by Deanna Chase
“That seems… crazy. No offense,” she said.
I agreed, but what was I going to do about it?
“Never mind,” she said. “Let’s just get out of here and we’ll figure it out later.”
A moment later, I was clutching the white witch’s hand as magic swirled around her. This was it. I would be home in a matter of moments. Her magic brightened, almost blinding me. I clung to her hand, determined to cross over with her.
But as she took a step forward, it was as if there was an invisible wall. All I could do was watch as she slipped through it. The fog rushed in around me, trapping me once more in my gray prison.
Chapter 17
Vaughn
Boulard was unconscious for the entire ride over to Mitch’s house. At least I didn’t have to worry about him spelling me.
I waited outside Mitch’s house until the witch’s eyes fluttered open. He blinked and then shook his head as if to clear the cobwebs.
“Who are you?” he asked, his eyes bloodshot.
“Just a guy hired to do a job.” I got out of the SUV. Even though it was weird to bring a target directly to Mitch’s house, I dismissed the thought. If he wanted to question Boulard first, he was free to do so. I dragged the witch out of the passenger’s seat.
“Who hired you?” he demanded, straightening as the last of the drug wore off.
I said nothing and pushed him up the steps. I had no sympathy for black-magic users.
“You’re making a mistake. I’m a member of the New Orleans coven. When they find out about this—”
I kicked the door open and hauled him inside, expecting to find Mitch back at his computer as always. But instead what I found was a horror film in progress. Or what should have been a horror film.
Mitch was standing over a woman whose hands were bound. While she wasn’t actively building power, white light pulsed around her, indicating a powerful white witch. In contrast, black magic clung to Mitch. Holy fuck. What was he doing?
Another woman was sprawled on the floor, clearly in pain.
“Mitch? What’s going on?”
“None of your damned business. Leave Boulard and go.”
I’d never seen Mitch use dark magic before. And by the way he was glaring at me, I was certain he was too far gone to reason with. I glanced around, realizing if I didn’t do something, these people would likely die. I tamped down the rage consuming me and forced myself to keep my cool. Instinct told me if I challenged Mitch now, I’d be his next casualty with no way to help these people.
“Where do you want him?” I asked Mitch, glancing from the woman on the floor to the one at Mitch’s feet. I recognized her. Jade Calhoun. I’d made it my business to know who the most powerful witches in the city were. I couldn’t stop my next words. “What the hell, Mitch? Why do you have a white witch bound like that?”
“You can tell what I am?” she asked, her eyes wide and pleading.
“It’s a gift of mine,” I lied, kneeling in front of her. “Why are you here?”
Mitch scoffed. “She’s here because she broke into my house.”
She scowled up at him, pain contorting her face. How had he managed to neutralize her? And why was he wielding black magic as if it was second nature? Son of a bitch. This couldn’t be the first time he’d used black magic. He must have gone over the edge a long time ago.
Keeping my expression neutral, I stood. “What did she want?”
“She was looking for him.” Mitch pointed to Lucien. “I guess she thought he was already here.”
She lifted her head, shooting eye daggers at Mitch. “I came for—”
Mitch waved his hand, flinging a giant ball of magic. The witch gasped and curled into herself. He’d just gut-punched her with magic. Animal. I wanted to tear him apart. Would’ve too, if the three other people weren’t present. It was too dangerous for them. I knew I couldn’t beat him. But one solid punch would feel damn good.
Fuck. I’d never in my life wished I had supernatural abilities as much as I did right then. A voice whispered in my head. If you’d accepted your spot with the Brotherhood…
“She’s being difficult.” Mitch eyed me. “How did she know you were bringing the witch? Did you tell anyone you were working for me?”
I cast Mitch a bored expression, keeping up my act. “I don’t tell anyone about my work.” Glancing at the witch, I tried to keep the scowl off my face. Did he have any idea who she was? “You know she’s the coven leader, right?”
“No, she isn’t. The old lady took over again. But I’ve got this covered. You can go now.”
Every instinct told me Mitch had gone over the edge. He was dealing in some dark shit, and these hostages were paying the price. I continued to do everything I could to appear uncaring even though rage was burning through my veins. I had to if there was any chance of getting out of there and finding help. I held out my 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.” I didn’t want to test him, but on any other day I would. If I let it go now, he might get suspicious.
Mitch reluctantly pulled out a wad of money from his front pocket and handed a stack of hundreds to me. Now I knew he was fucking around with dark forces. It’s the only way he’d have that kind of cash. I pocketed the money and turned to leave, anxious to make a phone call or two.
“Hey!” the witch at Mitch’s feet called. “None of this is what you think. Mitch kidna—oomph.” Mitch planted his foot in her ribs, and I had to use every last bit of will to not rip his head off. I wanted to. I didn’t give a shit what happened to me. But Mitch’s hostages? He was already all too willing to torture them.
“Shut up,” he said. “Lying bitch. She can’t seem to separate fact from fiction.” Mitch’s voice was cool, dispassionate, as if today was just another day. “I’ve got it from here.”
I took one last look at the two women and then glanced at Boulard. If Mitch did anything to permanently hurt any of them while I was gone, I’d never forgive myself.
