Midnight Coven (Devil's Roses Book 7) (The Devil's Roses)

by Tara Brown

  The inside of the house is calm. My daddy is gone, thanks to the magical trap being sprung. My poor daddy. I hate that Whit even used a fake version of him for that. It shows his level of cruelty and desperation.

  When we get to the second floor I sense it. I don't like the whole witches talking in each other’s heads thing but I look at Henry and think as loud as I can, ‘He’s in my bedroom!’ For this I will break my rule of not using that power.

  Henry nods, walking up the stairs looking like a bad guy, but I know he’s got a heart of gold. Only he doesn’t have a heartbeat, like everyone else. I slip up behind him, trying not to wonder about the bowler hat. It’s so strange.

  The door is closed and the room is silent. Henry opens it with magic, by waving his hands a little. The door creeks open, making a sound that grates on my nerves and makes the hair on my arms stand on end.

  A girl in a pale dress is dead on the floor. She’s as white as her dress, bled out completely. Whit is sitting on my bed, holding Bunny. It makes me sick seeing Bunny that way, held in his greasy hands. He doesn't lift his gaze from my rabbit when we enter the room, just the two of us. But he does speak slowly. “I wanted to save you. Every night those cold whispers would linger in the air around you. Every night you were so scared, such a wee little girl deep down. I wanted to make you strong enough to fight anything.” His eyes lift and I see he’s been crying. The inky stains of his black blood have slipped down his pale cheeks. His eyes don't dart to Henry or even acknowledge the rest of them. “Don't you see that? I loved you.”

  I shake my head, realizing suddenly vampires really can’t love. It's not any different from Marcus. He uses witches to feel again because he can suck the emotions from us and fill himself up. I know this because I did it back to him.

  Whit closes his eyes for a second, taking a deep breath. “I just loved you and I just wanted you to love me back. You want to know my evil plan? Well, that's it. I wanted to show my father the Blackwater line was dead and gone and you were not a witch. I had him convinced until you froze Rydal.” He shakes his head. “Damned Inger, he smelled you out and then you used magic.”

  I’m shaking a little but I have to be strong against him. He still smells like the sweetest air I have ever breathed in. “You can’t love, Whit. You’re a soulless creature. You steal love and pretend it’s yours, but it can’t ever be. We can’t ever be. You never were the one thing I needed you to be.”

  He waits for me to speak but I can see the arguments all over his face.

  “You were never human and I was.”

  He opens his mouth to scream. I see the rage everywhere but Henry has him. He’s moved so fast for a bigger guy. He holds Whit perfectly still and looks at me with his dark eyes, offering me the kill.

  I force myself to walk to Whit. I force my hands across his throat, gripping to him. I force the words from my lips. “The souls you stole may claim you now.” I stand on my tiptoes and press my lips against his, one last time—savoring the taste of my love for him all over my lips. I pull Bunny from his clutches and step back.

  They, the dead, come and surround him, lifting him from Henry’s arms. He looks like he’s being hung on the cross as his arms come out and his head tilts back. A scream like I have never heard, except when my sister was a ghost, rips from his lips.

  I step back even farther as he is ripped to pieces.

  Henry gives me a look, like even he might be a tad surprised at that one.

  Lorri walks into the room, standing next to me, with her arms folded at her chest. “What in the hell did you do to that man?”

  “When I kissed him I made his mouth the gateway for all of the dead witches his family has cursed. Each witch will tear through him on her way to the other side, taking the piece of soul he stole back. He will pay the debt for each of his brothers and father.”

  She cringes. “I knew I liked you.”

  We stand and watch, as he is taken to the other side, piece by piece.

  It’s the least satisfying death I have ever watched, mostly because one piece of me left with him. The piece that was once my innocent heart.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Fifty years later

  2012

  The Roses Training Headquarters

  I walk along the hall, a bit excited to see her again. It’s been so long, too long. When I get into the office, her eyes lift as do her lips. She squeals and jumps from the chair, wrapping herself around me. “LORELEI!” Em shouts.

