Chapter 36

JJ sat in his room at the B&B contemplating what he should do. He didn’t want to go out into the city and leave the girls without someone close by. He wanted to go look for Perdition, but he felt that could wait at least one more day. Besides, as soon as Perdition and Chaos figured out they were in the city, the two would probably seek them out. He hoped they would anyway. He hoped he could talk to her and maybe reason with her.

First, he needed Chaos out of the way. How in the hell would he get him out of the way? He thought about knocking him out cold. He figured it wouldn’t be that hard. The thought brought a smile to his face. The winds were blowing hard, and the rain was coming in. JJ opened his door.

Rain in New Orleans was different. It was a spiritual experience. JJ had a deep love for New Orleans. Something he and Sam had in common. Sam would’ve never left New Orleans if Camilla Dawn would’ve just stayed away. He could’ve had a good life here.

“Damn, and here we are back in the city with her,” JJ said out loud.

“Watch it,” a little voice said.

“Come see me, Bee,” JJ responded to the little voice. Bee walked to JJ’s door.

“Now listen here. I know what you are thinking just try to be kind.” Bee said. JJ nodded his head.

“I will try.” He said. “How is she?”

Bee looked toward the room Camilla Dawn was in, “Well, I know no doctor can help her. What is going on with her is something else. I don’t know what it is exactly, but I bet it’s why Daniel didn’t chase after her too hard. She is very sick.” Bee says.

“Is she going to die, Bee?” JJ asks,

“I don’t know, child.” She responds. “I just don’t know. Don’t leave her alone with Angie. She might kill her first.”

JJ smiled until he realized Bee was not kidding. He straightened himself up and gave her an affirmative nod.

The winds were increasing, and it seemed to Tiffany the rain was getting harder by the second. As she and Mayhem danced in the street, she suddenly became frightened. Thunder started roaring as she stopped to look at the sky.

“umm, Mayhem, do you think we should go back to the inn?” she asked.

When she looked at his face, he looked concerned. “Yeah. I think maybe we should.”

The two hurried over to the sidewalk to seek shelter from the rain. JJ and Bee stood in the doorway, Tiffany and Mayhem ran down the sidewalk, Key and Camilla Dawn were resting with the babies, Sam and Angie waved bye to Bob, at the same time they all heard “The watchers are coming.”

Camilla Dawn opened her eyes, “They are coming for me.” She says.

Key went to the door to see JJ and Bee standing outside. “The watchers are coming, JJ, Bee!” she screams.

Tiffany and Mayhem run as fast as they can to get back to the inn. Sam stops. “Angie. They are coming for her.” He says.

“I know,” Angie says. “I know. This isn’t the first time.”

The group reunited at the stone garden just past their rooms, except Camilla Dawn, She was almost comatose.

“How is she?” Angie asks Key.

“She is a lot worse,” Tiffany says. “Bee, is this how she looked before, You know when they came for her?” Tiffany looks at Bee waiting for an answer.

“Yes,” Bee says.

Before Bee goes any further with this she takes a second to look at Sam. She thinks about the day she showed up. How beautiful she looked, how happy Sam was to see her, how he thought he could make his family work. And then the watchers came for her, and she traded her precious babies to save herself. How Bee had cursed Camilla Dawn and sent her to the void so Sam could live his life and have a chance.

“Sam, we got to hide those babies,” Bee says.

“Why do they want the babies?” Tiffany asks.

“They are coming for Camilla Dawn, but she will trade them for her life in a heartbeat,” Bee says.

“We don’t know that,” Sam says. “Things are different now. She is not practicing dark magic.”

“Yes, she is. How do you think we were able to block Perdition from coming into power, and who do you think summoned Chaos? I was sure she had a reason, or I thought Daniel was making her, but she is practicing. I think that is what is wrong with her now. She is drained.” Key says.

“None of this makes sense, Key. Then why are you helping her?” Angie asks.

“Because she is my friend, and I love her.” Key answers.

The watchers were coming, and they were coming fast. They wanted Camilla Dawn and all the power she possessed. They wanted her to serve them. She had made this bed a long time ago, and now she was finally going to have to pay up. Camilla Dawn had dabbled in black magic without knowing exactly what she was doing. She had crossed over into magic no one should mess with. She had hexed herself into a life of service to the watchers.

