Bewitched on Bourbon Street (26 page)

White bursts of magic shot sporadically from Jade’s fingertips, blasting small craters into the stone floor.

Goddammit. I couldn’t sit there and watch him torture her. The fact that she was barely fighting back spoke volumes. She was in serious pain.

“Well?” He curled his fingers, and Jade started coughing as if he was choking her. The crowd urged him on, cheering their approval.

“Put her down. I’ll sign it. Just leave her alone and let her go home.”

Aiken dropped the magic, and Jade crumpled to the ground, holding her throat as she sucked in large gasps of breath.

“You son of a bitch,” I said, my voice low and full of hatred. I’d sign his fucking contract, but the first chance I got, I was going to kill him. My hand started to tingle with magic the way it did when I was ready to battle and my power connected with the magic of my dagger. But that wasn’t right. My dagger wasn’t here, and it was highly unlikely any of the demons had one. It was possible, but a demon hunter’s dagger was a power drain for demons. One would have to be out of his mind to carry one.

Jade moaned beside me, and the desire to murder Aiken intensified along with the tingling in my hand. I felt the pulse of magic streaming through my body, but I didn’t have a way to release it. I glanced at Jade and made an instant decision.

“I’m ready,” I said to Aiken. “Release me, and I’ll sign the contract.”

“No.” Jade forced herself to stand, even as she swayed on her feet from the effects of Aiken’s attack.

I stared at her, willing her to see my intention.
Please let her be strong enough for this
. If she wasn’t—I forced the thought from my head. There was no need to doubt her strength. My wife was a powerful white witch.

“I can’t let you do this,” she whispered.

“I’m not.
We
are.”

Something about my tone must’ve clued her in, because a small light of understanding lit her eyes. It vanished almost instantly, and she turned to stare straight ahead, stone-like as if she was shutting down, but I knew she was bracing herself.

“Let him up,” Aiken said to Bianca.

The witch to my right touched my arm once more, searing my skin with her neutralizing magic. The invisible restraints burned away, this time leaving tiny but deep gashes over my exposed skin. I hissed and then scowled, knowing it was likely those scars were going to be permanent. I didn’t care. If we survived this, then I’d wear them with pride. No demon was going to enslave me or separate me from the love of my life. Not without a fight.

Aiken walked over, grabbed the marble clipboard from Bianca, and thrust it at me. “Sign it. Now.”

I took a moment to read the contract one more time. It hadn’t changed. It was still a simple agreement, nothing much to think over.

“Do it!” Aiken snarled.

I glared at him and grabbed the pen hard enough that a piece of the metal cap broke off. It scattered to the floor, making a
tink, tink, tink
sound. We all watched it in silence as it rolled off the platform.

And then I moved. Dropping the clipboard, I grabbed Jade’s hand with my left, and with my right I lunged, stabbing Aiken in the shoulder with the gold pen.

The demon jerked back and roared, making the whole room vibrate. He ripped the pen out of his chest. Green-tinged goo dripped from the wound. “You stupid incubus. How dare you lay a hand on me?”

“Now, Jade.” I pushed a small bit of my itching magic into her palm, counting on her ability to manipulate my energy.

She responded instantly, pulling everything I had to offer into her control. And just as Aiken unleashed a torrent of his dark power at me, she cut off his stream with one of her own, no doubt saving me from being obliterated right there in the cave in front of everyone.

I held on to her hand, feeding the demon hunter magic into her, while she stepped forward, pushing Aiken back.

“No one is signing your contract.” Her raspy voice was strained. “I’d tell you to go to Hell, but that’s too good for you.” Jade’s body lit up as her lavender-tinted white aura materialized. Her hair streamed out behind her as she vibrated with strength. “I think we’ll make sure you never see the light of day again.”

She ripped her hand from mine, but the lavender-white aura continued to cling to my wrist. Even though we were no longer physically touching, we were still connected by her magic. Taking a step forward, she said, “Let us leave this place now, or—”

“What, witch?” Aiken spat and increased his efforts, pushing her back a half step. “You’ll kill me?” His humorless laughter filled the room.

“No.” She jabbed her head toward the top of the wooden door. “I’ll trap you in the stone snake carved up there.”

