Fic: L'homme Vaudou (7/8)
Jensen wasn’t sure if he had truly passed out, but when he came to in an utter mess. He sluggishly turned his head to see lamps knocked onto the floor, glass bottles broken, papers and detritus everywhere. It looked like a hurricane had swept into the room. Jared was still on top of him, unmoving.
“Hey, Jared. Jared!” Jensen called softly into Jared’s ear. “You okay?”
Jared groaned and raised his head. “Yeah. Think so.” Jensen winced as Jared pulled out. “What the hell happened?”
“No clue. You’re the practitioner," Jensen replied as tartly as he could manage in his current boneless state. “Did the ritual work?”
“Yeah.” Jared groaned as he stood up, cock now hanging limply. “Jeff’s at his house. I saw him preparing a ritual. We need to go.”
Jensen sat up and grabbed the cloth to wipe himself down. “Gimme five minutes to get dressed and then we’re out of here.”
Looking over at Jared, Jensen thought he saw a golden glow in Jared’s eyes that quickly disappeared. Must be a reflection from the candles he thought, following Jared to prepare for the confrontation with Jeff.
They were silent as they dressed and armed themselves to go to Jeff’s house. Jensen made sure his Colt was ready and brought extra clips. He slipped his knife in his boot, wincing as his shirt pulled on the cuts on his chest. He glanced over at Jared, who was preparing herbs and other magic items he’d said they would need to fight Jeff.
Jared looked different. Whatever happened during the ritual, it had changed him. Jensen wasn’t sure how. He just seemed more vibrant, more centered. Just...more.
Jensen was going to ask him about it when Jared spoke. “Okay. Let’s go. And Jensen? Be prepared for anything.” He strode out of the house before Jensen had a chance to ask him what he meant.
Jensen was left with his thoughts as they drove to Jeff’s house. He’d been there a few times, but it always took his breath away. It was one of the big , picturesque houses in the garden district. Jensen had wondered how a professor could afford such a large, historic house, but Jeff had explained he'd inherited it from his grandfather. With what Jensen knew now about Jeff, he wondered if that had really been the case.
The house loomed in front of them, yellow crime tape stretched across the entrance. It looked even more foreboding considering what they might find inside. Jensen said a quick prayer and shuddered.
Jared looked at him. “Ready?”
“Yeah.” He unholstered his gun and clicked off the safety. “Let’s go.”
“Let’s hope the house wards are down. There are witches on the police force, and I’m pretty sure Jeff wouldn’t want them to know he set up the crime scene by leaving them active.” Jared murmured a few words but nothing seemed to happen. “Good, they’re still down.” Jensen watched as he recited a few more words as he quietly opened the door. They ducked under the crime tape and entered the house.
It was unexpectedly quiet. Dust motes floated in the rays of sun streaming through the windows. Very little seemed out of place in the foyer. If it weren’t for the black dust from the CSU investigation, Jensen would have sworn nothing was wrong.
He moved close to Jared so he could whisper. “Where are we headed?”
Jared whispered back. “I’ve never been above the main floor, but I can feel magic above us. My guess is he’s probably on the third floor. If it were me, I’d be as high as I could get.”
“Top floor it is then,” Jensen replied
They headed upstairs, treading carefully in case the stairs squeaked. Jensen couldn’t help but admire his surroundings. Rich mahogany paneling, plush carpet, paintings on the walls that Jensen was sure were originals. It never occurred to him until now that Jeff had never invited him over to his house. They had always met at a bar or restaurant or Jeff’s office. He cursed quietly, how had he missed something so obvious.
“What?” Jared turned and as softly.
“Just cursing myself that I missed things like never being invited over here.”
“Don’t beat yourself up. My guess is if Jeff didn’t want you here, you wouldn’t have thought there was something wrong with that.” He waved his hand. “Did you ever think or ask about coming over here and either the topic changed or the idea just left your mind?”
Jensen nodded. “Yeah.”
