Angels of Bourbon Street (32 page)

What did she mean, it was their fault my father was an angel?

“Ms. Calhoun—” Madeline scolded.

“Stop!” Mom shouted. “I know you won’t do anything about that decision now. But you can and will do something to fix it. Give my daughter as much of my soul as she needs in order to heal.” She turned to Drake, her words clearly meant for him and not the council. “You owe me that much.”

He met her tortured eyes. “They won’t let me sacrifice part of my soul. You know that.”

“But they’ll take mine.” Power built around her, magic so white it almost blinded me.

“Hope, no!” Drake shouted and ran forward. Her power lashed out, striking him, leaving an angry red welt across his handsome face. He jerked back, clearly stunned.

“Seize her,” Madeline demanded.

Guards materialized from the wings and surrounded Mom. Their collective power quickly squashed the impressive magic swirling around her. Her knees buckled, and she fell to the tiled floor, pain etched on her weary face.

“Stop it!” I ran forward, trying to get to her, but the guards tightened formation, and Drake pulled me back. I jerked my arm away from him. “Let me go. She’s my mother.”

“One who is willing to die to save you,” Drake said into my ear. “You know what it’s like to be at the council’s mercy. Step back now, and we may be able to salvage things before they lock her up.”

I froze, my blood running cold in my veins. If they locked her up, years could pass before I saw her again.

“I will do my best, but I need you to cooperate. Can you do that?” His breath tickled my ear as I nodded. “Good. Now stay quiet.” He walked to the circle of guards and waved a hand. They parted just enough to let him through. “Stand up, Hope,” he commanded.

Mom did as he said, glaring at him.

“What were you trying to do?”

She took a deep breath, her jaw tense. “What you should be doing right now. I was going to give half of my soul to my daughter.”

My eyes bugged out. “No! She can’t do that.”

Drake didn’t acknowledge my outburst and nodded in her direction. “I see.”

“Wait.” I ran forward. “She’ll be compromised if she does that. No. I won’t let her.”

Mom’s expression softened as she found me among the guards. “And I won’t let you go on living this way. I’d rather sacrifice myself than risk losing you.”

“It’s very dangerous,” Drake interjected. “And not sanctioned.”

I shook my head, my heart weighing heavily in my chest. “You know I can’t let you do that, Mom.”

“Jade—”

“I think we’ve heard enough.” Madeline glanced at the council members and pressed her lips together in a thin line. “Guards?” She beckoned them with the wave of one hand. “Show them to their accommodations. We’ll discuss what, if anything, we should do about this later in the week.”

My peanut gallery jumped to their feet.

“I’ll share my soul,” Gwen said, panic filling her voice. “If Hope and I both give a little, not half, we should be fine. No one would be in danger.”

“They share DNA,” Lailah reasoned. “Giving a small piece has been done before to help heal another. This situation isn’t any different.”

Kane gazed at me, his eyes intense and filled with worry.

“Quiet!” a voice boomed. From the shadows of the dais, the most beautiful and intimidating angel emerged. She moved her long limbs with assurance and grace as she commanded the attention of everyone in the room. Her onyx eyes settled over the council, piercing them with an air of authority. Everyone, even Madeline, bowed their heads in respect.

“Chessa,” Drake said reverently, “it’s kind of you to join us. I didn’t think you’d be back for another few days.”

She smiled at him warmly. “My trip went better than planned.”

Mom’s face tightened, and her eyes squinted as she stared at the chestnut-haired beauty in front of us.

“Hope,” Chessa said coolly to Mom.

Mom bowed her head slightly, though it was clear by her grimace she loathed the action. “Chessandra.”

Chessa glanced around at everyone then narrowed her attention on Drake. “You have a daughter.”

He inclined his head. “I wasn’t aware until last week.”

“And you very much want to save her soul.” It wasn’t a question, but a statement, as though she was seeing right inside his heart.

“Yes, I do.”

My breath clogged in my throat. He wanted to save me. They’d both confirmed it. A tiny spark of hope blossomed in my chest—not only for my soul, but for that little abandoned girl I kept locked away. Her small voice spoke to me from the very back of my mind.
My father wants me
.

