Cover Spell (Ivy Grace Spell Series Book 2)

by T. A. Foster

  “Yeah, babe?” He took a left, and sloshed through yesterday’s leftover puddles.

  “What’s your plan? Are we driving there right now?” I knew he was smarter than that. It was daylight.

  “We need to do a little recon. I want to see if we can at least get a head count on how many hired guns are working for this immortal evil guy.” His right hand was on the steering wheel, and the other arm was propped on the windowsill.

  I tugged on my skirt; it was rising higher up my thigh. “Are you sure we can get in and out of there without being seen?”

  “Shit, yeah. No problem.” Great, he was in his reckless mode. I was getting more nervous as the blocks rolled past us. “Did I tell you yet how hot you look in that skirt?” He smiled and reached across the console to touch my leg.

  “Seriously.” I pushed his fiery fingertips away from my skin. “Focus on the road.”

  He laughed. “Oh, Ivy. Just wait until we get back to the room tonight.”

  Was he still trying to flirt with me with everything going on? I thought about last night. That seemed like it happened days ago, not hours. We were headed to survey security for the evildoer, plan our attack, practice a never-before-heard-of spell, rescue a Hollywood starlit, release an indentured servant from years of a forced bond, and take down New Orleans’s biggest bad. If we could make it through all of that tonight and still be together in one piece, sure, Finn could conjure up any type of fantasy he wanted, but right now envisioning alone time with him on the other side of this mountain was unfathomable.

  He slowed the car to a crawl as he turned onto Canal Street. The street had little resemblance to the 1945 hub for New Orleans most popular train station. The beautiful glass windows and monument-style pillars of Terminal Station were gone. Now, rows of warehouses and a few old office buildings sat where the towering station once stood.

  I shivered at the thought of Emmy being held here. “This is so creepy that he would take Emmy to the place where Josette left the city. He must be completely deranged.” I rubbed my arms up and down in the air-conditioned car. “What do we do now?”

  “Follow me,” he instructed.

  He cut the ignition and hopped out of the driver side of the car. I grabbed my bag and scrambled to catch up to him. He slipped his hand into mine, and we strolled along the sidewalk.

  “Just act like we’re out for a walk, a little N’awlins sightseeing. No big deal. We’ll head this way.” He pointed straight ahead. “Then, we’ll do a U-turn and check out the building on our way back.”

  “Ok. Got it.” I squeezed his arm, and then shimmied up to his side while we walked hand in hand down Canal Street.

  It didn’t take long to feel like we were being watched. The penetration was coming from all angles. I tried to walk nonchalantly and pretend to laugh at something Finn said in my ear. However, by the time we formed our loop at the end of the block, I knew we needed to leave Canal Street. There were eyes on us from the rooftops, street posts, and office windows. This group was professional; they knew there was a massive, on-going manhunt for Emmy, and they weren’t taking any chances. Finn managed to keep our pace slow and effortless all the way back to the car.

  I finally exhaled once I was seat-belted in the passenger seat, and the door closed behind Finn. He started the ignition and turned the car around, back to the Hotel François.

  “Yeah, we’ve got a problem,” he muttered.

  He meandered the car through the narrow streets, and stopped at the red light to let a gaggle of tourists donned with cameras and shopping bags cross the street.

  “I lost count of how many there were. What was your count?” I nervously looked at him.

  “At least fifteen, and we have to assume there are going to be some inside. Not everyone is posted on a rooftop or outside of the building. Dammit. This isn’t going to be as easy as I thought.” He gripped the wheel.

  “But we can still do it, right? The Cover Spell? You still want to do it?” I was worried Finn was backing out.

  “Hey, look at me.”

  He pulled the dark aviator shades off his beautiful face. His eyes sparkled and bits of blue glimmered under those long lashes. I felt my skin start to tingle as his hand rested just below the hem of my skirt, and I felt his fingertips press into my thigh. I needed some kind of reassurance from him. This didn’t feel like it was enough. All day it felt like we were out of rhythm, making decisions on our own, leaving the other one out, and keeping secrets.