“That was Jeff. He either cast a small spell or did something to affect your thoughts.” Jared smiled sadly at him. “Not your fault.”
“I’m going to kill him.” Jensen muttered.
Jared stopped and put his finger to his lips. They were on the third floor. There were several doors, all closed. Jensen hoped Jared could tell which one was Jeff’s workroom because they needed at least some element of surprise.
Any angry shout followed by the sound of breaking glass came from behind the door in front of them. It was definitely Jeff. So much for deciphering which door, Jensen thought, and he took a few steps forward before Jared pulled him back.
“He’s gonna have wards here, no doubt,” Jared whispered in Jensen’s ear. “Let me go first.”
There wasn’t anything Jensen could do but wait as Jared dug inside his duffle and pulled out a packet of crushed herbs. He sketched a sigil in the air in front of the door, opened the packet and blew the herbs towards it. They hung in the air for a moment and then scattered to the floor.
“Quick, this won’t last.” Jared stepped back and motioned to Jensen.
With a feral grin, Jensen kicked the door open.
What greeted them was a scene right out of Jensen’s nightmares.
Mackenzie’s bloodstained body lay on a low riser. Her arms and legs were spread eagled and there was a huge bloody gash across her neck. Blood matted her hair. Her skin was pale and her eyes were open and lifeless.
They were too late.
Jensen cried out in anguish, “MAC!” and raced over to her. Lifting up her body he cried brokenly, “No, no, no…” He stroked her cheek, feeling the last bit of warmth leave her body.
“You’re too late, Jensen.” Jeff’s voice was mocking. “Such a shame.”
“Why, Jeff? Why did you do this?” Jensen’s tears blurred his vision.
“Because I wanted power. That’s all you two were to me. A way to get power. But something happened and it didn’t work. So she was useless to me after all.”
Looking up at Jeff with rage in his eyes, Jensen ground out, “I’m gonna kill you.” Laying MacKenize down, he got to his feet and pointed his gun at Jeff.
Jeff just laughed and sketched a sigil in the air. An electric glow materialized around Jensen. “Give it a try. No way you’ll get past that ward.”
Jensen pulled the trigger and nothing. “Shit.” His gun had jammed. Tossing it down, he charged Jeff. He hit the ward and bounced back onto the floor. It felt like he’d hit a concrete wall. Gasping for breath, he stayed down while he tried to clear the dizziness from his head.
“Jeff!” Jared’s voice was strong and commanding. Jensen saw Jeff turn to Jared with a condescending look.
“You!” Jeff responded with a sneer. “Why am I not surprised you’re here.” Before Jared had a chance to reply, Jensen saw Jeff’s eyes narrow. “YOU have it! The power. How?”
The smile Jared gave him was anything but pleasant. “Some of us have skills that you can’t even begin to realize.”
“You did the seremoni rayisab yu!” Jeff hissed.
“Yep. And somehow your ritual transferred to me. That’s how I got the power.”
“No! It’s mine!” Jeff barreled into Jared and they crashed against the altar. Everything fell on the ground and slid across the floor. Herb jars, bowls, stirring sticks scattered under their feet. Jeff punched Jared, knocking him to the floor. Jared scrambled to the side and kicked Jeff’s legs out from under him. Lunging at him, Jared managed to get in a few punches of his own before Jeff was able to roll away from him.
Jensen felt helpless. He was trapped in this circle with no way to aid Jared. All he could do was watch and pray that Jared would vanquish Jeff.
Jeff clambered to his feet, wiping the blood from his lip where Jared had split it. “Okay, okay. Let’s talk about this rationally.” He held his hands out to Jared. “The power, Jared. It must have come from Jensen somehow. His line is powerful. If we sacrifice him, it’ll be enough for both of us. We can share it. Can you just imagine what that would be like? You and me, ruling all of New Orleans.”
Jensen felt magic swell up and circle Jared, making him glow.
