Hidden Conduit- The Complete Series

by J. N. Colon

  “Angeline,” he growled. “Do not get in between my brother and me. I don’t want to hurt you.”

  “So don’t,” I snapped. “And to do that, you need to follow me outside.” Dragging a boat through mud would have been easier. “Bastien, stay here while I take your brother for a walk.”

  Chuckling echoed behind me. “Yes, ma’am.”

  Once we were outside and down the rickety porch, I pulled Etie along the narrow road, his body tense as a bowstring. When I was sure he wouldn’t take off toward the house, I released his arm and shoved my hands in my pockets.

  Etie remained steaming, his fists clenching by his sides while his jaw worked back and forth. He was muttering in French, his rush of words erratic and uneven.

  Bastien had a right to be upset with his brother. Etie had problems with magic, but getting rid of them was drastic to say the least. Was it really that bad for him?

  Etie let out a frustrated growl and kicked a rock into a nearby grove of trees, a dull thud echoing as it made contact with a trunk. “Self-righteous prick. He has no idea what goes on inside of me.” He paced back and forth, dragging his fingers through his dark locks and pulling at the roots. “He has no idea what being a pouvior bokor is like. The good and bad, light and dark.” He slapped his chest. “It’s in here. All. The. Time.” His gaze cast in the direction we came from, his nostrils flaring. “I should go back there and finish—”

  I cut him off by placing my hands on his shoulders, the muscles harder than steal beneath my palms. “Don’t even think about it, Etie,” I warned. “I don’t want you two killing each other.”

  He growled—literally growled—at me. “Angeline, if you know what’s good for you, you will run home right now.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me?” I blurted. I hoped he couldn’t detect the hurt lingering. “You had me looking for this bokal, a way to destroy your powers, and you didn’t think I had a right to know?”

  His lips curled, baring his teeth. “Don’t worry. I’ll make sure to wait until after we break your deal with Baron Samedi.”

  My cheeks flushed, and I dropped my hands. “That’s not what I’m worried about.”

  Honestly, I was afraid he was making a rash decision. What if he tore his powers out and then regretted it? What if—like Bastien said—they were too much a part of him and it changed him? He wouldn’t be the irritating, mood-changing, temperamental Étienne Benoit I’d gotten to know.

  A deep, guttural growl slithered from his mouth, and he spun on his heels.

  My hand wrapped around his bicep. “Stop right there.” Panicked, I did the only thing I could that might shift his mood. At least a little. I reached into his pocket, digging around for something.

  Okay, I didn’t mean to swing his mood into the direction it was probably going.

  He froze, his eyes wide and brows disappearing into those silky dark locks. Heat flushed my skin, but luckily it was already reddened by the hot weather.

  When I finally found what I was looking for, I withdrew a lollipop and flicked his hard chest. “Eat this.”

  He grabbed it while a reluctant smile twitched his lips. “If I fight with my brother some more, will you do that again, cher?”

  I scoffed and fidgeted with my ponytail while fighting a mini freak-out. I just fumbled around in his pocket. What if I accidentally touched…? What if he got excited?

  My eyes flicked below his waist. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

  When my gaze lifted, Etie was staring at me with a knowing smirk as he twirled the lollipop around in his mouth.

  Oh damn. He knew what I’d been checking for.

  “Oh, I liked it, cher.” He winked the glimmering blue eye.

  Heat sizzled around me hot enough to fry an egg. I wanted to die of embarrassment.

  Etie turned and motioned for me to follow. “Come on, Angeline. I need to cool off some more.”

  His idea of cooling off was stripping down to his boxers and walking down a dock into a nearby lake.

  “What are you doing?” I squealed, cringing at the high pitch tone of my voice.

  Etie had already kicked off his shoes. In one swift motion, he yanked his shirt off and discarded it on the sunbaked dock. “I’m going swimming. You joining me, yeah?”

  My eyes raked over his ripped torso slick with sweat, watching his fingers unbutton his jeans. “I-uh-what?”

  Chapter 18

  My heart slammed against my ribcage while my lungs shrank three sizes too small. I couldn’t tear my eyes away from Etie as he undressed. Those shredded abs had me hypnotized.

