by Deanna Chase
Gwen reached out and grabbed my other hand. “It’ll be fine, Jade.”
I let out a slow breath. “What happens after the transfer?”
“The three of you will be sent back to New Orleans. I’ll be in touch.” Chessa spun on her heal and left the room.
“Okay, you three,” the technician said. “I’m going to count back from three. On one, you’ll start to feel the transfer. Three, two, one.”
Gwen sucked in a sharp breath at the same time that Kane’s fingers jerked in my hand. I squeezed my eyes shut, praying their pain would be over soon. My own experience had almost killed me.
My hands started to tingle, and a jolt suddenly raced through both limbs, shooting straight for my chest and then sinking lower, filling my torso. The two sparks collided, and my back arched right up off the table in a bone-jarring spasm. Ecstasy burst through me, heightening every last nerve ending with sweet pleasure.
“Jade!” I heard the faint cry, knew it must be Gwen, but I couldn’t respond. I was all but suspended over the table as pure magic filtered right into my soul. My eyes watered at the intensity of emotion running through me. Love, fear, overwhelming protectiveness, and determination.
Kane’s signature mixed with Gwen’s and then faded as the magic collided with my own soul, filling me up, making me vibrate with power. My soul pulsed in my gut, new, raw and powerful. The straps holding me in my chair slipped away and the room turned first white, then black, and then blinding.
I squinted into the sunlight, dampness seeping in through the knees of my jeans. The sweet scent of grass and damp earth invaded my senses.
“Jade?” This time it was Kane’s voice.
I turned my head toward the sound, blinking to clear my vision. As my eyes adjusted, I made out a large moss-filled oak tree and realized we were sprawled on an immaculately manicured lawn. The damp lawn and earthy scent indicated it had rained recently. Glancing around, I took in the large Victorian home. “What the hell?”
“We’ve been sent back to Summer House,” Kane said and lifted me to my feet.
A surge of power gripped me, and the world faded into various shades of gray. The shadows started to move, becoming more and more solid the longer we stood there. Near the base of the oak, movement caught my attention. The shadow morphed into a silhouette outline of a man and as I studied him, his round, pudgy face came into focus. He brought his hand up, tipping his bowler cap, and turned, walking directly through the trunk of the tree then disappearing into the earth.
“Let go!” I shouted at Kane and moved away.
Bright sunlight streamed back into my vision, and I let out a long sigh of relief. “Holy shit. I think I just got my first taste of what it means to be a shadowwalker.”
Kane’s face was white. “Wow.”
“You saw it, too?”
He nodded and moved toward me with his hand outstretched. But then he dropped it, his jaw tense with frustration.
My heart sank, and horror ran through me. Would this always happen when we touched? I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. “I’m sure we can learn to control it.” I said the words, knew I meant them, but everything was too raw for my heart to believe it.
“Yeah. I’m sure we will.” Kane’s voice shook.
“You will,” Gwen assured us.
I glanced her way, grateful to see she didn’t look near as shaken as Kane. “You’re okay?”
She nodded. “Tired. But I’ll survive.”
Tentatively, I put an arm around her. The panic running through me eased when my world didn’t shift. “Why did they send us here?”
The three of us headed toward the house. I eyed a silver Prius. “Bea’s here.”
“She’s not the only one.” Kane gestured toward a line of three familiar cars parked farther down the driveway.
“It’s the coven.” I took off in a sprint, heading for the back of the house. If they were working a spell…then it hit me. Coven magic jolted to life just below my heart, spurring me faster. It surged and waned like a faulty circuit. I needed to be in that circle, connected to them. Whatever they were doing, they were straining past their ability. If it wasn’t for Bea’s magic, they would’ve already failed.
I rounded the back of the house and almost came to an abrupt stop. In the middle of the circle, Camille was suspended, trapped in a smaller circle. Blue candles barely flickered to life below her. It was almost exactly the same setup Lailah had performed the day we’d tried to free Pyper of her black shadow.
When had they decided to do this? While we were in the angel realm?
