The Babet & Prosper Collection I: One Less Warlock, Magrat's Dagger, A Different Undead, and Bad Juju (8 page)

Babet shook her head, confused. Who knew an
incubus could be honorable? She stepped back closer to Prosper and
jerked in surprise. The Were had completely returned to his human
form, and whatever she was touching was naked. She took a quick
step forward and heard his low chuckle.

“No worries, witch. You’ve seen it all
before.”

She could feel the heat rise to her cheeks.
Honestly! How could the man knock her off balance so often when few
other things did?

Gazaar didn’t fret about niceties, though. He
got straight to the point. “We need to go someplace to talk. We
need a plan to capture Jaleel.”

Her mother nodded. “Come with us. We’ll meet
at my school. There’ll be enough space for all of us.”

An expression of yearning passed over
Gazaar’s face. “Your school for young witches? You’re a wonderful
teacher.”

Mom smiled. “Shrink down to mortal size, and
I’ll give you a ride in my car.” She motioned to Prosper. “He’s a
detective. He can take care of this mess, and then he and Babet can
join us.”

The frown returned as Gazaar studied Prosper.
His tone uncertain, he said, “He did risk his life to save our
daughter.”

“He’s a good man,” Mom said.

“But a naked one. Does anyone have a
blanket?”

One of the witches from the coven ran to her
car and returned with a sweater. Prosper tied the arms around his
waist, but the material only stretched across the front of him. He
didn’t seem to mind.

Mom shook her head. “Come on. We have plans
to make.”

Gazaar shrank to his mortal size—nearly seven
feet. His leather pants shrank with him. Must be a demon thing. He
followed her mother to her car. When he opened the passenger door,
Morgana bolted out of it and slithered toward Babet, giving her an
accusing stare the entire way.

“Sorry,” Babet said, bending to stroke the
snake’s chin, “but there was too much magic and fire bouncing
around. I didn’t want you to be hurt.”

Morgana hissed, still unhappy, and wrapped
herself around Babet’s ankle.

They remained with Prosper while he called in
backup and explained what had happened. It wasn’t until their drive
to her mother’s school that he asked, “You doing okay? It had to
come as a shock to meet your father the way you did.”

She gave a quick nod. “Maybe it was for the
best. Dad didn’t stay away because he didn’t care. Mom and Dad were
trying to protect me. I might not agree with their decisions, but I
understand them. And he seems pretty neat…for an incubus.”

Prosper barked a laugh. “That’s what I like
about you, Babs. Always practical. Most girls would be shedding
angst all over my car.”

She shrugged. “It is what it is. We’re not
like mortals. Magic messes with things sometimes.”

“But it hasn’t messed with your head. You’re
a good one. What my dad would call a keeper.”

She gave him a quick, nervous glance.

“Don’t worry. I’m not rushing things, but you
are working your way to the top of my list, so don’t do something
stupid and get yourself killed.”

“I’ll try to keep that in mind. I wouldn’t
want to inconvenience you.”

He reached over to lay his massive hand over
hers. “I hate first dates. Always awkward. You and I have known
each other long enough, I don’t have to aim to impress. So stick
around. It makes my life easier.”

She was relieved when he pulled to the curb
in front of Hennie’s shop, next to her mother’s school.

He chuckled. “Saved by the end of the ride.
You can relax now, Babs.”

She shot a dirty look his way as she climbed
out of the car. He’d caught her off guard, but a tiny part of her
stashed his words away to enjoy later. The Were had just made her
day.

Mom’s classroom consisted of a large,
rectangular room, lined with bookshelves stacked with tomes of
magic and jars of potions. Hennie’s shop, next door, provided any
herbs and ingredients they might need. Nearly twenty desks formed a
circle in its center. Babet remembered the procedure well. Mom
paced in the middle of the grouping, going from one student to
another, making sure they copied information correctly into their
spellbooks.

The old pine boards creaked as Babet and
Prosper crossed to join the others. A painted hexagram covered the
floor, stretching from one corner of the room to another. Gazaar’s
legs were too long. He’d pushed his desk aside and straddled a
chair. Prosper followed his example. Babet took a place between Mom
and Hennie, and Morgana slithered up to curl on the wooden
desktop.

