by Deanna Chase
Hadn’t I seen daisies at Dayla’s house?
I shook my head. None of that was important. I needed to talk to Kane. I waved my fingers at Derke. “Thanks. We’ve got it from here.”
He glanced once at Kane. “You sure you want to do this, man? Women can really fuck with your head when you need to make these kinds of decisions.”
Kane frowned and shook his head in irritation. “I’m fine. I’ll be ready in ten minutes.”
A breath I hadn’t known I’d been holding came out in a soft sigh.
As soon as the door clicked shut, Kane pulled me into his arms and hugged me tight. “I’m so sorry, Jade. This isn’t what I asked for, but since I’ve been exposed to what demons can do to innocents, I can’t walk away. I hope you can understand.”
“I suppose I do,” I said on the verge of tears, only this time they were in relief. He was himself. He wasn’t zombified anymore. He was a man making a decision he had to make. I could live with that. “I was scared for you.”
He pulled back and caressed my shoulders. “I’ll be fine. Listen, we can’t waste any time. I haven’t forgotten about Matisse. And Dayla was right. The only way I’m going to find out about this Vaughn guy is by becoming one of them. When I was in that trance, their history flashed through my mind. They’re a persecuted race. It’s not pretty. But that’s why they keep who they are secret.”
I nodded solemnly and clutched at his T-shirt. “Okay. But what am I supposed to do? I can’t just leave you here.”
“You can. It’s safe enough in this house. I’ll come to you tonight and let you know what I find out. Then we can go from there.”
I clung to him, reluctant to let go. A knock sounded on the door. Kane slipped from my grasp and went to open it.
Maximus stood in the doorway. “Everything all right?”
“It’s fine. Jade and I were discussing this change of plans. I’m sure you understand. Today was supposed to be our wedding day, not the day I turned into a demon hunter.”
Maximus nodded. “Yes, I do understand. My sincerest apologies your plans were interrupted.”
“Thank you,” I said with more sarcasm than I intended. It wasn’t his fault any of this had happened. But I still didn’t like that they’d put Kane in a weird trance that had convinced him he needed to do this. Any man with decent character wouldn’t turn his back on such a terrible injustice.
I gave Kane one more hug, holding on as if it were the last time I’d see him.
He whispered in my ear, “I’ll see you in a few hours, love.”
Standing on my tiptoes, I kissed his cheek, then sprang loose and headed for the door. If I didn’t make a clean break, I’d never leave.
Maximus cleared his throat. “Ms. Calhoun, I believe we have some more business to attend to.”
I turned and placed my hands on my hips. “Your meeting with Dayla?”
He inclined his head. “Yes.”
“After we find her niece. That’s when I’ll see her again. That will be your chance.”
“Her niece is the one missing?”
This time worry spilled from him, which surprised me. So far he’d been really good at keeping his emotions contained. “Yes. Matisse. That’s why we went to see Dayla.”
“Matisse is the one trapped between worlds?” The genuine shock on his face was interesting. He’d known someone was trapped but hadn’t known who. Did he know about Matisse’s connection to Vaughn? I couldn’t tell. But maybe this was a good thing. If he was emotionally invested, maybe he’d help.
I nodded. “She’s the one trapped. It’s my job to get her home safe before she wastes away.”
He ran a hand through his hair, glanced once at Kane and then back to me. “If there is any way I can be of service, please let me know.”
“We will,” Kane said but didn’t elaborate.
I sent him a questioning glance. He shook his head ever so slightly. No. He didn’t want me to say anything about Vaughn. Okay. I turned my attention to Maximus. “When can I see my fiancé again?”
He shrugged. “A few days. Maybe a week. It depends on what comes up.”
I clenched my teeth to keep from saying anything I’d regret. A week? He was out of his mind. I sent Kane one last glance, trying to memorize his stoic expression. I hadn’t seen him like this before. Everything about him appeared amplified. His looks, his determination, his compassion. I memorized the sincerity shining back at me in his eyes and then bolted for the door.
When I was halfway down the hall, Maximus caught up with me and touched my elbow.
I stopped mid-step and barked, “What?”
“He’ll be safe here, you know.” His voice was tender, meant to calm me.
“For now.”
“Yes, but we’ll give him the tools he needs not only to survive but to thrive.”
“If you say so.” I wasn’t interested in any of this. All I wanted to do was leave, to crawl into our bed back at the French Quarter house and wait for Kane to find me.
“Trust me.” There was sincerity spilling from him, but it wasn’t that I didn’t trust him. It was the life. What would be expected of Kane now that he’d sworn with a blood oath? It appeared to me that he was a part of this for the rest of his life. One couldn’t just break a blood bond.
“I need to go,” I said.
“Of course. I’ll escort you out.”
Neither of us said anything more as we walked through the massive house. When we got outside, I swore. “Dammit. I have no way to get home.”
Maximus squinted into the night and cocked his head toward the sounds of Mardi Gras still filling the streets. “It’s going to be hard to get a cab.”
“Never mind.” I waved an impatient hand. “I’ve got somewhere I can go.”
“You’re sure?”
