by Deanna Chase
“All right. But if that changes, I want to be the first to know, all right?”
That goes without saying, Pyper, my resident ghost said without a hint of sarcasm.
“Thanks,” I said, wanting to tell her how much I appreciated her, but Bea and Jade were watching me, waiting for me to return. As soon as I reached them, Jade immediately plucked the salt from my hands, while Bea took the candles. Neither said anything about the sage.
Jade formed a salt circle while Bea set out the candles around the newly formed salt ring.
“Ida May is here,” I said. “We can’t sage. I don’t want her cast out.”
Jade jerked up and scanned the room as if looking for the ghost. “She is? Are you sure?”
“Yes. I’m looking right at her.” She was hovering over a nearby table, looking down at all of us.
Bea frowned. “That’s strange.” The two witches cast each other a glance. “I can’t sense her presence.”
“Me neither,” Jade agreed.
Well, I’m right here, the same as always, stuck in a ghost state, watching you pathetic people. I swear, you wouldn’t know how to blow off steam even if a steam pipe was shoved up—
“Ida May,” I called out. “Now isn’t the time.”
She crossed her arms over her chest and frowned at me. It’s never the time around here.
I bit back the urge to snap at her. Obviously something was off with her as well if neither Jade nor Bea could sense her presence. But what?
“Ida May,” Jade called. “Can you tell us what happened?”
Yeah. A crazy bitch hit me with something that felt like a cattle prod, and the next thing I knew, I was plunged into darkness. I had two choices—stay in the dark or head to the light.
I relayed her message to Jade.
“So you went to the light?” Jade asked.
“No, she didn’t,” Bea answered for the ghost. “If she had, she’d be gone now. Either to the angel realm, the void, or somewhere worse.”
Right. I just closed my eyes and waited.
I once again acted as interpreter even as a chill ran up my spine. Where was Julius? Had he ended up in another realm?
“We can’t wait. It’s imperative that we summon Julius,” Bea said. There was an edge in her tone that made my skin prickle with unease. She was worried, and that more than anything made my heart clog up my throat.
“Give me the sage,” Jade said, holding her hand out.
I handed it to her but glanced at Ida May, torn. If Jade needed to sage to find Julius, then I wasn’t going to stop her, but that didn’t mean I was okay with casting Ida May out. “What about our favorite ghost?”
“Ida May, you need to leave the shop for the next couple of days. Go haunt Pyper’s apartment or the club. Wherever you hang out when you’re not here.” Jade was standing in the middle of the salt circle, the sage stick in one hand. She’d already magically lit the candles, and all it would take was a flick of her wrist to set it on fire.
Rude, Ida May huffed in a surly tone I’d never heard her use before. I don’t just haunt around, you know. I do things. God, and here I thought you people realized I was useful.
“Ida—”
Our ghost snapped her fingers and disappeared without another word.
“She’s gone. And…” I trailed off, not sure what to say.
“And she’s not herself?” Bea guessed.
“Right. Usually she’s sassy, even when shit is hitting the fan. But this time she’s angry. Like she lost a piece of herself.”
“She could have,” Bea said solemnly. “It’ll take time to find out if she can get it back. The spell that was used here today was particularly nasty. It was cast by someone well-skilled. So skilled that neither Jade nor I recognized it.”
“It’s evil,” Jade said. She was sitting in the middle of the circle now, both hands flat on the tile floor. She leaned forward, letting her fingers trail over the area. Suddenly she tensed and let out a hiss. “The core of it is here.”
Bea grabbed the sage that was lying next to Jade and put it in one of her hands. Jade’s fingers closed around the bundle as she straightened her spine and tilted her head back so that her eyes were focused on the ceiling. Without a word, Bea grabbed one of the candles and waved a hand over it, causing the wick to light with a magical flame, and then lit the sage.
