Part 42 (1/2)
Eddie was out of the room. Lucian and Jade now had a selection of old books, new books, and ma.n.u.scripts laid out before them.
”What do you think?” Jade asked Lucian.
”I think that some well-read Satanists are planning on bringing Bac-Dal to life, and that they intend to use Megan Douglas as his final sacrifice, or... I don't know. Maybe they intend to use her as a gift when he first arrives.” He ran his fingers through his dark hair, picked up one of the ma.n.u.scripts again, and gnawed on the eraser of the pencil he'd been using to scratch down some notes.
Jade nodded. ”It should be easy then. Find out who the Satanists are.”
”Yeah, everyone wears a T-s.h.i.+rt,” Lucian said dryly.
She smiled. ”There are a lot of Wiccan s.h.i.+rts around, and the usually heavy metal stuff.”
He shook his head. ”The problem is... it isn't going to be easy at all.”
Jade leaned forward on the table. She eyed him carefully. ”Haven't you had any more... feelings? Intuitions?”
He shook his head, frowning.
”But... you should know more, shouldn't you?”
”We're playing in a different league here,” he said quietly. ”I believe that this is real. I believe, as well, that Megan was fingered long before they came here-why, I don't know.”
”But it was Finn who disturbed you.”
”Yes.”
”Do you think they're using him?”
”I don't know. The 'they' is so vague right now. And the thing is... 'they' are being protected by a strong force. There is nothing that I can see or feel.” He lowered his voice. ”Eddie could be in on it, and I wouldn't know. Someone found out about the Cabal Thorne attempt here to bring back Bac-Dal. They know that the timing is right, the full moon on Halloween, and more than that, they found the archaic writings-spells and rites-that are used, to bring a demon to life.” He hesitated, shrugging. ”They've made first contact, and though the demon isn't back in the flesh, apparently he can produce some power from beyond. His followers have already opened a vent. Most of the ancient peoples believed that there was a very thin veil that parted the living from the dead-or such other ent.i.ties as spirits, ghosts-and demons. Create a crack in that veil ahead .. of time, and you get the power to see that everything is done on Halloween night, when the veil is at its finest, most vulnerable point.”
”What do we do?” Jade said.
He smiled. ”You, keep reading. I'm off.”
”Off?” she said, sitting back, somewhat offended that he planned to leave her.
He kissed the top of her head. ”You're a journalist, my love. You know how to sift through material to get to the important facts.
I'm a... hm. I'm a people reader. I'm going to go to try to read a few people.”
”Hey-you're the one who reads archaic languages!”
”I don't believe we're going to find what we need in an archaic language,” he said. He started to smile, but his smile faded. ”We're out of time, Jade. Halloween is tomorrow.”
She looked at him and nodded slowly. ”Happy hunting,” she told him, and turned her attention back to the ma.n.u.script before her.
Finn managed to find a s.p.a.ce to park on the side of the common.
”Where are we going?” Megan asked him. ”Do you know where your friends are?”
He shrugged. ”Morwenna's,” he said.
Megan didn't particularly want to go back to Morwenna's shop.
”What makes you think that they're there?”
He shrugged. ”I know they were going to go there. So we'll give it a try.” He frowned. ”What's the matter?”
”Nothing.”
She didn't intend to tell him that Morwenna seemed convinced he was the cause of all ills. She reminded herself that she was going to be a fighter. She wasn't going to lose her husband-or her mind.
”Let's go to Morwenna's.”
The shop was crazier than ever. Jamie, though, immediately escorted them in, then resumed his post as door guard.
There were so many people in the shop that neither Morwenna, Joseph, Sara, or the other two young people they had working that day could do more than glance up at them. Oddly enough, Finn, however, seemed to know exactly where he was going. He headed toward the rear of the front area, near a rack with capes and cloaks. Of course, it wasn't difficult to see Lucian DeVeau.
He was, if anything, taller than Finn. Very dark, and good-looking. He drew attention immediately. He greeted Finn as he saw him weaving his way through the crowd, and offered a quick smile as Finn brought Megan forward.
”Megan, great to see you again,” he told her.
”And you, of course. You and your wife have done incredible things for us, with your reviews,” Megan said.”You'll have to tell Jade that; I don't write the reviews,” Lucian said. ”But I'm glad.” He had an armful of the little herb packets that were sold at the store. Each offered instructions such as, ”Place in the pocket for wealth,” or ”Burn for True Love,” or ”Protection from Evil.” They seemed rather silly, but then, Megan realized that she did cross herself with holy water every time she went into church.
”Let me just pay for these; we'll get out of the shop and talk,” Lucian said.
She nodded.
”We'll be outside,” Finn said.
He started to take Megan's hand, but a heavyset woman jostled between them and Megan waved him on out, indicating that she was following. She had almost maneuvered her way to the door when cool fingers landed on her arm.
She turned around. Morwenna was staring at her. Her eyes looked wild.
”Who the h.e.l.l is that?” she demanded.
Megan frowned. She hadn't realized that Morwenna had noted them talking to Lucian.
”A friend from New Orleans,” she said cautiously. ”Why?”
Morwenna shook her head strenuously. ”He's evil. Really evil.”
”Morwenna!” she protested. Then she laughed, looking back. ”Evil? He's just wicked good-looking, as they say around here. Sure he hasn't jangled your chains a little?”
”I'm married.”
”So am I. And I can still tell you, he's d.a.m.ned good-looking. A bit exotic. Seductive, don't you agree?”
”Don't laugh at me. I mean it-he's evil. I can tell. Megan, you've got to be careful. I really feel that you're in danger now. Why is this guy here? I'll bet Finn brought him up.”