Wicked Unveiled

by J. N. Colon

  Riley cried. Lana was suspicious.

  I hated lying to them, but their safety was more important than my guilty conscience.

  Etie’s jaw tightened, and he nodded at the two gray pit bulls guarding the entrance to Mama CeCe’s club. “Vaus, Micha, let us in.”

  Of course they weren’t really dogs. They were loogaroo, voodoo casters who could shift into animal form.

  The loogaroo parted, and Etie used a Vondou word to open the doors. We walked in. Silence stretched through the empty, cavernous room. Le Revenant was closed for the night. Eerie creaks echoed as the doors closed behind us with an ominous clank of finality.

  I choked back waves of nausea. What had I gotten us into?

  My gaze traveled over the impressive art deco style—copper etched ceilings, gleaming black floors paired with gold and silver accents. It was beautiful and intimidating at the same time—just like the owner.

  “I wasn’t sure I’d be seeing you two tonight.” Mama CeCe slowly descended the blood red stairs, her onyx braids dangling around her narrow waist.

  Etie dropped our bags on the polished floor. “Don’t play coy, Mama CeCe. I’m sure you knew the moment we decided.” He twirled his finger around the empty room. “You closed up shop for us?”

  She flashed a mischievous smile just as Rafe entered from a hidden door in the back.

  Etie’s body hardened, and his eyes burned a luminous shade of blue and green. “I still owe you for drugging Angeline.”

  Color drained from Rafe’s cheeks. “I know you won’t let that slide, but how about we come back to that a little later.” He jerked his chin toward me. “We need to teach this little witch how to really harness her power.”

  Etie gave a quick nod. “For now.” There was no mistaking the dark warning in his voice.

  A loud clap thundered through the club, resonating against the gleaming walls. “Welcome to Le Revenant, Evangeline.” A slow, devilish smile split Mama CeCe’s crimson lips. “Stay as long as you like.”

  If the priestess had her way, Etie and I would be staying forever.

  Chapter 11

  A drop of sweat rolled down my neck, disappearing into my tank top. I wiped another one running over my temple with the back of my hand. Rafe stood across the room, blocking a set of clay jars. His eyes were pure violet.

  “I know that’s not all you’ve got.” The lights from the chandelier glinted on the tiny hoop in his lip as he smirked.

  Even the room Mama CeCe had let us use to train in was borderline opulent. Gleaming hardwood floors stretched between deep navy walls. Intricate crown molding and antique light fixtures added to the grandeur. It was completely unnecessary. I could end up demolishing the entire space before long. I’d already dented the large oak door leading to the bathroom.

  “Who said I was done?” I resisted the urge to give him the one finger salute. Rafe and Lucas did not share the same teaching techniques. Rafe wasn’t patient or very forgiving. If I didn’t understand something, I’d better figure it out or I was S.O.L.

  One day he had me levitate myself. I was good at the up part, but the down—not so much. The jerkface wouldn’t help so I spent hours floating around the room until Etie found me. He laughed so hard tears streamed down his cheeks.

  I was glad they found my lack of control so funny.

  While I spent my time honing my powers, Etie searched for information on Baron Samedi’s weaknesses. He was now completely ignoring Maman Brigitte’s advice. He was convinced going for the baron’s jugular was the only way to save me.

  So far, nothing really concrete had arisen. A few talismans and rituals existed to help block the loa for a time, but that wouldn’t weaken him. Plus, Marisol bore his mark. No spell or trinket was going to protect her.

  Lucas had done as I’d asked and persuaded my father to take the family back to Covina de Validus. He’d also stayed true to his word and kept my whereabouts a secret. It was hard on him. I could hear it in his voice the few times he’d called.

  The brujo wasn’t the only one having a difficult time. According to him, my mother was worried sick. She thought I was off on some suicide mission. Lucas tried to reassure her that Etie would protect me. So did my grandmother.

  It was strange how quickly Abuela switched sides. She was totally team Etie when she wanted him to save my sorry ass. Once he did, she decided to don the team Lucas shirt, and now she was back to Etie.

  My team had always been the multiple personality pouvior bokor.