Chapter 27

Jade

Kane’s demon hunter energy coursed through me, filling me with bravado. I’d battled demons before, but fear had always been present. Now I was confident, sure I could take the demon down. He couldn’t get past me
and
Kane. Even now he thought he was beating me back with his magic. He wasn’t. I was only letting him think he was gaining ground.

The power consuming me could’ve likely melted him into a puddle of green demon slime if I’d wanted it to. But I had other plans. He could suffer the existence that so many of the demons’ victims did—trapped in a stone statue where other demons fed off their power. It was so far beyond the pale that it seemed the perfect end for him.

Aiken and I stood about ten feet apart. He increased the pressure on his attack, while I reined mine in just a tad, creating the illusion that he was winning. But when I saw a flicker of triumph in his expression, I pushed my hands out and curled my fingers, visualizing that I was grabbing hold of his magic.

He gasped, and when I tightened my hands into fists, his magic pooled around him in a cloud of black smoke.

“How is she doing that?” I heard the sex witch ask Kane.

The jeers of the other demons now closing in around Aiken drowned out his reply.

“No!” I jumped off the platform and cursed when they created a demon barrier as they each met my stream of magic with a combined attack. Using Kane’s incubus magic, combined with my own, I swept my arm to the side. Our powerful force slammed into them, instantly bringing them to their knees. Triumph spurred me on.

“Get out of my way,” I ordered, leaping over the two demons now writhing on the ground.

Just behind them was Aiken, propping himself up with the edge of the long table. Our gazes met for half a second, and I let go of one more powerful blast, hitting him right in the chest. Aiken’s mouth popped open in a silent scream. I smiled in triumph as he fell backward, his eyes rolling up into the back of his head.

Take that you son of a bitch.

I kept moving, intending to make good on my promise to trap Aiken in the stone snake, but was cut off by a green-haired demon. He held up a large ruby-red amulet. I blasted him, expecting him to go down as easily as the others. Except the moment my magic got near him, a force overcame me, and my power was sucked right into the eye of the amulet.

I tried to shut the magic down, but it was no use. My feet were glued to the floor, and I was completely unable to move while the demon drained my only weapon.

“Jade!” I heard Kane call over the buzzing in my ears.

The demons moved together in a crowd toward the door. Directly behind Green Hair, I saw two of them hauling Aiken away. He was still unconscious, burn marks from his own magic marring him.

Good. Even though I hadn’t had the opportunity to trap him in the stone sculpture, at least I’d done some damage. My arms started to shake, and I was certain if I didn’t break the hold Green Hair had on me, I was going to be just as unconscious as Aiken. Closing my eyes, I focused all my energy on the tips of my fingers. My magic sputtered and sparked, but Green Hair increased his effort, smiling with evil satisfaction.

“Let go, demon,” I said, putting my will behind the words.

He hesitated, and the grip he had on me wavered.

I stepped back and then plowed head on into another demon, forcing him forward right into Green Hair. They both sprawled to the ground. The ruby amulet flew out of Green Hair’s hand. I dove for it, my hand wrapping around the silver setting at the same time as Green Hair’s did.

“You dumb bitch,” the demon said, his spittle spraying me in the face.

“Ugh, gross.” I brought my knee up but missed his groin as he rolled, taking me and the amulet with him until he was straddling me, both of us still clutching the magical artifact.

“Get off my wife.” Kane grabbed one of the demons attacking him, threw him against the wall, and kicked Green Hair in the shoulder, knocking him off me. The demon’s hold on the amulet was so strong that he ripped it right out of my hand.

“No!” I pointed, meaning to tell Kane to get the weapon, but he was already on it. In one swift movement, he reached down and palmed the amulet. It turned bright red at his touch, and Green Hair screamed as magic shot from the ruby straight into his eyes.

He let go and rolled away, cowering under the table.

“It recognizes you,” I said to Kane amid the chaos.

“No, it recognizes my magic. It looks like someone fashioned this from a demon hunter dagger a long time ago.”

“Watch out!” Bianca yelled from behind us.

I spun, finding her battling two demons as two more came straight for us.

“We have to get out of here. Now,” I said to Kane.

