by Rose Pressey
We’d made it to the outskirts of Enchantment Pointe, yet I still had no idea where we were headed. The darkness of night coupled with the fog had left me disoriented.
“When are you going to tell me where we’re going?” I asked, turning my attention back from the window.
“It’s a place just outside New Orleans. We’ll be there soon,” Liam said without glancing at me.
“Well, that’s a vague answer. I don’t think it’s fair to toss me into this situation without telling me what I should expect to see,” I said, not hiding the frustration in my voice.
“She’s right. She needs to know,” Nicolas said softly as he leaned his head back against the seat.
“Nicolas’ fate is in your hands now. You’ll hear the charges against him and decide what happens next,” Liam offered.
“What? I’m supposed to decide his punishment?” I asked with a high level of excitement coloring my words.
When I looked at Nicolas he offered a half-hearted smile. “Everything will be fine, Hallie.”
I didn’t agree. Things would be far from fine. How could I decide something like that when I had feelings for Nicolas? We’d just fought off another demon together. Well, with the help of Nicolas and Liam I’d fought off the demon at the annual Enchantment Pointe Halloween Bash. It would be All Hallows’ Eve soon, my birthdate and the reason my mother had named me Halloween in the first place. Call me crazy, but I’d rather go back to celebrating the holiday by passing out candy to the cute kids than going to New Orleans and deciding another witch’s fate.
“We’ll hear what this witch has to say,” Liam said.
“You mean we’re going to meet this woman?” My chest tightened and heaviness sat like a weight in my stomach.
“Yes, like I said, her brother is the leader of the New Orleans Coven. She has been an outstanding member of the coven for many years,” Liam said.
I rubbed my temples. “Why did she just take off after this happened? It doesn’t make sense.”
And they expected me to sort this mess out. Had she been afraid of Nicolas? I supposed that made sense. But didn’t she recognize Nicolas right away? The brothers had been around the coven members often.
“With any luck, that’s what we’ll get to the bottom of,” Liam said, tapping his fingers nervously against the steering wheel as he drove.
I expelled a long, tired breath. “Yeah, with any luck. So we’re going to this plantation. What happens once we get there?”
“You’ll meet all the coven members. They’ll share the charges and then it’s in your hands.”
Liam glanced at me as if to say he was sorry. No reason to be sorry. It wasn’t his fault.
My stomach sank again. Was it too late to turn back? I needed to speak with Nicolas more. And face to face, not over my shoulder. I couldn’t discuss this with him sitting in the backseat of this darkened car as we sped down the highway. Would he look me in the eye and tell me the truth? I’d always believed he was honest.
“I understand that vampires are trying to steal witches’ blood. But that’s not me and that’s not what I’m about. Liam can tell you that,” Nicolas said as if he’d read my mind.
There had been a tension between the brothers from the moment they had arrived at LaVeau Manor. Heck, they’d kept the fact that they were brothers from me until earlier tonight. I’d thought for quite some time that they might kill each other. Liam was a detective with the Underworld and had been in charge of protecting Nicolas’ mother. But she’d been murdered by her own sister while on Liam’s watch. That had caused a great deal of animosity between the brothers. They were far from mending fences and I wasn’t positive that Liam would vouch for his half-brother.
I looked to Liam for his response.
After a pause, he nodded, then said, “Nicolas hasn’t done that as far as I know. Of course we haven’t exactly been on speaking terms until recently.”
At first, Liam had led me to believe that Nicolas had been at LaVeau Manor only to collect my blood. Had he been? I didn’t know who to believe.
“So this beast was attacking the witch and she asked you to turn her.” I felt as if I was interrogating Nicolas, but the questions had to be asked.
Apparently I wasn’t getting out of this Underworld leader thing tonight.
“Just before she took her last breath she asked me to turn her.” He shook his head as if he was trying to get rid of the memory.
His response sent a chill down my spine. I was envisioning the scene in my mind and it wasn’t a pretty sight.
