Jessica’s head whipped around. “Whatever you do, don’t name it aloud. That only gives it power.” She turned back to the white candle and began to invoke the goddess, banishing darkness, pushing it back.
She might not name it aloud, but in her heart Sabrina feared she knew what was out there in the darkness. The devil card from her tarot deck had only solidified what she’d already expected. For some unknown reason, she’d attracted the attention of Satan himself. Some folks might scoff at the notion, but not her. Evil was as real as goodness, and the devil personified it.
Sabrina.
She whipped her head around when she heard her name being called. Her friends continued to chant and pray as though they’d heard nothing.
Sabrina.
The dark, cultured voice echoing in her head was the same one from her dreams. A huge lump formed in her throat, making it almost impossible for her to swallow.
Step out of the circle. Come to me.
She’d never been a very religious person, but she began to pray, begging God to help her, to save her from whatever was out there.
Male laughter exploded around her and she clapped her hands over her ears to try to block it out. It did no good. The laughter was all around her, inside her.
Like poison, she felt it trying to seep into her very pores. “No,” she whispered. Closing her eyes, she pictured her wolf, the one from her dreams, the one tattooed on her back, asking, no pleading, for protection.
Once again, male laughter split her skull. He will not protect you.
A long, low howl far in the distance filled her with hope and a burst of strength. You’re not welcome here. She shoved with all her mental might, hoping to kick whatever or whoever it was out of her brain.
It retaliated swiftly. Sabrina’s eyes jerked open and she fell to her knees, clutching her throat as her air was cut off. It was as though someone was choking her.
She heard Tilly’s yell of concern. Jessica said something to her, but she couldn’t understand it. Her skin was clammy and her heart pounded, lungs strained as she struggled to breathe. Someone hit her hard on the back, jolting her. She sucked in a small amount of air but then it was cut off once again.
Her vision grew dark around the edges. She was going to die.
A woman’s voice sifted into her consciousness. No, you won’t die. Sabrina clung to the promise and the comfort in the unknown voice. Another wolf’s howl echoed inside her, this one closer, louder.
The darkness retreated as swiftly as it had come, jerking away from her so suddenly she would have toppled to the side if Tilly hadn’t caught her.
“Are you okay?” Tilly shook her slightly. “Talk to me.”
“I’m okay.” Her voice was little more than a croak, as though she had a bad cold. Her throat was actually sore and she rubbed her neck.
Tilly’s gaze shot to Jessica. “What the hell was that?”
Jessica shook her head, picked up the candle and began to go around the circle, this time in reverse. Once the elements were all thanked and dismissed and the circle opened, Jessica picked up the dried-herb bundle, relit it and started around the room again.
“Help me to the sofa.” The floor seemed harder with each passing second. Her entire body was exhausted, her skin tender.
Tilly helped her stand and led her to the sofa. Sabrina collapsed against the cushions, breathing a sigh of relief. Breathing had never felt quite this good before.
“I’m going to make you some hot tea.” Tilly was started toward the kitchen when Jessica called out to her.
“Use the tea leaves in the outside pocket of my bag. It will help.”
Tilly backtracked and dug out the bag of tea leaves before heading to the kitchen. Sabrina closed her eyes and soaked in the sounds of her friends. Jessica’s voice was low and powerful as she made her way through the apartment again, cleansing and blessing it. She could hear Tilly rummaging around the kitchen, which her friend knew as well as her own, digging out mugs, the teapot and diffuser.
Her heart slowed and her breathing finally went back to normal. Her clothing clung to her body and she longed for a shower but, for the first time in her life, was afraid to take one, afraid to leave herself naked and vulnerable to whatever was stalking her. She shivered, grabbed one of the throw pillows and clutched it to her chest. How had this happened to her?
She sensed Jessica standing next to her and opened her eyes. Her friend stared down at her, concern etched on her delicate features as she waved the bundle of sage and sweet grass around her. The aromatic smoke wafted over her and made her feel a little stronger. When she was done, Jessica went back to the table and set the smudge stick carefully inside the seashell.
Tilly carried a tray from the kitchen and set it on the floor in front of the sofa. “I figured we could all use some of this tea, and I found some oatmeal cookies in your stash.” Sabrina almost always had treats of some kind in her kitchen and she was glad for it now.
Jessica pulled a pillow from the sofa, dropped it onto the floor and gracefully sank down on it, legs crossed tailor style. “Well, that was a bit more intense than I was expecting.” Jessica took the mug Tilly offered her.
Sabrina was about to take a sip of tea but paused. “A bit more?” Really, her friend was the master of understatement.
Tilly drank down half her tea in one swallow before reaching for a cookie. “What exactly was that?”
Jessica shook her head. “It’s really better not to name it, but we all know what we think it was.” She turned to Sabrina. “You haven’t been fooling around with black magic or voodoo or anything like that, have you? Maybe opened a portal for something nasty to come through?”
Sabrina shook her head and shoved a lock of hair out of her face, ignoring how lank and damp it was. “You know I’ve had the occasional psychic vision and have excellent intuition, but beyond that, I read the tarot cards, that’s it.” She’d always had an affinity for the cards. Her granny had always said the touch of psychic awareness she had made her a natural with them. “I don’t fool around with anything dark. Granny taught me better than that.”
