Shadowed Secret (Daughters of the Vieux Carré)

by Rhys Rowlyn

  “It’s going to be all right. We’ll find him.”

  “God, I hope so. I don’t know what I’ll do if something happens to him. That bitch tortured him last time and damn near caused him to go feral.” I hate this feeling of helplessness and guilt that I should have done more to prevent them from taking him. I send up a silent prayer that he’ll be strong and not let her win. I hope he knows I won’t give up until I find him.

  “Where was Jean Pierre the last time you saw him?” Giles stands but is scanning the alley, looking for any clues he can find.

  I point at the area near the dumpster and see Jean Pierre’s phone. I pick it up and put it in my pocket. Looks like I won’t even be able to use the GPS on his phone. Dammit, he could be anywhere, and as much as I love vampire strength and speed, right now I’m hating it. They could be anywhere.

  Cassie comes up behind me and squeezes my shoulders again. “We’ll find him.”

  “God, I hope so, but in what shape? I swear, I’m taking that bitch out if she causes him to lose his soul, and I don’t care if I lose mine in the process—as long as she’s dead.” Anger courses through me, my blood on fire. I hold onto this feeling because I know if I allow myself, I will melt into despair, and that won’t do anyone any good, least of all Jean Pierre.

  “I don’t know all the details of what he went through before. He never talked about it, but, Nyla, he had nothing to live for. Now he has you. A mate is a powerful motivation to stay sane.” Bram rubs his knuckles against my cheek, offering me a sad smile.

  “I don’t know how they’re not leaving a scent. It was the same at the house earlier. Did the witch offer any information?” Giles turns a questioning look toward me.

  I hate having nothing to offer. It’s another way I feel useless. “No, he hadn’t heard anything but said he would see what he could find out.”

  I take out my phone and shoot Asher a text.

  Me: Jean Pierre has been taken so I need any information you can get. It’s become very urgent.

  Asher: Oh no! On it! I’ll let you know as soon as I know anything.

  Me: Thanks.

  Asher: Stay strong, sis. We’ll find him.

  I smile down at my phone, glad Asher and I stayed friends. Right now, I need everyone I can get to help me hold it together until I can be reunited with my mate. If someone told me a month ago that I would have this strong of an attachment to a man, I would have laughed in their face, but all I can think about at the moment is getting him back.

  I gasp, clutching my chest. I love him, and I didn’t get a chance to tell him.

  A tear leaks out, but I quickly brush it away. Now is not the time for weeping. It is the time for action. Hold on, my love, I’m coming for you.

  “There’s nothing to find here. I say let’s go back to the house and see if the witches can come up with something. Maybe they can do a locater spell.” Giles nods toward the rooftops, and we all leap up onto them and jump from one to the other. .

  We race back to the witches’ house, and I hit an invisible wall that knocks me on my ass. “What the hell?”

  “Oh, sorry, the witches increased security. Let me call them so we can get in.” Cassie offers me a hand up as she puts her phone up to her ear. “Hey, let us in.”

  Cara comes to the door and draws some symbols in the air. We walk into the house, and she draws some more before entering herself.

  She turns toward me and grabs my trembling hands. “Did you find anything out?”

  I pull away from her, rubbing the back of my neck, and pace the length of the room. “No, but now we have a bigger problem. Minerva has taken Jean Pierre.”

  “Oh no. What do you need us to do?” Cara gasps, placing her hand over her chest. “We could try a locator spell.”

  “That would be wonderful. What do you need from us?” Bram steps forward, taking her hands in his.

  Cara nods, turning her attention to me. “Do you have anything that belonged to him?”

  “He gave me this necklace. It was his for a long time.” I untie the leather and slip the necklace off my neck, remembering when he gave it to me. It was the night after we found the dead woman.

  He awakened me with a kiss and then fastened the necklace around my throat, saying, “I want to give you something from my past. I owned this before I became a vampire. It’s not much, but it was mine, and I want you to have it.” It was a silver amulet of Saint Anthony, patron saint of lost things. I would laugh at the irony if I wasn’t so scared.

