by Deanna Chase
I stopped the car, my entire body trembling. “I almost hit a dog.” Tears burned my eyes and fell silently down my cheeks. The only thing I wanted right then was my bed.
“What’s the cross street?”
I glanced up. “Prytania.”
“Hold on.”
“No. You have to get to Jade.” But the line was full of static and I wasn’t sure he’d heard me. “Kane?”
A knock on my window sent me almost through the roof. I cried out, dropping the phone in my surprise.
“It’s me. Open up.”
I focused on the man outside my car door and pushed the door open. “Kane!”
His arms wrapped around me, half holding me up as I clung to him. “Are you okay?”
I nodded into his chest. He had shadow walked. But not to where I’d told him to go. I pulled back abruptly. “You have to go to Jade. Get in the car.” I pointed to the passenger’s side and started to climb back in.
“No.” He clasped his hand over my arm, stopping me, and shook his head. “Jade’s been at Lucien’s. I was with her when you called.”
“That’s not possible. She texted, saying she was at that address and to meet her there. I was there within ten minutes.”
He frowned. “I’ve been with her all night. She doesn’t even have her phone. She lost it.”
I opened my mouth and closed it, not sure what to say. I glanced down the street. But I didn’t even know what I was looking for. The witch? Julius? Neither was anywhere to be seen.
Kane slipped his arm through mine and led me to the passenger door. Holding it open, he said, “Let’s go. We’ll figure this out once we get home.”
I nodded and got in. Kane shut the door while I searched the floorboards for my phone. Jade’s last messages stared back at me. If she didn’t have her phone, then those had come from someone else. But who? The witch?
Kane slipped into the driver’s seat, and without saying another word, put the car in gear and took off down the street.
Chapter 10
By the time we pulled to a stop in front of Kane’s house, Jade and Lucien were already there. They were standing on his porch waiting for us.
“What happened?” Jade asked as Kane practically carried me inside. I was tucked against him with his arm around my waist.
I grimaced.
“She could use an energy boost,” Kane said and deposited me on the couch in the living room.
“I’ll get it,” Lucien said quietly to Jade. His normally perfectly groomed blond hair was sticking straight up, and he had a red wine stain on his pale blue shirt.
“Thanks. Can you bring a glass of water too?” she asked.
“Sure.” He took off toward the back of the house, his dress shoes clicking against the hardwood floors.
“What happened to him?” I asked.
Jade sat beside me and placed her hand on my forehead. “You’re cold.”
Was I? I could barely feel anything anymore. I tucked my feet up, pressing into the arm of the couch. “I’m fine.”
Jade studied me, her eyes narrowed in disbelief.
I averted my gaze, not ready to talk about what had happened. Now that I knew Jade was safe, all I wanted to do was curl into a ball and forget the horrors of the past hour.
“Pyper—” Jade started.
“What’s with Lucien? He looks like you just dragged him out of a whorehouse.”
Jade chuckled at that. So did Lucien, who’d reappeared without my noticing.
“I was working on a new potion and overheated one of the ingredients. It exploded and sent a bolt of magic back at me. I took a decent shock, but I’ll survive.”
“And the wine stain?” I raised one eyebrow, fully aware I was stalling.
Jade grinned. “That was after, when he was trying to calm his nerves.”
Lucien narrowed his green eyes and cast her a sidelong glance. “You don’t have to sound so gleeful.”
“I’m not gleeful.” But her dancing eyes betrayed her.
When we all just stared at her, she shrugged. “Oh, okay fine. Maybe I’m a little gleeful. I think this is the first time I’ve ever seen you flub a spell. It’s nice to know you’re human.”
Lucien rolled his eyes and sat on the coffee table in front of me. “She’s heartless.”
I knew he was joking. They both were. And normally I’d be right in the thick of it, but I didn’t have the energy or the will to engage. Instead I was horrified when the tears started to fall again. I wiped at my eyes and mumbled, “This isn’t happening. Forget you saw anything.”
Jade’s hand slipped into mine. I fully expected her to ask more questions, to do her best to get the story out of me, but she didn’t. She just sat there, waiting. And watching. Damn her.
Lucien handed me a green pill I recognized as an energy enhancer from the Herbal Connection. I popped it in my mouth and took the glass of water he offered.
My body started to come to life as a peace settled over me. I straightened and pulled my hand from Jade’s, mortified at my breakdown. “I’m fine.”
“Good.” Kane sat in a chair, crossing his leg over one knee.
He had a no-nonsense air about him that made me smile. He was done coddling me, and it was exactly what I needed.
I passed the phone to Jade. “I got those texts from your phone right after I was done with the photo shoot, but judging by the events of the past hour, I’m guessing they didn’t come from you.”
Her brow furrowed as she shook her head. “I lost my phone. It happened sometime after we left the café. I noticed it was gone a few hours ago.”
The lightbulb went off and I said, “It happened right after we left work when you dropped your purse. Everything spilled all over the place. You must have lost it then.”
Her frown deepened. “You’re saying someone found it and randomly texted you?”
“No.” Kane leaned in. “Not random. It sounds like you were targeted and your phone stolen on purpose.”
