Moon Thrall Read online

  Skye looked over the so-called fortune tellers in Jackson Square. They were, in fact, witches. The witch faction in New Orleans was huge. It could easily rule the city, except that it was made up of mostly women who bickered constantly.

  The witches were grouped by families, with four of the largest holding the most power among the faction. There was one group descended from the gypsies of Romania. Another group came from a long line of witches from France, one from Ireland, and another from the United Kingdom.

  The smaller witch families were a mishmash of heritage, but that didn’t make them any less dangerous.

  Though Skye was curious about the witch faction, she was more focused on all the other beings that called New Orleans home. She also wanted to know what it was about the city that drew them.

  Her next article was due in three days. Since she’d discovered so much about the Djinn by visiting the Viper’s Nest, she thought it would be smart to return.

  She pulled her phone from her purse and sent a text to Matthew to make sure he was free that night. He replied that he was.

  “Fill up before I get there,” she said aloud as she typed the words.

  Matthew was a vampire, and she had no interest in being his meal. She still couldn’t believe she had a vampire as a source. Even she rolled her eyes at the thought. What Skye wasn’t sure about, was why Matthew wanted to help her. Exposing the supernatural also exposed him.

  The one thing Skye did know was that she didn’t trust him. Matthew had been helpful so far, especially by keeping others away from her at the bar. Still, he scared her.

  However, a story was a story. And she had a whopper of one. If that meant she had to sit next to a vampire some nights while in the middle of a club full of other supernatural beings, she could do it.

  Besides, she wore a silver necklace at all times. A thick silver chain.

  She might be weaker than most, but she knew how to stop a vampire. It was something she’d learned while in college. A lesson that had sunk deep.

  ~

  “What?” Solomon shouted.

  Court winced at his eldest brother’s tone. “I’m just thankful Kane still reads the damn newspaper.”

  Solomon ran a hand down his face and sighed. Myles hadn’t said a word from his chair behind his desk. Court stood by the door as Solomon paced Myles’s office.

  “Does this woman have a death wish?” Solomon asked.

  Myles threw down his pencil. “Apparently.”

  “It’s times like these that make me want to sit back and let the idiots that get themselves into these messes get whatever is coming.” Solomon’s big hands fisted at his sides as his anger grew. “How fucking stupid do you have to be to go meddling in the affairs of the supernatural?”

  Court couldn’t agree more, but he also couldn’t stand by and let an innocent get hurt. “It won’t be long before one of the factions realize that Ms. Skye Parrish is a reporter for The Times – Picayune.”

  “A newspaper that thankfully has cut its distribution drastically,” Solomon mumbled.

  Myles leaned back in his office chair. “It’s down to three times a week for printed, but it goes out every day online.”

  “That’s good news, right?” Solomon looked from Myles to Court.

  Court shook his head. “Afraid not. It looks like subscription service has increased fifteen percent since her first article three weeks ago.”

  “Goddamn it!”

  Myles flattened his lips for a moment. “She has to be stopped.”

  “We can’t just tell her to stop,” Court argued. “She’ll want to know why. I’m a hundred percent certain none of us want our names in anything she writes.”

  Solomon rubbed his fingers back and forth over his forehead. “A full moon is coming. If that...woman...isn’t brought to heel, there’s no telling what she’ll find out.”

  “I’m on it,” Court told his brothers. “I’ll be tracking her with the help of Kane and Riley.”

  At the mention of their brother, Myles’s and Solomon’s eyes snapped to him. Court blew out a breath and pushed away from the wall.

  “Kane is doing some research on Skye Parrish for us. Riley will be the connection we need to the reporter. Hopefully, to get her to back down.”

  Myles sat forward, his face creased in lines of worry. “It may take all of us.”

  “We’re just visiting bars, Myles. The Viper’s Nest and Boudreaux’s. Besides, you and Solomon can take care of Gator Bait for a few nights.”

  Solomon had a perturbed look on his face as he turned to Myles. “What do you think?”

  “I think they have it well enough in hand,” Myles said. “All they’ll be doing is tracking Skye for a few nights. If there is a problem, we can get to them fast enough.”

  There was a long stretch of silence before Solomon nodded as he slid his gaze to Court. “I don’t need to tell you what will happen if Riley is hurt.”

  “She’s the sister we never had. I’d never let anything happen to her,” Court vowed.

  Myles threw a pencil at him and grinned. “Get to it then. But first, it’s your turn to accept the delivery out back.”

  Right at that moment, the bell at the back of the bar rang. Court left Myles’s office to make his way to the kitchen to accept their daily delivery.

  He glanced at the clock. Just a few more hours before he met with Kane to go over what he’d learned about Skye Parrish.

  ~

  “There isn’t much,” Kane said from his spot at the kitchen table as he pushed the laptop toward Court.

  Court made a face. “As if, Kane. There has to be something.”

  “He’s not lying,” Riley said from the bathroom.

  Court glanced at his cousin to see her hand moving as she brushed out her hair. He returned his attention to Kane. “What did you find out?”

  “She wasn’t raised anywhere in the US that I can find.”

  “You had to have found something more,” Court stated.

