Witches of Bourbon Street (31 page)

“They’re right here.” Pyper walked out from under the trees, carrying a box. Ian followed right behind her with a second one.

“Dang it, Pyper, I told you not to touch those.” The risk was far too great. I ran over and tried to snatch the box, but she pulled it from my reach.

“Who else is going to do it? The rest of you are too susceptible. Besides, Ian was with me.”

I refrained from scoffing. Because Ian could save her if anything happened, using his zero amount of magical talent.

“You can put them in the middle of the circle,” Lucien instructed. When they were done, he said, “Thank you. That saved us from casting one hell of a serious protection spell just to get them from the car.”

“Sure, no problem,” Ian said in his easy tone.

I stared pointedly at Pyper. “You’re going to stay by the trees, right? And no rushing to help?”

She shrugged, holding up her crutch. “I can’t rush anywhere.”

Unconvinced, I turned to Ian. “Can you keep her over there?”

“I’ll do my best,” he said seriously, but as I turned I caught a glimpse of an amused smile.

Within the safety of the circle, Lucien and I dumped the dolls and portraits on the ground.

“Should we match them up?” I’d assumed we’d place each doll with its respective portrait.

“No. The soul wants to be joined with its spirit. They’ll have no trouble connecting.” The sureness and matter-of-fact tone left me wondering how he knew that. Soul-merging wasn’t exactly something one did every day. Or was it? I peered at the group, suddenly suspicious.

But I didn’t have time to second-guess my choices because right then everyone’s hands rejoined. Both of mine were taken again by the tiny, dark-haired girl on my left and a woman thinner and taller, but about the same age as Bea, on the right.

That raw, energizing power filled me up again. Everything about it seemed right. It didn’t matter that I didn’t know anyone’s name except Lucien’s, or that I’d spent the last twelve years shunning coven magic. This was my place. I belonged there, as their leader.

Lucien started the incantation. Power seemed to flow from him in a steady current, circling through each of the members, sinking into me from both sides.

For the first time, I let myself experience the flow of power. My blood pulsed with it.

There was something hauntingly familiar about the sensation. It took me a moment to realize it reminded me of Kane and the last time we’d made love. My heart and limbs ached to be near him. Somewhere in the recess of my mind, it registered that I’d been hopped up on magic that night. No wonder the sex had been so extraordinary.

Lucien’s voice rose and the power tightened its hold on me. My eyes locked on his and all my focus channeled to his incantation. “Body to body, spirit to spirit, soul to soul. Goddess of Life, hear our call. We ask you to restore these beings, save them from a great injustice, and make them whole once more. Body to body, spirit to spirit, soul to soul.”

The magic shot to the center of my heart and, with a nod of encouragement from Lucien, I pushed it into the center of the pentagram. It flowed seamlessly, appearing to be sucked up by the objects lying there.

Nothing happened.

Thirty seconds. One minute. Two.

There was still a thread of magic pulsing from the coven, but the bulk of it had been fed into the spell. I’d almost given up hope anything would happen when a white glow formed around the voodoo dolls. A ball of light rose from each one then zoomed to the portraits.

Upon contact, the pentagram vanished, along with the little bit of magic still coursing through the circle. A silver mist rose from each of the portraits. It twisted and molded, becoming more solid with each movement.

My heart raced as I watched the three form solid, human shapes. Their deformities had vanished, replaced by newly formed flawless faces. The three women, in what I guessed were their early thirties, stood facing each other with shock and wonder.

Well, two of them had shock and wonder.

The third, Meri, had tears streaming down her face. “Fe? Priss?” The demon’s voice wobbled. “I…” She pressed her hands to the sides of her face, shaking.

Priscilla and Felicia shared a questioning glance.

“Meri?” Felicia inched toward her. “Is it you? I mean, really you?”

Meri sniffed and nodded. “I was stuck in Hell. I don’t know what happened. I was waiting for Philip to find me, and then there was only darkness. Is he here?”

