Chapter 8: New Orleans
They arrived in New Orleans in the early morning of September 22. Even at that hour, the sultry air was heavy with humidity. Jack had never been in a tropical climate before. He liked the warmth, but Mop was already panting.
A limousine was waiting to take them to Marcus's house. During the drive, Marcus kept up a running commentary of the history of the city and the sights they passed.
Marcus had moved to New Orleans in the early 1800s. His house was in the Garden District, one of the oldest sections of the city. The white wood mansion had large ionic columns in front and a veranda extending around the perimeter. Magnolias and live oaks partially shielded the house from view. An ornate wrought-iron fence surrounded the yard.
The room Marcus designated for Jack was furnished with contemporary furniture, but the bathroom had an old-fashioned bathtub on clawed feet.
Matthew had already alerted Jack that establishing inroads with Marcus's children meant that he'd be away much of the time. But every morning they would continue to practice yoga together. Matthew believed the discipline would help Jack gain control over his emotions, and he was probably right. If Jack could stay still long enough to meditate, he'd no doubt be able to do anything. So far it was a moot point. His mind drifted off in a thousand directions as soon as he assumed a position. Matthew claimed that Mop was better at meditation than he was, and he was right.
Most of Jack's therapy would be with Marcus. They started that same morning, using a media room on the ground floor that had comfortable sectionals meant for sprawling.
"This will be an experiment for both of us," Marcus said. "I've never treated anyone with PTSD."
"Matthew didn't want to discuss my years with Benjamin," Jack said, curious to hear Marcus's reaction.
"He was worried that would cause you to relapse. But based on what I've read, you'll only be able to cure the beast by talking about it. Let's start with those false memories Satu planted in your head."
Jack couldn't get very far without losing control. But whenever he started to sink, Marcus immediately switched the subject, asking him about his life before Benjamin.
"So you and Leonard have been friends ever since Diana and Matthew were in England?" Marcus asked about an hour into the session.
"More than that. We've been lovers for over three hundred years. We consider ourselves to be mates."
"I didn't realize ... Does Matthew know?"
"He assumes Leonard's just a friend even though I tried to explain. He told me several times how lucky I am not to be mated." Jack winced. "I didn't have the heart to tell him how wrong he is. I discussed it with Leonard and he thinks we should hold off letting him know."
Instead of looking shocked or dismayed, Marcus smiled sympathetically. "I hear you. I'm in love too. Informing the family wasn't a simple matter. Luckily for me, Phoebe took matters into her own hands. Being away from Leonard must be tough."
Jack nodded. "Like I'm sure it is for you and Phoebe. How did you meet?" Would Marcus refuse to answer his questions? That was the vampire way.
But Marcus wasn't a typical vampire. He explained how he'd gone to an auction house to purchase the Hilliard miniatures depicting Matthew and Diana. Phoebe worked at the auction house and, according to Marcus, was less than impressed with him. Jack found that hard to believe.
He remembered seeing the miniatures at the Hart and Crown, but he didn't know what had happened to them. As Marcus went into the details of his purchase and how Phoebe had gradually warmed up to him, Jack grew excited to meet the woman who'd won his heart. Marcus declared he was equally eager to meet Leonard.
One question led to another, and they wound up spending the entire day together. Much of the time, they discussed the French Revolution and what Marcus's life was like while Jack and Leonard were with the Renards Gris.
Freyja's name also often came up. "She taught me how to fence," Jack said, smiling at the memory. "Philippe ordered her to."
"She taught me as well. I was convinced I'd be sliced into ribbons."
"I felt the same way. I used to seek art commissions so I could avoid the lessons," Jack admitted.
"I wish I'd had that excuse. I didn't approve of fencing. It smacked of the aristocracy. My hero was John Adams and the cause of democracy." Marcus chuckled. "Matthew didn't realize what he was in for when he turned me. Obedience is something I was never good at."
