by Deanna Chase
“We’ve got that covered,” Fitch insisted, his hand slipping into his pocket. The fabric was already bulging, and it had nothing to do with his man-package. “You’ll be notified if there’s anything of interest.”
“What’s that in your pocket?” I asked.
Self-satisfaction streamed off him in waves of putrid body odor that smelled like rotten oranges, and I decided right then and there that Fitch’s soul was rotten to the core. Should he be a suspect? I made a mental note to put him on the list. I’d engaged with my fair share of council witches over the years. Some were self-serving, some were plain evil, and some were just decent witches trying to do their jobs. But this guy? He was vindictive and clearly got off on power. He seemed the type who would snatch women and hide them away in a bayou shack in order to build a dragon army.
He leered at me, pumped his eyebrows, and sidled up next to me, rubbing his thigh on my hip. “Want to find out?”
“If you don’t stop touching me—”
“If you don’t stop touching me,” he echoed in a mocking voice. “What are you gonna do about it, white witch? Gonna go toe-to-toe with the big bad wolf? And while you’re knocked up no less?” He threw his head back and laughed. “You’re playing with fire, little girl.”
“Keep talking and you’ll find out real quick what I’m capable of, Fitch,” I said with a snarl, ready to crush his balls with my bare hands.
His face turned to stone as he stared me down with his icy gaze. “You’re a pawn, Jade Calhoun. Don’t think the council gives two shits about you. If someone needs to take the fall for this, it’ll be you. Mark my words. Now play ball or get the hell out of the way.”
I had no doubt he was speaking the truth. If dragons came to power in New Orleans, the council would have to blame it on someone. It suddenly made sense why they’d picked Pyper and me up and forced us to work for them. We’d be the fall guys. But I wasn’t going to let that happen. I took two steps back, putting distance between us, and met his contemptuous glare with one of my own. “And what exactly is it I’m expected to do in order to play ball?”
“Isn’t it obvious?” he asked, shaking his head in disbelief. “You work with the council, not against us. And that means sharing information.”
“You first.” I crossed my arms over my chest and briefly cut my gaze to the bulge in his pocket.
His lips curved into that sleazy smile again. “I’ll show you the goods later. Right now, you and your freak sidekick need to vacate the property. You don’t have authorization to be here.”
“Yes, she does,” Willa said, storming in, her eyes blazing with contempt. She stopped beside me and faced Fitch. “I’m Harper’s cousin and next of kin. You have to get permission from me to search her place.” She pointed at Fitch. “You’re the one who’s trespassing. I suggest you leave before the NOPD gets here.”
“They don’t have jurisdiction over the council,” Fitch said, not moving.
“Do you have a warrant?” I asked him. “Or permission from Harper to enter her residence?” I knew the answer to both was no. The council didn’t bother with warrants. They conducted business in their own way. The NOPD would back them up, but not until it went up the chain. If a rank-and-file officer showed up, Fitch and Myers would be asked to leave.
“We’re done here anyway,” Myers said, suddenly appearing in the room. “Come on, Fitch. We need to get back to the council grounds anyway.”
“Not until you show me what’s in that pocket,” I said. “What are you taking, Fitch?”
“None of your damned business.” He turned and started to make his way out into the hall.
What a complete jackass. There was no way I was letting him get away with walking out of there with whatever was in his pocket. Without an ounce of guilt, I called my magic up. But instead of throwing a bolt of magic at him, I imagined the thread in his pocket unraveling and whatever he’d taken falling out onto the carpet in the hallway.
“You’re just going to let him leave?” Willa asked incredulously.
I nodded and whispered, “Wait for it.”
We both moved to the open door and watched as Myers and Fitch strode to the stairwell. Just as they took their first steps, a gorgeous blue geode tumbled silently to the floor. Fitch never even looked back.
I grinned at her, calmly walked over and grabbed the geode, and made my way back into the room, hoping Fitch wouldn’t notice it was gone until he and Myers were back at council headquarters.