  Marisol’s powers had also been unbound. Lucas said she was a natural—and a natural pain in his ass. Was he having a better time with my sister than Rafe was with me?

  A small blast of power slammed into me, bringing me back to the present. I cursed and glared at the witch.

  “Get your head in the game.” Rafe blew me a kiss. “Wouldn’t want to mess up that pretty face.”

  My teeth mashed, and I choked back the offensive names teetering on the tip of my tongue. We’d been practicing for hours every day for the past few weeks. Rafe started me out small. He taught me to use my conduit magic to borrow energy from powered objects. I’d done that before without even knowing it. No wonder I tended to fry electronics.

  Then he had me push my own energy into inanimate objects for later use. That led to a lot of blown up crystals and talismans.

  I could also take another person’s power and store it in spelled objects. If I ever found myself in deep doo, I could suck the power from those things to help me. This way, I wasn’t walking around like a fat tick bloated with magic.

  Right now, I was supposed to take the energy captured in the jars behind Rafe. I’d gotten three of them. Two were left.

  It wasn’t as easy as it sounded. He was blocking my every attempt. A few minutes ago, I’d sent a wave of power toward him. Rafe threw up a shield. I ended up across the room on my ass. My butt was going to be as bruised as my ego.

  “You’re not afraid of a little fight, are you, princess?” Rafe wiggled his fingers, and a purple energy ball appeared.

  My brows dipped. I hated when he called me that. “You’re lucky Etie isn’t here. He’d give you another black eye.” Etie walked in the other day when Rafe had me pinned against a wall, stealing the air from my lungs. What happened next wasn’t pretty. If I hadn’t been able to pull Etie off him, there was no telling how far the voodoo caster would have gone. He was still pissed about the witch’s part in delivering me to Liseria.

  Some of the humor melted from Rafe’s face. “Etie won’t always be there to save you, Angel. Don’t rely on him to fight your battles now.”

  My stomach sank to the floor. He took the wind right out of my sails. He was right. That was the whole point of this. I needed to learn to protect myself.

  I steeled my nerves. “Do your worst.”

  The violet ball zoomed right past my head, its heat searing my temple.

  Son of a bitch! He wasn’t playing around.

  I ducked under the next one, my heart crashing against my chest. I barely dodged the third as I rolled across the polished hardwood floor.

  “Come on, Angel!” Rafe snarled. “Stop being afraid and fight back. Use what you’ve taken from the three jars.” A crackling orb appeared in each of his hands. “You’re a conduit. Act like it!”

  A screech left my mouth as one of the balls grazed my arm, burning me. An acrid scent rose through the air. Rafe tossed the other one directly at my chest. If it made contact, I would be knocked unconscious.

  Without overthinking it, I tore down the walls around my conduit powers and reached for them. They flooded me with a heady, intoxicating sensation. It felt as if a weight had been lifted off, and I could finally breathe. I’d been drowning, and I’d broke through the surface, my lungs expanding with sweet air.

  My hand snaked out, catching the glowing sphere inches before it slammed into my chest.

  It was mine now.

  Rafe’s whoop of excitement was distant in my ears. I was entranced by
the swirling sphere of deep violet and magenta. I’d never been able to make an energy ball. They always fizzled out because I was too scared to go that deep. I was afraid to lose control using that much power.

  But here I was, letting it out and nothing bad happened.

  My gaze settled on Rafe. He was still clapping, but when he saw my expression, his smile fell.

  “Oh crap. Did I piss princess off?”

  I tossed the ball at him.

  He ducked, crashing to the floor. I would have laughed if I weren’t so focused. My lungs filled with another deep breath, and I pulled on my power. Heat and electricity encompassed my hand.

  A brilliant orb of energy appeared in my palm. Yes! I threw it.

  Rafe jumped out of the way before it rammed into his shoulder. “Someone grew some balls.” He ran his hand over his mussed mohawk as he scrambled up. “Well, just one ball.”

  My jaw ticked. He couldn’t resist taunting me, could he? “I’m not done.”

  He waved me on. “By all means, princess.”

  Asshat.

