Book 9 - Obsidian Butterfly

[Yoko]

Obsidian Butterfly

The building was done in faux-Aztec temple. Or for all I knew real Aztec temple. But the outside of the building looked like a movie set. Red neon traced square carved faces, and the name was traced in more neon. There was a line stretching around the corner of the building and out into the summer dark.

(Obsidian Butterfly, page 169, paragraph 2)

Reference
A dance club
* owned by Itzpapalotl, Obsidian Butterfly

[Yoko]

Chapter
Summary
1 Anita comes home from animating to Edward?s phone call. He?s calling in his favor and wants her as backup in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Ten missing, twelve dead and he doesn?t know what did it.
2 Arriving at the airport, Anita is greeted by Ted (Edward) and his fiancée, Donna. Anita learns tidbits of their relationship as they walk out of the airport.
3 Anita and Edward leave Donna because they have to go to the crime site. Donna is uneasy at first, but Anita assures her there was never anything romantic between her and Edward.
4 Anita and Edward get into his Hummer and drive to St. Lucia Hospital where there are survivors from the attacks. While driving, Anita points out a mountain range and Edward names them for her, Sangre de Cristo, but he doesn't know why they named thusly.
5 Edward doesn?t tell her details. They meet with Marks and he gives Anita a hard time before allowing her to see the victims.
6 Anita is brought into the room by Ben. Dr. Evans meets up with her to discuss bodies. There are six and all of them have been skinned. Males are missing their penises and women their breasts. Their tongues have also been chopped off. When Anita sees that, she has to leave the room.
7 Marks berates Anita because she didn?t last through the room and she counters that no one did, including herself. She then motions Edward and kicks him in the face using Kenpo because she had to walk in without prior knowledge. She is angry that Edward is marking this a pissing contest and tells him to stop before she goes back into the room to try to get more clues without getting ill.
8 Anita, marks, Dr. Evans and Edward gather in the doctor?s lounge. Anita asks the doctor, if all six were skinned how did they survive? Anita guesses magic. Marks walks out. Evans admits his wife is a witch, but out of town. Anita suggests she stays out of town.
9 Edward drives Anita to the crime scene. Edward gets angry with Anita and slams on the brakes. In the same moment, they both pull guns on each other and Anita realizes Edward just wants her to kill him if it gets bad.
10 They arrive at the house and are led around by Officer Norton until Ramirez arrives. Anita cuts through his good cop routine immediately. The inhabitants were collectors of Indian artifacts and the three go upstairs where there is more artifacts and "gory stuff."

[Yoko]

11 Anita sees a soul in the room but doesn?t tell Ramirez. Anita thinks it might be Thaddeus Bromwell, the son of the owners of the house, because the mother and father are part of the skinned victims in the hospital. Marks returns and gets Anita kicked off the investigation. Edward promises to try to get him replaced maybe with Ramirez, since he was flirting with Anita. She refuses to argue with him, even when he brings up Jean-Claude and Richard.
12 They arrive at a Mexican restaurant and meet up with Donna and Peter and Becca. Becca?s disposition is sunny while Peter?s is sullen. Anita is able to commiserate with Peter as they reach a tentative camaraderie. Before they can order, however, "bad guys" come into the restaurant.
13 Harold accompanied by Russell and Newt. They threaten the family and when Russell gets into Donna and Peter?s faces, Anita asks permission from Edward to do something with only, "Ted?" He agrees and Anita uses her martial arts to gag Russell and break his nose. When cops arrive, everyone in the restaurant points fingers at Russell. Eventually, they pay for the food without actually getting it and leave.
14 Donna carries Becca out and starts crying, so Becca joins her. Anita gets Edward to take Becca away so Anita can bitchslap Donna for caving in. Peter watches the entire exchange. Anita then gets Edward and Becca back and Becca decides to trust Anita because Edward told her Anita would protect her.
15 Edward tells Anita about Riker. Donna is part of a group to preserve Indian archeological sites while Riker wants to bulldoze them to get the artifacts out. Edward came to her "rescue." Anita learns that he may not admit to loving Donna, but he genuinely cares for her and her family, which makes Anita worried.
16 On the road back to Santa Fe, Anita makes Edward stop the car because she feels something. When she gets out and opens herself to "It" the power backlashes her, even though it?s miles away. Eventually they arrive at Edward?s house.
17 Bernardo opens the door in only a sheet. Anita is embarrassed at first, then angry because he tries to hit on her. She then meets Olaf. When Anita finds out Olaf is a convicted rapist, she gets permission from Edward to kill him if he tries anything and not have to pay Edward back for the loss of one of his men.
18 Anita is lounging on Edward?s couch when he returns from putting her luggage in her room. She reminds Edward that Donna and family are potential cannon fodder and Edward reluctantly agrees. Bernardo comes back in dressed only in jeans and it makes Anita ache for Richard. Edward then tells them to head to the dining room so he can show pictures from other crime scenes.
19 Olaf enters the dining room after Anita and Bernardo. Anita immediately gets behind the table and she and Olaf stare at each other. Anita then acts like a smart ass, causing Olaf to react. He pulls a blade and she pulls her gun and Edward enters to stop the fight. He brings the files. Olaf pushes past Edward and leaves the room.
20 Anita starts to go through the files, but is distracted by Bernardo. When he gets too close, she actually jumps out of her chair. Edward makes Bernardo leave and correctly guesses that Anita is horny because she?s not been with Richard or Jean-Claude or anyone else for six months. Anita insists she cannot do casual sex and makes him drop the subject.

