by Deanna Chase
“Jade?” Hope rang clear in her tired voice. “You’re here?” Then her tone shifted to panic. “We have to get out of here. He’s evil. He’s the one who cursed Lucien.”
“She knows,” Mitch said lightly, clearly amused by her distress. “But I might take issue with being called evil.”
Kat flinched and lifted her head to get a good look at him. Steel shone in her determined eyes. “Does ‘evil bastard’ work for you?”
His amusement faded and he looked like he wanted to slam a fist into something. Maybe Kat herself. He turned to me. “Keep her in line or she’ll be dead a lot faster.”
Pure hatred. There was no other way to describe what I was feeling right then. “If you touch her again, even breathe on her, your life is over, got it?”
“I doubt that, white witch.”
“Try me.” My voice vibrated with rage.
In answer, he raised his hand and pointed at me. With one swipe to the left, pain exploded through my side and I crumpled to the ground once more. He hadn’t even touched me. I writhed silently and focused on shutting out the pain. I could get through this. I just had to stay conscious long enough to wait for my opening.
The front door opened and crashed into the wall. Sunlight poured into the dark house, blinding me. On instinct my emotional radar went off, alerting me to two people. One of them was Lucien.
I jerked my head up, praying he’d brought the cavalry, that he was here to bust us out. But when my eyes focused on him, all hope fled. His hands were in zip ties just as mine were, but his feet were bound as well. He was also gagged.
“Where do you want him?” the new guy asked. His tone was measured as if he were still assessing the situation. Then his eyes landed on me. “What the hell, Mitch? Why do you have a white witch bound like that?”
“You can tell what I am?”
“It’s a gift of mine.” The tall man kneeled in front of me. He appeared to be in his early twenties, hooded dark eyes, kind of mysterious looking. Very attractive. Well, he would’ve been if he hadn’t just brought Lucien in, all trussed up and ready for Mitch. “Why are you here?”
Mitch scoffed. “She’s here because she broke into my house.”
The man stood. “What did she want?”
“I’m guessing she was searching for him.” Mitch pointed to Lucien. “I bet she thought he was already here.”
Lucien? I would have, but no, I was here for Kat and for some reason, Mitch had lied. “I came for—”
Mitch waved his hand again, his magic punching me in the stomach. My breath left me, rendering me momentarily speechless. “She’s being difficult.” Mitch eyed the man. “How did she know you were bringing the witch? Did you tell anyone you were working for me?”
He cast Mitch a bored expression. “I don’t tell anyone about my work.” He glanced at me once more and then frowned. “You know she’s the coven leader, right?”
“No, she isn’t. The old lady is. But I’ve got this covered. You can go now.”
The young man held out his hand. “Payment.”
Mitch scowled. “Fuckin’ A. You know I’m good for it.”
“Payment on delivery. Those were the terms. If you ever expect to use my services again, you’ll make good on the deal.”
Mitch reluctantly pulled a wad of money from his front pocket and handed a stack of hundreds to the man, who must be a bounty hunter.
“It’s good doing business with you.” The bounty hunter shoved the bills into his back pocket and turned toward the door.
Clearly he wasn’t a key player in this operation. And if he was only a bounty hunter, he might not have any idea what was really going on here. He’d been asked to bring in a witch who was cursed with black magic. If he didn’t know Lucien and just searched his magical signature, it certainly would look like he’d been engaging in some evil dealings. And he’d been told I’d broken into the house. Which was true, but the bounty hunter didn’t know why.
“Hey!” I cried out, finding my voice. “None of this is what you think. Mitch kidna— Oomph.” A boot slammed into my rib, and my vision filled with white spots.
“Shut up,” Mitch said. “Lying bitch. She can’t seem to separate fact from fiction.” His voice was cool, dispassionate, as if today was just another day. “We’ve got it from here.”
The bounty hunter glanced at me, then Lucien, and then Kat. His gaze lingered on her, but the fact that she was beaten and lying on the floor didn’t seem to have an effect on him. After a moment, he stepped back toward the door and said, “You know where to find me.”
