Of Breath And Soul

by Jennifer Snyder

  “What did they say?”

  “To stay away or else.”

  The words made knots form in my stomach. Offering to help Tristan had sucked me into a crazy world of secrets and threats I wasn’t sure I wanted to be part of any longer. I chewed my bottom lip, wondering how different everything would be if I hadn’t offered to help. Would the dragons have taken what they wanted from me regardless? I had a sinking feeling they would have.

  “Piper, I don’t know what to say.” There was an edge to his tone I’d never heard before. It was almost as though he felt remorseful about something. I wondered if he felt bad for dragging me into this mess. “I never thought things would be this crazy.”

  “I know.” Tristan couldn’t have known things would end up being this intense. After all, he’d only been given tiny pieces of the puzzle.

  “What can I do to help?” Determination laced his words.

  My face scrunched up. “What do you mean? There isn’t anything to help with.”

  “It sounds like you need protection or something. You were threatened for crying out loud.”

  “I’m fine, Tristan, really. Reese’s grandmother is here. She made me eat this dove egg that makes it so the Vodun can’t find Jasper and me, because I wasn’t the only one who got the gift of dead birds tonight. The spell should give us back the element of surprise and allow us some time to figure out what our next move is.”

  “I thought Reese was a werewolf. How is her grandmother a witch?”

  “She is.” I leaned back against my pillow. “Her grandmother is part werewolf and part witch. It’s some sort of old school superstitious witchy stuff she used though.”

  “Dove egg? Doesn’t sound too bad. I bet you didn’t even know the difference.” He skipped over the part about Reese’s grandmother being a supernatural crossbreed. While it wasn’t taboo, and hadn’t been for many years, it wasn’t something worthy of discussing further.

  “It wasn’t horrible, once I got past the rubbery texture, which was difficult. I’m not even gonna lie.”

  “Mmm, yeah. I can’t do anything rubbery either. Mushrooms gross me out for that reason,” he said.

  “I second that. Mushrooms are slimy and rubbery. That’s a double yuck if you ask me.”

  “Double yuck, huh?” Amusement hung in his tone. “That’s cute.”

  A fluttering sensation cascaded through me at his comment. It died out as a knock sounded at my bedroom door. After all the craziness tonight, the sound had me jumping out of my skin. When the door cracked open, Jasper stuck his head in.

  “Your friends are still out here, and we’d all like to know when the next meeting with the others is,” he reminded me.

  “Right.” I frowned as my brother brought me back to reality. “Um, when can we get a meeting with the others in the morning?”

  “I already set something up for tomorrow night. They’re just as eager as you,” Tristan announced.

  I didn’t doubt it, even if it was for different reasons. While they were probably worried the link between Tristan and the mirror would fade, I was worried the Vodun would take me out before everything was done with the dragon magic.

  There was a target on my back. The Vodun had made that clear.

  Chapter 4

  I knew the meeting with the others would be insane. One, they had been told Tristan could feel the magic they all desperately wanted to be connected with again, and two, because of the Vodun and their threat.

  Threatening me threatened their ability to regain their magic.

  It was as simple as that.

  “She needs to be protected at all times,” Meili insisted for the second time, her eyes flared with agitation.

  My eyes shifted to my brother as he made a disgusted noise. “And what are you implying? That I can’t protect my sister? I’ve been doing a damn good job for the last few years. Just because some hyped-up witches sent freaky birds to our house doesn’t mean I’m not capable.”

  “No one is saying you’re not capable of taking care of her,” a guy in the back said. It was the first time I’d heard anyone besides Meili and her grandfather speak during a meeting. In fact, I wasn’t sure the others spoke English, besides Tristan, until now. “We only are acknowledging how special she is to our cause, and that we believe she should to be protected at all times because of it, given the situation. One would think this would make you happy.”

  Nods and murmurs of agreement floated throughout the room.