I braced myself for the next question I was about to ask. “Can you tell me more about this demon beast? What does it do? Can you tell me more about what it looks like?”
Nicolas scrubbed his hand across his face. “I’m not an expert on these creatures. But it looked like a giant werewolf and attacks like one too.”
“How do you know it wasn’t a werewolf?” I asked.
“It disappeared as soon as I approached. Meaning it didn’t run away, but disappeared into thin air,” Nicolas said.
I contemplated this for a moment. “I wonder why it vanished.”
Nicolas nodded. “I couldn’t begin to guess.”
Picturing Nicolas biting anyone’s neck was tough, although since he was a vampire I knew he’d done it before. But had he ever killed anyone in the process? Just because he was a vampire didn’t mean that he’d caused anyone harm, right? Was that just wishful thinking on my part? Probably. He had come close to biting my neck, but I’d thought of that as more of a nibble… a love bite.
“Did you experience anything from turning her?” I asked, unsure of my wording.
Like I said, I’d never dealt with this. How was I expected to know the correct terms?
“Are you asking if my powers increased?” He met my gaze.
A pang of sympathy ran through me. “Yes, I guess that’s what I’m trying to ask.”
Nicolas looked down and didn’t respond. He didn’t have to answer. His silence was all I needed to know. This wouldn’t help Nicolas’ side of the story.
In the distance lights came into view. My heart rate picked up and my stomach turned. I didn’t have to ask to know that the lights came from our destination. They must be waiting for me. I had no idea if the Coven would consist of two members or two hundred. But I assumed since it was New Orleans then it would be quite a bit larger than Enchantment Pointe’s Coven.
As we turned onto the tree-lined pebble driveway, I knew I’d soon find answers to some of my questions.
The driveway seemed to stretch out forever as the plantation came into view at the end. Moss-draped oak trees dotted the landscape. For a moment the thought of alligators popped into my mind. I knew the area was surrounded by the bayou. Alligators might be the nicest thing I’d encounter tonight.
Clouds completely cloaked the black night sky now, blocking out the last slivers of moonlight. Two large porches wrapped around the home on both the bottom and top floors. Massive columns decorated the front of the white façade. Light shone brightly from every window, casting an eerie glow into the vast and foreboding black sky. If not for the lights, it would have been unnervingly dark. Was I really ready for this? I knew the answer to that question after one second—no.
When we pulled up in front of the house, several people stepped out onto the porch. Obviously they’d known I was coming and they hadn’t wasted any time in coming outside to check me out. By the expressions on their faces, I knew this visit wouldn’t involve eating cupcakes and playing with puppies.
Chapter Two
The small group of people greeted us as we stepped out of the car. All eyes were on me as if I was some kind of novelty circus act. If my count was correct, there were three men and three women. They must have been the head members of the New Orleans Coven.
Most people might picture coven members dressed all in black, but that wasn’t the case. Dressed in casual business attire of slacks and dress shirts, they looked more like the
y were there for a homeowners’ association meeting than a coven gathering. That was the thing—witches had special powers, but looked and dressed just like everyone else. No green skin or warts. The smell of approaching rain hung in the air. Warm night air wrapped around me, but nothing comforting came from this situation.
A man stepped forward and stretched his hand toward me. “You must be Halloween LaVeau. We’ve been eagerly awaiting your arrival.”
Something about his clipped tone made me uneasy. How long could they have been awaiting my arrival? We’d only learned of the charges against Nicolas an hour ago.
I shook his hand. “Pleased to meet you.”
He gestured toward the beautiful home. “Won’t you come in? My name is Jacobson Stratford.”
This had to be the brother of the victim. What would be his reaction to seeing Nicolas? This was more than a little awkward.
The Coven members glared at Nicolas. Obviously, he wasn’t their favorite person right now. Everyone in the group was tall, making my insecurities as the new leader even grander. I was like a tiny scrub in a forest of redwoods. Liam gestured as if to say he would follow me. Nicolas’ eyes were blank. Was it worry darkening his expression? I had no idea what must be going through his mind.
