Gentle hands swept me up from the street. I released my grip on the blade and felt my body relax. The desire to open my eyes and see who carried me tugged at me, but I didn’t have the strength. In the darkness there was no pain. In the light there was.
I chose to remain in the darkness, and allowed it to overtake me.
Chapter 22
“She was out days last time,” I heard someone say.
“This time is different,” a woman with an unfamiliar voice said. “She’s had vampire blood in her system before. It’s not as foreign to her now. She should wake shortly, child. Don’t worry.”
“You’d better be right,” I heard Jasper say. “She’s lost too much blood. I should have taken her to a hospital.”
“You know as well as I do she wouldn’t be breathing if you’d done so, boy.”
“I don’t like the waiting,” my brother grumbled. I could hear the stress in his tone.
My eyes fluttered open. Wooden tribal masks were the first thing I saw. Next came my brother’s face.
“Hey there, Big Bird.” Jasper smiled. “Glad you’re back. You gave us all quite a scare.”
I opened my mouth to say something in response, but the memory of not being able to reach Tristan bogged my brain down before I could. Spasms of panic went shooting through my stomach. “Tristan?”
“Right here.” He stepped into my sight and bushed the back of his hand against my cheek. “Don’t worry. I’m right here.”
“How?” I scanned him, searching for any sign he was injured or in pain. Not only did he not appear to be either, but he’d also changed into a New Orleans city T-shirt.
“Vampire blood,” he said.
Oh crap, not again. I hoped he meant it was the vampire blood already in our system that had healed us, because if someone administered another dose while I was unconscious, I was going to be so pissed.
My hands grazed my chest. Soft fabric met my fingertips. It wasn’t wet or sticky with dried blood, which surprised me. I glanced down to see a T-shirt with the words, “Voodoo is my bitch,” printed in dark bubbly letters across the front.
“All better,” Tristan insisted.
I felt around, pressing on the area and waiting for sharp pains to cease my movements. Nothing. I felt nothing. There was no pain. “Okay. So, what happened?”
“Meili came to the rescue,” Tristan said. “Apparently, she stormed out of the shop shortly after we left. She heard a commotion and followed it to check on us.”
“Wasn’t she frozen like everyone else?” I didn’t understand how they’d been able to do that selectively.
Kalisa stepped to my side. “No. The static spell was only for that specific area. Not the entire city.”
“Who brought me back here?” I knew the person couldn’t have been Meili. She was busy fighting to keep us alive. Tristan had been cut and Liam, well he hadn’t been of much use to anyone. He froze in the heat of the moment.
“Meili’s guy carried you back,” Jasper said. His face was pale. I was sure the memory of seeing someone carrying me through the door with a sword sticking out of my chest had been horrific.
I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear and dropped my gaze to my hands, unable to hold his stare any longer. “What about Liam? Did he bring Tristan back?”
“Yeah,” Tristan answered. “Him and Meili once all the fighting was over with.”
“Did Meili kill those women?” It seemed likely. Meili was a badass. I needed to remember this when the time came for me to use my blood and help release their magic. She wouldn’t take no for an answer, and she would definitely do everything in her power to make sure I followed through. Even if that meant kicking my ass or draining me herself.
“I think it’s time I gave you what you came here for.” Kalisa held a box out to me.
I moved into a sitting position and took the small box from her. It was heavier than I thought it would be, considering its small size.
“What is it?” I asked, unsure I wanted anything this woman had to offer. Her lack of compassion for the natural balance of things unsettled me.
“A gift from Ms. Beverly.”
At the mention of Reese’s grandmother, I felt my throat constrict. I missed the old woman. It had barely been twenty-four hours since we found her. Thoughts of Reese popped into my head, and I wondered if Paxton was there for her while I couldn’t be. She needed a friend.
“Open it.” Tristan moved to sit on the couch beside me. His knee pressed into mine, giving me the go-ahead in a different way.
I pulled the lid back. Inside, nestled among dark velvet, was an orange rock the size of a quarter. My eyes scanned over its ridged surface, taking in the sharp angles and crevices that made up its irregular shape. While it was orange, there were varying shades within the stone. Lights and darks.
“What does it do?” I asked, knowing there had to be something magical about it. Not only could I feel the magic pulsing from the rock, but I also knew Kalisa wouldn’t hand me something that could be rendered as normal.
“Multiple things, but when the timing is right, its usage will make itself known.” The old woman turned her attention to my brother. “Now, let’s get what you came here for over with. It’s time to bring back your girl.”
Anna. How could I have forgotten about Anna?
“I hate to sound insensitive, but it’s probably a good idea we get that ball rolling. I don’t think the Vodun are going to stop with their antics and desire to have Piper wiped from the earth anytime soon,” Tristan said. “Besides, the magic inside me is fading. I can feel it. The tugging isn’t as strong as it was when we first got to the city.”
Was he serious? Feeling the magic in the mirror was the only way we were going to find where the Vodun had hidden it. It was our connection, our map; it couldn’t fade away to nothing. Not now. Not when we were so close to everything being over with.
