by Deanna Chase
“I know that’s not true,” Jade said gently. “I can feel it.”
She covered her head with her hands and slid to the floor, the hopelessness practically radiating from her. “Just go. Just go. Just go,” she said over and over again, rocking back and forth like a child.
Razer sat on the floor next to her, wrapping his arm around her shoulders. “You’re not alone anymore, Mia. I’m here. No more carrying the weight of this on your shoulders. I won’t let you.”
She stopped suddenly, and with her expression clear, she stared him in the eye and said, “Don’t call me Mia. That girl died the night I lost my best friend and the man I called brother.”
So much for Surfer Dude’s theory that the three of them were a couple. The idea of it made my stomach roll as I watched them and the raw, tragic pain they still suffered. Vienna’s memory deserved more than gossip-filled rumors.
Muse peered up at Razer, tears standing in her eyes. And when she finally spoke again, her voice cracked. “The night I stood by and let Vienna die.”
18
Razer stiffened at her words. Then he shook his head. “You didn’t do this. It’s not—”
“Not what? My fault?” She exploded. “Of course it was my fault.” She jumped to her feet, surprisingly agile considering her earlier inebriated state. “I knew he was obsessed with her. He warned me he wasn’t going to give up, that she would be his one way or another, that he’d make her see reason. I saw the crazy in his expression. I might not have known he would kill her, but I sure as hell knew deep down inside that he was dangerous. And still I stood by and did nothing. Said nothing. I let my own ego and wounded pride get in the way. And then I lost everything that ever mattered to me. So yeah, it is my fault. And I’ve been paying for it ever since.”
The entire room was dead silent after her outburst. The five of us barely moved—heck, we barely breathed. I wanted to reach out to the broken and battered woman, but her expression was so fierce it was clear comfort wasn’t what she needed.
“We can help you,” I said, my voice strong and confident. “We can help you defeat the bastard who did this.”
Her eyes narrowed. “No one can help me.”
“I can,” Jade said, her own fierceness streaming off her in waves.
“So can I,” Julius said.
I turned to him, recognizing his soft, determined tone. His eyes had turned back to green, and he had the quiet confidence I’d grown to admire so much. A small knot in my gut eased, one I hadn’t even realized was there. Having Razer be in charge was disconcerting on many levels, but there was no denying that every time he took over, that unease wound its way in until Julius returned.
“You have no idea what you’re talking about,” Muse said, but the conviction in her tone had vanished, leaving only weariness.
“Actually, I have some experience with breaking curses,” Jade said softly. “I can’t promise I can break yours. Not without knowing the details anyway. But if you’re willing to work with me, explain how you’re affected, I can certainly give it one heck of a try. And with Julius here to help, there’s a good chance we can break it for good.”
A faint trace of hope flickered in her eyes but vanished just as quickly. “How do I know I can trust you?”
Jade and I shared a glance.
I shrugged. There wasn’t any good way to answer that question. “You don’t. But do you have anything to lose? Would you rather stay spelled by this bastard or take a chance at getting your life back?”
“It’s only for one week a year,” she said almost to herself, then shuddered.
“And you can’t tell us who it is?” Jade pushed. “Not even a hint?”
She wrapped her arms around herself and shook her head. “No. It hurts too much.”
“Then why do you come back here?” I asked, not caring if I was being rude. Politeness had no place here. Black magic and evil, murdering witches trumped social niceties.
“I have no choice.” The darkness in her tone sent a shiver up my spine. “Every year. Same time, same place, same—” Her voice cut out as her mouth worked. Angry tears welled in her eyes as she clenched her fists and grit her teeth. Finally she forced out, “That’s all I can say.”
Jade stood and held her hand out to the woman. “That’s it. We’re doing this. Right here, right now. I will not stand by and watch this happen. One way or another, we’re breaking this curse.”
Julius shifted to stand shoulder to shoulder with Jade. He, too, held his hand out. “Let us do what we can to help you.”
