Avenge by Sarah M. Ross Page A

and down her arms and looked around
the street before turning and walking closer to James.
    “ I actually like it that
there are some who can see us. It gives me comfort that there’s a
way I could get in touch with my loved ones if I really had
to.”
    Lola nodded in agreement before
replying, “Is that even allowed?” I shrugged, having no answer.
Lola was quiet for a moment, before whispering, “There’s something
about that woman’s eyes that give me the
heebie-jeebies.”
    Max came up behind me, placing both of
his hands on my arms and leaning close to my ear. “Did you hear
that?”
    I looked at him quizzically and
listened for anything out of the ordinary. “I don’t hear
anything.”
    “ I swear I heard a
growling. Maybe it was a dog.”
    “ We should check it out.
What if it was a werewolf?”
    Max nodded, but then scrubbed his face
with his hands. “Adam told me Cassie’s not feeling well, and James
went with Sadie Ann.”
    “ Lola, Zander and I can go
with you,” I suggested. “It’ll only take a few minutes to check
out. It was probably a dog. Louis told me no werewolves have been
spotted in this area in months. They don’t want to compete with the
vampires.”
    “ No, you girls stay here.
I’ll go with Zander to check it out. With Cassie not feeling well,
I want you to be here to back them up. Don’t go anywhere, and stay
together. James and Sadie Ann should be back momentarily, and Z and
I will only be a minute.”
    Twenty minutes later, we were still
waiting for Sadie Ann and James to return from her talk with the
psychic woman. Adam and Cassie took seats on a stoop of a nearby
house where he was gently rubbing her shoulders. I wished I knew
how to help, but Adam was with her, and he told me to keep watch.
Max and Zander still hadn’t returned, and Lola and I were growing
restless.
    “ Do you want to look in the
window of that antique shop with me?” Lola motioned to a shop
several doors down that was filled with relics from the turn of the
century. “I’m pretty sure I saw some old records from the 1950s and
I wondered if one was Sadie Ann’s.”
    “ You go check it out. I’m
going to wait here for Max. He should have been back by
now.”
    Lola shrugged her shoulders. “Suit
yourself, but if it were me I wouldn’t wait around for some man.
Let him chase you a little every now and then.”
    “ It’s not like that; I
don’t want him to be worried if I’m not here when he gets
back.”
    “ Sugar, it’s a half a
block. He won’t even need to strain to see you.”
    “ I’d still rather wait, but
you go on ahead. I’ll holler if I need you.” I gave Lola my biggest
smile to convince her I was all right and watched her walk away,
muttering about how times had changed. I leaned back against a
fence and watched the happenings around me. This end of Bourbon
Street wasn’t as crowded, but there were still several people
milling about. A ghost tour was in progress across the street, with
the guide explaining how he too had the ability to see spirits that
remained trapped on earth. I snorted at his assertion and wondered
if I should run up and yell “boo!” to see what he’d do. The crowd
ate up his story and snapped photo after photo with their phones
and cameras as he pointed out one of the most haunted bars in the
city.
    As they continued on down the street,
I caught a bit of motion out of the corner of my eye coming from
the back of the tour. Looking more closely, I didn’t spot anything
strange. Everyone continued to listen to the guide’s stories and no
one seemed out of place. I shook my head, convinced that whatever I
thought I saw was a self-fulfilling prophecy. I turned away,
glancing in the opposite direction to see if I could find where Max
and Zander went, but I detected no one. Lola was immersed in the
store window, cupping both of her hands against the glass to shield
her eyes for a better view.
    I was about to stand behind Cassie and
Adam, who were lost in