The door slammed behind me, and I broke out into a dead run. Once I was back at my SUV, I placed a call to Maximus. I hadn’t seen any demons, but Mitch’s eyes had flashed red. That was a sure sign he was dealing with them. I couldn’t take any chances.
“Vaughn.” Maximus answered on the first ring.
“You need to send a crew to Mitch’s house. He’s dealing in black magic. He’s got three people held captive.”
There was a pause on the other end. “That’s really a job for the Witches’ Council.”
I stifled the urge to growl at him. “I don’t think you understand. His eyes are flashing red and he has a white witch tied up. I could call the Council, but they have a history of running things by committee. This can’t wait for them to decide who to send. These people need action now.”
“A white witch?” His tone was deadly serious. “Jade Calhoun?”
“Yeah. Her and two of her friends.”
“I’ll have a crew there in ten minutes.”
Relief flooded me. “Faster, if possible.”
“Stay there. Keep an eye on the house. If anyone leaves the structure, call me back.”
“Got it.”
I tucked the phone in my pocket and sat there in my SUV, completely rigid as I watched the clock tick. By the time five minutes had gone by, I was ready to crawl out of my skin. Waiting and doing nothing was killing me.
When the clock hit eight minutes, four men wielding long daggers materialized out of thin air right in front of Mitch’s house. Without pausing, they burst inside. The battle seemed to last forever, but after ten minutes the house was quiet.
My phone rang. Maximus. “Hello,” I said.
“You were right. There were two demons. The crew has them under control.”
“Okay. Good.” I gripped the steering wheel. “And Mitch?”
“He got away. Ran out the back door. You should probably go before he sees you watching his house.”
“I can’t leave without apprehending him. What he did…” The images turned my stomach. “He’s out of control.”
“No doubt. But maybe you shouldn’t be the one to bring him in.”
I appreciated what he was saying. But why not me? To spare my parents? They’d be horrified if they knew what he was up to. And nothing would give me more satisfaction than bringing him down. After what he’d done today? Yeah. Nothing. Still, I told the old man what he wanted to hear. Mitch was gone anyway. I was confident I could find him. My best course of action was to lay low, put a trace on him, and be patient. If the demon hunters had gotten the demons, Mitch would be out of commission for a while. “Okay. Thanks for the help.”
“Thank you,” he said. “You know, you’d make one hell of a demon hunter.”
I wasn’t ready to admit it, but the idea no longer seemed as awful as it once had. If I’d been a hunter, I could’ve helped sooner. “I’ll be in touch.”
“I hope so.”
***
A few hours later, I got a message that the white witch wanted to meet with me. It was the least I could do after what I’d allowed to happen at my brother’s house. Aware that she was a high-profile witch and wanting to keep my new house as undercover as possible, I sent her to another address first as part of a diversionary tactic in case she was being followed.
An hour later, I was fresh from the shower when a knock sounded at my door. I pulled on clean jeans and headed to greet my guests.
The strawberry-blond witch stood with Boulard, a woman with curly red hair, and Beatrice Kelton, the longtime New Orleans coven leader. “Mr. Paxton?” Jade said. “I believe you were expecting us.”
I flashed her a smile. “Ms. Calhoun. It’s good to see you well. Our last meeting… uh, that was an unpleasant piece of business. I’m glad the Brotherhood was able to get the situation under control.”
Lucien scowled. “Under control? You’re the one who delivered me there.”
My smile vanished. He had every right to hate my guts. “My apologies to you, Mr. Boulard. I can assure you that as soon as I assessed the situation, I called in the Brotherhood.” I opened the door wider. “Please, come in where we can talk.”
Jade glanced around outside. “No offense, but you do realize we could be being watched, right? I mean anyone staking out your apartment could’ve just followed us. Your wild goose chase seems a little pointless.”
I laughed, loving her spunk. “They could’ve, but why would they? As far as they know, you came by my apartment, realized I wasn’t home, and left. Besides, there’s a spell on this house. Only those invited can see it. We’re all safe here. Don’t worry about it. Have a seat.”
I led them though my sparsely furnished house until we got to my couch and two club chairs.
Jade introduced me to her friend Kat, and Beatrice and I exchanged hellos. Then they turned their attention to Jade. She was clearly in charge.
“I’m here for two reasons,” she said. “They are both of equal importance, but one matter is more pressing.” She waved to Lucien. “He’s been spelled with a Black Heart curse. One person has already died. And now one of these two”—she indicated Lucien and Kat with a wave to each of them—“is next.”
“A Black Heart curse?” Narrowing my eyes, I studied Lucien. And deep in my gut, I knew Mitch was a part of whatever had happened to him. Mitch’s anger at not being able to question Sam’s attacker was making a lot more sense now. “I see.”
“We know who cursed him,” Jade said. “We need him in order to reverse it.”
I turned to meet her gaze. “And how can I help?”
“It’s your brother Mitch. We need you to help us find him.”
Nausea rolled through me. My brother was responsible for the awful curse. I’d thought he was involved, but hearing it from her lips made me want to vomit. I stood and paced the room. “You’re sure it was him?”