When I heard the front door slam, I turned to Willa. “Any idea what this is and why they wanted it?”
She frowned and started to shake her head, but as she took it in her hand, her mouth dropped open and she let out a small gasp. “Jade,” she whispered. “It’s calling to me.”
“What?” I took it back from her, trying to understand what she was experiencing. But all I felt was a cool piece of rock that didn’t even carry any energy. Or at least no human energy. I put it back into her hand, wrapped her fingers around it, and raised my hand, stopping her when she tried to talk. “Give me a minute. I want to try something.”
She stilled, and I called my magic to the surface, pushing it toward her, reading her.
Her energy overwhelmed me, soaking into me bone deep. A familiar wave of awe and urgency consumed me, and it didn’t take me long to figure out Willa was experiencing the same phenomenon that I had back at the music hall. Like she was compelled to seek someone or something out.
I let go of her hands and asked, “Where is it you want to be right at this moment?”
“What?” She blinked at me as if confused, but I could still feel her energy, and her reaction to me was forced, as if she instinctively knew she should keep her thoughts to herself.
“Willa, this is important. I know you feel compelled to go somewhere or find someone. It’s the magic in the geode. Can you tell me where?”
She dropped the geode and clutched her hands together, her entire body going rigid. “I… It’s not the geode.” Shaking her head, she wiped a tear from her cheek. “I didn’t mean to fall for him. It was… I’d never do something like that to Harper.”
“Liam Colman? Harper’s boyfriend?” I asked, my heart racing. “You want to be with him?”
“I love my boyfriend!” she cried. “I didn’t ask for this. What is happening right now?” She buried her face in her hands, and her shoulders shook with silent sobs.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Pyper pick up the geode and shove it into her shoulder bag. Then she signaled she’d be outside. I nodded to her and turned my attention back to the young woman in front of me.
“Willa,” I said gently. “There’s magic infused in that rock. Have you seen it before? Touched it before?”
“Yes. About a month ago when Liam gave it to Harper. She has a thing for these.” Willa waved a hand at the collection on the shelf to her right.
I eyed them and picked up an amethyst one and then a pink one. Both seemed harmless enough. “Have you considered that it’s not you? That you’ve been spelled?”
She shook her head. “It’s not that.”
“Are you sure?” I reached out and gently took one of her hands and put the pink geode in her palm. The awe and urgency were gone, and all I felt was sadness and disappointment. I repeated the process with the amethyst one. Nothing changed.
“I just… I can’t stop thinking about him. I either can’t wait to see him again or I’m depressed about the entire thing. I don’t want to want Liam. I want to want Lucas.”
“Is Lucas your boyfriend?” I asked.
“Yes.” She lifted her tear-streaked face. “He’s wonderful. Kind, smart, funny. And he loves me. Liam…” She scowled. “He’s moody, self-absorbed, and arrogant because of his talent. He has his moments when he’s kind and sensitive with Harper, but they’re few and far between. I don’t know why I can’t get him out of my head.”
I knew. No matter what she believed, I was certain that Liam was using his magic to c
ompel people, to put a spell on them to bend them to his will. His music had transfixed even me, but it was more than just his playing. There’d been magic in the air in that hall, and I was certain the music had been the vehicle to deliver it. I wasn’t sure why or how, but the magic from Liam’s violin matched the magic in the blue geode. The star violinist was smack in the middle of this, and I needed to figure out why.
“How long has this been going on?” I asked her.
“Two, three weeks, I guess.” She sank down onto the messy bed that had piles of ransacked clothes on it. “One day the three of us were hanging out, and Liam started to play his violin. I was transfixed, lost in his music. It was hauntingly gorgeous. Ever since then…” She let out a sigh and clutched at her heart. “He touched me, you know? And now I can’t get him out of my head.”
I frowned. The music. His magic was in his music.
“Willa, listen to me,” I said.
She lifted her gaze to mine.
“I want you to stay away from Liam for now. No matter what, just keep your distance, okay? I think you’ve been spelled.”