[Yoko]

21 After reading, Anita notices that during the murders, the next door neighbors left their houses and also the obsidian slivers discovered in their wounds. Mrs. Emma Taylor notes in a report that she needed to leave her house because she felt stifled. She might be a psychic. Anita points to something preternatural. The one who wrote the report was Detective Loggia. Olaf returns and Edward admits Anita is his soul mate which is why he treats her differently. he then leads Anita to her room in order to get her ammo because they are going to visit the Master of Albuquerque.
22 Anita is waiting in the living room when the boys show up once more. They are dressed nicer than she is, so she goes back to do makeup and change to a nicer shirt in order to blend in better.
23 Edward identifies Anita as Anita Lee and even provides fake ID at the door. All four are allowed inside. The hostess brings them to Professor Dallas' table. Before they can talk, the "show" begins and Anita is chosen to be a "bride" on stage for the performer Cesar. Three other women are chosen: a petite blonde, a short, square woman called Ramona and a tall, drunk, Hispanic woman. After Cesar "enjoys" the other women, he moves to Anita and mistakes her for a lycanthrope. The priest, Pinotl wants to get them backstage to apologize. A white screen comes down and one by one the women are replaced by actors who mime an orgy in the shadows. Pinotl punishes the one who chose Anita by cutting his face with an obsidian knife. Anita tries to stop him and cuts her finger on the tip of the knife to prove that she isn't a lycanthrope. The priest is horrified and Anita is confused. The man gets the blade back and sucks on the tip to clean Anita's blood from it, cutting his own tongue in the process. Cesar brings Anita back to the screen where the other women are already there in various stages of undress as the white curtain rises again. Anita returns to her seat where they have a meal of veal. Everyone but Anita and Edward eat it.
24 Cesar comes out, playing pipes and disrobing. He gives pieces of his clothing to the audience and Anita gets the jade earrings. In the second who, Pinotl carve Cesar's abdomen with the obsidian blade to reach for his heart, but he doesn't rip it out. Later, as he's carried past Anita, she returns the earrings, getting his blood on her hands. Dallas tells her to keep the blood as it will be a fitting gift for the master of the city. Itzpapalotl then shows up and while Anita knows she is the master of the city, Itzpapalotl knows that Anita is a human servant but doesn't ask who's she is. Anita admits she his her identity to ask about the murders and Itzpapalotl will allow the interview
25 They go downstairs and enter a room with almost 100 vampires. Anita has her gun out and Itzpapalotl agrees to dismiss some vampires. But they are starving and one attacks Anita and won't let go. She shoots his chest and Edward blows his head off. Dallas is made to go upstairs, away from Olaf who has taken an interest in her.
26 More vampires are brought in, but only to show as an example. Diego is made to drink blood from Seth's cut earlobes, but when Seth is ordered to cut his penis, Diego refuses to drink from the wound. Four silent vampire women that he and his men had raped when they were alive come in and beat him bloody with leather whips and sliver balls, making his spine show from the force of their blows. Itzpapalotl demands Seth give his sacrifice to Chualtalocal, but he's too scared to be aroused. Anita gets permission to arouse him and she uses Richard's marks to do so. later, she is able to talk to Itzpapalotl about the survivors to see if she can explain them. Itzpapalotl gives her information about Aztec sacrifices which might help her.
27 In the car, Olaf wishes he could have had Diego. Edward warns Anita to leave it alone. In her room, she prepares for bed by figuring out which weapons to keep out.
28 Anita is awakened from a dream by Bernardo at the door. Downstairs at breakfast, she and Olaf nearly come to blows again until she points out his hatred of women will prevent him from catching the killer.
29 They put crime scene photos on the walls of the dining room. Anita notes the bodies are completely ripped apart from the joints. Olaf gives information about body organs that suggests intimate knowledge. Donna shows up and while Edward heads her off, Anita instructs Olaf and Bernardo to tack the tablecloth over the open dining room door.
30 Anita rushes out of the dining room and crashes right into Donna. She wants to go in, but Edward actually tells her the truth that he doesn't want her or Becca seeing the case pictures. When they leave for the kitchen, Peter wants to look in and against Anita's wishes, Edward lets him, he barely manages to handle it. Later, Olaf Bernardo and Anita all agree that Edward cannot have this family. There is a phone call to interrupt. Another murder has occurred and Lt. Marks actually wants Anita on the site.

