Demons of Bourbon Street

by Deanna Chase

  Right in the middle, surrounded by the chocolate-covered strawberries, sat a red embossed jewelry box.

  This was it. I’d known it as soon as Mom had called upon the Goddess Hera—the goddess of marriage—in her blessing. Suddenly my lungs didn’t want to inflate.

  Kane placed the plate in front of me and pulled his chair over so we sat almost touching. I continued to stare at the cheesecake, afraid to look at him.

  “Jade?”

  “Hmm?” Light from the chandelier bounced off the shiny red sections of the jewelry box.

  He dipped the fork into the dessert and offered it to me. “Take a bite.”

  I pressed my lips together, somehow convinced if I didn’t open my mouth, we’d stay frozen in this moment forever. I would never hear what he said next, and I wouldn’t have to answer.

  Tears burned my eyes. Despite my best efforts, I had no hope of blinking them back.

  Slowly, Kane put the fork down and ever so gently wrapped his arms around me. “Shh, it’s okay, love.”

  I snuggled into his shoulder, grateful he didn’t ask me what was wrong. He already knew. How could I let him ask me to marry him? At any moment, my life could be stolen from me.

  As he held me, my despair quickly turned to anger. This wasn’t fair. Life wasn’t fair. I’d been proposed to once before by a man I loved deeply, but that time I had secrets to deal with. And when I’d come clean, Dan hadn’t been able to deal with them.

  This time, Kane knew everything about me. I wanted this. I hadn’t realized it, but now that the moment was here, I wanted this more than anything.

  Damn Meri and her soul-sucking curse. She couldn’t have mine. It already belonged to someone else.

  I pulled back and wiped the remaining tears out of my eyes. Then I leaned in. “I think you have something to ask me.”

  His lips quirked up in a half-smile. “You sure you want to hear it?”

  “More than anything.”

  He reached over and grabbed the fork he’d discarded. “Take a bite first.”

  Chuckling, I opened my mouth. The sweet, creamy goodness made me sigh in pleasure. “Oh my Goddess, that’s good,” I said after I licked the fork clean.

  “Better?”

  I nodded, acutely aware of the sugar jolt reviving my energy.

  “Good.” He plucked the tiny red box from the center of the gorgeous cheesecake. In one smooth movement he pushed his chair back and dropped to one knee.

  My heart picked up pace, and I couldn’t tear my eyes from his.

  “Before I ask, I should tell you I purchased this ring not long after you woke up from your Roy-induced coma.”

  “You’re kidding.” He had to be. We’d only been dating a few weeks when Roy, the previous owner of Wicked and all-around evil ghost, had trapped me in an alternate reality. “We barely knew each other.”

  He lifted a shoulder, indicating the fact wasn’t significant. “I knew then you were the one for me. And I know it now. I’ll be damned if I’m going to let you go. No matter what happens, I’m ready to commit a lifetime to you. A long lifetime. I’m aware deep down you doubt your strength, but I don’t. You can fight this. We can fight this together. As one.”

  A swarm of butterflies took flight in my stomach.

  He opened the tiny box. The most gorgeous round emerald, surrounded by a circle of diamonds, twinkled up at me. “Jade, my pretty witch, I love you more than words can express. I’m on one knee, offering you all that I have. Body, soul, and spirit.” He freed the ring from its velvet bed. “Will you marry me?”

  All my reservations disappeared. Even if we were only happy for one day, it would be worth it. Besides, he knew the risks. He’d been living this crazy life right along side of me the last few months. I didn’t hesitate. “Yes.”

  He slid the ring onto my left hand and studied it, as if admiring how it looked on my finger. His joy sent sparks through my arm, and my heart fluttered as I felt him treasuring the moment.

  Kane stood, wrapped me in his arms, and swung me around. I laughed, hugging him fiercely. He was right about one thing: I would fight this. With everything I had, because I wasn’t letting him go, either.

  He cradled me against his chest and headed toward the hall. “Come on, pretty witch. It’s time to show you just how much I need you.”

  “Wait,” I said.

  He paused, but didn’t turn back.

  “I want my cheesecake.”

