by Deanna Chase
“Bea is fair, too.” But doubt nagged at my mind. I trusted Bea, but I didn’t know much about her past. “Never mind. That’s their issue, not mine. Whatever war they have going on, it doesn’t have anything to do with me. Let’s just get out of here and we’ll figure it out later.”
She held her hand out to me. “Whatever you say, witch-girl. I’m more than ready to leave this hole.”
Now what? Without knowing where to go, I opened up my senses one more time, pushing past all boundaries. Kane most definitely wasn’t there. Nobody was. Only Matisse. But there was a tiny tickle of nondescript energy. I latched on to it, forcing the stream of consciousness to merge with my magic. A tug started in my belly and the world turned to mist.
Clutching Matisse’s hand, I let my magic go. Everything faded and once again, I landed on my butt. Hard. Would I ever learn to get my feet under me?
“Jade?” Kane’s voice penetrated my thoughts.
I jumped up and ran to his side.
He caught me in his arms, relief cascading from him in thick waves. “Where were you?”
“I…” I glanced around and realized we were back in the club but still in the shadow world. Souls milled around us, watching with dispassionate interest. They were ghosts who hadn’t been called to either a higher or a lower plane. They just existed between worlds. It was sad, but I was grateful they hadn’t ended up in Hell. “Where is she?”
“Who?” He glanced around and then back at me. “Mati? Did you find her?”
“Yes. Oh, son of a bitch.”
“Jade?” When I didn’t say anything, he took my hand and a moment later we were back in our world in the club. The music and the club’s energy reverberated through me, making my stomach turn. “Let’s go,” Kane said. Tugging me after him, he took off toward the back door.
We climbed the three flights of stairs to my old apartment, the one still furnished with items he’d given me from his storage room. He’d told me he didn’t want to rent it out so he could use it on the nights he worked late and didn’t make it home. But that never happened. He always came home to me. I was pretty sure he kept it because my ghost dog lived there.
As soon as we opened the door, Duke, the golden retriever, bounded toward me, tongue lolling out the side of his mouth.
“Hey boy,” I said and flopped on the bed, my hand covering my forehead.
He jumped up, landing on my stomach. I let out a surprised oomph. It wasn’t like he weighed much…he was a ghost, after all. But he did dispel some energy. He must have missed me.
“You okay?” Kane asked.
“Yeah. Ghost dog jumped on me.”
He chuckled and sat beside me. “What happened?”
I went through everything I’d learned and ended with how I’d lost her, just as I’d lost him. “It appears I’m the only one who can cross. Why?”
“Powerful white witch, love. What else could it be?”
I sighed. “Not powerful enough. She’s still there.”
“But she’s not hurt, right?”
“No. She’s awfully thin, though. She needs food. If she doesn’t collapse from weakness first, she’s likely to go crazy. There’s nothing there. No one. She just sits on the rocks in the mist without any power to even banish it. It must be awful.”
“We’ll find a way.” He leaned down and kissed me. His lips were soft and tender, sweet, as if he was savoring me. Then his mouth turned heated, possessive, and his hands slid up my sides. He lifted me until I was sitting up. I opened my eyes and stared into the deep pools of his molten chocolate ones. “I’m never going to get used to that.”
I smile against his lips. “You mean kissing me silly?”
His grip tightened. “That I can get used to, pretty witch. No, I mean thinking I might have lost you. When we were separated and I couldn’t find you…well, dammit. I had no idea if you were coming back and there wasn’t a damn thing I could do about it.”
I pressed two fingers to his lips. “I know. I felt the same way when I realized you weren’t with me. Every instinct told me to rush back, but I couldn’t just leave. I didn’t even know where I was. But yes, I do know. And I’m not a fan. We’re supposed to shadow walk together. Right?”
“Of course. But you weren’t shadow walking, were you? You were jumping dimensions again.”
“Damn angels.” I swung my legs over the side of the bed and stood.
“Where are you going?”
