Now, she had to call Jericho. Sure, he would be angry with her, but no matter what he couldn’t deny that her help would save them valuable time.
She quickly sat up in bed, looking around the disheveled room and wondering if anyone on the outside had heard the ruckus.
“I better get out of here,” she said, throwing her feet over the side.
“Bravo,” a voice said from the corner. Unmasking her presence, Ophelia, stepped out of the shadows in a long black flowing dress. She clapped slowly and sardonically as she moved toward Toni.
“I have to admit, you are much smarter than I gave you credit for being. Evidently, someone has been tapping into your gifts. Naughty, naughty. When I sent you the FedEx package, I was not sure that you would come, but then you showed up. Didn’t you? Just as curious as ever…just like the others.”
Toni jumped out of bed and pushed back toward the other corner away from Ophelia, eyeing the door that led out of the room. Maybe she could make a run for it. It was only a few feet away.
“Please. Don’t bother,” Ophelia taunted, eyes blazing. Her white hair fell over her shoulders, and she stood tall and erect, menacing in her demeanor. “By the time that you get to that door, you’ll be dead, little chosen one.”
Toni drew in panting, ragged breaths as she realized the true danger she had placed herself in. STUPID! STUPID! If she kept the woman talking, it was possible she’d have enough time to figure out how to save herself. “Speaking of chosen, I know who you are,” she snarled, sweaty palms pressed against the wall. “A reject angel tossed out on your Lilly white ass for disobeying Daddy. That must be a huge slap in the face. No wings. No message. No purpose. You’re about as useful as tits on a bull.”
Ophelia sucked her teeth and eyed Toni’s stomach. She could sense a presence there. “And I know who you are, witch.” She snapped, displeased by the woman’s will to fight. The others had been low, hanging fruit, easily plucked before they even knew what hit them. This one might be trouble. “The last of a troublesome coven; an orphan running lost and afraid. I’ll be doing you a favor, killing you. Being the mother of the warrior for God is completely out of your realm. There’s not a motherly bone in your body. And you know it.”
Toni spit across the room, knowing the woman was somehow tapping into her self-esteem issues to cast doubt. “Nothing about you scares me.”
Ophelia belted a sinister laugh. “Liar, I can hear your heart beating from across the room. I can hear that abomination in you as well.”
Toni ran a hand over her stomach and frowned.
“Oh, you didn’t know. Well, let me be the first to congratulate you. Spoiler alert. It’s a boy. Too bad, he won’t ever see the light of day. I’ve been waiting here for you since last night after I felt you bond with that miscreant, Jericho. A smart woman would have stayed out of view, but I knew you would come, just like the others. Like lambs for the slaughter.”
Toni’s hands began to tremble. “You killed my family, bitch. You’re going to pay one way or the other.”
“It was nothing personal. Either I killed your family or allowed your family to kill mine. Your mother and father could have always spawn more abominations if they were allowed to live. One of them would have bonded with Jericho, even if you had not. Cutting you all down was our only chance. But we’re beyond that now, aren’t we? The circle is complete.”
Toni mistook her meaning. She thought that Ophelia’s sons had found their wives. “My regards to your new daughter-in-law. Spoiler alert. She’s going to die, just like you.”
Ophelia was done talking. “My regards to your husband for having the shortest marriage on record.” Lifting her hands to the ceiling, she closed her eyes to summon her strength.
Toni’s eyes began to blaze turning into pools of red and yellow. She could feel the lava-like fire burning through her irises. Fear of the unknown or what was happening to her drowned out the fact that she was alone in the room with a maniac.
“Agh!” she cried out, trying to close her eye lids. Falling back against the wall, she convulsed wildly, barely hearing Ophelia as she chanted. Head snapping back and forth, she lost the ability to control herself.
The room began to shake violently.
“Holy Litha, goddess of Light, reveal my spell and bleed the night. Summon your demons and unleash your hell, goddess of Light, reveal my spell,” Ophelia chanted, eyes still closed and unaware of Toni’s state.