The soft click of the door made me whimper. Would that be our last chance at help?
“Landon, get your ass in here.” Mitch moved over to Lucien and stared down at him with a scowl on his face. “Such a fucking idiot. I knew when your girlfriend started pumping me for information about my brother and motorcycles it was really about Vaughn. It always is. So I went ahead and gave her the information she wanted, hoping you’d show up there and make his job easier when I called in the order. I never dreamed you’d show up today. I just paid full price for a fucking job that took him less than two hours.”
Lucien glared at him, unable to speak. The hatred streaming from him sent a ripple of fear down my spine. If Lucien ever got free, we were going to have a black magic bloodbath on our hands.
“Here’s how it’s going to work,” Mitch continued. “You’re going to spell that little hottie over there again, and we’re going to see if this one—” he pointed to me “—can reverse it again. Oh yeah, I heard about that. Don’t think I haven’t been watching you all these years, Boulard. I was watching to see when you’d break and corrupt her again, but imagine my surprise when the three of you came looking for me.”
He shook his head. “How could I pass up such a golden opportunity to see my spell come to fruition once again? And now we’re going to see what went wrong a few weeks ago. No one should be able to break that curse once it’s set in motion.” He shifted his attention to me. “No one. Got that, bitch? Today we’re going to find out exactly what makes you so goddamned special.”
Holy…oh my God. This guy was certifiable. He’d been watching us? Had been waiting for the time when Lucien would lose control again to see Kat die? And then when we’d come looking for him, he’d made a snap decision right then and there to kidnap Kat and put a bounty hunter after Lucien. Had I been part of the plan as well? Or did he just decide to study me because I’d broken in, looking for Kat? Probably the latter. He didn’t seem to be terribly organized.
He strode over to the door and locked it, then a bolt of magic hit the doorknob and it started to glow. “Try to touch it and you’ll lose your hand.” He disappeared back into the depths of the house.
I gritted my teeth against the back pain and forced myself to my feet again. “Lucien,” I said softly as I shuffled toward him. There wasn’t much I could do about his zip ties, but I could do something about the gag. It took me a minute, due to my bound wrists, but I was able to loosen the knot enough to pull the fabric down.
“How’s Kat?” he asked, twisting to stare at her crumpled form.
“I’m okay,” she said faintly.
I shook my head. She was far from okay. But there wasn’t a lot either of us could do about it at the moment.
Hobbled by his ankle restraints, Lucien took short steps in Kat’s direction. But before he could get to her side, Mitch reappeared. “Stop right there, Boulard.”
Lucien froze and glared at Mitch. “Let her go,” he demanded.
“I don’t think so. You’re about to find out what it’s like to lose the one you love. Again.” Mitch’s eyes turned pure black, as the black magic that had coated his skin at the defunct amusement park reappeared.
My vision shifted, and the darkness tainting Lucien’s soul intensified. I was working in a constant state of terr
or now. If we didn’t get Lucien out of here soon, he’d be lost. The black heart curse was going to affect the rest of his being. Lucien straightened. If he’d had use of his hands, I was certain Mitch would have been a dead man.
“Do it, Boulard. Cast a spell. Let’s see what happens,” Mitch taunted.
I could feel Lucien’s black magic building. It snaked over my skin, burning with anger and despair. That was when it hit me. Bea had neutralized the coven magic, but the blackness caused by the curse had always been there. If he used magic now, he’d be lost to the other side. He’d be consumed by the darkness. We’d lose him.
“Lucien, no!” I cried. “It’s all black magic you’re wielding now. Don’t let him break you.”
My friend turned to me, his pained expression making my heart bang against my breastbone. “What does it matter? If we do nothing, Kat will be lost. I’d rather blow him to smithereens and compromise myself than see her hurt for one more minute.”
