Spirits, Spells, and Wedding Bells

by Deanna Chase

  The scene played out, showing us exactly what Jade had described to the council. Madam Tempest snapped her fingers and turned to her two cohorts. “Restrain him.” She turned to Jade. “Thank you for bringing this to our attention. Tell your friend Charlie I will personally call the NOPD to get the case transferred to the council. She will no longer be a suspect, though she might be called as a witness.”

  “I will.” Jade beamed at her.

  “Do try to stay out of trouble, Ms. Calhoun. We see each other far too often.”

  Jade opened her mouth to respond, but before she could get a word out, Kai and the three council witches were gone.

  “That’s it?” I whispered and placed my hand over my mouth as I tried to convince myself that this meant Julius would be coming home for good. “It’s done? We know who killed Sam. She should let Julius go, right?”

  “Looks like it.” She beamed at me. “Call Bea. I’ll call Lucien. We have a couple of ghosts to summon.”

  But a small voice in the back of my mind reminded me that we still didn’t know why Kai had killed her. I shook my head, dislodging the thought. Surely that information would come out soon enough. Right?

  Chapter Nineteen

  The moon had risen high in the sky, illuminating the witches’ circle near the Mississippi River. In the end we called Bea, Lucien, and Rosalee, another longtime member of the coven, so that a powerful witch would hold all four directions of the circle. We weren’t taking any chances that Sam wouldn’t show up, or worse, would hold Julius back.

  “Pyper, please take your place in the center,” Jade said. “You’ll be Julius’s anchor.”

  I hurried to the center of the circle, trying to drown my doubts with thoughts of taking Julius home with us.

  Before I knew it, Jade and Bea had candles lining the circle, and the four of them were in their respective spots, Jade facing north, Bea south, Lucien east, and Rosalee west.

  Jade raised her hands, and the candles immediately flickered to life. Magic streamed from her fingertips, reaching both Lucien and Rosalee and then finally Bea. The rest of the world ceased to exist, and all I saw was brilliant magic combined with a full moon overhead.

  “Goddess of the otherworld, hear my call,” Jade yelled into the cold night. “Bring us the ghosts of Julius Jackson and Samantha Burke. We call them forth with love and compassion and truth and knowledge. Help us break the chains that bind them to each other, to the otherworld, and to the evil that lurks above!”

  Magic crackled in the sky, twisted wildly, and then faded away, bringing nothing to the circle except a slight breeze.

  Jade stayed very still, her eyes closed, her magic still pulsing around the circle. Then she repeated her chant, saying it over and over and over again while the magic built, growing bigger and wilder with each moment.

  Then she suddenly went silent, and a loud boom sounded as if we’d let off a round of fireworks. The magic rose up in the air, shattered, and sparks fell to the ground.

  “Welcome back,” Jade said.

  My eyes widened as I scanned the circle, seeing nothing but darkness. “Where is he?” I demanded.

  “Right here, Pyper.” The voice was right above me, and when I glanced up, Julius was slowly floating down as if Jade’s magic had plucked him right out of the sky.

  I let out a long, shuddering gasp as his feet finally touched the earth. I reached for him, wrapping my arms tightly around him and holding him close. “Are you back for real this time?”

  “I think so,” he whispered into my ear. “It feels like it.”

  “Only if you know who killed me,” an impatient voice called.

  I glanced over Julius’s shoulder and spotted Sam in her ghost form standing near the edge of the circle, one hand on her hip.

  “It was Kai,” I said. “He gave you a potion for weight loss and you overdosed apparently.” I’d decided on the way over to add that last part. It was probably true, right? Either way, Kai had killed her, so we’d solved that part at least.

  “Overdosed, my ass,” she said. “That fool must’ve messed up the potion.”

  “Okay,” I said because I didn’t want to argue with her.

  Sam pressed her fingers to her lips and frowned. “That’s why I died?”

  “It appears so,” Jade added. “It can’t be a surprise that diet potions are dangerous.”