[Yoko]

31

The four head to the crime scene, but Lt. Marks only allows Anita and Edward through. Inside, they meet up with Agent Bradford and he and Agent Franklin show them the dining room table.
32 A torn body is on the table - female because of long nails and a wedding ring. Anita surmises there were originally two killer - one meticulous, one messy. The messy one is now loose. Franklin still thinks it was a human not a monster. Edward gets permission to allow "Otto" and Bernardo inside. Bernardo cannot handle it and walks out while Olaf is filled with lust at the sight. Anita drags Bradley out to see the other bodies because she is creeped out.
33 Bradley brings Anita to the room, but cuts himself on the door. He brings her back outside because he cannot leave her alone and tells her to look around the perimeter. Everything is flat so a large monster would be hard to hide. Ramirez joins her and at first gives her comfort which she accepts. They talk and she hints at her Jean-Claude/Richard problems at home. He then gives her carte blanche with questions. She finds out that Thad is alive, so the soul she saw floating in the room could not be his. She also comes up with an idea that the survivors are actually the living dead, a different kind of zombie.
34 Anita examines the second body of a man whose chest has been carved open. There is a circle of salt around his body and a book of shadows. The other books in the room point at him being a practitioner. Anita finds a gun in a drawer, which indicates the man thought a spell would work better than a weapon. She and Bradley talk and he warns her about "Otto"/Olaf, who is a spook and tells her that her FBI file has been flagged by the government.
35 Donna gives Ted the name Nicandro as a Brujo who might help with the investigation. Anita drives Edward's hummer to his bar to get a second opinion and Bernardo comes with her. Ramirez follows in a police car. She and Bernardo chat and they figure out that Bernardo might have been called in by Edward to play lover to Anita, since Edward wants her away from the monsters. When they arrive, Anita can feel death magic like an oppressive presence.
36 Anita, Bernardo, Ramirez and Officer Rigby arrive at Los Duendos and Ramirez suggests Anita play Bernardo's girlfriend because it will expedite questioning. She protests, but ends up agreeing and they enter while the cops stay outside.
37 They immediately stand out. Anita tries to ask the bartender Pauline about Nicky, but she denies knowledge at first. Eventually, she demands ID and has them disarmed. Pauline asks if Bernardo is her lover and is he is circumcised. Anita replies yes to both questions and Bernardo is then ordered to prove it. When he drops his pants, Pauline then wants Anita to kiss him there, but Nicky shows up at the last moment. Eventually Anita asks for and gets his cooperation.

