Witches of Bourbon Street (32 page)

When the impressive spray of light died down, Meri stood in the middle of the chaos. Anticipation flashed over her face. She turned to me. “Summon my mate, and I’ll spare him.”

Felicia lifted her head from her hands. “You want to summon Philip? He wants nothing to do with you. If he did, he’d have found you long ago.”

The truth of her words rang in my ears just as a soul-shattering pain rippled through Meri. The blow to my gut was strong enough to make my knees weaken. Had the damaged soul we’d restored to her actually shattered? Somehow, I thought it could have.

Meri threw a black bolt at Felicia, knocking her out. Priscilla let out a cry and crawled to her prone sister.

The demon’s pain turned into an intense need for revenge. “You can do it. You have enough power. Bring my mate to me and I’ll let this one go.” She waved an impatient hand toward Dan.

“No!” Dan got to his feet. “She’s lying.”

I didn’t know how he knew, but he was right. I sensed it in her energy. She had no intention of leaving behind anyone she could siphon power from.

I leveled a stare at her. “I don’t know how, and even if I did, I wouldn’t. Not for a demon intent on corrupting a person’s soul she claims to love.”

“Love?” Meri scoffed. “Love has nothing to do with it.”

“It has everything to do with it. Where do you think the bond comes from?”

My words touched a nerve. Meri’s face contorted into a terrible fury. “Not willing to help? How about a trip to Hell? First your mother and now you. What a beautiful way to end this tragic soap opera. An ex determined to save you, and my goodie-two-shoe-sisters imprisoned again.” Black ropes sprang from her fingertips, twisted around Felicia and Priscilla’s wrists.

All I heard was:
First your mother and now you.

A rage I hadn’t known existed erupted with that magical spark Bea had worked so hard to help me find. Well, here it was, in all its glory.

I pulled my hands free from the two coven members and took a step forward. “Let my mother go,” I said, a dangerous edge in my tone.

Dan’s eyes went wide in shock as he struggled to his feet. “No, Jade!”

“Move, Dan. I don’t want to have to force you, but I will.”

“This isn’t you. Don’t do this.”

“I don’t have a choice.”

I vaguely heard Lucien demand the coven to reform the circle. The pentagram had disappeared, and when the magic circle rebuilt around us, it lit once again in a dim shadow of its former self. I had my doubts the coven could contain us.

When Dan held his ground, I forced him aside using only my mind. It was easier than reading someone’s emotional energy. Though, that was coming through strong as well. Dan was horrified and more than a little frightened. For me. The coven had a collective fear, mixed with a sad resignation. They were convinced they were going to lose me, too. The message came through loud and clear. But I knew their highest priority was keeping Meri contained.

I turned my attention to the demon. Smugness, deep and satisfied, radiated from her.

“Show me what you’ve got, witch. I’ve wanted to see how you’d stack up against a demon.”

“Capturing an angel wasn’t enough for you,” I said.

“Oh, no. But imagine my delight when I was able to add that one to my collection. And now a white witch. Correction, black witch.”

“What?” I glanced around, wondering who she was talking about. It was then I noticed the tinges of black on my fingertips. I should have recoiled in fear. Instead, I squared my shoulders and faced her.

She only laughed and slashed a burning sear across my chest with one swipe of her hand.

From deep inside my gut, something bubbled up, more powerful than anything I’d experienced before. I knew if I willed it, I’d destroy her. She’d be obliterated from my life, the earth, and everyone I cared about.

And why shouldn’t I? She’d taken my mother, my lover, and my mentor. And now she had her hooks in Dan. Someone I used to love. She deserved everything she got.

Pressure pushed on my psyche. Something familiar, yet irritating. I brushed it away with just a thought and took two steps closer. Her sisters had been rendered useless, and Meri and I held each other’s gaze in a stand-off.

“Do it,” she challenged.

“You don’t scare me.”

Her lips twitched. “I can see that.”