I stood frozen, wondering that myself. Where did we start? “We need to find Chessandra.”
Chapter 4
Getting through town during Mardi Gras was worse than Hell. And I would know because I’d been there. Twice. It took us two hours just to get out of the French Quarter and over the Crescent City Connection Bridge. In order to get in touch with Chessandra, we needed Lailah, and she was still at Summer House in Cyprus Settlement. Along with everyone else we knew.
I spent the entire time wringing my hands, horrified that Mati was stuck in a world between. I was somewhat confident she was safe for now, but what a horrible existence. I wouldn’t be comfortable until we got her out.
“Jade?” Kane asked.
“Hmm?”
“Will you marry me?”
His flippant tone startled me right out of my stupor and I actually laughed. “Sure. When?”
“As soon as I get the minister’s ass back to Summer House.”
I patted him on the knee. “Good luck. I’m pretty sure he had another wedding tonight.” There wasn’t one flippin’ pig’s ass of a chance that the minister was going to find a way back to Cypress Settlement. In this traffic? Yeah, no. But if Kane wanted to try, I could spare five minutes to say I do. Even if my gorgeous dress was back in town. I suppressed a sigh and stared out the window.
Kane did what he could, but our minister didn’t even seem to remember us at all. Clearly someone had hit him a little too hard with a memory spell. As it was, we probably were going to need to find a new one altogether. When Kane ended the call, he shook his head. “Looks like today really isn’t the day.”
I ran a hand through his gorgeous dark hair and whispered, “I already belong to you.”
His slow smile sent tingles to all the right places. We flirted and teased each other for the rest of the trip, and when we finally pulled into the long driveway of the house, I was almost relaxed. But then I saw remnants of the wedding, and pressure filled my chest, making it hard to breathe. All the planning. All the angst to get it done before Kane’s parents left town, and now this. Goddess, my life was a clusterfuck sometimes. At least Kane was in it with me this time.
“Kane! There you are.” His mother stumbled off the porch. The massive amount of beads wrapped around her neck actually made her look as if she might topple over at any minute. Or maybe that was due to the hurricanes. No doubt the half-full glass in her hand wasn’t the first. “You missed Mardi Gras! The parades have already gone by. Where have you been?”
He gave her an indulgent smile. “We had some business to take care of. Looks like you had a great time, though.”
She laughed and leaned in, placing her hand on his chest. “I’m so glad I wore an easy-access bodice, if you know what I mean.”
Kane’s jaw tightened, and I was torn between laughing and vomiting. Judging by her massive haul, she must’ve flashed her ass off, so to speak. “Mother,” Kane said and sighed. “That’s way too much information.”
She giggled. “Oh, Kane. I’m not dead yet.”
“Shelia!” his dad called from the porch. “Put that drink down and get your ass in here.”
I raised surprised eyebrows at Kane. Did he always talk to her like that? I’d drink a lot, too.
“And make sure you keep your damn shirt on. The neighbors are complaining.”
Apparently Mardi Gras in Cypress Settlement wasn’t nearly th
e freak show it was in the French Quarter. There had probably been tons of kids. Ugh. We were going to be the talk of the town.
Kane shook his head and tugged me past both of his parents, disgust rippling off him. “Ignore them.”
“Where are you going?” his dad called after us.
Kane quickened his pace, humiliation and pure frustration slipping from his hand to mine.
“Don’t let them get to you,” I said. “They’ll be gone soon, back to wherever they go.” His parents had spent the majority of his life traveling abroad, only sweeping into town when it was convenient for them. He’d been raised mostly by his mamaw. I wished with all my heart I could’ve met her. She sounded like an amazingly strong woman. Unfortunately, he’d lost her a few years back.
“That day can’t come soon enough,” he said.
I glanced at him, surprised by his clipped tone. Up until now he’d been mostly tolerant of their self-centered behavior. “Are you all right?”
He closed his eyes for a moment as if trying to get a hold of himself. “Yeah. They just annoy the shit out of me sometimes.”
