Spirits, Stilettos, and a Silver Bustier

by Deanna Chase

  “Go on. Get to where ever you were off to. Be safe.”

  The frustration left her face as she gazed at me. “You too. Don’t do anything that feels off. Listen to that voice inside you… especially now. Got it?”

  “Yes, mom.” I gave her a tiny salute and took off through the crowd.

  ***

  Maze adjusted the spotlight for the hundredth time while I shuffled my feet. The models were beyond ready to be done with the shoot judging by the fatigue lining their eyes. Being a model for a body-paint artist was no joke. First they had to stand for however long it took the artist to finish the piece, then they had to pose in hundreds of different positions while the photographer snapped every angle in every lighting setting he could think of.

  If I’d had to stand up for five hours straight, taking direction from a man named Maze who took a pot break every thirty minutes, I’d have thrown my coffee at him. ’Cause pot? Yeah, that helped things along.

  If he weren’t brilliant, not to mention cheap, I’d have found someone else in a hot minute. But he was and the results were often stunning. The process was just exhausting.

  “That’s it. I got what we need.” Maze put his camera down and grabbed his Sherlock pipe and headed for his courtyard where he’d no doubt spend the next twenty minutes chilling out. Whatever, man. It was his place.

  “Thanks for everything,” I said to the two models and handed them their checks. “I’ll see you Friday for the opening?”

  “Sure thing, Pyper,” said the man, who was covered in paint that depicted blue herons in the swamp.

  The woman, covered in sunflowers, smiled. “Looking forward to it.”

  After I said good-bye to Maze, I let myself out. Maze’s place was in Uptown on a street with limited parking, and my VW Bug was parked a block away. I was halfway there when my phone buzzed with a text from Jade.

  Change of plans. I’ve got a new address for you. We’re there now.

  She followed up her text with a location that was in the Irish Channel, much closer than the Bywater where Lucien lived. What were they doing there?

  I shrugged and texted back. See you soon.

  The chill in the air had me rushing to my car. Earlier in the day it had been warm, but as soon as the sun had set, the temperature had dropped. And sure enough, I’d forgotten a sweater.

  “Brr,” I said as I slid into the driver’s seat and slammed the door against the breeze.

  “You’re cold,” Julius said.

  I jumped, nearly hitting my head on the roof. “Julius! What the hell are you doing in my car, scaring the crap out of me like that?”

  “Sorry.” He grinned at me, not at all concerned with my irritation. “I was worried when you didn’t come home.”

  I raised an eyebrow. He’d said home as if it was a place we shared. “I didn’t realize I needed to check in with you.”

  His grin vanished. “I’m only trying to keep you safe, Pyper. Your life is in danger.”

  Damn. And just when I’d managed to stop obsessing over that particular piece of bad news. Once I started painting, I’d been able to turn my mind off and find a little bit of normalcy. That tiny smidge of calm had just flown out the window. “Thanks for the reminder, coach.”

  “It’s not something to joke about.”

  I started the car and rolled my eyes at him. “I know. That’s why I’m meeting Jade so we can start researching this ritual. If we can figure out the end goal, that might lead us back to who’s doing this.”

  He sat back in his seat. “Oh. That’s good then.”

  Putting the car in gear, I glanced over at him. “How did you get here?”

  He lifted one shoulder. “I’m not sure. I was concentrating on you, and the next thing I knew, I was in your car. It appears we might be connected.”

  A tingle of excitement hit my nervous system at that juicy revelation. But just as quickly, alarm hit. I was tied to a ghost. If he could show up here, he could show up anywhere. On my date with Tyler, first thing in the morning when I looked like hell on earth, in my bed… that tingle of excitement came rushing back. I shook myself. Stop it, Pyper.

  “Am I intruding?” His tone was suddenly very formal.

  “No,” I said quickly. “It’s unusual is all. First the hotel, then my apartment, now in my car. I didn’t know you could travel so far.”