“Release my mother,” I said again.

Her black eyes glinted. “I don’t think so.” She turned her gaze on Dan and aimed her hands in his direction.

Magic strained to explode from my chest. Not Dan. She couldn’t have him. I didn’t know a spell, but I knew my intentions. I raised my arms, said a small prayer to the Goddess of Souls, and then turned my fiery gaze on the demon in front of me. “Hell is too good for you.” A simple incantation sprang to my lips. I was seconds from unleashing the worst when the coven started chanting.

The air turned to mist again, only this time it held a purple tint. I blinked, and suddenly in front of me stood Lailah and Kane.

I blinked again, sure I was seeing things.

“Jade?” Kane said, looking confused. “What—”

“Move!” I cried as Meri’s anger pressed in on me from all sides. The dark power I’d been ready to unleash fled as my love for Kane took over. I pulled him backward, succeeding in shoving him out of the circle just as Meri’s black magic slammed into me. Fire exploded through my limbs.

“Stupid witch.” Meri laughed. “You broke the circle again. No one is safe now.”

I glanced in alarm at the exhausted members of the coven. Some of them had dropped to their knees. Others were hunched over, trying to regain their strength. Holy God. What had I done when I’d plunged Kane right through their wards?

Meri’s black threads of power spiraled around Kane. “He’s mine now.”

“Not if I can help it.” Lailah’s voice broke through the pain clouding my mind. “Leave it to a demon to fight dirty,” she seethed.

Meri’s eyes narrowed with hatred. “You’ll be just like me soon enough.”

“Think again, demon. I’ve broken your spell.” The pair circled each other, readying themselves for a duel.

“Jade,” someone hissed. I glanced up to see Lucien motioning weakly for me to take my space in the circle.

Shit! What was I doing?
I scrambled to my feet and reclaimed my spot. I grabbed a hold of the two coven members nearest me and choked back a cry when their despair hit me from both sides.

Shame welled in my chest. I’d almost gone over to the dark side. The only reason I hadn’t was because Lailah had managed to bring Kane back to me. Even through the coven’s magic, I’d sensed him and the bond that had been missing the last few days.

His love had saved me.

I used every ounce of strength Kane’s reappearance had given me and spread it among the coven through my magical spark. Within moments, they were all standing. Lucien’s voice rose above the coven’s murmurings, leading us in a protection chant once more.

And now it was my turn to help Lailah. She and Meri were locked in a fierce battle, each straining with the effort. Praying I didn’t repeat the mistake I’d made earlier when I’d neutralized the sisters’ power, I sent the coven’s magic to Lailah instead of attacking Meri. With any luck, she’d be able to use it to her advantage.

The effect was immediate. Meri’s black magic all but disappeared. With each spell she tried to throw, sparks fizzled, sputtering into nothing. “No!” She turned her attention toward the image of my mother, still trapped in the stone room. “Let me go or I’ll destroy her soul. She’ll be lost forever.”

“You don’t have the power,” Lailah scoffed.

“Watch me!” The scene shrunk smaller and faded until all that was left was the real-life human form of my mother lying on the grass.

My heart soared.

Her gaze found mine and a tiny, sad smile touched her lips. Despite the despair and hopelessness running through her, relief blossomed in my chest. The emotions held her distinct signature. Something that, as far as I knew, couldn’t be duplicated. She was here. Finally.

It took all my restraint to hold the circle and not run to her side. I wouldn’t risk anyone else. Not again.

“I brought her here. You know what that means?” Meri’s voice had taken on a haughty tone. “She’s tied to me.”

Lailah’s magical hold on Meri loosened. Her eyes flicked to me. “Is that your mother?”

I nodded, fear twisting my insides.

“Whatever I do to the demon now, your mother will suffer the same fate.”

“What? No. We have to break the connection.” My words came out in a high-pitched panic. “Do something. Anything.”

