Shadows of Bourbon Street (30 page)

“So,” she said with a sly smile. “Y’all get it on and magic is actually shared between you. Like, when one of you gets off, magic is then exchanged?”

Kane turned a deep shade of red and cleared his throat.

I giggled. “Yeah, something like that.”

“And now those two are in some alternate reality getting down and dirty?”

Kane shook his head, but I shrugged and said, “I hope so. It’ll probably make it easier for them to get home.”

Pyper slammed her hand down on the bar. “Holy shit! Why can’t anything like that happen to me? All I get are asshole ghosts following me around. You? You get ghost sex, dreamwalking sex, and now incubus sex. Dude! Life just isn’t fair.” She shook her head and threw a towel under the counter.

“I could’ve done without the ghost sex.” Kane squeezed my hand.

“But the dream sex was pretty good.” I grinned and leaned in, kissing him softly.

“Yeah. Still is,” he agreed.

“Oh, God! Stop. I don’t need to hear any more. I’m already thinking I might need to slit my wrists.” But she laughed and flipped her pink-streaked hair over her shoulder. “Okay. New topic. About this wedding. If you two are done with this mission, what do you think of a Mardi Gras ceremony?”

“You mean today?” I asked, totally surprised.

“Yes.”

Kane and I exchanged a glance. Then his lips turned up into a slow smile. “I’m game if you are.”

“Of course I am.” I glanced at the spot in the club where I knew the portal was hidden. “But what if they don’t make it back?”

“You just said you were confident they would,” Pyper said. “Right?”

“Sure, but…” Damn, I hoped they did. I turned back to Pyper. “I thought you had a gig body painting tonight.”

“I do. But I can spare an hour or two to get you hitched.”

I bit my lip. “There won’t be any food for the reception.”

Kane chuckled. “Are you looking for an excuse to say no?”

“No!” I stood and started to pace. “Just thinking about the logistics. There’s the minister, food, getting everyone there, and Pyper has had that party lined up for weeks.”

Pyper came around the counter and hopped up on one of the barstools. “After the fiasco the other day, I’ve been checking into options, and I think I’ve got everything covered. Ms. Bella has a friend in Cypress Settlement who’s registered with the Parish to perform ceremonies. He says for the right price, he can be available pretty much any time we need him.”

“For the right price?” Kane asked.

“Hush.” She swatted his arm. “You can afford it. And as for the reception, who cares? It’s Mardi Gras. Everyone can come to the party I’m working. The man hosting it is a good customer here.” She gestured around the club. “He’d have no problem letting the owner, his new wife, and a few friends crash.”

Kane tightened his hand around mine. “It isn’t exactly what you envisioned. But it would be today.”

My heart skipped a beat and butterflies fluttered in my stomach. Yes. I wanted to marry him. My family was still in town, and so was his. That was all that mattered, right? And making sure Matisse and Vaughn made it back from the mist. I knew my answer. I just needed to confirm our mission was complete.

Time seemed to stand still as I burned a hole in the club floor with my stare. I shook my head. “I’d love to. You have no idea how wonderful that sounds, but—”

Light lit the entire club, blinding me momentarily, and was gone just as fast. I blinked and then shot to my feet.

There they were. Matisse and Vaughn. He had his arm around her shoulder and was clutching her to him. Both their faces held looks of wonder, combined with total confusion, as they tried to orient themselves.

“It worked?” Matisse asked him. “We made it back.”

“Looks like it.” He pulled her into a hug, and the pair held on to each other as if they’d never let go.

My heart did another little flip-flop. It had worked.

She was back safe and sound. Her hand clasped around my pendant as she met my eyes. “This kept me whole while I was down there.”

I reached in my back pocket and pulled out the tin. When I opened it, a small ball of magic clung to the stud earring. “Looks like this may have been trying to protect me, too.” I held it out to her, but Vaughn took it from my palm. He smoothed her dark hair back and secured it into the top of her ear as if he’d done that a million times before. They seemed so comfortable together it was hard to reconcile the vision I’d had.