“I figured, but I had to ask.” Jessica took another sip of tea and grabbed a cookie. Sabrina wanted one, but her throat was still sore so she settled for drinking the tea, which seemed to be a predominantly lemon with a few other things she couldn’t quite place. Rosehips maybe. Whatever was in the tea, it was good and was soothing her abused throat.
Tilly pointed at Sabrina. “For whatever reason, this…thing is attracted to you. The question remains, what do we do about it?” She finished her tea and set her mug aside. “The gris-gris and the smudging and salt didn’t seem to do much good.”
“I don’t know about that.” Jessica took a bite of her cookie, chewed and swallowed. “I think it might have been worse if we hadn’t done that.”
“Maybe we just pissed it off.” That was the sense that she’d gotten. Whatever had been haunting her dreams had been angry at her attempts to keep it out.
“I need to do some more research,” Jessica announced. “I’ll check my grandmother’s diary.” Sabrina knew Jessica’s grandmother had also been a witch who’d died a few years ago. Jessica’s mother had done her best to deny any part of her heritage, actively discouraging Jessica from pursuing it, which is why she’d finally left home and come to New Orleans.
“You want one of us to stay with you tonight?” Tilly asked.
Sabrina wanted to say yes, but didn’t want to put her friends in harm’s way. “Could you stay while I get a shower?”
Tilly’s dark brown eyes softened. “Of course we’ll stay.”
Jessica rose and went back to her seemingly bottomless bag and pulled out a cake of homemade soap. “I was going to give this to you. It’s lavender. It will help relax you and cleanse away any negativity.”
Sabrina took the soap and held it to her nose, letting the light, delicate scent fill her. She loved lavender. “Thanks.” Tears filled her eyes, but she blinked
them back. “I won’t be long.”
“Take your time.” Tilly waved away her concern. “We’ll clean up out here while you shower.”
She pushed herself off the sofa and reached out to Tilly. She pulled her friend into her arms and hugged her. “Thank you for being there for me.” Tilly rubbed her hand over Sabrina’s back, offering silent comfort. When they stepped back, both of them gave a watery laugh. Tilly rubbed her eyes and started gathering the tea mugs.
Jessica waited like a silent woodland sprite. Sabrina hadn’t known her nearly as long as she’d known Tilly, but she felt the same way about her. “Thank you,” she whispered. Jessica slid her arms around Sabrina’s waist and hugged her tight, her grip strong and sure.
“We’ll figure this out,” her friend promised.
Sabrina nodded and hurried out of the room, stopping in her bedroom long enough to gather a clean pair of panties and a nightgown. She went into the bathroom, shut the door and stared at herself in the mirror.
Long streaks of red covered her neck and, the more she stared at them, the more they resembled fingers. It looked as though someone or something had grabbed her by the neck. Maybe she’d done it herself when she was choking and had clutched at her throat. It was entirely possible.
The necklace and gris-gris bag hung there, symbols of protection that she wasn’t certain had worked at all. Or maybe things would have gone worse for her if she hadn’t been wearing them. There was no way to know.
She slowly removed both, setting them carefully on the vanity. Her neck was blotchy, but her face was deathly pale, making her eyes seem even greener.
She turned away from her reflection and turned on the water, making sure it was just barely warm. She set the lavender soap in the dish and tugged off her clothing, stuffing it all into the laundry hamper before stepping under the spray.
Tilting her head upward, she let the water wash over her. It felt so good against her sticky skin, cleansing and renewing. Grabbing the soap, she worked it between her hands until she’d built up a thick lather and then rubbed it gently over her skin. Normally, she’d use a cloth or a loofah sponge, but her skin felt too sensitive, as though all the nerve endings were exposed.
She immediately felt better as the sweat and fear was swept from her skin and the healing scent of the lavender surrounded her. Next came her hair. She grabbed her shampoo and squeezed a dollop into her hand. It was amazing how something as simple as being clean could make a person feel better.
As soon as the shampoo was rinsed from her hair, she turned off the water. She grabbed a towel and wrapped it around her head and then reached for another one. She patted her skin dry and took the time to moisturize before donning her panties and a short cotton nightgown.
Then she unwound the towel from her head, sprayed on some leave-in conditioner and quickly blew it dry. The noise from the hairdryer seemed extra loud, but she knew all her senses were heightened from the experience she’d had tonight. When she was done, she brushed out the thick mass and braided it to help keep it out of her way.
It only took her a few minutes to tidy away the bathroom and slip the two amulets around her neck again. Whether they worked or not was irrelevant. Her friends had given them to her and they offered comfort.
There was no putting off the inevitable any longer. Her friends had to go home and she had to face this night alone.
Hades peered out at the legion of demons that stood waiting on his every mood, every whim. Heat and steam surrounded them, making it difficult to breathe. No human, and not many demons, could survive here. They were deep in the bowels of Hell. These were his toughest, most single-minded demons. They were all tall, all thickly muscled and well trained. They would all, to the last demon, die for him, and they were his to command.
