Bewitched on Bourbon Street (15 page)

When they were gone, Maximus lifted two of the covers. One had an omelet and the other French toast. “Have whatever you wish.”

I knew I should go for the omelet but caved and devoured the French toast with the hunger of a starving man.

When I was done, Maximus gestured to the other plate. “Have more. You need the calories to rebuild not just your strength but your magic as well.”

His words triggered two thoughts. My dagger and Jade. Both would help my powers faster than an egg-and-cheese mixture. I glanced down at my bare feet and began to feel uncomfortable. What was going on here? I was eating breakfast in Maximus’s office at four a.m., barely dressed, while Maximus himself was perfectly groomed in his Brotherhood robes, two daggers strapped to his waist and an amulet around his neck.

I cleared my throat. “Excuse me if this is a rude question after your hospitality, but why didn’t the healers just drop me off in the dorms at the Brotherhood?”

Irritation flashed over Maximus’s face before he could mask his emotions. He forced a patient smile. “I thought after your ordeal, this would be more comfortable.”

I stood, ready to shadow walk right out of there. He wasn’t being truthful. I could tell by the unnatural hitch in his voice and the way he wasn’t quite meeting my gaze. “Tell me what’s going on, Maximus.”

My leader rose, his posture tense as if he was ready to battle. “Sit down, Rouquette. We have things to discuss.”

I stared him down, acutely aware I was weaponless and not likely to be able to shadow walk out of his office. No doubt he had wards, and that was the reason I was here and not with the others. After a moment, I stretched my neck in a show of dominance and reclaimed my seat in the leather chair. I poured myself a cup of coffee and raised the carafe in offering, trying to be civil.

He lowered himself into his chair and gave me a short nod. “Thank you.”

Neither of us spoke while we doctored our respective coffees. To say the tension in the air was thick would be an understatement.

Finally I set my cup down and leveled my gaze at him, waiting.

It was then I noticed the fatigue lining his eyes. How long had he been awake? Twenty-four hours? “Let’s have it, then,” I said, breaking the silence.

Maximus took another long sip of his coffee, and I swear he was dragging out the moment. For what? To make me squirm? Wasn’t happening. Maybe to gather his thoughts? Whatever it was, he had about five seconds to get on with it.

And just as I was about to get up again, Maximus spoke. “You issued a sanctioned challenge to a very powerful demon yesterday.”

“So?” I asked defiantly. I was part of the Brotherhood, and Maximus was our leader, but I was still my own man, made my own decisions when it came to challenges. There weren’t any laws on the books that said I couldn’t.

“You made a very powerful enemy.”

I shrugged. “Not my problem. He’ll be stuck in Hell, where I don’t intend to be.”

Maximus abruptly slammed his fist down on his desk and stood, leaning toward me as his entire body vibrated. “It is your problem. Just like it’s my problem and that of every other hunter in the order. Don’t you get it? In your quest to prove something today, you created a situation that could turn into a major war. Malstord will not sit idly by and let his banishment to Hell go by unnoticed. All his minions will be after you, and we’ll all get caught up in the crossfire.”

Anger exploded in my chest at his outburst, and I leaped out of the chair, unwilling to take his shit sitting down. “And how exactly is this different from any other day of the week? We’re demon hunters. Demons show up all the time, and we battle them by either destroying them or sending them back where they came from. I do this willingly to be part of something greater than myself. But when it threatens my family, that’s when it becomes personal. The challenge I issued yesterday was about protecting what’s mine. Specifically Jade and our future.”

His brows pinched in confusion. “What are you talking about? What did Malstord have to do with your wife?”

I took a deep breath and let it out, trying to dispel some of my frustration. Having a shouting match with Maximus wasn’t going to change anything. Even if it would make me feel better to tell him to join Malstord in Hell. “Jade has been cursed with a black magic spell that lays claim to our future child. Apparently the curse comes from an angel, but Malstord knew about it. I have a hunch he’s either controlling or working with the angel who cursed her. And I’m telling you right now, Maximus, no one messes with my family. No one.”

“Son of a… Christ.” Maximus kicked his chair out of the way and paced his office. “Your child?”