“Your blood has spilled.” Kalisa skimmed her hand across his shoulders as she passed him. “Which means the magic has been spilled from you too.”
If that was the case, then we didn’t have much time. I wasn’t sure how we’d be able to find the Vodun witches without the spell Anna had performed flowing through Tristan’s veins. Everything we’d already been through couldn’t be in vain.
“Time is of the essence.” Kalisa smiled. Her discolored teeth churned my stomach, but I knew she was right.
Whatever she was about to do to my brother and Anna had better not take long, because the link to the mirror was fading fast.
Chapter 23
The open sign had been switched off. I stared at it, wondering how long ago Kalisa had decided we were all the business she needed for the day. Jasper moving to lay Anna down where he’d been told caught my attention. My gaze drifted over Anna. She looked peaceful still, as though she were sleeping. If it wasn’t for the scratches and puncture wounds on her face and arms, anyone would have thought the same. My throat pinched with the threat of tears. Even though I knew she was about to be brought back from wherever we go when we die, I still couldn’t stand seeing her this way. I hated knowing I would always have an image of her dead in my mind.
Jasper smoothed her hair away from her forehead and leaned back on his knees. The air in the room seemed to still as Kalisa wasted no time in preparing for the spell. She sprinkled granules of something on Anna’s body. While I couldn’t tell what they were, I knew they were powerful. I could feel their magic pulsing through the air. Candles scattered around the shop lit themselves as the old woman whispered something under her breath. She hovered her hands over Anna’s body and closed her eyes. The sound of her bracelets clanking together echoed through my ears in an odd way as she moved her hands in a sweeping motion over Anna.
“The tether is still in place,” Kalisa announced as though we knew what she was talking about. “There is still time to bring her back.”
“I thought we’d already discussed this,” Jasper said.
“I needed to see
for myself, child.” Kalisa opened her eyes and motioned to my brother. “Hush now and lie down beside her. Don’t touch her, but lie close.”
Jasper did as he was told. My insides squirmed with nerves that refused to ease. This was a bad idea. I knew it was, but we’d come too far now to turn back. The spell was happening whether I wanted it to or not.
Kalisa sprinkled something of a dark color on my brother and began her soft chanting again. The air grew even thicker with the woman’s magic, and I struggled to pull in a deep breath. I could feel the magic pressing against me in a heavy way, and I could taste its earthiness on the tip of my tongue. She wasn’t working magic similar to mine—she was working with hoodoo instead. A shiver slipped along my spine as all the outcomes of working with such darkness raced through my mind. I prayed Anna would come back as herself, and she wouldn’t return as some brainless zombie who hungered for human flesh. While I’d never met a zombie, I didn’t dismiss them. In the supernatural world, anything was possible—especially when dark magic was involved.
The old woman’s head tipped back and her arms extended out at her sides. She looked as though she was calling something or surrendering. When Jasper convulsed beside her, I knew exactly what was happening.
Kalisa was summoning my brother’s breath and soul.
His body twitched as his face constricted into one of unimaginable pain. I shifted where I sat, unsure if I should step in and stop this. I knew Jasper wanted Anna back, so did I, but not at the cost of losing my brother. As a terrible cry burst past Jasper’s lips, I lurched forward to do something to help him, but Kalisa’s head snapped to me and she outstretched a hand. Her eyes were solid white and her face was pinched into a scary expression, but it wouldn’t have been enough to stop me if I could move. I couldn’t though. Somehow Kalisa was able to focus on what she was doing to my brother and keep me in place at the same time.
I’d totally underestimated the woman.
My eyes grew wide when I realized I couldn’t speak. She’d not only rendered me immobile, but mute as well. Who the hell was this woman?
A green mist lifted from my brother the way heat rises off a hot vehicle sitting in the summer sun. My mind jumped back to the smoke I’d seen the ravens siphoning from me while I was being attacked. It had to have been the same thing the woman was harvesting from my brother.
With a wave of the hand not trained on me, she guided the green mist into an open jar. Once the jar was nearly full, she pried my brother’s mouth open with her fingers and lured a white fog-like vapor out. I realized then it was his breath, and the green had been his soul—his witch soul.
I watched as the white fog floated to the glass jar and coiled inside along with the green mist. My brother’s body went slack and Kalisa’s grip on me loosened. I opened my mouth to say something, but all the windows and doors burst open, allowing ravens in by the dozen. They circled close to the ceiling, high above Anna, resembling a dark cloud. Their beady eyes seemed to stare at her as they continued in their soundless flight.
More words expelled from Kalisa in a mad rush. This time, I didn’t care to focus on what she was saying; all I was concerned about were the forty birds circling the room. Tristan’s hand reached for mine. Our fingers interlaced, and through the contact, I could feel his pulse pounding as fast as mine. All I wanted was for this to be done. When the birds dove toward Anna and perched along her body, I knew things were far from being over. Kalisa’s chanting grew louder, and the birds broke their silent streak. Their calls seemed to drown out whatever it was the old woman was saying. Her tone never wavered though, and her stance didn’t shifted. She was focused on what she was doing in a way I found inspiring.
