Every King Needs A Queen / Book Three / Daring Spell Series / The Originals

The Axeman's Letter

There was a huge street fair and festival being held in New Orleans, in the Quarter.

Witches were walking around with drinks, slipping in and out of small shops that had been set up on the curbs.

Cami and I were standing on the street together, talking, watching all the people around them, sipping our coffees.

"So, there is an active serial killer at large, and your response is to throw an occult-themed festival?" Cami asked.

I smiled. "It's Cadeau. A witch festival. Back in the day, Cadeau was just about hanging around a location of witches and getting goats as offerings to appease the Ancestors. Now, since this is modern-day New Orleans..."

"It means you get to throw the witches an all-day party," Cami finished.

"And all night," I told her. We smiled. "And it just so happens to be on the anniversary of the Axeman's killer's death. Nobody is gonna sit this out because some active, second-tier serial killer is on the loose." We walked down the street. "And, as far as killers go, Axeman's the best this city's ever had." Cami gave me a skeptical look. I scoffed. "What? The year was 1919, and after terrorizing the city for months with an actual ax, he writes a letter to the Times-Picayune. Claims he's a demon. He says he's gonna kill thousands the next night. Only way he wouldn't was if every house in the city threw a party and played jazz as loud as it could. Every single house in the city did. No one died. Now, some people think it was a vampire. He was actually a witch."

Cami looked at me in disbelief. "How do you know he was a witch?"

"Oh, he was a witch," I told her. "The day he chose was Fête de Cadeau. That's the day that every witch gives a gift to the city in hopes that the city gives one back. Now, Axeman's 'idea' of gift was not murdering people for a day, and in return?" I gestured around at all the people and stalls on the streets. "Look. The city threw him the greatest party it has ever seen."

Cami realized what this meant, stopping in her tracks. "Wait. So, what you're saying is while frat boys celebrate an ax murderer, the witches are having their version of Christmas, which makes them all easy pickings for whoever our killer is."

"Why do you think I moved the witch party to the festival?" I asked. "So that the witches can be here to look out for the humans. You still think our playboy vampire is the best lead we got?"

'My gut's telling me he's involved somehow, which means if he kills again, it's my fault for convincing Klaus not to kill him," Cami told me. "So, I want to keep tabs on him."

We saw Lucien walking down the street, stopping by a stall selling handmade decorations. 

I lowered my voice, pointing at Lucien. "Speak of the devil."

Cami and I exchanged a worried look, following Lucien down the street, trying our best to remain inconspicuous.

~~~

Cami and I were still attempting to surreptitiously follow Lucien down the streets of the festival.

"Do you think in a hundred years, they'll be throwing him a party?" Cami asked quietly. "Smiley-Face-Carver Blues Fest?"

I shrugged. "Eh, well, everybody likes a charismatic killer. You and me know that better than most."

Cami scoffed. "Excuse me?"

"You and Klaus, me and Marcel," I told her. "Though, I gotta say, that they both toned down a lot, which is a good thing."