“Yes.” I took off down the walk, trying to acclimate myself to my surroundings. If I could find Magazine Street, I’d know where I was.
“Ms. Calhoun?” Maximus called.
I stopped and glanced back. “Yes?”
“Don’t forget. I still want to meet the ex-demon. I think she could be really useful to our cause.”
“I’ll ask her, but no promises.” And without waiting for his response, I took off down the street.
Chapter 13
Luckily the Garden District wasn’t really that big a neighborhood, and in no time at all, I had my bearings. In less than ten minutes, I was standing on Bea’s front step, grateful for the light shining through the front window. She was home, and I wouldn’t be stuck penniless trying to find a way back to the French Quarter.
I knocked twice and waited. What a shit day. I was actually looking forward to taking one of Bea’s calming herbs and curling up on her sunflower-print couch. It was a far cry from my original plans, but when in Rome…
The door swung open and my bad mood lifted.
“Jade?” my best friend Kat cried, throwing her arms around me. “What are you doing here? Where’s Kane?”
Her red curls tickled my nose, and I pulled back, trying not to sneeze. “Can we go inside? There’s a lot to tell.”
“Sure.” She backed up into the small carriage house. Lucien was inside, sitting on Bea’s loveseat. I gave my second-in-command a halfhearted wave. Well, he’d once been my second. Currently both of us were benched from the coven. Lucien until we figured out his black heart curse, and me until I got back from my honeymoon. I sighed. Maybe it was time to take over again anyway.
I scanned the room and the adjoining kitchen. “Where’s Bea?”
“Working,” Lucien said and stood. “So is everyone else as near as we can tell. Lailah is at the shop with Bea. Pyper went to work the club. Ian is assisting her.”
I raised my eyebrows. “And you’re both here because…?”
Kat chuckled. “Bea of
fered the house so we could ‘do’ Mardi Gras without being forced to deal with the Quarter.”
“That was nice of her.” I sat down on the couch, kicked off my shoes, and rested my feet on Bea’s coffee table. “But that doesn’t explain why you’re here and not watching the parades.”
“We came back for dinner. Then we were planning on going out again, but after a while we got to talking and…” A blush crept over Kat’s face as she glanced at Lucien.
“And?” I asked with a warning tone. Lucien was in love with her and he was tainted with a black heart curse. Even though Bea had in effect disabled his magic, the spell wasn’t foolproof. Witch power could be very unpredictable. If he managed to do any bit of magic around her or lost control in any way, she could be compromised again. A few weeks ago she’d almost died. We were lucky—with Bea’s help, I’d been able to bring her back, but it had been damned difficult. If it happened again…I didn’t even want to think about it.
“Oh, Jade.” Kat waved a hand. “A little kissing isn’t going to hurt anyone.”
I stepped back and glanced between them. Kat’s button-down shirt was misaligned, leaving one side longer than the other. Her red curls were mussed as if someone had been running his hands through them, and there wasn’t a speck of lipstick on her lips, despite the fact that she never went anywhere without it. Lucien’s shirt was wrinkled, his shoes were off, and he had smeared lipstick on his jaw. “Just a little kissing, eh? Looks like I walked in on a serious make-out session.”
“Jade—” Lucien started.
I held up a hand. “Stop. You’re both adults. I can’t make you stay away from each other, no matter how much I want to.” I felt the tension drain from my face. “I love you both. I just want you to be safe. And I’m not talking about contraception, either.”
Kat laughed.
I gave her a weak smile. “We just don’t know what other harm the black heart curse can cause.”
Lucien stood. “I should go.”
“What? No.” Kat moved to his side and took his hand in hers. “You have to stay.”
He gave her a pained look. “Jade’s right. You could get hurt and we’re… Well, letting things get out of control.”
Irritation shot from Kat and brushed against me as it flew around the room. “Your magic has been neutralized. Bea did it herself. So unless anyone thinks you still have access to your power, I think we’re just fine. And quite frankly, I’m getting sick of everyone else deciding what I should and shouldn’t do. So, no. As much as I love Jade, she doesn’t have a say over what I do. Or you either.”
Lucien stared at her, open mouthed. I coughed to hide a chuckle. Kat and I had been best friends since we were fifteen. I’d seen her temper in action numerous times. But Lucien hadn’t. In her adult life, she was pretty reasonable and it took a lot to get her worked up. But when she did, whoa, watch out.
“Kat.” Lucien rubbed his jaw thoughtfully. “The thing is, even though Bea neutralized my magic, that doesn’t mean it’s gone. I want to think nothing bad can happen because, well, dammit. I want you.” He continued to stare at her while her blush deepened.
“I’ll be in the kitchen,” I said and took a step backward, not wanting to be in the middle of this conversation. The place was so small, though, I’d still hear every word they said. At least I wouldn’t be right in the middle of it.
“Lucien,” Kat said softly. “I want you, too.”
“But I don’t want to hurt you.” He reached over and tucked a stray curl behind her ear. “Jade’s right. If something goes wrong with Bea’s spell, my magic will be right there again. Plus we don’t even know what the black curse is doing to me. If I lose control around you, the consequences could be devastating.”