  A deep chuckle resonated from him. “Are you coming, or you too good to swim in a lake? You prefer that fancy pool of yours?”

  His insulting words snapped me out of my lusty daze, and I shot him a scowl. “I’m not some spoiled brat.”

  He wiggled his eyebrows. “Prove it.” He slid his jeans down his muscular legs, revealing a pair of tight black cotton boxer briefs. With one more crooked smirk, he spun around, diving off the dock and giving me an impressive shot of the snake tattoo.

  I swallowed hard and weighed my options. He was teasing me, I was well aware. But what did I have to lose by joining him—except my clothes? In less than a week my life could belong to the voodoo king. Did I really want to leave this world with a bunch of regrets and what-ifs?

  To hell with it.

  I unlaced my boots, my fingers trembling. The heat was making me dizzy.

  That was a lie. The Cajun Casanova was making me dizzy.

  Etie emerged, shaking water out of his dark locks. He looked wild and untamable. Dark and sinful.

  I was in so much trouble.

  “You coming, cher, or are you too scared of the lake monster?” A crooked grin twitched his lips, the scar beneath glinting in the sun.

  I was more afraid of him.

  “Just give me a second,” I hissed, my voice uneven. I tore my ponytail holder out of my hair, letting the dark strands fall free. With one deep breath, I yanked my t-shirt over my head.

  Just pretend you’re in a bathing suit instead of a bright pink bra.

  At least I wore matching panties today.

  I bit my lip against the nervous laugh bubbling up. I quickly shed my jeans before I lost my nerve and edged toward the dock. Etie was there, wading in the water and looking up at me with two burning eyes. They seared right into my soul and rendered me helpless.

  I jumped.

  Cold water cascaded over me as I plunged deep into the lake, my heart pounding from the rush. When I resurfaced, Etie was right next to me, grinning.

  “Nice underwear.”

  I rolled my eyes. “Real cute.”

  “That’s what I’ve heard about me.” He winked.

  I splashed water in his face and ducked under before he could do the same. When I emerged, he was in the same spot, the humor gone from his expression. “What’s wrong?”

  “Did I hurt you back at the house?” His voice was so gentle it threw me off.

  “No.” I treaded closer, drops of water glistening on his sooty eyelashes. “I’m fine.” I chewed my bottom lip, hesitating. He always seemed so reluctant to talk about his magic. “Why do you want to get rid of your powers?” The question had been burning on my tongue.

  Etie sighed and averted his eyes to the water, running a hand over the surface. After a lengthy pause, his deep voice filled the space between us. “My father was a terrible man. Bastien told you some of it.” He swallowed hard. “But what Bastien doesn’t know—no one knows—is what his dark voodoo did to me.” He rubbed his chest. “The scars it left behind inside me.”

  I wanted to reach out and touch him, but I was afraid he’d stop speaking. So, I quietly listened to his painful words.

  “Every bokor has light and dark magic. With a pouvior bokor like me, it’s magnified. But the things my father made me do…” He shook his head, his voice faltering. He took a deep breath. “He caused the darkness in me to grow stronger than the light. He
made the balance so much harder to maintain.” Etie’s hand scrubbed his face, scratching at the faint stubble coating his chin. “It’s a battle every day to keep the dark in check.”

  “It’s not like this for Bastien?” I asked.

  “No.” Shadows of memories and heartache flickered in those mismatched irises. “I can’t remember the last time I had an entire day of peace without feeling the evil trying to creep up.” A deep, shuddering sigh left his mouth. “I’m just so tired of fighting.”

  The back of my throat burned, and tears blurred my vision. I couldn’t stop my hand from reaching forward, gently brushing wet strands of hair back from his face. His lids drifted closed as he leaned into my touch. “I understand, Etie.”

  I understood he wanted relief. If this was the only way to get it, then so be it.

  “I’ll still help you find the bokal,” I whispered. “We can look through my house after work.” It was the only thing I had to offer. The only way I knew how to comfort him. “I don’t care if my family’s there.” My laugh was humorless. “I’m almost eighteen. They really don’t have a say in who I hang out with.”