“See how good it feels? Just sharing a little bit of power?” Jeff’s voice was soft as velvet and Jensen was horrified to see Jared take a step towards Jeff. “The two of us together will be stronger than even Papa Legba and the Baron. You’ll have anything you want. Success? Money? Enough for both of us.”
“Jared, no!” Jensen shouted to him. “You don’t want this!” Jared looked at him, his eyes gleaming. Jensen heard Jeff laugh.
“You want him?” Jeff waved a hand at Jensen. “You can have him. Hell, we don’t even have to kill him, just drain him enough. That mark Mistress Erzrlie put on him is nothing compared to what we can do. He’ll be your slave and love being at your command. Just agree to share this with me.”
Jeff’s voice continued hypnotically shifting from cajoling Jared to whispering spells. Jared seemed in a daze, slowly approaching Jeff.
Jensen had to do something. “Jared, no!” This time he screamed it, hoping it would get through. Jared looked at Jensen with his head tilted, like he was studying a bug. “Please, Jared. Don’t do this. You’re better than that.”
“Shut up, Jensen.” Jeff snarled. “Why would Jared listen to you?”
“Because…” Jensen started. “Because we care about each other.”
Jeff threw back his head and laughed. “You think he cares about you? That’s a joke. He’s just obsessed with you. That’s why he had a Loa put that mark on you.” Jeff scoffed again. “Just look at him. He’s considering whether we should kill you or just drain you. That’s not caring. That’s the power.”
He turned back to Jared and spoke a few more words. “Trust me Jensen, this’ll only hurt for a short time.” Jeff began gathering the tools from the floor.
Jensen paced the circle. Here he was, trapped with magic with no way to defend himself. Damn it. His gun didn’t work and he wasn’t sure if he could win against Jared and Jeff physically even without any magic they might use.
A slight breeze ruffled the back of Jensen’s hair and he swore he heard a slight whisper.
Jensen.
He knew there wasn’t anyone else in the room except the three of them. He turned his head towards where he thought the sound had come from.
Jensen.
This time the voice was accompanied by a light scent of orange blossoms; just like the perfume he buys--bought--for Mackenzie every year at Christmas. Jensen took a chance. “Mac?” He whispered. The breeze touched his cheek just like a caress.
Knife
Knife?. Jensen was puzzled until a light clicked on in his head. Looking around the floor, he saw a ritual knife halfway under the platform where MacKenzi’s body lay. Slowly he inched over towards it, making sure that he didn’t capture Jeff’s attention. His hand clamped over the handle of the knife.
Jensen watched as Jeff and Jared moved around the altar. He needed something to get Jared away from Jeff, but he was at a loss as to what to do. Getting Jeff immobilized had to be the first thing, though. He had to determine when the best time would be to throw the knife. That was assuming the knife would break the circle. Jensen had no idea if it would work or not. Plus he’d never thrown a knife before. The closest thing he’d ever thrown was a baseball.
He hefted the knife, trying to learn its weight. He figured it was silver; it had a bone handle with sigils carved into the bone. He winced at the blood staining the blade. Mackenzie’s blood.
Jensen returned his gaze to Jeff. He was going to have to get Jeff’s attention, get him to turn so he would face Jensen, and hope that Jared didn’t get in the way. Then he’d throw the knife.
Fini mal la. Mackenzie’s voice whispered. Jensen didn’t know what that meant. “I don’t understand,” he whispered back. Mackenzie’s voice echoed again End the Evil. The words chilled Jensen at the same time it sent a feeling of power throughout his body. He understood. Mackenzie wanted him to use those words when he threw the knife.
Okay, here goes nothing.. “Hey Jeff!” Jensen called out.
Jeff stopped his preparations and turned to Jensen. “Shut up! Your turn is coming.”
Jensen stepped closer to the ward, giving himself enough space to throw the knife. He kept it low against his side, hoping Jeff wouldn’t see it. “”Doesn’t the condemned man get a last meal?” He said brazenly. “I could use a plate of beignets and a pot of coffee.”
