Demons of Bourbon Street

by Deanna Chase

  The coven echoed his prayer, strong and unified.

  The magical spark jumped to life in my chest. The warmth spread through my limbs, sending electric shocks vibrating through my core.

  Alive. In this state, I could do anything.

  But right now, all I needed to do was say the spell Lucien had dug up for me. “From here and there, to near and far, Angels of this night, show yourselves with all your might.”

  The circle brightened, turning glaring white, almost blinding me. I squinted, trying to make out the activity within the circle. Faint familiar energy pulsed, energy not attached to any of the coven. It grew stronger, calling to me with its purity. Tears of emotion sprang to my eyes. I blinked them back, waiting as the shadows materialized into translucent forms.

  Rosalee’s hand tightened on mine, and someone gasped from across the circle. The brilliant light slowly separated, seeming to funnel into two beings. As they formed distinct shapes, my attention stayed trained on the one closest to me. The energy, so intimately familiar and yet foreign, held me captive. I couldn’t place the signature, but something inside me recognized it all the same.

  A blanket of electric blue magic flashed over the circle and then vanished. The candles winked out, leaving us standing in the dark, transfixed on the two glowing figures.

  The one nearest me met my gaze.

  His stocky build and pale emerald eyes were exactly as they’d been in Lailah’s memory. I’d been prepared for that. But I had no way of knowing his emotional signature would touch the part of my heart I’d locked away a long time ago. So familiar to the Dan I’d known and loved for all those years. Pure. Welcoming. Good.

  I swallowed the sob forming in my throat and took a deep, ragged breath. He wasn’t my Dan. Not that Dan was mine anymore or even that I wanted him. But this man—Philip, Dan’s biological father—had all the emotional goodness I’d loved so much in the teenaged boy I’d grown up with. He brought back all the hopes, dreams, and fears of the young, scared girl I’d been.

  With one incantation, I’d been transformed into someone I’d hoped to never be again.

  “Philip,” Lailah said from right behind me.

  Standing next to the candle indicating the city of New Orleans, Philip inclined his head. “Lailah.”

  She broke my grasp on Rosalee’s hand and pushed through our arms into the circle. “It’s protocol to announce your presence to the resident angel when you come to town. You know that.”

  “My apologies. You are, of course, correct.”

  “Had you not invaded my space and taken my memories, I’d be inclined to let you off with a warning. Instead, I think I’ll command your cooperation and bind you to me until a formal inquiry can be conducted.”

  Philip took a moment to study her, amusement coming off him in streams. “You think you possess such power?”

  “Yes. And I’ll prove it as soon as I find your sorry ass.” She sounded more exasperated than angry. How well did they know each other?

  He chuckled. “I look forward to the challenge.”

  Lailah stepped back, annoyance clouding her emotions. She turned her attention to the other angel and groaned. “Jade, we have the information we need. You can let the spell go.”

  I followed her gaze to the second angel. He was turned away from me, hovering over the candle representing Baton Rouge.

  Great.

  While the capital city wasn’t too far away, it was the second largest city in southeast Louisiana. It could take days to find him.

  Sighing, I let the magic drop and waited for the angels to disappear. Instead, they floated to the ground and their images shifted from translucent to solid flesh.

  “Umm…” I stared at the second angel’s profile. He rubbed his temples in confusion. “Looks like the spell didn’t go quite as planned. Instead of illusions, we summoned them body and spirit.”

  The coven erupted with questions and gasps of surprise.

  Lailah took a second to assess the situation and then advanced on Philip. She snapped her fingers and said, “By the bond you created, you’re now bound to me until your secrets are revealed.”

  A silver band appeared from thin air and wound its way around his wrist. He frowned and plucked at the cuff. “That wasn’t necessary.”

  He moved forward, reaching for her, but she jumped from his grasp and took up position beside me. “Don’t mess with me, Philip. I’m in no mood.” She glared at him. “Did you notice what this witch did? She transported you here. Do you have any idea what that means?”

