by Deanna Chase
Ghost.
Chapter 8
Not again.
“Meri!” I cried, unable to move. My limbs were already starting to go numb again.
My breathing turned rapid and panic took over. This could not be happening. Kat needed me. Kat. A sob formed at the back of my throat. Pyper had been right. My life was such a cluster-fuck. I wasn’t there for anyone who needed me.
“Jade, what were you thinking?” A faint voice penetrated the static filling my ears. My head wouldn’t move. I tried to turn but couldn’t. I was trapped in my own personal hell. “I thought you were in a hurry?” The voice was slightly louder this time, irritated.
Ice slithered through me, and the fear bursting from my core did nothing to thaw my frozen limbs. I forced my mouth open, determined to speak a fire spell, hoping the flames would burst at my fingertips.
“This is ridiculous,” Meri said, her voice distinguishable now. “I’m going back inside.”
“Whaaa,” I forced out, before my mouth clamped shut. Or I should say Camille clamped it shut for me. My only consolation was that it appeared she couldn’t move either. We were locked in a stalemate.
“Jade?” Meri said again, and I thought I heard her move closer. I wanted to warn her or move away, protect her from the ghost possessing me, but I couldn’t. I couldn’t do a damn thing. “Are you okay?”
My shoulder tingled, and the ice melted. Feeling rushed back into my arms, core, and legs as the rest of the static fled.
I shifted to study her, finally noticing her hand on my arm where the tingling had started. “How’d you do that?” I croaked out, my throat raw from the forced communication. It was as if I’d been screaming for hours at a rock concert.
“Do what?”
I shook my head, trying to clear the cobwebs. “You expelled Camille. How’d you do it?” Whatever spell she’d used, I needed to know it. Maybe next time I could combat the possession before Camille overtook me.
She frowned, confusion lining her face. “I didn’t do anything.”
“Yes,” I said, ignoring the pain in my throat as I raised my voice. “I was possessed, and then when you touched—” Holy crap. What was it about Meri that kept the ghost away? And could I reproduce it? I swallowed and lowered my voice. “It was your touch. As soon as you placed your hand on my arm, you broke the spell, and Camille fled. Do you have some special ghost kryptonite or something?”
She stared at me, eyes narrowed. “Not that I’m aware of.”
I grabbed her arm and clutched it to me. “Whatever it was, it worked. You saved me from a full-on possession.” I sighed and sent Philip a silent thanks. As much as I hated the bastard, he’d been right about making me and Meri stay together. “Let’s go. Kat’s in trouble.”
***
I parked Pyper’s VW Bug behind Bea’s Prius and scanned the grounds. No creepy ghosts. That was something. Then I had to force myself to wait for Meri before sprinting into the house. I wouldn’t be any use if Camille showed up and took over again. Hurry up, I wanted to scream when her light sweater got caught on the door handle and she struggled to detangle herself. Clenching my teeth, I seethed silently, my hands glowing with magic again. I rubbed them together, stamping it out. I was sure she wasn’t intentionally trying to piss me off.
“Ready?” I forced out after the passenger door shut.
“You know, this isn’t fun for me. I could go home.” She glared at me.
I turned and ran up the steps of the porch. Over my shoulder, I called, “But you won’t because you’re an angel.” Not to mention if the council found out she’d risked the other half of the soul they’d tried to give to her just a few weeks before, there’d be hell to pay.
She let out an audible huff but kept pace behind me. Not bothering to knock, I flung Bea’s door open and ran inside. “Kat?” I called, pausing to glance around the brightly lit room. Empty. I took off, taking the stairs two at a time.
“In here,” Lucien called from the guest room, the one I’d been a resident of not too long ago. The door stood slightly ajar, and I hesitated for just a moment before I pushed it open slowly, terrified of what I’d find on the other side.
“Jade! Thank God. Get in here.” Lucien jumped up and pulled me to the bed.
I stared down at Kat. She was trembling and so pale she almost looked translucent. “What happened?” My voice shook as I forced out the words.
