by Deanna Chase
“What is going on?” I forced out as I wiped my watering eyes. “Madam Tempest, what do you mean, ‘unleash the dragon’?”
The leader of the Witches’ Council turned her head, finally acknowledging my presence. “Jade Calhoun,” she said flatly. “I would’ve thought you’d have enough good sense to stay away from the dragon business after the incident earlier this summer.”
“I don’t have any idea what you’re talking about,” I said indignantly. “Did the dragon escape again?”
“No.” She snapped her fingers, and Harper moved from behind the counter, her limbs jerky. It was obvious the young woman was being forced against her will as Madam Tempest pointed at her and then the door, causing Harper to march outside.
Madam Tempest and her minions followed. The second the three of them stepped onto the sidewalk, the foursome disappeared into the ether.
“Holy shit,” Pyper said, her eyes wide as she stared at the empty sidewalk.
“You can say that again.”
A small bark sounded from behind us as the chocolate-colored puppy with velvet-textured fur darted out from behind the counter. The little dog skidded to a stop in front of the door, growled, and then opened her mouth and let out a roar of pure fire.
2
Pyper blinked, her eyes wide. “What the hell just happened?”
We both stared at the small animal who stood in the middle of the store, smoke seeping out of her nostrils.
“I don’t know, but what is that?” I asked in a whisper, not at all sure the creature couldn’t understand me. It looked like a miniature schnauzer, but if it could breathe fire, who knew what it actually was or what else it could do?
The imposter dog trotted over to me and rubbed her head against my leg.
“Looks like a fire-breathing puppy to me,” Pyper said.
I gave her a flat stare. “Thanks, captain obvious.”
She shrugged one shoulder. “I do what I can.”
“What is that smell!” Vic shouted as he stormed down the stairs.
Pyper and I grimaced at each other. In the excitement, I’d forgotten that Vic was even in the store. His boots hit the wood floors, the sound echoing through the building.
His eyes were bulging and his face red as he came to a stop a few feet from us and roared, “Who lit the door on fire?”
My gaze landed on the door in question. It wasn’t actually on fire; it was just charred a little. The fire-breathing dog scooted to hide behind me. I couldn’t say I blamed her. Vic was pissed.
“A few witches from the council were here. They arrested Harper,” I said, ignoring his question.
“Witches’ Council? Harper’s a witch?” His brow furrowed in confusion.
“I don’t think so. She said she wasn’t.” All I knew was that she had something to do with dragons, which were a major sore spot with the council. I glanced down at the fire-breathing beast and wondered if she was going to turn into a winged creature at any moment. I reached down and scooped her up.
“What are you doing?” Pyper whispered, eyeing the dog with wariness.
“We can’t leave her here,” I said.
The chocolate-colored ball of fur curled into my arms and pressed her little face against my chest. But as I patted her head, she let out a small burp, followed by a burst of fire. Intense heat blew by my arm, the fire barely missing me.
“Whoa!” I jerked my body back and held her away from me. “Careful. You’re gonna hurt someone that way.”
She gave me a sheepish look and tucked her muzzle into her body as she started to shake.
“Goddess above, I think she’s scared,” I said to Pyper, snuggling her against my chest again.
“Scared!” Vic yelled. “That thing did this to the door, didn’t it? I knew there was something wrong with that dog the minute Harper brought her in here. No puppy is that well behaved. I knew it had to be possessed.” Vic grabbed the phone and sent us a disgusted glare. “You should let animal control take it before it burns your face off.”
“She’s not possessed,” I said, hoping I was speaking the truth. But she very well could be, and that was a strong reason for not turning her over to a mundane city authority. Fear and anxiety were clinging to the dog, making her shake slightly. And that more than anything was what convinced me to take her home. Usually I couldn’t sense an animal’s emotional energy, so that likely meant the dog wasn’t really a dog. Maybe a familiar.
“We’ll take her to a shelter,” Pyper said.
