Sacrilege

The top floor was dark and smooth... and filled with people, smoke lingered in the air, a sickening mix of tobacco and marijuana.

Red Eyes looked at her, not like her red-eye, no the whites of these eyes were veined and hazed, these eyes belonged to many men and women, dark of skin with shocked looks on their faces. Daisy stepped past the threshold, looking around at the skimpily dressed, in no more than their undergarments straddled over-muscled men who held guns in one hand and bottles of cognac.

The Place was a shithole, dirty and poorly cared for, filled with scum... the Mantled offerings to appease the spirits had been removed, replaced by what Daisy suspected were TV's though they were way too large and wide... and mounted on the walls like a window, the Dolls of old were gone too, the Veves were faded and desecrated, Mama's beautifully classy decorations with the smooth red painted walls, soft white tables and lovely Venitian carpets were replaced with shitty Couches and ugly bar filled with what looked to be prostitutes and gang bangers... but at the end of the long room, Daisy saw one thing still intact.

"Yo what the fuck?" A man said, looking at Daisy's furious face and Jake's nervous one. A few of them stepped in front of Daisy trying to look tough, despite seeming unnerved by Her inhuman countenance "You better stop right there lady, or we're gonna have a problem."

Daisy couldn't resist but smile, and she did not stop marching towards the huge man as He drew his gun pointing it right at her. "D-Daisy!" Jake protested, but she did not stop she continued, until she was upon him, pressing her head right into the barrel of his gun as her eyes narrowed

"Please don't, Mr... I really don't want to get blood on me." She cringed at the thought

The Man grunted angrily, she could sense his fingers squeezing just a pinch before it would fire directly into her head.

"Stop." The Voice was strong, deep and articulate... Daisy knew it, she'd know that pompous jargon anywhere. The Man lifted his gun away though He still looked angry, even as He shuffled to the side.

At the further most corner of the packed room, sat at a desk of hickory stacked with emerald bills, blocks of Ivory and huge backs of sage, was a woman.

Well, two women, the first seemed to be some kind of whore or even a stripper in the way that she sat on the Dark-skinned woman's lap, caressing her cheek and displaying her partial nudity... but Daisy knew who the dark-haired stripper rubbed herself on, oh yes, this woman her long braids of whispy dyed blonde and dark brown strewn across her shoulders like a lion's main, she wore fine clothes though clearly that of a delinquent, each finger tipped with long fake nails and golden rings.

The Face, Mature and beautiful as it's Redbone skin stretched as she brandished a devious smile, the Eyes black as Pitch betrayed contempt as they stared at Daisy, and she knew just by the look of the older much more sinister version of her little sister that this would not be a joyous reunion.

"Mamie... Hey." Daisy muttered as Marie waved the woman off her lap and stood to reveal her great height.

"That's Queen Marie Laveau II now. Daisy." She glared daggers at Daisy as she stepped around the desk and towards her "No one touches her, understand? unless you want to wake up in your grave tomorrow." She commanded, Daisy felt Jacob shimmer behind her as he whispered

"A-Are we gonna be alright, I can't tell if you two are happy or sad to see each other or not?."

"stay behind me, Better safe than sorry," Daisy muttered as Marie strutted over to them.

She Eyed the two of them up something fierce, tension-packed every nook and crannies of the room as eyes looked at Daisy and to the Main portrait behind that desk. That of an Older very kind looking woman holding a dark-skinned girl in her lap... and a tall, blonde-haired, Violet eyed woman stood beside them.

"That's right Boys!" Marie turned around the room with a dark grin "Yo mama's horror stories weren't so full of shit, This is the One and only Madam Ostara! oh lawd put your hands together!" Marie clapped her hands together in a slow echoing clap, though the others remained still, only murmuring as fearful faces came over them, many lowered their guns, not for any noble reason, just as always it was a thing of self-preservation.

"And Here I was hoping that You'd have ended up gator food by now, Papa Legba must not have heard my prayers"

Daisy frowned sadly as Marie glared at her. "Mamie..." Daisy said, but Marie flared

A Seriousness shadowed over her dark face "Queen Laveau. We aren't friends."

"No, Mamie... we're family."

