Free Night of the Living Demon Slayer by Angie Fox Page A

house, and I didn't stop there. I drove up the front walkway and parked it by the fountain before taking the porch steps two at a time.
    Grandma had the front door open before I reached the top. "What's wrong?" she demanded, her heavy boots making the old boards creak as she stepped out and closed the door behind her.
    My hair tangled with sweat and clung to my cheeks and forehead. "I found the alligator and got rid of the black soul." I'd tell her how later. I dragged the hair off my face. "Only it was an ambush. Osse Pade has Carpenter."
    A frown etched deep into the corners of her mouth. "Damn it. I knew this wouldn't be easy."
      "They used Carpenter's blood to bring back a dead chicken."
    She stared at me. "Fuck," she said under her breath. "I hate voodoo."
    "I'm not a fan right now, either." At least of the dark stuff. "Pade's power is something else. I've never seen anything like it." I drew closer to her. "It wasn't just the chicken. He pulled spirits out of the fire. It may have been an illusion." But I wasn't going to take that chance. "I'm wondering if that's how he got those two black souls."
    She winced. "This is bad, Lizzie."
    "I got that. I stopped him tonight. They ran off before they could complete whatever ceremony he had planned."
    "Doesn't mean he won't start right back up." She sighed. "I wish I could have seen what he had going with those spirits." She ran a hand over her face. "Those who practice voodoo—even the good and the light side—they claim our loved ones never really leave us when they die. They say our ancestors are near us, with us, on another plane that's a breath away from ours."
    I didn't like where this was going. "Do you believe that?"
    She grit her jaw. "Nothing is impossible."
    "We've got to rescue Carpenter." The sooner the better.
    Grandma nodded. "Do you know where they took him?"
    "Not exactly." I reached into my pocket for the purple flowers. "I found these where I last saw him."
    "Drop them," she said.  
    I turned over my hand and let the flowers fall onto the porch.
    Grandma crushed them under her boot. Tiny sparks shot out from under her heel. "Don't even touch his brand of voodoo," she warned.
    I hated to break it to her, but, "It's going to be tough to avoid." In fact, there was nothing to do except focus on the problem at hand. "I'm not sure where they took Carpenter, but he did mention that the voodoo temple is on the edge of the bayou. If they were going to work magic on him, I'd have to think they'd start there. Pade also runs a business on Royal Street."
    Grandma didn't even lift a brow. "Okay. Let's mount a rescue mission on the voodoo temple. If he's there."
    "Sounds good," I said, without hesitation.
    "I think I know how to find it. We'll get to work on the spells we need tonight, and we'll go in tomorrow after sunset."
    "Can we speed this up?" Carpenter was in trouble.
    "I'm not screwing up around voodoo," Grandma said, inviting no argument.
    I got it. I really did. I hated to deal with the delay, but I also shuddered to think what would happen if they got the jump on us.
    If the balls-to-the-wall, crazy leader of the Red Skulls needed a plan to go up against these ancestor spirits, I'd heed the warning.
    And frankly, when it came to the safety of the Red Skulls versus the necromancer, I'd go with the witches every time. Carpenter was a survivor, just like me.
    Grandma opened the door to the house and didn't seem nearly surprised enough when Ant Eater stood on the other side. "I've got everybody together outside in the backyard.  
    That was quick. "What time is it?"
    "Just after one," she said. "We can still get a full night's work in." She glanced around the corner of the porch. "Creely and her crew are planting Light Eaters around the outside of the fence so none of the neighbors can see in."
    Ironically the street in front of the house hadn't quieted down, either. New Orleans was crazy.
    Ant Eater's gaze caught the sky, where the full, red moon hung low. "Good