  “Son of a… Dammit! I just wanted to lose five pounds. This sucks ass.” She spun around, shaking her fists in the air, appearing to have a tantrum. When she was finally done, she stared right at me and said, “Sorry for the trouble with the fiancé. I honestly thought this had to do with my ex.”

  And then before I could answer her, she disappeared back into the ether.

  We all stared at the spot where she’d been just a second ago. When she didn’t reappear, I let out a strangled laugh and jumped up, wrapping my legs around Julius in a full-body hug.

  He spun me around and said, “I missed you too, love. Now take me home so I can hold you all night long.”

  “That had better be the truth, or I’m gonna find a way to curse that damned ghost this time,” I said, staring into his sparkling green eyes. “No one is allowed to take you away from me again.”

  He leaned in so close that our lips were almost touching before whispering, “Right back at ya, babe.”

  “Kiss me.”

  Those gorgeous lips of his curved slightly as he leaned in and brushed them over mine.

  I buried my fingers in his too-long hair and locked my lips over his, kissing him with everything I had. He let out a small gasp of surprise before giving as good as he got.

  Before long, the four witches who were watching our very public display of affection started cheering and hooting their approval.

  We broke apart, and I felt my cheeks heat with embarrassment. But Julius just grabbed my hand, winked, and said, “Come on. It’s time for us to find a room.”

  I woke the next morning with a smile on my face and a large man holding me tight. The morning sun shone through the windows, illuminating Julius’s gorgeous face.

  “Good morning, gorgeous,” he said, his voice husky and full of sleep.

  “Morning.” I smiled into his eyes and snuggled closer. “I don’t think I’ve ever been so satisfied in my entire life.”

  He raised one eyebrow and quickly glanced down at my naked body.

  I giggled. Actually giggled. Who was I? While he’d been halfway between dead and living, I’d been a weeping mess. And now that he was back, I sounded like a schoolgirl. But as I gazed at him, all lean muscles and a handsome face, I decided I didn’t give a damn. My fiancé was back in my arms and I was happy. Content. Downright giddy. And there was nothing wrong with that.

  “I think that sounds like a challenge,” he said with a growl and rolled me over as he covered my body with his.

  “Oh? You think you can do better?” I grinned.

  “You’re about to find out.” Suddenly his lips and hands were everywhere, and I was happy to get lost in him.

  An hour later, after Julius had proved he could indeed do better, we were lying on our sides, facing each other. I ran one hand down the length of his flank to his hip, just because I couldn’t keep from touching him. He had a satisfied smile on his face and love shining in his eyes.

  “I wish the wedding was today,” I said.

  “But the bride and groom aren’t supposed to consummate the marriage right before the wedding, are they?” he asked with a chuckle.

  I laughed. “There is nothing traditional about us, babe. Do you really think we’ll spend the night before our wedding apart?”

  He shook his head. “I’m never letting you out of my sight again.”

  “Ever?” I asked. “That’s a lot of togetherness.”

  “It’ll be worth it,” he said lazily.

  “You’re probably right. Too bad we both have jobs.”

  He chuckled. “We’ll need to work on that.”

  I started to
lean in for another kiss, but my phone rang.

  Julius’s hand tightened on my hip, keeping me from rolling over to get it. “No. Let it go to voice mail. I’m not ready to let the rest of the world in yet.”

  “It could be someone from the Grind.” I pressed a light kiss to the corner of his mouth before rolling over and grabbing the phone. Bea’s name flashed on the screen. “Gotta get this,” I said, showing him the display. “Bea? What’s up?”

  “Good morning, Pyper. I hope I didn’t wake you.”

  “Nope. Not at all. What do you need?” I sat up, pulling the down comforter over my body to stave off the December chill.

  “Two things. I heard from the council that all charges have officially been dropped and Charlie is no longer a suspect. I’m sure her lawyer has already been in touch with her.”

  “That’s good.” Even though Madam Tempest had said as much the day before, it was still nice to get confirmation.

  “And Madam Tempest had asked me to keep researching Sam’s case. They know Kai made the potion that killed her, but there are remnants of someone else’s magical signature in the potion he used. So there might be an accomplice.”

