Wicked Unveiled

by J. N. Colon

  How was Mama CeCe the voice of reason right now?

  “What if this whole thing brings Kalfou out?” she hissed. “What do we do then?

  “Etie, maybe we should—” My words cut off at the dark look he shot me.

  He dropped my hand. “Don’t even think about sacrificing yourself, Angeline.” He shifted his fiery gaze in Mama CeCe’s direction. “Nothing good could come out of this? How about saving my alimèt from that bastard for good?” His nostrils flared as he gave each of us a hard, unrelenting look. “We’re doing this. And that’s final.”

  My fingers shakily tangled in the ends of my hair as I sat alone on the floor in the training room. My nerves were raw. This whole plan was making my stomach hurt. Something wasn’t right about this. What if we cosmically screwed things by weakening Baron Samedi?

  Then again, we couldn’t let him destroy the gate. That could also have some serious effects on the universe. And letting him take Marisol wasn’t an option either. Besides, he wanted me. Even if he took Marisol, it wouldn’t be the end of this. He’d find some other way to get me.

  Lucas and my sister were a thing! I still couldn’t believe it.

  I shook the wayward thoughts off. Focus, Angel.

  A groan tumbled out of my mouth, and I lay back, staring up at the ceiling. I traced the intricate crown molding, reminded of the Leroux house. Even if I wanted to find another way, we were out of time, and the pouvior bokor wouldn’t be easy to convince.

  A knock resonated on the door before it opened, revealing Mama CeCe. “I thought I’d find you hiding in here.”

  My lips pursed. “I’m not hiding.” I wasn’t. I was avoiding. There was a difference.

  Mama CeCe closed the door behind her and slowly strolled in. Something was brewing in those dark eyes. “I think you and I are on the same page when it comes to this idiotic plan those bokors have.”

  I sat up, crossing my legs in front of me. “And what page is that?”

  “You know this won’t end well.” She slinked along the edge of the room, her fingers trailing across the navy walls.

  “I don’t see any other option,” I said. “We can’t let Baron Samedi destroy the gate.”

  A line formed between her brows. “I just don’t understand. The baron is a dark deity, but he ain’t evil.”

  She might be right about that despite what he’s done these past few months. After meeting Maman Brigitte and reading up on him, it did seem out of character for the baron.

  “He’d never go against the rule of voodoo like this.” She shook her head, a line creasing her brow. “He’d never destroy something the bondye created. This isn’t normal behavior.”

  I shrugged. “Whether it’s normal or not, he has to be stopped.”

  “I agree.” Mama CeCe slowly walked forward, reminding me of a cat stalking prey.

  My body tensed at her approach. “I thought you were against stopping him.”

  “I’m not,” she said. “I’m against weakening him. There’s a difference.”

  “Is there another way?” Etie and Henri didn’t seem to think so. I wasn’t an expert in voodoo so I had to trust my alimèt.

  A slow smile curled her lips. “Possibly.”

  If she knew of another way, she would have told Etie—unless it involved putting me in danger. “Just spit it out. We’re running short on time.”

  The voodoo priestess folded down in front of me. “Perhaps you can talk Baron Samedi out of this.”

  A barking laugh slipped out. “You’re joking right?” She didn’t answer, and my smile dropped. “You can’t be serious. Baron Samedi isn’t going to listen to me. He wants to kill me!”

  She shook her head. “You’re the only one that can do this.”

  “And why is that?” My voice rose a few octaves.

  “Because you can go to him under the guise that you’re giving yourself over to save Marisol.” She twisted a thick silver ring around her index finger. “You can try to talk him out of this, and if it fails, you’ll be close enough to stab him.” When I opened my mouth to protest, she cut me off with a wave of her hand. “Don’t you realize what will happen to Etie if he goes against the baron and fails?”

  Cold sped through my veins, freezing every muscle in my body. The room spun. Why hadn’t I thought of this before? If Etie failed, Baron Samedi would kill him. No matter how not evil the baron really was, he wouldn’t let someone walk away after that. Except me.

  Me, he needed. Etie, he didn’t.

  “I have to be the one to stab him.” My words were barely audible, but they thundered against my skull.