Marie spat out a cackle "Pft, You aren't blood of mine, never have been, you're just a freak who My mama picked up from an even greater freak... What did stir your ghoulish form out of that swamp by the way? Is that nut, Miss Abat back too?"

Daisy shook her head "My Mama is long gone by now if I know her, I wasn't what she wanted and You know that."

A satisfied smirk cracked across Marie's pretty face "Why am I not surprised? Your type is never satisfied, You take and You take. Bloody monsters"

"Stop talking like that, Mamie... I'm not one of them, I never have been." Daisy wasn't angry at this point, she was as wrathful as she was violent: that being none at all on account of her pacifism, it was one of the things that she did to separate herself from her Monsterous peers.

"That's funny, cuz I remember quite clearly a summer solstice 60 years ago, all those people at that glamourized shithole you called a House, burning everything to the ground and tossing your chained hide into the Bayou while crying bloody ****, they voiced loud and clear about your associations with Miss Abat, that's what You get for being a Butchering Sociopath's kid I guess."

Daisy raised an eyebrow "...So it was Humans who buried me? because of Mama? b-but why?" she rubbed her pink forehead, her memory was still stagnated with swamp water, she could remember virtually nothing from that night.

Marie seemed intrigued "Got a spot of memory loss? good. Now is there a reason that You crawled over here or did you just come to weep that I succeeded Mama?"

Marie always was jealous of Daisy's talent with the darker arts of Voodoo, maybe that's why she hated her... either way, knowing about Marie's insecurities wouldn't;t change anything, Daisy had a primal urge, one that needed to be met.

"Look... I know that You were... that You are upset about Madam Laveau's liking of me, but I never wanted to be Queen okay? that was your right, not mine. I... I just wanted to say goodbye, and also... There is someone I need to find, I'm sure that He's undead and I have to get to him."

"All that Righteous bullshit aside, why should I help you head-hunt?" Marie asked

"This is Serious Business, Mamie, Whoever He is, he is very powerful, just as powerful a Miss Abat was... Likely a Very Ancient Vampire."

"Undead Business, ain't my Business, Honey." Daisy watched Marie strut back over to her desk in disinterest, The Blonde and her nervous companion followed, although the latter **** under the gangbangers angry stares.

"Marie, I really have to get to him, even if you don't have any information, I need to find a way to get to Wallace!" This was ingrained in her being, a beckoning echo that screamed at her in a deafening summons, Go to Wallace and Find Charles Drake.

"The Black City?" Marie said, perking up in intrigue as she retook her seat at the desk "Everybody knows that place is riddling with all kinds of Beasts"

"I need to get there either way," Daisy said resolutely.

Marie Eyed Daisy and Jacob too, the gears behind her eyes were turning "Hmmm, it's a pricy Plane ticket to Massachusettes... what would I get in return?"

Daisy stirred nervously, scratching the back of her golden head "My undying love an affection?"

Marie's eyes fixed on Jacob, who gulped audibly at the way she glared "And what's your name, Cutie?" Daisy's brows crumbled, Marie had ditched her pompously regal air and replaced it with a lustful one.

Jake fumbled with his words "J-Jacob, Ma'am." He squeaked, Marie chuckled

"Awww, He's so fucking cute, ain't he boys?" Marie's gang all guffawed as if on cue as she sat back into her chair "You a Local Boy, Jacob?"

"Y-Yes, Ma'am." Daisy frowned as she clutched tightly on Jake's hand.

"We are a little short on good brothers, especially cute ones. All right then, The kid will be mine and the Information is yours, fair trade."

The Blonde's body tensed, Her eye flashing as she gritted her pearly white together "No." the word was a growl, a threatening thing that put the Men around them back on edge.

Marie's eyes narrowed, she always liked stealing the good boys away, she wouldn't do it this time, even if it meant that she had to forfeit good intel. "Now, Now, Daisy, I think it's a fair deal-"

"How dare You." Daisy was no longer growling, this was more of a snarl that left her pretty ruby lips, the sudden emerging of beastly anger that had sparked into life the minute she walked into this room.

"How dare I?"

"Yes. How dare You, I came here thinking that after all this time, that past was past, that this stupid feud between us would be over. But I have come here to find that not only have your bitter idiocy grown tenfold but that You have completely and utterly fucked everything that Your mother worked for!" Daisy's anger was an efficient sort, a severe attack on the Ideals of another, Marie was as disarmed by it as she ever was.