  “Piper’s safety is our biggest concern,” Meili said in a soft voice. While she seemed genuinely worried for my wellbeing, I knew it was only my blood she was concerned for.

  The same could be said for everyone in the room, except my brother. Unless you counted the fact that keeping my blood meant me staying alive. Then it mattered to him too.

  My eyes shifted to look at Jasper. He was chewing his bottom lip, as if contemplating what the others were saying. When he scratched the back of his neck, I knew he’d caved. I’d be getting a dragon babysitter for my protection whether I wanted one or not.

  Deep down, I was sort of relieved. Last night had been terrifying, and having a babysitter might not be the best thing in the world, but at least I knew I wouldn’t be taken out by the Vodun easily. There would always be someone within reach to help me put up a fight.

  “Fine. I’ll agree she needs to be protected at all times,” Jasper announced through clenched teeth, looking as though it pained him to agree with what they were saying. When his anger intensified, I wondered if agreeing made him feel shittier than I could comprehend. “What do you have in mind?”

  “I will be her shadow,” Meili said in a firm voice. Her back straightened and her dark eyes moved to lock on mine.

  “Which means?” It was the first time I’d spoken since we stepped into the backroom of Lucky Duck. So far, all I’d done was soak in the conversation. It had been easy to follow, until now. I needed to know what being a shadow meant to Meili. Would she have to go to the bathroom with me?

  “Wherever you go, I go,” she answered with a smug smile.

  I pressed my lips together, resisting the urge to spew the smart-ass things that filled my mind. I knew it would be best if I remained quiet. I folded my arms over my chest. While I’d wanted a babysitter, I wasn’t okay with having a damn shadow.

  “There isn’t a need for that,” Tristan insisted. “A spell has already been set in place to hide her and her brother from the magic of the Vodun.”

  “Doesn’t mean someone can’t still get to her,” Meili said without removing her hard stare from me. If anything, it seemed to intensify. It was almost as though I was her life’s mission, and she was now getting to play things out the way she’d always dreamed.

  Her grandfather leaned into her and said something in Chinese. She nodded and the others in the room did as well. I pinched the seam on my jean leg while I waited for her to translate, curious as to what he’d said.

  “Grandfather wants to know if you have set up what you need for the trip to New Orleans,” Meili said.

  “We plan to leave Friday night,” Jasper informed her.

  “Have you made any accommodations in the city yet?”

  “Nope. That’s your part of the deal.”

  Meili tipped her head to the side as she continued to stare at my brother. It was a calculated gesture. One that made me think of the scene in a movie when someone cracks all their knuckles before pounding in someone’s face. “We will now that we know when you have arranged to leave.”

  “Are we done here?” Jasper didn’t bother to thank her. It brought a smirk to my face, because I wouldn’t have thanked her either. The woman was crazy.

  “For now,” she said in a level voice.

  Jasper stood and looked at me to do the same. “We’ll be in touch.”

  Meili reached out and gripped his wrist, freezing my brother in place. While I knew she couldn’t physically pull him into a standstill, she had surprised him with the gesture. �
�I was not joking when I said I would be her shadow.”

  I blinked. Did that mean she was coming home with us? Now? Great.

  Jasper leaned in so that his face was inches from hers. A wicked grin twisted his lips as his eyes fastened on hers. “Please do.”

  I’d never seen my brother so irritated by a woman before. Sure Anna had grated his nerves more often than not, but this was different. Nothing screamed sexual tension between these two, not any more. All there seemed to be was hostility in its purest form.

  “Let me grab my things,” she insisted.

  Jasper swiped one of the paper menus off the table and glanced over it as though he was about to place an order. “Take your time.” He glanced at me. “You hungry?”

  “No.” How could I eat at time like this? I’d just been assigned a shadow who seemed to grow crazier each time I was around her. Food was the last thing on my mind.

  Meili left the room, and the others were quick to follow her. All except for Tristan. He remained where he’d been sitting. I moved to the chair beside him.