“I agree,” I said, rubbing at my temple. The herbal pill was working, but it didn’t stop a stress headache from forming. “Especially since the person who attacked me was a black-magic user.”
Jade’s eyes went wide as her entire body tensed. “A witch attacked you?”
I nodded. “She or, hell, he—I’m not even sure—tried to magically strangle me. I would’ve died if it hadn’t been for my guides urging me on and then Julius carrying me out of there.”
“Julius!” Jade jumped up. “He was with you?”
“Yeah. It appears he has a connection to me and can sometimes show up wherever I am.” I gnawed on my lower lip, trying to force the image of him exploding into millions of pieces from my mind. Would I see him again? My heart ached a little at the thought.
“Start from the beginning.”
Lucien took notes as I walked them through the events of the night. By the time I was done, Jade was pacing. “Do you think the witch was trying to complete the ritual?”
“I guess. I was being strangled, but I have no idea what the endgame was.” I pressed my hand to my throat, wondering if I had bruises. It felt like I should, but when magic was involved, one never knew what to expect.
Jade turned to Lucien. “This is exactly what we wanted to talk to you about. I was just waiting for Pyper. Is this something we can research? Find out from the Witch’s Council if there’s any information from when Julius was on the case?”
“We can try. They aren’t well-known for sharing information though. Likely they’d want to deal with the black-magic user themselves.”
“Like hell,” I said. “Unless they’re going to start investigating tomorrow, I’m not going to sit back and do nothing. Waiting to be murdered isn’t on my to-do list. Not this week.”
Jade stopped in her tracks and placed her hands
on her hips. “I think we should at least ask first.”
“That’s one way of approaching things,” I said dryly.
Jade let out a sigh. “I know you don’t want to wait around. Neither do I, but short of barging back into the witch’s house, I’m not sure where else to start.”
“We can find out who owns that house and do a background check,” Lucien said, surprising me. He almost always sided with Jade’s suggestions, being that she was the leader of their coven.
Jade pressed her lips into a thin line. “That’s true. We can see if there’s any other connection between Shelby and Ruby as well.”
I stood. “It’s settled then. I’m going home.”
Everyone stared at me as if I’d just said I was an alien with larvae babies.
Smiling, I waved toward the door. “Anyone want to walk me?”
Kane cleared his throat. “You’re not staying here?”
I forced a smile. “Well, no. All I want is my own bed and a fresh change of clothes.” Mine were dirty and still damp from my attack on the lawn.
“I’d prefer it if you stayed here,” Jade said glancing from me to Kane. She met his gaze and jabbed her chin at me, clearly intending for him to talk me into staying.
I stifled a sigh. I should stay. I knew that. Jade and Kane were extremely powerful. If the witch came for me again, they were more than capable of keeping me safe. But the urge to go home was rendering me irrational.
Liar, Tru said in my head. That’s not why you want to go home.
Frowning, I ignored her.
You’re hoping Julius will be there.
I waved my hand as if I were swatting away a fly. She was right, but dammit, it was none of her business. “At least let me go home for fresh clothes and my toothbrush.”
“I’ll go with you.” Jade gave Kane a look and they did that thing where an unspoken communication passed between them. I knew Kane well enough to know he hated the idea of letting either of us out of his sight after what had happened. And I also knew Jade was going to do whatever she wanted. She was that kind of witch.
Lucien walked to the door. “I can access the Witch’s Council database from the house. If anything comes up, I’ll call. If not, we’ll have to wait until an official inquiry can be made.”
“How long does an official inquiry take?” I asked.
“Could be days, could be months. It all depends on what it is and how much information they’re willing to part with. There has to be something if Julius was officially assigned to Grace as her guardian.”
“Gotcha.”
Lucien clasped his hand on my shoulder as he slipped out the door.
“Thanks, Lucien,” Jade called.
He raised his hand in acknowledgment but didn’t turn around.
“Well,” Jade said, “it looks like we’re all taking a trip to casa la Rayne.” She glanced at Kane and smirked.
I laughed. “Of course we are.”
Kane gave us a satisfied smile. “Let’s go.”
The three of us filed out of the house. It didn’t escape me that Jade walked half a step in front of me and Kane was behind us. My two best friends were tag-teaming me. And I had to admit it was nice. My heart warmed. If I’d been a more sentimental person, I’d have hugged them both. Instead, I purposely brushed my arm against Jade’s, knowing she’d sense my emotions from the small contact.
And sure enough, her eyes softened as she gazed at me, and her lips curled into a pleased smile. “You know—”
“Stop right there.” I held my hand up. “There’s no need to say anything.” Winking, I waved for her to take the lead through the thickening crowds on Bourbon Street.
She let out an amused huff and stepped in front of me.
By the time we made it to my apartment, I’d stepped in beer at least twice and had barely avoided being knocked down by two women scrambling for a strand of Mardi Gras beads someone had thrown from a balcony.
“Son of a monkey,” I said, unlocking my door. “It’s already ugly out there.”
“It’s good for business,” Kane said.
