by Deanna Chase
“Good. Show me what you’ve got.” Her eyes were bright with excitement. I knew how much this meant to her. She’d lost a good friend to a demon. That was worse than anything I’d gone through.
With determination, I raised my hands over my head and concentrated on the outline of the portal.
“Obfirmave,” I cried and poured every last bit of my energy into the spell. This time instead of the light flickering, it turned a brilliant bright white. The light called to me, invaded me, and made me one with the spell.
Everything disappeared. All I saw was magic pulsing around me.
Chessa was gone. The shadow world was gone.
All that was left was power.
I flung my head back and let the seductive energy ripple through me. It was heady and made me feel so incredibly alive.
I’d never wielded that much power before. Never been so connected with a spell before. I didn’t want to let it go. I could have stayed suspended there in that moment forever. I would have too. It was that mesmerizing.
But then I felt a tug, and my magic started to slip away. No! Panic took over. I would not lose my power again. No one, not even a demon, was going to pry it from me.
The portal. I had to close it. Now. My power pulsed around me, and then with a burst of energy, I cast everything I had at the portal.
Chessa said something, but I couldn’t make out her words. I was too focused. All I saw was light shining back at me.
“Close, dammit,” I demanded.
Tears of sheer emotion burned my eyes. I had to do this. My heart ached too much not to. It was my way of making peace with the fact that I was a sex witch. Ever since Vaughn happened, I’d felt dirty. Using people for power was awful. I wouldn’t do it again. But if I could close this one portal, make the world safer, maybe I could be right with myself again.
My magic burst forth with one final effort. The brilliant white light vanished. The portal was gone, too. The wall was solid black, with no outline of light. I’d done it. It was closed. I turned to Chessa, bouncing with excitement.
“You did it! Oh my Goddess. I can’t believe it.” She flung her arms around me as we both squealed.
“Believe it.” I laughed out of sheer relief and pulled back. “This changes everything.”
She nodded, but as I watched her, Chessa’s image started to fade. One moment she was solid, then I could see right through her. “Chessa?”
“Mati?” She looked just as confused as I felt.
“What’s going on?” I asked, but it was too late. Chessa had faded away completely.
Suddenly all the magic I’d just used slammed back into me, burning through my veins. I writhed and twisted, screaming in pain, unable to cast it off. It was consuming me, charring me from the inside out. This was it. I was going to die right there in the shadow world. The pain was so intense I almost welcomed the end. But then my fight reflex kicked in. I couldn’t give up. Not now.
Without knowing what else to do, I forced the burning sensation from my mind and concentrated on the riverfront. I needed to get home. Needed to get to my coven. I took two steps, willing myself back through the shadows. Then everything fled and the river-scented air hit me. Only I didn’t land on the west bank of the Mississippi. I was on the east bank, or what I thought was the east bank, near the French Quarter. The only problem was no one else was there.
The pain was gone. It had vanished the moment I’d left the shadow world. Nothing was left except the horrific memory. I spun, looking for a tourist or cars going across the nearby bridge. There was nothing. The world was deserted. This had to be some sort of alternate reality. My heart sped up. Where was I? I had to get back to my world. Panic took over at the thought of stepping back into the shadows, but I couldn’t stay where I was.
I sucked in a breath and told myself the spell was broken. Whatever had happened wouldn’t happen again. It couldn’t if I didn’t cast any more magic.
Tamping down my panic, I let my eyes slide out of focus as I concentrated on the shadows. Only when I took the step to cross over, instead of slipping back into the shadows, a thick fog rushed in and I was trapped in a world of nothing but gray.
I flung my hands out, trying in vain to clear the fog as I stumbled backward and forward, searching for a break in visibility. No luck.
Shit! Now what?
Magic. As much as I didn’t want to call on that particular gift at the moment, it was my last and only resource. Gritting my teeth, I raised my arms over my head, pictured my apartment, and yelled, “Return!”
