Council of Magic

by J. L. Hendricks

  Council Of Magic

  The Voodoo Dolls Book Three

  J.L. Hendricks

  Contents

  1. Kat

  2. Kat

  3. Kat

  4. Joseph

  5. Kat

  6. Kat

  7. Kat

  8. Damien

  9. Kat

  10. Damien

  11. Damien

  12. Damien

  13. Kat

  14. Kat

  15. Damien

  16. Kat

  17. Kat

  18. Kat

  19. Kat

  20. Damien

  21. Damien

  22. Kat

  23. Kat

  24. Kat

  Sneak- Miss Claus and The Secret Santa

  Sneak Peek- Worlds Away

  Also by J.L. Hendricks

  Newsletter Sign-up

  Author’s Notes

  Acknowledgments

  Follow J.L. Hendricks

  This book is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

  Copyright (c) 2017 J.L. Hendricks

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the author. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage electronic piracy of copyrighted materials.

  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. It may not be sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you are reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please purchase your own copy.

  First Edition July, 2017

  All rights reserved. Copyright © 2017 J.L. Hendricks

  Editor: Rebecca Reddell

  Illustrator: Rebecca Frank

  Created with Vellum

  1

  Kat

  “No. You’re not going without me, Jenna. That’s final.” I couldn’t believe she wanted to do this without me. I knew she would be safe, but it didn’t mean she wouldn’t be setting herself up for trouble down the road.

  “Kat, the council only invited me. I don’t know why, but they just want one of us to visit them in their chambers.” Jenna was too soft, too naïve to understand.

  “I’m the head of the family. If someone wants to speak with us, I have to be there. No arguing. I know Rico and Joseph will take care of you. However, I’m still going to make sure no one tries to back you into a corner or gives you a raw deal.” With hands on my hips, I stared hard at Jenna daring her, with my eyes, to say no.

  Jenna threw her hands in the air. “Fine. Come with. I don’t really care. I just wanted to make sure they would tell me whatever it was they had to say.”

  She narrowed her eyes and stuck her finger in my face. “You better not get in the way of any deal they want to make.”

  “I promise. I won’t, unless they want to make a bad deal.” I couldn’t stand by and let Jenna get wrapped up in something which would ultimately harm her. Witches couldn’t be trusted.

  Since we were little kids, I always looked out for her. Even before our adopted parents died, I took care of her and my other two sisters, Indie and Sam. I’m not sure where my motherly instincts came from. Maybe it was because I was the oldest. Whatever the reason, I always took care of my little sisters. My Voodoo Dolls.

  “Can we get going now? Have you two finished arguing?” Joseph, the pack’s alchemist, was a good guy. He was here to take Jenna and I to see the witches.

  “Yes, we can go. For the record, we weren’t arguing. It was just a family discussion. You haven’t seen us argue, yet.” I couldn’t help but laugh.

  The last time any of my sisters argued with me, we all ended up drenched. Someone, it might have been me, picked up a hose when we were out back yelling and screaming at the top of our lungs and hosed our entire group down. The reason I’m not sure if it was me or not is because somehow I was drenched too. No way in hell would I have turned the hose on myself. It just all happened so fast, it’s hard to say how it really started.

  Indie, one of my three adopted sisters, probably instigated it. She does that and then sits back looking like the innocent one. We all got her number years ago and decided to let her think she has her secret. Once in awhile we call her out, and it’s really rather funny to watch her face turn red and listen as she stammers away some lame excuse.

  Don’t get me wrong, I love my sisters. No one messes with us. Besides the wolf shifter pack who protects us, and a seriously hot vampire who can’t stay away, I’m pretty tough. I’ll fight tooth and nail to protect my family. They are the same way.

  Since Rico, the alpha of the local wolf shifter pack, began to teach us how to defend ourselves against vampires, we have all become pretty tough. Even shy, quiet, Sam can kick some serious butt if she had to. Although, she’s more the suffer in silence type. Sadly, people can treat her poorly, and she just accepts it. If someone tries to come after one of us though, she turns into a little devil. Seriously, it’s always the quiet ones you have to watch out for.

  “I’m sure. Let’s get going before we’re late. The council of witches can get testy if they have to sit around waiting on people. Especially non-magical people.” Joseph would know. He’s always been the go-between for his pack and the witch’s council when Rico couldn’t make it.

  Joseph’s also the one who was able to get us a boat-load of spells last week when we were fighting the rogue vamps who abducted eight college girls. It was too bad not all of the girls made it out of the storm alive.

  “What do you think they want?” Jenna had been mostly quiet on the way to the council chambers.

  I was stuck in my head as well. I’m sure she was doing the same thing I was: thinking about the significance of being called out by the head of the local witches. From what Rico had said, they don’t interact with humans. Well, other than Joseph.