I squeezed his fingers, letting him know I understood. My family had issues of its own. We passed through the ballroom, and after one glance at all the lights and fresh flowers, I averted my gaze and stared at the floor. The house was still weddingized. Being slapped in the face with it was too much.
Relief consumed me as we slipped into the kitchen, until the trays of food assaulted my senses. Crab cakes, stuffed mushrooms, herb-and-cheese–filled turnovers. Lailah, Pyper, Kat, and Aunt Gwen stared at us from the table, their plates half empty. I waved and grabbed a plate. Once it was overflowing, I sat between Lailah and Kat. Kane followed my lead, filling his plate, but stood leaning against a counter.
“Jade?” Aunt Gwen asked.
I glanced at her and tears threatened to spring forth. Her curly gray hair had been slightly straightened into a sophisticated wave, and she was dressed in a chic pantsuit. I’d never really seen her in anything other than blue jeans or coveralls. “Gwen, you look so lovely,” I said unable to hold back the tears.
“Ahh, sweet girl, don’t cry.” She got up and pulled me into a hug. “It will be okay. The suit isn’t going anywhere. You’ll see me dressed up for the next round.”
I blubbered out a laugh. “That’s one good thing that came out of this, I guess.”
She wiped my tears away and gave me a kiss on my cheek. “It’ll be all right. I promise.”
I eyed her, wondering as I always did if she’d had a vision. But I didn’t ask. She wouldn’t tell me anyway.
Kat got up and poured a couple glasses of iced tea. When she returned, she set one in front of me. “We’ve been worried,” she said quietly.
“Yeah, I was ready to kick some serious angel ass for what they did today of all days,” Pyper added. “It’s a damn good thing they live in another realm or your mom might have beat me to it.”
“Really?” I glanced around. “Where is she?”
“Upstairs.” Gwen squeezed my hand. “She’s working out her frustration by mixing some potions.”
Alarm raced through me. “That doesn’t sound like a good plan.”
“Better that than formally summoning Chessandra and your dad,” Gwen said.
“Can she do that?” I glanced around at everyone. My gaze landed on Lailah.
She shrugged. “If she gets the help of another angel. Meri would do it probably.”
Meri was one of my mom’s best friends and the one I’d shared my soul with at one point. It could be argued I’d saved her from demonism. It was likely Meri would help Mom do just about anything she asked. “Then I guess it’s better she’s playing mad scientist instead.”
Mom was an earth witch and could make some interesting potions. Most were harmless, but not all. Especially the ones she made when she was pissed. Still, it was better than pissing off the high angel.
“All right. Enough chitchat,” Pyper said, always the blunt one of the group. “We’re dying here. Tell us what the hell happened.”
I met Kane’s eyes and noticed the easing of the tension in his face. It was doing him good to be around our friends. Waving him over, I nodded to an empty chair beside Pyper, his best friend. He needed this just as much as I did.
Once he was settled, I proceeded to explain everything that had happened since we’d been so rudely whisked away.
“The veil to Hell has been closed?” Lailah asked with wide eyes.
I nodded. “It appears so.”
She stood and started pacing, her long honey-blond hair flowing behind her. “But how? I’ve never even heard of anyone coming close before. It’s…well, impossible. I mean, the idea that angels can’t fall anymore. I can’t even… I just… Whoa.”
Pyper and Gwen both chimed in with questions asking if demons could still cross, if witches could be taken. Was there still a need for soul guardians? Was black magic still accessible? Lailah didn’t have the answers but was on her feet, ready to search for them, when Kat held her hand up.
“Hold on.” Kat stood, demanding their attention. “I get that the closing of the veil is a big deal, but Jade said a young woman is trapped in some odd dimension. Isn’t that more important right now?”
I sent my friend a grateful smile. Leave it to Kat to steer the conversation back to what was most important. Lailah’s reaction was expected, but we had to focus on Mati now. “Can you call Chessandra?” I asked Lailah.