The pentagram on the ceiling ignited, producing angry flames that shot downward, setting the bed aflame.
Toni screamed out, feeling a transformation in herself. It ripped through her insides first and then traveled outward onto her skin.
Crouching on her knees, Toni felt a surge of power erupt from within causing a wave of wind to shoot out from her body.
Gaze locked on Toni, Ophelia pulled her power from within, making her body levitate off the floor.
“You cannot win with spells,” a voice whispered in Toni’s ear. “You must pray. Pray hard, Toni.”
“Okay, okay!” Toni said aloud, confusing Ophelia with her mumbling.
Her mother had been an angel. Her adopted mother a missionary.
That had to count for something.
Watching her hands turn to glowing orbs, Toni took a deep breath and released. It had been so long since she said the words, but she knew that they were somewhere deep in her heart.
The left side of Toni’s stomach began to cramp. Fighting through it, she made herself stand. Feeling the power within her begin to unleash, she held her glowing hands up just in time as Ophelia threw what appeared to be fire at her.
Strangely, the orbs in Toni’s hands blocked the fire, and cast the flames backward. Thrown to the floor, Toni landed with a thud that knocked the wind out of her.
“Shit! It worked,” Toni coughed, rubbing the back of her head.
“You have no power here,” Ophelia lied as she ascended higher. “Give it up, girl. If you do, I promise I’ll make this quick.”
Toni wasn’t convinced that she didn’t have power, anymore. In fact, she could feel it radiating throughout her.
Getting off the floor a little dazed, Toni continued her prayer.
Toni’s words vibrated in her ears, tore at her resolve and stripped her bare of her shields. “Lithia, come to me!” Ophelia begged as the pentagram’s fire raged over the entire ceiling. Desperation laced her voice. “Come to me now!”
The heat of the flames set off the sprinkler system. The dark room, heavy with water was illuminated by only the brightness of the fire.
Smoke billowed out into the halls, and the howl of the night and all its dark creatures rocked through the hotel.
The windows facing Bourbon Street exploded, sending glass down to the lower level as Ophelia summoned all that would come to her aide.
Toni could hear people running down the hall, escaping the unknown danger coming from room 325, but she was no longer willing to flee with them.
Wielding another fireball at Toni, Ophelia pushed the fire as hard as she could toward the woman, screaming out in unnatural demonic pitch that echoed out of the room.
Still with all the theatrics, Toni blocked her efforts. The bolts of hot flames stopped just short of her stomach and flew backward toward Ophelia again.
Planting her feet, Toni pushed the fire with her hands, until it singed Ophelia’s face. “Back Satan!” Toni demanded. “I rebuke thee,” she said, body turning into pure light. “In the name of the Lord thy God, I rebuke thee!” Her voice echoed throughout the room and suddenly her light expanded, blinding Ophelia before a powerful wave extended from her hands with the force of storm, it ripped through the room, knocking Ophelia off her feet and temporarily paralyzing her.
Ophelia felt her power waning. With every word of the scripture, she was forced backward, rendered nearly powerless. Shocked by the young woman’s supernatural power, she pulled herself up and tried another spell. “I call Samhain,” Ophelia screamed, spittle falli
ng from her mouth. Her blazing eyes turned completely black.
Feeling her body lift off the ground and a protection shield around her, Toni snarled at Ophelia. She was no longer afraid, just angry. Her hands were burning with fire, her eyes blazing. She was ready to do battle, ready to die if she must, but she would take this foul thing with her.
Just then the door leading out to the hallway flew off its hinges and landed on the floor. Jericho came bolting through at full speed with eyes set on Toni. His father was right behind him along with his five brothers.
Ophelia sent a fireball toward Jericho, but with a wave of his hand, he extinguished it completely.
“Toni!” Jericho screamed. “Get down,” he ordered, making her crouch behind him.
The men circled around Ophelia as she floated and the fiery pentagram above, then locked hands forming a human shield to protect Toni. Their circle locked her into place, making it impossible for her to flee.