  “Yes, if you want to protect Etie.” Her long finger tipped my chin up to meet her dark, penetrating eyes. “What will it hurt to try and talk some sense into the baron before you carry out the bokors’ plan. It will keep Etie safe.”

  As much as I hated to admit this, she had a point. I could save my sister, protect Etie, and maybe stop bad cosmic karma from slapping all of us around. If not, then the baron was going to get poked in the eye.

  My stomach heaved at the image my mind drummed up.“What do I have to do?” The words echoed against the walls, sealing my fate.

  Mama CeCe pulled the ring she’d been fiddling with off and dropped it in my palm. “You’ll need this.”

  I examined it, running my finger over the voodoo king’s vevè carved into the silver circlet. “Why?”

  One of those duplicitous smiles slowly split her crimson lips. “You’ll need to summon Baron Samedi right before Fete Gede.”

  Chapter 24

  I stepped into the hall from my room, the feathery wings on my back brushing the doorjamb. Most of the patrons at Le Revenant would be dressed in costumes. I preferred to blend in.

  Halloween was here. The countdown to doomsday had nearly reached zero. Fete Gede was tomorrow, and I’d take on the voodoo king once and for all. Etie would kill me if he knew what I was planning. I was surprised I’d manage to hide it from him thus far.

  A tingle zipped through my toujou. Speaking of the handsome pouvior bokor…

  I pivoted and almost choked at the sight of my soul mate. Etie was dressed in an onyx suit that highlighted his broad shoulders and tapered waist. Purple embellishments hinted around the collar and sleeves. A top hat decorated with small skulls along the brim sat askew on his head, deep chocolate strands of hair sticking out.

  The guy looked hot in a t-shirt and jeans. In a suit, he was smoldering.

  “What are you supposed to be?” His koulèvkay had slithered from his back, settling his head right on Etie’s neck above the swirling marks of the gwo-bon lyen. Those reptilian eyes followed my every move.

  “This is Fete Gede attire.” His gaze slowly roamed over me, taking in my costume. “I should have painted my face with a skull, but I thought it would get in the way.”

  My brow arched. “In the way of what?”

  His fingers curled around my hip, and he drew me closer. “In the way of this.” His mouth sealed to mine, stealing the air from my lungs. The kiss deepened within seconds, and fire spread through my veins.

  How could this guy still make me so weak in the knees?

  I groaned and pressed into him, getting lost in the heady sensations. He tasted like sweet cherries and wickedness. “Good call,” I whispered, my hands skimming down his chest. The urge to turn around and drag him back into the room seeped through my muscles.

  “I plan on doing that a lot downstairs, cher.” He sucked on his bottom lip as he surveyed my black micro mini, fishnets, and tight lace top. “What are you supposed to be?”

  I motioned to the small black feathered wings on my back. “A fallen angel.”

  His mismatched eyes burned between sooty lashes as he boxed me in against the door. “You hit the nail on the head with that.” Warm breath blew across my cheeks. “My little dark Angeline.”

  The look he gave me turned my legs to jelly. “We better get downstairs. Aren’t we supposed to help Mama CeCe with one of her
spells?”

  He made a humming sound that sent my stomach upside down. “Let’s go.” His fingers wove through mine, and he tugged me down the long hall.

  Halloween night at Le Revenant was packed with patrons dressed in costumes. A mix of voodoo casters, witches, and a few humans made up the crowd on the dance floor. Etie led me down the stairs.

  “What exactly are we supposed to do?” I asked over the thumping music.

  “Dance.”

  Lines creased my forehead. “I thought we were helping with a spell. I don’t think we have time to dance.”

  Etie pulled me through the mob of gyrating bodies, settling in a spot near the center. “We need a lot of energy to sneak into the spirit world.”

  That was the plan—Etie’s anyway. Just after midnight, we were going to sneak into the spirit world to catch Baron Samedi off guard. Etie would stab him, and that would be the end.

  My plan was a little different.

  My gaze lingered over the iron knife strapped to Etie’s side. I needed that before I could slip away to Thierry Street Cemetery.

  His hands wrapped around my hips. “Remember the night you drank Delirium and heightened Mama CeCe’s spell when we danced?”