38
They arrive at the hospital before dark. Anita feels the power building and then, nothing. The survivors are quiet. Officer Jarman and Officer Jakes are allowed out of the room and after being slightly hostile to Anita, they end up teasing her good-naturedly. She and Ramirez end up talking/arguing and then there is a scream. The survivors /are/ attacking.
39 The bodies go nuts and attack, straining against their restraints. The African-American nurse from earlier has half her heart eaten, so Anita is positive they are living dead. Rigby comes in with an axe, hacking at bodies to get folks out, but is stuck in the room when flames fill it. Jarman is killed, one body escapes, and Anita rushes after it, Ramirez in pursuit.
40 Anita finds it in the nursery where it has already eaten some of the babies. After emptying both her browning and firestar ammo into it, it keeps on going. In a sheer rage, Anita uses her powers of necromancy and cuts the line between the creature and its master. She succeeds but the greater power is able to reach out to Anita and try to kill her. She can hear him in her mind, but then passes out.

[Yoko]

41 Anita wakes up to pain and blurry images. She nearly dies, but as she slips back into unconsciousness, she hears a female voice.
42 Anita wakes up again to the smell of sage. Leonora Evans is there. She saved Anita's life and told her about the holes in her aura/chakra. Only Richard and Jean-Claude can close them now. Anita spent the past six months with Marianne trying to cover them over, only to have them gaping raw once more. Later Doctor Cunningham comes in to double-check her injuries. He tries to convince her to get out of the business that she is in.
43 Edward walks in to talk with Anita. He's actually unusually emotional/sentimental. he doesn't trust Baco, but trusts Anita - if she thinks they need to meet with him, they will - but it must be before 10 AM.
44 Anita begins to dress. Dr. Cunningham and a nurse try to dissuade her from leaving, but to no avail. Another unnamed nurse from the nursery helps her to dress and extracts a promise from Anita to kill the monster if it is not mortal.
45 Driving in the car with Bernardo, Edward and Olaf, Anita baits Olaf because she is scared. They nearly get into a gunfight, but Edward stops them.
46 They arrive at Los Duendos and at first, Harpo doesn't allow all of them into the bar. He wants only Anita to enter alone, but she refuses and they begin to walk away. Eventually, Harpo runs to get them back.
47 Nicky is hogtied on the bar. His Ulfric beat him up because of misusing his powers. In order for Anita to question him, she has to give the Ulfric or his lupa, who is currently in wolf form, a gift. He insists, showing her Monstruo. She cuts her left arm and drains some blood into a glass. He drains it and allows her to talk. Nicky tells her about the Red Woman's Husband. Nicky sensed it ten years ago, but now it is much stronger and it speaks in his mind too. Having this information now, they leave.
48 When they return to Edward's house, Harold, Newt and Russell are there, as well as Maury, Amanda and another unnamed man. Harold tries to take Anita back to his boss, but she escapes. She puts Russell out cold and later, incapacitates Newt to help the others. the police arrive because Lt. Marks was angry she checked out of the hospital. Ramirez shows and due to blood loss, Anita faints in his arms. She wakes briefly at the hospital, but because of painkillers, sleeps again.
49 Jean-Claude contacts Anita via a dream to warn her about Itzpapalotl. Anita wakes to a nurse who tells her she will be checking out. Ramirez returns and Anita finally tells him there is no chance of a relationship. Later, he tells her there's been another murder, but they are not allowed on the case.
50 Ramirez shows Anita a bunch of pictures of items from the crime scene. Although Dallas thinks they are fake, Dr. Martinez thinks they might be authentic. Anita divulges info about Nicky but not his identity. Edward shows up with clothes and after she changes they head to Obsidian Butterfly for more information.