“No, Mer. He’s not.” Felicia took the demon’s hand. “You don’t remember anything else?”

“Felicia!” Priscilla yanked her sister’s hand away from Meri. “It could be a trap.”

Meri watched the pair with confusion streaming from her. She glanced around the circle. “Did they bring us back?”

“Yes, Mer. They gave us our souls back. We’re free.” Felicia shook off Priscilla’s hold. “Stop. Can’t you see she’s in there? She has her soul back.”

“But for how long?” Priscilla demanded and then softened her voice. “She’s a demon, Fe. At any moment she could turn again.”

Tears filled Felicia’s big, blue eyes. She turned to me. “Can’t you help her?”

Shock kept me silent. I had no idea. It appeared by rejoining Meri’s soul, she’d returned to the person she’d been before turning demon. I searched Lucien’s face for an answer.

He gave me a sad shake of his head.

My stomach clenched. “I’m so sorry.”

A lone tear slid down Felicia’s perfect face.

“Where’s Philip?” Meri asked again.

“He’s not coming,” Priscilla said softly. “Meri, you’re a demon. Philip’s an angel. He can’t help you now. You’re lost to the other side.”

“Demon?” Meri straightened. Something seemed to click in her confused mind. “Oh, no. What have I done?” A cloud of anxiety rose up like smoke and consumed her. “I didn’t know what I was doing,” she told her sisters. “I couldn’t control it. And Philip…he never came for me.” Her entire demeanor shifted. It was like watching a complete transformation. Anger pushed all her contrition aside and her rage pounded my skull, almost knocking me on my ass.

Luckily, the two witches on either side of me had a death grip on each of my hands, and I managed to stay upright. More importantly, I didn’t break the circle. Because a second later, Felicia and Priscilla turned on Meri.

They started the chant I recognized as the binding spell Lucien had used on Bea.

Black magic sprang from Meri, winding around the pair, who now looked remarkably like they could be twins, except one was blond and the other was brunette. Of course, the black magic user would have black hair.

Felicia and Priscilla turned on Meri, both of them raising their hands high, calling for power. It sprang to their fingertips. On reflex, I pushed my own power into the members of the coven, holding us all steady. “Don’t let go!” I shouted.

These witches were in a full-on magical battle. We had to keep them contained.

Please, God, don’t let Lailah and Kane show up in the middle of this.

The circle held, keeping all three of them and their magic inside. The ripple of their power pushed at me and the coven, but it couldn’t break through. The protections Bea had placed on the circle were too strong. I’d always known she was powerful, but I’d had no idea how much until right then. And she’d given it to me, claiming I was stronger.

It wasn’t possible.

The two white witches lashed out with their magic, wrapping it around Meri. Soon the black tendrils of her spell weakened and faded into a whisper.

We all watched, awed, as Priscilla circled Meri, her dark hair whipping in a wind none of us could feel. Felicia stood back, controlling the thread of the power coiled tight around the demon.

Priscilla stopped and cocked her head in Felicia’s direction. “What should we do with her?”

“We have to send her back to Hell.” The sorrow in Felicia’s voice made me ache for her. “There’s no other choice.”

“Don’t feel sorry for her, Fe.” Priscilla came within an inch of Meri’s face. “She stole our lives for power. If we let her go, she’d only go after everyone here—one soul at a time.”

Meri’s wide, black eyes narrowed. “Stupid witch. What do you think this white coven will do with you when they find out what you’ve done?”

Priscilla stepped back. An odd probe pushed at our defensive barrier. She laughed. “What I’ve done? You’re delusional.”

“Don’t, Priss. She’s only trying to bait you.” Felicia held tight to the magical bonds, but continued speaking in a gentle voice. “Meri, I understand you have a hold over two souls this coven wants back. If you release them, I’m sure we can work something out.”