  Riley leaned back to peer around the bathroom doorway and grinned. “Oh, we did.”

  There was a ghost of a smile as Kane pointed to the laptop. “I traced Skye Parrish backwards. She came to New Orleans from LA where she did a brief stint at the Los Angeles Times. Before that, she got her degree in journalism from UCLA.”

  “Where is she from though?” Court asked.

  Kane waited a few seconds before he said, “The Bahamas.”

  Court was so surprised at the news that he sat back in his chair without anything to say.

  “I know, right?” Riley said as she walked out of the bathroom. “I had that exact reaction. Who grows up in the Bahamas?”

  Court blinked as he looked at his cousin in her dark jeans and bright pink shirt. The top dipped low enough to show ample cleavage. He didn’t think she should be wearing anything like that going to the places they were headed.

  “Wipe that look off your face right now, Court LaRue,” she told him sternly. “I’m a grown woman who has lived by myself for years.”

  Court looked to Kane for help, but Kane was busy typing on his laptop again. Court gave up with a shake of his head. “Is that all you found out about Skye?”

  “It seems Ms. Parrish came from a family with big connections. Her mother came from money, and her father was the CEO of a plastics corporation. She was born in New York, but the family made their permanent home in Nassau,” Kane answered.

  Riley walked to the sink and rinsed out a cup to load in the dishwasher. “I’d like to know why she left the cushy life. If her parents had that kind of money, why not use it?”

  “They’re dead.”

  Kane’s statement had Court frowning. “When and how?”

  “Her first year at UCLA.” Kane leaned forward, his brow furrowed as his gaze scanned the computer screen. “I can’t get to the police report, but the newspaper article states there was a car accident. Mr. Parrish was driving and the car flipped, going into the ocean. Both of Skye’s parents we
re killed.”

  Riley stood next to Kane. “How tragic.”

  “It also appears the Parrishs didn’t have as much money as they let on. All of their properties, cars, jewels, and most of their belongings had to be sold to cover their debt after their death.”

  Court couldn’t imagine having that kind of money and then losing it. It made him look at Skye Parrish differently.

  “That’s about it, at least from what I could dig up,” Kane said.

  Court didn’t believe that for a minute. “There’s more. There’s always more.”

  “That’s what I’m for,” Riley said. “I’ll suss it out of her quick enough.”

  Kane looked up from the computer screen. “No doubt you will, Riley, but don’t trust her. She’s looking for a story. Any story.”

  “Heard. Loud and clear.”

  Court stood. “Time’s a wastin’. Let’s get moving. The sooner we find Skye Parrish, the sooner we can figure out what she’s looking for.”

  Kane closed the laptop and got to his feet. “I think we should let Riley take the lead. You and I will hang back and observe.”

  “Sure.”

  The three left Kane’s apartment. As soon as they reached the streets, Riley went ahead of them. They were staying in the French Quarter. If Skye wanted to find something, that’s the place she would look.

  Riley was about fifty steps in front of them. As he kept his eye on her, Court wondered how long it would take for the remaining Chiasson brothers to realize that Beau had found his sister weeks ago and was keeping it from the rest of them.

  If Court were in their shoes, he would be furious. Then again, Beau was looking out for his sister. He knew she was safe. That was the only reason he hadn’t told his brothers.

  What Riley didn’t know was that Solomon and Beau talked every week. As long as Beau was getting regular reports on his sister, he would keep his mouth shut about where she was.

  All Court could hope for was that Riley never found out what Solomon was doing. If she did, she might leave and then no one would know where she was. Given that she was a Chiasson with a need to fight the supernatural in her blood, she could get herself into all kinds of trouble.

  “What’s got you all sour?” Kane asked.

  Court jerked his chin to Riley. “Her.”

  “We are some kind of blessed not to have had a sister.” Kane blew out a long breath. “I can’t imagine growing up with one. Riley is blood, but I didn’t have to watch her growing up while keeping her away from the monsters – and men.”

  Court cut him a look. “Do you think it’ll be any better if Myles and Addison ever have a daughter?”

  “Oh shit. You just had to make me think of that.” Kane gave a firm shake of his head. “I’m never having kids. Ever. Or a wife. I don’t need that kind of constant worry and strain.”

  Court was nodding in agreement. Life was hard enough as a LaRue. Adding a female into the mix only complicated things further.

  Myles had gotten lucky with Addison. Solomon...he hadn’t been so fortunate. He knew firsthand the sorrow of being a LaRue in love.

  CHAPTER THREE

  Skye kept her clothes simple and plain. She wanted to blend in and observe, not draw attention. She wore a black long-sleeved shirt with a cowlneck and black jeans. Her hair was pulled back in a low ponytail. She wore no jewelry other than her thick silver necklace, and she didn’t carry a purse. Her cell phone was in her pocket, along with a few twenties.

  “Still nervous?” Matthew asked from beside her.

  They stood across the street from The Viper’s Nest, a known vampire hangout. She gave Matthew a dark look, but inside, she was a shaking bundle of nerves.

  She was petrified, though she would never let Matthew know just how much vampires scared her.

