The witch of New Orleans

always been a mouth

fted in its current. The river didn't forgive-

t, the wate

mbered Isado

t hummed with cicadas and the hiss of rising fog. She'd brought the Book again-bound in the stitched

t target

Emile

who stood at the foot of the fire with his fine coat, clean hands,

e woul

d the Book and

n the world. Her voice warped the wind. The tree

dead bega

hen from beneath the reeds, faces bloated, twisted, rotted but sti

m not with pity,

s," she hissed. "

he Ghede Na Rouje sti

d us

the blood drip into the river. Th

-

rble house surrounded by guards and si

ery mirror in hi

he walls beg

he was awak

one. Not dead. Not

turned cold

e roaring with blue flame. Inside it, a figure

ado

smile. She

e stammered, backing away. "

't kill," she sa

tion. I'm the may

said, rising. "And you

rippled like water. The

ng my duty!

e shadows dragged him by the le

opened li

ow it-th

, endless. And

es. Men he'd bribed. Women he'd ruined. Chil

eamed, clawing a

e river

did not

him par

longer man, but mud. His soul joined the current, boun

-

riverbank, Is

e scratched

e Na Rouj

o re

er Co

shal

closed

ht, she fe

elt th

ancient had

le-though she was

hing d

verbed, beneath the

and touched

touche

th no sky, streets paved with skulls, chi

ouje wanted mor

nted r

e was t

-

rs shrieked. The soul of Mayor Dulac screamed

oor opened w

hantelle ste

. A pouch of salt. A cand

rned slowly

nings, child,

't need

reaking th

ance let th

d. "They should have. But you are not th

ith shadow. "Then maybe it

omen stood

e house