“Thank you,” Matisse said and reached up to unclasp the necklace.

I held my hand out in a stop motion. “No. You keep it. Please.”

She shook her head. “I can’t. It’s too much.”

“No, it isn’t,” I insisted. “For some reason, it’s fortifying your magic right now, and I don’t want to mess with that.”

She stared at me with uncertain eyes.

“Oh, please. Just keep it,” Pyper said lightly. “She has at least a dozen more, I’m sure. You wouldn’t believe that bead stash of hers. Beads everywhere. Seriously, if she wants you to have it, you should just take it. Otherwise she’ll keep arguing with you about it.”

I did my best not to laugh. Pyper wasn’t too far off. I did have more, but they weren’t infused with magic like that one.

Finally Matisse nodded. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” I glanced at Kane. “I guess the last thing to do is contact Chessandra.”

Matisse stepped back and wrapped an arm around Vaughn’s waist, her expression hardened with anger. “Well, don’t worry. I’ll be in touch.” She tilted her head up and looked at Vaughn. “Can you take me home?”

“Of course.” With a nod to us, Vaughn took one step and the pair of them disappeared into the shadows.

“So fucking badass,” Pyper exclaimed.

I laughed and then turned to Kane. “I’m ready. Let’s get married today.”

He turned his elated gaze on me and tucked a lock of my hair behind my ear. “You got it, pretty witch.”

Chapter 27

Pyper took us to the hotel to grab our stuff and Kane’s car. But before we headed back to Cypress Settlement, Kane and I stopped off in Coven Pointe. We’d made a plan to meet Maximus at Dayla’s. I’d made a promise to him, and I intended to keep it.

The three of us stood on Dayla’s front porch. I turned to Maximus and held out a note card.

“What’s this?” he asked.

“You said you wanted to meet with the ex-demon Meri. I called her, and she agreed to speak with you. Just call to set up a time.”

“You’re a woman of your word, Ms. Calhoun.” He nodded to Kane in appreciation.

I rolled my eyes and gestured to the door. “You ready for this?”

He nodded.

“You’d better be,” I said, remembering the last time Kane and I had been there. I knocked.

A moment later the door opened, and Matisse stood in the doorway.

“Hello,” I said. “I’m so glad to see you made it back here.”

“Me too.” She smiled. “Thanks to you.”

“Thanks to Vaughn,” I corrected. All I’d done was convince him to help her.

Her smile faded, and I couldn’t help but wonder what had happened once they’d left the club. But it wasn’t any of my business. It was obvious they each had intense feelings for the other, but one afternoon couldn’t fix whatever had happened between them. “Did you want to come in?” she asked.

I shook my head. “No. Thank you. But we brought someone who really wants to speak with Dayla. Is she here?”

Matisse cut her gaze to Maximus and regarded him with obvious skepticism. “Yes, but I don’t know if she wants to talk to you.”

“Five minutes,” he said.

“I’ll ask.” She shut the door.

“Do you want us to stay?” Kane asked him.

He smirked. “I hate to say yes, but she’s a powerful witch. I’d prefer we had witnesses.”

Kane chuckled. I frowned at both of them but said nothing.

The door swung open, and Dayla stood in the doorway, her arms crossed over her chest. Her light hair was piled high on her head, secured with a pentagram hair clip. Interesting. “What the hell are you doing here?” Her gaze bored into Maximus with such intensity I was surprised his head didn’t explode on the spot.

Unconsciously, I took a step back.

Maximus cleared his throat. “Dayla, it’s lovely to see you again. I just have one question for you.”

“What?”

“When exactly were you going to introduce me to my child?” His words were so cold, I actually felt a chill crawl up my arm. His child? Was he talking about Fiona? Had he not known?