  Cara reaches for it. “Oh yes, that would be perfect.”

  I hand over the necklace, but my grip tightens when she starts to take it. “It won’t be damaged, will it?”

  “No, dear, I’ll see nothing happens to it.” She pats my hand in a very grandmotherly fashion, and I wonder how old these women are. They look like they’re in their twenties, but if I’ve learned nothing else from hanging with vampires, it’s looks can be deceiving.

  I relinquish the necklace and follow her into the kitchen where her sisters and Chi are. He runs over and gives me a hug.

  “I’m so sorry. We’ll find your man.” He meets my gaze with a determination in his features. “Don’t you worry, we will find him.”

  Circe spreads a map of New Orleans on the table, and Ciara brings in a powder mixture. Cara sets the necklace in the center of the map, and Ciara sprinkles the powder around it. The sisters join hands and chant in a language I don’t recognize. The powder slowly forms a line, and my heart pounds as the line moves across the map, but then it comes to a stop. Powder flies off the map, all over the kitchen.

  The sisters jump back with a yell.

  “What happened?” I yell, dusting my clothes free of the powder.

  “Someone has a protection spell in place, and it’s blocking us from locating Jean Pierre. I don’t know who in this town besides us is powerful enough to do this.” Ciara narrows her eyes at the map as if it holds answers we can’t see.

  “Could it be my grandmother?” Chi’s eyes are wide, and his gaze darts around the room.

  “She has enough power but doesn’t know how to use it. No, it can’t be her. It’s someone else.” Cara looks at me with sympathy. “I’m sorry, Nyla, but we can’t help. We will try to figure out who is helping her and will continue to try to find him.”

  I nod and try to smile my thanks but end up frowning instead. I make a vow in this moment; I will find him, and no matter what, we will not let her win. We will be together. I have to tell him I love him. I refuse to allow a crazy ex-girlfriend to take him away from me.

  Jean Pierre

  “Good evening, love.” Minerva slinks toward me, running her hand across my shoulder. She buries her fingers into my hair and yanks my head back. “Ready to give in and take what I’m offering?”

  Hate for the woman before me burns hotter than the hunger I’m enduring. I have been held captive for a week now and am wondering how long I have to endure this. Minerva is starving me in hopes I’ll cave and give in to the hunger she’s creating. If I kill, I’ll be under her control, and I can’t let that happen.

  What the bitch doesn’t know is I have too much to lose now. I can’t let my mate down. I must figure a way out. At the moment, my only enjoyment is taunting my captor.

  “And exactly what are you offering, Minerva? A life as your slave, to mindlessly do your bidding and be at your mercy?” I glare up at her but grimace when her claws dig into my scalp.

  “You’re not ready yet, but soon.” She slides her nose up my neck to my cheek, and I try to lean away from her, only to have her tighten her grip on my hair.

  There is a knock at the door, and a hesitant voice comes through the barrier. “Ma’am, the woman from the witch is here.”

  Minerva releases her hold on me with a push, then stands and smooths her dress. She has on something out of the era before I was cursed and looks as if she’s ready for one of the comte’s parties. I’m unsure what the purpose of her antiquated clothing is or if this
is the way she prefers to dress. I refuse to give her the satisfaction of asking.

  “Grrrr… Fine, see her up.” She paces in front of me. Whoever is here to see her… Well, she’s not happy about their arrival.

  A few moments later, the door opens and reveals a middle-aged woman with graying auburn hair and eyes that are completely black. She looks familiar, but I can’t stop staring at her eyes, wondering if she’s possessed or something. A shiver runs through me at the feeling of evil that emanates from her.

  She tilts her head at the sight of me. “Minerva, who’s your prisoner?”

  “That is none of your concern.” Minerva waves a dismissive hand in my direction, turning her back toward me. “What do you want, Alice?”

  The woman shrugs a shoulder, turning her attention back to Minerva. “Renaud wanted to send a message.”