What? I mouthed. No freaking way were we dropping her off at some random shelter.
Pyper sent me a shut up look. Then she said, “And we’ll find out why the Witches’ Council arrested Harper.”
“Don’t bother. The manager is going to have a shit-fit when he sees this destruction.” Vic grumbled as he punched numbers on the phone. “You’ll want to have that beast far from here when he arrives, otherwise it won’t be pretty.”
I tightened my hold on the dog. “What does that mean?”
“It means that dog isn’t long for this world if Zeph gets his hands on it.” Vic turned his back to us, pressed the phone to his ear, and said, “Zeph? It’s Vic. We have a problem.”
“We better go,” I said to Pyper, concerned for both the dog and Harper.
She grabbed our packages from the counter and nodded. “I’m right behind you.”
“We need to get in touch with Mati,” I said, pulling a half-eaten cheesecake out of my fridge. We were back at the house I shared with Kane in the French Quarter and had congregated in the kitchen at the back of the shotgun double. “If Harper really is friends with her, Mati might have some clue what Madam Tempest meant when she said Harper was trying to unleash dragons. She also might know what Harper was talking about when she said something was brewing in New Orleans.”
“And Bea and Lailah,” Pyper added and took a sip of coffee. “If it has to do with dragons, they’ll need to know.”
I eyed her mug wistfully and did a mental calculation of how long it would be before I could partake in the glorious caffeine-filled beverage. “I think we should find out what we’re up against before we call in the cavalry. Besides, if Harper’s really messing with dragons, maybe there’s nothing to worry about. Maybe the council is already on top of things.”
Pyper raised both eyebrows. “You don’t really believe that though, do you? They didn’t exactly handle the Conor thing very well.”
“I honestly don’t know.” I sliced off a piece of cheesecake and took a bite before I added, “You’re right. They completely botched the Conor thing, and there seemed to be a lot of politicking going on. But Bea doesn’t have the best relationship with them, and Lailah is busy dealing with angel stuff up in the angel realm. I think I just want to get a handle on what’s happening before we bother them. We don’t even know anything yet.”
“I could call Julius, see if he’s heard anything,” Pyper offered. Her fiancé worked for the council, but his cases were much more low profile than one that might involve dragons.
“You can try,” I said. “Doubtful he knows anything.”
She nodded her agreement, then stared me in the eye as she asked, “Are you sure you don’t want to call Bea? Her connections are unparalleled.”
“I’m sure.” Bea had retired from the coven some months back, and I hated bringing every unusual thing right to her doorstep. She’d retired for a reason. Besides, she’d helped me research and understand dragon lore a few months back, and it was clear she’d shared all her dragon knowledge with me then. I’d be shocked if she knew anything about unleashing dragons, whatever that meant.
“And what about that little ball of joy?” Pyper asked, pointing to the schnauzer.
The dog was lying flat on her belly, nose to nose with Duke, my golden retriever ghost dog. The schnauzer might have been a fire-breathing beast, but Duke seemed to like her and that was good enough for me.
“She can stay here with us for the time being.”
/> Pyper gave me a look. “What if she burps and burns your eyebrows off?”
I chuckled. “I’ll just have to keep my distance. That creature isn’t a dog, and in the hands of the mundane, she’d be in serious danger.”
“And so would they. You’re probably right to keep her. So, first plan of action?”
“Head to Coven Pointe and find Mati. Want to join me?” I put the cheesecake back in the fridge and grabbed the leftover mac and cheese.
“Uh, yes. You don’t think I’m letting you go by yourself, do you?” she asked, her tone incredulous.
I laughed. “I’m just going to talk to a friend, Pyper. Not break Harper out of the witch jail.”
“Yeah, sure.” One eyebrow was raised as she studied me. “And when she tells you Harper is just an innocent college girl, what then? Are you just going to leave her in the Witches’ Council’s hands, or are you going to storm the castle so to speak and demand she be released?”
