by Deanna Chase
“I told you, Kane helped.” I yawned and snuggled into the cushion.
“Well, whatever happened, I’m proud of you.”
I met her kind eyes and felt warmth spread in my chest. “Take care of her,” I said as I closed my eyes. “Bring Zoe back.”
“I’ll do my best, Jade.”
I nodded, barely registering the words. Sleep was already claiming me.
Chapter 25
I woke the next morning with a start and bolted upright, blinking in the bright light.
Kane rolled over and placed a hand on my thigh. “What is it?” he asked sleepily.
The familiar red hibiscus bedspread came into focus. My shoulders relaxed as I slumped against our headboard. We were at home in our own bed. Glancing down at myself, I took in the green silk nighty and frowned. “Kane?”
“Hmm.” He tugged me back down and slipped an arm around me. “What is it?”
“How did we get here? And how did I end up wearing this?” I tugged the hem of my lingerie.
One of his eyes popped open. He flicked his gaze to the clock and groaned. “It’s not even seven yet.”
“Kane.” I pushed on his shoulder. “Wake up. What happened with Zoe? Is she okay?”
He pressed a hand to his head and then turned his gaze on me. “Bea’s taking care of her. You passed out hard, so I decided to not wake you up. A cab brought us home, and I carried you inside. That was…” He paused and looked at the clock again. “Hmm, less than four hours ago.”
Goodness. I must’ve been dead to the world. “I don’t remember any of that.”
His eyes closed again and his arm tightened around me. “I’m sure you don’t. After you fell asleep on Bea’s couch, you were restless and seemed upset. So Bea cast a spell to really put you out.”
“What?” I bolted upright again. “And you let her?”
He peered at me. “You don’t trust Bea?”
“It’s not that I don’t trust her, it’s just that… Crap.” I slid out of the bed and stood in the middle of the room, my hands on my hips. “What if something else had happened? What then?”
Kane heaved himself up on a sigh. “Then I imagine she would’ve cast another spell to wake you up. But really, love, what do you think was going to happen while you were at her house?”
“I don’t know.” I stomped into the bathroom and shut the door. He knew how much I loathed being spelled. Hell, it had taken months for me to even come around to the idea of taking Bea’s healing herbs. But to be put under by a spell after everything that had happened? It was unconscionable.
The floor tiles were cool under my feet as I stepped into the shower and adjusted the water to scalding. But instead of going through my morning routine, I just stood there, seething.
After a few minutes, the shower door opened, and Kane poked his head in. “Is it okay if I join you?”
The fact that he was asking meant he knew just how upset I was. On any other day, he would’ve just slipped in and wrapped his arms around me.
The apprehensive look on his face softened me and the anger slowly started to fade. “It’s fine.”
The door shut softly as Kane stepped up behind me. Without saying a word, he grabbed the shampoo and went to work on washing my hair. He took his time massaging my scalp and by the time he was done, I was putty in his hands.
“I’m sorry, pretty witch,” he said softly as he brushed his lips over my shoulder. “I was worried about you and wanted you to get some rest. It’s been a rough few days.”
I turned in his arms and gazed up at him. Those wise chocolate-brown eyes were full of so much love, my heart melted all over again. “I know you were just trying to take care of me.”
He nodded and brushed a lock of my wet hair over my shoulder. “Yes, I was.”
“I might have a small problem with control when it comes to spells and magic.” I gave him a whisper of a smile.
“A small one?” He grinned.
“Shut up,” I said without any heat. I probably was irrational when it came to my stance on being spelled. It wasn’t like I ever hesitated to spell anyone when I thought the person could help me. I was pretty sure my resistance was leftover PTSD from when my mother had gone missing during a routine spell when I was just fifteen. Of course, it turned out she’d been abducted by a demon and her spell hadn’t been the problem at all. But I was still scarred. “I’m aware I have issues.”
