Bewitched on Bourbon Street (10 page)

His mention of my child sent a chill straight to my heart while cold rage infiltrated every molecule of my being. The demons knew about the curse. They had to. It was too specific a taunt. The family Jade and I wanted to start would be in mortal danger from all sides. I had to do something, anything, to send the message I wasn’t going to let anyone threaten my family.

If it hadn’t been for the angel lying limp in his grasp, I’d already have ended the demon. Possibly with my bare hands. The angel wasn’t dead yet, but if those wounds weren’t tended to, he would be soon, judging by the amount of blood staining his shirt.

Son of a bitch. This battle just went from routine to majorly fucked up in a nanosecond. If an angel was killed, it would be a tragedy. But if it was known it had happened in the presence of the Brotherhood, relations with the high angel would deteriorate even further between the two groups. Chessandra would stop at nothing for revenge, and the simmering war between the angels and the demons would likely erupt into a full-on battle. Then no one would be safe. Innocents would surely be caught in the crossfire.

And after learning everyone had an interest in my future child in an obvious quest for power, I’d had enough.

“Let him go,” I said. “Then we can have a one on one for my soul.”

The demon snarled, revealing a third set of fangs.

I stared at him, my jaw set. “Drop the hostage or lose your chance for a sanctioned battle.”

A tiny voice in the back of my head whispered,
What are you doing? You already know he’s not the simpleton demon he’s pretending to be.
But I ignored it. It was too late now. I’d already offered. There was no taking it back. Besides, I was sending the message that Kane Rouquette wasn’t taking anyone’s shit.

Pure hunger rippled over the demon’s expression. A sanctioned battle meant we’d fight one on one, and the victor had the right to determine the other’s fate: a permanent stay in Hell, an informant, or something worse, like instant death. Offering a sanctioned fight was almost unheard of. And if I wasn’t mistaken, a demon who brought in a demon hunter, one who was the husband of the most powerful white witch in the south, would earn himself a lifetime of cachet with the leaders of Hell.

“Deal.” The demon sent me a twisted smile and dropped the angel in a heap to the concrete floor. The creature shimmered and shifted into a leathery red form, his head thick and full of pointed horns. The kind of demon who’d been around for not only years but millennia. There was no doubt he was a badass of epic proportions.

But I didn’t care. Adrenaline and raw determination had taken over. This demon would never talk about my unborn child again, nor would he take the life of an angel.

Leather Head let out a loud cackle of glee and spread his arms wide. “Stop!”

The word reverberated through the warehouse, the effect instantly halting the fighting.

“A challenge has been issued. I, Malstord, second to Vallencino, have been challenged to a sanctioned fight by the demon hunter Kane Rouquette. You all are compelled to witness.”

A shocked murmur passed among my fellow demon hunters, while the demons shouted in pure glee for Malstord to rip me to shreds and tear my head off.

I blocked it all out, focusing on the swagger of Leather Head. He seemed more than a little confident. Good. That’d make it easier to find his weakness.

“I have a few conditions,” I said.

“No conditions, incubus. The challenge has been made. I’ve accepted. It’s done.”

I didn’t break my hold on his defiant gaze. “Terms have not yet been set forth.”

“The terms are that we fight. You either die or surrender, and I take you to Hell as an offering to my superior.”

“And my terms are one, you let one of my brothers take the angel for medical care before we fight. And two, either we fight to the death or when you surrender you’ll return to Hell, where you’ll be confined for the rest of your demon existence.” Because I wasn’t one hundred percent sure I could kill this bastard, but knew I could inflict considerable damage, sending him back to Hell to lick his wounds might’ve been my only way out of this mess. It was a gamble but one I had to take.

“The angel stays.”

I’d known he would say that, but I had to open a negotiation. “Then one of my brothers shall be allowed to treat his wounds.”

Malstord growled again and then waved a large hand, indicating his acceptance.

My fellow hunter, Ethan, went to the angel’s side immediately. I breathed a little easier. Ethan had medical training and knew what he was doing. If the angel could be saved, Ethan was the man for the job.

“The terms have been set,” Malstord called. “No one is to interfere on either side. If they do, their life will be forfeit.”

