laissez les bon temps rouler//jackson kenner

1.14

I needed an excuse to leave the house so I am sitting in St. Anne's with Marcel and Nik. Today is the first mass since Father Kieran's nephew killed his fellow seminary classmates.

"Thank you all for coming. It means more than I can tell you. We gather today for the first public service of our newly reopened church. St. Anne's can finally once again be the heart of our community, where we can congregate as a people united. Here, this hour, we come together to praise God and give thanks. The events that took place at our church were tragic."

My brother is distracted by Cami sitting a few rows in front of us. Marcel is distracted by a red headed woman a few rows back, but I don't know who she is because I cannot see her face.

I turn to face Marcel. "Do you know her?"

Marcel shakes his head. "No."

Nik butts in, "Then pay attention. We're meant to seem like devoted parishioners."

Father Kieran is continuing his speech, "...and it is that hope in our hearts, and with the help of many benefactors, that allows us to be here today. So, we gather with renewed spirit, made stronger, committed to the ideals of peace and love. Amen."

"Amen," everyone says.

After the mass is over we head outside. Father Kieran is talking to the parishioners.

"Lovely sermon this morning, Father. Quite inspirational," I tell him.

"I wasn't expecting you to join us," Kieran says.

"Oh, we were hoping for some word from your human sources on the recent Haitian invasion," Nik explains.

"My guys have their ears on the ground, and no one has seen or heard any sign of whatever his name is," Kieran tells us.

"He is called Papa Tunde. And right now, he's wandering in the Quarter with the power he absorbed from every soul I had buried in the Garden, so you might wanna put your ear a little closer to the ground," Marcel informs him.

"Or I could steer clear of whatever war is brewing between your kind and his, before I find mysel..." Kieran starts.

Cami appears in front of him and shakes his hand. "I wanted to congratulate you on getting the church up and running. I can see this is a bad time. Nice to see you, Marcel, Else." She smiles at me before purposefully ignoring Nik. I guess he managed to piss her off.

Father Kieran gives Nik a look. "Cami!"

Nik scoffs. "Well, don't look at me. I tried to send her away." Nik phones ings and he answers it. "Yes, Diego? What do you have for me?"

I can hear Diego on the other end, he seems alarmed. "Uh, we got a special delivery."

"Would you care to elaborate?" Nik questions.

"Either our witch problems are over, or they're just getting started," Diego states.

Nik hangs up the phone and looks at Marcel and I. He gestures for us to leave.

When we get back to the compound we see Papa Tunde's corpse on the ground in a salt circle. We watch as Elijah crouches down to examine it.

"Can I get you anything, brother? A magnifying glass? A pipe, perhaps?" Nik asks sarcastically.

"You have a theory you'd like to share with us, Niklaus?" Elijah asks.

"Back in the day, the witches wanted to send a threat, they'd just kill a chicken and leave it on your doorstep," Marcel states.

"It's rather a large and ominous chicken, wouldn't you say?" Elijah offers.

"Papa Tunde defeated Rebekah with ease, almost got Marcel and Nik as well. If he was supposed to be the prize fighter, why leave him for dead in our front yard?" I question.