Kane shook his head. “Not any we can’t work through.” Then he dipped his head and claimed my lips with his. The kiss started out slow and sweet, but quickly escalated to hot and desperate. Before I knew it, he had me pressed against the shower wall, his hard length grinding against me. “I want you, Jade.”
“I’m already yours.” I hooked one leg around his hip and guided him to my center. A low moan reverberated from the back of his throat as he slowly entered me.
Our eyes met, and then in one swift movement, he lifted me. My legs automatically locked around his waist as he showed me exactly how much he loved me.
***
I was leaning against the counter in the kitchen, sipping a chai latte, when Kane strode in clutching his phone. “We’re all set. Lailah’s meeting us in the angel realm in ten minutes.”
After taking one last gulp of my tea, I set the cup on the counter and took his hand. “Chessandra knows we’re coming?”
“Yes. The invitation should be here any moment now.” We were headed to the angel realm to relay our news of the demon, the Goddess, and the status of the shadows. While we were there, we planned to bring Pyper back with us. With the Goddess destroyed, the threat to her life was gone.
Kane and I moved to the living room and waited. The ticking from the clock on the wall filled the silence and only seemed to get louder the longer we waited. My knee bounced involuntarily as nerves took over.
“Relax, Jade. Everything’s going to be fine,” Kane said mildly as he updated the club’s Facebook page. Charlie had gone back to her apartment this morning, but before she’d left, the pair of them had decided to reopen the club as soon as possible. Tonight was the night. Kane was posting a two-for-one drinks special. An emergency crew had already been called in to clean up and repair any damage.
“You don’t know that,” I said. “The angels do whatever’s best for them and no one else.”
“But what would they want with Pyper? She’s just a regular person.”
I shrugged. “I’m just trying to be prepared is all.”
“You’re worrying too much.” He put his phone on the end table and turned to me. “The angels—”
The bright light of the angel calling filled the middle of the room.
“Time to go,” I said and together we stepped into the light.
The world blurred and an instant later we were standing in a completely white room decorated with rich gold and deep plum accents. The rug was a checkered pattern of gold and plum, while the white couch was adorned with plum pillows. A gold tapestry hung on the wall above the couch.
“Good morning.” Chessandra’s voice came from behind us.
We turned to find her sitting at a gold antiqued desk, wearing a sleek white suit. Her hair was slicked back and makeup applied perfectly. She should’ve been the height of sophistication, except no amount of makeup could hide the large circles under her eyes and the fatigue lining her face. She hadn’t fared well the last few days either.
“Have a seat,” she said.
Kane and I glanced at each other and then sat in a pair of white winged-back chairs.
“Good morning,” I said, wondering where we were. Usually we met with her with the council present or in the room just off the dais. “New office?”
She took a sip of what appeared to be tea. After replacing the cup on her desk, she sat back, folding her arms over her chest. “These are my private quarters.”
Kane and I shared a confused look.
“I want to hear what you have to say before I pass it on to the council.�
�� She flipped a notebook open and grabbed a pencil. “I assume you’re here with positive news?”
Kane leaned forward. “The shadows have been restored, and the demon who was tainting it has been destroyed. We’ve prepared a report. Lailah will submit it once she arrives.”
The high angel raised one eyebrow. “What about the Goddess who was stealing spirits?”
“Also destroyed,” Kane said.
I watched him with interest. I hadn’t realized he’d already talked to Lailah about a report. No doubt they’d kept the details to a minimum. Kane wouldn’t want Chessandra to know about his connection to the demon. Hell, I didn’t want her to know. The less she knew about our lives, the better. Trust was a hard thing to come by when it came to the angels.
“And our missing angel? Have you found her?”
Kane shook his head.
“We haven’t seen her at all,” I added.
Chessandra scowled. “The mission isn’t complete until our angel comes home.”