  “Babe, I promised you last night I’m not going anywhere. Trust me. I’m here.” The light turned green, and his eyes jumped back to the road. “But, we might have to work on your stun skills if we’re going to get through that guard post.” He winked.

  Great, add one more thing to our to-do list today. I had to master stunning and learn a new spell.

  The car lurched forward, but I didn’t leave all of my nagging doubt behind. He wasn’t sharing everything with me.

  We needed each other to perform the Cover Spell; it was the only way to defeat the evil ahead of us. Madame Chantilly said the spell needed two witches, and the last time I checked, Finn and I were the only witches from Sullen’s Grove in town. We had to be connected, in sync to perform the spell, and at this moment, I didn’t know how we were going to tie ourselves back together.

  “I’LL JUST run up, grab a water and a few things from my room, and meet you back at your room in ten minutes. Sound good?” I tapped the elevator button in the Hotel François lobby.

  “Yeah, good. I see a couple officers from the department. I’ll check in with them and see you upstairs. I want to make sure they are headed in the opposite direction of us tonight,” Finn replied before strolling over to the small group of New Orleans detectives huddled by the coffee stand. I examined furrowed brows and low mumbles; it looked like they were in the middle of a heavy conversation.

  The elevator doors closed behind me, and the car started to ascend to the fifth floor. I watched the numbers light up overhead, and I definitely wasn’t prepared when the elevator stopped on the third floor. The doors retracted and in stepped Evan Carlson. A gym towel draped around his neck. His face was flushed, and his gray T-shirt was wet from a hard workout.

  “Uh, Ivy. Hey.” He looked at me, then the floor. He tugged on either side of the towel.

  I smiled and bit my lip. “Hey, Evan. Good workout?”

  Ok, this was awkward. I searched the elevator for a quick escape, but knew I would have to wait for the excruciatingly long climb to the fifth floor.

  “Yep. It was good. Cardio and arms.” He flexed his bicep and leaned against the wall.

  I tried not to stare. I wanted to say something, anything that would break the uncomfortable exchange. Things had been easy with Evan. Although I knew we hadn’t actually been on an official date, I did like him and he was so damn cute—even all hot and sweaty. However, I didn’t think we had enough between us to explain Finn. What could I say to excuse why I walked away with him last night instead of Evan, especially after I told him I was available? I couldn’t even make sense of it myself, much less try to eke out some kind of relatable story.

  Finally, the doors pulled back, and I turned to the movie star I had slow danced with only a few nights ago. “See ya, Evan.”

  “Yeah, see ya, Ivy.” He reached over to tap the “close door” button, and then he was gone.

  Shoot, I really had ruined my chance with him. Before, I was kind of wondering if I had made up the whole thing in my head, but now I knew I didn’t. It shouldn’t matter. Finn was back in my life.

  I looked at my phone to see if I had enough time to call Holly. I needed to talk this through with her. If anyone could win the Ivy Grace relationship pop quiz contest, it was her. No one else would understand the barrage of men churning in my mind and heart right now. However, that was going to have to wait. We would probably talk for hours. Minimally, this was a one-wine-bottle conversation.

  I shoved my key card into the door, and start
ed gathering up what I needed for tonight. There wasn’t enough time for doubt and second-guessing. Finn needed all my focus and attention if we were going to master the Cover Spell before tonight. My eyes shot to the bed. After last night, I wanted to give that to him.

  We sat in the dark car on Canal Street, and surveyed the team guarding Emmy Harper from the rest of the world. From our vantage point, I couldn’t count the exact number of lookouts or how big their firearm arsenal was. The men paced the perimeters of the buildings, disappearing behind walls and lean-to blockades before reemerging.

  We had waited until after midnight to leave the hotel. The paparazzi forces were growing by the second, but most seemed to take a break after the late night news cycle. With dwindling numbers of journalists, we could set out for the night almost undetected.