  “Neither did I.” He gazed out the window as we flew down Saint Charles. “The city has changed a lot.”

  “It has?” Most of the pictures from the twenties depicted a remarkably similar landscape. This part of the city was big on preserving the past.

  “Yes. And no. A lot of the buildings look the same. But everything else is so… modern. It’s the same, but not.”

  “I can see that.” I took a right turn onto Jackson. “Where did you live when you were, ah…?”

  “Alive?”

  I nodded, not sure why I felt so weird about bringing up the fact that he was dead.

  He chuckled. “The French Quarter. Near Jackson Square. I worked over at the docks. Back then most of the commerce came by boat.”

  “Interesting. What was your business?” I took a left turn onto the street Jade had indicated and started looking for the house number.

  “Imports mostly. Nothing exciting.”

  Well, wasn’t that vague. I glanced at him, noting his twinge of a smile. He was keeping secrets. Why? There wasn’t time to ask, though, because we’d arrived.

  I pulled over, parking in front of a dark house. Was this it? I glanced at my phone and the house number one more time. Yep. That was it. I opened my door. “Come on.”

  Julius didn’t move as he stared at the house. “Why are we here?”

  “I’m not sure. We were supposed to meet up at Lucien’s house, but Jade told me to meet her here. So let’s meet her.”

  He shook his head. “No. Do not go into that house.” He reached over and pulled my door shut. “Let’s get out of here.”

  I pushed him back over to his side. “What are you talking about?”

  “It’s too dangerous, Pyper. Trust me. Start the car. Let’s go. Now.” He had one hand on the dash and the other on the headrest of my seat. His forearm muscles bulged as his grip tightened on the dash.

  “I can’t just go. If there’s something not right, then I need to check it out. Jade could be in trouble.” There was no way I was leaving her there. I’d never forgive myself. It didn’t matter that Lucien was with her and that they were both powerful witches. If they were caught off guard, anything could happen.

  “Pyper—”

  I held my hand up. “Here, I’ll text her to let her know we’re here and make sure she’s okay.” My fingers flew over the keyboard. A second later, she texted back.

  Everything’s fine. We’re out back in the courtyard.

  I showed Julius the message. “See, it’s all good.”

  “You don’t understand.” Julius’s face turned red with agitation. “This place is full of dark magic. It’s not safe.”

  Unease finally settled in the pit of my stomach at his words. “Okay, but let me tell Jade.” I sent one more text asking her to come to the car, that something wasn’t right.

  Then Julius and I sat there. Two, three minutes ticked by as Julius became more and more insistent that we leave.

  “I can’t,” I said again, fear for my friend overriding my flight instinct as I touched her name on my phone and waited for it to ring. “Jade is in there. She clearly hasn’t gotten the text or she would’ve been out here already.”

  The call went straight to voicemail.

  “I have to go get her.” I was out of the car before Julius could launch another protest. Halfway up the walk, I heard the passenger door slam shut.

  “Wait,” he said.

  I paused.

  “I�
�m coming with you.”

  “Good.” I didn’t much want to go in by myself considering he felt so strongly about it. As long as he didn’t disappear again, he could come in really handy in an emergency. His knowledge of the supernatural was as much an asset as his large, muscled frame.

  Remembering Jade had said they were in the back, I led him to a wood-planked fence and tested the gate with a nudge. It swung open easily.

  “I don’t like this,” he said in my ear.

  There weren’t any lights on and no sound of voices. I didn’t like it either, but I wasn’t sure what else to do. “Jade?” I called.

  Nothing.

  Julius’s hand slipped into mine, squeezing my fingers. I squeezed back. My bravado was waning quickly.

  “Anyone home,” I called again, my voice rising in high-pitched panic.

  More silence. Even the air was still. The weak moonlight was just enough to help us work our way over a brick pathway. The side of the house was thick with unwieldy trees and bushes. It was such a departure from the tidy yard out front of the center-hall home with the precious deck and gingerbread details. Hadn’t these people ever heard of a gardener before?