I shrugged. She was right of course. If I was certain Harper was innocent and the council had overstepped, I couldn’t do nothing. I’d probably demand her release. But what I’d do after that remained to be seen. “You wouldn’t let her sit in jail and do nothing either.”
“I’m not seven months pregnant.”
“But you have a brother you’re responsible for and a fiancé,” I countered as I put the mac and cheese in the microwave. “Can we just wait until we know something before we have this fight?”
“What fight?” Kane said, appearing out of thin air. His dark hair was slightly mussed, and to my eyes he was sexy as hell in his low-slung jeans and tight white T-shirt.
Pyper jumped and placed a hand on her heart. “Holy hell! I swear, we need to put a bell on you. You should warn a person before you do that,” she said to him, frowning.
Kane was an incubus and a member of the Brotherhood, an organization that kept the city safe from demons. He was also a Shadow Walker, which meant he could walk between worlds and slip into the shadows at one location and slip out in another, rendering transportation somewhat unnecessary. I was used to him popping in and out. Pyper clearly wasn’t.
I gave my husband a warm smile and practically floated into his arms. He bent and kissed the top of my head and used one hand to knead the muscles at the base of my neck. I let out a small groan of pleasure. “That feels amazing.”
His chocolate eyes flashed instantly with pure need as he gazed down at me in appreciation. “That sound, Jade… You’re killing me.”
My entire body tingled with his desire as it washed over me, making my skin heat. His incubus nature was in full force, lighting me up like a firecracker. I tried to take a step back, put a bit of distance between us, but he held on, keeping me pressed against his muscular body.
“My god, you two. I’m sitting right here,” Pyper said. “Try to remember that as you’re mentally undressing each other.”
I laughed, my face heating slightly from embarrassment. “Maybe that little black number really will get put to use.”
“Little black number?” Kane asked, his fingers caressing my neck again, sending shivers down my spine.
“You’ll thank me later.” Pyper pumped her eyebrows.
“Sounds like it,” he said, his eyes twinkling. “But just in case I forget, thank you. My libido will be forever grateful for your thoughtfulness.”
“Your libido doesn’t need any help,” I said, fanning myself. Then the microwave beeped, and I stepped away to grab my lunch as I added, “Hey. You’re home early. Does that mean the demon-hunting business is slow today, or are you just regrouping before you and the guys head out for another hunt?”
“Just home early. Apparently it’s too hot even for demons.” He winked and reached past me to grab a beer out of the fridge. Glancing back at Pyper, he asked, “Want one?”
“Yes.” She gave him a decisive nod and leaned back in her chair.
I eyed the Guinness bottles wistfully and sighed as Kane handed me a sparkling water.
“Just a few more months, shortcake,” he said with a warm smile.
I pressed my hands to my belly and felt the familiar peace I always experienced when I focused on our daughter. “It’s fine. I wouldn’t trade this moment for the world.”
His eyes softened as he watched me and then let his gaze fall to my belly. “Me neither.”
Pyper let out an audible sigh. “You guys… Dammit. Now you’re making me teary. You know how much I hate that.”
Kane sat down at the table across from Pyper. “Do you want to hear about the demon we sent back to hell today? He had warts covering his face and spikes sticking out of his ears.”
“Gross,” she said, shaking her head. “That’s quite enough.”
“Okay then.” He took a long swig of his beer, and when he set the bottle down with a thunk, he said, “So, what’s this I hear about my two favorite girls having a fight?”
“We’re not fighting.” I took a seat next to him. After forking a bite of macaroni and cheese, I said, “Not yet anyway.”
“Yes, we are.” Pyper picked at the edge of the label on her beer bottle. “She’s ready to step right into the middle of something that has to do with dragons and the Witches’ Council… again. And I think she should probably stay out of this one.”
I glared at her, tired of being treated like a fragile piece of glass. “Listen. I appreciate the concern, but I’m not going to break. If anything, now that I have the baby on board, I’m more powerful than ever. Besides, so far all we know is that Harper was arrested. We have no idea if she was into anything dangerous. I think you’re overreacting just a little.”