“And the council isn’t prepared to sacrifice a piece of your soul to save her.” She drummed her fingers on the podium. “I can’t say I disagree. It’s far too dangerous for all of us.” The angel turned to me. “The last thing I want to do is deny you and Drake help, but you see, the council’s souls are bound. It’s part of a ritual we angels undertake when we commit to the century-long position of councilmen.” She winked, and I almost fell over from surprise at the shift in demeanor. “It’s to keep us honest. When you’re bound to someone, you know what’s in their heart. To give you a piece of Drake’s soul would mean giving you a tiny piece of the souls of everyone on the council.”

I stared at her wide-eyed, angry, frightened, and awed all at the same time.

“This hearing is over,” Chessa commanded and waved a dismissive hand at the dais.

“Wait. What?” I turned to my father. “It can’t be over. My friends are in danger.” I pivoted, pleading my case to Chessa. “Please, my friends are being targeted by a ghost. This isn’t just me we’re talking about here.”

“I’m aware.” She glanced at the council members. “You may go. I’ll handle it from here.”

“Yes, your highness,” a few of them mumbled as they stumbled out.

Your highness
? Oh, shit. It was over. The ruler of the angel realm had already said my father giving up a piece of his soul was impossible. Without it, my soul would never fully heal. My shoulders slumped as I prepared myself for the inevitable.

Chessa pointed at Gwen and then Kane. “You two, come with me.”

Gwen and Kane glanced at each other then carefully made their way toward us.

Chessa stared at Drake. Even though they didn’t speak, I got the distinct impression they were communicating. They held each other’s gazes for an intense moment until finally my father gave a short nod and stalked over to Mom, placing a firm hand on her upper arm.

She glanced at him in total irritation and tried to shake him off.

“Drake will wait with you here,” Chessa said to Mom. Then she turned to me, Gwen, and Kane. “You three, come with me to my chambers.”

Chapter 30

Lailah positioned herself next to Mom and sent me a reassuring smile as I followed Chessa out of the room.

Take care of her
, I mouthed.

Lailah nodded, and her expression sobered as she glanced up at Drake.

The knot in my chest tightened. Kane’s hand slipped into mine, a reassuring gesture that meant nothing when angels were in charge. Was this it? Were we going to find out my fate? My hand tingled against the weight of his. My fingers curled, digging into his flesh. I’d never let go. I’d fight for me. For Kane. For us and what we had. Soul or not. I wasn’t giving up. With renewed determination, I stepped through the double doors of Chessa’s chambers.

The warm wood tones and volumes of leather-bound books took me by complete surprise. Were we still in the same angel realm? The one that seemed overrun with tile and marble?

“Have a seat.” Chessa nodded to the ornate wing-backed chairs in front of her desk.

Gwen and I sat, but Kane stood behind me, his hands on my shoulders.

Chessa raised one eyebrow at him then shrugged when he didn’t respond. Her bottomless onyx eyes met mine. “I have a solution for you, but there’s a cost.”

Kane’s grip tightened on my shoulders.

“What’s the cost?” I asked, proud my voice didn’t shake. I knew I should be intimidated, but for some reason, the high angel put me at ease. How did she do that?

“Using your parents’ souls to help heal yours is out of the question.”

“But—”

She held up a hand. “If Drake wasn’t a member of the council, we’d consider transferring a portion of his soul. But he is, and his term isn’t up for another eighty-two years. We can’t use your mother’s soul, either. Her soul is too fragile after spending all those years in Purgatory. If we took any from her, she wouldn’t just be susceptible to possessions, she might lose herself altogether.”

My stomach ached. My perfect solution had just flown out the window. I couldn’t care less about the council and their rules. As far as I was concerned, my father was obligated to help me. It was the least he could do after abandoning me. He’d helped create me; he could damn well heal me. He owed me that much. But Mom was another story. I wouldn’t take part of her soul if it put her at risk.

“You know, he really didn’t know you existed,” Chessa said, studying me with concern in her eyes.

I glared at her. “Are you reading my thoughts?”

She smiled. “Not on purpose. But your soul is weak, and you’re Drake’s daughter. Both of those things make your mind more open to me.”

Suspicion settled over me. She had some sort of relationship with my father.

“We’re mates,” she confirmed.

Holy shitballs.

Chessa chuckled. “Yes, I suppose that’s a shock.”