  The faint sound of glasses clinking finally reached me, and I let out a small breath of relief. Jade must not have heard me. “Hear that? We’re close.”

  Julius didn’t respond as we rounded the corner.

  And then out of nowhere, a sharp pain slammed right into my chest. I stumbled backward, unable to breathe. My lungs felt weighted down as if I were drowning.

  “Pyper!” Julius cried, his voice fading away into nothing.

  My vision blurred, and I saw nothing but the soulless black eyes of the witch who’d just cursed me.

  Chapter 9

  Breathe, darling. Come on. You can fight this. Tru’s voice rang in my head. Don’t let the witch take you. You’re stronger than this.

  “Tru?” I croaked, fighting hard to suck air into my immobile lungs. Tears streamed down my temples. This was it. I’d walked right into the middle of a trap like a sacrificial lamb. And I’d pay for it with my life.

  Focus! Deep breath.

  “I…” There was no getting the words out. My fingers clawed at my throat, desperate to make something happen. Then I was floating, staring down at myself as I watched the fight start to fade from my body.

  Julius was gone. All that was left was an evil witch cloaked in full dress robes. Nothing was visible, not even the color of her skin. His skin? I couldn’t even tell. The witch wore dark gloves. All identifying features had been hidden. The witch was busy stirring a potion in an honest-to-God cauldron over a fire pit. One ingredient after another was added to the pot, each new addition sending red sparks into the atmosphere.

  Pyper! This time it was Lily. She stood next to me, staring down at my lifeless body. Is this how you’re going to die? By a witch’s hand?

  I turned to her, taking in her bright red hair, her almost translucent skin, and pale gray eyes. “I can’t breathe. I will die and there is nothing I can do about it.”

  Like hell. Fight this. Now. It’s not your time.

  I floated down to myself, unsure what it was Lily wanted me to do.

  Breathe, dammit!

  I couldn’t make myself do anything. In my floating state, I only had control over my spirit self.

  My spirit self.

  Holy crackers. The realization that I was actually going to die hit me full force. Panic set in, and I flung myself back at my body, praying my physical and mystical selves would reconnect. But it didn’t work. I couldn’t feel my limbs. Couldn’t feel the pain that had been in my chest. I watched as my eyes rolled into the back of my head and my fingers went limp, no longer clawing at my throat.

  This was the end. I was dying. Right there before my eyes.

  “No!” I cried out and hovered over my body. The only way to save myself was to get air into my lungs. I had no idea how to do that. Mouth-to-mouth? I was in spirit form. There was no reason why that should work. But I didn’t know what else to do.

  Using my thumb and forefinger, I pinched my physical self’s nose and blew into my mouth. My chest rose. Whoa. It worked. I did it again and again and again.

  “Come on, breathe,” I said to myself. I forced in one more breath and almost cried when my chest continued to rise and fall.

  “You need to merge with yourself.” Julius had reappeared and was standing in front of me.

  He didn’t even surprise me this time. “How?”

  “Imagine your two selves are joined and they will be.” He ran a light hand down my arm, sending a tingle of what had to be magic through me.

  I nodded and closed my eyes, focusing on myself. Sharp stabs of pain shot through my chest and I bolted upright, grabbing for my heart. Air came in short gasps as I tried to fill my battered lungs.

  “You’re supposed to be dying,” the witch said in a gravelly tone.

  My eyes watered from my struggle to breathe, blurring my vision. I barely made out the cloaked figure coming for me.

  God, no. I couldn’t fight the witch in this state. I was less than helpless. Rolling to my side, I got my knees underneath myself, intending to crawl if I had to.

  But then there was a ball of blue light, followed by strong arms lifting me up. “Time to go, my lovely Pyper,” Julius whispered to me.