I tilted my head and really studied her. I’d never seen her so rattled…not even when her own sister had been trapped in the void world. “Excuse me, Chessandra,” I said, trying for my most respectful tone. “As upset as we are that an angel has gone missing, I’ll have to respectfully remind you that protecting and/or tracking angels is not in our contract. Of course we will do what we can to help, but you have to understand we’re completely in the dark here. We don’t even know her name.”
Chessandra stood and narrowed her eyes at me. “Her name is Avery, and you will find her or I’ll keep your medium here indefinitely.”
Medium? What was she…oh. The memory of Pyper communicating with her mom in our guest room came rushing back. She wanted to keep Pyper? She couldn’t be serious. “You have no right to keep Pyper here,” I said coldly.
“I can do whatever I please, witch. You’re the one who put her in my care, were you not?”
I opened my mouth to argue further, but Kane shook his head slightly, indicating for me to drop it for the moment. He frowned at her. “You said Pyper is a medium?”
She dropped the notebook on her desk and stalked across the room. Stopping in front of a large gold-framed mirror, she gestured to it. “Your little friend has been invaluable for helping us resolve some unsolved mysteries.”
Chessandra flicked a switch, and the mirror turned to glass.
Inside was an identical room to the one we sat in, only two large cabinets stood against the wall and a stack of files covered the desk.
And then there was Pyper. She was sitting in a swivel chair, appearing to talk to herself.
Chapter 26
Kane walked over to the glass and peered at Pyper. She seemed perfectly at ease, as if she was talking to a good friend.
I shifted my attention to Chessandra. “Her mom showed up the other day. I thought it was a onetime thing. Can she really see other spirits, too?”
“Her guides showed up about an hour after she arrived.”
“What are guides?” Kane asked.
I already knew but let Chessandra answer in case there was something I wasn’t aware of.
“The spirits who talk to her about other spirits. They keep her safe and call on the ones we seek answers from. It’s all very standard.” Then she frowned at us. “You’ve never met a medium before?”
“I have,” I said. “One of Aunt Gwen’s friends is one. But she’s not particularly accurate.”
Chessandra nodded. “That happens. It all depends on the guides. Some of them are unreliable.”
I moved to stand next to Kane and pressed my hand against the glass. Being a medium wasn’t a bad thing necessarily, but it did mean she’d be much more tied into the supernatural world. And considering the amount of evil that already seemed to find us, I wasn’t convinced this was a good development.
“How reliable are Pyper’s guides?” Kane asked.
“So far, very.” Chessandra retreated to her desk and sat again as she rummaged through a file on her desk.
I eyed her. “How did this happen?”
She glanced up at me and raised an eyebrow in question.
“I mean—” I strode back over to stand in front of her, “—why is she a medium? You said her guides showed up about an hour after she got here. Why?”
Chessandra gave me a look that could melt iron. I actually felt myself shrinking away from her.
“Ms. Calhoun, if you’re implying we did anything to the human to alter her mental state, I very much take offense. But to answer your question, the other soul she’s carrying appears to have been a medium at some point. The gift has transferred to your friend.”
Oh, whoa. That wasn’t what I’d been expecting at all.
“I want to talk to her,” Kane said as he joined me.
Chessandra pulled a piece of paper from her file. “Fine. Just as soon as you sign this.” She handed it over to Kane and then stood with her hands on her hips, waiting.
Kane glanced at the document and scowled. “Neither of us is signing this.”
“You will if you want to see your friend again. Otherwise, I’ll just keep her here indefinitely. She’s certainly being useful.”
Kane handed me the contract. I glanced down and noted it was an exchange agreement. Pyper for the missing angel, Avery.
“You can’t do this!” I cried and crumpled the paper in my fist.
“Who says?” Chessandra’s demeanor was cold as ice. “I’m the high angel. I can do anything I want.”
“Not exactly,” Lailah said from behind us. “There are some checks and balances even in the angel realm.”