I nodded and clenched my fists into tight balls to keep from hitting something. Specifically Maximus.

He stopped pacing abruptly and turned to me. “I don’t have to tell you what the odds are of you two having an extremely powerful child and what that would mean if a demon had control over him or her.”

Murder. It actually crossed my mind. If I were to end him right now, would any jury in the world convict me? Here he was talking about the implications of power dynamics instead of being horrified someone had essentially already laid the plans for kidnapping my child. My body pulsed with hatred. When had Maximus turned into a calculating bastard?

He was behaving just like Chessandra. Thinking of the greater good instead of an innocent child. It took all my willpower to force out, “I’m well aware, but I’m much more concerned with the actual safety and well-being of my family than I am anything else.”

Maximus’s expression turned to one of horror, and then he took a step back as he glanced at the ground. Was that regret? Shame? But then he looked up again, and his expression was blank, void of any compassion. “Of course you are. I’d expect nothing else.”

That was it. I was done. Done with being expected to sacrifice everything I had for the cause. Done with Maximus and his condescending tone. He and Chessandra could have each other. “Excuse me. I think I’ll be going now.”

Maximus grabbed a dagger from his belt and shot a stream of magic at the door, leaving the frame sparking with magic. “Not until we’re done with this conversation.”

I took a step forward, my fists still clenched. “You’re the worst kind of bastard.”

Shifting, he pointed his dagger at me. “Move one more step, and I’ll lay you out flat.”

The desire to tear him apart with my bare hands was there, coursing through me with unimaginable force. But I knew better. If I went after him, even if I won the battle—which, considering his advantage, was highly unlikely—this would end badly for me. I had to take a moment and reevaluate my options.

There was nothing to do but hear him out. I stepped back and rolled my shoulders, doing whatever I could to calm myself. “I find it interesting you think you need to keep me unarmed in order to have a conversation.”

He ignored my statement and sat back down in his chair, his shoulders back and feet planted on the floor. Very formal. “Now then. As I was saying about the demon you challenged.”

“Yes.”

“While I still maintain it was poor judgment, I understand you managed to stop him from killing an angel. That will help us in relations with the Angel Council.”

I said nothing, no longer giving a shit about Chessandra and her ilk. My only concern was Jade.

“But this is going to increase the demon attacks. And you’ll be a target.”

“Fine.”

His eyes narrowed, and he shook his head. “You have no idea what this means.”

“I think I do. I also believe that because my wife is already a target, something like this was going to happen anyway. If I were you, I’d learn to accept this as a new reality and then get some sleep, because you need it.” I waved a hand toward the door. “Now, can I go check on my wife? It’s been a long night.”

He snapped his fingers. The magic vanished.

I turned, heading for the door.

“Rouquette?”

“Yes?” I said without turning around.

“Take the angel with you.”

Of course he’d demand that. The Brotherhood’s relationship with the angels was strained. He wouldn’t want anyone here who might try to report back anything we did. Too bad Maximus had been such an ass. I’d never gotten around to telling him what I’d learned about Ezra. If he knew, Maximus wouldn’t let the kid out of his sight. He’d use him in some way.

Too late. Ezra wouldn’t work with his kind anyway.

“Fine,” I said as if it were a huge imposition and then strode out of his office, letting the door slam behind me.

Chapter 16

Jade

“Demon! Stand back!” I ran full out toward my friends. Lailah must have felt the demon behind her, because she spun at almost the exact same time I’d started running. And in her haste, salt sprayed out in front of her from the open container. The bluish-gray demon jumped back, roaring and rubbing at his eyes as he writhed in pain.

“Nice aim,” I called as I caught up to her.

She dropped the salt container, because as useful as it was to create a circle, it didn’t do anything in a battle other than blind someone temporarily. Magic balled in her palms before the demon could recover, and she started throwing ball after ball of magic at him.

He jumped and lurched, trying to get out of her line of fire, but she hit him almost every time, causing his skin to sizzle with the electric bolts of magic she was tossing his way.

Good—she was keeping him occupied.