Lucien dropped into a chair next to the bed and rubbed one of his large hands over his haggard face. His mussed blond hair fell forward covering one pale green eye. “I’m not exactly sure.”
I sank to the bed and carefully took her hand in mine. “Lucien?”
His haunted gaze met mine.
“Start at the beginning.”
He took a deep breath, visibly shaken. “I was at a friend’s house when she called. She wanted to talk about what was happening to you. She insisted it couldn’t wait, so she came to see me.”
“Your friend? Another witch?”
Lucien was my second in command of the New Orleans coven. Kat had been fine when I’d seen her at The Herbal Connection. Whatever was going on with her had to be magic related.
He shook his head. “No. An artist friend of mine. He was having an open house for his work, and I wanted some of his pieces for the gallery. Leaving would’ve meant missing out. That’s why I had Kat meet me there instead of going to your house.”
I caressed Kat’s still hand and glanced at Lucien expectantly. “What happened after Kat got to your friend’s house?”
He blew out a breath. “She was frantic, talking about how you’d been possessed and not making any sense at all. She was so upset I took her outside, and I don’t really know what happened. One minute she was babbling, and the next, she went stiff, trance-like. Her speech changed. Her voice went high-pitched, and then she screamed. I couldn’t get her to calm down, so I put a mild tranq spell on her.”
“What?” I clutched at the side of the bed. A tranq spell should’ve acted as a mild sedative. Instead, she appeared comatose.
He hung his head, staring at his feet. “It didn’t work. Or at least not the way it was supposed to.” Pain clouded his eyes when he lifted his head to look at me. “She passed out. And hasn’t woken up.”
I gasped and covered my mouth with a trembling hand. This had happened while she’d been trying to find help for me. When would my life stop putting the people I loved in danger? Pyper’s words echoed in my mind. You do nothing, yet everything revolves around you. Everyone drops everything to deal with the crisis of the week. That was what Kat had been doing, dealing with my crisis of the week. My heart squeezed as I took in her appearance. The blue veins in her arms were more prominent than I remembered. Her skin seemed paper-thin, almost as if she’d crumble if I touched her.
Lucien slumped as he whispered, “And now I’ve almost lost her.”
“Don’t say that,” I snapped. “Where’s Bea?”
“In the kitchen, trying to concoct something.”
She was? I hadn’t seen her when I’d stormed in. I tilted my head, trying to focus on the hushed voices floating from downstairs. Meri and Bea. A tiny bit of peace settled over me. If Bea was working on a treatment, Kat would be fine.
My phone buzzed in my pocket, making me jump. “Shit,” I mumbled, realizing I’d forgotten to call off the search party. I quickly sent Kane a text asking him to meet me at Bea’s and to let everyone know Kat was found and they should go home. I didn’t want the entourage barging into Bea’s house. If Bea couldn’t heal her, no one could.
Lucien stood abruptly.
“Where are you going?”
He stared down at Kat, his shoulders hunched. “I did this to her. I shouldn’t be here.”
Two long strides and he’d almost reached the door.
I jumped up and grabbed his arm. “Hey.”
He tensed but stood still.
“Please stay. I’ll probably need your help.” A lump formed in my throat, a
nd I forced out, “She needs you.”
He rubbed his neck as he hung his head. Then he straightened, but he didn’t look back. “I’ll be downstairs with Bea if you need me.”
The dejection in his voice was too much. Before he could leave, I wrapped my arms around him from behind and pressed my cheek to his back. “This isn’t your fault,” I reassured him. “She’s going to be fine.”
After a moment, his hands covered mine in a comforting gesture. Then he separated himself from my embrace and left without another word.
I sighed and moved back to the bed, determined to stay by Kat’s side until she woke up. Sitting beside her, I took deep calming breaths. If I was upset, my magic might spark out of control again.
I ran a hand through her bright red curls and whispered, “Kat, wake up, sweetie. We’re counting on you. You’re the only one who can talk sense into me.” Tears filled my eyes, but I made no effort to blink them back. Kat was my oldest and best friend, the one person besides Gwen I’d been able to count on the last thirteen years, without fail. “I’m going to need you here to help pick out my wedding cake.” The word “cake” came out with a sob.