Hennie sighed. “What now? White magic can’t
summon a demon. We can’t make Jaleel come to us. How do we find
him?”

Mom thumbed through an ancient book with a
worn, leather cover. “There’s a spell somewhere that will help us
track his magic energy.”

“Like we do a fellow witch’s?” Babet
asked.

“No, it’s never that easy with a demon, but
similar. The spell’s in this book, I’m sure.” She turned a page,
and her face lit up. “Right here.”

Hennie read over her shoulder and looked
hopeful. “Yes, I remember. I’ve never used it. Have you?” She
glanced around the circle at the others.

They all shook their heads. Every witch in
the coven had read every book on these shelves. Babet still
borrowed them to pore through, but knowing spells and using them
were two different things.

“I don’t know any spells.” Evangeline sounded
nervous. “I have no training.”

“I’ll teach you this one on the way,” one of
the witches told her. “From what I’ve seen of you, you’re a fast
learner.”

Evangeline nodded, and her mother handed the
book to Gazaar. He studied the words and gestures carefully.

“Do you know magic?” Babet asked him.

“I have to worry about witches and warlocks
summoning my prisoners. I’ve learned many a counterspell, and
Jaleel’s learned from a sorcerer or two. So yes, I’ve studied magic
a long time.”

There apparently was no end to what her
father could do.

Hennie rubbed her hands together, trying to
summon courage. “If we have a spell and a plan, let’s go find
Jaleel. He’s drained right now. Our chances of success are
better.”

Gazaar looked toward her mother. His wife?
Had they married? Bonded? Now wasn’t the time to ask. “Are you
ready?” he asked.

Mom looked around the group. “Does everyone
remember the binding spell? We need to bind Jaleel to his demon
form, so that he can’t change. Then we can attack him.”

They shifted in their chairs nervously.
Evangeline sighed, and the witch who’d befriended her said, “I’ll
go over that one for you too.”

“A binding spell will work for now,” Gazaar
said, “but it won’t hold Jaleel once I take him back to his
pit.”

“We can magick bars over his pit that he
can’t pass,” Mom added. “Actually, you’ll have to. We can’t visit
your world and leave again. I’ll teach you the spell.”

Gazaar nodded, satisfied. “Then let’s find
our demon before he makes his next move.”

Shoulders squared, the witches rose as one
and started for the cars they’d parked at the curb. Babet hastily
ran upstairs and carried down a blanket for Prosper. No use
worrying about it now. He’d probably shift to his Were form again
soon, but when their battle was finished, he might want more than a
sweater that left his ass uncovered. A great ass, but she’d rather
not share.

Morgana started for the door, but Babet shook
her head. “It isn’t safe for you. I want you to stay here.”

The snake curled around Prosper’s leg,
ignoring her. Prosper grinned. “No one likes sitting and waiting.
She’s your familiar. She wants to be with you.”

This time, Babet didn’t argue. She’d hurt the
snake’s feelings when she locked her in the car.

Tourists jammed the sidewalks on Magic
Street, wandering in and out of shops, so the witches gathered in
the small lot behind the store. They formed a circle and started to
chant. A vapor formed for them to follow. Once in their cars, they
set off after it. Mom and Gazaar took the lead with Prosper and
Babet—along with Morgana—at the rear of the caravan. This time,
they drove toward the river, and it didn’t take long before Babet
recognized where they were going. To Settlers Park. Probably
Magrat’s grave.

Babet could swear the trees leaned toward
them, reaching to encourage them, as they followed the river to the
park. Leaves shivered, as though afraid for them. Babet wished
Jaleel had fled to a different spot, but why would he? Old blood
soaked the soil on the banks by the cypress. This was probably the
first spot that welcomed Jaleel when the voodoo priest called
energy to him. This was probably where the demon made his first
kill, destroying one of the people who brought him here. He’d try
to destroy Evangeline too. They’d have to take care to keep her
safe.

Prosper parked beside her mother’s car in the
small, asphalt lot for visitors. The other witches were all
gathered, waiting. Morgana shoved through the door the minute Babet
opened it. She wrapped herself around Babet’s leg, tightening her
grip so that Babet couldn’t pry her off.

“We could die here, you know.” Babet tried to
reason with her familiar.

Morgana turned her head, unswayed.