Father H checked on them several times during the day, sometimes staying for prolonged periods. Marcus was fascinated by the community he'd built and how he'd managed to maintain it for so long. He also teased Father H about how he'd succeeded in putting up with Jack and Leonard through the centuries. The comfortable banter reduced Jack's frustration over not remembering anything helpful about Benjamin.
Somehow during the day, Marcus transitioned from being yet another de Clermont on an impossibly high pedestal to Jack's older brother. The sense of belonging—of being wanted—was overwhelming in the best possible way. Marcus spoke of blood rage as a condition that could be managed. He even said there might be benefits to it.
As a reward for the progress they'd made, Marcus offered to take Jack around the French Quarter that evening. He also wanted to introduce him to Ransome Fayrweather, Marcus's oldest son. Ransome owned a nightclub called the Domino Club. Gambling was conducted in private rooms upstairs.
#
When Jack went upstairs to call Leonard, Marcus withdrew to his study to write up his notes on the day's session.
Matthew probably wouldn't approve of his plans for the evening, but by the time he returned home, they would have already left. Marcus expected that each of his children would put Matthew through the grinder before finally agreeing to join the new clan.
Ransome would be the most difficult. Marcus hoped Jack would provide compelling evidence of how much Matthew had changed. Besides, the kid couldn't stay cooped up in Marcus's house all the time. Andrew had endorsed Marcus's offer, using Jack's overgrown mop of a dog as an excuse for not accompanying them. He'd also taken Marcus aside, warning him to watch out for Benjamin and ensure that Jack wasn't startled by unfamiliar vampires.
Marcus wasn't worried about a relapse. The kid had improved steadily once Marcus discovered he could distract him from thoughts of Benjamin and the abuse he suffered by encouraging him to relate incidents from his past. In the process, Marcus got a good sense of who he was. Jack would be safe at Domino's. All the vampires there were members of Marcus's family.
He told Jack to take his cello. Marcus had hatched the idea when Jack described how he and Leonard regularly played at a pub in London. The wistfulness was strong in his voice. Marcus could give Jack a chance to play with others. He wished he could snap his fingers and deliver Leonard as well.
Jack and Leonard's relationship was the biggest surprise of the day. Jack didn't look old enough to have mated. Marcus needed to constantly remind himself that Jack didn't view himself as young. How could he when he'd lived almost two hundred years longer than Marcus?
This was the first time Marcus had been around a vampire who'd been reborn before he was twenty-one. He wondered if Leonard looked equally youthful. Jack had probably been right to hold off telling Matthew about their relationship. Matthew could easily be upset. He might even order them to separate. Matthew had very definite views about mating and they were decidedly old-fashioned. After he mated with Diana, he waited for months before consummating their relationship. Marcus had been lucky. Matthew was in Elizabethan England when he met Phoebe. She'd hit it off with Ysabeau from day one. By the time Matthew met her, she'd already been accepted into the family.
Marcus paused his summary to make a new section for the effect of blood rage on mated vampires. Jack's case was so different from Matthew's. Although they both had the markers for blood rage, Matthew's suffering at being away from Diana was raw and painful. Jack's emotions at being apart appeared to be akin to what a warmblood would feel. Marcus didn't exhibit any blood rage symptoms, but the separation from Phoebe caused a loss of control somewhat similar to Matthew's. It was another sign of how complex the condition was.
He smiled as he imagined how Phoebe would react to Jack. The paintings he'd made, the artists he'd known ... she'd likely monopolize him for weeks.
#
Marcus gave Jack a quick tour of the French Quarter on the way to Domino's. The colonial architecture was unlike any Jack had seen. It was already inspiring thoughts for an adventure for Time Thief. He couldn't wait to discuss it with Leonard. When Marcus told him about Jean Lafitte, Jack made a mental note to include pirates. After driving by a voodoo shop, he added that to the mix.
"I'm glad you're so enthusiastic," Marcus said, looking amused. "Were you already getting cabin fever?"
"No, but I may need to dedicate the next expansion pack of our video game to you," Jack admitted sheepishly.