  He relaxed his stance and smiled. One of those cocky, shit-eating ones. “Yes. Do you?”

  She ignored his question and yelled in my mind, Jesus, Jade! You could’ve killed someone with that stunt. People die during magical transportations.

  I flinched, more from the fear and worry behind her reprimand than the actual words. What had I done?

  The other angel finally spotted me and found his voice. “You! How dare you bring the gates of Hell to my feet with your blasphemous witch magic?”

  “Mr. Goodwin,” I said to the reverend I’d met on the plane hours earlier. “It appears you are a messenger of God after all, in the form of an angel.”

  “Jesus,” Kane whispered from behind me.

  My thoughts exactly.

  Chapter 7

  “Jonathon,” Lailah said, her voice thick with disdain. “To what does the wondrous state of Louisiana owe the pleasure? Here to condemn us all to Hell again?”

  “You know him?” I whispered.

  Later, she scolded me through our connection.

  I glanced in her direction, but her eyes stayed glued on Goodwin.

  “Now, Lailah,” he drawled. His entire demeanor shifted as the tension and anger vanished from his face. Candlelight glowed around him, bouncing off his sun-kissed bronze skin. “My only mission in life is to save souls. Looks like God has a new assignment for me.”

  “And who exactly do you think should be the unfortunate recipient of your attentions?” She raised her chin and crossed her arms over her chest.

  Reverend Goodwin kept his intense gaze trained on her as he moved across the circle. Lailah took a step back.

  When he didn’t stop, she put her palm out, holding him at arm’s length. “That’s close enough.”

  A flash of amused determination flickered in his energy. “We’ll see.”

  The rest of the coven started to clump together, whispering quietly among themselves as Kane and Kat walked up behind me. Philip moved off to the side, silently watching the exchange between Lailah and Goodwin.

  I cleared my throat, ready to come to Lailah’s defense, but Kane wrapped an arm around me and shook his head. What did he know that I didn’t?

  “Your assignment?” Lailah persisted.

  A slow grin spread over his perfect features. “You, of course.”

  She scoffed. “Back off, Goodwin. I don’t need to be saved. If I did, you’d be the last person I’d ask for help.”

  His grin vanished and his face hardened. “You’ve made that perfectly clear on previous occasions. Your refusal doesn’t change the fact that you and your coven of magic abusers summoned me here. You know how this works. Everything for a reason. I’m sure my orders will be waiting for me back at the hotel.”

  Lailah’s thoughts burst into my mind as if a dam had broken. Egotistical, useless, good-for-nothing piece of angel turd. What did I ever do to deserve this? How could I have ever thought he was my mate?

  I stifled a gasp. Your mate?

  Get out of my head, Jade! She turned her icy blue eyes on me, anger and frustration consuming every inch of her aura.

  Sorry, I mouthed and pressed closer to Kane. Her mate? I’d recently learned angels really did have soul mates, and once found, they were bound together for eternity. I glanced at Goodwin and shuddered. How awful to be connected with someone so…dogmatic.

  I think the words you’re looking for are ‘judgmental and intolerant.’


  Now who’s in whose head? I pulled away from Kane and joined the uneasy members of my coven. We were all still a little wary since battling a demon.

  Joel, the young male witch Rosalee spoke with earlier, shifted from foot to foot, twisting his hands. I lightly touched his arm and pushed a tiny bit of calm in his direction. It wasn’t an energy transfer. More like a suggestion.

  Instantly he stopped fidgeting. Hmm, easily controlled, that one. I’d have to keep an eye on him in sticky situations. “Don’t worry. This seems like personal business between the two of them. I’m certain Lailah’s soul isn’t in danger.”

  “You sure?” Joel glanced in her direction, his worried eyes resembling a lost puppy.

  Stifling the urge to pat him on the head, I nodded. An angel’s main job was to protect souls from danger. I’d been under the impression their mission was human souls, but Lailah had been through a terrible ordeal. It wasn’t totally inconceivable an order would come down from the angel council to protect one of their own.

