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After getting out of the tub, I called Hayley and told her to pick me up so we could head to New Orleans in the morning. Stefan tried to convince me to take it easy, but I told him I should be safe away from this hell-hole town. So in the morning, he helped me put my suitcase in the back of Hayley's car, and we made the long drive to New Orleans, having to stop for bathroom breaks, snacks, and food, but we finally made it and hadn't made any progress with being there for three days so far besides me eating some good gumbo.
Then, Lenore isn't even in the city. She said she was visiting some friends, and If I had told her about what I was doing beforehand, she could have helped us. But said she would be back later today to help. So Hayley and I sit in a large deserted bar in the middle of the day while I eat another bowl of gumbo.
"Third time in here this week." Jane-Anne, the bartender, says to us.
"I'm obsessed with the gumbo, Jane-Anne." I shrug, putting another spoonful in my mouth.
"You know, ladies in the 9th ward say, my sister, Sophie, bleeds a piece of her soul into every dish." She says, causing me to pause and feel a little nauseous. I push the bowl away as Jane-Anne glances across the room at her sister, who is working on the other side of the restaurant.
" I asked around the Quarter about our family....." Hayley starts.
We had been telling Jane-Anne that we were looking for our family without disclosing that they were wolves.
" And?"
"Nothing. Zero. We can't find a single person who remembers them." I explain.
"Because people like you two were run out of here years ago."
"What do you mean, people like us?" Hayley asks, raising an eyebrow. Jane-Anne walks around the bar to the other side to stand beside Hayley and me, setting a map on the bar.
" In the bayou, they call the werewolves 'Roux-Ga-Roux.' " She circles a point on the map. "You head out there; you'll find what you're looking for. Be careful. It's the last place you'd ever want to go."
Hayley, taking the map, nods at her and smiles as we get up, leaving the bar as we still feel queasy.
I should start laying off the gumbo. I have been eating an unhealthy amount, and this time, it tasted different than it usually does.
By the time we get in the car, every bump on the road makes me feel like I have to puke, and I finally tell Hayley to pull over so I can do so. While I'm puking up all the gumbo, I notice that it's not the usual brown color but pure back. It is almost like something was put into the gumbo. The way my magic flares up proves that I'm right, but it's too late. The effects have already taken root.
