laissez les bon temps rouler//jackson kenner

4.6

Hours later the Abattoir is decorated and filled with people. There are balloons colored in the theme of Mardi Gras, musicians playing jazz and many people socializing and drinking champagne.

Elijah is upstairs greeting the guests, while Nik and I are in the tunnels. Marcel is sat on the floor contained by a boundary spell. Nik and I stand behind the locked gate watching him.

"How the mighty have fallen, how the tables have turned," Nik taunts. I open the gate and we walk towards Marcel. "I'm still trying to find the right idiom." Nik smirks.

"How about you and your fancy jacket and tie go straight to hell?" Marcel remarks.

"What goes around, comes around," Nik tells Marcel. He pulls Papa Tunde's blade out from behind his back. "I think that fits."

I don't wish anything bad to happen to Marcel. I'm just here to make sure Nik doesn't go too far.

Marcel's face drops a bit when he sees the blade. "You ransacked my place. Classy."

"Well, to the victor goes the spoils. And now that you know I have it, you know I can use it at my leisure," Nik taunts.

Marcel stands up and looks Nik in the eye fearlessly. "Then use it. Or else go back to your stupid party."

Marcel turns away from Nik and Nik smirks as he also turns away from Marcel. "Excellent, you can hear our merriment above. Freya assured me that you would. She also assured me that her boundary spell would render you invisible to anyone outside our bloodline."

"If you think that waving that blade around is going to scare me, you're more desperate than I thought," Marcel says.

"You misunderstand. This is not to scare you, it is merely to illuminate your conundrum. You see, there are those who care about you, who would see you free: Joshua, Vincent.." Nik trails off.

"Threatening my friends, that is low," Marcel says.

"And then there's that girl you've been seeing," Nik taunts. He walks back over to Marcel. "Sofya. Well, come on. Tell me about her. After all, the more familiar I am with her, the easier it will be to avoid any little... misunderstandings."

Marcel and Nik stand face-to-face again as they stare each other down. "Don't worry about her. She's a mercenary. She works for the highest bidder. So it's just business, with some pleasure."

"Well, I do very much look forward to meeting her," Nik says as we turn to leave.

Once upstairs Nik and I join Elijah at the top of the stairs, in the exact spot Jack and I got married. I smile at the memory. I regret a lot of things in my life, but marrying Jack has never been one of them.

Elijah starts to speak, "My dear friends, tonight we celebrate an alliance between our family and Marcel Gerard." I can see Vincent walk in. "Unfortunately, as is his custom, Marcel is unfashionably late. So until such a time as he graces us with his presence, let us all raise a glass and salute the glorious city of New Orleans."

Elijah starts to raise his glass but I cut him off with a speech of my own, "But before we do, my brothers, and I wish to acknowledge a painful truth. Our relationship with this city, and indeed with most of you, has been long and complicated. We hope you will be put at ease knowing that we intend but a brief and peaceful stay. Let this evening be a rest bit from past grievances and an opportunity to form new friendships. Cheers."

Everyone raises their glasses and toast. Music starts to play again.

I start to make my way through the crowd. When I hear Vincent Griffith's voice. "Nice speech." I closes My eyes and turn around. "It was a nice speech, but I don't think anybody bought it."