Dayla didn’t even flinch. “You had no rights to her. You took what you wanted and left. Just like all incubi do.”

Whoa. These witches had some serious hate for the demon hunters. I sent Kane a sidelong glance. After a while, would I start to resent him taking my magic for himself? I found it hard to imagine. So far, Kane had been more worried about the magic transfers than I had. As long as he remained considerate, we could work it out.

“I was called to the order, Day. You know that.”

“Do not call me Day. You hear me, Maximus? I’m not yours, and you are entirely too familiar.”

His nostrils flared in irritation, and I was starting to suspect we should leave quietly. I took another step back, but Kane put his hand on my arm and whispered, “They need to answer a few questions for us first.”

“I just want a chance to know my daughter.” Maximus pulled out a business card. “She can reach me through that number or the address if she chooses to come by. Make sure she gets it.”

“Like hell I will.” Dayla went to tear it up, but when she tried to rip the paper she couldn’t. She tried again and grunted in frustration. It would’ve been funny if there hadn’t been so much anger flying through the air.

“Only the one it’s intended for can alter it. If you throw it out, it will find its way back into your house.” He tipped an imaginary hat at her and said, “Good day, milady.”

Dayla threw the card, but it floated back into her hand. “Damn you. Why didn’t you just give it to her yourself, you fool?”

He glanced back. “Because I wanted it to come from you.” He gave her a self-satisfied smile and then disappeared into the shadows.

“That’s a neat trick those guys do,” I said.

Kane nodded. “Yes it is.”

“Can you do that?”

“Yep.” He turned to Dayla. “Good morning.”

She scowled in irritation. “I am not pleased you brought him here.”

Kane shrugged. “I’m not exactly pleased you spelled me without my permission.”

She pursed her lips and then forced out, “What can I do for you, Mr. Rouquette?”

“I have a question. It’s about this incubus thing. Is it permanent?” Kane asked, surprising me. He’d taken the oath.

“Yes.”

“Even though you said you’d lift it once Matisse was found?”

Her eyes narrowed and frustration seeped from her being. Was she frustrated because we were questioning her? We had a right to know. She pushed her bangs to the side and regarded us with fake sympathy. It made me want to unleash a firestorm of magic on her.

She opened her mouth, then closed it. After clearing her throat, she said, “I lied.” A second later the door slammed shut.

“I guess that’s it then,” I said, tucking my arm through Kane’s, not at all surprised. Dayla struck me as the type to do whatever she needed to in order to achieve her goal, even if it meant using other people. No wonder she and Bea didn’t get along.

“Is it?” Kane asked as we headed back to his car.

“Sure. What can we do about it?”

“I don’t know.” He pulled the car door open for me and then went around to the driver’s side and climbed in. He started the car and let it idle while he collected his thoughts. “But we—well, I—made a life-altering decision without taking any time to consider the ramifications. I wanted to explore our options, if we had any.”

“And now we don’t,” I said, stating the obvious.

“I’m sorry for that.” He brought my hand to his lips, kissing my knuckles.

“It’s okay. I understand. I really do.” I pressed my palm to his cheek. “You’re a good man. You were faced with an impossible decision. Either become a hunter or sit back and let other souls be taken. If I were you, I would’ve made the same choice.”

“I know you would’ve. It’s probably part of the reason I couldn’t say no.” He folded me into his arms, hugging me tight. And when we broke apart, he grinned. “Let’s go get hitched.”

***

The sun was low in the sky and streaming in the ceiling-to-floor windows at Summer House when my stepfather Marc and I descended the last steps of the grand staircase. Even though it was last minute, all of our immediate friends had found a way to attend. Kat and Lucien, Lailah and—Lord help me—Jonathon, Pyper and Ian, Charlie and her girlfriend, a handful of the New Orleans Coven witches, my mom, Gwen, and Kane’s parents. A few of Kane’s friends and his best man were there too. And even Maximus and Bea. It was intimate but perfect.