  “Six days and”—his lids opened, and he glanced up as if he could tell time by the sun—“six hours.”

  So maybe he could tell time by the sun.

  “We should try looking—” My voice was cut off as something brushed the bottom of my foot.

  A girly squeal pealed from my mouth, and I jumped into Etie’s arms, wrapping myself around him. “Something touched my foot!” My legs twisted around his waist, terrified of letting them dangle.

  Laughter vibrated through his chest as he held me. “It was probably just a fish, Angeline. This is a lake. It’s where they live.”

  My head was on his shoulder as I glanced over the dark water. “Or a snake.”

  “Not all snakes are bad, cher.” His voice dipped to dangerous levels.

  My eyes drifted to the large tattoo on his back. The delicately drawn scales glistened in the sunlight. It looked so real, so alive, that when my fingers brushed over the lines, I expected to feel the thick, leathery coating of a reptile. Instead, smooth, warm skin glided beneath my palm.

  That intoxicating herbal blend swirled up, mixing with the sun and heat. It filled my senses, dulling my inhibitions like a drug.

  Étienne Benoit was as intoxicating as he was addictive. After a few weeks, I was hooked, and there was no replacement for this habit. We were wrapped around each other, thin scraps of material separating us from complete nakedness, and all I could think about was how much closer I wanted to be.

  His fingertips slowly traced my spine, heat radiating from each delicate touch.

  He was so easily undoing me.

  My heart crashed in my ribcage while his tapped out a similar beat. When I’d drawn him away from Bastien, I hadn’t expected this. I hadn’t expected to be swept up in his dark, otherworldly embrace.

  I traced the center of the snake’s head, his reptilian eyes boring into mine, and there was nothing cold-blooded about them. Energy shimmered off the tattoo, the scales coming to life as Etie’s muscles coiled and stretched.

  A rumbling moan vibrated through him, and his arms tightened. I’d struck a chord.

  My pulse spiked as blood flooded every region of my body. I swallowed hard and slowly backed away, peering into his face.

  His eyes were scorching, burning me from the inside out. “You really like playing with fire, yeah?”

  “Oh yeah,” I breathed. My cheeks stained crimson. “I mean, no.”

  Etie’s chuckle was low and sensual, making my lower belly quiver. “I think you had it right the first time, Angeline.”

  My bottom lip snagged between my teeth. Voices warred in my head over our precarious situation. Etie was dangerous. Sexy. And sinful. He was the last guy I ever wanted to get involved with. And the first guy that made me forget why.

  He was fire, and if I stuck one toe in, I’d get burned.

  Hell, I was clinging to him with no desire to let go. I was already in the fire.

  His finger plucked my bottom lip from my teeth, running over the sensitive skin. “Hmm. So soft,” he murmured.

  Shivers racked my body and my skin puckered against his. The air crackled around us, filling with a heat so intense steam sizzled from the water.

  Etie’s eyes dropped to my mouth, tracing the lines of it as he drew closer. His warm, cherry-scented breath dusted my lips. My tongue licked them as if I could already taste him.

  He was going to kiss me.

  Those blue and green irises began to glow as his lids lowered. “Angeline.” It was a husky, desperate plea that had my entire body trembling with anticipation.

  Our noses brushed, and the softest featherlight touch of warm silk skimmed across my lips. Electricity zapped between us. It didn’t hurt. In fact, it set my blood ablaze.

  Etie’s body suddenly tensed.

  My lids lifted as his head snapped around. A pair of glowing gold eyes watched us from the edge of the dock. Those eyes belonged to a wolf.

  I didn’t think I could get any closer to Etie than I already was. I was wrong.

  With a gasp, my arms tightened around him, as did my legs. I was surprised he didn’t complain about losing circulation. “T-There’s a wolf. On the dock.”

  “I see that.” Etie’s hand soothingly rubbed my back. “Don’t worry, cher. He’s a friend.”

  My brows knit. “Like a pet?”

  A deep chuckle rumbled through his chest. “Not quite.”

