Demons of Bourbon Street (40 page)

She gave me one curt nod. “It is what it is.”

I gaped. It was worse than being an empath. “But why would they do that to you? You’re only trying to help me.”

“
Angels are preprogrammed to want to help troubled souls, but we can’t possibly help everyone. The council sends us our assignments based on importance. The bonding is sort of like a punishment for redirecting our focus away from our regular clients. It’s to discourage us from going rogue and helping every poor soul that crosses our paths.”

“
But Dan is here and Bea’s not in any danger.” Especially since the whole reason Bea had an angel guardian was because of me. While I was here, she should be safe.

Lailah shot me a confused look. “You didn’t think they were my only assignments, did you?”

“
Well…yeah. I mean, you didn’t say anything about anyone else.”

“
It’s confidential, remember?”

That’s right. Angels didn’t reveal themselves to their assignments. And they certainly didn’t go around telling other people about them. I wondered how many souls Lailah was ignoring right now. I opened my mouth to ask more questions, but she cut me off.

“
Let it go. Please, Jade?” She stuffed her hands in hidden pockets in her robe. “While things might get unpleasant, my life isn’t in danger. Yours is. I’d like to focus on keeping you around, if that’s okay with you?”

I nodded and let her go ahead of me. My footsteps slowed and my limbs started to go numb. I was in shock mentally and it was affecting me physically.

The white halls we traveled down were bare except for the gold gilded sconces and soft yellow flames that flickered within them. Hallway after hallway, it was all the same golden-splashed whiteness. My vision narrowed to our escort’s feet. Just when I thought I couldn’t take one more step, she stopped and produced a gold key.

She unlocked our room and pulled open the gold door. Inside was a lush suite, filled with elegant, white, overstuffed couches and chairs. A mountain of gold silk pillows rested on the plush gold and white checkerboard carpet, and four separate bedrooms circled the common living room and kitchen area. The only colors in the entire place were from the plates of fresh fruit piled on the dining table. I wandered in, collapsed on one of the couches, and sighed in relief.

Meri and Lailah hesitated in the hallway.

I raised my eyebrows in question.

“
Not everything is as it seems,” Lailah said and then confronted our guide. “How long will we be held here?”

The guide said nothing, not even acknowledging Lailah spoke. She held the door open, waiting for her to enter.

Lailah’s face turned dark. “Speak, young one.”

This time the guide flinched and looked up at her with wide, pleading hazel eyes as she shook her head.

“
She’s fulfilling her vow of silence,” Meri said, pointing to a thin gold ring on the angel’s hand. “She can’t answer you. Besides, she likely doesn’t have the answer.”

Lailah took another step away from the room. “Even so, she knows.”

I sat up. “What’s going on?”

“
Those committed to silence know everything,” Lailah continued as if I hadn’t spoken. “They run the council’s errands and serve their every whim.”

“
We just got here. She can’t know,” Meri argued. “What does it matter anyway?”

Lailah turned on Meri, her face contorted in disgust. “Did you not learn anything in angel training? That room is a time warp. We could think we’re in there five minutes and a whole year could go by.”

“
Oh, shit.” Meri started to back up. “I’d heard of the time warp rooms, but I didn’t think they put angels in them.”

“
Didn’t they tell you? Technically your angel status is pending until after the hearing, and I’m tied to Jade’s fate,” Lailah said in exasperation.

Meri shook her head. “No one told me anything.”

I flew off the couch, ready to join the group in the hall. I would not get stuck in a place where time stood still. I had a life to lead, damn it. But when I tried to cross the threshold, I couldn’t. An invisible wall kept me trapped inside. Frantically I banged on the barrier, yelling profanity at the small guide.

Her lips turned up in a sad, twisted smile as she started to grow right before my eyes. She shot up three feet and her body morphed into a transparent image of her former self. When she flickered back into solid form, there was two of her.

The twins moved fast, each crowding Lailah and Meri. Horrified, they both started to move forward, though their stiff movements made it obvious they were being forced. What were the twins doing to them?

They had to be using some sort of angel magic. Slowly, painfully, Lailah and then Meri made tiny, reluctant steps. They both put up a tremendous mental fight. Their fierce determination filtered through their angel defenses and pulsed around me. But the key master was too strong for either of them. With one final push, the twins propelled the two angels into the suite and placed one palm on the invisible barrier. It flashed solid white and instantly became a seamless part of the interior wall.

The gold door was gone. The three of us were trapped in a gilded cage.