“She doesn’t want this,” I pleaded. “If we lose you to this, she’ll never forgive herself.”
“And if I lose her, I’m lost anyway.” The magic kicked up around him, spreading through the room like a storm cloud. He focused on Mitch and started an incantation in Latin. I didn’t recognize it, but if it was black magic, I wouldn’t.
“That’s it,” Mitch coaxed. “Take it all in. Show me what you’ve got.”
In my horror, I hadn’t noticed Mitch building his own magic. It was subtle, and if I hadn’t caught the faint glow around his fingertips, I’d have never known. I didn’t know what spell he was building, but he was clearly waiting for Lucien to cast his first. A deflection spell maybe? Whatever it was, it was sure to be too horrible for words. The glee dancing in his eyes told me everything I needed to know.
I took two painful steps and shifted so I was between Lucien and Mitch. “Lucien,” I said in my calmest voice possible. “You don’t want to do this. Trust me. This is exactly what he wants.”
Lucien scowled and glanced away from me, his magic still building.
“Think of all the love you have for Kat,” I continued, panting from trying to stay upright.
“Yeah,” Mitch added with a sneer. “Think of how much you’ll hate me when she’s dead. Think of Rissa and how young she was when she died. All because you loved her.”
I couldn’t stop my own magic from rushing to the surface. And Goddess above, I wanted to unleash it on that asshole. Wanted to call on a portal and send his ass to Hell. Only the veil was closed and my body was too crippled by whatever spell he’d hit me with to do anything.
Was there any way to use my magic to counteract it? I was willing to try no matter how excruciating it was, but I had to make sure Lucien didn’t turn Vader on me. “Lucien,” I said carefully. “He won’t get away with this. Do not listen to his bullshit. Listen to me. Your coven leader.”
The black magic stopped growing around him. It didn’t dissipate, but the cloud turned stagnant. He let out a long, frustrated breath and the magic fled.
I stepped forward and held my hands out to him. He was reaching for me when the house started to rattle around us. I shuffled forward, grasping onto Lucien, and huddled against him. The floors rolled and the lights flickered on, then off, and settled on a dim glow.
“What the hell was that?” I asked no one in particular.
Out of nowhere a loud boom crackled through the house. Lucien and I both ducked and crouched near the floor. When I looked up, three hooded figures hovered over us.
They looked exactly like the one we’d encountered at the amusement park.
Demons! Terror rolled through me. We’d never survive this.
Chapter 21
“You’re late.” Mitch scowled at the demons.
One of them turned to Mitch, his red eyes glowing. “We don’t work for you, witch. We’re here for him.” The demon pointed at Lucien.
I instinctively shifted so I was blocking Lucien. “You’re not taking him.”
“Step aside, white witch.” The other two demons lowered their hoods. They all had the bright, fiery eyes of a demon, and I was struck by the fact that Chessandra’s eyes had looked exactly the same when she’d been talking about Matisse. The difference between angel and demon was very small.
One of them jerked his head toward the back of the house. He took a long sniff and his eyes turned black for a moment. “Angel.”
Oh, son of a bitch. He knew Lailah was there. Fear for her exploded through me. If she was captured by the demons, it was only a matter of time before she fell. We were all incapacitated and surrounded by a black magic user and three demons. Plus I still had no idea what had happened to Bea. Life had never looked so grim. My resolve started to fade, and acceptance that I might not be able to pull us out of this set in. I had to try, though. I wouldn’t go down without a fight.
“Go,” Mitch told the demons. “She is an offering for your assistance in this matter.”
A look of deep satisfaction spread over the demon’s face, and without a word, he took off in search of the angel.
“No, dammit! What did Lailah ever do to you?” I raged at Mitch.
He shrugged. “Nothing.” He moved into the room toward Kat.
Lucien shuffled backward and stood over her protectively. “Stay away from her.”
Mitch shook his head the way one would at a petulant child. “I don’t want your bitch. I just want you to lay a simple spell on her.”