The tension in her shoulders eased and she took a step forward, seemingly willing for the first time, but there was still that wariness that clung to her. “Fine. But I don’t understand why you want to do anything for me.”
“Because we all have our own crap, our own demons we’ve had to deal with.” I glanced briefly at Kane and then Jade, the two people who’d saved my life more than once, and felt a tightening in my chest. “None of us would be here without each other. Consider it a paying-it-forward type thing.”
Kane draped his arm over my shoulders the same way he had a million times before and pulled me to him in a brotherly hug. He didn’t say anything, but I felt his love all the way down into my soul. I’d do anything for them. Anything at all. And I knew without a doubt they’d lay their lives down for me. That wasn’t something I ever wanted to take for granted. Looking at the girl in front of me, it was clear she’d been on her own for the past decade. That was going to change right this instant.
I turned to Jade. “Okay, boss lady. What do you need from us?”
She stepped back and waved an arm. “Form a circle. I’ll take north, Julius south, and you and Kane fill in east and west. Muse?” She turned to the rocker. “You stand in the middle.”
“You think a circle is likely to work on the ship?” Julius asked even as he took his position opposite her.
“We’re about to find out.” She glanced around the room, appearing to look for something, but then shook her head. “I don’t suppose you have any sage or salt do you?”
Muse raised one curious eyebrow. “Sage? You’re kidding right? You want to smudge away my curse?”
Jade let out a small snort of amusement. “No, obviously that won’t work, but it does cleanse the air, make it a little easier to focus.”
“Oh, for the love of…” Muse stalked over to the gleaming wood dresser, yanked a drawer open, and waved a hand. “Take your pick. But I’ve got to tell you, I’ve already tried burning every herb conceivable, and nothing has worked. Well, there was that one…” She flashed a hint of a wry smile. “But all it did was dull my senses and make me hungry. At least I had something else to focus on for a while.”
“I bet,” I said, smiling, encouraged to see her spunk coming back. “Herbs or no, I’m confident these two have something up their sleeves that will work.”
“I hope so.” All her seriousness returned. “Because if he gets wind of this, there’s going to be hell to pay.”
Jade grabbed a container of salt, sage, and jasmine from Muse’s stash. “Let’s see him try.” She shot a glance at Kane.
He nodded, a silent message passing between them. Without speaking, he took the salt from her and started pouring it out in a wide circle.
I glanced at Julius, wondering if we’d ever get to the point of practically reading each other’s minds. And did I even want that? He reached out and brushed a light hand over my arm, a small gesture that sent a shot of warmth to my belly. Yes, as a matter of fact, I did want that. Even if we had to fight demons and evil to get there.
“What can I do?” I asked Jade.
“Here. Smash these jasmine leaves.” She handed me the herbs and nodded to a mortar and pestle sitting in the middle of Muse’s dresser.
I grabbed it, noted the burned ashes in the bottom. One whiff told me exactly what Muse had been using it for. Nothing like a little Mary Jane incense to liven up the party. After cleaning the mortar out as best
I could and replacing the contents with ground jasmine, I handed it to Muse. “Hold on to this.”
Jade was busy smudging the air with sage smoke, asking all unwelcome visitors to please exit the room. Kane had finished the salt circle and pulled the drapes. Julius’s job had been to create light orbs that were floating above the circle. The room felt lighter, cleaner, more inviting than it had when Muse had let us in. Clearly the sage had worked.
“Ready?” Jade asked, taking her place on the northern point.
Julius, Kane, and I got into position while Muse stood in the middle of the circle, holding the jasmine.
“Ready,” we echoed in unison.
“Perfect.” Jade met Julius’s gaze. “I’m going to need you to take the lead after I get this going. I think Razer’s connection to Muse will help.”
“Sure,” Julius said. “Just say the word.”