I spun and caught sight of Lailah, and to my surprise Drake, my biological father, was standing behind her. What the hell was he doing here? I was too angry to deal with anyone, let alone the father I’d never known. Putting him out of my mind, I focused on Lailah. Thank the gods she was here. Since she was a low-level angel, Lailah knew their laws a lot better than I did. We needed someone on our side.
“Lailah,” Chessandra said coolly, then she nodded to Drake, who glided to his mate’s side. “Chessandra.” Lailah nodded to the angel. “I hear you’re trying to make a deal with the Rouquettes regarding my charge.”
“If you’re referring to the human, then you heard correctly.” Chessandra stared Lailah in the eye, her gaze hard and unapologetic. “However, since the human’s soul is no longer in danger, she’s no longer your concern.”
“Then I’m afraid I need to step in. You see, since she’s still harboring a second soul, a magical one at that, she is in danger. If you recall, the body is really only built for one, and eventually she’ll either absorb the intruder or expel it. If she absorbs it, the effects can be unpleasant at best. If she expels it, the soul will be lost to our cause.” Lailah pulled a file out of her bag and waved it at Chessandra. “I have a proposal I think might suit our needs.”
Chessandra glared at Lailah. “I’m not interested in your proposal. The human stays here while my shadow walkers search for my angel.”
I clutched the contract harder and then threw it at Chessandra’s desk. “I’m tired of your ultimatums,” I said, my tone low and controlled. “Why do you have to manipulate everyone to get what you want? Have you ever thought of just asking if we’d help?”
Kane stiffened beside me. We’d been to Hell once before, and it was the last place I ever wanted to go again. But we’d have to consider going if we hunted for the angel. And I’d do what I had to in order to make sure Chessandra didn’t use Pyper as a pawn.
“Chessa?” Drake asked hesitantly. “What’s going on here?”
She shot him a shut-the-hell-up look, but he didn’t let it go.
“What are you asking them to do?”
Her fists clenched and then she leaned in and lowered her voice. “I’m trying to work a contract for an exchange—the lost angel for the medium we’ve been watching over.”
Drake turned to me. He held my gaze for a beat longer than was comfortable,
but I refused to look away. Was he really willing to send his daughter into Hell? If so, I guess I knew where we stood.
Turning away from us, Drake put a hand on Chessandra’s back, and this time when he whispered I couldn’t hear a thing.
But when Chessandra pulled away, she scowled at him. “You’re pulling the father card? Seriously? You barely know her.”
Anger flared to life over my father’s features. “She’s my flesh and blood, Chessa. And I’ll not stand by and let you send her to Hell. I don’t care if you are the high angel. It’s not going to happen.”
Whoa. Shock hit me hard, rendering me momentarily immobile. That was the first time I’d seen him do anything to stand up to her in regards to me. A tiny bit of gratitude blossomed inside me. Chessandra was right, we barely knew each other, but the fact that he was taking a stand in my favor to keep me safe was more than I’d ever thought possible.
Chessandra seethed beside him but didn’t answer his outburst. She just picked up the phone and barked, “Bring the human to me.”
Lailah inched closer to me and whispered, “Whatever I say, go along with it. Got it?”
I glanced from Kane to Chessandra and Drake and then back to Lailah. She widened her eyes with insistence.
I wasn’t sure that was something I could promise, but I’d try. “Okay.”
The door swung open, and in walked Pyper. Chessandra’s assistant popped in just long enough to nod to her and then shut the door again.
Pyper’s eyes lit up at the sight of us. “You’re back already.”
Kane pulled her into a hug. “How are you?”
She smiled up at him. “Fine. A little busy shuffling paperwork.” An irritated expression claimed her face as she glanced at Chessandra and Drake. “But other than that, I’m good.”
I reached over and squeezed her hand. “We heard you picked up quite the gift.”
A small smile claimed her lips and her eyes softened. “Yeah. It’s been…interesting.”
“You can tell us about it later.” I wanted to whisk her away from this place as soon as possible. Hadn’t I told Kane that nothing was free with the angels? Trusting them to keep their word was impossible.
