by J. N. Colon
He pulled out a stool and helped my trembling mother into it. “I wanted to get you out of the coven and away from magic to help keep your powers bound. The coven didn’t think it was fair to lose my power, your grandmother’s, and both of you girls.” One of his hands rested on my mother’s shoulder while the other jammed into his thick brown waves, his fingers raking through the strands. His wedding band glinted in the overhead light. “We are the most powerful family in Covina de Validus. Losing us meant weakening everyone else and potentially putting them in danger from enemy covens. They’re my family too, and I couldn’t do that.”
Lucas admitted my father kept what I was from most of the coven. He trusted them about as much as he trusted his own daughters.
“But you could fake your death?” Marisol hissed.
“It was the only way.” A frustrated sigh spilled from my dad’s thinned lips. “If you girls knew I was still out there, you’d come looking for me, and Angel’s safety would have been forfeited.”
Great. Nothing like having the blame land at my own feet.
“This is bullshit,” Marisol spat, her eyes like dark fires. “All of you have manipulated our lives and lied to us. I don’t even know if anything coming out of you three is the truth.”
My mother wiped the tears from her face. “Marisol, this has been hard on all of us.”
“It was only supposed to be temporary,” my father said, gently squeezing my mother’s shoulder. “I simply needed to find a way to bind Angel’s conduit powers for good and keep her other magic. Once that was done, I would have come back for you.”
“Did you find a way?” My voice was sharp and stinging. Was he here to force a spell on me? I was having all kinds of trouble with these damn powers. Things would be so much easier without them, including my relationship with Etie.
But I’d rather be a stubborn brat than take anything he offered. Of course he wouldn’t be offering anything. I most likely wouldn’t have a choice.
His gaze shifted away. “Unfortunately, no. It’s still a work in progress.”
“I can’t do this right now.” Marisol was vibrating with anger. We were lucky she hadn’t figured out how to use her powers yet. We’d all be in trouble. “I’m out of here.”
“Marisol!” Abuela called after her as she disappeared around the corner. “Get back here.”
The slam of the front door was her only response.
“Let her go,” my father said. “She needs to cool off. She gets her temper from me.”
“How would you know?” I snapped. “You’ve been gone for ten years. You don’t know anything about either one of us.”
“That’s not true, Angel.” He inched closer, pain flashing through his expression. “I know what you need. I’ve always known what’s best for you.” His gaze shifted toward Lucas.
My jaw clenched as the pieces of the screwed up puzzle began to fall into place. I whipped around, glaring at the brujo I’d trusted. “You knew the whole time he was alive, didn’t you?”
Those chocolate eyes fell to the ground. “I’m sorry.”
The light above the table flickered and swayed.
“Don’t blame him, Angel.” My dad turned to Lucas, his expression softening. He looked at him tenderly, fatherly. Lucas had grown up with my father, and by the looks of it, they were close. “He was only doing as I asked. He was protecting you.”
Lucas gave a quick nod. “Always.”
I stared between them, a massive weight sinking through my gut. A cold sweat beaded my forehead, giving me chills. The room spun, and I wanted to hide from the truth unveiling in my mind. It had been staring me in the face this entire time—since Lucas told me of his broken arranged marriage. He’d said the girl had chosen someone else, someone who was the worst person for her.
Oh my voodoo gods.
I licked my cold, dry lips. “I’m the girl you were promised to.” The words tasted sour in my mouth.
Lucas’s eyes flashed to mine, pain radiating through them. That was answer enough.
My heart threatened to shatter into a million pieces. Nothing in my life was ever cut and dry. So many secrets twisted everything until the truth was barely a shadow behind the lies.
“You never should have been bound to that voodoo caster.” My father’s tone turned sharp, knives stabbing each syllable. “But I’m going to fix that mistake.”
Cold descended through my veins, and I took a shaky step back. “What are you talking about? The bond between Etie and me is permanent. You can’t break it.”
His eyes darkened. “I can. And I will.”