What about Camille’s daughter?
Would helping her find the little girl put her soul to rest? There was no time to find out. The coven wouldn’t be performing the ritual on such short notice unless they felt they had no choice. Had Camille gotten worse? Whatever had happened, I had to help them.
The coven’s faltering power spiked back into action, and a moment later, I jumped into the circle, determined to do my part in sending Camille away.
Clasping hands with Bea and Rosalee, I savored the magic pouring into me and then through me and back into Bea. She took in a relieved breath but didn’t acknowledge my presence in any other way.
The blue candles burned taller and brighter, acting as Camille’s prison. The next step was to open a portal and banish her into another dimension. Only, as I gazed at her, my vision turned once again to the gray shadows.
My heart raced, and I glanced around for Kane. He was near the back door, observing, not even close to me. I sucked in a breath and studied the scene around me. Shadows moved, creeping toward the blue circle. A few grew into solid shapes, and one reached out hungrily grabbing at Camille. I suppressed a shudder. What were they? Why did they want her? If we banished her, would she become one of the faceless shadows?
Did I care? The memory of ice crawling up my limbs as Camille seized my body and Ian’s dazed, lust-filled face filled my mind. No, I didn’t.
“Goddess of the afterlife,” Bea cried into the wind, “hear our call! The ghost Camille is not for this world. Heed our sacrifice and take her where you will!”
The ground rumbled beneath our feet. A faint trace of fear ran through the coven collective.
“Stand strong!” Bea called. “The Goddess has responded.”
The ground continued to rumble. Two shadows morphed into solid form, their features becoming clearer with each passing moment. One was small, the size of a child, her face fresh and full of life. The other was Camille’s age, his expression set in anger. Something menacing streamed from him, curling around me, pressing on my skin.
I glanced around. Could anyone else see them? They were all chanting along with Bea as the ground slowly started to open just beneath Camille. Camille glanced down, her eyes wide, and then she latched onto my gaze. Fear rolled off her in waves. Heartbroken and terrified, tears spilled down her pale face.
Heartbroken? Terrified? Those were not the emotions I’d expect to feel from a ghost intent on bringing pain to anyone. Desperation clung to me, the emotion clear even though it wasn’t my own. I tilted my head heavenward, awe filling me. The soul transfer had given me more than a whole soul. My empath gift had returned.
I clamped down on my wonder and focused. Nothing sinister came from Camille, only desperation and fear, but not for herself.
The child moved closer, standing right next to the blue candle circle, and reached a hand up. Camille stifled a cry and pounded on an invisible wall, trying to get to the little girl. They both pressed their hands flat against the barrier, palm to palm, as if they were touching.
Tears filled my eyes as their mutual heartache crashed into me. Their separation mirrored the one Mom and I’d suffered all the years she’d been in Purgatory.
The man reached down and grasped the child by the middle, tearing her away from her mother. Pure hatred and glee sparked off him as he reveled in Camille’s pain.
“No!” I cried. “Stop.”
; The coven went silent.
Bea’s hand tightened around mine wariness radiating off her. “We can’t stop now, Jade,” she said calmly. “Once Camille is gone, we’ll all be safer.”
“You don’t understand,” I forced out through the emotional agony tearing through me. She’d told me before all she wanted was to find her daughter. She’d only used me because she’d been desperate to save her from the man who was somehow responsible for her death. Even in the afterlife, he’d managed to keep them apart. No wonder she’d gone crazy. “There’s someone much worse feeding her behavior. I can see him, feel him. We have to help her.”
“Jade?” Bea’s voice faded into the wind as it picked up and the portal started to grow.
“Release her!” My voice came out deep and commanding. Even with all the pain Camille had caused, I couldn’t condemn her to an eternity in Hell.
A murmur went through the coven. Everyone fell silent, and then Bea shouted, “Unlock!”
The candles extinguished, and the wall rippled into nothing. Relief crashed through Camille, and she flew with furious determination at the man clutching her daughter. She rammed into him, and the little girl fell to the ground. His lips curled into a snarl as his hands shot up, wrapping around Camille’s neck, trying to choke the life out of her.