  “Of course you do.” He returned to the table, and I grabbed it and a fork. “Save at least a bite or two for me,” he said.

  I sent him a wicked grin. “Don’t worry, pioneer man. By the time we’re finished with this, you won’t be unsatisfied.”

  Chapter 23

  With the help of the cheesecake’s sugary goodness, my energy level managed to sustain itself through the night while I found plenty of inventive ways to express exactly how much I adored my fiancé.

  Fiancé. Just the word sent my heart into my throat.

  The bathroom door creaked. Kane walked out, his hair wet, a green towel hung low on his hips. “Good morning.”

  I took my time admiring his well-defined chest, narrow waist, and the dark trail disappearing beneath the towel. God, he was gorgeous. And he was all mine. Meri could have ripped the rest of my soul from me right then, and I’d have been happy to fade away on my cloud of supreme contentment.

  “Morning.” The bed shifted as Kane sat next me. I laced my hands around his neck, tugging him down for a gentle kiss. I barely brushed my lips over his and murmured, “I could stay right here with you forever.”

  He nuzzled my neck, his feather-light kisses producing chills over my naked body. Those magic lips made their way to mine, and the kiss turned heated until he pulled back. He gave me a rueful smile. “Tempting. Especially since you look thoroughly ravished and sexy as hell.”

  “So what’s stopping you?” I brushed a strand of wet hair back off his brow. A bead of water ran from his neck, down to his shoulder. Gently, I traced a finger over the trail.

  He sucked in a shaky breath and closed his hand over mine. “The people waiting for you in the living room might get a tad bit impatient.”

  I groaned. A glance at the window confirmed the weak morning sun was starting to peek through the blinds. Damn it. My perfect night with Kane had come to an end, and it was time to scour the bayou. Lifting myself up on my elbows, I gave him one last kiss before climbing out of the bed. I paused before disappearing into the bathroom.

  Kane watched me, his eyebrows pinched and faint worry lines crinkled around his eyes.

  A strange sense of finality settled over me, as if we’d come to the end of something. The end of us as we knew it. A sharp arrow tore through my heart, leaving a small ragged hole right where all the warmth of the night before had been.

  Grabbing the door frame, I steadied myself.

  “Jade?”

  “I’m fine.” My answer sounded timid and unsure even to my own ears. I cleared my throat. “Nothing a little breakfast won’t cure.”

  I closed the bathroom door and leaned against the frame, listening to Kane move around in his room. Cripes, what was that? Some sort of premonition? Or my fear manifesting itself? I wasn’t a psychic. Never once had I even come close to seeing the future. Empaths weren’t usually gifted with such abilities.

  Stress. That’s all it was. Time to finish this. Ten minutes later, clean, but slightly weak from the exertion of standing up, I stepped out of the shower. On the counter sat a mug of what I would bet anything was chai tea, a chocolate muffin, and a note.

  Breakfast is ready when you are, but here’s a morning pick-me-up. Love, K

  I was going to marry the perfect man. Great sex, love, and chocolate all rolled into one. After I inhaled the muffin, I threw on a T-shirt, jeans, and sneakers. Boots would be better, but I didn’t own any without heels, and I wasn’t sacrificing any to the bayou.

  I opened Kane’s bedroom door. Undistinguishable chatter spill
ed into the hallway, combined with the clattering of silverware against plates.

  I glanced at the clock—6:25 am. Holy ghosts! It sounded like a dinner party in Kane’s kitchen. Not at all sure I was up to speaking to anyone, I poked my head around the corner.

  Eight people sat crammed together at the six-person table: Kane, Mom, Gwen, Ian, Pyper, Lucien, Lailah, and Kat. What were they doing here? No way was I taking all of them to deal with Meri and Philip.

  “There she is!” Pyper jumped up, ran over, and dragged me back into the hallway. She wrapped her arms around me and squeezed until I couldn’t breathe.

  “Morning,” I forced out with a half-laugh.

  “Oh my God, he did it.” She released me and stepped back, dabbing at the tears glistening in her deep blue eyes. “We’re going to be sisters now.”

  I grinned. “As if we weren’t before.”