Panic sliced through my chest. The thought of being separated from Etie made me want to hurl. “You can’t do that.” My hand shakily reached up, brushing over my toujou. “You can’t break the gwo-bon lyen.”
My father’s face softened, and he took a step closer. “It’s for your own good. Your powers together with his are too volatile.” He motioned toward the other betraying brujo. “You’ll be safe with Lucas. He’ll help you keep control of them.”
My breath came in quick, ragged pants. “Is this why you came back now? You sacrificed others in the coven finding out I was a conduit just so you could tear me from Etie?”
“With the amount of power you and the bokor have been stirring up, it was only a matter of time before they knew.” His jaw ticked. “I wouldn’t be surprised if others around here haven’t already felt it.”
I shook my head, moving backward. “You can’t do this.” My voice trembled and every light in the kitchen flickered.
My father’s palms lifted. “It’s okay, Angel. I’m not going to hurt you.”
When anyone said that, they typically meant the opposite.
He continued slowly moving toward me, one step at a time. “You’ll be better afterward. I promise.”
I was an animal cornered by the pound, and the evil worker about to nab me was my own father returned from the dead.
A ball of power gathered in my chest. I’d never used telekinesis on a person. I wasn’t even sure I could do it. But I had to try. Etie would have fought tooth and nail if our roles were reversed.
My dad’s head tilted as magic bled through the air. “Angel, whatever you’re thinking of doing, don’t. I’m only trying to help.” A purple tint melted into his eyes. “I’ve been doing this a lot longer than you.”
“I won’t let you break the soulbind.” Without overthinking it—or thinking at all—I hit my father with the magic I’d gathered.
His eyes widened as it sailed right past whatever protection he’d erected. He slammed into the fridge, and the entire house rattled.
Yikes. I might have gone a little overboard.
Before he could recover, I pivoted and dashed out of the kitchen.
“Go after her, Cris,” my mother cried out.
“Angel!” he yelled, a forceful cloud of power gathering behind me.
Lucas said my father was an elemental? Could he use that to haul my skinny butt back?
I wasn’t going to give him a chance. The front door flung open, and I sprinted into the night. I didn’t know how I did it, but my powers formed a wall of protection around me, obscuring my path. When my father and Lucas bolted out of the house, they couldn’t see which way I’d gone. They had no idea I circled around and sprinted through the backyard into the woods.
My heart was crushing inside my chest as I ran, broken and torn. Tears pressed against a dam, threatening to obliterate it at any moment. My father was alive, and all he wanted to do was hurt me. Didn’t he understand ripping me from Etie would do major damage?
Probably not. He’d been gone for ten years and didn’t know a thing about me. And I was beginning to realize I didn’t know jack about anyone in my own family except my sister. Marisol was the only one I could trust.
After several minutes, I ended up on the small road that cut through the forest. It led to the swamp, the only place I wanted to be. Etie wasn’t there, but Bastien or Gabrielle was. They fe
lt more like my family than the De la Moras. I wiped a trickle of sweat from my forehead and glanced over my shoulder again. If my father—or even that jerk Lucas—caught me, I’d have to fight. They weren’t going to take me easily.
When I was in the spirit world, I’d asked Baron Samedi if my father was there. He’d laughed at my question and said no. A bitter smile split my lips. Of course the keeper of the dead knew my father was alive.
Car lights suddenly filled the road, and I halted like a scared animal. I couldn’t risk using magic in case it wasn’t my father. The unfamiliar blue sedan came to a crawl next to me and then stopped.
My heart was going to beat right out of my chest. The window slowly inched down.
“It’s Angel, right? Honey, are you okay?”
I peered into the open crack. A curtain of long, dark hair framed a delicate face and wide eyes. “Madame Monnier?” What was the owner of the occult shop in Monroe doing in Carrefour?
“Do you need a ride?” She glanced around, a line forming between her brows. “It’s pretty dark out here.”
I nodded and hopped in, a breath of relief exiting my lungs. “Thanks.” I’d rather take my chances with the sweet older woman than my father. “If you don’t mind taking me to the swamp this way, or at least as close as you can get, that would be great.”