  “Think if I slip something in her drink she’ll chill out?” he asked as I sat.

  I snorted and shook my head. “God, she could use something for sure. A tranquilizer might do it. She gets more intense each time I’m around her.”

  “It’s the promise of having our magic back. I think it has gone straight to some of their heads.” He leaned his elbows against the table so that he was closer to me. “I’m not gonna lie. I’d hate to never be able to feel this again.” He smoothed his hand along his forearm, indicating to the magic inside.

  His admittance only forced the torn pieces of my mind and heart further apart. The desire to help him and his tribe get their magic back while taking out the Vodun for what they’d done to my parents was enough to fuel me, but fear of what it would cost had me doubting my choice.

  I was scared to die. Plain and simple.

  Yes, I loved my parents and I wanted to avenge their deaths, but I loved life too. While I might be sarcastic and act like a hard-ass most of the time, there was still stuff I wanted to do, places I wanted to see.

  I wasn’t ready for death. Not yet.

  “Think you can shake your shadow tonight?” Tristan whispered, pulling me from my dark thoughts.

  His question excited me. “It’s possible. Why?”

  “Because, I want to see you later.” His tone was low, controlled, and sexy. It had my heart fluttering faster than I thought possible.

  “I could try.” And I would. I wasn’t sure how yet, but knew it would be the challenge of my life to shake both Jasper and Meili at the same time. “What did you want to do?”

  “Meet me at the end of your street tonight and find out.” The dangerous glimmer in his eyes did things to my stomach.

  I realized then, Tristan was the type of guy a girl would turn bad for. Lucky for him, I was already rebellious, so there wasn’t much of a learning curve.

  “You sure you don’t want anything to eat?” Jasper called from where he stood at the door, jerking my attention to him.

  I shook my head. “No. I’m fine.” I watched as he walked out of the room, and then shifted my attention back to Tristan. “What time?”

  “Midnight.” His teeth skimmed across his bottom lip as though he was debating kissing me.

  Without giving him time to decide if he should follow through, I leaned forward and pressed my lips to his. He responded by snaking his tongue out and gliding it along my bottom lip in an effort to deepen the kiss. I allowed him the access he wanted, and felt shivers of pure pleasure dance along my spine because of it.

  Someone clearing his or her throat moments later broke us apart. I thought it was Meili, but when I glanced up, I noticed it was the lady who stood behind the cash register. The same woman I’d witnessed Tristan argue with once before. A scowl stretched across her face.

  “You finish washing dishes.” Her dark eyes narrowed on Tristan as she spoke.

  “I’ll see you later.” He placed his palms on the tabletop and pushed himself out of his chair.

  “Yeah. Later,” I breathed.

  Tristan slipped past the woman and out of the room. I remained where I was; no part of me was ready to have Meili as a shadow. At the feel of the woman’s eyes on me, I shifted to glance at her.

  “No good for him,” she said in her thick Chinese accent. While I was able to make out what she’d said, I wasn’t sure how her words made me feel. “He needs a strong dragon girl, not a weak-minded witch.” She spat into the air and gave me a disgusted look before exiting the room.

  I stared after her, wondering what the hell had happened, before realizing not everyone was into the idea of a blended supernatural relationship.

  Chapter 5

  Shaking Jasper and Meili was harder than I thought it would be; both had let protecting me become a challenge of who could do it better. It was irritating. During the two hours we’d been home since the meeting with the others, they had followed me to every room of the house except for the bathroom.

  I wasn’t sure how I was going to get away from them to meet up with Tristan, but then a miracle happened. Jasper received a work-related call and Liam stopped by. With Jasper distracted by the latest crisis in the supernatural world, and Liam asking Meili dozens of questions about her culture, I figured it would only be a matter of time before I could make my move. All I needed was for Jasper to hole up in his office or leave for a job. Liam could continue to entertain Meili with his plethora of dumb questions. And then, I would tell them both I was going to bed. After a few minutes, I should be able to sneak out my bedroom window.

