“Done.”
Bones’s gaze swung to me. I held out a hand. “She’s right. We need what Don knows more than we need to keep Kramer’s location a secret.”
“Don?” A small smile touched Marie’s lips. “Your uncle is the ghost who keeps disappearing on you?”
“You know family.” My tone was clipped. “Always a pain in the ass.”
Bones stared at Marie. His expression revealed nothing, and his emotions were locked down, so unless I stood in front of him, I couldn’t determine what he was silently telling her. Marie seemed to know, however. She stared back in the same unwavering manner before inclining her head in a slight nod. Then their wordless exchange was over.
“Kramer’s cell is buried in the underground trunk sewer beneath the old combined overflow facility in Ottumwa, Iowa,” Bones stated. “If it’s breached in any manner, Kramer will be able to escape.”
A satisfied expression flashed over Marie’s features. Once again, I worried over what she wanted with the ghost. With luck, the voodoo queen merely wanted to own one of the world’s most infamous witch hunters—an irony I could appreciate considering Kramer’s hatred of all things female and magical. Then again, when was the last time I believed in something as simple as luck?
“We’ve held up our end, Majestic,” Bones said in an even tone. “Your turn.”
Bones’s knock boomed on the door. After a moment, Tyler’s “Who’s there?” could be heard over the sound of Dexter’s barking.
“The owner of the bloody house.”
The door flung open to reveal a grinning Tyler. “Your place actually has style. And it’s right in the heart of the French Quarter! Tell me again why you live in that shack in the woods—”
He stopped speaking when he saw that we weren’t alone. Bones pushed Tyler aside enough to allow Marie and me to enter. We could have done this back at the cemetery, but I didn’t think Tyler would forgive me if I cheated him out of his chance to meet his idol. Now that we’d agreed on terms, he would be safe.
“Majestic, this is our friend, Tyler. Tyler, meet Madame Laveau.”
Marie’s gaze flicked over Tyler with polite disinterest. “Bonjour.”
Tyler stared at her, his mouth opening and closing. For a few seconds, he didn’t even breathe. The only time I’d seen him close to this enraptured was when he met Ian.
“Madame,” he finally choked out. “It is an honor.”
Marie’s mouth quirked, and she threw me a look that, had she been anyone else, I would’ve sworn was a humorous version of, At last, someone who appreciates me.
Then she held out her hand. Tyler grasped it but didn’t shake it. He bowed over it with more formality than I’d thought him capable of.
My queen, his thoughts said reverently.
My ass, I didn’t reply out loud.
To my surprise, Marie squeezed Tyler’s hand, her expression turning thoughtful.
“You have power, so you must be the medium I heard about.”
Tyler’s beam was instant. “You’ve heard of me?”
She pulled her hand free. “I make it my business to know about anyone who can successfully summon spirits.”
If he’d won the lottery, I didn’t think Tyler could look any happier. Bones, however, got right down to business.
“Do you need anything before you proceed, Majestic?”
She cast a glance around the parlor, pausing at the urn Tyler placed on the coffee table.
“Does this contain your uncle’s ashes?”
At my nod, Marie let out a light snort. “Then this will be simple.”
She went over and sat on the couch closest to the urn. Bones and I remained where we were, but Tyler began to unload his suitcase.
“Here, Madame,” he said, pulling out his Ouija board.
She gave it a dismissive glance before reaching into the urn. “That’s not necessary.”
As soon as her fingers touched the ashes, an icy current tore through the room, as sudden and sharp as if we’d been dropped into the center of a blizzard. Before I even had a chance to shiver, my uncle stood in the center of the room, materialized enough for me to see that his gray hair was tousled, as if he’d been yanked so hard from wherever he was that it mussed his trademark style.
“What the hell?” he demanded of Marie. Then he saw me, Bones, and Tyler.
“Not this again,” Don muttered, starting to fade at the edges.
One moment, Marie was sitting on the couch with nothing more than silk furnishings surrounding her. The next, she was haloed by shadows that let out bone-splitting howls as they converged upon my uncle. I didn’t see her draw the blood that was the catalyst for summoning the Remnants, but that’s why she had a needle concealed in her ring. One small puncture was all she needed to wield her deadliest weapon.