“I think someone needs to fill me in,” Kane said, glancing between us.
At that moment, the little brown schnauzer ran out from behind the kitchen island, barking like a crazy dog as if she’d just realized Kane had arrived. She skidded to a stop at his feet, sniffed his leg, then started to growl.
“Who might this be?” he asked me, both eyebrows raised.
“Harper’s… uh, dog?” I said with a small grimace.
“You say that like you’re not sure. It definitely looks like a dog to me.” He glanced down at the puppy, who was still growling but had backed up and was now pressing herself against my leg.
“She has some interesting abilities.” I took a moment to fill him in on the details of the afternoon, including the charring of the store’s door.
“This thing breathes fire?” he asked, peering at the dog.
“She’s not a thing,” I said defensively. “She’s just a fire-breathing puppy. Maybe a familiar.”
“Or a demon,” he said, reaching for her.
Just as his hand went around her middle, she let out a yelp, jumped out of his reach, and let loose another round of fire, charring the leg of the table.
“Jesus!” Kane jerked his hands back and slid his chair a few feet away from her. “That dragon-dog is dangerous. Jade, we can’t have her here. She’ll burn the place to the ground.”
I reached down, waited for the puppy to come to me, and then lifted her into my lap. She was shaking again, and prickles of her fear coated my hands. “No, she definitely isn’t a demon.” My tone left no room for debate. “And she’s only breathing fire because she’s frightened. I can feel her emotions. They’re a little more muted than a human’s, but I can definitely feel them.” I met Kane’s eyes, silently pleading. “I can’t take her to a shelter. They won’t know what to do with her. I’ll take her to Mati’s. She’s friends with Harper. Maybe she can watch her until this thing with Harper is resolved.”
He sighed heavily. “Jade… if she can’t, you’re going to bring her back here, aren’t you?”
I gave him a bright smile. “You would too if you’d saved her from being sent to the pound.”
“I doubt it,” he mumbled and shook his head, but I knew in that moment I’d won that round. As much as he wasn’t into a fire-breathing dragon-dog, he was a big softie when it came to animals.
He’d do the same thing if the choice was left to him.
I put the puppy on the floor and moved to stand next to my husband. After draping an arm over his shoulders, I leaned down and kissed him on the cheek. “Thank you.”
He snaked his arm around my hips and rested his hand on my lower belly. “Pyper has a point. The last thing we need right now is you getting into it with the Witches’ Council. And if Harper really is messing with dragons, then maybe they were right to take her. After what happened with Conor, I can’t say I’m crazy about another one flying over the city of New Orleans anytime soon.”
“Don’t worry. I’m not in any hurry to tangle with a dragon or land in jail again,” I said, knowing he was less concerned about my using magic and how it might affect our baby than he was about what the Witches’ Council would do if I got in their way. They weren’t exactly a forgiving group. When it came to their laws, there weren’t any shades of gray. “I just want to talk to Mati and make sure this girl has someone on her side. The council…” I frowned and shook my head. “They tend to imprison first and ask questions later.”
“Can’t argue with that,” Kane said. “Want me to come with?”
“Do you want to? Or would you prefer prepping a bedroom picnic for later? That little black number is sounding better and better all the time,” I said, imagining him running his hands softly over every inch of my bare skin. Earlier an intimate encounter with Kane hadn’t been on my radar, but now that his incubus energy had infiltrated my defenses, I was fully on board. Pregnancy or not, I wanted him, all of him, and soon.
“Bedroom picnic. For sure,” he said and mouthed a thank-you toward Pyper.
“You’re welcome,” she said. “Just remember this when you’re out with Julius and the opportunity to step into a lingerie store comes up. The answer is always yes, and make him get me something scandalous, okay?”
“Got it.” He raised his beer and they clinked the bottles together, both wearing sly, mischievous smiles.