Good thing she didn’t need to breathe. Confusion ran rampant through the coven, and I realized they couldn’t see the man, only Camille. “She’s fighting the ghost who killed her daughter. He’s the one we need to banish.”
Bea didn’t hesitate. She started to chant. The coven followed, and the ground rumbled to life, the portal growing again.
How had the man and Camille’s daughter gotten into the circle in the first place? I had no idea, but now that they were there, they couldn’t leave until we broke it. Unfortunately, we had no way of forcing him into the portal. Camille needed to do that herself.
The man shifted her into a headlock and dragged her toward the portal. She bucked, clawing at his grip, her eyes bulging.
The protective streak in my heart longed to rush to her defense, but I was bound by the coven magic to hold the circle. Bea, as the coven leader, was directing the magic, and I couldn’t do anything but feed her my strength.
Camille forced out a strangled gasp and bit down hard on his hand.
“Filthy wench!” he growled, yanking his hand back and smacking her in the side of the head. “Do that again, and your daughter goes to Hell with you.”
Camille went limp, soul-crushing fear slamming into me. “Not Lizzie,” she whimpered, pliant and defeated.
His lips turned up in a sinister grin as he lifted her off the ground, her feet dangling in the fiery hole.
“No!” the little girl screamed and ran toward the pair, tears streaming down her anguished face. “Mommy!”
The sound of her daughter’s voice stirred a primal reaction in Camille, one that touched me deep in the depths of my newly healed soul. A mother’s love. The kind that moved a mother to sacrifice herself for her daughter. Exactly like Mom had when she’d offered her soul, knowing it could mean the end of her life. My eyes filled with tears, and I wished I could do something, anything to help.
At the edge of the portal, Camille kicked out, catching the man on his knee. As he went down, she launched herself over him, barely scrambling from his grasp. She rushed across the grass and picked up her daughter into a fierce hug.
“Now!” I shouted. “Trap him before he gets away.”
“Ignite!” Bea commanded.
The blue candles sprang to life around the man, encircling him in the light. The portal continued to grow beneath him. Camille collapsed to her knees, anguish and relief wiping away the last of her energy. My knees buckled from the sheer intensity of her emotion, but I managed to stay upright. I couldn’t disconnect from the magic, not now that we were so close to banishing the kidnapper.
My hair blew over my face, partially obscuring my vision as a wind picked up in the circle. The force whipped around the man I realized must’ve been Camille’s murderer. He stayed suspended above the portal, rage shining in his empty eyes, expletives getting lost in the storm.
“Take our sacrifice. Bind him to the fiery realm. Never let us gaze upon his fetid soul again.” Bea dropped my hand and raised her arms heavenward, her final salute to the Goddess.
All the wind rushed into the portal, sucking the evil bastard with it. He vanished, and the hole sealed itself, the perfectly manicured lawn appearing unmarred.
Silence filled the yard as Camille and her daughter clung to each other. Camille raised her head, her pointed gaze landing on mine. Gratitude and regret brushed against my psyche. Thank you, she mouthed and then the pair slowly faded away. Not one sign of the magic remained.
“Where’d she go?” Rosalee whispered to me. “Camille, I mean?”
I shrugged. “I’m not sure. But she got what she wanted. I’m fairly positive we won’t be seeing her again.”
Bea’s hand gripped mine. “Are you sure?”
Without turning around, I knew Kane was behind me. A smile tugged at my lips. As much as I’d enjoyed being empath-free, I had to admit, having the ability back was like coming home. I turned to him and held my arm out. “Let me check.”
Our hands met. I fought the shadow world for just a moment, proving that I could, and then let the grayness rush in. Slight movements danced at the edge of my vision, but nothing turned solid and more importantly, I felt nothing. No grief. No frustration. And no icy chill. “She’s gone,” I said with certainty.