How bad could this really be? I mean, the woman was okay, right? No harm done? Well, other than the fact that she was a vampire now. That was kind of a big deal, I guessed. But she’d asked him to turn her, right? Maybe she was telling the truth though. What if Nicolas had turned her against her will in a botched attempt to steal her powers? At that moment I realized that I didn’t know Nicolas nearly as well as I thought I did. After all, I’d only known him for a short time. I was letting the sexual chemistry between us cloud my judgment.
Nicolas and Liam followed me up the grand steps toward the large black front door. Maybe they wanted to walk behind me so they could catch me if I decided to run away. But I was the leader now. I could run away if I wanted to, although I wasn’t sure what would happen to Nicolas then. In a way, I had to save him.
To my left was the parlor and on the right was a room that looked to be used as a library. It was dark in there, but I caught a glimpse of books on the shelves and a couple dark wingback chairs. Turning to the left, I followed the coven members into the ostentatious parlor of the home. The dimmed crystal chandelier was almost too big for the room and looked more suited for a banquet room. Candles flickered in the corner, casting a spooky glow across the coven members’ frowning faces. I wasn’t sure if I was there for a meeting or a séance. The room was decorated as if it should be in a magazine in shades of blue and white. The fine furnishings and high ceilings cast the impression of opulence, but I knew that darkness hid just beyond the edge of that room, watching and waiting to rear its ugly head.
Jacobson motioned toward a plush velvet armchair. “Please have a seat.”
For a moment, I hesitated. All eyes were still on me. Finally, I walked over and eased down into the chair. Why did it feel as if he was in charge of this meeting? Sure, he was the leader of the coven, but they’d called me to settle this situation. I didn’t like his bossy attitude. I’d find out what he wanted, then we’d be out of there. And none too soon either. Jacobson sat in the chair next to me while Nicolas and Liam sat across from us on the sofa. The other members stood around the room as if on guard. This environment was more than a little hostile.
I looked at each woman in the room. Was the woman who had accused Nicolas of stealing her powers and turning her in the room with us? Everyone was staring at me, as if they were waiting for me to start this meeting. It finally struck me that this was the meeting—nothing special or grand. I supposed it was time for me to stumble my way through this whole thing. I’d do my best to pretend that I knew what I was doing.
I sat up straighter in the chair, then folded my hands in my lap. It was my best professional business like posture. “I’ve been called here because there’s a problem. When does the meeting start?”
Jacobson stared for a beat with a sly smile on his face, then finally said, “Yes, there is a problem. This is the meeting.”
Just as I’d suspected—this really was the meeting. I figured there would be some big elaborate production. This was just a bunch of people sitting around in a living room.
“I’m glad you brought the accused with you.”
He looked at Nicolas with a slight sneer. Of course Jacobson’s reaction to Nicolas made me dislike Jacobson even more. Jacobson was assuming Nicolas was guilty right away. There was no way I would rush to judgment like that. This guy was really rubbing me the wrong way and I’d only known him a few minutes. Enough of the chitchat, I wanted to get straight to the point.
“Why don’t you just tell me what’s going on so we can get this settled.” I glanced at my watch.
“Do you have somewhere else to be?” he asked with disdain.
As if that was any of his business. I looked him in the eye. “As a matter of fact, I do. I’d like to be in bed right now. It’s late and I’m tired. It’s been a long day.”
He smiled. “Yes, I heard. You fought off Mara. That is very impressive.”
I wasn’t sure how impressive it was, but at the moment I didn’t care. Mara was the last thing I wanted to think about.
She was the witch who had killed Nicolas’ mother, her own sister. Mara had wanted to be the leader of the Underworld and she’d come after the Book of Mystics… and me. With Nicolas and Liam’s help, I had banished her and her demon friend Isabeau to hell. And I hoped that was where they stayed.
“Anyway, back to the reason why you’ve called me here tonight.” I was determined not to allow Jacobson to lead the conversation.