When they reached the coven, Babet frowned at
Evangeline. “Did you learn both spells?”

“Yes.”

Her voice sounded harsher than she meant it
to. “Don’t leave the others,” she warned. “You’re on Jaleel’s list,
too, so be careful.”

Evangeline gave a grim smile. “As careful as
you are?”

“That’s different.”

“I drain energy too.” Evangeline turned her
head as more cars filled empty parking places. Her mother and most
of the women from the settlement came to join them.

For once, Gazaar was caught off guard. His
face showed it. Nadine tilted her head, studying him. “You’re the
gatekeeper?”

Her father nodded.

“You don’t mind it when we claim energy from
the newly departed, do you?”

“It has to go somewhere. You use it wisely.
That’s all that matters.”

“Good, then we can be allies.” Nadine went to
join the witches. Her friends held back. When Nadine started down
the path toward the river banks, they trailed along.Jaleel rested,
his spine pressed against the tall cypress. When he heard them, his
head snapped up, but before he could switch forms, the witches
began their chant with Evangeline joining in. Jaleel’s arms had
turned to speckles of energy, but the witches’ words made them
solid again. His body jerked, his cells wanting to change, but
unable to.

Morgana slid off Babet’s leg. She slithered
into the sparse grass, out of the way.

Jaleel leapt to his feet and belched fire.
The witches raised their arms to form a protective shield, and the
flames bent aside. Gazaar’s whip cracked in the air. It bit into
Jaleel’s neck. Babet ran forward, Prosper beside her in his Were
form. With her hand flattened against Jaleel’s thigh, Babet drained
his energy into her. Then once again, she slashed his skin to vent
his power. Prosper clawed his other leg.

Nadine and her friends began their magic.
Jaleel’s energy buzzed in the air, and Nadine directed it toward
her daughter. As he grew weaker, Evangeline grew stronger.

Jaleel’s hands worked to free his neck from
the whip, but Gazaar yanked it harder, almost bringing Jaleel to
his knees. Finally, the demon fell. On his way down, he reached for
Babet. Before his hand could close around her, Morgana sank her
fangs into the fleshy pad between the demon’s thumb and wrist.
Jaleel tried to shake her off, but the snake tightened her jaw and
didn’t let go. A deep purple stain moved up Jaleel’s veins. The
demon grimaced and panted. When the poison reached his arm pit,
Babet held out her arms to Morgana, so that her snake could let go
without falling. Babet gently lowered her to the ground and
motioned for her to hurry away.

They all took a step back. The purple spread
until Jaleel roared in pain. Babet took advantage of his suffering
and plunged the dagger deep into his side. The last of his energy
spilled into her. Gazaar easily wrapped his whip around Jaleel’s
body and hog- tied him. Then he picked him up, raised his voice in
an unknown chant, and disappeared in a puff of power.

Babet stared at the empty spot where her
father just stood. “Mom?”

“He took Jaleel back to his pit. He knows the
words to lock it with magic.”

They’d won. A bubble of victory was quashed
almost as fast as it formed. It was over. Her father was gone.
“Will I see him again?”

Her mother came to rest a comforting hand on
her arm. “I’m sure you will. The word’s out by now. Everyone will
know who your father is.”

“Including me.”

Her mother sighed. “At the time, we thought
secrecy was best. We thought you’d be safer.”

“And now? Am I in more danger?”

Morgana came to wrap around Babet’s ankle. As
Prosper shifted back to mortal, he pulled the blanket around his
waist and came to stand by her side. Evangeline and the coven moved
closer. So did Nadine and her friends.

“Now…” her mother said, “people will have
every reason to fear you and Evangeline. There won’t be many who’ll
oppose you.”

“Especially if we stick together.” Babet
glanced at the new witch. “We made a good team today.”

Evangeline gave a shy smile. Now that the
battle was over, she’d returned to being the girl more interested
in gardening than victories.

Nadine raised a warning eyebrow. “You can’t
hide from your powers any more, daughter. It’s irresponsible.”

Evangeline’s jaw tightened. “I’ll learn
enough that no one can take advantage of me, ever again.”

Babet’s mother took a deep breath. “Hennie
and I will stay here to bury Magrat’s dagger and cleanse the energy
of her grave. There’s no reason for the rest of you to remain.”