“Can’t argue with that.” I waved for them to wait in the living room while I scurried into my bedroom. I pushed the door closed and leaned against it, just breathing. The cool air rushed past my lips and filled my battered lungs, causing a tightening in my chest. As much as I wanted to forget, there was no ignoring the fact I’d been viciously attacked.
I ran my hand lightly over my neck, pressing gently. The flesh was tender and raw. Reluctantly, I dragged myself to the bathroom and peered into the mirror. I winced at the reflection staring back at me.
My hair was ratted as if I hadn’t brushed it for days, a streak of dirt covered my forehead, and my poor neck, while it wasn’t black and blue, was definitely swollen, resembling an allergic reaction. At least that would be easier to explain than someone trying to strangle me. I hastily washed my face, trying desperately to ignore the dark bags under my eyes. Good gracious. I looked horrible.
“Pyper?”
Julius? I spun, my heart nearly bursting out of my chest.
“I made coffee. Want a cup?”
My heart sank as disappointment set in. It was Kane. “Yeah, sure,” I forced out, not interested in the least. It was what he expected me to say and was better than explaining that even though I’d been attacked, my biggest worry was that I might not see Julius again. Lily had been right. The only reason I’d insisted on coming home was because I was hoping Julius would be here waiting.
Sighing, I pulled out my toiletry bag and started stuffing it with essentials. When I retreated to the bedroom, I spotted my favorite coffee mug sitting on my dresser. It was prepared exactly the way I liked. With Baileys Irish Cream. Did my friends know me or what?
I downed the contents of the mug, grabbed my bag, and wandered back into the living room. Jade hovered near the door while Kane sat in one of my linen chairs, his hands clasped and his head down. His worry for me was coming through loud and clear.
“Hey,” I said softly. “Ready to take me back to Chez Rouquette, where you and Jade can tag-team keeping me safe?”
He jumped up from the chair and wrapped his arm around my shoulders. “You have no idea. I’d lock you in the guestroom if I didn’t think you’d call the cops on me.”
I let out a wry laugh. “Lucky for you, the NOPD is on my shit list right now. But don’t even think about it.”
His arm tightened around me as he kissed the top of my head. “Let’s get out of here.”
Chapter 11
I sat at Jade’s kitchen table, a steaming cup of fresh coffee in front of me. The non-Irish kind. “The Internet is failing me,” I said to Jade and winced as I turned her direction. My neck had stiffened up overnight, and I could barely move it. I’d had to call Holly to get her to cover the café for me.
Jade shuffled over, still wearing her bathrobe. She had a piece of toast in one hand and a chai tea in the other. “What are you looking for?”
“Not what. Who.” I typed in Ruby’s Vintage Treasures and came up with nothing but listing after listing of her shop. Her death hadn’t even made the news. Which was unheard of and highly suspicious. I twisted the laptop in Jade’s direction. “See, it’s just odd. I can’t find anything about Ruby at all. She has virtually no online presence.”
Jade sat in the chair next to me and studied the screen. She tried another search, then another, and when she came up empty, she sat back, crossing her arms over her chest. “No luck.”
“Maybe Ruby isn’t her real name.” I pulled the computer back and went to the city’s assessor site and typed in Ruby’s shop address. “Aha!” I pointed to the owner of record. Estelle R. Charles. “I bet the R is for Ruby.”
“Even if Ruby wasn’t the owner of the building, I bet Estelle would have some information. What are we looking for exac
tly?” Jade grabbed a pen and jotted the name down.
“Ruby’s place of residence would be a start. We know she has a daughter. Maybe she knows something. After my visit with the NOPD the other night, I doubt they’re going to do anything to help me. And I can’t see going to them and saying, ‘Hey, I was the victim of a magical attack. I think I’m next.’”
Jade frowned. “No. That won’t work. Besides, it’s smarter to go to the council for protection if that’s what you’re after.”
“Isn’t that what I have you for?” I smirked and then turned my attention back to the computer, searching for Estelle.
“Well, actually… yes.” Her soft tone was full of conviction.
I glanced at her. “I know. I wasn’t joking around. Why would we call in a bodyguard when I have you and Kane?” And Julius, I hoped, but I couldn’t say that out loud without sounding like a pathetic loser.
“Exactly.” She took a sip of her chai.
I went back to my searching. Estelle didn’t have an Internet presence either. Again I went to the assessor’s site and ran a search for any property Estelle owned. The shop came up and so did one other listing. A surprised gasp got caught in my throat. “Holy shit crackers.” I pointed to the screen. “Do you see that?”
Jade peered over my shoulder and studied the search page. “What am I looking at?”
I thrust my hand out, jabbing my forefinger against the computer screen. “The address. Do you recognize it at all?”
She squinted. “No, I… Wait a minute.” Recognition dawned in her eyes and she grabbed my phone that was sitting in the middle of the table. After a quick confirmation, she put it down and stared openmouthed at me. “The place you were lured to last night. It was Ruby’s place.”
She said it as if she knew for sure.
I shrugged. “Maybe. If Estelle is Ruby. But why would someone lure me there?”
Jade tapped her pen on the notebook and rubbed the back of her neck with two fingers. “It’s too coincidental, unless Estelle is the murderer. Which doesn’t make a lot of sense to commit the crime at her own house.”