He nodded.

“You’re not leaving without me,” Bianca announced.

Kane reached out to grab her hand, but Ezra came up behind her and snatched her around the waist.

“You’re not taking her anywhere,” Ezra yelled, threw her over his shoulder, and ran toward the door. Despite her cries of protest, no one stopped him. And Kane and I had our hands full.

“That little shit,” I said to Kane as he pointed the ruby at a demon and blasted him across the cave into the far wall.

His free hand wrapped around mine, and he tugged. Together we shot demon after demon, forcing our way through the room until we made it through the cave opening.

“Run,” Kane said.

But his order was unnecessary. I was already sprinting back toward Avery’s room. If we could get there, we could slip back through the portal that led to the coven circle. Hopefully. If the coven hadn’t sealed it.

“This way,” I said, ducking into the unfinished passageway, my limbs heavy and my chest aching from the massive amount of energy we’d used back in the cave. But adrenaline and sheer willpower kept me moving. Resting wasn’t an option.

“Wait!” a female voice yelled from behind us.

I paused. It was Bianca, with Ezra right on her heels.

Kane turned and squared his shoulders. “Leave her be, Ezra.”

He ignored both of us and reached for her.

Kane pointed the amulet at Ezra. “Touch her again, and I’ll knock you unconscious.”

Ezra snarled and wrapped his arm around Bianca’s neck. “She’s my ticket out of here.”

“Jeez.” I shook my head. “Let her go and just come with us.”

He shook his head. “You two can’t be trusted.”

“
We can’t?
You’ve got to be kidding me.” He was out of his mind.

“Do you think I’m an idiot? What would you do once we made it back to the surface? Let me go on my merry way?”

Kane put his hand up, stopping me from saying anything more. “Let Bianca go, and you’re free to do whatever you please.”

He shook his head violently. “How do you think I’m getting out of here?”

I met Bianca’s gaze, and the resignation I saw there fueled my determination to save her. She didn’t think she’d ever leave. I clutched Kane’s hand. “Wherever they’re going, we’re going with them.”

“No. You’re not.” Ezra pulled a dagger out of his back pocket and waved it at us.

I didn’t pay much attention to it, as I was watching the fear roll over Bianca. But Kane stiffened beside me, and something close to hate sprang to his surface. I looked up at him. “What is it?”

“He stole my dagger.”

I cut my eyes to Ezra and focused on the weapon he held. Sucking in a hard breath, I straightened my spine, ready to battle once again. “You had it this whole time?”

He shrugged.

“You’re an incredible bastard,” I said quietly and moved forward. But before I could curse him or just plain slap him, the door behind us burst open, and demons sprinted down the hall toward us. “Go!” I yelled, and the four of us took off down the unfamiliar hallway.

A few yards down, we took a sharp left, and before I knew it, we were passing the meeting room where we’d first found Kane. Only a few demons were still sitting at the table, drinking wine from ceramic chalices. They didn’t even glance up at the pounding of our footsteps. Apparently they were more worried about food and drink than intruders in Hell.

Ezra skid to a stop, grabbed Bianca once again, and burst through a door adjacent to the cave room.

“What the hell are you doing?” Kane asked, glaring at him.

Ezra tried to shut the door on him, but Kane thrust out his hand, keeping the door from slamming shut. Ezra once again brandished the dagger and held it out at Kane. “Don’t test me, incubus.”

“Go ahead and try it,” Kane challenged.

An uncertain expression claimed Ezra’s face just mere seconds before he called, “Freeze!”

Magic shot from the ruby stone on the dagger’s hilt in the form of frost, covering Kane and me from head to toe. I shivered uncontrollably. Kane swore and lunged forward, reaching for the dagger.

But the door had already slammed shut, cutting us off from both Ezra and Bianca.

I concentrated on that pulse in my chest and focused my magic, sending it through my body. The frost melted, leaving my clothes wet and my skin damp. “He’s going to wish he’d never been born.”

“I think he already does,” Kane said and took my hand once more. Frost still clung to his clothes but had already melted from his skin. He blasted the door open and led us across an ornately decorated room with rich, warm wooden floors.

“It feels like you know where you’re going,” I said.