  Joseph was part of the wolf pack, like us. We were all honorary members. When the alpha chose to give you his personal protection, you became a member. As far as I knew, Joseph and my family were the only humans Rico had given his personal protection to.

  As an alchemist, Joseph was a real asset to the entire pack. Due to his unique chemistry and alchemy background, the local witches preferred working with him over the wolf shifters. He was able to procure things most of the pack could never get, like spells.

  Last week the witch’s council honored us with a large collection of spells cast in a way we could use them.

  “Honestly, I don’t know, Jenna. The only thing I can think of is they want to hear from you exactly what happened with the vamps from last week. I doubt they have ever given so many charms or spells to anyone outside of their circle of witches. They also might want a specific account of which spell you used and how it worked for you.”

  We pulled into a nondescript parking lot. It was old, the black-top needed to be resurfaced. I doubted it had seen much in the way of maintenance for over five years. You couldn’t even see the white lines between parking spaces. The lot already held ten very expensive cars. I noticed a Lexus, BMW, Range Rover, a few Mercedes, and even a couple Cadillacs.

  The witches were definitely rich. So why was their parking lot so worn down?

  The building was no different. It looked like an old Victorian home which was in desperate need of paint and even new siding. The wrap-around porch appeared to be in such disrepair, I was actually afraid to walk on it.

  “
Joseph, is it safe to go into that heap of a dump?” Jenna said exactly what I was wondering.

  “Don’t worry, it’s just a façade. There’s a spell to hide the real beauty of this place. Makes it easier to keep away the criminal elements. Although, I don’t know why they bother. Most people have a natural fear of the witches when they get near.” Joseph randomly parked near the front of the house, if you could call it that.

  “Will we see the real house once we are inside? Or will their glamour continue to hide the real house from us? I just want to make sure I don’t step on something I shouldn’t or walk into an invisible wall.” I didn’t have much experience with magic and spells. Certainly don’t think I have ever been near a glamour. Or if I did, I didn’t know it.

  “Don’t worry. Once you step on the porch, the ugly fades away. There is something to the spell which can sense your intentions. If you are here to do harm, the spell will actually throw you back at least ten feet. Most get knocked out from it. If you don’t harbor any ill intent, you get to see the place for what it is.” Joseph locked the car and walked us forward.

  It wasn’t like this was the ghetto or Compton or anything like that. We were in New Orleans. Sure there are some areas better than others, but all nice houses needed to be protected or secured. Since no one actually lived here, I guess it made sense to disguise the place in such a way as to NOT attract the wrong attention.

  They really should disguise the cars too. If someone thought about it, who would have a parking lot full of fancy, expensive cars and not have something inside worth stealing?

  The three of us stepped up onto the porch, and the glamour fell away. “Whoa! This place is beautiful.” I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.

  It was a white mansion with pillars and a front which reminded me of a small White House. This house looked nothing at all like a Victorian home. I wondered how big the place really was. The stairs leading up to the porch were marble as were the five columns on the front.

  If I didn’t know any better, I would have said we were somewhere else entirely. Before we stepped up onto the steps, the city was its normal muggy and sticky atmosphere. Now, I felt a cool breeze across my face and smelled lilacs.

  “Were we transported somewhere else?” Jenna looked up at the three story building with an open mouth and wide eyes.

  “Maybe, I’ll ask. I hadn’t really thought of it. I just took it to be their glamour washing away. Now that you mention it, I wouldn’t be surprised if we are in some other dimension. It’s always a perfect, breezy day when I come here. Sometimes I smell lilacs, and sometimes it’s jasmine.” Joseph shook his head and looked around the front of the building.

  Before Joseph could knock on the white door, it opened. A man in a crisp, black tuxedo said, “Welcome, Master Joseph. The council is waiting for you and your friends.” He motioned for us to enter.

  “Can I get you something to drink? Some tea or lemonade, perhaps?” The butler opened the door to what could only be described as a large ballroom.

  “Thank you, Jeeves. I would love a lemonade. Jenna, Kat?” Joseph looked to me.

  “Oh, sure. Sweet tea would be wonderful.” I smiled at Jeeves and continued to look at the gold encrusted room.

  Jenna asked for the same.

  It was like something out of a Jane Austen novel. The walls were covered in paintings of people I didn’t recognize. They looked like they were from the Victorian era, too. Each painting was sectioned off with fancy, gold-covered trim. I’d never been inside the White House and wondered if the inside of this building looked anything like the real thing.

  The floor was a high-shine wood floor. Not the fake stuff, either. It was real wood. The super expensive stuff only the finest houses ever used. Now I felt very underdressed in my jeans shorts and blue tank top. Joseph should have told us to dress nicer, or at least wear a summer dress instead of shorts.

  “Ahh, Jenna! At last we meet! I’m Rebecca, head of the witch’s council.” An older woman with dark brown hair and laugh lines around her eyes walked up to Jenna and shook her hand.