  She nodded. “Right, but now it’ll be official.”

  Pyper and Kane weren’t related, but they were as tight as brother and sister. Pleasure warmed my heart. A few short months ago, I’d had only two people in the world I’d been close to: Kat and Gwen. Now I had a whole new family, and Pyper was a very important part of it. This time I hugged her. We clutched each other for a long moment and then broke apart laughing.

  Kat rounded the corner, stopped, and planted her fists on her hips. “What’s going on back here?”

  I glanced at Pyper. “No one else knows?”

  “Umm, I told Ian, but only because we took Gwen and Hope out last night.”

  Of course Mom and Gwen knew. Kane had asked their permission before he’d asked me. The formality was totally old-fashioned, but made me love him even more for making my family feel so important.

  “I hope you don’t mind.” Pyper scrunched her face up in mild trepidation as her guilt crept into my awareness.

  “No, it’s fine.” I turned to Kat and grabbed her hands, making sure my ring was front and center as I gestured to it with a short nod. “Kane gave me this last night. We’re engaged.”

  She averted her gaze, and a jolt of her shock shot through me as if it were my own. The exact same reaction I’d had when he’d asked me. Only her shock wasn’t followed by joy. An emotion that felt suspiciously like anger simmered around her.

  I dropped her hands and stepped back. All the excitement of sharing my news drained right out of me. “Something wrong?”

  “Huh? Oh, no.” She shook her head. “Just surprised. You know, with everything going on.”

  Pyper shifted to meet Kat’s gaze. “Seems like the perfect time to me.”

  “Really?” Kat and I said in unison. As happy as I was, I kind of agreed with Kat. We didn’t even have time for this conversation right now. I should have been getting on the road with Lucien to sniff out Philip and Meri.

  “Well, yeah.” Pyper faced me. “With Meri playing tug of war with your soul, doesn’t a deeper connection to Kane keep you grounded? Give you more strength to fight? Besides, Hope told me planning for the future helps solidify tomorrow’s existence.”

  She was right. About everything. The connections and the affirmation of tomorrow. Hadn’t I been operating under the same principles the night before, when I’d made beads and prepped for my next torch session?

  “When did Mom say that?” Had Kane only asked me as a way of saving my soul and not because he actually wanted to get married?

  “Last night at the club. Why?”

  I quickly shook my head, dislodging the thought. He wouldn’t have been able to hide his intentions from me. I was an empath, after all. Even though I was weakened, my gift hadn’t suffered one bit. Not once did I feel anything but pure love and hopefulness during the proposal. “No reason.”

  “Jade?” Kane called. “Ready?”

  I sent Kat a troubled glance and retreated to the kitchen.

  The fresh scent of coffee, waffles, and maple syrup filled the air, making my mouth water. I took a seat between Mom and Gwen. They both looked at me with questioning eyes. Casually I rested my left hand on the table, letting the shining emerald speak for itself.

  Gwen grinned, giving me a half-hug and whispered, “Congratulations.”

  Mom tried to smile, but it came off as more of a grimace. The last of my happiness vanished.

  “Hope?” Gwen’s concern wrapped around me.

  “Sorry,” Mom said in a quiet voice meant for the two of us. “I’m having trouble dealing with my baby being engaged. I still see her as a young girl. I’ll adjust.”

  I wanted to lean into Gwen, protect myself from Mom and Kat’s unwarranted negativity. After everything we’d all been through, couldn’t those closest to me just be happy? Not willing to allow anything or anyone to spoil my mood, I got up and moved to the bar. Mom frowned. A tiny thread of guilt streamed off her, but she didn’t say anything more. No one else seemed to notice my departure. Thank goodness. The last thing I needed was one more person to bring me down.

  I made my way through half a waffle before Lailah appeared by my side. Her khaki cargo pants and beige T-shirt were in classic Lailah colors. What I wouldn’t give to put her in pastels.

  “It’s time to go,” she said.

  “Okay.” I dropped my napkin on my plate and followed her to the front of the house. All the chatter stopped, chairs scraped against the tile floor, and footsteps clattered behind us. “Where are they headed?” I asked Lailah.