Instantly the mossy smell filled the café. The heady scent of it chased away the faint burnt stench of the black magic that I hadn’t even quite realized was there. Jade was right. The witch had a very subtle touch. That was unnerving in and of itself, but it also begged the question of what did the witch want with Julius? Was he involved in something at work that had put him in someone’s crosshairs? I didn’t know. With Jade and Kane having their baby, the holidays, and the wedding coming up, I hadn’t spoken that much with Julius about his research. I didn’t even know what the research was supposed to be about.
“Gather around the circle and hold hands,” Jade said.
Kane put his warm hands on my shoulders and led me back into position. “She’s got this. You know that, right, Pypes?”
I didn’t know that. No one did. But still I nodded because he was only trying to keep me calm, and that was what I needed most right then.
“Here.” He held one hand out to me and one to Bea.
I took his hand and squeezed it so hard I actually heard him wince a little. But he didn’t complain. He was that kind of friend. I sent him a grateful smile. He shrugged and gave me that look he gets when he’s all-in on something. He’d do anything for the people he loved. And I just happen to be one of those in his inner circle.
“Give me your hand, Pyper,” Bo said from my other side.
I held it out to him, and when my brother’s fingers wound around mine, I felt love engulfing me from both sides. I scanned the circle, making sure the four of us were connected, and then cleared my throat and said, “Let’s do this.”
Jade, who’d taken her shoes off, stood right where she’d felt the origination of the black magic. Six candles burned just inside the salt circle, illuminating her with soft light. But instead of looking lovely, like the gorgeous strawberry-blond witch she usually did, her face was pinched with a half scowl and every muscle was tensed as if she was ready to fight in a hand-to-hand battle.
I itched to check my pocket for my dagger. But I knew it wasn’t there. I’d left it on my dresser before I’d taken a nap earlier in the day. It was a stupid place for it, considering we now knew we were up against dark forces. It was too late now though. Jade had already begun, and breaking the circle wasn’t an option. Not when black magic was involved. There was no telling what might happen if it wasn’t kept contained. Black magic was unpredictable and dangerous. If it fell into the wrong hands… Shit. Was that what had happened? Maybe.
Jade’s hands flew over her head as the sage started to get thicker. “Goddess of the Earth,” she said, her eyes fixated on the ceiling. “Cleanse this space of the evil that resides.” The sage sat in a bowl, burning away as the smoke suddenly started creating the coolest formations. From butterflies to turtles, the smoke kept morphing into beloved animals and prancing around the circle. I knew Jade’s powerful magic was the driving force behind the images, but I was willing to bet the goddess she’d called on was doing some of the work too.
Even though none of us could see the earth goddess, there was no doubt she was there. There had been an ominous feel in the space, but with the appearance of the smoke animals, a rejuvenating energy skittered over my skin. It was the same energy I felt when walking through the various parks in the city.
“That’s it,” Jade whispered, her eyes closed. Sparks of magic glittered over her skin, lighting her up and making her look as if she were glowing. “Take it all.” Her brows pinched together in concentration. “Yes. Now!”
She dropped her hands back down to the tiles, and all the magic clinging to her shot from her to the spot between her palms. The tile cracked in two, and black smok
e shot out from beneath the floor. Her magic attacked the black-magic smoke, engulfing it. Then all at once, Jade’s magic brightened, and the entire ball of magic exploded right in front of her.
The four of us instinctively jumped back. But Jade stayed perfectly still, a small smile curving her lips. A fine black powder covered the entirety of the inner circle and Jade herself. But it no longer had any energy and looked exactly like dust.
“Jade,” Bea said tentatively. “Are you all right?”
Kane didn’t wait for her answer. He shot into the circle and grabbed her by the shoulders, lifting her up so that he could get a good look at her. “Are you hurt?”
She wrapped her arms around Kane and smiled up at him. “Not at all. The earth goddess was here. She told me our girl is going to grow up to be a compassionate witch who will do great things for New Orleans.”
“Of course she will. She’s gonna be just like her mama.” He bent and gave her a soft kiss on the lips.