Nothing. Not even a tingle. My heart started to pound against my chest. No magic? Terrified, I reached deep in my gut for my power. I couldn’t feel even the tiniest spark. A cold, terrifying realization came over me. My magic was gone and I was trapped in some void world. There was no way out.
My only hope was that Chessa would find a way to bring me home.
Chapter 16
Vaughn
I was working at the motorcycle shop when Mitch’s name popped up on my cell phone. Now what? I’d already suffered through two rants about how I’d fucked up the last mission. Never mind that Waters was safely locked away and wasn’t getting out anytime soon. Apparently the information about the Black Heart curse was more important than keeping women safe from jackasses who thought nothing of using their fists to win an argument.
“Vaughn,” he said after I answered. “I have a time-sensitive job for you. Can you handle it?” His tone was a little testy, but nothing worse than normal.
“Depends on what it is.”
“There’s a witch who’s casting black magic. He just left here. I need you to pick him up.”
I grabbed a pen. “Name?”
“Lucien Boulard.”
I frowned. “Weren’t you friends with a guy by that name?”
“Sort of. Same guy. And he just tried to curse me. Pick him up and bring him to me.”
I swallowed my snarky reply. “I will if no Council witches show up out of the blue.”
“Make sure of it. I want to question him first. Consider it a courtesy since we knew each other once. Be careful, though. He’s a lot more powerful than most.” Mitch paused, and when he spoke again, I could hear the sneer in his tone. “Just don’t fuck it up this time.”
I ignored the barb. He could be pissed all he wanted. It wasn’t going to change things. “Last known location?”
“The abandoned Six Flags.”
“Six Flags? What were you doing there?”
He cleared his throat. “I’ve been dabbling in the movie-making business. Just a side job. Never mind that. Bring me Boulard and you’re in for a bonus.”
The line went dead. Bonus? Right. I’d be lucky to get one red cent out of him. He still hadn’t paid me for the last job. Maybe Mitch would get over himself if I brought him Boulard. But if he was as powerful as Mitch seemed to think, I couldn’t take any chances. I’d have to neutralize him before he even knew I was there. Otherwise, if he wanted to, he could kill me.
I sat at my computer and ran the trace on his car registration. Five minutes later a map with a flashing icon popped up on the screen. Boulard was on the move. I took careful notes of which route he was traveling. Even though I didn’t know where he was going, if I tracked him for any amount of time, patterns would form.
So far he was just tooling around town. Nothing special. Except when he finally stopped. “No way,” I mumbled. The bastard was parked right in front of the motorcycle shop. Interesting. Did he know he was being tracked?
It didn’t matter. He was on my turf. After grabbing my phone and keys, I took off in the SUV. Ten minutes later, I parked a block and a half down from where Boulard’s car was sitting. What was he doing? Using my binoculars, I focused in on him. Nothing. He was just waiting. Waiting for me no doubt. What else would he be doing there? Did he think he was going to use me against Mitch? Not if I had anything to say about it.
I hit a button on my phone and called the shop. “Hey, bo
ss?”
“Paxton. Why are you bothering me?”
I grinned. “Because if I don’t, no one else will.”
“Tell the old lady that.”
“Not on your life. Listen. I need a favor.”
The boss mumbled something about pain-in-the-ass employees, then said, “Well? I don’t have all day.”
Suppressing a chuckle, I cleared my throat. “Right. You see that guy sitting outside your shop in a Jeep?”
“The pretty boy who looks like he needs to get laid?”
There was no stopping the laugh this time. “Yep. That one.”
“He’s waiting for you.”
Well, that was interesting. “Good. Can you go out there and wave him in. Don’t approach him, just yell that I came in through the back or something.”
“Did you?”
“What? Come in the back?”
“Yeah. Are you here?” he asked.
“I’m outside,” I said.
“Right. And you can’t approach him because?”
“He’s a douche who’s casing the place.” I stole another glance at him through the binoculars. “I’m going to take him out before he gets a chance.”