He leaned back in his chair, all casual and relaxed-looking. “I’m sure you can understand that the charges against Nicolas Marcos are quite serious.” He glanced at Nicolas again, then back to me. “We just can’t allow this kind of thing to happen. He’s very dangerous.”
A smile crossed his face as he said that, as if he got great pleasure from the words as they rolled off his tongue.
“With all due respect, Mr. Stratford, I don’t think Nicolas is dangerous at all.” I cast a quick glance at Nicolas.
His expression was still blank, almost catatonic. Was he in shock? This was no time for him to freak out. If I could hold it together and feel my way through this leader thing, then he could help me out by not zoning out into some zombie-like state. I wanted to snap my fingers and bring him out of the trance. Liam looked like he was ready to kick Jacobson’s ass.
“How long have you known Mr. Marcos?” he asked with a smug smile.
Oh, well played, Mr. Coven Member, well played.
“Well, I haven’t known him long, but I am a good judge of character and I feel he is a decent man,” I said, folding my arms across my chest.
Okay, even I knew that sounded ridiculous. Nicolas gave a half-hearted smile. At least I’d gotten some reaction out of him, which was more than I’d had in the past hour.
“Let’s get right down to the charges, shall we?” Jacobson folded his hands in his lap.
Well, that was what I’d wanted about ten minutes ago. It was about time.
“Please. I’d love to,” I said, drily.
“I’m not sure if you’re aware, but my sister Sabrina was attacked by Mr. Marcos,” he said.
I bit my tongue. The overwhelming need to defend Nicolas came over me, but I had to listen to what this man had to say before I dismissed him. It was only fair that I got to the truth about what really happened.
Holding my composure, I said, “I was filled in on what happened from Mr. Marcos. With all due respect to your sister, he has a different version of the story.”
He chuckled. “I’m sure he does. That doesn’t make it true.”
“You’re right, but that doesn’t make what your sister says true either.” I stared him straight in the eyes.
He glowered. “Are you calling my sister a liar?”
> I had to remain strong. “No, that is not what I’m implying at all. But I need to know the facts behind the whole situation. Is your sister here? I need to speak with her.”
“She is too upset to speak.” He cut me a sharp look as if daring me to argue.
This conversation was going nowhere.
“I can’t just take your word for it, Mr. Stratford.” I looked at Nicolas again. “Or Mr. Marcos’ either, for that matter.”
“The fact of the matter is she is a vampire now. There is no denying that. Mr. Marcos is even admitting to biting her.” Jacobson gestured wildly in Nicolas’ direction.
He had me there. Nicolas had admitted to that much.
“As I’ve been made aware, she asked him to turn her as a last resort over death. Mr. Marcos felt he had little choice and was only trying to do what was right. Aren’t you grateful that he saved your sister’s life?” I returned the annoyed gleam in his eyes with an angry glare of my own.
He focused his attention on Nicolas. “There was nothing to save her from. It was an unprovoked attack.”
Nicolas shifted in his seat. I felt his tension. I knew he wanted to say something, but in order for this not to turn into an all-out war, it was best if I did all the talking. Even Liam was letting me handle the situation. Was I really stepping right into my role as leader? Sure, I had no idea what I was doing, but I was giving it my best shot. The local Coven wouldn’t believe it. I used to screw up witches’ spells for miles around and now people were coming to me to solve their problems.
“A demon beast attacked her. Nicolas was saving her,” I said with too much panic in my voice.
It was funny how quickly things could change because I suddenly felt as if I was losing control of this situation fast. The Coven members laughed, a cacophony of humiliation.
“That is an absurd story. There was no such beast. Why would this demon run away simply because Mr. Marcos approached? Wouldn’t the beast just attack both of them?” Jacobson looked at me with an unflinching glare.
“I can assure you that I am no expert on this matter, so how can I answer that question?” I cut him a warning look, letting him know that I would be a fierce enemy if crossed.