  “Then why are there three angels in New Orleans?” Joel clenched his hands into fists and narrowed his eyes as he stared at me. “You’re not telling us something.”

  The rest of the coven went silent with his accusation. Distrust pressed on me from all sides. I turned to Lucien, silently asking if he knew what was going on.

  He gave me the slightest head shake and stepped up next to me in a display of support.

  Together we faced the witches. Though none of them were as powerful as either of us, combined they could do some damage. Especially if their power was aimed at someone without any magical defenses.

  Kane and Kat moved to stand beside me.

  “Jade,” Rosalee said, her voice laced with a dangerous edge. “What exactly is going on here?”

  “Please, everyone stay calm.” The coven’s unease ratcheted up, making it hard for me to breathe. My gaze found Rosalee’s. “I don’t know,” I gasped out. “We already explained what we were doing. But the spell didn’t quite work as planned.”

  Pain shuddered through my chest. I clutched my breast bone with one hand, wishing I had healing abilities that didn’t require brewing a potion.

  “Jade?” Kat’s hand rested on my shoulder. Her loving energy circled me, creating a thin shield from the coven. I could still sense their hostility, but at least it wasn’t suffocating me anymore.

  I placed my hand over hers and squeezed. My best friend always knew what I needed. Kane’s concern brushed against my psyche, but he stayed still and silent. I appreciated that, knowing he would rush to my defense if I asked. This was my coven. My problem. A white knight wasn’t going to help.

  Standing straight with my shoulders back, I summoned as much poise and calm as I could muster. “I don’t know what caused this sudden breach in trust, but rest assured I’m not hiding anything. We were only supposed to summon the image of any angels nearby. It wasn’t our intention to transport them here. As witches, we’re taught all spells carry risk. The place, people, and intentions of everyone involved matters when spell casting. Not everything is going to go right when we have so many variables within the collective.”

  I paused and met the eyes of each of the eleven suspicious members standing before me. “We are a coven. Trust matters. I trust you. I trust Lucien. The question is, do you trust me?”

  I held my breath. I’d only been their leader for ten days. In that time, they’d almost lost Bea, the beloved former coven leader, and they’d been subjected to a demon from Hell. Thankfully we’d defeated the demon and saved both Bea and my mother, but we’d lost Dan in the process. To have any chance of finding him, I’d need their help.

  “No,” Alan said over the grumbling crowd.

  “Not me,” someone else cried.

  “Why should we?” Rosalee asked with defiance. “You’ve done nothing but cause us trouble.”

  “Rosalee!” Lucien scolded. “You don’t believe that.”

  Her eyes blazed from caramel to almost black as she advanced on us, her arms raised.

  “Enough!” A loud boom sounded, and Philip appeared out of thin air right in front of me. A second ago he’d been across the clearing.

  Silence filled the night, each of the coven members gaping at the impressive transportation spell.

  I glanced back at Lailah, still standing where I’d left her moments earlier. Goodwin stood beside her, eyeing the scene with mild interest. Turning around, I gave Philip my full attention.

  He stood, legs slightly apart with his hands resting on his hips. Power and authority streamed off him. “All of you, remove yourselves from the circle.”

  When no one moved, he barked, “Now.”

  I couldn’t tell if he put magic behind the command or if he’d just startled them into action. Either way, they all marched out of the circle, toward the giant oak trees. On the way, their normal chattering started back up, and I even heard some laughing.

  What the hell?

  “Want to explain?” I asked Philip.

  He gestured toward the retreating coven. “Ask them.”

  I shot him a look of disgust and jogged to catch up with Rosalee. “Hey, hold on a second.”

  She stopped and waited.

  “Talk to me. What was that about back there?”

  Her brows pinched in confusion. “What was what?”

  I frowned, searching her emotional energy for clues. No anger. No frustration. Only mild concern. For me.

  “Are you feeling okay?” she asked, moving closer. “Do you need an energy pill? Magic sometimes drains me if I’m not careful.” She started rummaging around in her designer purple handbag.