One by one, the birds let out the most ear-splitting scream before falling to the ground beside Anna, dead. My brother stirred, sitting up faster than he should after what he’d been through, and shouted Anna’s name. When he spotted the birds, his lips clamped together. I scooted across the floor toward him, thankful he was still alive.
“Is it working?” he whispered once I reached him.
“I’m not sure.” I scanned Anna’s face, searching for any sign of life, but not finding any.
The birds burst into green flames before turning to ash.
“It’s got to work. It has to, because I can’t leave here without her.” Jasper growled at the same time I noticed movement in Anna’s fingers.
“Jasper, look at her hand,” I insisted. “I think I saw her fingers move.”
As soon as I said the words, Anna jerked into a sitting position. Her chest heaved for air as though she’d been trapped underwater the entire time. I found myself wondering if that was what it felt like when a person first left this Earth. Did death feel like someone had submerged you underwater and was refusing to let you up for air until you accepted what was happening?
“Get them off me!” Anna screamed. Her hands came up to swat at the air.
Jasper dove for her. “Shhh. Look, there’s nothing there. You’re safe now. You’re okay.” His tone was coaxing and calm as he pulled her to him.
“The birds! Jasper, the birds!” Anna pushed him away, still hung up on the fact that birds were attacking her.
I scooted back to Tristan and welcomed the sensation of his arms wrapping around me as I watched my brother try to calm down a spastic version of Anna. Fear circled my heart as I studied her face, trying to decide if she was herself or some damaged version of who she used to be.
“Shhh.” Jasper continued to soothe her. His large arms swallowed her tiny frame. He stroked her hair and began a gentle rocking motion. “You’re okay. I’m here. The birds are gone.”
She shook her head. “They were attacking me. In my hair…scratching my face…pecking…”
The sight of her scared me, but I tried to tell myself this was her coming back from a traumatic experience. She was fine. There was nothing wrong with her. We didn’t do anything wrong in bringing her back. She wasn’t a zombie. She was Anna.
She’s just Anna.
I wanted to believe my words, but I couldn’t. I was too afraid. Bringing someone back from the dead wasn’t something to be screwed around with, no matter how powerful the witch you sought out help from was. I shouldn’t have let Jasper do this. I should have never agreed to it. I should have stopped it.
Mom would have.
I wasn’t sure where the thought came from, but I knew it was the truth. My mom would have found a way to talk Jasper out of it. She would have never let it happen. Mom didn’t screw with things like resurrection spells or ghosts. Contacting the other side was something she always stressed as wrong. I could hear her in my head, scolding me like she did the time I purchased a Ouija board online because I was curious if it worked. Reese and I had tried to talk Paxton into holding a séance with us, but he refused and went home early. Mom had come to see why and spotted the board. She’d snatched it up as though its presence mocked everything she’d ever stood for.
“You don’t mess with stuff like this. It’s real. It’s not a joke. You never know who you’re actually talking to. You never know who’ll come through, Piper. I never want to see you touch another one of these again. Never. And don’t you ever let another one come into this house. Do you understand me?”
I’d never seen her angry before. Not like that. She didn’t talk to me for a week.
This situation was similar. Why hadn’t I remembered Mom’s words of caution earlier? I would have mentioned them to Jasper, and he would have changed his mind. I knew he would have. Then I wouldn’t be staring at Anna, wondering if she was her normal self or something else.
Anna slung her arms around Jasper’s neck and peeked around the room with wide eyes from over his shoulder. “Gone. The birds are gone. I’m safe. I’m okay.” Her breathing evened out. “Holy shit that was intense. How did we get here? Actually, where is here?”
I closed my eyes as my breath expelled from me in a rush. My lips twisted into a large smile as the sound of Jasper’s
chuckling filtered through the room toward my ears.
“She’s okay,” I said.
Tristan squeezed my hand in his. “Whew. I seriously thought she was a goner for a second there.”
“Me too,” I admitted.
Japer peeled away from Anna. His hands came up to cup her face and he pressed his lips to hers. “I love you, woman.”
She seemed shocked, but didn’t fight what he was doing. “What was that for? I don’t understand why you’re all so happy. What happened?”
An awkward sense of silence filled the room. How do you tell a person they’d died and then been resurrected?
Jasper cleared his throat and rubbed along the top of his head. “When the birds attacked us you didn’t make it.”
“No.” She shook her head and slapped at his chest in a playful way.
Jasper locked eyes with her. “Yes.”
Her face paled and her mouth dropped open. She didn’t speak for a while, and when she did, it was only to choke out two words, “I died?”
Jasper nodded. He gripped her hands between his. “Yes. You did.”
“Then how did I get here? Where is here?”
“The Midnight Cauldron,” Kalisa answered.
Anna jerked around to stare at the old woman. “Oh.” Her head tipped to the side as though she was putting two and two together. She glanced at Jasper with dread pooling through her eyes. “And you brought me back?”
“Yes.”
“With her help?” Anna pointed to Kalisa.
“Yes.”
Anna looked at the old woman. “Thank you.” She shifted her attention back to Jasper. “Do you know how dangerous bringing someone back is?” she yelled.
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