Jeff snorted. “You always were a little shit.” He turned back and tossed over his shoulder. “Sorry, Jensen. No last meal.”
Shit.. Jeff hadn’t turned around far enough to give Jensen a chance. Looks like I’m going to need to rile him up.
“Hey Jeff!” Jensen called again. “Are you sure you’re capable of doing this ritual? After all, you fucked it up with Mackenzie.”
“Shut up!” Jeff hissed.
“I mean, look at Jared. He stole your power immediately. Who’s to say he won’t do it again and you’ll be stuck playing second fiddle to him.”
“ I said, Shut UP!” Jeff charged the circle, coming almost nose to nose with Jensen. “You don’t know anything! You’re just a sacrificial lamb waiting to be bled. You don’t understand power!”
“I may not understand power, but I know this!” Jensen hurled the knife, shouting the words Mackenzie told him to say. “FINI MAL LA!”
The knife pierced the wards and embedded itself into Jeff’s chest. Jeff screamed in pain and fury. He tried to pull it out, but it wouldn’t budge.
“How...how..” Jeff gasped. “You’re not a practitioner. You shouldn’t have been able to do that.”
“Guess it just comes naturally,” Jensen replied as the wards dissolved. He grabbed Jeff, getting his handcuffs out. Before he could do it, Jared spoke up.
“Fini mal la. Evil is banished and his supplicants ended. Mighty Hecate, take your Petitioners to the Underworld from whence they came.” Jared tossed some herbs into a brass bowl and lit it on fire.
Steam emanated from Jeff’s body, his face contorted into a rictus of pain. Blood began to spill from his mouth and eyes, dripping down his body to the floor. A hazy mist started to envelope him and Jensen swore he saw a female figure appear. The mist engulfed Jeff, making him scream louder. It dissipated, leaving his corpse on the ground, pale and bloody.
Jensen took a deep breath. It was over. He wondered what he was going to tell Detective Willams. He turned to Jared and started to ask him a question when Jared backhanded him across the room.
Jensen’s body hit the wall so hard that he lost consciousness for a moment. As he came to he felt Jared strip him of both his Colt and the knife in his boot, tossing them in a corner. “Jared, what the hell are you doing?”
“Jeff was right,” Jared replied. “You are a conduit for power.” Jared wrestled Jensen into a standing position and started dragging him over to the platform where Mackenzie’s body lay. “And the power feels good.”
Jensen shuddered as Jared caressed his cheek. This was not the Jared he’d met and had sex with. This Jared was cold and demanding.
Jensen twisted away from Jared and scrambled toward his weapons. Jared grabbed him by the leg and they both tumbled to the floor. They traded punches, each one getting the upper hand then losing it as they wrestled for dominance.
Jared had Jensen by the neck, choking him. As Jensen flailed, his hand hit Jeff’s body. If he could just get closer, he could get the knife still lodged in Jeff’s chest and pull it free. Jensen took a chance and threw a right hook, loosening Jared’s hold on his neck. He rolled over and felt for the knife, pulling on it once he grabbed the handle.
He needed to shake Jared from the control of power he was in. Fuzzily, he remembered the words Jared had used during the seremoni rayisab yu. Scrambling to stand, he sliced his palm massaging it to get the blood flowing. “Blessed in ritual, blessed in spirit, blessed in blood,” he intoned. Repeating that, he felt his skin warm just like it had during the ritual.
Now all Jensen had to do was cut Jared. He charged Jared, hoping his plan of action was going to work. Jared dodged him and they circled each other.
“C’mon, Jensen. Just give in,” Jared crooned. “Just give me the power, I need it.”
Taking a deep breath, Jensen stepped into Jared’s grasp and turned. As he hoped, Jared wrapped his arms around Jensen and lifted him up. Quick as lightning, Jensen slid the knife over Jared’s forearm, making a shallow cut that welled up.
