Lilly nodded as the group spoke as one voice, “So mote it be.”
Lucky and Claude headed towards Rampart Street. Shemo and Alustra decided to drive the van into the housing project adjacent to the French Quarter. Jolene, James and Lilly headed for Bourbon Street. The search was underway and everyone squared their shoulders and put on a determined face. Each member secretly nursed a heavy heart and the fear Roland would not survive his possession by an unrestrained Loa.
It was a moonless night with dark clouds scuttling across the sky. A cold drizzle began which made sure they were all miserable. Alustra and Shemo parked their van and went door to door through the housing project asking about a wild white man, wielding a curved knife. Some of the tenants laughed, some looked terrified, some simply slammed the door in their faces.
Lilly had a photo of she and Roland taken on Mardi Gras day. She was going to show it around to people but the Roland in the picture with his Van Dyke beard, smooth cheeks, lacy collar and plumed hat looked nothing like the possessed man running through the area with a rusty scimitar.
After walking up a few blocks on Bourbon Street, James led Jolene and Lilly towards a side street. “I’m feeling we need to head over this way and get off of Bourbon Street.” Picking their way gingerly over the bricks of the banquette, slick with spilled beer, they cut over to the seedier end of Chartres Street.
“There is an old apothecary shop on one of these blocks. The owner deals in herbs, St. John’s root and magical supplies. He conducts rituals of some sort in the back of the apothecary. Let’s go take a look.”
Lilly gave a quizzical look at James, “Later,” he whispered. Although it began to rain, Jolene had brought along a couple of umbrellas and they pressed close together, avoiding puddles and derelicts huddling in doorways.
They stopped in front of a dimly lit shop. Apothecary of the Magical Light was lettered in gold across a large plate glass window. Lilly put her hand on the window and peered in. Two huge Doberman pincers jumped in front of her face, barking madly, slobbering and wild eyed on the other side of the glass. Lilly jumped back, startled by the ferocity of the animals.
James made for the front door. “Wait,” Lilly yelled, “The dogs.”
The dogs turned to give chase as James strode into the store. The Druid stopped, extended one hand out, palm up and made a small gesture towards the two canines. The dogs stood, whimpering, bound to the wooden floor. Jolene and Lilly gingerly entered, continuing to stand close to the door.
“Is anyone here?” James called out.
A hand pulled aside a curtain covering a doorway in the back of the shop. A thin, bearded man responded rudely, “I’m here, what do you want?”
“We are looking for a white man with dark hair and beard. He may be carrying a large curved knife. Have you seen anyone fitting this description?”
“Yea, the crazy bastard was in here. He came in and went right for the herbs,” he said as he pointed to hundreds of glass jars on shelves behind a long counter.
“I couldn’t tell what he was looking for. He seemed to have a lot to say, but I couldn’t understand him. He wasn’t speaking English. For a minute, I looked into his eyes and, I swear, he had a haunted look. It was like he was begging for help; I couldn’t understand. I’ve got a magic circle set up in the back room, I thought I could do a banishment and whatever had gotten into this fellow might exit. I signaled for him to follow me into the back. We got back there and everything was cool. I lit some storax and signaled for him to step into the circle.
“He wouldn’t move. I made a mistake when I grabbed him by the arm and tried to lead him into the circle. He pulled the knife from his belt, waved it in front of my face, ran to my altar and grabbed the chunk of John the Conqueror root. He ran back into the store and the dogs attacked him. I was afraid they would kill him or he would injure on of them with the blade. The dogs let him go at my command; the guy was wild eyed. I opened that door,” he said pointing at a metal side door. “He ran into the alley.”
“Did you call the police?”
“No, no I didn’t. No need to get the cops over here; the guy was gone.”
“Thank you,” James said as he released the spell binding the dogs to the floor and lead Lilly and Jolene out the front door.
Jolene took a long look at James, put her arm through his and walked toward Rue Saint Anne and the comfort of Panthea’s. “James, you are exhausted. We can’t do more. You need to be home resting.”
“But!” James said, trying to challenge her decision.
Lilly had noticed James’s stooped shoulders and haggard face as he learned of Roland’s visit to the store. “I agree,” she said.
James grabbed Lilly’s arm, “What about the crystal? Have you felt anything from the crystal yet?”
Lilly shook her head and let out a heavy sigh, “I have it on, James. It feels cold. Before it was always warm and, sort of, thrumming. Since Regina had it, the violet light is gone, there is no warmth.”
She looked inquiringly at Jolene and noticed the puzzled look in her teacher’s eyes. Lilly’s shoulders sagged and she ground her teeth in frustration.
“Possibly a ritual cleansing at your altar will wake it. Continue wearing it. It may realign with your energy,” Jolene suggested wearily.
Lilly squared her shoulders,