  I hug back, taking a deep inhale of her hair. “How’s things?”

  She shakes her head. “You know, same old same old. Lorri is tracking Jonathan and Oliver and I have been helping Lorri with training and whatnot. How are you? How’s England?”

  “The same. Busy. The English Roses are taking down a blood brothel right now, so it’s fairly nasty. Human trafficking has not made our work easier.” I shrug.

  She wrinkles her nose. “Speaking of changes, Tessa is in a home now. Did you hear?”

  I nod. “Took her there myself. She’s doing wonderfully. Adjusting well. I swear that woman is gonna live forever.”

  Her eyes look funny when she nods along.

  “What?”

  She shakes her head but I can see something is there. “The girl you got to send you home last time, she’s here now.” What she means to say is the girl, who Em and Angie never believed me about, is here.

  My insides burn. “I know. Marcus called me. Told me Ari was here. Said I should come and meet her.”

  “You going to see if she can send someone back, like Tessa?” She looks scared and hopeful.

  It makes me laugh but not in a good way. I laugh because it’s ironic that she wants me to go back this time. I know Em has been stalking Greg for years. I know she has wished she could be a normal girl forever. But I don't have the option this time. I shake my head. “No. Tessa could make it so we’re never born. No. I’m not gonna do that.” I look around for her partner in crime. “Where’s Angie?”

  She rolls her eyes. “Seducing some young thing. He’s buff and annoying. He smells like cookies and sex. It’s ridiculous.” Her eyes sparkle. “Want to go interrupt her?”

  I shake my head. “No. I’ll catch you both at dinner?”

  “He’s pretty sexy.” She bats her eyelashes at me.

  “You go on. I have some things to do here and then I’ll see you after.”

  “I probably shouldn't go either.” She looks down at her books and computer, as her tone changes and becomes serious. “I have some things to do here too. I have a bad feeling someone is a double agent for the bad guys. Things aren’t adding up. I think I’m almost certain who it is. I’m going to talk to Lorri as soon as she gets back.”

  I nod. “Good call. God knows we have enough to worry about without our people switching sides and believing Jonathan’s load of crap.”

  She looks up from her computer screen. “See you at dinner then!”

  I wave, walking down the hall to the study. Marcus is there, sitting in a chair smiling away at me. “Well, if it isn’t the girl who reneges on proper deals. Haven’t seen you since the last time you refused to fulfill your end of the bargain.”

  I roll my eyes. “I don't owe you squat and I saw you a week ago. You are always trying to get me to owe you for everything under the sun.” It’s been fifty years of casual sex and blood swapping but in the last few years I have noticed a remarkable change in him. He has obsessions beyond me now. It’s weird but also good. We laugh and joke and talk and somehow it has all become something. Something I refuse to acknowledge beyond casual sex but I know it's more.

  I catch black hair from the corner of my eye and turn to see her there—the girl. She seems meeker and maybe a little skittish or submissive, and not much like she was when I met her. But even if she doesn't look the same, there is no way I could ever forget those soulless eyes. They’re the same as Dorian’s. Another person I have spent fifty years getting to know and love in a way that confuses me
. I think it confuses him too.

  I smile at her, pushing away my random thoughts. “Ari, how are you?”

  She frowns, not remembering me, obviously.

  Marcus holds a hand out to me. “This is Lorelei. She’s a pain in my ass.”

  Ari smiles. “Then I guess we must be friends.” We both laugh.

  Marcus crosses his arms, looking like he might have one of his epic fits. “I was going to tell you some good news out of the kindness of my heart and you scorn me with that venom. Fine.”

  I sit down next to him on the chair, squishing in. “Spill, old man.” I wink at Ari.

  He gives me a look. I nod. “I’ll owe you.” I do love owing him.

  The twinkle returns to his dark-blue eyes. “She can push you. Your soul hasn't left you, you never completed the vampire death, so you are not one of the soulless.”

  My jaw drops. I look at her. “You can push me?”

  She shakes her head, backing up a bit. “Please, don't make me.”

  I look at Marcus, ignoring her plea. “You sure?”

