Page 12 of Tanglewood Legacy (The Three Sisters 3)
“What do you plan to do?”
“What can be done except to kill or cage the offenders?”
Forcing his eyes away, Pierre made for the carriage. “Then let us discuss your prison so that when you find this murderer, you’ll be ready.”
* * *
“I keep thinkingabout what we did,” Isis said to Medea as they sipped their tea in the front room of the big house. “Shouldn’t we have told someone? Or left the dead man in town for the authorities to find?”
Once they’d used magic to get the dead body out of the tree, they’d identified him as the stranger who’d pulled the knife in the crowd when they’d disembarked in la Nouvelle-Orléans. They’d quickly determined the cause of his death and, after a short discussion, gave him a burial at sea of sorts, floating him down the Mississippi, off their property and beyond their realm of responsibility.
“He’d been drained by a vampire,” Medea said. “We can’t risk being associated with magical creatures. This way, someone else will find the dead man, somewhere far from us.”
“I wasn’t aware vampires existed in this world. I haven’t seen one since Ouros.” Until the body, Isis had been under the impression that she, Rhys, and her sisters were the only magical creatures in this realm.
“If one is among us, it will likely kill again,” Medea said. “We are strangers here. It would be too easy for someone to accuse us if its victims are found on our property. After tea, I’ll ward the property against them.”
Isis nodded. Warding the property was a good idea for a number of reasons, but Medea was underestimating the citizens of this parish if she thought that would be enough. “Even if the killings do not occur near us, people are bound to notice a pattern among the dead and missing. Whether the colonists are aware of vampires or not, this could come back to haunt us. What will they think if we seem immune to the terrifying deaths that are about to descend here?”
Medea grunted her displeasure. “You’re right, sister. This vampire is a risk to us all. At worst, we might be blamed for its victims. At best, its continued feeding in this area might make the colonists hypervigilant against anything perceived to be supernatural, also a risk to us.”
“We need to find this vampire and try to convince it to leavela Nouvelle-Orléans,” Isis said.
“How do you suppose we do that? Vampires are apex predators. One will not take kindly to our request, even if we are lucky enough to find the creature.”
“True. It’s almost impossible to find a vampire who doesn’t want to be found, but it’s not impossible to draw them out. If I go into town tonight, I might be able to use the shadows to ignite its curiosity.”
“I don’t like it. A woman alone at night in this part of the world will most certainly attract scrutiny. You may draw out the vampire, but you also risk garnering the suspicion of the locals.”
Isis thought for a moment. “The man who helped me buy the horses showed interest in me,” she said plainly. “Not as a witch, but as a woman. I think I can use that as an excuse to be there. He might even have answers to our questions about how much the colonists know about the creatures and if this has ever happened before.”
The corner of Medea’s mouth twitched. “Truly? And you don’t mind leveraging his attraction to you for information?”
“No, I don’t mind.” Isis was proud of how measured the words came out. Inside, she was anxious to have a reason to see Pierre again, although she’d never admit her ulterior motives to Medea. This was her chance, with Medea’s blessing, no less!
“Do you know where he lives or how to find him again?”
“Yes. I can go this evening.”
Medea sipped her tea. “Very well. But be careful, Isis. The women here do not share the freedoms we are accustomed to. Your idea is a good one, and hopefully this man you speak of will respond positively to your visit, as will the vampire, if you can flush it out. But if things go wrong—”
“I’ll have the shadows to protect me. I promise I’ll make use of them if I need to.”
“Good.” Medea darted a glance in her direction. “If you’re not back by midnight, I’ll come looking for you.”
Isis stood and placed her empty cup on the tray. “It’s settled, then. I’ll leave at twilight.”
* * *
“I can do it,but I don’t know what styles are popular here,” Circe said, raising her wand and pointing it at Isis’s Caribbean-style linen dress.
“Make it silk and lace,” Isis said, picturing it in her mind. “Blue and black. Like the ones in Paris in the summer.”
Circe sighed. “Are you sure? I didn’t see a shred of silk when we were in town.”
“We only recently arrived. No one will question it.”
With a shrug, Circe cast her enchantment at Isis’s apparel. The fabric fluttered as if it had come alive, then sparked with magic. The shimmer grew brighter, power billowing the skirt from her body and transforming her dress from her shoulders down. Once the spell had run its course, it sank into the earth, and Isis swayed, appreciating the results. The royal-blue silk shimmered. A square of black lace wrapped around the back of her neck and tucked into her plunging neckline, while matching lace edged the sleeves at her elbows. The bodice was tight, but the skirt flared over her black heeled boots. She patted the small hat that secured her hair in place.