  Electricity prickled along my skin, puckering my flesh. Searing heat spread through my veins, a welcomed burn that traveled all through my body. My hands drew closer. Rafe’s deep brown eyes widened as one massive, churning purple orb formed in front of me. It was about the size of a basketball—one hella lethal basketball.

  “Uh, Angel, I don’t think you should throw that at me.” He lifted his black t-shirt, wiping sweat from his forehead.

  I rolled my eyes. No shit. I didn’t want to kill the guy, and this very well could or put him in the hospital at least.

  My hands pulled apart, and the ball split into four smaller ones. They floated in front of me, waiting on my command.

  “I’ll be damned,” Rafe muttered. For once, his expression wasn’t a taunting mixture of disdain and mockery.

  I smiled at the undercover compliment from my teacher. And then I began chucking the luminescent weapons his way.

  Rafe threw up a barrier, but the second ball sailed right through it, taking off a quarter inch of his mohawk. He cursed and rolled across the floor. “You’re going to pay for that.”

  I ignored him and threw another, moving the witch out of my way. I finally had a clear shot of the jars. The last glowing sphere flew from my fingertips, catching Rafe on the back.

  He crashed to the ground and slid across the hardwood floor on his stomach.

  Sweet victory!

  My conduit receptors leaped out, attaching to the clay jars. The energy inside them flooded me, knocking me back several steps. Lava swirled through my chest, and my head swam. The navy walls spun too fast.

  What the hell was in those jars?

  The other three only had me dizzy for a few seconds. This was an overwhelming cloud of vertigo and hot tingles.

  My knees crashed to the ground, pain shooting up my legs. I was drunk on power—wasted actually.

  “Angel!” Rafe kneeled next to me, his hands landing on my shoulders to keep me upright. “Woah, there. It’s okay. Just let it settle.”

  I swallowed rapidly. I was two seconds away from hurling all over him. He’d probably start calling me Princess of Puke-ington or something equally ridiculous.

  A cool sensation spread over me as Rafe smoothed his hands down my back, indecipherable words trickling from him. Soon, the dizziness faded, and the room stopped spinning.

  “What was in those jars?” I choked, wiping a fine sheen of cold sweat off my forehead.

  He winced. “Sorry. I’m not sure. I took them from Mama CeCe’s storeroom. I should have checked.”

  “You think?” Did Mama CeCe have a stockpile of power just sitting in jars? Was that normal?

  Probably not.

  Rafe helped me to my feet, grinning. “That was amazing. I wasn’t expecting you to go all mighty Hecate on my ass.”

  A dry laugh slipped out. I glanced at his mohawk. Some of the ends were charred. “Sorry about your hair.”

  “I needed a cut anyway.” He winked, and his grin grew broader, unleashing a tiny dimple on his left cheek.

  I could see why the girls fawned over him every night. The witch was shmexy. Not quite as lethal hot as Etie though.

  Rafe drew me back to the table lined with the jars. “How about we get rid of that extra power now.”

  “Gladly.” I felt like a gluttonous pig. Soon, I’d be wallowing in the mud.

  My lids closed as I reached for the powers swirling inside. I tugged on the foreign ones, letting them attach to the cords outside of my body. They poured back into the jars they came from.

  When the only power inside me was my own, a long, tired breath spilled from my lips. My limbs were shaking. I was drained.

  “Come on, badass.” Rafe pulled me to the other side of the room where a plush white rug stretched across the floor, gently helping me down.

  “What? No princess?” I leaned back on my hands, my lids half-mast.

  Rafe smirked. “Princess Badass it is.”

  My smile fell. “Not funny.”

  He strolled toward a row of sleek cabinets with gold fixtures, pulling something out. When he returned, he dropped a bag of chocolate-covered cherries and almonds. “Eat some of those.”

  I gladly dug in, thankful for the sugary snack. It would help replenish my energy. Was this why Etie had developed such a sweet tooth?

  “You did good, Angel.” Rafe took a seat across from me, stretching out his long legs. “I wasn’t expecting the four energy orbs. I’ve never seen anyone do that. It’s usually just one or two.”

  I gave a noncommittal shrug while trying and failing to bite back a smile. “It was pretty awesome.”

