"But I wasn't fully unbound from my coven," I said, watching him.
"It doesn't matter. His power will overpower theirs eventually. That's why he started the process and then did it in the middle. In case you managed to get free."
I looked away. "What's your excuse?"
"I did it willingly," he said. "My coven was dead, there was no one left to be bound to."
"What did he give you?" I asked.
He cocked a smile at me and didn;t answer. I had an idea of what this man wanted and it wasn't going to help our cause in the least. I couldn't have two men in my coven fighting and causing trouble in the magick. We would never defeat the Demon if they did.
"Consider your options. You can stay down here and rot, or you can work with us and have a life."
"I'll rot, thanks," he said before turning his back on me.
I sighed and started up the stairs. Everything was a mess and there was nothing I could do about it. All I could think of was there had to be another way and there was only one person that might have a connection into the deep magick I'd need.
Owen.
Two
I sat in the entry way and glanced through the window. The air was so hot, it had it's own visible vibration. I watched the way the fire in the air danced with it. It was amazing and interesting to see magick working without actually trying to make it work together. Everything had magick in it, even when we weren't looking.
"What are you doing out here?" Owen said coming up behind me. He was holding a cup of coffee and dressed in his signiture look. A white t shirt with his black leather jacket over it. His face was shaved today and he looked a lot more like Zane than before.
"Thinking about my issues," I said without thinking.
"The guy in the basement or the Demon in your nightmares?" He took a sip of his coffee.
"A little of both," I said.
"I don't work with the dark stuff, but I used to know people that did."
"I can imagine with the way your power works, the dark stuff would suit you."
He dropped his gaze.
"I'm sorry, that was rude."
"No, it's truthful." He sighed. "Both Zane and I were drawn to the dark side of magick before we found our covens."
"What happened?"
"We took a different path," he said. "There are a lot of people in New Orleans that work with that kind of power, though."
"Doubt anyone can help with my Demon issues," I said.
"There might be one. She's... complicated."
"What aren't you telling me?"
"She will want something for something." He raised his eyebrows. "She will want something from you that you might not want to give."
"I don't care as long as I can get rid of this Demon thing."
"You don't look the same as when you came to our home. There is something darker about you." He glanced at the floor. "Did anything happen while you were with him?"
I bit my lip. I wasn't sure I wanted to tell this guy I didn't even know something so personal. This Demon who was my lover and then my enemy made everything that much more complicated.
"Nothing I want to talk about," I said.
He nodded. "I'll leave the number to my contact on the table."
"Heading home, are you?"
"Yes. I've been gone far too long." He made a face. "I have to face Erik when I get there and I'm thinking the sooner I do that, the better."
"Maybe it will all work out," I said with a smile.
"Maybe." He smiled and walked to the kitchen. I figured he was going to talk to his brother and maybe the other guys before he went back to Washington.
At least I had something that maybe could point me to a solution for my very annoying problem.
I didn't need any connections to a Demon that could change everything if he already hadn't.
I held the paper in my hand with the name and adress of the Voodoo Preistess Owen knew. It was as though this one piece of little yellow paper held my whole future.
"What do you have there?" Zander said. He walked into the kitchen and glanced from my hand to my eyes.
"Did Owen leave?" I changed the subject.
"Yeah, he said he needed to go back or Erick would kill him," Zander said, taking a seat beside me. The kitchen was small, but had a beautiful wood table sitting to one side. I was sitting at the head while he sat next to me. His blue eyes flashed concern, but I ignored it. I was going to be fine. I just had to get all this figured out.
"Would you be mad if I left for awhile?" I asked it before I really thought about it. This Demon wanted me and no one else. If he was able to find me while I was on my own, then everything was lost.
"You can go anywhere you want as long as Zane and I go with you," he said without missing a beat.
I smiled. The thought of these men willing to die for me both terrified me and made me feel safe all at once. I wasn't the same weak girl they had first met. I was as strong as any of them now.
"Where are you thinking?" Zander said.
"Owen told me about a Preistess that might be able to help us in New Orleans," I said. I left the part out about the darkness chirning inside me.
Zander nodded, considering my words. "Then we should talk to her and see what she can suggesst."
"Owen also said there would be a cost," I added.
"There always is," Zander said. He smiled and put his hand on mine. The simple gesture made me feel warm and calm all at the same time. I ignored the surge of power that grew from his hand on mine. I didn't want that at that moment. I only wanted to feel safe and loved for even a second.
Since my time with the Demon, I'd felt as though a part of me was hollowed out and something was missing. I wondered if that was because Caleb wasn't as accepting as I'd hoped or if it was the Demon and the memories I was having about him,
Everything was so screwed up.
"I'll get some tickets booked and we will leave tonight," Zander said.
"That fast? No questions?" I said. A part of me was hoping he'd be a little hesitant with everything going on.