  “With you, apparently.”

  My eyes widened as I gaped at them. “How in the world are we going to go on a recon mission with an entourage?”

  She shrugged. “I tried to tell them.”

  I stepped back and almost collided with Kane.

  He grabbed my shoulders, steadying me, and bent to whisper in my ear. “Did you think even for one second I wouldn’t be going with you?”

  “No. But why everyone else?” I whispered back. “I barely have enough strength to take care of myself, much less a half-dozen others.”

  Pyper and Kat appeared, boxing me between them and Kane. Their collective determination penetrated the air.

  I’d fully expected a lecture from Pyper, as that was her usual M.O., but Kat beat her to the punch and shook a finger at me. “Why can’t you get it through your thick skull that you need us? Didn’t Pyper help you destroy Meri the first time, when her love helped you work through the black magic? And aren’t I always there to lend you my energy when you’re weak? You’re not the only one who has something to offer in a crisis, you know.”

  Gently, I closed my hand over her finger. “I do know. You’re right, I’m sorry.”

  “Where Pyper goes, I go,” Ian chimed in. “Not to mention I have extensive knowledge of the bayou. The last thing you want to do is get lost.”

  I raised my hands in defeat. “Okay, okay.”

  Lucien was our official bayou guide. At this rate, we’d need two airboats. Ian could man one, while Lucien manned the other. That left Gwen and my mom.

  I met Gwen’s hazel eyes and tilted my head in question. She shook her head and cut her gaze to Mom.

  That one look made everything clear. Mom wasn’t ready to face the upcoming battle, and Gwen wasn’t going to let her leave. No matter what.

  “Give me a sec. I’ll be right back,” I said to Kane. I crossed the room and wrapped my arms around Gwen in a massive hug. “Take care of her, okay?”

  “Don’t you worry about us. Just make sure you bring yourself home. Whole.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  She laughed then sobered as Mom moved to join us.

  Gwen pulled me in another hug, and brought her lips close to my ear. “Tell her you need her to stay here and work on spells or blessings or something. She can’t go with you, Jade. She’s too fragile.”

  “Of course.” We broke apart, and I proceeded to do just that.

  Only Mom wasn’t having any of it. “Jade, I have more knowledge about demons and angels than anyone here—well, except the angels themselves. But my experience in Hell tr
umps that. I am going. If you try to stop me, I’ll only conjure a summoning and you’ll be right back where you started.”

  After arguing for five minutes, I finally caved. “Fine. Come with us.” I gave Lailah a what-can-you-do? look and turned to Gwen. “I have a favor to ask you.”

  “What?” Concern clouded her eyes.

  “Go to Bea’s and keep her informed with anything you might see.”

  “Jade—”

  “Please, Gwen? We have so few tools right now. I know you don’t like to voice your visions, but if you see anything go terribly wrong…well, Bea might be able to help.”

  Gwen took her time before answering and finally she nodded. “I can do that.” She retreated then turned and walked back to me with purpose. “I’ve already seen something.”

  My mouth popped open. Gwen almost never talked about her visions. She said the consequences were too high. Choices made due to knowing the future ahead of time often led a person down the wrong path.

  She nervously licked her lips. “The details are vague, but the feeling is strong. Remember this, okay?”

  I nodded. The likelihood of me forgetting this conversation was about as likely as me willfully giving up my soul and everyone I loved in the process.

  Her fingers gripped my wrist in earnest. “When the moment comes, a choice will be made. And not an easy one. Someone close will betray you. Another will sacrifice everything…but it will be for naught.” She let go and headed toward the guest room.

  “Gwen?”

  She paused in the doorway. “If you pay attention, his true colors will shine through.”

  His colors will shine through. My only clue, his. I clenched my hands into fists and tried not to scream. Damn it all to Hell and back. She could mean anyone. I eyed the men around me one by one. My speculative gaze landed on Ian, then Lucien, and finally on Kane.

  My heart twinged. Nothing like a cryptic piece of advice to make you start doubting and worrying about your friends. I leaned into Kane, one arm around his waist and put the conversation out of my mind. “Ready?”