  He chuckled and waved his fingers, a few morsels of chocolate landing in his palm. “Don’t get cocky, grasshopper. There’s still a lot to learn.”

  My gaze lingered over him. “How do you know so much about conduits and their powers?” I’d asked him plenty of times, but he never answered.

  He sighed and slowly chewed, probably thinking of another evasive answer. “My mom was a conduit.”

  I nearly choked on a chocolate-covered almond. “Really?” I grabbed my water, taking a sip.

  He nodded and averted his eyes to the floor. I couldn’t help but notice the past tense. Something must have happened to her.

  “Did she…?” I swallowed hard. The obvious answer was she’d met an untimely demise.

  “She died when I was thirteen.” He rubbed his hands over his thighs, his nostrils flaring. “Liseria killed her.”

  Now I did choke.

  My lungs burned as I tried to cough up the water I’d breathed in. “Liseria? But you were in her coven.”

  The tendons in his jaw flexed, and his eyes began to flood with violet. “Liseria killed her by draining her power and then made me swear an oath to her coven.” He shook his head. “I’d rather have died than be anywhere near that evil woman, but she took away my free will.” His fists curled as if he were imagining slamming them into the redheaded witch. “I had no choice.”

  A lump grew in my throat. “I’m sorry, Rafe.” He’d been forced to remain with his mother’s killer for years. No wonder he fled from the house as soon as Liseria died. He was finally free.

  A bitter laugh escaped his hard mouth. “Liseria wanted to keep me around to produce a conduit one day.”

  Acid seeped into my stomach, and I fought to keep the food and water down. “She was hoping you’d have a kid who was a conduit she could use.”

  He nodded. “It’s why she got me a job at Le Revenant when I was fifteen—so I could meet plenty of women and sleep with them.”

  Oh God. The book I’d read in Madam Monnier’s spoke of breeding conduits until they realized we didn’t usually have conduit babies. But the power was in our bloodline, and Liseria knew that. She’d abused Rafe because of it.

  “I’m s—”

  His hand lifted, cutting me off. “Don’t. It wasn’t that bad.” His laugh was hollow. “I had fun
trying.” The pain swirling in his eyes said the opposite.

  “Did you ever manage to get anyone pregnant?” What if there was a little Rafe out there?

  He shook his head. “I was lucky for a while, but then Mama CeCe gave me a voodoo brew every day called tutela to stop that from happening. If Liseria had ever found out…” A shudder rippled down his spine. “I would have been chained up with girls brought to me.”

  That woman had been pure evil. “I’m glad she’s dead.”

  He rubbed his face. “You, me, and a whole lot of other people.” A long sigh rolled out of his mouth. “My mother and I left our coven because they wanted her to stay hidden. They urged her to keep her powers shut down.”

  Exactly what my family and coven wanted from me.

  “She decided that was no way to live so we left.” Rafe ran his fingers through his slightly charred mohawk, mussing it up more. “She was training with another trusted witch like I’m doing with you, but it wasn’t enough. We didn’t have a club like Le Revenant to take shelter in.” He drew in a shuddering breath. “Liseria found her before she had a chance to learn enough and…” His words cut off, unshed tears glistening in his dark brown eyes.

  A long moment of silence stretched. My heart broke for the witch. I never imagined anything like this. Rafe had a more screwed up life than I did, and he wasn’t even a conduit.

  “That’s why I’m doing this,” he said, disrupting the silence. “If I can help another conduit not be used and destroyed like my mom, then her life didn’t end in vain.”

  I choked back more words of sympathy. “I’ll try my best. I won’t let you or her down.”

  The edges of his lips twitched. “I know you won’t. You might be a pain in my ass, but you’re damn powerful.”

  I shot him a wry look. “Thanks.” The amount of power inside me wasn’t my problem. It was knowing how to control it. Because if I didn’t, I wasn’t going to be able to take on any enemies. I’d either be too afraid or too busy trying not to destroy everything around me.

  Chapter 12

  Heated words flowed from Etie as I walked into Mama CeCe’s office. She was leaning against her massive mahogany desk, her arms crossed and dark eyes narrowed on the pouvior bokor. He was pacing behind a pair of leather chairs, his movements agitated.