Mrs. Bee would not protect Camilla Dawn this time. She only wanted to make sure the babies would survive. She was prepared to fight for them. Mrs. Bee knew this was going to be hard on Sam, but he could not spend his life protecting Camilla Dawn. As far as Mrs. Bee was concerned, Sam had done enough for Camilla Dawn. Why must he keep putting himself in this situation, she wondered? She would say nothing to Sam. At least not right now.

“We have to do something?” Sam says. The others said nothing. “Don’t you guys get it? She is a good person. She just fell into something dark. They used her.”

Key was the only one willing to fight for Camilla Dawn. Sam knew he could depend on her. The others would not.

“We cannot be divided when they come,” Sam says.

“I will help you, Sam,” Key says.

“I am not sure, Sam. I am sorry, but you know how I feel.” Angie says.

The group pondered a moment. Each of them could see the defeat on Sam’s face. How could they not help Sam? He had been there for them but helping Camilla Dawn.

“I will help.” A voice came from the corner of the building.

The group turned to see who it was. Who knew they were here. It was Perdition. Her hair was jet black and her eyes were as white as snow.

“I will too.” Chaos spoke as he came behind Perdition.

It stunned the group. Why would Perdition and Chaos help them?

“She helped me. I owe her.” Perdition said.

“How did you know she was here?” Sam asked.

“First off, none of you came into town very quietly. I spotted you as soon as you got here. Secondly, watchers raised me. I can feel them when they are close. They won’t hurt me.” Perdition says.

She was different. She was confident. Maybe she found herself since she had been gone.

“One condition, keep Mayhem away from me.” Perdition didn’t look at Mayhem as she spoke. She was still pissed.

“I want to see her.” Perdition says as he walks toward Camilla Dawn's room. She leaves Chaos behind.

Mayhem and Chaos stare at each other briefly. “Great,” Sam says.

He was happy to see her, but now he had to keep Chaos, Mayhem, and Perdition from killing each other. He didn’t need any extra drama on top of everything else going on. Angie did not say a word. She was in awe of Perdition and her beauty.

“Be careful. We don’t know why she is here.” Sam says.

He didn’t care Chaos could hear him. He never really cared for him anyway.

“I said I want to help.” Perdition screamed back at him as she got to Camilla Dawn’s room. “Asshole!”

Sam smiled. He took the insult and just smiled. “Well, now we know.” He barked at Chaos.

“Even with Perdition, this will not be easy,” Bee says.

“How powerful is she, Chaos?” Sam asks Chaos.

Chaos stands there and does not speak. He keeps staring at Mayhem.

“Look, I need to know how powerful she is! Can she protect Camilla Dawn?” Sam screams at Chaos. Perdition steps out of Camilla Dawn’s room.

“Could you please stop?” she says.

Perdition sits on Camilla Dawn's bed; she whisks her hair away from her face.

Her friend is in trouble. “Hey sweet.” Perdition says to her.

Camilla Dawn tries to open her eyes. “Hi,” she says. “I am thirsty.”

Perdition gets a bottle of water from the small fridge. “I will help you sit up. You need to drink.” Perdition says.

“I don’t want to live anymore P, I cannot keep doing this.” Camilla Dawn says.

“Live. Your children need you.” She says. “I don’t think they are mine. I do not remember having them. I don’t remember being pregnant. I remember nothing. I hid my children, and that’s the last thing I remember.” Camilla Dawn says.

“You are not well, Camilla Dawn. It will come back to you.” She says.

Perdition gives her the water and hurries back to the group.

“Key!” Perdition screams. Key turns to her. “I need to know if they are hers. Were you with her? She said she hid her children.” Perdition asks.

“She did, but Daniel made me locate them. It wasn’t difficult. She was too weak to hide them very far. Yes, they are hers. She is just very sick.” Key says. “She tried to put them in the void with Labith, but she didn’t have enough juice. She tried to use your power. It almost worked. I was concerned too. Daniel didn’t even chase us. We guess he is preoccupied.” Perdition smiled.