Kane pulled me into a bone-crushing hug. The world was still gray, but when I closed my eyes, I only saw him. And that was all I needed.
Chapter 32
I lounged on the cream-colored chenille couch in Summer House’s vast library.
Kane sat at the desk, sorting through brochures of honeymoon options. “How about Hawaii?”
I wrinkled my nose.
He laughed. “You have something against the brilliant blue waters and pristine beaches?”
“No, that sounds lovely. But I’d rather go somewhere a little more interesting.”
“Like?”
I shrugged. “Italy sounds cool.”
“Oh? Let me guess. There’s this island not too far from Venice you’d like to check out.”
I couldn’t help the twitch of my lips. He was on to me. “Well, yes. You know I’d love to go to Murano.”
He rose from behind his desk and joined me on the couch, careful to not touch me. I reached out to him instead. We’d learned over the last few days that I had to consciously shut the shadows out before we touched. If he caught me off guard, sometimes it proved too hard to push them away. For some reason he didn’t have the same problem. I thought it had something to do with his dreamwalking ability. He had more control than I did.
Our fingers touched, and the familiar spark we shared rushed through my arm, making me tingle everywhere. No ghosts or shadows anywhere.
“We can go check out your cute glass island if that’s what you want.”
I chuckled. “They’re master glass workers. I don’t think they’d appreciate their island being called cute.”
“It’s cute if you’re there.” He leaned in and brushed his lips over mine. I opened my mouth, darting my tongue over his. He pulled back. “Not sure it matters where we go on our honeymoon. I don’t plan to spend more than five minutes outside of the hotel room.”
“Why go anywhere?” I murmured. “Seems easier to stay here if you’re going to keep me naked for two weeks.”
He groaned and pushed me back into the cushions. My arms came around him, and I pulled him closer, pressing my body against his hard form. “Now you’re on to something.”
My nipples hardened into tight points as his hand brushed over my breast, taking the nub between his thumb and forefinger through the flimsy material of my cotton shirt. I arched into him, heat pulsing between my thighs.
His hand snaked under my skirt and wa
s dipping beneath my lace panties when the doorbell rang.
“Damn it,” he muttered into my neck. “This is why we’re going away on a honeymoon.” He pushed himself up and gazed down at me, molten desire raging in his dark eyes.
My breath caught as it always did when he looked at me like that.
“Give me two minutes to get rid of them.”
I nodded, my mouth suddenly dry.
He disappeared, and a few moments later, voices I recognized filled the hallway—Kat and Lucien. I jumped off the couch and busied myself with straightening my clothes.
Kane knocked on the partially open door and poked his head in. “You decent?” he mouthed.
I laughed. “Yes.”
The pair filed in behind him. Lucien hung back, leaning against the vast bookshelf, while Kat gave me a hug.
“Sorry to barge in on you,” she said. “Hope asked me to drop something off, and I was wondering if we could talk for a minute.”
“Sure.” I glanced around, noting she wasn’t carrying anything but her handbag. “What do you have for me?”
“It’s in the car.” She sat on the couch Kane and I had just been making out on and perched on the edge.
“Okay.”
Lucien shuffled in place, staring at the floor.
“What’s up?”
“Actually, Lucien wants to talk to you.” She waved him forward.
Shaking his head, he cleared his throat. “I’m good here.”
Nervousness spiked off him, and I had the sudden urge to send him calming energy. Whatever it was, he was struggling. But in light of recent events, I’d decided to keep my energy to myself, especially since I now saw into the shadows. Who knew what sort of side effects my new ability would bring?
“What’s up?” I asked.
He pushed away from the bookcase, determination taking over his demeanor. “I’d like permission to renounce my membership in the coven.”
Shock seized me, and my mouth fell open. “Why?”
His green gaze flicked to Kat. “You know why.”
Sadness rippled in my chest. Lucien was a powerful, conscientious witch. And that was why he was trying to quit. He wouldn’t knowingly put anyone at risk. I frowned. “Bea’s still the coven leader. Shouldn’t you be having this conversation with her?”