There was an uproar of protest from my brotherhood, but I held my hand up. “I’ve agreed to the terms. You have to do the same. There’s no choice.”

They grumbled but ultimately consented.

The demon jumped off his makeshift crate podium and landed in front of me, his eyes flashing gold and his eagle-like talons extended and ready to fight.

I reached a hand out toward one of my fellow hunters. In the next second, I had not only my dagger but a second one as well. I grasped one in each hand and circled the demon.

It was game on.

Chapter 10

Jade

The weak mid-morning sun shone down on Lucien, Kat, and me as we stood on the doorstep to Lailah’s pale-pink single shotgun home. She lived three blocks off Bourbon Street in the quieter residential part of the French Quarter. To the right was a two-person turquoise swing covered in white daisies that was starting to look weathered. I imagined her sitting in it, her feet tucked under her as she sipped her tea.

I longed for a life that included quality time in swings. But between my job at the café, the coven, and my work for the high angel, my life was more often one blur of crisis after crisis with small breaks for chai tea and cupcakes. I didn’t even want to think about my glass bead making. My small online business had taken a major hit over the last year. I was lucky to get into my studio once a week.

Kane’s time wasn’t any better. When he wasn’t taking care of stuff at the club, he was fighting demons or dealing with a few of his financial planning clients.

I touched the slender glass bead I wore on a silver chain and mentally vowed to make more time for swings and bead making. Just as soon as we finished navigating the latest catastrophe.

Lailah’s door swung open, and she stood in the threshold of her century-old home glaring at us in her faded olive camo pants and a white T-shirt. It always amused me that she dressed in such drab colors when her house was a rainbow of brightness.

“Well, hello, sunshine,” I quipped.

She pointed her finger at me, nearly poking me in the chest. “I can’t believe you. I had to hear from Lucien that you were back. A phone call would’ve been nice, don’t you think? Considering I spent the last two weeks doing nothing but trying to hunt your butt down.”

I frowned. “Didn’t you check your phone?”

She rolled her eyes. “Of course I did. Do you think I’m an idiot?”

“No. I’d never think that.” I searched my brain. I
had
tried to get in touch with her, right? Yes. I had. “I called last night. From Pyper’s phone. Right after I’d left a message for Kat.”

She slowly lowered her hand and frowned as she pulled her phone out. She held it out to check. There were no calls from Pyper’s phone in the last twenty-four hours.

“That’s strange. Maybe I misdialed.” But that couldn’t be right. I remembered hearing her message on her voicemail.

Lailah closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and put her phone back in her pocket. “Probably. Sorry. It’s been a stressful two weeks.”

I placed my hand on her arm. “I’m sorry.”

Her eyes flew open. “You should be. I told you not to go to Chessandra until I spoke to her. Now not only are you on her most-wanted list, but I’ve been blacklisted. I can’t help you if I don’t have contacts. I can’t help anyone. The search for Avery is all but dead in the water. Too much time has passed. For all we know she’s fallen demon already.”

She spun, her long blond hair flying out behind her as she stalked back into her house.

“Well, that went well,” Kat said.

I glanced over my shoulder and cast her an irritated look.

“Sorry.” She grimaced. “Just trying to lighten the mood. Clearly too soon.”

Lucien chuckled and stepped by both of us into Lailah’s house. “She’ll get over it. Especially after she hears the news.”

“What news?” Lailah called from the house, impatience in her tone.

Lucien grinned. “See?”

“Just get in here and fill me in.” Her impatience turned to exasperation.

My mood lightened. “That’s the Lailah I know and love.”

Kat chuckled while Lucien led us into her small house. Lailah’s living room was an explosion of color. There was a pink shag carpet and a bright-red couch, with yellow- and poppy-colored pillows. Vibrant paintings depicting the French Quarter hung on the walls in varying shades of blue, turquoise, and green.

Lailah was perched at the end of her couch, tapping her fingers on the armrest.

“Wow,” Kat said turning around in a circle. “This is gorgeous.” She stopped and eyed Lailah. “I never would’ve guessed you love color so much.”

She shrugged. “In my line of work, it’s not good if one stands out. So I do my best to blend in. At home I get to be me.”