  “A brave face,” he murmured. “You’re going to need it in there.”

  Skye took a deep breath. Humans went into the Viper’s Nest all the time. Most came out just as they had gone in, but there were others who never came out at all. Some went in knowing exactly what the Viper’s Nest was and were ready to willingly give their blood to a vamp.

  She gagged at the thought. Why did movies and TV shows make vampires out to be sexy, romantic figures? They were monsters that fed off blood. And killed.

  Without a conscience.

  After waiting for a car to pass, Skye crossed the street and strode to the door of the Viper’s Nest. Matthew reached the door before her and held it open.

  She walked inside and was deafened by the music. It was hard rock, the kind where the singers screamed rather than sang. Matthew guided her to the left as she looked to the dance floor where a number of people were gyrating sexually.

  Matthew suddenly jerked her to the right. Skye whirled around, ready to tell him not to be so rough, when she realized he’d moved her out of the way of a group of males who surrounded a young woman with blond hair. She was completely naked and letting them touch her. Everywhere.

  Skye was shaking by the time she and Matthew reached the bar. She thought it would be a safe place, but there was no safe place in this club.

  “We can leave now,” Matthew leaned down to say in her ear.

  She wanted nothing more than to get to the door as fast as she could, but she’d promised Helen an article on the vampires. What had she been thinking? Oh, Skye knew exactly what had led her to agree to such a thing. It was seeing her name and picture next to the words she had written.

  It was a heady thing, having a dream come true. Though it might very well lead to her death.

  Skye shook her head. “I have to stay.”

  “It’s a mistake,” Matthew mumbled and ordered her a draft beer.

  She knew it was a risk. Her editor knew exactly where she was going though, and there was a file that would automatically be sent to Helen if Skye didn’t key in the password by eight A.M.

  Journalists who went into the middle of a combat zone knew they might die. Skye was in the middle of a war herself. Only hers had supernatural beings such as vampires, Djinn, and witches. So far, she had steered clear of the Voodoo faction, and as far as she knew, she had yet to see any werewolves.

  But both were on her list to get to know.

  Skye made sure not to put her beer down. She drank it slowly as she made mental notes of everything about the club and the people in it.

  She had no idea how long she’d sat there before she realized that Matthew was gone and her beer was empty. Skye set the glass aside and looked for Matthew, but he was nowhere to be found. She was about to get up and leave when two large men boxed her in. An uneasy feeling overtook her as she looked up into their faces.

  They were dangerous looking, rough. She knew without having to be told that they were vampires. And, unfortunately, they had taken an interest in her.

  Skye belatedly realized that one of them had been drinking from the neck of a Creole woman earlier. However, there was no sign of that woman now. The vampire’s hair was black and thick as it hung to his chin. His eyes were beady, and the gold hoop earring in his left ear was mesmerizing.

  “Going somewhere?” he asked.

  Skye pointed to her drink. “I’ve had my limit, and I’m supposed to meet a friend down the street.”

  She tried to get up again, but they pushed her down, none too gently. Skye’s heart pounded in her chest, dread turning her blood to ice.

  “You want to be with us,” said the second man.

  She swiveled her head to him and forgot who or where she was for a moment. He had a look about him that spoke of ancient times, snow-capped mountains, and wealth. His hair was deep mahogany and parted on the side. He smiled crookedly, stroking her cheek.

  “You do want to be with us, don’t you?”

  ~

  “Damn,” Court said when he saw Skye nod her head at the vampire.

  Kane touched his arm and slipped out of the bar. Court managed to reach Riley before she got close to Skye. He turned his cousin to the door a
nd put her in a position that would allow her to leave in a hurry if needed.

  Court remained in the bar. For the past two hours, he had been watching Skye Parrish study everyone. She was so intent on catching every detail that she’d missed the most crucial one – the fact that she was drawing attention to herself.

  The man who’d stood beside her most of the night had left without a word. Court couldn’t wait to get his hands on the bastard. Only the slimiest of assholes left a woman defenseless, especially in a place like the Viper’s Nest.

  Skye had drawn the attention of two of the most powerful vampires in the bar. Many of the vamps were trying to get near her, but the two with her now had stopped any of the others from getting close.

  The wolf within Court yearned to be free, wanted to clamp his jaws down on their throats. The need was so overwhelming that Court found himself about to shift right there.

  He shook his head and focused on Skye. The two vamps had her on her feet, flanking her as they walked her to the door. If they got her out of the bar, there was a chance they could spirit her away, and that would be the end of Skye Parrish.

  Court waited for them to pass before he set aside his full glass of beer and followed them. He stopped the door before it closed on him and stepped out into the humid night air.

  The vampires were so intrigued by their new catch they had no idea Court was following them, or that Kane was on one side of the street while Riley was on the other.

  For the next four blocks, Court slowly gained on them until he was only a couple of steps behind. Suddenly, the tall vamp with the gold earring whirled around.

  Jacques’ eyes blazed for a moment before he recognized Court. “What do you want, wolf?”

  “The woman.”

  The two vampires laughed. Court joined in while Skye stood silently staring straight ahead, completely unaware of what was going on around her.