He slapped his hand down on Jared’s cut and repeated the words of the ritual, praying that the magic would sooth the power coursing in Jared’s body.
With a shout, Jared threw Jensen to the ground and fell down beside him. Jared writhed and cried out in agony. Jensen pulled him closer and held Jared as he shuddered, murmuring, “It’s okay, you’re gonna be okay,” over and over.
Eventually Jared stilled, his body covered in sweat. “Jensen?” he croaked.
“I’m here.” Jensen replied.
“What happened?” Jared looked at him. “I remember coming into the room and fighting with Jeff, then nothing.”
“Jeff tapped into the power and mesmerized you, is my best guess.” Jensen told him. “He convinced you that sacrificing me was a good idea.”
“Oh my god. I’m so sorry.” Slowly Jared stood, leaning on Jensen as his legs almost collapsed under him. “I would never do that to you, Jensen.”
“I know.” Jensen led him over to lean against a wall. “It was a mix of Jeff and the power coursing through your body.”
“What happened next?” Jared motioned to Jeff’s body. “Did I do that?”
“Actually, we both did,” Jensen chuckled dryly. “I stabbed him and you called up somebody named Hecate and she finished the job.”
Jared sighed. “Hecate was who he called up to begin with. I probably thought it seemed fitting.” He rubbed his head. “My head hurts; so does my face.”
“Well, there was some physical altercations between you, Jeff, and me.” Jensen wiggled his jaw. “You got me good in a few places.”
Jared smiled at Jensen, then winced. “Ow.” Jenses saw his attention move from him to Mackenzie. “Oh god, Jensen. We were too late. I’m so sorry.” Jared stepped away from the wall and knelt down beside Mackenzie. He wiped some of the blood from her face and closed her eyes. Jensen heard him say a prayer. Somehow it eased Jensen’s heartache a little.
They stayed in that position for a while, absorbing the events that had occurred.
Later, the police were called. Detective Williams took their statements, intuiting things that were not said. It was agreed that Jeff had murdered Mackenzie and that Jensen had killed him in self defense.
Hours later, they were back at Jared’s house. Jared had offered Jensen a beer, but he said no. He headed to the guest room and started packing up his duffle. He had to get out of Jared’s house. Now that the drama was over, he felt angry and overwhelmed by what had transpired. He had to get away.
Jared followed him. “Jensen, what are you doing?”
Jensen looked over at him. “I’m packing.”
“Why? You can stay here until they release Mackenzie’s body to you.”
Jensen paused putting a shirt in the bag. “No I can’t, Jared.”
“Why not?” Jared looked confused.
“Do I need to spell it out for you?” Jensen faced Jared, a firm set to his Jaw. If he didn’t go now, he would never leave. Despite his roiling emotions, he couldn't deny the attraction he felt toward Jared.
“Obviously so, because I have no idea what’s going on.” Jared sat down on the bed.
Jensen sighed. “Jared, you almost sacrificed me for magic.”
“I said I was sorry…” Jared began, but Jensen cut him off.
“And I accepted your apology. But how do I know you won’t do it again?” Jensen shook his head. “Your magic will always be there. What if one day you decide you want more?”
“I won’t,” Jared replied vehemently. “I care about you, Jensen.”
“Do you?” Jensen walked to the bathroom and gathered his toiletries. “Honestly?”
“Yes.” Jared stood in the doorway. “Of course I do.”
Jensen brushed past him and returned to the bed. “How do I know that? Maybe you’re just keeping me around.” He tucked everything into his duffle. “And how do I know how I feel about you? Is it real? Is it just from another mark you put on me again? How do I know for sure?”
Jensen zipped up his duffle and picked it up. “I can’t be with someone with all that uncertainty. I’ll be staying at a hotel until they release Mackenzie’s body to me. Don’t call.”
He left Jared sitting on the bed and quietly closed the door.
On to Chapter 8