  She looked to me, and her smile faded. “I see you brought one of your sisters with you.”

  Jenna’s brow rose when she looked at me. “Ah, yes. I hope you don’t mind. Kat is the head of our family. As such, she should have received the invitation, not me.”

  The way Rebecca looked at me, I could swear she already hated me. I don’t know how it’s possible, since I’ve never met her before.

  “You are the face of the Voodoo Dolls, I would prefer to do business with you.” Rebecca ignored me and smiled at Jenna.

  I nodded to Jenna. This wasn’t starting off well, but we needed to know what they wanted, so Jenna could take lead.

  “Fine, I guess. I would like for Kat to stay while we discuss whatever it is you called me here for.” Jenna gave the head witch her most innocent smile. Those dove eyes of hers could placate the meanest of people at times.

  “Please, take a seat.” Rebecca motioned for us to sit at their conference table. It could fit twenty-six people, easily. More if they squished in just a bit.

  I sat next to Jenna and tried really hard to remember if I had met this woman before. She didn’t really look familiar. I’m sure I would have remembered if I met a witch, especially the head witch.

  Why in the world did she hate me before she ever even met me?

  Rebecca and Jenna talked as though I wasn’t even there.

  “Tell me, Jenna. How long have you been performing in your band?” Rebecca asked.

  “My sisters and I have been performing since we were young. It wasn’t until high school when Kat officially started our band and I came up with the name The Voodoo Dolls. We had several parties we booked, and our school even let us perform for one of the dances.”

  Jenna looked at me and smiled. I kept my mouth shut. “Once Kat graduated, she was able to get us on a couple of floats for Mardi Gras. From there, it just blossomed. As soon as we were all eighteen, we were getting gigs at the local bars.”

  How long before this witch got around to telling us what she wanted? We had been here for at least fifteen minutes now, and I still had no clue what she wanted. Other than she seemed to be a fan. I hoped she didn’t ask Jenna here just for an autograph.

  “Rebecca, why did you ask us here?” It was like Jenna was channeling my thoughts.

  “I have a proposition for you and your sisters. First, I wanted to see if you really were as nice and sweet as both Joseph and Rico have said.” Rebecca finally looked at me, but she narrowed her eyes.

  I almost said something, but Joseph put his hand on my knee. He must have seen my balled up my fists and pursed lips. If we were going to find out what she wanted, I needed to stay calm and not act out on my anger.

  “Okaaay. Did I pass your test?” Jenna scrunched up her nose and sat ramrod straight in her chair. I could tell she was nervous but also curious as to what was really going on here.

  “Yes. You did.” Rebecca waved over Jeeves and whispered something in his ear.

  Jeeves left the room, and Rebecca stayed quiet while we all squirmed in our seats wondering what was going to happen next. For all we knew, Jeeves had been ordered to fetch us dinner. Rebecca sat in her chair sipping her tea and ignoring us.

  I whispered to Joseph, “What’s going on?”

  “Shh. You’ll see. Rebecca can be a bit dramatic.” Joseph picked up his lemonade and took a long gulp.

  Jenna and I sat there looking at each other in utter silence, except for the occasional sipping noise coming from Rebecca, or the gulping from Joseph.

  The quiet was really getting to me. I could hear the tick-tock from the clock on the other side of the room and it was tearing at my already frayed nerves. If something didn’t happen soon I was going to start asking questions.

  I heard something from the other side of the door Jeeves left through. Was he coming back? Was someone else going to join us? It sounded like shoes scuffling just outside the door
.

  It sounded like a group of people. She better not have called us here to meet our doom!

  2

  Kat

  Even though it felt like forever, it must not have been that long. I could hear the sound of multiple voices coming through the door right before it banged open, and a dozen witches poured into the room.

  “Hahaha. I knew this would work out!” Laughed one witch dressed in flowing pastel robes.

  “We should have done it ages ago,” another said.

  “I don’t like it, not one bit,” a male witch wearing black slacks and a red button up shirt said.

  Are the men called witches or warlocks?

  I was surrounded by witches with only Joseph to protect us. The hair on the back of my neck stood on end. If Rebecca called us here to be killed by her council, I swore to myself I would come back as a ghost and haunt them all.

  Rebecca scooted her chair back and stood up. “Quiet, please. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. They haven’t agreed yet.”

  Jenna looked at me with wide eyes. She was biting her nails, again. She always did so when she was nervous. I wished she would learn to do something different once in awhile. The nail biting was a huge tell.

  “Everyone, this is Jenna.” Rebecca pointed to my sister with a huge smile.

  “And her sister, Kat.” She gave me an offhanded wave and wouldn’t even look at me.

  Jenna and I looked at everyone and smiled. I waved and said, “Hi.”