  Heat spread over my skin. How could I forget? “Yes,” I slowly drawled.

  His brows wiggled. “You need to do that again.”

  My eyes widened. “You want me to use my conduit powers to make her spell stronger—and make people want to tear each other’s clothes off right here on the dance floor?”

  “It’ll create a massive amount of energy, the kind we need.” His lips brushed over my ear. “Besides, it’ll be fun.”

  I swallowed hard. I didn’t doubt that. “I don’t even know how I did it.” And I’d been on Delirium. I couldn’t risk drinking that. I needed to concentrate if I was going to go through with my plan instead of Etie’s.

  “Just relax and feel the spell in the air.” Etie started moving, directing my hips in the same way. “It’ll come to you, cher.”

  The only thing coming to me right now was the feel of Etie’s body. How the hell was I supposed to focus on Mama CeCe’s spell when all I could think about was taking my alimèt upstairs and having my way with him?

  I shivered, and it only made Etie shorten the space between us until it was nonexistent. The music was slow and sensual, and the beat of the drums thrummed against my heated skin. Etie’s touch moved from my hips and lingered over my lower back.

  My lids drifted shut, and I lowered the barriers around my conduit magic. Etie controlled the dance, his warm, spicy scent flooding over me. My sensors slithered out, opening up and connecting with Mama CeCe’s spell.

  Etie brushed his lips over mine. “You’re amazing,” he whispered, his breath warming the space around us. “When this is all over, I’m taking you somewhere for at least a week. Just the two of us and no one else to interrupt.”

  My insides quivered. Uninterrupted time alone with Etie? “That sounds amazing.” Hopefully he wouldn’t reconsider after I take on the baron alone.

  We continued to dance, Etie spreading kisses along my jaw and neck while his hands massaged circles on my lower back. My magic pushed enough power into Mama CeCe’s spell to send the clubgoers spiraling.

  Heat shimmered through the air, and a fine sheen covered us both. My heart slammed against my ribs, matching Etie’s frantic pulse. The spell was affecting us, spilling fog through my brain. I wanted to stay right here, letting the raw sensations take us away.

  But I had a job to do. I was supposed to be doing—something.

  I shook my head, trying to clear the haze. As soon as it thinned, Etie nibbled on my ear, whispering French. By the husky tone of his voice, I knew what he was talking about. I didn’t need to speak the language.

  My hands wandered over him, feeling the dips and curves of his chest. One moved dangerously close to the waist of his pants, brushing over the button.

  What was I supposed to be doing?

  My finger skimmed something hard. The knife.

  Icy needles punctured my muscles, shocking me out of the rosy fog. Oh, right. I needed to get that damn dagger.

  I reached forward. If Etie was as affected by the spell as I’d been, he might be too distracted to notice my sticky fingers.

  A girl could dream.

  I shifted and pulled his mouth to mine, kissing him wildly. My fingers curled around the hilt of the knife, slowly easing it out. It was dirty, but I wasn’t above being underhanded to save him.

  Got it! Now what? I didn’t have pockets.

  I pulled my leg up, sparks of electricity shooting through my core as Etie gripped my thigh.

  Holy voodoo dolls. My lids fluttered closed. This was overwhelming. My skin was sweltering. It was going to take the jaws of life to pry me from the Cajun Casanova.

  My fingers tightened around something sleek and hard. The knife! I cursed and shoved it in my boot just as Etie’s hand began sliding up my thigh.

  A moan tumbled out, and my head tilted back. Shit. I was losing it again.

  Etie halted, and a low growl pierced the air.

  Oh hell. He knew I took the knife.

  When my lids opened, he wasn’t glaring at me. Mama CeCe stood next to us, a smile twitching her lips.

  “Having fun?”

  Etie gently dropped my leg to the floor, steadying me. “Yes, and you’re interrupting.”

  Her eyes slid to me, and my cheeks burned. We’d totally been about to do something inappropriate as hell on the dance floor. “Sorry to ruin the fun, but I thought you’d like to know a few members of Louange le Noir are here.”

  Etie shrugged. “Fete Gede is tomorrow. They’re celebrating.”