I glanced around. “Where’s Zoe?” The newish witch had been staying with Lailah while she got used to her new soul and abilities.

“She’s at the Herbal Connection. Bea’s been giving her lessons.”

Good. That meant Bea could keep a close eye on her. She’d know if the young witch was struggling.

“Have a seat.” Lailah stood. “I’ll get tea.”

“Coffee?” Kat asked hopefully.

“And a cup of coffee,” Lailah said and disappeared.

I sat in a red armchair across from the couch and closed my eyes as I waited, trying not to think of Kane and what he might be fighting right at that moment. He hardly ever came back with even so much as a scratch, but that didn’t keep me from worrying about him. At the thought of Kane, a nagging thread of fear worked its way into my subconscious, and my eyes flew open. Pain shot through my abdomen, and I grunted as it left me winded.

“Jade? What’s wrong?” Lucien appeared by my side, his touch vibrating with magic just waiting to be unleashed. “What happened?”

I shook my head. “I don’t… Oh.” I clutched my stomach and bent over, trying not to vomit.

“She’s sick,” Kat said. “We need to get her to the bathroom.”

“No. I don’t think I can…” I took quick, short breaths, trying to work my way through the pain. Was it the curse? Was the black magic poisoning me?

“Here.” A white bucket was put on my lap. “Just in case.”

I glanced up at Lailah. A hundred questions ran through my mind, but there was only one I cared about.
Is this about my future child?

“Take this.” Lailah handed me three green capsules. “They’ll dull the pain and your anxiety.”

Without hesitation, I popped the pills in my mouth and washed them down with the water she offered. It only took a moment for the pain to subside, though a dull ache lingered as if I’d been sucker-punched.

“Better?” Lailah asked.

I nodded. “Thank you. Bea’s herbs?”

She shook her head, “No. I got them from your mom, actually. I’ve been studying healing herbs, and she was gracious enough to send me some to deconstruct.”

“You’re thinking of trying your hand at them?”

“Yeah.” She gave me a shy smile—one very out of character for the Lailah I knew. “When Bea retires, I want to take over her store. But I don’t just want to copy everything she’s done. I want to understand it and make my own mark.”

“That’s great, Lailah,” Lucien said, taking a seat on the couch once more.

“Definitely,” Kat added.

“Thanks.” She disappeared back into her kitchen and returned with the tray of tea and a mug of coffee for Kat. She set it on her intricately carved coffee table and took a seat in the pink-striped armchair next to mine. “All right. Enough about me.” Lailah turned to me. “Want to explain what that was about?”

“I don’t think I can.” I took another sip of the tea and sat back, totally exhausted. “I was just sitting here when it felt as if I was being attacked—as if I’d been punched in the gut.”

She shared a look with Lucien.

I bit back a heavy sigh. They were always doing that when something hinky was going on that they didn’t want to tell me. “What? Spit it out.”

Lucien lifted his hands, palms up. “It could be the curse. Your body could be trying to repel it.”

My heart plummeted to my feet.

“Or an echo,” Lailah added. “Something that’s happened to you before that you don’t remember.”

“You mean like my subconscious trying to tell me something?”

“Yes,” she said. “Or it could be a vision. Something that could happen in the future.”

I stood on wobbly legs.

“Where are you going?” Lailah asked.

“I don’t know. I… Crap on toast. This
can’t
be happening to me.” Kat gave me a pitying look, and I just about lost it. “Don’t look at me like that. Jeez.”

“Sorry,” Kat said.

I flopped back into the chair, too frustrated to do anything else.

“Okay, just relax,” Lailah said. “It’s probably the curse. Once we figure out how to get rid of it, you’ll be fine.”

“And how are we going to do that? We have no idea who cast it.”

“We know it was an angel, and that’s a start. Now, why don’t you tell me exactly what happened in the angel realm?”

“What do you know?” I fingered the piping on the armchair.

“Not much. Once you went missing, I stormed the angel realm to talk to Chessa, but she wouldn’t see me. And when I insisted, she spelled me back to earth and banned me from the realm until further notice.”

“What a bitch,” I said without any heat. I was beyond being outraged by what the high angel did.