She looked so fragile, as if she’d disappear at any moment. Not knowing how to help her, I curled up on the bed next to her, hoping she was somehow aware of my physical presence.
My tears flowed hot and steady onto the sunflower print comforter as I held Kat’s limp hand in mine. Footsteps echoed in the hall. I sat up and hastily wiped my cheeks.
But then Kane filled the doorway, and my resolve melted. He strode to me, pulling me off of the bed and into his arms as he studied Kat. “I’m so sorry, Jade.”
“They don’t know what happened,” I murmured into his chest.
“I know, sweetheart. I talked to Bea. She’ll be up shortly to try a potion she’s working on.” One hand came up, cupping the back of my head.
I closed my eyes, wishing I could erase the entire day. “Is Lucien still here?”
“Yeah, he’s helping with the final spell.”
“What? No.” I pulled away and ran to the door. Kane followed, but I spun and stopped him. “Please stay here just in case Kat wakes up. I don’t want her to be alone.”
Kane kissed my temple and nodded. “You got it.”
I stood on my tiptoes and gave him a soft kiss on the lips, then ran out the door before I could change my mind. Lucien didn’t need to be wielding any more magic.
I found Bea bent over a copper sauce pot on the stove in her bright yellow kitchen. “Where’s Lucien?” I asked, glancing around.
“Out on the porch, collecting himself.” She stirred the concoction with a wooden spoon, her lips pressed into a grim line.
I glanced out the window. Lucien stood slumped at the railing, his back to the front door. Half of me wanted to comfort him, and the other half wanted to curse him with scabies—if I actually knew how to do that. The fact was, his magic had done this to Kat. And worse, he had no idea how to fix it.
Taking a place next to Bea, I peered into the pot. “Can you help her?”
“Yes.” Her tone was clipped.
“But?”
“It could be temporary. There aren’t any guarantees.” Bea doubled her efforts, stirring the potion with vigor. I had the distinct impression her movements were due to her frustration and not a requirement of the recipe.
I’d been waiting for Bea to fix everything, and now it appeared she didn’t have the answers. Determined, I straightened my spine and forced all my fears aside. We’d figure it out together if it was the last thing I did. “What can I do?”
“Get Lucien in here. He’s the best chance at reversing the spell.”
“But…” I was about to say maybe he should stay out there. Instead, I forced the thought down and nodded. Like I’d never made a mistake before? No one’s perfect, Jade. You of all people should know that. “I’ll be right back.”
“Wait.” Meri uncurled from the couch. “You can’t go without me, remember?”
Dammit. No, I’d totally forgotten about her and Camille. This togetherness was really inconvenient. I waved a hand, inviting her to go first.
A moment later, I closed the door behind us and joined Lucien on the porch. Meri retreated to the corner and sat in the porch swing. Though I knew he must’ve heard the door open and shut, he didn’t acknowledge either of us.
I touched his arm gently. “Hey.”
He straightened and turned to stare at me.
“We need you in there.”
“For what? So I can put her out permanently?” His knuckles turned white as he tightened his grip on the porch railing.
I frowned. “What are you talking about? One spell went wrong.”
“One spell. Right,” he said, his tone disgusted.
I stepped back and crossed my arms over my chest. Since when had he gotten so self-deprecating? Normally, he was confident, ready to take on anything. “What aren’t you telling me?”
“I…fuck.” He ran a hand through his hair, frustration lining his normally easygoing expression. His corded muscles and tall frame, combined with his witch powers, usually oozed strength, but tonight he seemed to almost hunch into himself as if he were trying to disappear.
My eyebrows rose in surprise. I didn’t think I’d heard him swear more than a handful of times. “Lucien?”
Anguish lined his tired eyes as his pleaded with mine. A sinking feeling made me clutch my stomach.