Marcus laughed. "That's one game I'd like to play!" He stopped in front of a three-story building. It was painted gray with black-and-white trim. "This is the Domino Club. The shutters are closed now but the bar will open in an hour. We'll park by the back entrance."
Marcus pulled into a side alley and rolled to a halt in a reserved parking space. They entered through a small kitchen that Marcus said was primarily for the staff. The club didn't serve meals. The public space was dominated by a long bar. A performance area was in front with tables scattered throughout the black-and-white marble floor.
A trio of Black musicians, playing saxophone, piano, and drums, were rehearsing a piece when they entered. They were warmbloods but the man sitting at a table with a laptop was a vampire. He looked up at their approach and nodded slowly. "I heard you were in town, Marcus," he said in a slow drawl. "Who's your friend?"
"Jack, this is Ransome Fayrweather." Marcus turned to Ransome. "Jack's a relative and my friend. This is his first visit to New Orleans."
"You from Sept-Tours, kid?" Ransome asked warily.
"No, London." Before Ransome started asking questions Jack couldn't or wouldn't answer, he added, "I play jazz cello. I'd like to jam with your musicians if they'll allow it." With them, he felt on much more solid ground. He'd auditioned before Lully, Louis XIV's music director. No one could be more intimidating.
Ransome turned to the musicians. "You hear that? You willing to let this kid play with you?"
"Sure, come on up," the pianist said. The musicians ranged in age from thirty to maybe sixty.
"Okay, Blondie," said the oldest, a sax player. "Show us your stuff."
Jack smiled. Some nicknames never died. He'd been called Jean le Blonde at Louis's court. He could live with Blondie.
#
"Where's Jack?" Matthew asked Andrew, his anxiety already escalating. He'd returned after dark to find Andrew alone in the house with Lobero.
"With Marcus," Andrew said calmly. "The two are at Domino's."
"What?" Matthew didn't care that his voice bellowed his anger. He hadn't expected Marcus would have engaged in such risky behavior on the first day. "Jack's not ready to be surrounded by strangers. Only yesterday he attacked Baldwin. What if he thinks one of the vampires is Benjamin?"
"Marcus wasn't concerned, and you shouldn't be either," Andrew said sourly. "Have a little faith in Marcus and Jack. I spent much of the day with them. Marcus has the right touch with the pup."
"I should be there." Although, Christ, he didn't want to be. He hadn't spoken with Ransome since he'd carried out the executions. He hadn't been to New Orleans for that matter. And the memories were every bit as painful as he'd expected.
Much as he hated being separated from Diana, he was thankful she was spared from seeing him like this. He'd spent the day with one of Marcus's daughters, an antique dealer on Magazine Street. Some of her closest friends had been among the vampires he killed. He explained why and told her about blood rage. Without Marcus's arguments to fall back on, he doubted he would have been able to convince her. Her attitude softened only once he began talking about the twins and Jack.
One of the woman's sons had developed blood rage and committed suicide. She'd never known what caused his mood swings. Her bitterness at not having been told the truth was about equal to Marcus's when Matthew finally told him about the disease.
"Now that you're back, we should join them at Domino's," Andrew said, rousing him from his thoughts.
"Ransome won't want me there."
"That's precisely why we need to go," Andrew said calmly. "You're seeking atonement from Marcus's children. You shouldn't squander this opportunity."
Andrew was looking at him with surprising sympathy. Among the many adjustments Matthew had made over the past week, one of the most difficult was accepting that Andrew was his grandson. He'd always despised the priest for insisting on sampling the blood of all the members of his flock, but if Matthew had done the same with Benjamin, he might have been able to prevent countless crimes.
"You have more in common with Philippe than I realized," Matthew said.
Andrew snorted. "I could take that in different ways but I'll accept it as a compliment." His expression softened. "I miss him. Through Jack, we became close friends. I learned to appreciate I'd judged him unfairly."
"I feel the same way about you," Matthew admitted. "All right, we'll go to Domino's if you're so eager to meet your cousins. But Lobero stays here."