"Whatever you need to end this." He walked from the room, leaving me with the paper and my own thoughts. That seemed to be a dangerous thing right now.
Three
Zarrick
He tightened the straps on Calebs arms so he couldn't move. There was no way this jack ass was getting away and talking to the Demon that controled him.
"This won't work," Caleb spat. "I hate everything about you, including your coven."
"You don't have a choice," Zarrick said without looking at him. "Niether of us do."
"You wanted to kill me," Caleb said.
"I would have. You have Cat to thank for your life."
"I've seen that Demon with her. She can't stay away. It's fated."
"You would say that," Zarrick said. He shook his head. "Cat can make her own choices and she has many times before."
"The Demon will have what he wants. You can't stop it."
"I don't plan to. Cat will." Zarrick was even amazed by his own words. He'd never thought about it, but there was no way he or any of the men in the coven to stop this thing. They all could control an element, but Cat could do all of them. It was interesting and amazing to watch.
"I'm not going to give up this power," Caleb said. The earth rumbled with his words. He was stronger while he was bound to the Demon, but it wouldn't last long.
"You don't get a choice. I remember when you did this to me. When I didn't do what you wanted. I guess payback is a real bitch." He closed the circle around Caleb and watched him. "This is going to hurt, a lot."
Zarrick couldn't even hear his own words over Calebs screams of pain.
Four
The three of us took up the entire row of seats on the left side of the plane. I sat in the middle with each of my men at my sides. They looked entirely too happy about the arrangement.
"You grew up in New Orleans?" I asked Zane.
He smiled and nodded. "It wa
s a great place to grow up. The culture is like non other."
"I can imagine," I said.
"We knew we were Witches, but I ignored it. I didn't want anything to do with it," Zane said. "Owen was a natural. He could do anything with his power."
"His seems a little dark," I said.
"It is, but that comes with Magick. It's never cut and dry. There are elements to both dark and light in everything."
"A balance of sorts," I said without thinking.
"Something like that," he said.
Five
Caleb
He opened his eyes just a little. The sweat was dripping from his face and coating his hair. He let his head fall back and laughed slightly.
“I can still feel him,” He said. “Even if you break this bond, I won’t agree to yours.”
“That’s what I figured,” Zarrick said. “Pesky free will and all that.”
“Yeah, it keeps even us from getting used,” Caleb said.
Zarrick pulled Caleb’s restraints and Caleb dropped his head to watch. He wondered if he could pull his hands free and get out of this mess, but he was too weak to move.
“What happens next?” Caleb said with a smile. “You realize the Demon will come for me and for your girlfriend.”
“I figured that, but Cat gave him a pretty good injury when he faced her last time. I think we have some time.” Zarrick smiled as he pulled the restraints tight.
Caleb’s hands slammed down on the side of the chair and he grimaced. Zarrick was getting too much joy from hurting him.
“You can’t get any type of magick out of this place. He’d have to find you the old fashioned way,” Zarrick said.
“That’s not how bound covens work.” He laughed. “You of all people should know that.”
“That was not a real coven. What you had was a use of power. Do they even know how you used their power?”
Caleb lifted his head. “They used mine was well.”
“Once this is all done, I’m going to have it out with you.”
“I can agree with that.”
Zarrick stepped out of the circle and closed it behind him. “I think we can do some more today. We’ve nearly broken it.” He said as a small smiled curled his lips. He held his gaze and Caleb knew the pain was far from over.
Six
I laid my head back in my seat. The plane was barely holding any passengers, but I still didn’t like I was stuck on a flying bus. I turned to my left and watched Zane looking through the window and ignoring the world. I wondered if he hated this whole flying thing as much as I did.
“The flight is pretty fast,” Zander said.
Sometimes I felt like he could read my mind. He always seemed to know when I needed to hear something from him.
“I’m alright,” I said with a smile.
He rested his hand on mine and glanced passed me to Zane. “You know where this priestess lives, right?”
“I have an idea,” Zane replied. “It’s been a few years since I saw her.”
“Owen was the one that spent the most time there,” Zander said without thinking. “He was going to join her group until they parted ways.”
“Why did they part ways?” I asked, curiosity getting to me.
“Some of the group were using magick for themselves. While the Priestess does do work for others on occasion, it’s not something she likes to do.”
“That sounds like a weird reason to split,” I sad.
“New Orleans Witches aren’t like the others. They are darker and fight harder than any others I’ve ever met.” He glanced at Zane as he spoke.
“We are also very stubborn,” Zane said with a huge smile.
I snorted as I laughed.
“Where will we stay once we get there?” I glanced between the two men as I spoke.
“My family still has a house there,” Zane said.
“Do you still have a lot of family in the area?”
“Not really, just my mom and a couple of cousins,” Zane said.
“That will be fun to meet your family,” I said.