I stood there, frozen, watching the tender scene and silently freaking out. That was what I was supposed to have. A loving husband and a child who would be the next generation of the New Orleans paranormal community. Since Julius was a witch and I was a medium, it made sense that any child of ours would have some sort of paranormal abilities. I’d always envisioned him or her as Juliet’s sidekick, just as I saw myself as Jade’s. But if we didn’t get Julius back… I shook my head, trying to rid myself of the thought. We were getting married in a few weeks, and I was going to do everything in my power to make sure that happened. One way or another, Julius would be waiting for me at that altar.
“Pyper.”
I glanced up to find Jade holding her hand out to me. Kane had retreated back to his place outside the salt circle.
“Join me. It’s time to find Julius,” she said, her green eyes sparkling with determination.
“I brought his pocket watch,” I said, pulling it out of my pocket.
“That’s fine, but I think you’re the connection we need.”
Bea nodded her agreement. “She’s right. If you were lost, wouldn’t your connection to Julius lead you back home?”
Gods. They were going to make me cry. I blinked back the moisture in my eyes and swallowed as I stepped over the salt circle. The black dust was still there, but I couldn’t feel even a trace of the black magic that had been there before. Jade and the earth goddess had taken care of that with impressive results. “Yes.”
“Okay then. Let’s find him.” She pulled me to stand right where the black-magic spell had been cast. “Sit here.”
I sank to the floor, dread coiling in my belly. What if this didn’t work? What would I do then?
“Lift your arms,” she said.
I did as I was told, and in the next moment, Jade grabbed my hands and held on tight.
“Picture him in your mind.” Magic pulsed over her hands and into mine, making them tingle.
A vision of Julius in his tight jeans and white T-shirt popped into my mind. He had a day’s worth of scruff on his face, making him the most handsome man I’d ever seen.
“Good. That’s good,” she said.
I wasn’t sure how she knew I’d done what she asked, but I assumed it was because my energy changed. Holding hands in the middle of a salt circle would pretty much mean she had access to every emotion coursing through me. I didn’t mind though. The two people other than Julius who I trusted most in this life were Jade and Kane.
“From north to south to east to west, we call upon Julius Jackson to return to us from areas unknown.” Magic sparked and crackled all around us. The candles flickered with Jade’s energy, fueled by Bea’s, Bo’s, and Kane’s.
I saw it all happening, but the only thing I could focus on was the warmth that was building in my chest. It was the warmth I always felt when Julius was near. He was here. I knew it. I just couldn’t see him yet. I held tighter to Jade’s hands, but then the warmth in my chest started to spread all through my body. I needed to reach for him. To pull him back to me.
Letting go of Jade’s hands, I climbed to my feet and spread my arms wide, waiting for the man who’d stolen my heart to return to me.
A boom as loud as thunder rippled over the café, shaking the shelves and tables. I ignored it all. The entire place could turn to rubble and I wouldn’t care so long as there was a chance to find Julius. I pictured his smiling face, his beautiful dark green eyes, and his wavy hair that I loved to run my fingers through. There wasn’t anything about him that I didn’t love. He was the man who’d embraced my teenage brother. Who’d agreed to start a family. Who’d come back to life after a century-long curse just to be with me. I belonged to him and he belonged to me.
He had to return. There was no other possible outcome.
“From east to west to north to south,” Jade called out through the thunderous noise, “we demand the return of Julius Jackson, a good man, a soon-to-be husband, and a powerful witch of the New Orleans coven!”
All the lights shut off and the candles blew out, leaving us in complete darkness.
Silence filled the café. I couldn’t even hear anyone breathe. It was as if time stood still and no one existed other than myself. I blinked, trying to make out the outlines of my friends.
I saw nothing. I was alone in the café. Nothing existed. All there was before me was blackness.
That warm feeling in my chest started to fade, almost as if it was being sucked out of me, and I let out a gasp, wrapping my arms around myself as if to keep it from leaving. But there was no stopping it. The warmth left as fast as it had arrived, and just as I felt the last traces of the feeling leave my body, suddenly there was the hard body and scent of a very familiar man, wrapping me in his arms.