Kane and Gwen stayed silent, and I was grateful. My heart hurt for Mom. This was who he’d left her for.

Chessa sobered, as if my thoughts were making her uncomfortable. “Now, the deal.”

“What is it?” I asked flatly.

She stood and then sat on the corner of her desk. “We can restore your soul by using small pieces of your mate’s.” She gestured at Kane then nodded to Gwen. “And a bit of your aunt’s.”

“And that would actually work?”

“Yes. Your aunt’s takes the place of your mom’s and will give you enough DNA to heal. Your mate’s is special. His will strengthen you due to the bond you already share.”

I glanced at them both. Each nodded their agreement, but I wasn’t so quick to take them up on the offer. “What’s the catch?” I crossed my arms over my chest.

“In exchange for our help with the transfer, you’ll be required to work for the council.”

I narrowed my eyes. No point in being diplomatic. She’d already said my mind was open to her. She’d know what I was thinking anyway. “I assume there isn’t room for negotiation.”

Chessa shook her head.

“Because angels are all about that greater good bullshit.”

Her lips curled into an amused smile. “You could put it that way.”

“And Gwen and Kane? How would they be affected?”

Her smile widened. “You’re smart to ask questions. Most don’t when they’re seeking help from the council.”

“I’ve had experience with your brand of help before.”

All pretense of amusement vanished from Chessa’s face. “Yes, you have. That’s precisely why I think you’d be a good fit for this assignment.”

I peered at her, holding her gaze, and waited.

“Your aunt will not be affected after the initial discomfort of the soul transfer. The dreamwalker is different. You’re mates, are you not?”

“Yes,” Kane said at the same time I said, “No.”

I glanced back at him, wincing, and rushed to explain. “Not the way she means.” Turning around, I waved an arm around the room. “Humans don’t have mates the way angels do.”

“I am well aware of that fact, Ms. Calhoun.” Chessa pulled out a thick folder and opened it. “A mate can mean many things, but in this case, we’re talking about a mystical connection. It says here in your file that Mr. Rouquette can sense your energy when he’s around you. Is this correct?”

“Yes,” Kane said. “It was stronger when she was an empath, but even now I can sense her and know when she’s around.”

Chessa nodded and gave me a pointed stare. “And he is able to dreamwalk you?”

“He can dreamwalk almost anyone he knows,” I said stubbornly. I wasn’t sure where she was going with this, but I didn’t want her pulling Kane into any crazy angel business.

“That’s true, but he isn’t quite able to control his ability around you.”

“What does that matter?”

“It means that, on some level, you draw him to you, that you are partially responsible for him entering your dreams. Otherwise, he would’ve been able to stop himself when you first met.”

My mouth hung open as I twisted to look at Kane. He had invaded my dreams right after we first met and insisted it wasn’t intentional. He raised his eyebrows as if to say, “I told you so.”

Closing my mouth, I turned back to Chessa. “You’re saying we have some sort of mate connection. Okay, so what?”

She stood. “It means you feed off each other. It also means you’re the perfect partners for the job I have in mind.”

“Partners? No way. Not happening.” Shaking my head, I clutched the arms of the chair. “I don’t want Kane mixed up in any of this.”

He moved from behind me, and I stood, not liking the fact that they were both towering over me. “I’m already involved,” he said to me, softness radiating from his eyes. Damn, he’d do it no matter what I said. He turned to Chessa. “What’s the job?”

“I’d like you both to be shadowwalkers.”

Kane and I shared a confused glance. “Which is?”

“A shadowwalker can walk the lines between dimensions,” Gwen said. “Chessa wants you to help them save souls that have been lost between worlds.”

The angel rose from the desk and retreated to her leather chair. She grinned at Gwen. “Yes, that’s exactly what we would like.”

Kane gripped my hand and my shoulders tensed. “For how long?”

She brought her fingers together, tenting her hands in front of her. “What would you give to save your soul? Your life?”

Son of a bitch! I knew this was going too easily. She was just as bad as the rest of them. “Yes, but not Kane’s.”

“Ah.” She leaned back, looking thoughtful. “But I bet he’d be willing to give his for yours.”

A storm brewed inside me, and the way Kane’s fingers were pressing into my flesh, I knew she was right. He would give his life for me, just as I would for him. But I’d never be able to live with myself if he sacrificed himself for me.