“I’m positive,” Lucien said. “We were acquaintances back then. He was there when it happened and today he admitted it to me.”
“Dammit.” I ran my hand through my hair, frustrated. This was going to kill my parents. “This is going to get messy.”
“I suspect it is.” Jade’s tone was low and full of compassion. But her next words were straight and to the point. “And since the Brotherhood didn’t take him down, I imagine he’s on the run or in a safe house until this blows over.”
I sat back down. “I can probably take you to him.” I’d already started my trace and had some leads.
Beatrice gave me a grim smile. “You’re sure about that? You’ll be signing your brother’s death warrant before long.”
I met her eyes with a cold, hard stare. “Ms. Kelton, I’m an undercover agent. It’s my job to take down those who make deals with the devil.”
She regarded me for a minute and then nodded. “Understood.”
Turning my attention to Jade, I asked, “What’s the second piece of business?”
“It’s Matisse.”
Mati? Was she hurt? Fear sliced through my chest as I sat up straighter. Had a demon come for her again?
“She’s trapped in a void world and we need you to help her cross back over.” Jade kept her penetrating stare on me.
She was in trouble. And her magic wasn’t one hundred percent. Shit! That was my fault. Self-loathing gripped me and wouldn’t let go. “Trapped?”
“Yes, and she’ll fade away into nothing if we don’t get her out soon.”
“And why do you need me?” I shouldn’t be anywhere near her. I’d broken the strong, sexy witch with my incubus curse. Damn the Brotherhood. Damn my destiny.
“Dayla says you stole something from her. And in order for her to cross, she needs it back.”
“What?” I stood. “Stole? I took nothing from her.” But even as I said the words, I knew that was wrong. I’d taken her magic. But I didn’t have it now. How could I give it back?
She gave me a sympathetic smile. “But you did. Do you know what kind of witch she is?”
“Yes.” She knew. They all knew. Son of a…
She leaned in and lowered her voice. “Did you know that after the last time you saw her, she spent a month recuperating?”
Hearing the words, the nonjudgmental way she said them, only served to heighten my self-hatred. Yeah, I knew. And now this woman was confirming whatever happened to her was my fault. Fuck.
There were a million questions on the tip of my tongue. I wanted to know how Matisse had ended up in another world. And why. But none of that mattered. We had to get to her. “I’ll do whatever’s necessary. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to get dressed.” I strode off to the back of the house, calling over my shoulder, “We’ll leave in five minutes. Be prepared.”
Chapter 18
Vaughn
In the end, it didn’t take very long to track Mitch down. The magic he’d been wielding must’ve fried his brain because he’d chosen to hide out in an empty rental that was owned by our parents.
I knew he was there as soon as we pulled up. It was the way the curtains were closed in the front. When it was empty, my parents were careful to keep them open for drive-by renters. I convinced the group to let me go in first. Told them I’d distract him to make the raid go easier.
My rage for what had gone down today consumed me, and as stupid as it was, I wanted to take a shot at him before the magical showdown. He wouldn’t run out on me. Why would he? He knew he could overpower me with that magic of his. I didn’t give a shit. As long as he didn’t kill me before I could help Matisse, he could do his worst. I knew I would.
Not caring if he heard me, I strolled right through the front door. “Mitch,” I called. Better he knew it was me. Maybe then he wouldn’t come out magic blazing like he would if he thought the Brotherhood was still after him.
“What the fuck are you doing here?” he sa
id from the threshold to the long hallway.
“Looking for you.”
“Why? Planning on leading more meddlesome do-gooders my way?” The red was gone from his eyes, but his sneer was proof enough of his loyalties.
“Are you planning on torturing anymore innocent witches?” I wasn’t holding anything back now. He was going to hear every word I had to say. “Cursing your friends? Really, Mitch? What a bitch move.”
“You!” His eyes narrowed as he advanced on me. “You sent those assholes. You ruined everything. And after I kept you afloat all these months with bounty jobs. You ungrateful piece of shit.”
I held my ground, waiting until he was less than a foot from me.
“Think I won’t spell you, too? Think I’ll spare you for good old Mom and Dad? Think again, little brother. I hold all the power here, and you’ve crossed a line you can’t recover from.”
“Why did you do it, Mitch? Black magic? You had a sweet deal with the Council. Why ruin it?”
His face contorted with disgust. “Fuck the Council. They treat me just like Rissa did. Zero respect. Boulard and his bitches deserved what they got. Boulard especially. He stole the one person I ever loved.” His eyes flashed with buried emotion. “All I wanted to know was why the Black Heart curse that I hit him with failed. Why the white witch was able to neutralize it. Why do you think I wanted to question Sam’s attacker? I need to know more about that curse. But you fucked everything up!”
Rissa had been his girlfriend a long time ago. After she left him, I’d heard she died from a freak spell that had backfired, but now it was all coming together. Mitch was responsible. He’d killed her. And all because he’d been dumped. Sick bastard.
I cast him a horrified look. How could I be even remotely related to this monster? Without a word, I swung. My fist hit his jaw with a satisfying crunch. He went down in a heap. The loser. Without his magic he was nothing.