“I knew there was a reason I hired your ugly ass. You want me to do it now?”
“Give me five minutes.”
The line went dead. I grabbed my zip ties, a Taser, and a dart. If I did this right, he’d never know what hit him. Mitch had mentioned he was powerful and a black-magic user. I couldn’t take a chance. If at all possible, I’d use the dart. It was only a small pinch that would put him out for less than ten minutes. If things got ugly, I’d go for the Taser.
Keeping a close eye on the Jeep, I exited my SUV and then jogged around the block so I was coming at the Jeep from behind. The boss still hadn’t poked his head out yet, so I cut between two of the houses, acting as if I belonged there.
Before long, I heard Rick shout to Boulard. Time to move. With the dart clutched in one hand and the Taser in my pocket, I strode out from between the houses and came up behind my target just as he was exiting his car. “Mr. Boulard?” I asked, making sure I had the right guy.
He turned. “Yes?”
“Thanks for stopping by.” I held my hand out as if I was going to shake his hand, but before he could react, I jabbed the dart into his forearm.
His eyes widened and then went dark with anger. Magic crackled at his palms but just as quickly vanished. A second later, his eyes rolled into the back of his head as he collapsed at my feet.
I waved at my boss. “I’ll get him to the authorities.”
“Good deal. See you tomorrow.”
I reached down, hauled Boulard up, and then stuffed him back in his car. He could wait there while I got my SUV.
***
Matisse
Time seemed to stand still in my world of fog. There was no way to know if days or nights had passed. It was an endless stream of gray and nothingness. I felt nothing. Not even the pangs of hunger. Just despair at being trapped in a world of silence.
I was lying on the hard ground when I sensed a disturbance followed by a thud. I sat straight up, my heart racing. Had Chessa found me? Or had a demon found a way in? My breath came in short bursts as I waited, frozen in fear and hope.
“Kane?” a female voice called.
Kane? Who was that?
“Kane?” The woman’s voice was frantic now. There was some swearing and then I felt a brush of magic. It was warm and inviting, pushing my fear away.
I moved in the direction of the voice, desperate to find this woman, whoever she was. Anything was better than being in this place alone. Since I could feel her magic I said, “Banish the mist.”
“What? Who are you?” she asked.
Slightly irritated, I called back, “Who are you?”
“Mati? Is that you?”
Oh, Goddess. She knew who I was. I opened my mouth to speak, but no words formed. I was too overwhelmed. Someone had come for me.
“Matisse? If that’s you, your sister sent me. Chessandra.”
Tears welled in my eyes. Chessa hadn’t abandoned me.
The other woman ranted something about it being her wedding day while I tried to compose myself.
When she started to wonder aloud about my identity, I forced myself to speak. “It’s your wedding day?” Compassion filled me for this woman. And I thought my life had been disrupted.
“Well, not anymore.”
“Damn. That sucks. Chessa’s such a bitch.” The words were some sort of defense mechanism to keep myself from falling apart. Chessa had pulled out all the stops to make sure I made it home.
“Yes, it does. And yes, she is.”
I felt bad for her, but if she could get me out of here, I’d personally reschedule everything for her wedding. “Are you a witch? Or just a shadow walker?” I asked. Her cluelessness earlier made me wonder. The magic I felt could be from either. Shadow walkers had just enough magic to bounce between worlds.
“Both. Now what did you mean when you said to banish the mist?”
“You need to cast a banishing spell.” How was it possible she didn’t know what that was? It was a basic skill. “You said you’re a witch, right?”
She let out a huff. “Yes. But I don’t normally banish things unless we’re talking about evil spirits.”
That amused me and a small laugh bubbled out. She could banish ghosts, but not mist. I knew who this was. That white witch, Jade Calhoun, who’d come to town not too long ago and hadn’t even known she was a witch. She’d taken over as coven leader for the New Orleans coven when Bea stepped down. No wonder she was the one who was here. Not many were as powerful as she was.