He flinched and I realized family was a touchy subject for him. I wondered why but didn’t dare ask.
We sat in silence until the plane landed in New Orleans. The first thing I noticed about the place was the energy. It was as though there were so many people with magick in their veins that it permeated the air. Everything was electric, from the ground to the buildings. The heat and the way it stuck to my skin was the second thin I noticed. It was thick and clung to me like it needed me.
Zane touched my hand and my body cooled immediately. I looked into his cool blue eyes and felt his energy wrap around mine. It helped me to feel safe and loved. I loved when he did that.
We walked through the airport and made our way to the waiting car. I glanced at the nice black Car and then back to Zane. He just shrugged and opened the door for me. The driver didn’t look back as we slid into the seat and closed the door.
He drove for awhile before stopping in front of a big white house with columns holding a porch on the second story. It was beautiful and fit right into what I thought New Orleans would be about.
The shutters were a dark green and there were two trees on either side of the driveway. They were huge and old with dark green leaves and twisty trunks. I wondered how long they had been there.
We made our way passed them and pulled up in front of the large wrap around porch. It was amazing in it’s beauty. I wanted to know more about Zane’s life and his family. This was going to be the perfect time to find out.
“This is your house?” I asked.
“It was. My mom still lives here with some of my cousins. They like to stay close.” He didn’t look at me as he spoke, but I could tell there was something behind his words he wasn’t saying. Maybe he was afraid of what I’d think of his family or something else I didn’t know.
We walked to the door, but it was already open with a thin older woman standing there. Her light hair curled down her back. She didn’t smile and looked even a little annoyed.
“Zane, you finally came home.”
He smiled and glanced back at me. “This is Cat and you know Zander,” he said.
“You didn’t bring Zarrick?” She raised her eyebrows.
“He’d home taking care of other issues,” Zander said.
“You guys are always taking care of issues.” She took a step towards me and looked me up and down. “I’m guessing you’re a new coven member.”
“Yes,” I said simply. There was no point in getting into everything. It would just be too much to explain on a first meeting.
“You know this coven wasn’t my first choice,” she said with a shrug. “I would have rather seen my two boys together.”
No one said anything, but Zane put his hand on his mothers shoulder and I knew there was contention there. I didn’t say anything, but followed Zane and Zander into the house.
The inside was just as beautiful as the outside. It was painted a white color with hardwood floors. The old metal chandelier was hanging in the entryway and had old candles still attached to it. A part of me wondered why they hadn’t updated it. They obviously had money and magick, but I didn’t say anything. I figured it wasn’t my place seeing how I’d just met Zane’s mom and still didn’t know her name.
“You can share a room, yes?” She asked, closing the door and crossing her arms.
“Yes, mom. That should be fine,” Zane said. He started up the stairs and I followed behind. Zander stayed and started a conversation with Zane’s mom.
“That was awkward,” Zane said. “My mom is different. She wanted me to go to Eriks coven.”
“Yeah, I figured that out.”
“She won’t bother you, though and we won’t be here long.” Zane stopped in front of the third door on the left and pushed it open. “I’m sorry we have to share here.”
“It’s okay,” I said. I put my hand on his and smiled. “I love spending time with my guys.”
> He smiled back and gave my hand a hard squeeze. “I love spending time with you too.”
He pulled me to him and gave me a hard kiss on the lips. I loved it when he took control and showed me how much he cared for me. He did it in little ways, but they were more important to me than any large gesture could be.
I walked passed him into the room and shook my head. It was huge. There was an old fireplace to the left with ornate gold trim all the way around it. The bed was to the right of me and was so large, I knew we’d all fit fine in it. The floor was the same hardwood as he rest of the home with a throw rug covering the exposed part near the bed.
“This is amazing,” I said. “I didn’t realize you were this rich.”
“We were. The only thing left is the house now,” he said. “My cousins are always trying to get our family back to the proper stature, but it never bothered me to be with less.” He smiled. “It’s actually very freeing.”
“I don’t even know your mom’s name,” I said without thinking.
“Gabby,” He said simply. “She’s not much for people.”
“I gathered that,” I said with a snort.
“I have a car coming that will take us to the Priestess. Then we can get this whole thing taken care of and behind us.”
“I really hope so.” I forced a smile, but knew what this meant. She would have to face the Demon in order to end it all. That thought alone made her want to hide, but it also made her want to see what could happen. A part of her was intrigued by this power the Demon had over her and what it meant. She knew his power was inside her dying to get out.
The car was the same one with the same driver as before. I wondered how they could keep doing this with a driver if they didn’t have money, but that question was for another day.
“She stays by the river for the most part in her home, but tonight is a special night so she will probably be outside doing a circle,” Zane said. “If we are lucky, she will be alone.”
“What if she’s not?” I said.
Fated Box Set Page 11