“Pyper,” Julius whispered, burying his face in my neck.
“Julius?” I forced out on a sob as I wrapped my arms around him and held on as if my life depended on it. “You’re here?”
“I’m here, baby.” He was trembling and there was a hitch in his voice, but he was real live flesh and bone, and he was back. Jade had worked a miracle and brought him home to me. That was all I cared about.
“Thank the gods,” I said, kissing his neck, his jaw, his lips, and I continued dropping kisses all over his face until he pressed both his hands to my cheeks, gently stopping me and looking me in the eye.
“Pyper,” he whispered. “Stop. We need to talk.”
“Talk later,” I said and brushed my lips over his, unable to wait a moment longer.
He let out a groan and pulled back again. “Listen, love. There are things I need to say before it’s too late.”
“What do you mean, too late?” I asked, even though I definitely did not want to hear the answer.
“It’s Sam. Her ghost is here, and I’m—” He swallowed. “I think I’m tethered to her.”
I pressed one palm to his cheek and stared him in the eye. “What does that mean?”
He looked up, glancing at Jade and then Bea. When he turned his focus back on me, there was sadness and despair shining back at me. “It means I think that whatever spell was cast on me today broke the one Bea cast that made me human.”
“You’re human!” I cried, running my hands down his solid chest to his hips and back up to his face. “You’re solid. Standing right here in front of me. We… Jade brought you back. That curse that was cast today, it’s gone.”
He glanced at the floor, and when he finally looked back up at me, he said, “I’m sorry, Pyper. I have to go now. But I’ll be back.”
Before I could say another word, his body turned cold and he once again faded into the ether.
Chapter Ten
I wouldn’t leave. I couldn’t. It was an hour later, and I was still sitting in the same spot where Julius had held me before he confirmed he was once again a ghost. Or something between human and ghost.
“Pyper, sweetie, come on. Let’s take you up to your apartment,” Jade said.
“What if he comes back?” I aske
d her. There was something broken inside me that was convinced that if I stayed right there, Julius would come back to me. He’d said he’d be back, hadn’t he?
“He’ll find you upstairs, Pypes.” Kane wrapped his arms around me and gently lifted me to my feet. “Come on. Bea and Jade aren’t going to give up until we get him back. You know that. And you’ll see him again. I promise.”
Sure. I’d see him, but would I hold him? Would we still be getting married on New Year’s Eve? Would we ever have that child we both wanted so badly? Shock had rendered me unable to process those questions, much less consider answers for them. Defeated, I let my best friend guide me back up the stairs and to the apartment I shared with Julius and my brother.
The apartment was quiet. Too quiet. Charlie had left a note that she and Candy had, in fact, decided to make use of the spare apartment. The only sound was the small pitter-patter of Stella’s paws on the hardwood floor.
“Where’s your new friend, Stella?” I asked as I scooped her up.
Asleep in Bo’s room. Ida May appeared in Bo’s doorway.
“That’s good.”
“What’s good, sweetie?” Jade asked me.
“Huh?” I glanced over my shoulder at her, surprised she was still there. “Oh, I was talking to Ida May. Don’t you need to get home to Juliet?”
She nodded. “Kane’s going to stay here though.”
“Oh no,” I said, shaking my head. “You both go and spend time with that new baby. I’m fine… or I will be.” I gave her a weak smile that probably came off more like a grimace. “I just need to get some sleep. Tomorrow we’ll figure out where to go from here.” I was shocked that I sounded so reasonable, and at least somewhat okay. Because I wasn’t. Not even close. But right then all I wanted to do was curl up in my bed and let myself feel. I couldn’t do that with my friends hovering and worrying about me.
“I’ll keep an eye on her,” Bo said quietly.
When they both turned and looked at him, I mouthed, “Thank you.”
Bo and I were a lot alike in so many ways. We’d grown up used to taking care of ourselves, so it was no surprise that he understood what I needed better than the two people I called my best friends.