Bewitched on Bourbon Street (21 page)

I kicked out hard, catching one of them in the face, and managed to free my leg. With a shot of adrenaline, my feet found purchase, and I climbed, barely staying out of the grasp of the demons below.

My heart raced and sweat ran into my eyes, but I kept going until I was well above the portal and the angry demons below. And just when I was pulling myself up one more limb to settle and wait for backup, I heard a cry from above, followed by the flash of black as Ezra jumped down and landed with both feet on my fingers.

My grip slipped, and the last thing I saw as I fell through the portal was Ezra’s evil, triumphant smile staring down at me.

Chapter 22

Jade

Bea, Lailah, and I sat in Bea’s Prius in the parking lot near the coven circle, waiting for the downpour to stop. It was nearing midnight, and the heavens had opened up a few hours ago to dump buckets of water on the greater New Orleans area.

“Conditions could not be worse for a summoning,” Lailah said, staring out the window.

The rain was so heavy we couldn’t even see the other coven members’ cars parked just a few spaces away.

“If this doesn’t end soon—”

“Don’t even say it,” Lailah said. “Everyone’s here. All we need is a break in the weather.”

“Everyone except Maximus and the demon hunters.” I turned to Bea. “You did say they’re coming for backup, right?”

“Yes.” Bea closed the spell book she’d been consulting. “Max said he’d send a crew. They’re probably waiting for a break in the rain as well.”

“I hope so.” Antsy, I checked my phone for the hundredth time that day. No calls. No texts. Nothing from Kane. Surely he was still busy researching, right? Or maybe he was preparing for the summoning. If he knew Maximus was sending a team, he’d be here. No doubt about it.

I swallowed the unease trying to rise in my throat. He was fine. He’d been going to the Brotherhood, after all. It was just about the safest place in the entire city besides Bea’s house.

“Hey.” Lailah tapped me on the shoulder. “The rain has slowed to a drizzle. This is probably our window.”

“Yeah. Okay. Bea?”

She glanced out the window and nodded. “It’s now or never if we’re going to do this tonight.”

I jumped out of the car and tightened my raincoat against the wind. The chill in the air had me shivering almost instantly. Perfect. Gritting my teeth against the cold, I sidestepped a large puddle and knocked on Lucien’s Jeep window.

The glass lowered, and I was blasted with a wave of warm air from the heater. I had to stop myself from leaning into the open window. “We’re doing this now.”

“Okay.” He tapped his horn, indicating to the rest of the coven it was time.

I scanned the parking lot, searching for anyone who might look like they were from the Brotherhood. Nothing.

“Let’s go,” Lailah said and tugged me off into the soggy grass toward the trees. The smell of damp moss permeated the air, making my nose twitch.

Within seconds, my feet were soaked through. By the time we emerged from the trees into the clearing, mud caked my shoes, and just keeping my balance became a major chore.

The coven members silently went about preparing the circle with a salt ring and pillar candles for each member, while Lailah and I separated the potions we’d brought. I held four tiny bottles of healing potion in my hands, praying we didn’t need them. The potion was only good for demon attacks, able to cure just about any wound left by a demon. It also could be used as a weapon against any demon who got close enough, as whatever it was that helped humans heal actually seared the leathery skin of demons.

I glanced around, once again looking for someone from the Brotherhood, and frowned, disappointed.

“They’ll be here.” Bea handed me a small bag of healing herbs.

I shoved them along with the potions into my front pocket and nodded my thanks. Eyeing the dark skies, I said, “We can’t wait for them.”

“I know. They’ll probably feel the pull of the circle. Try not to worry about it.”

How could I not? Demons meant black magic and spending eternity in Hell. Images of souls trapped in distorted statues flashed through my mind, and I shuddered. That was what happened to the unfortunate souls who were claimed by demons. Only a very few lucky ones ever escaped. I shook myself, putting it out of my mind, and then took my place on the northernmost point of the circle.

Bea met my gaze and nodded that she was ready.

I held my candle out in front of me, a pure black one intended to tap into the darkest forces, and whispered, “
Elevate
.”