Willa opened her mouth to no doubt contradict me, but I shook my head, stopping her.
“Even if you’re not, you obviously don’t want to hurt your cousin. Or your boyfriend, who you told me you love, right?”
“Right.” Her voice was small, full of guilt and confusion.
“Then do us both a favor and just keep your distance. It’s better for all of you. And it will give me time to figure out what’s going on.” I stood and held out my hand to her. “Now, do you want to help me look through this stuff? I’m trying to find clues as to where Harper could be.”
At the mention of her cousin’s name, resolve seemed to settle in her dark gaze and she nodded. “Yes. I’ll stay away from Liam. You’re right. It’s better for everyone.” She glanced around the room. “Now, what are we looking for?”
“Anything that looks like a random address, a journal, or anything unusual or tinged with magic,” I said.
“Okay. I’m on it.” Willa stepped into the closet and reached for the shoeboxes on the top shelf.
When the boxes turned out to be filled with actual shoes, I turned to the desk and got to work.
15
“That was… interesting,” Pyper said. She was back behind the wheel, and we were headed to the florist to take care of Kat’s deposit. “Did you find anything that might help locate Harper?”
I shook my head. “Nothing. I’m betting if there was anything, Creepy Cop and Good Cop already got it. But we do have the geode they wanted, so that’s something.” I glanced at the rock sitting in the cup holder in the console between us. “At this point, I think we need to keep focusing on Liam. I think he’s behind the disappearance of the women.”
“Any proof?”
“No. Not really. But his magic is unsettling, and the fact that it’s in the geode that Creepy Cop was trying to take makes me suspicious. Besides, why did Liam run this morning when all we wanted to do was talk to him? There’s something there. As soon as Julius gets us his information, we’ll check out his place and talk to any coworkers.”
“Okay. Sounds like a plan.” She pulled the car to a stop in front of the Bloomin’ Idiot. “Kat did get her flowers here, right?”
I glanced at the list Kat had given me. “Yep.”
“Good. If she didn’t use Miss Maybelle, we were going to have words.” Pyper’s tone was teasing, but I suspected there was some truth behind them. We’d found the Bloomin’ Idiot a few months ago while shopping for wedding florals for both Pyper’s and Kat’s big days, and Miss Maybelle had turned out to be incredible. Kane had even started going by periodically to buy me flowers just to surprise me.
We strolled in, and the sweet scent of jasmine washed over me. I took a deep breath, letting the florals cleanse the events of the day away.
“Jade, Pyper.” Miss Maybelle hobbled out from behind the counter. Her white mane of hair was pulled back into a long, low ponytail, and her eyes were bright with happiness as she took my hand. “Look at the mama-to-be. How are you feeling? Ready to meet that sweet little girl?”
“I’m more than ready,” I said with a smile and then chuckled. “If this is what it feels like to be seven months pregnant, I can’t imagine what nine months will be like.”
She laughed softly and patted my hand. “You’ll get through it.”
“I hope so.” I dug around in my bag and pulled out my wallet. “We’re actually here to pay the deposit for Kat’s flowers for this weekend and to arrange the delivery.”
“Ah, yes.” She reached for her order book and flipped it open. “The wedding shower for Katrina. Crowns and centerpieces made of sunflowers and daisies. This Saturday, deliver by eleven a.m. Yes?”
“Sounds about right,” I said with a chuckle. Sunflowers and daisies to go with Kat’s sixties theme.
She rattled off an amount and my address since we were hosting the event. After we paid, she lifted her hand close to my belly and asked, “May I?”
“Sure.” I didn’t usually let people touch my stomach, but Miss Maybelle was an exception. She’d been the one to first tell me we were having a girl.
Miss Maybelle pressed her aged hand against my belly and closed her eyes. She made a small concerned noise as her lips curved down.
“What is it?” I asked, suddenly worried. “What did you see?”