  He nods. “Tested it out last week myself. She works like a hot damn.”

  Ari’s eyes narrow with worry. “Please. I don’t want to do it. I don't want to hurt you.”

  I reach forward, gripping to her. “Trust me. You can’t.”

  She swallows hard, nodding.

  I look back at Marcus. “I compel you to remember everything from now on. Her magic won’t work on your memories.”

  He repeats the sentence and winks at me. “See you on the flip side, love.”

  I look back at Ari. She shakes her head. “You sure we should do this?”

  “Very sure. I have an idea on how this works.” I nod, smiling softly. She knows I’m one of the higher ups here. I wouldn't do something if it wasn't allowed or expected.

  She leans forward, creating something of a wind. The air sparkles with her brand of magic. She’s making everything hot and detached. My words and breath get lost in the heaviness of it all.

  I see school. School and Angie, and then I feel like I’m spinning a mile a minute. Everything in the room is silent and still but me.

  And then everything goes black.

  I blink and I’m in something hard and my back is aching. My whole body is different. I‘m tired and hungry and every bit of me aches in a dull way. The light coming in the window bugs me. I jump at first, realizing it’s daylight.

  Ms. Mitchell drones on.

  I’m in finishing school. I glance at Angie.

  Holy shit, it worked!

  I’m me again. I remember everything all the different way. It’s confusing and exhausting, but I am in the 1950s again and I am a regular girl.

  Ms. Mitchell points to the green board and slaps the underlined words with her pointer stick. I almost laugh and run around the classroom hugging people. I want to run out into the sunlight and streak across the grounds but that might get me arrested.

  Ms. Mitchell is saying her spiel. "A lady should be innocent until marriage. She should always ensure her appearance is not only respectable, but also attractive. Having dinner scheduled with the help is obviously important. Freshening up before he arrives home from work is a must. If you ignore everything else, remember this—no man wants to come home from work to find his wife as he left her." Her steel-grey eyes float past our faces with severity and judgment, just like they did once a long time ago.

  The girl next to me leans in and whispers, "Sweet Jesus, that woman is a wind bag." I nod, ignoring her and lost in everything repeating itself.

  Ms. Mitchell pushes up her horn-rimmed glasses and watches us all like we are criminals. She looks exactly the same. Her severe, bright-red lips are always drawn on, just as her black arched eyebrows are. Everything about her is perfect and cold and exactly like I recall.

  She whacks the board again and keeps on talking.

  Angie makes a face. "I hope I don't end up with no gentleman. I want someone like James Dean or nothing." She has no idea how wrong she is.

  Is everything going to repeat? I might go crazy from the déjà vu.

  Ms. Mitchell crosses the room, nattering on. "Now tomorrow's lesson will be about hiring the help to ensure your home runs smoothly. We will actually have a woman in from an agency to discuss this with us. You may talk quietly amongst yourselves until the bell rings." She walks to her desk and sits with some papers.

  Angie leans over and whispers. "Sweet God. If her back was any straighter, they'd be sending a dive team in her ass to get the stick out. That speech was exactly why I am never marrying. I don’t care what tortures they inflict upon my flesh, I will never be some man's slave. Hell no."

  “Me and you need to talk.”

  “What?” She looks a bit worried and I forgot how easy it was to mess with her. Just looking serious is enough to make her crazy. "You have to tell, Lorelei. What’s wrong?"

  I bite my lip and look at her sideways. I don't know how to tell her or what to say.

  “Dear lord.” Her face drops. “You know, don't you? I heard your daddy was selling you off to the Ryan family and now I can see it. That's what you’re gonna tell me, isn’t it? I was gonna act surprised, but I can’t keep it in when I know that's what you’re gonna tell me.”

  I nod, trying to recall if this was how it all went. She did act surprised. I can’t believe she knew all along. My breathing increases as I fan myself. I’m dying from the heat and whatever that pain is in my belly. I never felt much of anything when I was—well the other versions of me. I ain’t been a real girl for a long time.