The candle trembled on my palm, the magic seeming to stutter as it tried to take hold.

“
Elevate
,” I said more forcefully.

Power zipped from my palm and wrapped around the candle, lifting it into the air and holding it perfectly steady a few feet in front of me.

“
Ignite
.”

The flame flickered to life, and all around me the coven closed in, not yet taking their places on the circle. Bea was walking the perimeter, chanting protection spells, strengthening the magic. Once she was done, it would be almost impossible to cross the circle barrier after we erected it. I wasn’t taking any chances.

The mood had already been somber, but ever since I’d lit the black candle, the electric current in the air had turned ominous. The circle seemed to know something dark was coming.

I swallowed, sweat breaking out on the back of my neck despite the chilly temperature.

“It’ll be all right.” Lucien came to a stop beside me. “With all of us here, we’re strong enough to deal with just about anything.”

I nodded, certain he was right. We could deal with it. But that didn’t mean no one would get hurt in the process. As strong as the circle was, if an ancient demon appeared, there was no stopping him. And Lucien knew that. “Where’s Kat tonight?”

“At home. She made me promise to call her the minute we complete the summoning.”

I smiled at that. There was no way Kat was sitting on her hands at home. “You don’t think she’ll be waiting in the car down the street?”

He chuckled. “Now that you mention it, you’re probably right.”

“We’d better get this show on the road, then.” I turned and called, “We’re ready.”

“Wait.” Lailah held a hand up, then walked to the middle of the circle and placed a small music box on the ground. “Jasper gave it to me. It’s Avery’s. It will help us form a connection to her.”

“Thanks, Lailah,” I said, relieved she’d secured something personal of Avery’s. Without it, the chances of locating her were greatly reduced.

My coven members, along with Lailah and Zoe, filled in around the circle. After seeing how powerful Zoe was in Bea’s shop, I’d requested she come along even though technically she wasn’t part of the coven yet. She was strong, and we needed all the help we could get.

Bea took the southern spot on the circle, while Lucien and Lailah claimed the east and west. Seven of our coven members, plus Zoe, filled in the spaces between us.

“Thank you all for coming. We all know how dangerous this is. Anything can happen during a summoning.” I glanced around at their somber expressions. “So this is it. If you have doubts, now’s your chance to back out. No one will judge you.”

It was late in the game for anyone to leave, but having them make a final decision while they were standing on the circle solidified their commitment to the summoning. So when no one said anything, I let out a sigh of relief.

“Good. I’m glad we’re all on the same page.” I held my arms out to my sides. “Everyone join hands.”

Magic pulsed from my ribcage to the tips of my fingers, and the second Rosalee’s and Zoe’s hands slipped into mine, power zinged up my spine, completely filling me. My black candle rose a foot in front of me, and the flame flared brighter.

The circle’s power had intensified. Our coven was growing stronger.

“Goddess of the night, keeper of the worlds, hear my call. Our coven joins the darkness under the cloaked moon to seek what’s been taken from us.”

A bolt of magic shot from my hands and reverberated through each of the members until it got to Bea. The magic seized her, and she stood straighter, her shoulders back with her head tilted skyward. Her power was clearly buzzing just beneath the surface. Good. She was as ready as I was.

“Goddess of the night, we are here seeking one who was taken against her will. Help us to summon her soul, bring her back to where she belongs. Wrap her in your compassion and carry her home.”

I let go of Zoe’s and Rosalee’s hands and raised mine high in the air. All the rest of the black candles elevated with my movement.

“Bring forth the light!” I commanded.

With strong, sure voices, the coven members called, “
Ignite!
”

The candles came to life, illuminating the circle with light and electric magic.

“That’s it!” I raised my arms higher, reaching for all the power I could muster. “Avery Freeman, angel of the realm, open yourself to my call. We the New Orleans coven call you, bring you forth, bind ourselves to your spirit and request—”

A loud boom thundered overhead, and for a second, I thought the storm was starting to brew again, but it was followed by a bright white light that shone down from the heavens.

A collective gasp came from the circle, followed by a high-pitched, “Stop!”