“You want me to give up my angel? Never!” Meri cried, and then shouted an incantation I didn’t recognize.

The wind shifted. All of a sudden, a warm breeze gathered until it formed a wind tunnel within the circle. Everything went gray, and when the mist cleared, another form lay in the circle at Meri’s feet.

Someone I knew. With his lower left leg bound in a cast, he lumbered to a standing position and then backed up in my direction.

“She can’t save you,” Meri hissed.

“I wasn’t counting on it. But you’ll have to go through me to get to her.” Dan turned around. His sorrowful eyes met mine. “I never meant for any of this to happen.”

Chapter 24

“Dan?” I asked.

But he’d already turned to Meri. “Our deal was void. Release me.”

Deal? Dan had made a deal with a demon? Dread formed a sick ball in my stomach. What had he done? And why?

Meri’s maniacal laugh grated on my ears. “You have no idea what you’re talking about, mortal. You owe me a debt and I’m here to collect.”

“No!” Felicia cried. “I won’t let you ruin any more lives.”

The sisters spread their arms wide. In unison they spoke, “Banish this woman. Banish her powers. Banish her hold on those she binds. Take her where time stands still.”

White bolts of light erupted from them in a wave of power.

The magic coursing to me from the coven wavered. The power being yielded in the circle was too much for them. I redirected my magic back into the circle and cried, “Don’t let go. If the circle falls, the demon will be free.”

The pentagram on the ground shone brighter, fused with the renewed energy.

Meri seemed to fade into the night, flickering as if she were on a bad film reel. Her thick black magic spiraled out of control, seeming to fade into the night, until it vanished completely.

Priscilla and Felicia stepped back in retreat.

Meri glared at her sisters, fury rising off her, along with a silvery substance, appearing suspiciously like the same matter that had restored her soul. It hovered in front of her and then shot at Dan.

He groaned and fell to his knees, clutching his stomach. The silver substance embraced him. “This wasn’t the deal,” he spat.

“You sold your soul for my help,” Meri seethed. “Now you’re going to pay.”

“You can’t have my soul,” Dan cried. “The deal was forfeit.”

“You should have paid closer attention.” She stalked around his prone body. “You wanted to find the white witch’s mother. I agreed to help you in exchange for destroying those voodoo dolls.”

My heart stopped at the mention of my mother. After all we’d been through, Dan had sacrificed himself to a demon to help me. All the terrible things we’d said and done to each other vanished. Deep down, Dan was still the same person I’d fallen in love with as a teenager.

“But I didn’t do it. I couldn’t. It was wrong.” Dan’s eyes met mine. “I didn’t know they contained souls. When I found out, I gave them to you for safekeeping.”

“I knew it!” Priscilla cried.

Meri screamed as her sisters twisted their magic, trying once again to bind her. She fell to her knees, her breath coming in short pants. When she looked up, she laughed. “Is that all you’ve got?” The demon rose, focusing on Dan. “Makes no difference, mortal. You’ve found her.” She waved her hand, revealing a vision of my mother curled up on the floor of a dank stone room. The scene floated in the middle of the circle. “She’s in Hell, where she belongs for trying to summon a demon.”

“Mom!” I tried to break free, to run toward the vision, but my coven members held me steady in the circle.

“That’s not what I meant,” Dan said through his teeth.

Meri laughed. “You failed, and now you’re mine.” The demon’s silver substance started to meld into Dan and suddenly I realized she was fusing her soul with his. No matter how this fight ended, unless Dan died, she’d be tied to him and the earth. And Dan’s soul would be irrevocably damaged.

“No!” I cried, channeling my magic and the coven’s toward Dan. My only thought was to force her soul from his being. She would not have him. He didn’t deserve such a terrible fate.

At the same time, the sisters redoubled their attack on Meri. The combined magic collided, shooting a beacon of light toward the sky, taking all the power we’d built with it. The two witches, unconnected to the coven, fell back, spent and useless.