  Who in Hades is Renaud? I file this bit of information away and wonder what is really going on here. The two women are not paying me any attention, and it angers me to think Minerva is so sure of herself. When I am free, I will see that she is captured, and Alastair will do something with her. She will not be allowed to hurt anyone else, least of all someone I love.

  “And?” Minerva puts her hand on her hip. I can’t see her face, but I imagine she’s wearing an annoyed expression.

  “He says the deal is off. You haven’t held up your end of the bargain. The witches are still alive and well.” Alice gives her a malicious smile, and something tells me she is enjoying delivering this news.

  “Of course they are. He didn’t bother to tell me who I was dealing with. Those three are far too powerful, and I lost several of my soldiers to his plan.” Minerva throws her arms in the air and huffs out a deep breath.

  “Not his problem. You took the deal and have reneged, so he won’t be helping you with your little issue.” Alice looks at her nails as if bored with the conversation.

  “Ask him to give me a few more days. I have a soldier in the works, and if it works out, I’ll be able to accomplish his wishes.” Minerva crosses her arms over her chest and glares at the woman, but Alice simply meets her stare undeterred.

  She points at me. “Oh, I take it this is your new prospect? I’ll give him your message, but I can’t guarantee he’ll wish to give you another chance.”

  Minerva hisses at Alice, baring her fangs. The woman simply shakes her head, rolling her eyes. “Stop all your theatrics. Save them for someone who’ll be impressed.”

  “Why are you doing the evil warlock’s bidding?” Minerva tilts her head, raising her brows.

  I watch in silence, hoping to glean as much information as possible. I don’t know what part this new character plays, but I need to find out.

  “As you told me, that’s not your concern.” Alice smiles at Minerva and winks. “I’ll give Renaud your message. Don’t look for him to agree. He gave you time, and it’s up.”

  Minerva straightens her spine, looking down her nose at the smaller woman. “He doesn’t want to make an enemy of me.”

  “No, dear, you’ve got it wrong. You don’t want to make an enemy of him. I suggest you not make idle threats, or he’ll remove your protection and then where will you be?”

  “Fine, your message has been delivered. I’ll be in touch.” She waves at the door.

  The woman leaves the room without a backward glance, which shows she has no fear of Minerva. This intrigues me because I sense power in her but not such a great amount as to protect her from a vampire as old as Minerva.

  “Who was that?” I ask, giving Minerva a side-eye. I’m hoping she’ll let something slip.

  “No one you need to worry about.” Her lips form a straight line, and she narrows her gaze on me. “Now, where were we? Oh yeah, you becoming my right-hand man.”

  “We know it’s not going to be today, so tell me who that was and what your deal was.” I try to relax my shoulders.

  Minerva has me chained to a chair that is bolted to the floor. She has had me this way since I awakened from being hit over the head in that alley. At first, I panicked, worrying about Nyla, but then I overheard one of her men say she had killed one of their comrades and escaped. This helped to calm me, but chaining me to a chair was brilliant. Not being able to move is working better than the starvation at driving me over the edge, not that I will allow her the satisfaction of knowing it.

  One side of her mouth kicks up in a smirk. “Why do you care? It’s not like you can do anything about it.”

  I attempt a shrug, but only my head moves. I’m trying to act as though I couldn’t care less. “Curiosity? I’m bored.”

  “And just why should I alleviate your boredom? Maybe it’ll help my cause.” She runs her finger up my chest to my chin and lifts it, forcing my gaze to meet hers.

  I jerk my chin out of her grasp. “Fine, do what you want.”

  “You are so difficult.” She tsks, straightening. “He is the local head of the coven.”

  “What do you mean? I thought it was an elderly witch.” Who is this man? From what everyone has told me, Chi’s grandmother is the coven leader. Surely Minerva’s mistaken.

  She rolls her eyes. “She’s just a front. He’s the actual leader, or should I say the one pulling all the strings. Renaud has all the power. He only delves out table scraps to make the others think they are in charge.”

  “Ahh, so the Irish witches are a threat to him?” Merde, this is crazy. I need to get out of here. With this new threat, my whole famille is in danger.

