The Book of Sacrifice

A dance in the Bayous

New Orleans' nightlife was truly a sight to behold. Even someone who has seen many beautiful evenings would marvel at the neon lights, the music, the dancers.. all of it would take anyone's breath away. For Adonis, it was a relief to see it once more. The dark could no longer shadow him under the lights. He carried a bag by his side and took note of his surroundings. To his right were the trumpeters who led the parade lines. To his left were tourists, all being led along the streets in awe and wonder. He followed with his eyes closed as he listened to the music play. He was no longer the dancer he once was but it did not hurt him to shift his shoulders to the beat.

A shove from behind forced Adonis' eyes open. He heard the words; "Sorry mister!" from a young girl before turning to face her. Pigtails, a small frame and a blue schoolgirl's uniform suggested that she was a child.
"It's cool, just be a little more careful next time." he advised. The child nodded before heading towards the trumpeters. To his surprise it turned out that the child was a twin. Next to her was another young lady dressed no different. Even the berets in her hair were exactly the same. He, however, did not want to stare at the children for too long. The world had enough odd individuals after all. He returned to his walk after making sure his pockets had not been picked,

You always did like to dance, Boogieman. a familiar voice reached out to him. Adonis searched but it seemed as if nobody spoke.to him. A squint and a turn back to his tourists would reveal the source of the voice in his head. A beautiful mix of French and Haitian Creole made up the face that the voice belonged to; Tanya LaRue, a witch from Tremè and perhaps the *only* witch that 'trusted' him. She tapped her forehead to hint that she had reached out to him via telepathy.
You still owe me a dance, Boogiewoman. Got time to catch up? Adonis smiled and waved her way. She waved back with a nod before returning to the crowd she led. The Hunter exited the crowded streets to join her tour-guide. Just up ahead was a familiar sign, a brownstone building that the tourists would soon stop at. There was no name to advertise the store, just a skeletal reimagination of Marie Laveau, also known as...

"This shop is dedicated to Marie Laveau, Queen of Voodoo. All things Voodoo, Hudu and more are here! Why don't you guys take a look inside?" Tanya marched up to the door and welcomed the tourists in. Once all of them entered, she closed the door and turned to face Adonis, who had been last in line.
"So, five years- No texts, no calls, not even a holiday visit..." she crossed her arms. Her smile fell and her posture stiffened. It was safe to say she was not pleased to see him.

"I can't be that obvious."

"You have that look."

"What look?"

"The On-The-Hunt look. Plus you reek."

Adonis sniffed his clothes. He recalled a brief shower prior to returning to the Quarter, "I don't smell anything."
"...of Death, I mean. Did you run into trouble before coming here?" Her eyes scan the Hunter from head to toe.
"I handled it." he confessed. The silence between the two would not last long and yet it felt as if he were gazing into her distraught, hazel orbs for a very long time, "I do need your help... i need you to help me summon a Demon."
Her eyes widened, "Excuse me..?!"
"I know, it's-"

"Fucking insane! The ancestors I draw from wouldn't allow it. Even if I wanted to help, I don't have nearly enough power to do a summoning that powerful." Tanya protests.
Adonis reached into his coat and brought out the Gris-Gris he acquired from his father then opened up his bag to reveal his own stash of rather useful artifacts.
"I said I needed your help summoning, not that you'd do it alone. The Gris-Gris' defective, clearly bought off from the Bayou coven, which is where we're going. There's a Mambo there that can reach out and pull the thing here. All I need you to do is help me get to them. I give them this offering of artifacts and foreign power to siphon off of in exchange for the summoning I need. Mambos aren't easy to track but you know where exactly they are. You have a better years for tracking them than I ever did." he pressed. Tanya's shifting and clenched jaw suggested discomfort, "That isn't enough, Donny. *Why* are you asking me to help you? There are plenty of Hunters in town that are capable."
"Because I finally know what took my mom and killed Marcel. You told me..." his voice went low, "...you once told me that you would help me hunt it. A Demon's responsible and it already found a way to reach my father. I'm hoping what I summon'll have answers to it's last known whereabouts."