“We bind you and your works, evil one, bind you so that you can bring no more harm,” Lafayette said, voice booming like a loud speaker above the madness. An invisible force inside of him compelled her some invisible force, compelling her to drop to her knees. His power was stronger than hers, and he used it without mercy. “You are not welcome here. Your evil works are not welcomed here,” he continued. “We cast you out. Cast you into the void. Cast you into the darkness.”
Ophelia screamed out in pain as the five men sucked her power from her. A visible mist was extracted from her body. Drowning out her power, they continued to chant until the fire above her coming out of the pentagram turned on her and set her body on fire.
Her long black gown curled against the fire, rising up her body in drapes of smoke.
Screaming out in agonizing pain, she tried to break through the circle but was knocked back down.
“I cast you away,” Lafayette ordered Ophelia, “to the darkness and the blackness, to the damned that you pray to. I bind you, evil one. I cast you to the lake of fire until the book of judgement is opened upon you.”
Jericho’s eyes had turned from a golden bronze to a white fire. Breaking out of the circle, he pulled off his shirt and dropped to his knees.
Muscled arms bulged with power as the crow on his chest pulled away from his body, then flew right up into the middle of the pentagram, exploding against it on contact and sending it through the ceiling, through the roof and out into the open sky.
A large gaping hole was left in its place.
The men continued to chant as the crow returned like lightening attaching itself to its owner. Upon contact, it jolted Jericho’s body and inked itself back into a tattoo.
“Finish it!” Lafayette screamed at his son. “Do it now, before it’s too late, before she finds a way to regain her power!”
Standing up, Jericho pulled a small blade from the back of his pants, one that had been made special over a thousand years ago. He broke through the fire that was incinerating his aunt, his own body burning with her.
He screamed in pain for a minute, but still stayed focused on his task.
“No!” Toni screamed, reaching for Jericho. She was afraid he would be hurt, that he would sacrifice himself for her and leave her alone in this place. “Jericho!”
“Finish it!” Lafayette screamed again.
Ophelia looked up at her nephew and smiled. “You won’t win, boy. No matter what, you won’t win. I have given birth to a girl child. She will complete the circle and there is nothing you can do about it.”
“You won’t live to know if you’re right or not,” Jericho snarled right before he stretched his arm back and then landed a blow into Ophelia’s black heart. The blade went straight through, anchoring itself in her chest.
The scream that erupted from her was deafening. Toni grabbed both ears and screamed as well.
Ophelia turned her eyes toward the broken ceiling, clutching Jericho’s hand and felt her life force diminish. In a pyre of fire, she crumpled into feathery ash.
At the same moment that Ophelia faded, Jericho’s hair turned pale blonde, and the fire that consumed him extinguished itself.
Toni watched confused as Ophelia’s remains disappeared from sight like she had never existed.
It was both frightful and gratifying.
The bitch was finally dead. They had made her pay for what she had done to their families.
When the men broke the circle, Jericho ran over to Toni and scooped her up in his arms. Picking her up, he held her tight.
Her hair was wild, tears, covered her face, her pajamas half on, revealing the band of her underwear. This was not the way she had imagined her night ending.
“She’s really gone,” Toni grinned like a drunk person. Her head bobbed back and forth.
“Yes, she’s gone,” Jericho said, so proud of Toni he could barely find the words. “Is she going to be alright, Father?”
She pulled her gaze to Jericho’s face to see a man she barely recognized. He was a pale blonde now - an angel killer, branded with the mark for the rest of his time on this earth.
Did that make him bad? Did it make her bad?
“Antonia,” Jericho said, shaking her. “Don’t go to sleep, baby. No, no, no.” The panic in his voice was audible. He pressed his lips to her cheek and kissed her. “What were you thinking. My crazy, crazy, girl,” he whispered, pressing his face against hers.
“We have to get her back to the plantation, immediately,” Lafayette instructed. “We can take care of her there.”
She could hear Jericho call her name as she drifted off. She could hear the voice of his brothers as they urged him to leave with her quickly before anyone could see them.