Jade closed her eyes and took in a long, slow breath. The temperature in the room seemed to rise a few degrees, and the scent of jasmine intensified. The sweet floral fragrance tickled my nose and put me at ease at the same time.
“From north to south to east to west, I—Jade Calhoun of the New Orleans coven—ask the sea to hear my request. Release Muse from the ties that bind. Let this be a new beginning. From north to south to east to west, grant her freedom from her decade-long test.”
Magic crackled from Jade’s outstretched fingertips and around our small circle. I closed my own eyes, welcoming the electric current that passed through me to Julius. I felt rather than saw him straighten when her magic engulfed him. And I knew when I opened my eyes he’d be illuminated in her brilliant white light.
“That’s it,” Jade called over the crackling of magic now filling the room.
My eyes flew open, and my gaze landed on Muse. She was standing with one hand on her hip, holding the jasmine bowl with the other, her expression still skeptical. I almost laughed out loud. She had zero faith.
But then Jade called, “Now!”
Julius opened his mouth as if he were going to speak, but instead, pure white smoke spilled from him, curling and stretching as it snaked its way around the circle, engulfing each of us before the smoke stilled and hung in place. Then all at once it shot toward Muse.
The smoke slammed into her, and she let out a startled cry as she froze in place.
“From north to south to east to west,” Jade started chanting, her electric magic pouring into me. Static filled my senses, and I no longer heard her or Julius. My attention was glued to Muse. Her eyes were huge saucers, bloodshot, and filled with terror.
“Stop!” I tried to call out, but my voice was silenced when a loud boom shattered through the room.
The room, Julius, Jade, and Kane faded away, leaving only Muse and me. And right there, standing between us, was the outline of a tall blond man. The smoke still clinging to Muse suddenly shot from her to the man, leaving him in solid form. He had pale blue eyes and three ragged scars that ran from his temple down to his jawline.
An evil smile played at the corners of his mouth as he looked me over. “Looks like Muse brought me a present.”
I snarled at her abuser. “Your days of torturing women are over.”
He eyed me with interest. “You think so?”
“Jade is going to send you straight to hell.”
He tapped a finger to his chin. “That could be interesting. But somehow I don’t think today is the day.”
Muse stood behind him, her eyes closed and her fists clenched into tight balls, the jasmine bowl discarded on the floor. She was silently chanting something to herself, but I couldn’t make out her words.
“You have no idea who you’re dealing with,” I finally shot back.
The apparition reached back for Muse, but just as he seemed to touch her, she stepped back and shouted, “No!”
Another man appeared, tall, angry blue eyes, a familiar dragon tattoo winding around his arm.
Razer.
His arms went around Muse, protecting her, as another flash of brilliant white light lit up the circle.
Razer’s face contorted with hatred and rage as he stared at Muse’s abuser. “Xavier, I should’ve known it was you. You traitorous, backstabbing, bastard.”
“You never were a quick one, were you,” Xavier shot back, his tone taking on an air of superiority. “I saw you, you know. Witnessed your pathetic little reunion last night. Too bad I fixed it so the elevator closed on you. Now you’ll never see her again.”
I let out a startled gasp. He was the maintenance worker who’d been in the corridor with us, who Vienna had pointed at just before he disappeared into the room marked Employees Only. She hadn’t been pointing at Julius at all. Everything was starting to make sense now.
“Your time here is over,” Razer shot back. “You’ll never touch Muse again. Try it and your suffering will be endless.”
Xavier shook his head in pity. “I never did figure out what Vienna saw in you.”
Razer let out an earsplitting roar, raised one hand and pointed at the man in front of me. “An eye for an eye, your life is forfeit. From today until evermore, you shall be haunted by your sin. Between life and death, your soul is fated for unrest.”
Magic crackled around us, and the man in front of me started to fade. His expression contorted into rage as he snarled at Razer and Muse. “You have no idea what you just did.”