Chapter 27

Silence filled the room as we stared at the seamless wall. I took in the surroundings, realizing for the first time the lack of windows. We might as well have been in a dungeon. For all I knew, we were.

“
Shit!” Lailah turned and headed for one of the bedrooms, mumbling, “Freakin’ power-hungry, no-good pieces of council slime.”

I walked to where the missing door should be and placed my palms on the wall, fingers searching for any sign of an opening. Nothing. Not even one minor bump grazed the perfectly constructed wall. Damn angel magic. Methodically, I worked my way from top to bottom and then proceeded to the right, intent on checking every last inch of the surface.

“
You’re wasting your time,” Meri said, her voice flat.

“
I have to do something.” I eyed her lounging on the snow-white couch, her feet tucked under the shiny gold pillows. “Living the life of a trapped princess isn’t my idea of happiness.”

She snorted. “Happiness. Yeah, that’s what I’m worried about.”

I swallowed, realizing I’d put both feet in my mouth. Fifteen years in Hell with no soul would certainly color someone’s perspective. “Right. Sorry.”

She shrugged and picked up a gold, leather-bound book from the table.

Shaking my head, I sat next to her. “Can you answer a question?”

She gazed over the top of the book, her eyebrows raised.

“
I’m pretty sure Philip transported me here, but what about the rest of you? Did you come willingly? What about Dan?”

“
Philip brought me too. Lailah and Jonathon were summoned and because Dan comes from angel blood, he was able to tag along with me. He wasn’t invited, but now that he’s here, the council will listen to what he has to say.” She went back to her book, clearly dismissing me.

Jonathon had been at the council meeting? Where had he been hiding?

I fidgeted, acutely aware I didn’t have my tight circle of friends at my side. What I wouldn’t do for Pyper’s sarcasm and Bea’s wisdom right now. Not to mention Kane’s solid presence.

I put the wistful thoughts out of my mind and focused on finding a way out of the plush cell. After what seemed like hours, I’d touched every inch of the walls in the main room. How much time had gone by in the real world? Hours? Days? Months?

The thought of Kane giving up on waiting for me made my heart sink to my stomach. How long was too long to wait? He’d have to move on eventually.

No. We were getting out of here. I stormed into Lailah’s room. She lay face-down on the luxurious white pinstriped down comforter. “Get up!”

She rolled slightly to peek at me with one eye. “For what?”

“
We need a plan to break out of here.”

She sat up, her shoulders slumped in a clear display of dejection. “The room is sealed. No magic can free us—not mine and certainly not yours. We’re stuck here until the council deems fit. Any planning we do is useless. Trust me. It’s never been done.”

Stubborn irritation crawled up my spine. “I’m a white witch. No one knows what I’m capable of. Not even me.”

“
And that’s what we intend to find out,” an unfamiliar deep voice said from behind me.

I jumped and raised my hands in defense.

A black-haired man about my height held his hand out in invitation. He wore a red and gold robe—yay for color!—and had a long sword strapped across his body.

I took two steps back. “Where’d you come from?”

“
Devon.” Lailah moved to stand just slightly in front of me. “I’m surprised to see you here.”

“
Ah, sweet Lailah, I very much doubt that.” His thin lips curved up in a sardonic smile.

She crossed her arms over her chest. “I guess you’re right, but I am surprised the council deemed it necessary to start their interrogation off on such a combative note.”

He inclined his head in acknowledgment. “Your witch appears to be highly valuable. Not to mention the prospect of an angel returning to the fold.”

“
That’s what I was afraid of.” Lailah turned to me and wrapped me in a tight hug.

Surprised, I bristled and tried to step out of her grasp. “What are you doing?”

“
It’s okay, Jade. Don’t be scared,” she cooed and then whispered harshly in my ear. “Whatever happens, don’t fight him. Cooperate no matter what he asks. The consequences are too dire.”

I stopped struggling and tried to process her warning.

“
Everything will work out fine,” she continued in her motherly farce. “Go with Devon. I’ll be right behind you.” She released me, glaring at the angel warrior. “If anything happens to her, you’ll have to answer to me.”

He laughed, a low and seductive sound. “Don’t tempt me.”

I shivered, ready to crawl out of my skin.

With one last slow smile in Lailah’s direction, he snapped his fingers, making my world shift from the pale white reality to a stark gray one. Rows of reclining chairs were lined up in front of me. Behind them, computers with dangling electrode wires filled the walls. My field of vision narrowed in on a tray of hypodermic needles.

Oh, God. A test lab.

I whirled around and ran smack into Meri.

“
Ouch,” she grunted as our skulls banged together.