replied.

Katherine laughed. “Twenty eight hundred years is definitely not average.” She took my hand once more squeezing it tightly. “Thank you for coming for me today. I think he meant to put me in level four.”

I blinked. “They would have killed you down there.”

“Yes they would have.” She agreed.

I sighed heavily. “Look, I know that you have had a real shitty day but I still need to ask you for something and you’re not going to like it.”

She smirked and said. “After finding out that someone was going to let you die in a horrible way I think I can handle a little favor.”

I nodded. “I need you to track someone for me and I need you to do it quickly.”

She made a face and cringed a little. “Oh... sure I can do that. Just, just get me the blood and I will get you their location. I need to let Sam know I am safe before we start.”

“She’s at my office along with some other key members of your staff. They didn’t exactly feel safe waiting for Leonard to come pick them up.”

She smiled and nodded. “Thank you for that, but don’t think for a second that this conversation has been put to rest. We still have much to talk about. That is if you’re willing...”

“You of all people probably deserve an explanation. I will do my best to answer what I can.” We made the rest of the trip in silence. Thankfully it wasn’t a very long one.

Opening the door for Katherine I waved her in as I gave her a slight bow. That at least garnered a smirk as she swept past. I was of course left in the dark as to what she was feeling as her mood swung between anger and understanding. Last I heard they made pills for such a condition but I doubted I would be lucky enough to have a doctor prescribe them for her. Catching sight of Samantha on the second floor Katharine gave her a wave as she made her way up the stairs. Thankful for the distraction I stopped off at Justine’s desk, who without a word handed me several dozen pieces of paper with messages from Kira. After the first three I skipped to the last one which brought a smile to my face.

“You know they make these things called computers these days.” I advised her. Not able to keep the mirth out of my voice I pocketed last the message before dropping the others on the counter. “A single email could have saved a tree or two. We’re supposed to be going green, remember?”

Justine looked at me knowingly. “Please! If I sent you an email you would have junked all but the last message without even reading them.”

I had to admit she had a point. Kira was demanding combat pay for transporting Owen! She was being particularly colorful about her demands. “I can’t imagine that babysitting someone would require combat pay.” Mumbling more to myself than Justine.

“She thought you might say that.” Justine pulled a thumb drive off the counter in front of her and handed it to me. “After I watched the video I have to agree that she more than deserves the extra pay.”

Leaning forward I dropped my voice as I became concerned. “Did she have to discharge her weapons?”

Justine rolled her eyes as her cheeks turned crimson trying not to laugh. “I would have if I were her!” Picking up the thumb drive I stuck it in my pocket as she teetered on the verge of laughter. “This Owen character is a full blown diva!” She wiped tears from her eyes as she spoke. “He has promised to sperm her as a special favor to bring her back to the world of men.”

My mouth began to quiver as I tried not to laugh at the absurdity of the comment. “Who says that shit?” Coughing to try and hide my amusement I leaned over the counter and whispered. “Please tell me you are recording the live feed on the dashboard camera.”

Justine’s face was nearly purple as tears rolled down her face. “Wouldn’t have passed on that for the world.” She shrugged thoughtfully as she spoke. “I thought streaming it in the cafeteria would get me shot but I was sorely tempted.”

Now that would have been funny, but costly for everyone involved, especially my bank account which from the sounds of things was going to suffer immensely. Kira was many things including daddy’s little girl and she would make me pay for the indignity of someone promising to sperm her as a favor. “Thanks for using good judgement for the both of us.”

“Oh,” Her laughter faded as she grabbed some paperwork from under her desk. “Billy dropped by earlier and insisted on leaving a blank check for the deposit on the apartment.” She handed me the check with a shrug.

Taking the check I tore it in half and handed it back to her. “Please mail this back to him with a note that I cashed it will you?” She nodded as I crossed the room to the stairs. It wasn’t long before I heard Katherine and Samantha talking.

Samantha was sitting at Kira’s desk quickly taking notes as Katherine leaned over her speaking quietly and quickly. “Make sure to reschedule all my appointments for sometime next week.” Katherine caught sight of me and waved me over. “Just a sec, I got a few things to handle with Samantha and then we can get to our business.”

“Take your time.” I was in no hurry for her to put me or herself through the turmoil she was about to delve into.

Katherine was many things to many people but at her core she was a creature of great power. I suspect it was for that reason alone that she was able to bear my one and only child. One of the many talents she inherited from Achelous was the innate ability to use blood magic in ways that most mortals could not even begin to comprehend. There was a cost though. It forced the user to mingle their soul with whomever’s blood they were using. Sometimes this was a wonderful bonding between two people or it was as simple as the oath I had taken a few hundred years earlier to serve those under Hustahli protection. Other times however, it was darker if not nearly perverse, and using someone’s blood to track them landed somewhere in the middle between the two. It was dangerous, filthy and absolutely wrong to perform such magic but somedays it was the only choice.