  Except for the men who carried guns and were prepared for a surprise attack, I was feeling confident Finn and I were going to be able to pull off this rescue mission.

  We had performed the Cover Spell three times in his room, and after each try, it got easier. Finn was all business—focused on our palms joining, our breath aligning, and our simultaneous timing of casting the spell that would give one of us a protective shield. Ultimately, I would bring down the consul with my Extinguish Spell, but the Cover Spell was our safety net. He stopped arguing with me about my adamant offer to be the one to sacrifice more of my powers.

  Finn withdrew the key from the ignition. “Ready to do this, babe?” He reached across the seat and pulled me close to him, tangling his hands in my hair. His kiss was urgent.

  I pushed back a little to search his eyes. Was he afraid? Was he nervous? No. I didn’t see either emotion. I saw cool, confident Finn. “Yes, babe, I’m ready.”

  We stepped out of the car and linked arms as we walked in the opposite direction of the guarded warehouse. A row of office buildings bordered the street. Once we were around the corner and comfortably out of sight of the guards, we unlinked arms. This was the part of the spell we had to perform individually—our Fade Spells. I lifted my arms and touched my palms overhead. Bits of sparkly dust coated each limb until my body was immersed in the fade glitter. I admired the ease at which Finn transformed into his transparent state. Finn’s body flickered with the glimmer of the spell. We were both ready.

  I waited for Finn to propel himself into the sky before I followed. He thrust himself off the ground with a quick burst of force. I realized this was the first time we would fly together. I couldn’t remember another instance when I had seen him going through his spells so seamlessly and smoothly. Pulling my arms in against my chest, I pushed off the sidewalk until I found Finn suspended in air, waiting for me.

  We needed to take out the henchmen lining the rooftops before entering the warehouse. They were rotating guard posts on the tops of two buildings in front of the warehouse. From that location, they could spot anyone entering or exiting Emmy’s holding place.

  We hovered a hundred feet above the guards before splitting up. He pointed at the building farther away from the warehouse, armed with only two men. Taking the cue, I flew in their direction while Finn flew to the rooftop watched by four sentries.

  I swooped down to hear the conversation transpiring between the two men on my assigned rooftop.

  “What are we even doing up here? This is the strangest deal I’ve ever seen go down. Nothing comes in or out of the warehouse. What do you think we’re guarding?” one of the men asked the other.

  “It doesn’t matter. Shut your mouth and keep an eye out. I don’t need all those details; we’re getting paid, aren’t we? If the boss says this is the job, then this is the job.”

  “Well, maybe I’m not a ‘yes man’ like you are.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  The two were walking toward each other, the discussion escalating to argument status.

  Like a fluttering hummingbird, I zigzagged, observing my targets. I replayed the stun lesson Finn had given me. He had laughed the first time I tried it. Did I really look that funny when I was concentrating on the spell? It didn’t matter—these men couldn’t see me. Quick. Exact. Power. Those were things I needed to focus on. I floated midair, lowering myself in small increments, close enough that the effects of the stun would hit them, but not close enough that I could get caught in a cross fire. I nervously watched as they puffed out their chests, like strutting roosters, and walked closer together. I wasn’t sure I was skilled enough yet to hit them both if they were far apart; this argument was turning out to be useful.

  Before the men had a chance to call out and alert each other, I stunned them. The flashes darted from my palms with force and accuracy, knocking each man in the face. I watched as they each hit the rooftop with heavy thuds. Hmm…I wondered if that would have made Finn laugh. Those guys certainly weren’t smiling.

  I collected their guns, and searched them for more weapons. I had never stunned anyone before, and wasn’t sure how long they would be asleep. Finn assured me we had at least an hour before they would come to. He had stunned more than his share of assailants and criminals. Using the Fade Spell for something other than anonymity was foreign to me, and I didn’t want to admit it was slightly thrilling to use it for something dangerous.

  I chucked their weapons in a dumpster behind the building and flew toward Finn, who hovered atop the second building. He was waiting for me on the roof. A pile of guards lay at his feet.