[Yoko]

51 At the club, they have to wait for Itzpapalotl. Pinotl does a show where he demummifies a man and then sucks life out of Seth and mummifies him. Itzpapalotl then comes over to their table and touches Anita. The contact allows them to exchange information, but it turns Anita's eyes completely black and she is able to see like a vampire sees.
52 More police arrive but Anita defuses the situation. Since Nicky is their key to the creature, they go to find him, but he is in the hospital.
53 Since Nicky knows he is getting a death sentence, he doesn't want to talk. Out of Ramirez's hearing, Anita promises she will mummify Nicky if he doesn't talk. He agrees, but wants to lead them there. Edward gets a call - Riker has the kids. Anita and Edward leave.
54 Enroute to Riker's they pick up Bernardo and Olaf who have the "gadgets." After suiting up with weapons and Kevlar vest, they let Olaf and Bernardo out and head for Riker's.
55 They're searched once inside. Edward is forced to admit that he was one of Van Cleef's men at one time. They find the bugs and beat Edward and Anita to try to get their "backup" to come in. Mickey has to carry Anita, who is still weakened from her wounds, upstairs while Edward and the others follow
56 They meet Riker at last. He brings more men in (Rooster, Shooter) and a witch, Alario, and then proceeds to show them TV monitors of Becca having her fingers broken by Russell and Amanda sexually abusing Peter. They leave the children and Anita throws up on Blade's shoe. She then requests to go to the bathroom.
57 Deuce and Blade take her to the bathroom. Blade takes a quick shower and Anita manages to kill Deuce using a pen/blade they missed in her purse. She takes his gun and uses towels to muffle the sound as she kills Blade.
58 Coming back to the room, she uses a pilfered machinegun to kill people in the room. Riker is still alive and they get the location of the kids from him, then Edward kills him.
59 Anita and Edward are boxed in just in front of the cells. Through gunfire, a returned grenade and a smoke grenade, they get through. Anita gets Peter while Edward gets Becca. Peter asks for a gun and Edward asks Anita to loan her Firestar. Amanda and Russell are still at large.
60 Trying to get the kids out, Edward is shot with a wooden stake. Anita runs upstairs and shoots Russell, Newt and Harold. Amanda gets away. Anita returns and Olaf and Bernardo are with Edward and the kids. Olaf leads, Anita supports Edward, Peter carries Becca and Bernardo brings up the rear.
61 At the top, they find all of Riker's men dead, except for Simon and Amanda. Anita kills Simon and Peter empties his gun into Amanda. At the entrance, Becca bolts with Peter following. Anita tries to follow, but is waylaid by a monster. She finds out later it's the Red Husband's "pet" dragon. She then falls unconscious.
62 Anita wakes in a cave, chained to a rock/altar. Tlaloci uses Pauline's heart to bring Anita back to full health and while it shrivels on her chest, she is energized. The Red Woman's Husband shows up and explains why he needs Anita. He will suck Anita's life out so his heart can beat. Then, he can become a sacrifice to bring back the old gods. Anita is able to withstand The Red Woman's Husband's mesmerizing powers and guesses it might be from Itzpapalotl. He pricks Anita's ear and sucks some of her blood out. Tlaloci then informs that Anita's people have come and they must act quickly. Anita finds the pen blade in her pocket once more and stabs him through the heart, killing him. Tlaloci attacks her and is about to kill her when Olaf kills him instead. He then helps her with the vampire. She cuts out his heart while Olaf cuts off his head.
63 At the hospital, Anita realizes that since the job is over, Olaf no longer has to answer to Edward and he probably went to kill Dallas. She and Bernardo try to leave but Lt. Marks won't let them go. So Bernardo knocks him out using his cast. They get her address from Itzpapalotl through Pinotl and Anita thanks her through him for her help against the other vampire.
64 Enroute, Anita calls the cops and when they arrive, there is a note for Anita at the mailbox from Olaf. He didn't hurt Dallas, but says that he is watching Anita read the note and that when he saw her cut out the heart, he knew that she was like him and now, he wants to hunt with her.
Epilogue Marks wants to press charges, but cannot prove Bernardo or Anita hit him since his injuries are inconsistent with being hit by a human. Edward catches a secondary infection from the stake injury and Anita stays to help nurse him back to health. Riker's house has been destroyed and Van Cleef is probably responsible, but Edward will not confirm. Anita calls Itzpapalotl to thank her, but won't see her personally. Anita has to go back to St. Louis and figure out what to do with Richard and Jean-Claude.