I lowered my hands and let the magic dial back to a simmer as I tried to process the interruption. Squinting, I peered into the circle and then scowled.

“Chessandra. What are you doing here?” Anger rose from deep in my gut and threatened to strangle me. Hadn’t she caused enough trouble?

“Stopping you from making a big mistake.” Her high angel robes were gone, and she stood in our circle wearing jeans and a bulky long-sleeved sweater. Her chestnut hair was piled high on her head without care, and from what I could tell, she had little to no makeup on.

“And what mistake would that be?” I asked. “Finally getting to the bottom of your double-dealing secrets?”

“You shouldn’t talk about things you know nothing about.” She stalked toward me, her eyes narrowed. Unease and trepidation mixed equally with her frustrated anger.

Interesting. She was mostly scared of what we were trying to do. Why? Was it because she didn’t want us to know her secrets, or was it something else?

“I think you should go,” I said, my voice steady and full of conviction. “We don’t need—”

“Oh gods!” Lailah exclaimed and pointed at the high angel, her finger shaking as she glanced between Chessandra and Zoe. “You spelled her.”

Chessandra spun and glared at Lailah. “Stay out of this. It’s none of your concern.”

“Yes, it is!” Lailah yelled. “Everyone here—” she waved a hand around “—I’m responsible for them, for their souls, and you—” She shook her head violently and turned to stare at Zoe.

Zoe’s eyes were wide with fear as she stared back at Lailah. “I didn’t want to. I tried to break the hold, but her power…it’s too strong.” She held up her hands.

It was then I noticed the pure white aura that coated Zoe’s lavender one, and there were at least a half dozen threads that were connected to Chessandra.

Fury rippled through me, and I turned on Chessandra. “Lailah’s right.
You
spelled her.”

“Bewitched,” Bea said, still holding her spot on the southern point of the circle. “It means Chessandra can take over and control her if she wants, only she couldn’t this time because the coven power was too much for her. Isn’t that right, Chessa?”

“You stay out of this, Beatrice. It’s none of your concern.” Chessandra leveled me with her authoritative gaze. “You have to let this go. It’s too dangerous.”

I shook my head, my tone hard, completely void of compassion. “It’s been far too long since Avery went missing. If you’d told us right away what had happened, you might have gotten a say in how things were handled. But you didn’t. Your opinions are no longer welcome here. And now I find out you’ve bewitched Zoe, too? I guess I’m supposed to believe it wasn’t you who had me cursed?”

“Cursed? What?”

Her act only pissed me off more. Of course it was her who cursed me. Why else would Zoe be so afraid of her and confessing her sins in front of everyone? “Don’t play innocent, Chessandra. We all know what you’ve done. Release the bewitchment on Zoe and then reverse the black magic spell on me. Maybe then, if we find Avery, your own kind will take pity on you and not lock you away for years in the room where time stands still.”

“But I didn’t—”

At that moment, the flame on the black candle that had been hovering in front of me suddenly went out, and the smoke shot around us, extinguishing all the other candles. The entire circle lit up with an eerie red glow.

“The summoning. It worked,” Bea called.

“Chessandra, get out of the circle!” Lailah demanded.

The high angel spun around and stared at the shimmering ground.

“Chessa!” Lailah said again.

She stood still as if she was in a trance. But then she shook her head hard and ran toward Lailah. When she got to the edge of the circle, she came up short and glanced around in panic. “Release the barrier. I can’t get out.”

Lailah met my gaze, asking a silent question.

I shook my head. It was too late.

The eerie red fog solidified and morphed into a woman’s form.

No, not a woman.

A female demon.

Oh, crap.

“Chessandra,” the demon hissed.

“Avery?” Chessandra said, horror in her tone.

The demon appeared almost human, save her red glowing eyes and her clawed hands. She stepped forward, her deformed hand extended toward the high angel. “This is your fault. And now you’re going to pay.”

Chapter 23

Kane

The smell of meat barbequing on the grill wafted through the open window. My stomach turned as I imagined what exactly the demons were cooking for dinner. My captor, a demon who called himself Aiken, was seated behind an ornate banker’s desk in the adjoining room, his pen flying across a piece of paper.