  I sat on the couch beside Meili, picking at the threads along the bottom of my jeans, waiting for Jasper to pop into the room and grab his things so he could leave for a job.

  “Do you drink green tea often?” Liam asked Meili, motioning to her mug. His accent was so thick that it was almost hard to tell what he was saying. I wondered if he was adding to it to make it difficult for her to understand him. He could be an asshole sometimes, so I didn’t rule the possibility out.

  “Of course,” Meili snapped. It was clear she was irritated by his persistent questions or maybe just his presence.

  “Tea is okay I suppose, but I prefer ale myself.”

  “Ale?” Meili asked.

  “Beer,” I said. “He’s telling you he likes to drink beer.” I rolled my eyes.

  Jasper came out of his office then. Even though my heart started to pound with nerves at the sight of him, I was thankful, because I didn’t think I could handle listening to another round of Liam’s lame questions. No matter what Jasper announced he would be doing, I’d already started a mental countdown toward my supposed bedtime.

  “I’m going to be awhile,” Jasper said, cupping his hand over the speaker on his phone. “It’s work related.”

  I yawned and stretched my arms over my head, thinking now was as good a time as any. “I’m going to bed.”

  “Already?” Liam eyed me. “You don’t want to watch a movie, love?”

  “No, I’m good.” I stood and started toward the hall. There was no way I’d agree to watch a movie with Liam even if I didn’t already have plans for the night. I’d pegged him as the annoying type who never shut up. I hated people who gave commentary throughout the entire movie.

  “Suit yourself,” he called after me. “Meili will watch something with me. Won’t you?”

  She grumbled, but I couldn’t make out what. My heart beat triple time as I waited for her to charge after me, claiming we were going to have some weird slumber party all night.

  “I’ll see you in the morning,” Jasper whispered as I walked past him.

  “Night.” There was a tremor to my voice I hoped he didn’t notice.

  Once I made it to my room, I closed my door behind me and locked it. If Jasper noticed the door was locked and asked me about it later, I’d tell him I had a fear of Meili taking the whole shadow thing too seriously and attempting t
o sleep in my room. I’d tell him I needed boundaries. He’d understand. Maybe.

  My eyes shifted to the alarm clock on my nightstand. It was eleven forty-five. I had fifteen minutes to freshen up, slip out of the house, and get to the end of my street.

  Tristan might be waiting on me this time.

  I grabbed a red sweater I’d worn the other day off my bed and slipped it on. The soft fibers caressed my face as the scent of vanilla filled my nose. Thoughts of my mom swam through my mind. She’d been a lover of anything vanilla. Even vanilla ice cream, which I thought was too plain for my taste buds. I was a chocolate lover by heart.

  Twisting my long hair into a high bun, I secured it in place with the hair tie from around my wrist. Next, I applied a few swipes of my favorite coconut flavored lip gloss and eyed myself in the mirror above my dresser. I was as ready as I would ever be for whatever Tristan had in mind.

  After switching my bedroom light off, I blinked a few times in an attempt to aid my eyes in their adjustment to the dark. Once I could see, I crossed the room to my window, taking extra care not to trip over shoes and random things lying on my floor. I made a mental note to at least make a path to the window the next time I decided to sneak out.

  Hoisting the window up proved to be a challenge. Our house wasn’t the newest on the block, and the windows were a reminder of it.

  When I was finally able to lift it high enough, I popped the screen out and set it inside against the wall. Using my upper body strength, I hoisted myself up and straddled the sill, careful not to lean too far either way. As I maneuvered my right leg through the window to meet with my left, I busted my knee, which resorted in a few curse words flying from my lips louder than I intended. My breath hitched in my throat as I waited to see if anyone would come running. When enough time passed for me to believe no one would, I propelled myself from the window, landing on my feet. The drop wasn’t far, only a couple of feet since our house was one level.