  "Not him. Anyone but him, Lorelei." Angie shakes her head. Her eyes have the same worry they did last time.

  I have to remember to be me. What would I say in this moment? "What’s wrong with the Ryan family? They're wealthy and he is by far the most striking bachelor in all of Louisiana." I want to gag on my words and go find him and murder him.

  Yikes. Old me is a moron.

  Her face is covered with disgust and fear. "Firstly, they're Yankees. That means he don't count as eligible in the South, sweets. Secondly, Martin has already—well you know. He has experiences you don’t. He dated Margery Banks. I heard they did a few things you and I haven’t learned how to do yet. Clearly, our home economics and hers differ."

  “What all did you hear?” I feel the strangest sensation. I want to hear what she has to say and believe it. This is Ari’s magic at work. She is making me pick to believe Angie. Thank God.

  "Mandy's momma told my momma that Margery's momma made a comment about tying Margery's legs together until she was married. Ouuuie. My momma woulda tied my legs shut, all right. I wouldn’t have seen the light of day for a decade if she caught me doing that. Apparently, she caught them in the act and Margery was on her knees, and girl, she wasn't doing no prayin."

  “Oh God, that's nasty. Poor Mandy and her poor momma.”

  “Yes, bless her heart.” She shrugs and pulls her dark hair back, fanning her face. “You need to tell your daddy to break that off, right away. Run him outta town.”

  “I will.” I reach for her hand. “Thanks for being my friend.”

  She winks. “Friends till the end.” If only she knew how wrong she is about that.

  Class ends and we walk out to the hallway, strolling and sighing. She continues fanning herself as she opens her locker door. "There ain't a breeze in the whole county. I need a swim. Let's go to my house. I’ll tell you all about how I let the Italian Stallion run his hands inside of my blouse yesterday."

  I choke. "You're vile, Angelina Palatino." My stomach sinks.

  “Wanna come to my place for a swim or not? ‘Cause the story is essential to the swim.”

  I almost say no but my head nods for me. Ari’s magic is still working. “I’ll get Ramón and he can drive us over there together.”

  When we get outside, Ramón is sitting in the car waiting. He looks positively drenched in sweat. He jumps out and opens the door for me. I want to run and hug him and sme
ll him, but he saw me this morning technically and that would be crazy impropriate. Girls like me don't hug the help.

  "Good afternoon, goddess." His eyes dart to Angie and he gives her a slight nod. “Goddess’ slightly lesser friend who I ain’t judging.”

  Angie bats her eyes. “You know you love me.”

  I smile and offer a slight bow before I climb in. "Good afternoon, Sir Ramón."

  He jumps in and starts the car. I tie on my kerchief and open the window. “It’s cursed hot. Ramón, we are going to Angie’s house for a swim.”

  He nods. “Okay. You two have a good day?"

  “I had a great day.”

  His eyes glance in the rearview at us. “You girls hungry?”

  Angie looks at me. “She’s gonna pass out if you don't get her some food. I saw her eating her pencil in class.”

  I snort. “That ain’t true.”

  "Tis true, I know it. Your momma is always cutting your calories so much, I'm getting worried at how skinny you getting." Ramón gives me a worried look.

  I smile at him, remembering how much I love him. "Lordy, you're good for my self-confidence."

  He shakes his head and passes me back a package. My fingers tremble when I open it. I didn't notice how bad the pain was, but I do know that I smell the food. I am dying of hunger. Dear Jesus, is this what I felt like all the time, before? I pass half to Angie, almost wishing I didn't have to. She moans into her first bite. “Oh lord, this is a good sandwich.”

  Inside the foil is the turkey sandwich with all the fixins, from last time. The taste is remarkable just like I remember.

  I’m enjoying the meal so much I hardly notice his dark eyes in the mirror are watching me eating. "How long since she let you eat a real meal?"

  I shake my head. "Lemon water for the last three days." My words come out in mumbles and mouthfuls as my body and memory start to adjust to the time change.

  His dark-red lips press tightly together. "I'm gonna poison her one day—y'all need to know that shit."