  “Pamela?” I asked.

  “I’m not sure. They’ve asked me to trace the magic, and I need an open mind to do that, so I’m trying not to form any opinions. I just wanted you to know the case is still ongoing in case anyone shows up looking for you or Jade since you two were the ones who took down Kai. Just be careful, all right?”

  “You too. And I thought Madam Tempest hated you?”

  She laughed. “She does. That’s why she asked me to do it. Tracing magic is tedious work. It requires hours and hours of matching up samples. If this case hadn’t involved Charlie and the rest of you, I’d have told her thanks, but no thanks. But since my girls have been involved, I told her I’d see it through to the end.”

  “That’s good of you.” My heart sped up as I glanced over at my fiancé. “Does this affect Julius at all?” She knew what I was asking. Should I expect him to disappear again?

  “No, dear. It doesn’t. This is just plain old black-magic users stirring up trouble, and I wanted you and Jade to be alert. I’ve already called her. But I’m sure there isn’t anything to worry about. No more than usual, anyway.”

  “All right. Thanks for the heads-up.”

  “What was that about?” Julius asked after I ended the call.

  I relayed the message from Bea and said, “So, the case is still open, but as long as you don’t disappear in front of my eyes, we’re out of it.”

  “Don’t you worry about that, Pyper,” he said softly. “I’m here to stay.”

  And for the first time since he’d come back to me, I started to believe him.

  Chapter Twenty

  Two weeks later

  “I can’t believe it was Pamela’s aunt who hired Kai to take out Sam,” Jade said from across the table. She had a champagne glass in one hand and a decadent piece of chocolate ganache in the other.

  “It’s crazy, isn’t it?” Charlie agreed. “It’s too bad we still don’t know why.” She had her arm draped across the back of Candy’s chair, and I couldn’t help but feel a wave of joy at seeing them both sitting there, looking so happy after the ordeal they’d been through.

  I sat back in my own chair, listening to my friends discuss the latest development in Sam’s murder. A few days ago, Bea had finally traced the leftover magic in Kai’s pot back to Pamela’s aunt. She’d spent days at the council’s library trying to find a match. When she finally did, the woman in question, along with her niece, were nowhere to be found.

  Still, Bea had found the answer, and that was all in the council’s hands now.

  I stood and clinked my fork on my champagne glass, glancing around at all our guests. When they quieted, I smiled down at Julius and then at all the people in the room. Everyone we loved was there to celebrate with us. “Thank you for coming to our rehearsal dinner. It means the world to Julius and me. I can’t believe we made it, but we did!”

  Our friends and family started to cheer and hoot their excitement.

  When the noise died down, I added, “Tomorrow, I marry the love of my—”

  “Where the hell is it?” an angry voice demanded from across the room, cutting me off.

  I shifted my gaze and spotted a familiar-looking blond woman standing there, her eyes wide with a crazed look in them. How did I know her and what in the world was she talking about? “Excuse me,” I said. “Do we know you?”

  The pretty, petite blonde stalked into the room, her fists clenched and spurting with magic.

  Jade jumped up from her chair and moved toward her.

  “Stop right there.” The woman put her palm out, spewing intense magic right at Jade, forcing her to either sidestep the magic or fight it right there at our rehearsal dinner. Jade chose the former… for now.

  “What do you want?” I asked, trying again.

  “The pentagram. You have it, don’t you? I know you were in her house the day after she died. Ginny told me you were there. Just hand it over and I won’t cause more of a scene.”

  “You can speak to ghosts?” I asked, trying to process what in the world she was talking about.

  “Yes, dammit. Why does that matter? I just need the pentagram.” She wobbled back and forth as if she was drunk. Hell, maybe she was.

  “What’s your name?” Bea asked, moving to stand next to Jade. Kane appeared right behind his wife, placing his hands on her shoulders. She leaned into him but otherwise kept her gaze locked on the drunk person.