Razer didn’t flinch. “I know exactly what I’ve done. You’ll live forever, in limbo, suffering day in and day out until I release you from your prison.”
I felt my lips turn up into a slow, satisfied smile. Good for Razer. Once Kane got around to sending Xavier off to hell, the result would likely be the same, but it had to feel good to be the one to spell the bastard into unrest.
Peering through the fog, I strained to see or even hear my friends. But the static was still drowning out their voices. I caught a whisper of conversation from Muse and Razer, but no one else.
My vision had narrowed to the few feet in front of me, the brilliant magic making it impossible for me to identify anything else. Everything seemed to come to a complete stop as if time had stood still. A prickle of unease trickled up my arms until the hair on the back of my neck stood up.
I gave an involuntary shiver as I watched Xavier morph once again from his shady figure into a solid man. He stood in front of me, his eyes crazed and his lips twisted into a maniacal grin. “Ready, love?”
I had to force myself to not take a step back. Jade formed circles for a reason when she did spell work. To break it now could mean disaster. “Are you ready?” I asked, certain Kane would step up any minute and banish this guy to hell where he belonged.
“More than you possibly could know.” He reached out, grabbing my wrist. The burning sensation on my skin startled me, and this time I did take a step back. His eyes glowed with triumph, and just like that my world spun and I was bathed in darkness.
Moments later, my feet slammed into hard concrete. I crumpled, landing on a cold floor, fluorescent lights nearly blinding me.
Xavier grabbed my wrists, and before I could yank them away, I felt rough metal clamp around them, followed by the sinister click of metal locking in place.
I jerked, trying to get away, and was yanked back.
Panic welled up from deep inside me as I glanced up, my gaze locking on my wrists. Rusted manacles held them, tethering me to the metal wall.
Xavier loomed over me, a pleased smile spread across his scarred face. “Welcome to your new home, Ms. Rayne.”
19
Be calm, I told myself as I studied the small room. The lightly tinged gray walls had metal brackets holding them together. The cement floor was painted beige, and the shop lighting flickered in and out as if there might be a short in the wiring. No windows, yet I could tell by the slight rocking that we were still on the ship.
Thank the gods.
Julius and the others would find me. There were only so many places one could be on this bucket of bol
ts.
“I imagine this didn’t turn out the way you planned.” Xavier was sprawled on a black leather love seat on the other side of the room. An iPod dock sat on a round metal table at the end of the love seat.
I frowned. What the hell kind of weird crap was this creeper into? “Why me?”
“Because those witches broke the spell on Muse. I imagine they weren’t expecting her to go into a magically induced coma.”
Last I’d seen her, she was awake and being held by Razer. I rolled my shoulders, trying to ease some of the tension. Holding my arms over my head was going to get old really fast. “She looked fine to me,” I said defiantly. “And now that the spell is broken, it’s only a matter of time before the hunt is on. If you think you’re going to get away with holding me here—”
“Oh, Ms. Rayne. We are going to have some fun. It’s been years since Muse has shown such spark.”
“Years?” I twisted my wrists, testing the manacles, and ground my teeth against the sharp scraping of my skin.
“Ten. But that’s not important. Right now all you need to worry about is what song you’re going to sing.”
“You want me to sing?” My voice shot up a few octaves. “What are you talking about?”
He jerked his head to the left, and for the first time I noted a small makeshift stage with a microphone stand. Then he rose and moved to a portable closet. Inside, there were about a half dozen dresses and a pair of spiked boots. He grabbed a lacy black number and the boots, then carried them to me. “Change into these. You have five minutes before I return.”
The dress and boots fell to the floor in front of me, and before I could inquire how I was supposed to do anything with my wrists bound, he snapped his fingers and disappeared. The manacles vanished right along with him.
I took a tiny moment to rub at my already raw wrists and hissed with pain. Instead of changing into someone else’s clothes, I ran for the door but stopped in the middle of the room when I realized there wasn’t a door at all.