  I put my hand on her arm to stop her. “Rosalee, I’m fine. Do you not remember what just happened?”

  She tilted her head to the side, and a bit of worry clouded her eyes. “Did the spell not work?” She glanced past me. “Are those not the angels you were looking for?” Before I could answer, she called to the other members. “Guys, hold up. Jade might still need our help.”

  “No, no. Don’t worry about it. Go on home or whatever your plans were.” I waved them off just as Lucien joined us. “Something’s not right,” I said to him.

  “I noticed.” He jerked his head back toward the circle. “Philip’s still not talking, and Goodwin’s hitting on Lailah. At least, I think that’s what he’s doing. Doesn’t look like he’s getting very far.”

  The Reverend Goodwin was following Lailah around as she picked up candles, talking nonstop. Her silence seemed to only egg him on. On the other side of the circle, Kat appeared to be badgering Philip, no doubt about Dan. Kane stood next to her, embodying the role of a protective older brother. Good. She’d be safe with Kane…unless Philip spelled him.

  “Guys?” Rosalee asked. “I’m totally in the dark here.”

  Right. “Can you just tell me what you think happened tonight?”

  She frowned and straightened her spine. “What’s wrong?”

  I raised my shoulders and hands in an ‘I don’t know’ motion. “That’s what I’m trying to find out.”

  “Well.” She glanced toward the circle. “Lucien said the opening prayer. You recited the incantations, and then those two angels showed up. Lailah seems to know both of them, but that makes sense since she’s an angel. After they appeared, you told us we could go. End of story. Except for the fact the two guys are physically here when we only tried to summon their images. But things happen, right?”

  Lucien and I shared a wary glance. “Yeah, things happen,” I said.

  She ran a hand over her dark hair and pushed her bangs to the side. “There’s more, isn’t there?”

  I nodded. “Yeah, but we can talk about it at the next meeting. First I need to figure out exactly what happened.”

  “You sure? I can stay and help if you want.” Her gaze drifted to her watch, but she shook her head, as if talking herself out of leaving.

  “No, it’s fine. You go ahead.” I gave her a quick hug, truly appreciating the
offer.

  When I let go, she met my stare, her light brown eyes wide. “Call if you need anything.”

  “I will. Thanks.” As she left, the image of her blackened eyes flashed through my mind. I’d only seen that particular effect two times before. And both were caused by black magic. I grabbed Lucien’s sleeve and tugged. “Come on.”

  Once we joined the remaining group, Goodwin sent me a look of contempt and said, “You’re back.”

  “And you’re still here,” I snapped, wishing he’d go away. There was no way we’d be able to work together.

  “Transportation is hard to come by in the middle of the night. My rental car is still in Baton Rouge. One of you—” he glanced at Lailah, “—will need to drop me at the hotel.”

  We both ignored him. I turned to Philip and crossed my arms, positive he was the cause of this mess. “They don’t remember anything. I think you have some explaining to do.”

  Lailah froze, a candle clutched in each hand.

  “You seem to be making a habit of modifying people’s memories lately.” I sidestepped, putting myself between Philip and Kat. If he tried anything, I didn’t want her on the receiving end.

  Philip’s face hardened. “I don’t have that particular ability. Even if I did, I certainly wouldn’t use it.”

  “But you did with me, last night,” Lailah spat. “Jade saw you when she did a tracking spell. You were the only other person there. Then you showed up on my memory recovery. Twelve hours I lost.”

  He turned in her direction, his eyes softening. “I was there, but that’s not why you don’t remember.”

  Her lips pressed into a thin line.

  “Why then?” I asked, breaking the silence.

  “It’s the circle.” He gestured around the clearing. “It’s been compromised.”

  “What?” I took an unconscious step backward, putting distance between me and the circle.

  “It’s tainted. All spells performed here have the potential to do serious harm.” He stopped and turned back to me. “They can’t remember because they were infected by the circle’s magic. It took over their conscious thoughts, with only one goal in mind.”