  “Pamela,” she finally said. “Pamela, okay? Sam’s ex. I left that pentagram at her house, but now I need it back. I know you must’ve taken it.”

  “I thought your name was Ivy?” Bo said from right beside me.

  I jerked my head, eyeing him, wondering when he’d gotten there.

  Ida May suddenly appeared on the other side of him, glaring at the woman. That’s her, Pyper. The one who tried to send me and Julius back to hell.

  “Ivy?” Julius repeated and stood, placing his hands on the table. “You. You’re the one that messed up our lives so royally a few weeks ago.”

  Panic flashed in Pamela’s—Ivy’s—deep blue eyes as she scanned the room. Finally she gulped and said, “I’m not Ivy. I’m Pamela. I swear it.”

  “That might be the case, but you told me your name was Ivy right before you tried to obliterate Ida May and caused Julius to almost lose his life,” Bo said. “Holy shit. Pamela, Ivy. Like Poison Ivy? Her real name was Pamela. You’re a piece of work. What the hell were you doing?”

  “I… um— Shit!” The woman spun around and bolted out of the private room of the restaurant.

  Oh, hell no! Ida May shouted in my ear. Go after her!

  But as it turned out, I didn’t need to because Jade, Charlie, Candy, Kane, Bo, and Bea all did that for me. The six of them sprinted after the woman, each of them determined to get answers to their own questions.

  You’re just going to stand there? Ida May asked me.

  “Yep.” I leaned back against Julius, who had put his arms around my waist. “It’s okay to let them deal with this one, right?”

  He nodded. “Absolutely.” Holding me tight, he dropped soft, sweet kisses on my neck, eliciting wolf whistles and cheers of approval from our remaining guests.

  I blushed.

  Ida May disappeared with a huff.

  “What do you think that was all about?” Julius asked me.

  I shrugged and was considering going back to my dessert when I heard screaming outside. By unspoken mutual agreement, Julius and I sprinted to the door just in time to see a mob of people running down the street. Some of them were holding what appeared to be notebooks while others held T-shirts in the air.

  “What’s going on?” I asked the maître d’. Surely they weren’t all chasing Pamela… Ivy—whatever her name was—along with my handful of friends.

  “I’m so sorry, Ms. Rayne. Someh
ow it was leaked that Candy Rhines was dining here tonight, and a mob of her fans showed up. We were trying to keep it under wraps so as to not ruin your evening, but when she burst through the doors like that, well, there was just no controlling it anymore.”

  I shifted my attention back to the mob that was indeed chasing Candy… and Pamela by default. Because Candy was the first one to reach Pamela. From my vantage point on the porch of the restaurant, I watched as Candy grabbed Pamela by the back of her shirt, stopping her in her tracks.

  Magic sparked from Pamela’s fingertips, but before she could spell anyone, the mob surrounded them, screaming and crying for Candy to give them a photo or autograph. It was pure mayhem, and there was no hope of seeing what actually happened to Candy, much less Pamela.

  “Oh no. we need to help Candy. She’s not safe in that crowd,” I said, already moving forward.

  “Look.” Julius placed a light hand on my arm, stopping me, and pointed to two large bodyguards who were plowing through the crowd, determined to get to Candy. By the time they reached her, Charlie had her girlfriend in her arms, shielding her. And to my surprise, some of Candy’s fans had formed a protective circle around the couple while others were restraining Pamela.

  “Should we help them?” I wondered out loud.

  “I think Jade and Bea might have it covered already,” Julius said.

  Sure enough, my bestie and the powerful older witch had made their way to Pamela, and Bea was busy wielding some sort of magic. It was probably to restrain Pamela. Meanwhile, Jade was working the crowd, getting them to back up and, in some cases, convincing them to leave. It was that empath ability. She could sometimes get people to feel what she was feeling if they were open to it. If she showed them her fear for Candy, they might get it and decide it wasn’t worth causing the actress distress.

  “Why did Candy go after Pamela anyway?” Julius asked me.

  I shrugged. “No idea. Maybe she wants answers on who framed Charlie. It’s as good a reason as any.”