“Oh, he is.” She says. “We have about thirty minutes before the watchers get here. With this wind and rain, it’s definitely Jaza and his two sons. I can reason with Jaza. Just try not to piss off his two sons; they are difficult to deal with.”

Sam looks at the group. He is unsure if they are going to help him protect Camilla Dawn.

“It’s a good thing we have the Queen of Hell,” he says as he walks away. Perdition smiles at him.

“I am not a queen yet.” She laughs.

Sam looked at how much more beautiful and confident she had become. He was proud of her. Maybe Chaos wasn’t the asshole he thought he was. Sam looked at Chaos, nope I hate him, he thought.

“I heard that.” Perdition says.

Jaza and his two sons arrive in New Orleans. They brought a terrible storm with them. The streets were almost empty. Jaza knew his way to Mrs. Bees. He had been there before many years ago. He couldn’t believe Camilla Dawn was stupid enough to come back here to New Orleans. Her magic was weak but Jaza, the great watcher had enormous power.

Jaza had given Camilla Dawn great powers, and she was still paying the debt she owed. She tried to bribe her way out with Damnation, but he refused to be involved. She had to pay up.

When Jaza got to the small alley that led to the stone garden, he walked purposefully toward the group gathered. He was not going to give them a chance to speak. He was only there for her. Sam turned to Jaza.

“She is sick. Do you still want her?” he asked.

“Who do you think made her sick?” Jaza replied. “There will be no fight today, Samuel. I do not have time or patients to deal with you. We are only here for her.”

“What about me?” Jaza turned to see Perdition standing in Camilla Dawn’s doorway.

“My Queen,” Jaza says. “You know she owes me.”

“Yes, I do. I also know she is caring for two babies. Can’t this wait, Jaza?” Perdition says.

“Yes, we know. Her sons have served me well.” Jaza responds.

Sam is infuriated by Jaza.

“Oh, look the father.” He says. “Is he the father of the new babies?” Jaza asks.

“No, they belong to my brother.” Perdition says.

Jaza stands completely still. “I am sorry. I would not harm the grandchildren of Lucifer.” Jaza says. “But this does not settle the matter, Perdition. She must come with me.”

Perdition holds out her palm, facing Jaza, and pushes fire and light out of her hand.

“I do not think so.” She says. Jaza screams. His two sons hear him, they run to their father.

“Key stop them,” Perdition says. “Sam, go to Camilla Dawn and keep her safe.”

“Perdition, you cannot kill him and you know it.” It was Labith speaking to her. She was behind the sons.

“I will not kill him,” Perdition says.

“She has to come with us and you know it,” Labith says.

“Not while the babies are so small. Jaza can come back later.” Perdition says.

“What if I helped them?” Labith says.

“No,” Perdition yelled. “I will not negotiate.”

“Do not make me involve your father” Labith says. Labith is trying her best to keep the situation as calm as possible.

“Please make her stop!” Jaza screams.

“You cannot kill a watcher, Perdition.” Labith walks past the sons of Jaza to get closer to Perdition. “You must stop. We can settle this.”

“No, I don’t think we can.” Perdition says.

She doesn’t let up on Jaza. The flames are burning into him. He is slowly dying. Jaza’s sons try to get to their father, but Perdition releases fire and light from her other hand, aiming right into the boys.

“I said to stay back.” A burst hits them both, and she releases them. Both boys lay on the ground in pain.

“Perdition stop!” Labith screams at her.

Perdition stops. She walks to Labith. The two women are eyeball to eyeball.

“You listen to me, Labith! I am the queen of hell and you. You are nothing more than a pawn. You will not tell me what to do. You will not disrespect me! Take these three fuckers and go back to hell.” Perdition says.

She walks to Camilla Dawn's room and stops. “Labith don’t ever cross over to this site again. If you do, I will personally send you deep into the void.”

Labith helps Jaza to his feet. “Let's go,” Labith says to the boys. “Help your father.”

“This will not go over well,” Labith says as she leaves with Jaza and his sons. “No one can kill a watcher.”

“I didn’t kill him.” Perdition says. “But I will.”