"This was once a House of Healing, of spirit and Love, what is it now!? but a glorified **** den filled with degenerate criminals, in place of the Noble fellers who fought to make a good life for themselves in a world that didn't want them, that would sing to the nighttime, slither to the music of the snakes and beg the Loa to grant them a favour to dead and spirits-do you even know what the Loa Are?" Daisy spoke to the room, full of men who looked simultaneously threatened and clueless by this Tall red woman's motherly scorn

"...Papa Legba of the Crossroads? Simbi & Sobo? Or Baron Samdi who could crack open **** like and egg and let you drink from the yolk of immortality... pft, those signs painted on the walls meant something before you left them to dry up you bumbling idiots... oh god, I hate being mean, but I'm just so angry!" Daisy seethed, Marie shrunk back subtly as a little sister does

"We practice?" An especially meatheaded looking young man said

Daisy scoffed "Practice what? huh, moron? rubbing chicken blood and some whore's tities (I hate that word so goddam much) doesn't bring you unending fortune! your 'Queen' talks about give and take, like that isn't the biggest joke I've ever heard, everything here is a sham, and I don't Give to shams, family or not."

Jacob blinked, everyone did, this was nothing less than an old fashioned verbal grand slam and She wasn't even done yet.

Daisy turned to Marie, marching up to the desk, leaning down to toy repulsed at the **** and cash on the table "I am disappointed in You, Mamie... Your mother was many things, but Vanity isn't in a Queen's roster... I hope, for our mother's sake that you get your head on straight. I-I love You..." Daisy's harsh whisper broke slightly as she frowned, eyes welling "G-Goodbye."

Marie's face twisted with hurt and malice, more than could ever be expected, but Daisy didn't want to stick around to see it any more than she had too. The Blonde tipped her bonnet and took Jake by the hand, going to leave.

"Mesye!" One word in Creole cried out from Marie, a dozen or so of her goons blocked the door, with mean looks on their faces.

Jake's shaking doubled in an instant, and Daisy turned with a frown to see Marie's anger in full **** "Mamie..."

"My name is Queen Marie Laveau II, and when I say that I want something I fucking get it! Pote ti gason an pou mwen"

Daisy held Jacob close, they would not take him, she swore it, even if she had to break her violentless Creed... but it would not come to that, Daisy was gentle and kind, but Ostara always came with a plan.

"You're gonna call them off, and let me and Jacob go." She commanded, it gave the men pause and made Marie laugh.

"Oh, and why's that?" She just had to ask.

Daisy's eyes narrowed, as she looked around to the men in the room "Do you know about the Grave binding of the old caplata, boys? Here, let me tell you a little something about how it works?" Everyone stared as Daisy flared to life "On a dusty night by de' graves of the De' dead, you and your follower's gather under the Blood moon. the Person must dig their grave six feet deep and lay in the cold touch of the soils of ****. twelve are sacrificed, twelve damned souls, their throats slit and their blood allowed to flow over the that who would avoid ****... but to avoid ****, you must show the gods that You respect it, laying in your grave under that blood moon, covered in the gore of the damned, that gets their attention... they sleep for seven days and seven nights, and if Samdei is pleased then they awake from that Grimm womb of rotted guts, a woman who will live thrice her lifespan... just like Queen Laveau did, and just like Mamie here does."

Marie frowned, the others seemed bewitched by Daisy's words "Of course You have to return to that Grave one day, to rest forever in limbo, that's unless the Tomb is defiled by the blood of the innocent, then you'll anger the Baron, and be dragged right back to that grave where you belong."

Marie's eyes thinned "You're bluffing." She spat

Daisy shook her head, displaying the Pentagram of Reanimation that shone red as her lipstick does on her ivory gloves "Now the Deer I bought back might have been a potty mouth, but she's loyal as they all are and innocent despite herself, and with one word, My serpentine friend Mr Copper bites into the jugular of her and her friends... all over your grave."

Daisy saw her sister relent, the beautiful redbone woman falling back into her chair as she glared, Marie pulled a cigarette from the pack in her coat and pulled from it harshly, the cherry burning red as she waved the men away "Bomvoyage, Madam Ostara."