Kat pushed up on her knees and touched Lucien’s thigh. “Do what you have to,” she said with conviction in her voice. “Even if it means hurting me.”
I hurried to her side as fast as I could. Grasping her arm with both of my hands, I said, “No, Kat! We can fight this.”
“How?” she demanded. “Neither of you can fight him without dire consequences. He’ll use both of you to get what he wants. And in the end you’re going to hate yourselves for what you do to me. So don’t do anything. Let him hurt me. I’d rather that than let him use you against me.” Tears streamed down her face.
Lucien let out an audible groan and fell to his knees. He pulled her to his chest protectively. “Jade, we have to do something.”
The pain running between the two of them, combined with the unconditional love, made something inside me snap. I didn’t know what it was or where it came from, but my magic shot from the depths of my being like a meteor. Unbearable pain seized my entire body, but instead of collapsing, I rose a foot off the ground, my muscles taut and unyielding. It was as if my magic was keeping me glued together when Mitch’s spell was trying to tear me apart.
Power burst within me, traveling the familiar path to my fingertips. The two remaining demons gathered around me, their arms spread wide. Pain pulsed deep in my bones as the magic pressed and pulled at the same time, leaving me tied in knots. The pressure built, and I was certain I was going to snap in two. This was it. I was going to be taken down by a jealous asshole. Not even a demon. No, Mitch’s curse was doing this to me and while the war raged, I couldn’t even control my magic. It had a will of its own.
“Contain her,” Mitch demanded.
But the two demons didn’t do anything of the sort. They inched closer, held their hands out, and touched the magic wafting off me. Their faces lit up in sheer ecstasy. And then my body spasmed once more, but not in pain. The spell broke, and all the magic I’d built rushed from me straight into the demons.
They writhed with it, soaked it up, and latched their grubby demon hands on me, determined to steal every last precious drop.
Panic. Sheer terror. Remorse. It all soared through me, overwhelming me, crushing my spirit. But then Kane’s image filled my mind. His dark, expressive eyes gazed at me as they had yesterday when we’d lain in bed together, completely full of love. I felt the way his hand pressed to my lower back when we walked together. His soft, demanding lips on mi
ne. I heard his voice whispering our plans for the future, and I saw his profile as I watched him when he wasn’t looking.
All that love filled my heart and put me at peace. No regrets, I told myself.
“Stop!” Kat yelled, and I watched, completely helpless, as she tried to stagger to her feet.
“Kat, no!” I tried to scream over the roar in my ears. But the house was rumbling again, the walls shaking and the floor rolling. Someone or something was coming.
Lucien, I cried in my head, praying he would hear me. Use your magic. Do what you have to. Blast a hole in the wall of the house. Just get out. Both of you.
He turned his head and studied me.
Do it! Save yourselves. More demons are coming.
I swear I saw him give me a tiny nod, and magic built up around us. Black and white, it all mixed together, tainted and ugly. There was nothing pure or good about any of it. All I wanted was for Kat and Lucien to get out. I had no idea where Bea or Lailah were. But I knew the demons were taking everything I had and the three of us didn’t have a way to fight them.
The rumble intensified and all of a sudden the door burst open once more, but it wasn’t Vaughn. Four men barged in, daggers raised. Light shone from the familiar scrollwork on the handles. Shock and relief flooded me, even as I felt the last of my magic slip away from my control.
Kane. He was here with three other demon hunters.
The hold on me vanished. My body crumpled to the floor. The two demons hissed, and balls of black magic flew at the hunters. One flew straight at Kane. He lifted his dagger, and the magic flowed straight into the scroll symbols on the handle. Another of the hunters aimed his dagger at the demon, and a beam of light seared him in the abdomen. The demon doubled over and then dove to the side and rolled to his feet, coming up fighting.
“Jade?” Kat said, crawling toward me.
I focused on her, too weak to answer. My elation at seeing Kane had fled, and now I was just an empty shell of nothing. No magic. No energy. No strength.