I sprinted to Lucien’s side. “I’m going to help Lailah. Get everyone else in a circle around us. Fast. Spell the salt if you can, but if you can’t don’t worry about it. Join everyone’s power together, and whatever you do, don’t drop it.”

“Got it.” He took off, running to get the salt, calling orders as he went.

I moved so the demon was between me and Lailah, and I joined her in her assault. When my first stream of magic slammed into him, he turned toward me, his mouth open in a silent objection. His body convulsed under my attack, and a large chunk of blue, leathery skin disengaged and disappeared from his neck, leaving an oozing wound. Disgusting.

Lailah was unfazed and relentless with her magic bombs. I matched her single-minded focus, pouring raw power into him, intending to burn him alive if at all possible. I was taking no chances. Not after what I’d seen demons do in the past.

Only he had his hands stretched out and had managed to form some sort of barrier to keep the bulk of our magic from continuing to burn his wrinkling skin.

He was on the shorter side for a demon, no fangs, over-sized disproportioned head, large ears, and was dressed in contemporary clothes, jeans and a T-shirt. Was he trying to fit in? Usually demons took on some sort of human-looking persona unless they were really old and didn’t care about such things. This one either failed or hadn’t bothered.

I felt it the moment the coven snapped into place, creating a barrier of magic around us. It solidified my confidence that this demon wasn’t laying a hand on anyone. That we’d either end him or send him back to Hell so fast his head would spin.

Then suddenly, Lailah stopped her magical onslaught and stared at the unmoving demon. She held her hand up, signaling me to stop as well.

“Are you mad?” I cried.

She shook her head. “He’s not fighting back. I want to know why.”

Of course he wasn’t. He was too busy holding my power off. Except upon closer observation he was doing that with one hand. There was nothing stopping him from throwing a few curses our way.

I frowned, dropped my magic, and stood perfectly still, ready to attack if he even so much as moved a muscle.

“Why are you here?” Lailah demanded.

The demon cut his gaze to the side and did a slow turn within the circle, eyeing all my members once. Then he met Lailah’s pointed stare. “I’ve been sent with a message.”

“Yeah? What’s that? You need more innocent souls for your collections?” Lailah practically sneered at him.

He sneered back and scanned the circle with an evil grin. “If anyone wants to volunteer, I’m all too happy to oblige.”

I glared at him, noting our magic hadn’t really affected him at all. Not one burn mark on his clothes, and his neck had already healed.

“Spit it out,” Lailah barked.

The demon rolled his large head and turned his focus to me. “I’m here for your incubus.”

Shock rendered me paralyzed, and I stood there saying nothing as I tried to process what he’d just said.

“Why?” Lailah called, her magic building in her palms again.

“He knows why. Tell him we’re coming.” The demon twisted into a mini vortex and then vanished into thin air.

I took deep breaths, trying to keep myself calm.

Lailah jogged over to me and placed her hand on my arm. “You all right?”

I nodded absently.

“You sure?”

I stared past her to where the demon had stood. “Why did he come here to tell us that?”

She shook her head. “I don’t know.”

“Kane’s a demon hunter. Always going after demons. I don’t understand what’s different now.”

The expression on her face turned to one of sympathy. I was raising questions she couldn’t possibly know how to answer, but I had to voice them for my own sanity. Yes, Kane was a demon hunter, but it wasn’t like he had demons specifically targeting him. He just fought the ones that invaded our city. Something had happened. I needed to talk to him. I pulled my phone out of my back pocket and pressed his name.

Before it even had a chance to ring, Lailah tugged the phone from my hand. “Not now. We have a calling to do. Remember?”

I glanced around the circle at all the witches watching us intently and took the phone back. “I need to warn him.”

“Yeah, okay. But if we want to do this, we should hurry. Who knows when that demon will decide to come back?”

She was right, of course. I turned and met Jasper’s wide eyes. He’d never been in a battle before. That was obvious. And he still hadn’t, lucky for him. But the demon who’d been here had been scary looking enough to freak anyone out. Instead of calling, I tapped out a quick text to Kane as a precaution to be careful of demons on the lookout for him and hit send.