“Sure, I don’t mind at all.” She put the car in drive and slowly pulled down the road.
“What are you doing in Carrefour?” I asked, glancing at her. She was dressed in a flowing skirt and a loose white top. “Madame Monnier?”
Her light laughter tinkled like bells. “Call me Josie. That’s my real name.”
“Cool.” The mysterious moniker was probably more for the customers at her store. “Why are you in Carrefour?”
“Visiting a friend.” She glanced in her rearview mirror.
I fastened my seatbelt, the click of the lock echoing in the quiet car. “Who? I probably know them.”
“What are you doing walking all by yourself at night? I know Carrefour’s a quaint, small town, but you can’t be too careful.” She bit her lip, hesitating. “And you look like you’ve been through something.”
I swallowed the lump of emotion trying to crawl up my throat. If I started crying now, I’d never stop. “I’m fine,” I lied. “I had a fight with my family. I needed to get out of the house in a hurry.”
“I’m sorry you’re having such a rough night.” Her eyes flicked in the mirror again.
I glanced over my shoulder at the empty road behind us, a wave of panic quickening my pulse. “Is someone following us?” Was it my father?
Another tinkling laugh slipped out of Josie. “No. I just thought I saw something.”
I twisted to the front again, chewing my thumbnail. This was a nightmare. My life had turned into a constant battle of powers and enemies.
Was I really grouping my family in with the likes of Baron Samedi?
When they were trying to hurt me, yes. They’d already done so much damage. The lies, the half-truths, and all the pretending. How could I ever know what was genuine when my entire life had been a ruse?
I slumped in the seat, rubbing my forehead. A throbbing had developed behind my eyes. An evil, invisible troll was chiseling away at my skull with a pickaxe. “Um, so, your friend? Who is it?” I asked to distract myself from the pain.
Josie’s long fingers tightened on the steering wheel. “I doubt you know him. He’s new.”
My brows dipped. A person couldn’t go a few hours new in town without Ms. Unrue discovering them. And I hadn’t heard a thing about anyone new besides Lucas and Jesse. “When did they move here?”
“Last month,” she said evasively, her gaze shifting to the rearview mirror again.
A cold tingle slithered down my spine, and the hairs on the back of my neck rose. I sat up. Something wasn’t right.
“You know what? You can just let me out over here.” I pointed to the shoulder of the dark road.
Josie blinked. “Nonsense. I thought you were headed to the swamp. I can’t let you walk there all alone at night.”
“I changed my mind,” I lied, watching her out of my peripheral. Her body was tense, and I noticed the circles bruising beneath her eyes. And those said eyes had a dark, wild look to them.
“Well, where can I take you then?” Josie’s voice was higher now. She swallowed hard, her jaw tight.
This was bad. The only reason Josie would lure me into her car was because she knew I was a conduit. And she wanted to use my powers.
Shit.
I reached for the handle. It was locked and not the childproof kind. Magic was at work.
“Let me out of here,” I hissed, my powers rising to the surface. “You’ll regret it, I swear.”
She gnawed relentlessly on her trembling lip. “I’m so sorry, Angel.”
Moments later, an invisible bubble surrounded me. Air caught sharply in my lungs as my muscles turned rigid. I couldn’t move!
A figure slowly emerged from the back seat, a blue mohawk shining in the moonlight. The bartender from Le Revenant came into focus, his eyes shifting to a vibrant shade of purple.
“What are you—?”
“Sorry about this.” He grabbed my head, tilting it back.
“No! Get off—” My scream turned into a gurgle as a foul concoction was forced down my throat. Electric tingles coursed through my veins as the potion entered my system.
Great. A magical roofie.
The interior of the car spun, and the edges of my vision darkened. The last thing I saw was Josie’s crumpled, teary-eyed face before I passed out.