I guess my laughter irritated her because she said, “Look. If you want my help, you might want to start cooperating. Otherwise, I’m out of here.”
Crap. That was pretty grumpy. I guess I would’ve been too if my wedding had been interrupted. “You’re the white witch, aren’t you?”
“Yes.” There was a bit of hesitation in her tone.
“Figures.” I let out a sigh and sat, too exhausted to keep standing. It wasn’t comforting that I knew more than she did. “This is the spell. By my mind, by my heart, by the power of my will, may the mists part.”
“Okay… but why don’t you do it?”
“I can’t.” Anger welled in my chest. “My magic has… well, it’s not working.”
“Oh.” Then she repeated the words and the mist parted.
I turned, catching sight of the pretty strawberry-blond witch. She radiated with power as she frantically searched the area.
“No! Dammit, this was not supposed to happen,” she said.
I turned to her. “What wasn’t supposed to happen?”
“Kane is supposed to be here. He jumped through with me. Where is he?”
Standing, I moved closer to her. “Unless this Kane is a powerful witch, he likely can’t come here.”
“Where are we?”
I shrugged. “Damned if I know. But it doesn’t mist in the shadow world, and this place is void of other souls.”
Fear rippled over her face. “We’re not in Purgatory, are we?”
I’d wondered that myself, but had ruled that out. “No. This… feels different.”
She cast about for a couple of other explanations and I answered as best I could, but really all I could think about was getting home. The rest of it was details I didn’t care about.
Finally she said, “I’m going to get you out of here.”
I raised my eyebrows. “How?”
“However I leave, you’re coming with me.” She furrowed her brow. “How did you end up here? That portal was a gate to Hell.”
I sat back down and buried my head in my hands. Seriously? Couldn’t she just cast a spell? I jerked my head up. “I was working on closing the veil from the shadow world to Hell. Chessandra’s orders.” This was the last thing I wanted to talk about right now. But if she was going to get us out of he
re, the information might help. “The spell seemed to work, too, but then it backfired and rushed through me.” I shuddered. “I was on fire. It literally felt like I was burning alive. I thought I was going to die.”
Tears were flowing freely now due to my ordeal. When it had just been me, all by myself, I’d been able to block everything out, but now that I was talking about it, I couldn’t hold back the horror.
The witch was kind as she gently asked more questions and promised help from her coven.
I stiffened. “I don’t think that’s going to work.”
“Sure it will. We just need to get you out of here.”
I’d do just about anything to leave, but she had to know the facts before she made promises she couldn’t keep. Her coven would never help the likes of me. Not a sex witch. “I belong to the witches of Coven Pointe.”
“So?” She shrugged as if it didn’t matter.
I fidgeted. “You don’t know, do you?”
Sighing, she ran a hand through her long hair and then rolled her eyes. “Obviously not. Why don’t you fill me in on whatever it is?”
She was so clueless and yet seemed so sincere. I couldn’t help but like her. “You’re the white witch who took over for Beatrice and you have no idea. This is just…” I shook my head. “She sure has her secrets. The witches of Coven Pointe live across the river.”
“You mean Algiers Point?”
I raised an eyebrow. “We call it Coven Pointe. Have you ever been there?”
“No.”
I figured as much. Most of the east bank witches didn’t have any reason to visit us. “There’s a reason for that. Before Algiers Point was founded, it was claimed by my ancestors and was called Coven Pointe. Over time, they were driven out. But fifty years ago, my grandmother and her siblings reclaimed what is ours. We’ve been at war—if you will—with the New Orleans coven ever since.”
“What?” A look of skepticism crossed her features. “Do your people dabble in black magic?”
“No,” I said, pissed she’d even asked.
“Thank the Goddess for that.”
I went on to explain we were more experimental than most. It had to do with our sex magic. But that wasn’t the real reason we had conflict. It was an old grudge between my aunt and Beatrice. No one really knew why.