Lailah shook her head and backed up. “I can only send them back to Hell. Anything else will kill her.”

Mom stood and walked to me. “Jade, you have to let me go.” The deep sadness in her eyes made my heart want to burst. “I can’t risk all these people.” She lifted her hand to my face and cupped it. “You’ll find a way to bring me back, Shortcake. I know you will.” She stumbled back with tears in her eyes and nodded at Lailah. “Do it now.”

“Mom, no!”

Meri reached for her.

Before anyone else could move, Dan managed to maneuver himself in front of Meri. “Time to deal, demon.”

A pit formed in my stomach. Why hadn’t he left the circle when he’d had the chance? What was he doing?

Meri moved to sweep past him, but he clamped his hand around her arm.

“We made a deal and I’m ready to pay up.”

That caught her attention for just long enough.

“By the deal sanctioned by you, demon Meri, I hereby render my soul for one Hope Calhoun. By the deal sealed in blood, I demand you take me in her place.”

Meri’s face contorted in rage as black mist swirled up around them. They both disappeared into the cloud.

My knees buckled, but before I fell, someone caught me. Kane. His strong, familiar arms propped me against his chest.

Chatter erupted at once. All I could do was turn in Kane’s arms and hold on tight. After a moment, he pulled back and kissed me softly. “There’s someone waiting to see you.”

The only thing that brought me back to myself was the sound of my mother’s voice. “Jade?”

I exchanged Kane’s embrace for hers. She’d transformed from the emaciated shell of herself back into the woman I’d last seen twelve years ago. It was as if not a day had passed. She’d spent twelve years in the place where time stood still.

My body shook as she held me. Her arms felt exactly as they had when I’d been fifteen years old.

“It’s okay now,” she soothed, smoothing my hair back. “Shh, everything’s okay now.”

I shook my head, but didn’t have the energy to list the things that were so very wrong. Bea, Dan, me almost turning to black magic. “What happened?” I finally choked out.

“Your friend sacrificed himself for me.”

That part I’d figured out on my own. “I know. But where did they go? Hell?”

The sadness in her eyes answered my question.

“Will we be able to help him?”

Nobody said anything.

I turned to Lailah. “We’ll be able to help him, right?”

Her expression turned to one of pity. “I’m sorry, Jade. He willfully bound himself to her. I’ve never seen a spell strong enough to break it.”

“Oh, God,” I whispered. What had he done? How was I going to tell Kat? If one’s heart could literally break in two, it was happening to me at that moment. I clutched my chest and concentrated on breathing. Kane wrapped a strong arm around my shoulder. I leaned into him, fighting back a fresh wave of tears.

“Hey, where are the other two witches?” Pyper’s voice came from the middle of the crowd. “Felicia and Priscilla?”

“They disappeared after Jade broke the circle the first time,” Lucien said. “Rosalee saw them make a break for it.” He nodded to the dark-haired beauty I’d stood next to in the circle. “Nobody else noticed because that’s when, well…Jade started to go to the dark side.”

“What?” Lailah whirled, magic pulsing from her core.

I took a step back, holding my hands up. “Whoa. I didn’t do it on purpose. I didn’t even realize it was happening until you and—” I glanced at the man beside me and met dark chocolate eyes, “—Kane appeared.”

He clasped my hand.

“What took you so long?” I asked, noting his wrists were unbound and his leg appeared unharmed.

“The circle was too strong. We were locked out. But once it broke, we were able to make our way back in.”

“I would have been able to get us here eventually,” Lailah said defensively.

“Looks like we made it just in time.” Kane stared down at me, his eyes reflecting all the love bursting inside me.

Pyper appeared, and tugged at our arms. “We have to go.”

“Where?” I glanced around, looking for my mom.

“Gwen called. Bea’s been taken to the hospital.”

Dread crawled up my spine.
She’s going to die
. I broke into a run, sprinting toward the coven huddled together. I found my mom standing near Lucien and quickly explained.