Chapter 26
A hammer was driving railroad spikes into my skull, piercing my brain. That had to be what was happening. It was the only explanation for the pulsating pain in my head. My lids unstuck, prying open to a dimly lit room. Wax, incense, and an assortment of herbs drifted through the air. Candle flames flickered along the wooden walls, casting shadows over the shelves of strange items.
No. Ingredients. Materials for spells.
My pulse spiked. Where the hell was I?
I rolled over, the hardwood floor digging into my back. White, intersecting lines were painted on the boards beneath me. A pentagram.
Memories flooded my mind, making my stomach clench. Josie, AKA Madame Monnier, had been so kind to offer me a ride. And then, her bartender friend in the backseat drugged me.
Acid crawled up my throat. Son of a bitch. I struggled into a sitting position, the room spinning on its axis. My head tilted. A large symbol of three overlapping crescent moons with a dagger slicing the center was painted on the ceiling directly above me.
My worst fears had come true. I’d been kidnapped. The wrong person found out I was a conduit.
Well, I wasn’t going to take it lying down.
I rolled on my knees, shooting to my feet. Or I tried. Invisible chains around my wrists wouldn’t let me do more than awkwardly squat before yanking me back to the ground.
“I wouldn’t do that again.”
I whipped around at the gravelly voice. A blue mohawk sat atop a handsome, chiseled face. Pillowy lips balanced out the harsh lines and angles. I could see why those scantily clad girls were all vying for his attention at Le Revenant.
“Where am I?” I ground out.
“You’re in our coven room.” He fumbled with a silver three crescent moon pendant around his neck. “And don’t try to use your magic. It’s been temporarily cut off.”
My brow arched. “A side effect of your disgusting potion?”
He gave a noncommittal shrug. “I didn’t have a choice in the matter.”
The ceiling above creaked, and a door opened. Footsteps resonated on the flight of descending stairs in the back, and Josie appeared. Her eyes quickly darted away.
She had the audacity to feel bad for nabbing me!
Other figures entered the room in single file, a little less than two dozen witches. Some remained near the walls while others forme
d a circle around me. A few of them had been at Le Revenant last night. Not only did visiting Madame Monnier’s come back to bite me in the ass, so did my impulsive trip to the club to find Etie.
My jaw clenched as I tried in vain to reach for my powers. I could barely feel more than a small tingling in my gut. How long did this magic blocking crap last?
A woman dressed in a tailored black pencil skirt and silk blouse stepped forward. Her crimson hair was pulled back in an elegant chignon, highlighting her defined cheekbones. She reminded me of widow Beauchamp but with better plastic surgeons.
Power flowed around her like a second skin. Her green eyes were rimmed in violet, and they stared down at me with an overwhelming hunger.
My mouth filled with sawdust. I wasn’t the first conduit she’d taken. This was a lifelong endeavor. She was a businesswoman climbing the ladder toward greatness, and I was one of the rungs she was about to step on.
“Hello, Evangeline. I’m so glad you could join us.” Her voice was buttery smooth, but it was only camouflage for the monster beneath.
“You’ve made a big mistake,” I ground out, hating the tremble in my voice.
“So you’re not a conduit?” A fake, tinkling laugh tumbled from her scarlet lips.
Others joined in, stiff, forced laughter traveling through the small crowd. Their shoulders were hunched and movements shaky. They were afraid of her.
“I am a conduit. You just made a mistake in thinking you could take me.” Etie had to know something was wrong by now. He’d felt it when my powers were creating a storm in the graveyard and when I had a nightmare about Baron Samedi.
He’d find me.
Her strange eyes lingered over the mark of my gwo-bon lyen. “Yes, I know about your voodoo caster soul mate.” She gave a long, dramatic sigh. “By the time he gets here, we’ll be long gone and your powers will be mine. Your drained body will be all that’s left.”
Instead of enslaving me, she wanted to suck me dry like a vampire.
My stomach clenched and images of my dead, emaciated form flashed behind my eyes. I quickly shook the nightmarish scene off. “He’s going to kill you.” I was certain about that. Whether I lived or died, this witch was about to sign her death warrant.