  “I’m hoping with your help, I’ll be able to fulfill my obligation to him and get rid of the witches, then he can make my amulet to protect me from Alastair.” She sits on the edge of a cushioned chair in the corner, facing me, and straightens her skirt.

  “You’ve heard from Alastair?”

  “No, but I know he’ll eventually come. He never forgets a promise.” She frowns, holding her hand out and inspecting her nails.

  I let out a low whistle, and she narrows her gaze at me. “And you’ve been a bad girl. So you believe this warlock is strong enough to protect you from your father?”

  “Enough about me. Now about you. I have a surprise.” She shoots up from the chair and leaves the room for a short period, then returns with a young, petite woman. The girl has long black hair and wide, stormy-gray eyes.

  My fangs descend at her scent. Her blood smells sweet and innocent. I growl, and Minerva brings the girl closer.

  She runs her nose up the girl’s neck, and the poor thing cringes, shivering. “Doesn’t she smell divine? I happened upon her last night and thought you might enjoy her. I know you’re not far enough gone to kill her, but soon. I think I’ll leave her here to tempt you.”

  “Minerva, let her go.” I snarl at the evil bitch and then feel bad when the girl cringes.

  “Why? She’s only food. I took a small taste, and she’s delicious. I believe I’ll leave her here for you to savor. I’ve upped my game, as you can see.”

  Minerva ties the poor girl to the bedpost, then turns my chair to face her. “It’s almost bedtime, so I’ll leave you. See you in the evening.”

  I stay silent until I know Minerva is far enough away not to hear me. “I’m sorry.”

  The girl stares at me with wide eyes, frowning. “For what? You’re a prisoner too. Who is this woman, and what is she?”

  I debate whether telling her but figure she already has a general idea. “Her name is Minerva, and she a sadistic bitch who should have been dealt with long ago. I know you’ve figured out she’s a vampire.”

  “Are you a vampire too?” the girl whispers.

  “Yes.” I smile, hoping to ease some of the girl’s anxiety, but I know the only way to do that is by getting us the hell out of here.

  “Why is she holding you prisoner?” The girl moves her body until she’s leaning against the headboard of the bed.

  “She wants me to kill you because it will give her control over me, but I don’t plan on letting that happen. What is your name?” I can�
�t help but sniff the air. I don’t know what it is about this girl’s scent, but Minerva was right about it being tempting.

  “I’m Lucy.”

  “It’s an honor to meet you, Lucy, and I am Jean Pierre.” I nod, unable to move any other part of my body. “I’m going to try to sleep. It will help me keep my strength up so I can resist you longer and give my friends time to find us. You wouldn’t happen to know where we are, would you?”

  Lucy’s eyes widen, and her gaze darts around the room. “All I know is we are somewhere in New Orleans, I think near the Garden District. I was blindfolded when I arrived, but the house is old and big. I’m thinking a mansion in the district.”

  “Thanks, that’s helpful.” I’m hoping Nyla and I can still dream together. I don’t know how this mate-dream thing works, but I hope it’s still in play. Right now, it’s the best shot I have, but every night I sleep and hope to see her, only to awaken from a dreamless day.

  “How?”

  I lift my gaze to the girl and smile. Telling her our best chance of getting out of here is a shared dream with my mate may not be the best thing to do at this point. “I don’t want to say. Just know I have people looking for me, and if I get out, you do too.”

  “Thanks, will I then be your prisoner?” She meets my stare directly, and I feel respect for her. She’s not a wilting flower, which is going to come in handy for the days ahead.

  “No, and I won’t harm you. Not all my kind are monsters.” I leave out the part where we all have the potential to become them though.

  “I guess I have no choice but to believe you and hope we can get out.” She leans her head back, staring at the ceiling.

  “I’m going to rest now, and I suggest you do too.”

  “What if she comes back?” There is a tremor in Lucy’s voice, and I wish I could offer her more hope, but I also don’t want to lie to her.

  “She’ll be asleep for the day, and so will any minions she has. Ferals can’t handle any sunlight, so at least that’s not a worry.”