  Etie’s gaze was locked with the wolf’s, as if having a silent conversation. Its midnight coat shined in the sun, as glossy as polished onyx.

  “Ce soir?” Etie murmured.

  The wolf nodded in response and turned around, trotting down the dock with a lithe gait.

  When Etie shifted back to me, shadows filled his eyes. “We won’t be looking for the bokal tonight.”

  My chest tightened. “Why?”

  “We’re going to a voodoo shop.”

  Chapter 19

  A cold chill slithered down my back, and I glanced over my shoulder. The sensation of being watched was heavy, but it wasn’t coming from the tourists traveling the sidewalk in Shreveport. Dark shadows slithered between them; the faint echo of rattling bones and drums vibrated in the air.

  “You okay, cher?” Etie followed my line of vision.

  I nodded and turned back around as he opened the door. To a pharmacy. Bright fluorescent lights were blinding after the darkness of the street. I glanced around the aisles of over-the-counter medicines, first aid supplies, and other miscellaneous items. “I thought we were going to a voodoo shop,” I whispered.

  “We are.” Etie motioned me forward.

  My lips turned down. “They sell voodoo supplies in a drug store?”

  “Not exactly.” Etie grabbed my hand and pulled me toward the back. He pushed open the door marked Employees Only and tugged me through.

  We had stepped into another world. A voodoo world.

  The low hum of fluorescent bulbs was gone. Incense and burning herbs scented the air while smoke curled above our heads in the dim light. My fingers skimmed the dark stained wooden shelves where merchandise was stored. The atmosphere was dark and mysterious. Intoxicating and foreign.

  A few people milled about, browsing the aisles. When they spotted Etie, they quickly shifted out of his way. Could they sense his power or was it simply the man himself and the dangerous aura around him?

  Two older women sat at a table, their wrinkled hands drifting over the objects spread across a scarlet cloth. One began gingerly placing items on a leather square, hair, bone—animal, I hoped—and a few other unfamiliar things.

  Etie leaned closer. “They’re making a gris-gris bag.”

  “What’s that?” I whispered.

  “It’s a charm given to someone as protection, or it can be hidden in someone’s house for darker, benevolent things.”

  Cold fingertips trickled across my b
ack as the image of Baron Samedi and his spirits flashed through my mind. “What kind are they making?”

  Etie’s lips pursed. “It looks like a charm to chase away nightmares.”

  “I could use one of those,” I mumbled more to myself than him.

  His gaze lingered on me as we stopped at another door. “I’ll make you one.”

  My heart fluttered at his gesture. It didn’t seem like much until you figured in his turbulent relationship with magic. “Thanks.”

  A set of stairs was behind the door.

  Etie dropped my hand as he descended them, my pulse spiking with each step. The sense of foreboding hung heavy in the air. I licked my dry lips and choked back the urge to run.

  Exotic aromas tickled my nose, and the temperature dropped a degree or two. I shivered and rubbed my arms for warmth. A polished wooden door so dark it sucked the light in appeared before us. Etie gave it a specific set of knocks.

  After a few moments of thick silence, it creaked open of its own accord.

  My feet stuck to the ground. My body had no intention of entering that room. Images of what happened at Dumarsais’ shack flickered behind my eyes.

  Etie wasn’t letting me off that easy. His hand slipped into mine again, and he pulled me through.

  Blood. It was all I could think.

  Crimson walls surrounded us. Candlelight flickered across black lines of symbols anointing them. The intricate swirls continued to the floor, weaving through a painted circle in the center.

  My throat tightened, recalling the powdery concoction I had inhaled the other night.

  “Étienne, it’s been a while.” A man peeled himself from the wall, his deep red suit blending into the background.

  Etie shook his hand, and they embraced in a half hug. “Good to see you, Marcus. You’ve been well, no?”

  “Not as good as you, I see.” A pair of honey brown eyes lingered over me. The edges of his full lips tipped, revealing pearly whites.

  My feet shuffled in place as he slinked closer, his predatory movements prickling my nape.

  He lifted my hand in his, kissing the back of it. The candles danced across his midnight skin, the deep, rich color reminding me of the wolf from the dock.