Their situation was heartbreaking. The curse was only a problem for the one Lucien loved—Kat. And I was supposed to be helping Lucien figure out how to reverse it. That had been first on the list for when Kane and I got back from Italy. Now here I was in the middle of something else.
I pressed my head against the cool refrigerator, trying to calm the ache above my eyes. I didn’t know yet how to help Matisse and I sure as hell didn’t know how to help two of the people I loved most. What was the point in being a white witch if I didn’t know anything?
“Jade?” Kat called.
“Yeah.”
“Can you come in here?”
“Sure.” I opened the fridge and pulled out a diet soda before joining the lovebirds back in the cheery yellow living room.
Kat sat on the couch, and Lucien was in one of the chairs across from her.
I sat next to Kat and twisted the cap on my soda. “What’s up?”
“We could really use something else to focus on right now.” She glanced down at her clutched hands. “Do you think you could tell us what happened after you left Summer House?”
“You sure you want to talk about that right now?” I glanced at Lucien. His jaw was set at a stubborn slant.
Kat took a deep breath. “Yes. We seem to have come to an impasse on the previous topic of discussion.” Her words came out clipped, the bit of irritation aimed at Lucien.
I took a moment to study him and then sent a tiny energy probe in his direction. Regret. Sadness. But there was also joy. Probably from just being in the same room as Kat. A small crack formed in my heart for him. I leaned into Kat and whispered, “Give him a break, maybe? This is hard for both of you.”
She whipped her head around, ready to blast me, but then she took a good look at me and stopped. “You’re exhausted.”
“It’s been a day,” I said, slumping against the cushions.
She clamped her mouth shut and took my hand. Her worry touched me.
I squeezed her fingers. “I’m okay. I think.”
“What happened?” Lucien leaned forward, his green eyes locked on mine.
I took a sip of my soda and started with the meeting with Dayla and Fiona. Then I talked about Kane’s transformation to an incubus/demon hunter and how he needed my power to stay strong.
“Oh my God, Jade.” Kat stared at me in horror.
“Incubus?” Lucien said.
“Yeah.” I closed my eyes, knowing I sounded insane.
“They’re pretty rare,” he said.
My eyes popped open. “You knew they existed?”
He nodded. “Well, sure. A lot of supernatural beings exist. But we’re unlikely to come in contact with most of them during our lifetimes.”
I sat up and placed my feet on the floor. “Do you know any incubi?”
He shook his head. “No. But I had a friend whose stepbrother was called.”
I didn’t know why, but I had a feeling that what he was telling me might be significant. “What do you mean called?”
“You know. To the demon hunters.”
My eyebrows shot up. “You knew about demon hunters?”
He shrugged. “Sort of. I heard about them from Chez, and outside of his brother, Wren, I’ve never met any of them. And I knew Wren only before he joined. Like you said, they’re really secretive. I’m not even sure Bea knows any of the demon hunters.”
I found that hard to believe, considering their headquarters was just blocks away. I’d suspected they’d had some sort of agreement. But then, wouldn’t Bea have called on them for help when we’d had issues with Meri? It didn’t quite make sense. Maybe she wasn’t involved with them.
“Anyway,” I plucked at my jeans. “We need to find this Vaughn guy. That’s Kane’s mission while he’s with the demon hunters.”
Kat tilted her head. “But didn’t you say he wanted to be one of them? Did he mean, like, permanently?”
I shook my head. “I have no idea. And he has no hope of losing the incubus curse until we free Matisse anyway. So that’s my focus. We’ll take everything else one day at a time.”
The
three of us fell silent. After a few minutes, Kat got up.
“Where are you going?” I asked.
“To make you a sandwich, then after that I think it’s time to go home.”
Home. My eyes stung with tears of sheer exhaustion. What I wouldn’t give to be tucked away in the bed I shared with Kane. At least then I’d have his familiar fresh-rain scent.
“Um, you think we’re going to be able to get into the French Quarter?” Lucien asked.
“Not all of the streets are blocked off,” Kat said testily.
“No, but that last parade is going to run until at least midnight or one a.m., and the party on Bourbon Street isn’t going to wind down until the wee hours of the morning. I’m just trying to decide what might be the most practical solution.”
“Summer House?” I said hopefully. Mom and Gwen were there. Of course, so were Kane’s parents. That thought took the wind out of the idea. But if I went straight to bed, I wouldn’t have to deal with Hurricane Shelia. Probably. Hopefully.
“Oh, Jade. You don’t really want to drive all the way out there tonight, do you?” Kat said.
“All the way? It’s only thirty minutes.”
“Once we get on the freeway. And think of the drunk drivers. I’m just concerned, that’s all.”
“Well. Both of our places are out.” She lived in the French Quarter as well. “So unless we go to Lucien’s, we’re pretty much out of options.”
Kat glanced at him with one eyebrow raised in question.
“That’s fine, but I only have one bed,” Lucien said.
I’d crashed at Lucien’s house once before. He lived in a meticulously decorated single shotgun house. It was plenty big for one or two people who shared a bed, but add in visitors and things tended to get tight really fast.