  “These guys won’t be bothering us soon. Any problems?”

  “No, it was pretty easy. All good.” And it was. The fiery charge of the Stun Spell came easily to me. I was starting to catch glimpses of why Finn blurred some of the magical lines we lived within.

  “Let’s go. We’ve got another group waiting for us.” He nodded in the direction of the warehouse entrance.

  I saw a few men milling about under an exposed lightbulb. One was taking a drag of a cigarette, and the others were leaning against the broken windows of the building. Each one was loaded with a gun. I took a deep breath. You can do this, Ivy.

  It was hard to believe this is where the monstrous train station once stood. I surveyed the building now standing in its place. I didn’t see any more guards other than the three by the door. Luckily for us, the crew must have lightened up for the night. Something was going our way.

  We walked to the ledge of the rooftop and leapt upward. We landed near the armed guards, careful not to alert them to their uninvited visitors. I was prepared to stun at least one, but before I could even muster the spell in my head, Finn had flattened all three. He was quick and skilled. I was impressed with my ex’s stunning talents.

  With the outside security handled, we let ourselves into the building and examined the hideout of the infamous immortal consul. The building was dark and damp. The warehouse didn’t appear to be used anymore. There were broken pieces of glass, stacks of metal beams, and lots of trash littered throughout the building. I imagined rats and other creatures probably found it homey. I tried to avoid the shallow puddles on the floor. It had been a long time since this place had any roof repairs. I stayed close to Finn, shadowing his detective moves. I had never seen him on an actual case, and I had to admit he was somehow even hotter in action. How was that possible?

  Our ears perked at the sound of a muffled conversation at the other end of the room.

  Finn brought his finger to his lips, to signal we couldn’t talk, and pointed ahead to the light streaming through the underside of a closed door. The voices were louder now, and we strained to hear the conversation.

  “But, I’ve told you, I’m not Josette. I’m just an actress.” We heard small sobs follow. “Please, please let me go.”

  “No! Silence! You have disobeyed me long enough, Josette.”

  I recognized the sound of Consul Henri’s voice, and knew we had found the city’s immortal evil. Little shivers ran along my arms. Poor Emmy. He really was insane.

  “You will obey me. You will be a dutiful daughter. Now, tell m
e how sorry you are you ran away,” he barked.

  “Do you want money? I can get you money. How much?” Emmy pleaded.

  “How dare you insult me. I don’t need money.” I thought I heard the sound of a slap. “You are ungrateful. Even now. You’ve betrayed your own papa.”

  We crept closer to get a peek through the opening of the door. It was hard to see, but Emmy’s hotel and talent trailer belongings were piled in stacks around the room. Her colorful costumes were strewn everywhere. She was sitting in a chair with her hands and feet bound with yellow rope. There were a few other guards in the room, but I couldn’t count them through the small sliver of vision I had. I leaned back.

  All we could hear through the door were more sobs. Emmy wasn’t going to be able to take much more of the psychotic threats. We had to get in there and set her free.

  “Finn, it’s time. We need to do the Cover Spell if I’m going to extinguish his power.” My voice was low and urgent. Even though I couldn’t see her, I couldn’t imagine leaving Emmy in there for one more second.

  He reached for my hand and pulled me around the side of a metal staircase that was hanging on to the second floor by only a few screws. If the consul did emerge from the room, the stairs would shield us from his line of sight.

  “You trust me, Ivy?” His crystal blue eyes stared right through me, and I had to catch my breath. His question was laden with so many other implications, but he needed only one answer.

  “Of course, I do. We can do this.” I squeezed his hands.

  During our spell practice, Finn was unusually attentive and focused. The way he posed the question made my little red flag start waving in the air. What was going on with him right now?

  “Whatever happens tonight, I want you to know—”

  “You are really starting to scare me.” I felt nervous bubbles dancing in my stomach. We were in the middle of a magical crisis, and he was launching into a speech. A speech that had the slightest resemblance to that night in Savannah before we Time Spelled.