  I stared up at him, awestruck that a ghost was rescuing me from a crazy witch. We rounded the corner to the side yard, barely avoiding another magical attack. Light shot past us and crashed into the house next door, blowing a hole right through the wall.

  Julius growled and picked up the pace, sprinting through the gate. He paused for just a second to kick it closed, once again saving us from a magical attack. The gate burst into wood fragments that flew all around us. Julius grunted and stumbled but didn’t slow until he got to the driver’s side of my Bug. He pulled the door open and dumped me in.

  “Go. Now. Don’t look back.” He slammed my door shut and turned to face the magical onslaught.

  My hands shook as I fumbled for my keys, and then I froze as the witch launched a heavy stream of black magic right at Julius. It hit him square in the chest. His body vibrated with the invasion.

  My fingers wouldn’t work. How was I supposed to leave him there to endure the torture? I had to help him somehow. But then Julius turned to me, his expression full of anguish, and he mouthed, “Go.”

  I heard his voice in my mind and felt a nudge as if he’d spelled me. My fingers tightened around the keys, and without any more thought, I fired the car to life.

  He nodded his encouragement.

  And with tears streaming down my face, I took off down the road. When I got to the intersection, I glanced back.

  Julius was standing in the middle of the street, his hands held out, taking in every last ounce of the witch’s magic. They seemed to be locked in a death match, with the witch growing weaker by the second until the magic completely vanished. The witch fell to one knee, his head bent. Had he drained all his magic into Julius? Was he too weak to continue to fight? A venomous streak of hatred pulsed through me, and I wished with all my heart that was true. That Julius would send him to hell where he belonged.

  Julius stared down at the black-magic user, and then just when I thought he was going to release the magic back into the witch, he held his hands out to his sides and burst into a fiery ball of flame.

  “Julius!” I cried, already twisting the wheel to turn around.

  He’ll be fine, Pyper. Do what he asked and just get out of here, Lily demanded. You’re running out of time.

  My eyes widened as I watched the robed witch rise and turn toward me. Magic was already crackling over his cloak.

  I slammed my foot down on the accelerator and drove as fast as my Bug would go. I made it a half a block before another onslaught of panic se
t in.

  Jade!

  She’d been at that house and Julius and I had left her there. What was wrong with me? I fumbled around the console until I found my phone. The car jerked as I pulled to a sudden stop on the side of the road. With shaking hands, I frantically scrolled through my contacts until I landed on Jade’s name.

  The phone immediately went to voice mail again.

  “Dammit!” I couldn’t go back. I could barely sit upright, much less fight a rogue witch. I needed someone fast.

  “Kane,” I breathed and instantly felt better. Why hadn’t I thought of him before? He was an incredibly powerful demon hunter with the ability to enter the shadow world—the place where lost spirits roamed—at one point and exit it at another. He could be with Jade within seconds.

  I should’ve called him the moment Julius had said it was dangerous. But I hadn’t really believed him or understood the danger. Idiot. I hit Kane’s number. “Please pick up. Please pick up. Please—”

  “Hey, Pyper. What’s up?” The sound of light chattering filtered over the phone.

  “It’s Jade. She’s in trouble.”

  There was a pause, then Kane cleared his throat. “What do you mean?”

  “Take this address down.” I rattled off the location Jade had texted to me and added, “She told me to meet her there, but when I did, I was attacked. I had to leave before I could find her. You need to get there ASAP before anything happens. There’s an out-of-control black-magic witch on a rampage.”

  My heart was pounding against my ribs as I sucked in a breath. My head spun and I was afraid I’d pass out.

  “Where are you now?”

  “Huh?” I glanced in my rearview mirror, terrified the witch was still coming after me. I saw nothing but eased out onto the road anyway.

  “Where are you?”

  “Jackson Street. I’m headed home.”

  “Pull over.” His tone was insistent.

  “Why?” I sped up, going through a yellow light. A small dog darted out into the road and I swerved to the right, barely missing it. “Oh my God!”

  “Pyper! What is going on?”