Her eyes rolled to the back of her head, and she lost consciousness, but not before she heard Jules mention something that confirmed Ophelia did not lie about everything.
“Did Ophelia hurt her? Did she hurt the child?” Jules asked impatiently as he followed behind his big brother. “Father, is the boy alright?”
Chapter Fourteen
“And a child shall exalt them, and they will unite many, preparing for the battle to come, forging soldiers for the final war. And they will fight alongside the heir of light, wielding the sword of the just in the Name of the Lord, Thy God.”
The Prophecy
T oni was unconscious for two full days and nights after her battle with Ophelia. Around the clock, the entire Laveau coven saw to taking care of her, waiting for the moment when she would emerge from her slumber, healthy and whole. The minutes seemed to inch by, making their wait torturous.
None more so than Jericho.
He had not bathed or slept. The clock had become his only companion and a constant reminder of what a long life would be like without her.
Toni rested in a fixed position, propped up on pillows in Jericho’s bed, surrounded by flowers brought in every half-day by Martha. The drapes were pulled so that the sunlight could kiss her face. And the room quiet, so that Jericho could hear even the slightest change in her labored breathing.
While she slept, he recited poetry from memory. He talked to her about their plans for the future and apologized for his negligence. Still, there was no response from her.
Finally, on the afternoon of the third day, she stirred.
Flashes of light and sound came rushing forth. Memories of her battle with the now defeated Ophelia filled her head. And before she willed herself to move, she remembered that she was now safe.
Feeling groggy and beat up, Toni opened her eyes to find a woman, leaning over her in the bed, placing a cool, folded towel on her forehead.
Blinking fast, Toni cleared her blurry vision and glared at the woman. She had flawless dark skin, the color of midnight with high cheek bones set apart by a youthful, elegant nose that was a straight as an arrow, full lips that curled in the shape of a heart, deep dimples in her cheeks and curly, sandy brown hair pulled up in a bun. Her eyes were the color of embers coming off a freshly stoked fire, covered by lashes that flap
ped like wings.
“Have I already been replaced?” Toni asked, half-joking.
“You’re up,” the woman said with a smile. Her French accent was thick but beautiful.
Toni licked her lips and tried to sit up, but the woman quickly stopped her. With a gentle hand, she held Toni in place. “Not too fast now. Take it slow.”
Toni nodded and pushed her head back against the softness of the pillow. “Who are you?” she asked, voice croaking.
“I’m Nadia, Jules’ wife,” she explained, seeing the shock on Toni’s face. “I know. I get that a lot. He’s the blonde, sunny beach boy. Most people expect his Barbie to be the same.”
Toni managed to smile. She was glad she didn’t need to explain. “I had him all wrong.”
Nadia laughed at that. “Can’t judge a book by its cover.” She put the back of her hand against Toni’s cheek and felt her skin. “No more fever. That’s a good sign.”
“I had a fever?” Toni asked.
“Oui. We thought we had lost you there for a minute, but you pulled through. The lifeforce inside you is very strong. You healed miraculously. All the bruising went away the first day, but you might feel a little banged up on the inside.”
Toni was glad to hear that she was doing so well, although now that she was awake, the only one she really wanted to see was not here.
Nadia immediately picked up on Toni’s concern. She couldn’t really blame her. “Jericho is downstairs eating with the family. It took an act of God to get him to leave your side. Jules finally had to physically yank him out of here against his will.” She stood straight up and pulled at the bottom of her grey, fitted T-shirt that hugged her svelte frame. The swell of her large breasts was still evident, however, no matter how she tried to cover them. “Everyone is in debt to you, Toni. You saved our coven, and you completed the circle.” Her gratitude was evident in the admiration on her face. “Thank you.”
Toni was not very good with anyone showing her appreciation, but she tried to accept it gracefully. “You’re welcome.” Turning her head toward the door as she heard feet moving quickly on the hardwood floor, she knew that Jericho was coming.
Warlocks_The Creole Coven Page 17