“Huh?” Her head jerked up, her expression still filled with wonder. “Oh, sure. But I can’t believe she didn’t give you a way to get to her directly.”
I held my hands up. “She was more than a little distracted.”
“I guess so.” Lailah stood and moved to the middle of the kitchen. She raised her hands and without a word, a beam of pure white light filled our kitchen. The light twisted in on itself and then morphed into a translucent form of the high angel.
“Did you find her?” Chessa demanded.
“Yes.”
A whoosh of breath rushed from Chessandra, and if she’d been in solid form, she might have lost her footing. “Thank the Goddess.” She glanced around and her relieved expression vanished just as quickly. “Where is she?”
“In another dimension. I couldn’t get her out. But I think she’s relatively safe…for now.”
Chessandra’s eyes turned crimson once more. Then she pierced Lailah with her terrifying gaze. “Do what you have to in order to get her home safe.”
Lailah stood tall and nodded, accepting her orders with grace. “Yes, your highness.”
The high angel turned back to me and Kane. “Keep me updated.” The light vanished, taking her with it.
“That was creepy,” Pyper said.
We all turned and stared at her.
“What? It totally was. I mean, she had devil eyes. Right?”
Kane chuckled and covered her small hand with his. “Definitely.”
I glanced at Lailah. Our eyes met and there was worry in her blue gaze. “Any ideas on where to start?” I asked.
She bent her head and pressed a hand to her forehead, thinking. “We need to know who her soul guardian is. He or she will have the closest connection to her soul. The guardian might be able to help her cross back over.”
I frowned. “Then why didn’t Chessandra start there?”
Lailah shook her head. “No idea. But didn’t she say angels are shut out? Maybe that’s why. I still want to find him or her. At the very least we might gain some knowledge about what Mati was up to and maybe find a way to reverse the spell if we have to in order to bring her home.”
“That sounds like a solid plan. Still, we should start working on a spell to see if we can pull her out together.” With the coven’s combined energy, we might be able to make it happen. I glanced around the kitchen and frown
ed. “Where’s Bea?”
“She left a while ago.” Kat pushed a mushroom around on her plate. “I’m pretty sure she was planning to set some protection spells for you two.”
“Really?”
“I think she’s feeling somewhat helpless,” Lailah added. “She can’t help you when you slip into the shadows. She’s your mentor. It’s hard to let go.”
My heart swelled with the knowledge Bea was still doing what she could. “But that was before we realized Matisse isn’t in the shadows. It looks like we need to get on the road to the Garden District,” I said to Kane.
“You’re kidding, right?” Pyper scoffed.
“No. Why?”
“Hello.” She waved a hand in front of my face. “Mardi Gras. The parades are headed down the Avenue. You’ll never get through.”
“She’s right, love,” Kane said as he got up and moved to stand behind me. The solid weight of his hands rested on my shoulders.
“Ugh.” How could I forget? “Now what?”
Lailah held a finger up and pulled out her phone. “I can’t imagine she went home anyway. I’ll find out where she is.” She got up and slipped into the other room.
“There you are,” my mom said as she strode into the kitchen. She stopped and placed her balled hands on her hips. “What happened?”
“Drake,” I said by way of answer.
She scowled. “That son of a bitch.” Then she eyed me and her stance relaxed. “I’m so sorry, Jade. What a crappy thing to have happen today.” Her high heels clattered on the tile as she strode over to me and squeezed my fingers. “Don’t worry about a thing, shortcake. I’ll take care of rescheduling this shindig.”
Mom and I had our share of issues, but we were working on them. The fact that she was more concerned about my wedding being interrupted than the actual cause made me chuckle. Nothing was going to get in the way of her seeing her little girl walk down the aisle. “I love you, Mom.”
“I love you, too, baby. Now tell me what that prick did this time.” The fierceness in her voice, combined with the determination sparking from her, had me wondering if she was going to hunt him down and kick his ass. She probably would if she could get to him. I made a mental note to warn Meri in case Mom called in that favor.