By the time they arrived at the club, it was past eight, and the place was packed. Matthew breathed easier when he didn't see Ransome. He had no wish to get into an early confrontation with others around.
Jack was performing with a trio. Marcus waved for them to join him at a table in the front.
It was astonishing how well Jack blended in. He looked and sounded like he'd been playing with them all his life. He had to be improvising since he couldn't have had any time to rehearse. The players were talking in that special body language known only to musicians—communicating with their eyes while they nodded and smiled as if they were old friends.
The audience was enthralled, and Matthew was too. Matthew had never thought of the cello as a jazz instrument, but Jack proved him wrong. The other musicians insisted on him playing solo pieces, and the music was glorious.
"The sessions are all recorded," Marcus told him during a break. "I'll get a copy for Diana. Ransome's upstairs with the gamblers, but he's come down several times to listen. He made me promise to bring Jack here every evening we're in town."
They stayed till midnight. Even Andrew was drinking whiskey sours and nodding with pleasure at the music. When Jack rode back with Matthew and Andrew to the house, the pup was still on a high from the evening and in no mood to rest.
But Matthew knew better. The shirt Jack wore concealed the bandages, but he was still healing from Baldwin's attack. Andrew had mentioned that Jack's rate of healing was slower than a vampire's because of his diet. When they arrived home, Matthew had him take another dose of the same medication Marcus had given him on the plane. Hopefully, it and Lobero would be enough to prevent any nightmares about Benjamin. If not, Matthew was in the adjacent room.
Thankfully, the night was peaceful. When Matthew checked on Jack the next morning, he was still asleep. Lobero was awake at the foot of the bed. He wagged his tail at Matthew as if he were responsible. And maybe he was. Lobero and Corra had acted in tandem in New Haven. An open mind was a necessity whenever magical creatures were involved.
When Matthew went downstairs, he found Andrew in the kitchen brewing tea.
"Would you like a cup?" Andrew asked.
Frankly, he'd prefer coffee, but since Andrew was offering, he went along. They sat down at the table in the breakfast room. A large bay window opened into the backyard. Fall azaleas were in bloom, shaded by a large magnolia tree.
"I've decided to return to London," Andrew said. "My presence isn't needed here."
Matthew hesitated for a moment but Andrew was right. He was undoubtedly at loose ends. "I have no objection but Jack should stay here. Marcus is pleased with Jack's progress but the therapy sessions need to continue."
"That is acceptable. I've already discussed my departure with Jack. He realizes he should stay here. He asked me to take Lobero home with me. This swamp of a climate is no place for a sheepdog."
"A wise decision. No amount of shedding will keep Lobero happy."
Andrew nodded. "Jack's safety is in your hands now. As long as Benjamin is at large, Jack's in danger."
"You don't have to remind me. He will be well protected."
"I'll hold you to that promise." Andrew took a slow breath. "I have also decided to give my blessing to your scion. I'm convinced it's what Philippe would wish as well."
His announcement came as a surprise. Matthew hadn't discussed it with him, assuming that the priest would want to keep his bloodline a secret. "Does that mean you're prepared to stand for us as a Clairmont?"
Andrew relaxed into a wry smile. "I probably should have given you something stronger than tea for news like that, but you understood correctly. I realize Benjamin isn't currently listed in the de Clermont pedigree. Philippe explained to Jack and me that Benjamin had disowned the family. That omission puts Jack in limbo. His status as a de Clermont and a member of the Bishop-Clairmont scion should be recognized."
"I agree. As I told Jack, I would have gladly made him my bloodsworn son, but there's no need to. My blood through you already flows in his veins. I promise I'll add Benjamin to the record. Just to confirm, that will also mean your status is revealed."
"I'm aware of the necessity. In exchange, I insist on complete autonomy within my domain."
"Without my interference?" Matthew chuckled. "I doubt I could force you to do anything you don't want to. You and Philippe developed a good working relationship. I hope to achieve the same."
"I look forward to it. I expect we can both learn from each other."