  Mama CeCe’s brows dropped. “And what if Baron Samedi sent them to keep eyes on Evangeline?”

  Etie’s nostrils flared. “They won’t touch her.”

  Her gaze flicked to me again, something flashing through those onyx irises. This was it, the distraction to get me away from Etie. A hard rock of cement settled in my stomach. No going back now.

  Etie turned his attention to me. “I’m sorry, cher. I need to check this out.”

  “Sure. That’s fine.” My insides clenched. Could he hear the lie in my voice? Would his toujou burn, telling him I was up to no good?

  He jerked his chin toward the bar. “Stay with Rafe. I’ll be right back.”

  I gave a quick nod and slipped my hands from him. He leaned forward, pressing a quick but steamy kiss to my lips.

  “This way.” Mama CeCe led Etie to the back of the club.

  I gritted my teeth and pushed past the dancing crowd. My gaze landed on Marisol who was sitting at a table with Lucas. She was dressed as a sexy demon while her boyfriend—I still couldn’t believe my sister and Lucas were a thing—was sporting a pirate costume.

  I quickly ducked behind a beefy voodoo caster, my heart slamming against my ribs. My sister would know I was up to no good. An ache tore open my chest as I bypassed the bar and Rafe. Etie was going to be pissed. And hurt. He told me to stop sacrificing myself to save others.

  But if I didn’t at least try this, a hell of a lot more people could be hurt from the fallout. Etie was one of them.

  I grabbed the canvas bag Mama CeCe hid near one of the side exits. This door wasn’t locked tonight. I slipped outside, the crisp autumn air hitting my hot, damp skin. A shiver spilled down my back, but it wasn’t from the temperature change. I was about to do something most would consider incredibly stupid. I was going to summon the voodoo king—and stab him in the eye if I had to.

  Chapter 25

  I finished drawing Baron Samedi’s vevè on the floor of the mausoleum with the spell mixture Mama CeCe made. Her ring was nestled in the center, the metal glinting in the flickering candlelight. My hands trembled as I carefully placed the now empty jar down. Once Etie realized I was gone, he was going to use our gwo-bon lyen to find me.

  I’d ditched the wings and threw on a sweater and jeans the
priestess had stowed in the bag. Thank God. I really didn’t want to summon the voodoo king dressed as a scantily clad fallen angel. He would have liked my outfit way too much.

  I grabbed the small drum wrapped in snake bones and began tapping out the beat Mama CeCe taught me. I needed to call the baron and convince him this was an epically bad idea. The knife was still nestled in my boot. If that failed, I had to stab him and hope like hell the universe didn’t implode.

  “Mwen rele soti. Mwen rele soti. Baron Samedi.” I’d memorized the Vondou words to call Baron Samedi, the same words Marisol had used when she was under the influence of Jesse. They were bitter on my tongue. “Mwen rele soti. Mwen rele soti. Baron Samedi”

  Mama CeCe said performing the voodoo ritual in the graveyard would call him faster. And time was definitely an issue.

  After repeating the phrase again, the scent of rum and cigars filled the air. My mouth turned dry. I hadn’t even finished the ritual.

  “Eve-angel-ine.” The baron stepped out from the shadows, looking especially dapper in a flamboyant purple and black suit with long coattails and a matching top hat. “I didn’t expect you to be calling until tomorrow.”

  “It’s almost midnight,” I said, trying to keep the tremors from my voice. “Why wait?”

  A baritone laugh shook the marble walls. “I suppose you’re right, cher.” He came closer and extended his hand. “Shall we?”

  I stood without accepting his help. “Are you sure this is what you want?”

  His brow arched. “Of course it is. I’ll rule over all of voodoo.”

  I licked my dry lips. “But the gates exist for a reason. Destroying them seems a little drastic, don’t you think?”

  He tsked. “Oh, cher, I hope you don’t think you can change my mind.” His hand snaked out, latching onto my wrist.

  Sweat spilled down my neck. His grip was iron-tight. Oh crap.

  “I’ve wanted this for a long time, Eve-angel-ine.” He yanked me closer, smoke drifting between his teeth. “I’m not going to change my mind, girl.”