“I’m sorry. I should’ve taken her to you. I never should’ve used that spell.” His voice lowered to a strangled whisper. “This can’t happen again.”
“Again?” I cried. “What do you mean, again?” I grabbed him, fisting my fingers in his shirt. “Has this happened before? Did you do this to someone else?”
He gave me one slow, solemn nod.
“What happened? How did you fix it?”
He didn’t say anything. He just stood there, staring at me with those tortured eyes.
“Lucien!” I yanked on his shirt, shaking him. “Tell me.” Electric magic zinged from my fingers.
Lucien jumped back, rubbing his chest. “I guess I deserved that.”
“No. I would never…” I forced myself to step back, trembling with a mix of fear and frustration. I swallowed. “I didn’t mean to do that.”
Meri rose and stood next to me, studying Lucien. “He couldn’t fix it. I can sense the unrest in his soul.”
“You can?” I crossed my arms over my chest and balled my hands into fists, too afraid to touch anyone. Then her words sank in. “Are you saying someone died?”
“Only Lucien can answer that for sure,” she said.
Our eyes met and held until Lucien finally spoke. “It happened a long time ago. I’d just learned I was a witch when…she was only nineteen. My best friend’s sister. She spent three years in a coma.” His voice broke, but he pushed past it. “We scattered her ashes on her twenty-third birthday.”
Chapter 9
Magic pulsed to my toes. Three years? And then she died? And Lucien used the same damn spell? “What the hell is wrong with you?” I raged, pounding my fists on his chest.
Lucien didn’t resist my attack even as each blow sent a shock of power into him.
I only hit him harder, lost in the pain seizing my already battered heart. “How could you?” I sobbed, tears streaming down my face.
I barely noticed the front door swing open.
“Jade Calhoun, stop that right this instant.”
A heavy force washed over me. My arms went limp, and despite my struggle to regain control of my limbs, my feet peddled backward away from Lucien. It had to be Bea’s magic pushing me back. It was too strong to be anyone else’s.
“What is wrong with you?” Bea demanded. “I told you we needed Lucien inside. Kat’s life depends on it.”
“I don’t want him anywhere near her,” I yelled through my heartache. “This is his fault.”
“Jade.” Another wave of Bea’s magic prickled ov
er my skin. The anger and uncontrollable power holding me hostage started to fade into oblivion. My feet took another few steps back, seemingly with no help from me.
“Stop it, Bea,” I demanded, turning on her. She was manipulating my magic and my emotions. “You have no right to spell me into submission.”
“I have every right. We need to work fast to save your best friend.” Her voice shook with anger. “Stop acting like a child and get upstairs. All three of you.”
An invisible force propelled me toward the door. Goddammit!
Before I knew it, I was up the stairs and staring into the guest room at Kat, lying exactly where I’d left her, Kane at her side.
Footsteps sounded behind me. I gritted my teeth and moved into the room, taking a place next to Kat on the bed.
Kane’s arm wrapped around my waist. “Jade?”
I met his worried eyes. He could tell something else was wrong besides Kat’s condition. I placed my hand over his resting on my hip and shook my head. Now wasn’t the time. When was it ever the time, between saving souls and fighting ghosts and demons?
Bea stormed in after Lucien and stood on the other side of the bed. “Jade, take her hand.”
I swallowed the fear rising in the back of my throat and did as I was told. Bea had decades of experience. If anyone could help Kat, she could.
“Lucien, take Jade’s hand.”
I gulped and met his hooded eyes.
He walked slowly to my side, and as he vacated the doorway, Meri took his place. She studied us with raw intensity, as if trying to work out a problem.
I opened my mouth to ask what she was thinking, but Lucien took my hand and I flinched, almost fighting the familiar magic that sparked between us. He’d done this to her. What if his magic backfired again? What if I couldn’t control mine?
Kane suddenly stood and placed both hands on my shoulders. “What’s going on?” he asked Lucien. “Did you do something to her?”
“Kane,” Bea said sharply, “we’ll fill you in later. Time is running out.”
“I’m fine,” I whispered to Kane.