She pulled her hand away and met my gaze. Miss Maybelle’s voice was low and full of urgency. “I see danger for you and your daughter, Jade. It’s coming, and it’s coming soon. Take precautions, because something evil is lurking, waiting to strike.”
Fear coiled down my spine, and for the first time since I’d found out I was a witch, I wanted to run back to my house, lock myself in, and let the world take care of itself. Nothing was more important than my daughter.
“Jade,” Miss Maybelle said, placing both hands on my shoulders. “It’s a vision, not reality. You can change the outcome—you know that, right?”
“She does,” Pyper said, her voice a little shaky.
I glanced over at my friend. She’d gone completely white and she looked stricken, as if evil had already done its worst.
“Pyper, stop looking at me like that.” My tone was strong and full of bravado I didn’t really feel. But I’d be damned if I let myself succumb to fear. “I’m fine and so is the baby. And no one, I mean no one, is going to hurt my baby.”
“There you go, child,” Miss Maybelle said. “That’s the kind of fire that will keep both of you safe.”
“Pyper, come on,” I said to my friend, trying to keep the exasperation from my voice.
After our visit with Miss Maybelle, Pyper had insisted on going back to my house for lunch and to discuss Miss Maybelle’s warning. We were currently standing in the kitchen, staring each other down. Flame was curled around my feet, clearly happy to be out of the crate.
“You can’t wrap me in a bubble. I have work to do. Women to save.”
“You don’t have to.” She placed her hands on her hips and gave me a stern look. “I can. Julius can. So can Kane or Lucien or Bea. Hell, I can even call Lailah or Rosalee. You don’t have to be at the center of this.”
As much as I hated to admit it, she was right. I wasn’t essential to this fight. Sure, I felt a sense of responsibility and the council had ordered me to find Harper, but that didn’t mean I had to be stupid about it. There was nothing wrong with leaning on my friends when I needed to.
I let out a heavy sigh. “Do you have any idea how hard it is to sit on the sidelines and wait for news?”
“Yes. I do.” Her expression softened. “Think about all the times I’ve been the one waiting for you and Kane, not knowing what was going on or if you two were going to make it back safely to us.”
That had happened more often than I could count. I nodded and slumped into a kitchen chair. “What am I going to do with myself?”
“Help Kat finish her wedding sho
wer charms?” She poured a couple of glasses of lemonade and sat down next to me. “Bake chocolate chip cream cheese cupcakes?”
My mouth watered. “Now that’s truly evil. You know I’m trying to eat healthy for the baby.”
“Please. You scarfed down french toast for breakfast. A cupcake isn’t going to hurt.”
“One won’t. Twelve will.” I got up and opened the fridge, scanning for food. Suddenly I was starving. I went to work on lunch and was just about done making us a couple of sandwiches when Kane burst in.
“Jade!” he called from the living room.
“We’re back here,” I called back and added, “as usual.”
His emotions were a storm of fear, frustration, and downright anger as he strode over to me, instantly wrapping his arms around me. “You okay?”
I pressed my palm to his chest and pushed him back just a touch so that I could look up into his gaze. “Is there a reason I shouldn’t be?”
“Pyper sent a text. She said to come home. That you were in danger.”
“Pyper!” I admonished, glaring at her. “Was that necessary?”
She rolled her eyes. “That is not what I texted. I just told him what Miss Maybelle said. And I wanted backup because I thought you’d fight me when I said you had to step back on this case.”
Kane pulled away from me and took out his phone. “It says ‘Meet us at your place. Miss Maybelle says danger is lurking for Jade and the baby.’ You think I’m supposed to be calm about that?”
“Nothing has happened yet, Kane,” I said patiently and reached down to pick up Flame, needing to comfort myself with her snuggles. “It was just a warning.” Ever since Miss Maybelle predicted the gender of our baby, I’d come to realize she was a gifted seer. If she saw something, it was best to pay attention. “I’m not fighting Pyper. I’ll stay out of the fray. But she’s going to need backup if she’s going to keep looking for Harper. Can you take some time off to help her?”