When the time came for him to launch his plan to take over the world, there would be no mistakes. Whether or not Arand joined him or ended up dead remained to be seen.
Agmar, the leader of the group, stood off to his right, his red eyes glowing with anticipation. The seven-foot demon was smarter than most, but not a threat to Hades, not like Mordecai was.
“They are ready at your command.” Agmar bowed at the waist.
Hades liked the demon’s tone and posture. It was one of deference. One that assured Hades the demon knew who was the master and who was the servant. “Good. Keep them training. I want them ready at a moment’s notice.”
He turned and walked away.
Agmar yelled at his men. “You heard the Dark Lord. Begin training.”
Metal struck metal. Yells and the occasional scream of pain could be heard in the distance as Hades passed over a thin rock bridge that looked down upon a fiery river afloat with lost, lamenting souls. He paused halfway across to peer down at them. Such lovely souls, and all his. Soon there would be more.
Mordecai was training most of his troops, but Agmar was in charge of Hades’ elite guard. These were the demons he would take with him when the invasion of the world began. He trusted them at his back in a way he could not trust Mordecai. These demons feared him. The serpent did not.
But that would change. And soon.
Satisfied all was as it should be, Hades continued on to his private quarters, reviewing his plans all the way there.
Chapter Four
A renewed sense of hope filled Sabrina as she made her way home late the next afternoon. Although she’d thought she’d never be able to close her eyes after what had happened in her apartment last evening, she’d slept like a baby—once she’d managed to get to sleep. It had taken her several hours after her friends left before she’d even begun to relax. Every noise, from the creaking of the building to the swish of the wind outside her window had her breaking out in a cold sweat.
Maybe the worst was over.
And maybe she had some swampland she could sell to a northern land developer. She was lying to herself and she knew it. She had the sense that whatever was out there was simply biding its time. Waiting. Watching.
“Shake it off,” she muttered. She’d had a great day in the Square, selling several more paintings and art cards, as well as doing several charcoal sketches that had immediately been purchased by the tourists who’d watched her draw them. She’d had an excellent month so far and had sold far more canvases than she’d anticipated. It would soon be time to hit the art shop for more supplies.
Her easel, stool and remaining paintings seemed extra heavy today and she hitched them over her shoulders. She wished she lived a bit closer, or could at least afford a car. Maybe she should look into a rolling cart of some kind. Not a bad idea. She’d made extra money this month and could afford it. A cart would allow her to carry more paintings with her to sell in the Square, and she could write off the cost as a business expense.
Pleased with the idea, she mulled over the possibilities as she continued her journey toward home. Her cell phone rang, interrupting her musings, and she sighed before setting down her belongings and digging through her tote. The phone was in here somewhere. She pulled it out, glanced at the call display and smiled. “Hey.”
“Hey, yourself. How are you doing?” It was the fifth time Tilly had called her today, but Sabrina appreciated her friend’s concern.
“Doing good. Had a great day.” She shaded her eyes against the glare of the sun, loving the warmth upon her skin. “Heading home to get cleaned up and changed before I hit the café.” She was doing tarot readings at Café Ledet again tonight. Then her schedule would ease off slightly. All her evenings between Friday and Sunday were left open for serious painting time as well as time with her friends. Her life was full and busy, but she wouldn’t have it any other way.
“Don’t forget to eat something.”
“Yes, Mother,” she replied wryly. Tilly’s deep, full laughter filled her ears.
“Okay,” Tilly responded. “I’ll take the hint and try not to nag, at least not too much.”
Sabrina sobered. “I appreciate your concern and your help. I’ll b
e at the café in a couple of hours.”
“Why don’t you take the evening off and rest?” Tilly suggested. “You don’t have any booked appointments, just drop-ins. I can call one of the other women to take your place.”
An evening alone at home. Normally, she’d be thrilled with the idea, but after what had happened there last night, not so much. But it would allow her to start work on a new painting, maybe even watch some television or read a book. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d done either of those last two things.
“I think I’ll do that, Tilly.”
“I know I said I wouldn’t nag, but stop somewhere and pick up something to eat.”
“I will,” she promised. “I’ll call you later.” She said goodbye and tucked her phone back into her tote. Gathering her waning strength, she hoisted her belongings onto her shoulder and trudged toward home.
She loved walking Decatur Street. There was always so much to see, to hear and to smell. There were people everywhere, wearing all different kinds of clothing. Folks from all walks of life, from the very poor to the ultra-rich were all drawn to this city. The languages ranged from English to Cajun and everything in-between, various dialects and accents giving the sound a musical quality. And speaking of music, it poured out of the various bars and restaurants she passed, some of it classy and low, while some of it was loud and toe tapping. And the smells. The smells made her mouth water and her stomach growl.
She’d promised Tilly she’d pick up something to eat, but she didn’t have enough arms to carry everything. It would be easier to call in an order to her favorite takeout and have them deliver.
Now that she’d made the decision, she was excited about taking an evening off. Maybe Jessica would come over and join her. They’d spent most of the day together, selling their goods in Jackson Square, but Jessica was usually up for a girl’s night.
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