Demons of Bourbon Street (23 page)

Unable to speak, I nodded.

“
Good.” She let go and her tone softened. “’Cause you know I have a life to worry about. I can’t be his keeper forever.”

I gave her a small smile and led the way across the empty club to join the others at the stage.

“
All right then,” Lailah said. “Let’s get started.” She went into full-on sergeant mode, barking orders. “Philip, stand here.” She maneuvered him to the exact same spot Bea had sat when she’d opened the portal the first time. The Celtic pendant glimmered under one of the spotlights as she held it out. “Take this.”

“
Why is she in charge?” Pyper asked.

“
Because she’s Dan’s soul guardian and that’s who we’re trying to find,” I said. “She’s going to start the spell and then the circle will team up with her to guide my soul to Dan’s.”

Lucien turned to me. “Once you do this, you’ll no longer be able to call on the coven for power.”

“
Forever?” An unexpected sense of loss filled me. I hadn’t asked to be the coven leader. Didn’t even want the job. In fact, I’d tried to give it back to Bea a few times. “Does that mean I’ll forfeit my status?”

“
No, if…I mean
,
when you come back, the position will be yours again.” He glanced at Rosalee, his posture stiff. Unease flowed from him.

“
What?” I asked.

Rosalee raised her eyebrows, waiting for him to respond. When he didn’t, she stepped forward. “You’ll need to name one of us as leader before you go. Otherwise the entire coven will be vulnerable.”

“
Oh. Is that all?” I let out a sigh of relief. “Okay, no problem.”

Lucien’s head snapped up. “You don’t understand. Making the transfer drains your power. It takes a few days to regain your strength, but you don’t have that kind of time. Which means you’ll be in Hell and weak.”

“
I’m going to have to break into Hell in a weakened state? Why didn’t anyone inform me of this all important piece of information?” I balled my hands into fists, fighting to keep my anger in check.

Rosalee held her hands up in defense. “It’s really rare for a coven leader to give up their position of power. Most of us have never witnessed it. When Bea did it, she was already weakened. We just found out. Bea warned us.”

Pyper shifted to stand in front of me, hands on her hips. “Then she can’t go.”

I gently pushed her to the side and took a calming breath. “Okay, what do you mean, the coven will be vulnerable? What happens if I don’t transfer the leadership?”

“
Anything you endure there will affect the members here. In essence, if you die, we die,” Rosalee said, her tone flat and clinical. “You can’t use the collective because the mystical properties of Hell neutralize the power needed to form coven magic. However, as leader, your connection to us isn’t completely severed, and demons will exploit the bond. They feed off physical and emotional pain. Don’t think they won’t use that.”

Son of a … Yes, they did feed off pain.

It’s what Kane was experiencing now.

Before anyone said anything else, I grabbed Lucien’s hands. My magical spark grew warm in my chest. “I, Jade Calhoun, transfer the leadership of the New Orleans coven to you, Lucien Boulard.”

Magic kindled between us until a wave of tiny electric shocks fired from my fingertips. Emptiness blossomed in my gut. The connection I’d never paid attention to was suddenly gone.

“
Whoa,” Lucien said softly as he took a few steps back. “That’s intense.”

I watched him, saying nothing. When Bea had named me leader, I’d barely noticed a difference. Had I transferred some of my magic to him? I’d done it before. It’s what had created the psychic bond between Lailah and me.

Lucien?
I asked.

I studied him carefully as he flexed his fingers, working through the aftershocks of the magic.

Can you hear me?

Nothing.

Lucien!

He finally stopped staring at his hands and backed up, taking a spot on the temporary circle we’d drawn around the stage.

Thank the Goddess. At least I hadn’t messed that one up.

“
Are you done yelling, Jade?” Lailah asked. “’Cause you’re giving me a headache.”

I ignored the statement. “Let’s get moving. Kane will be here any minute.”

Pyper crushed me with another hug. “Be safe.”

She let go, handed me a bundle of herbs, and quickly headed for the bar. But not before I saw the tears glistening in her eyes. I met Kat’s gaze, silently telling her how much I loved her.

Her lips formed a thin line and she shook her head. The message was clear. I would not fail today. She forbade it.

Her fierce denial filled my heart with courage. I turned to Lailah. “I’m ready.”

I stood in the middle of the circle, Dan’s pendant in one hand and the earth-magic-infused satchel of herbs in the other. My only aids for finding Dan and getting out of there as fast as possible. They wouldn’t help me break Meri’s connection to Kane, though.

Our research showed the only way to do that was either destroy Meri or redirect the connection to someone or something else. Something important to her. Like a prized jewel she kept locked away.

With the map Mom had drawn, my mission was to break into Meri’s apartment in Hell and steal a large family ruby she’d once worn as a ring. When I made it back, we’d work on the redirection spell. All I needed to do was find the jewel…and Dan.

No problem. Breaking and entering in Hell was no sweat, right?

A wave of dizziness made me stumble. I took a deep breath, planted my feet, and willed myself to keep it together. In a few moments, Lailah would open the door to Hell. I had to be ready.

Lailah positioned herself on the northern section of the circle, Philip to the south. Lucien and Rosalee filled in the east and west. Lailah raised her hands, and instantly the temporary chalk-drawn circle lit up the club.

I glanced over at the bar. Pyper’s face had turned stark white. Fear paralyzed her as no doubt the memory of being tortured by Roy’s ghost came rushing back.

“
Kat, get her out of here,” I called.

Pyper didn’t move as Kat tugged at her arm. “I’m fine. We’re not leaving.”

“
Stop being so stubborn. Go. Keep Kane occupied until I get back.” I’d tried for confident, but ruined the effect when my voice cracked on Kane’s name. I eeked out, “Just go. Please. Be safe.”

Kat finally managed to pull Pyper toward the back door. My eyes burned with unshed tears.

Not now, Jade. Not now.

I blinked and faced Lailah. “Let’s do this.”

She nodded and made eye contact with Philip. “Ready?”

“
Remember the incantation?” he asked me.

“
Yes.” I patted my back pocket. “I have a copy just in case.” As soon as I got to the other side, I was to invoke a tracking spell. If done properly, Philip would be able to track me and yank me back home if anything went terribly wrong.

“
Make sure you have it engraved in your memory. You don’t know what can happen to things when you cross over.” His eyes were hard, unyielding.

“
Got it,” I confirmed, resisting the urge to snap at him. The longer they dragged this out, the harder it would be. My resolve started to wane. I didn’t know if it was from nerves or the coven leader transfer to Lucien. Either way, I could feel myself weakening by the second.

“
Ready,” Philip confirmed.

Lailah started a chant in Latin, soon joined by the other three.
“Portas inferni, portas inferni.”

A black pillar candle started to rise in front of me, and when it was almost eye level, Lailah shouted,
“Flamma!”

The candle came to life with a sudden spark.

The others continued to chant in soft undertones,
“Portas inferni, portas inferni.”

Lailah stretched her arms up. A shimmery light appeared around her form, making her glow in the dim room. “Goddess of Hell, hear my words. I, Lailah Farmoore, sanctioned angel of New Orleans, command your will.”

I stared at the candle still hovering in front of me and prayed Lailah didn’t end up possessed. The last time Lailah had called on a Goddess, she’d actually showed up…in Lailah’s body.

Talk about freaky. Of course, nothing was freakier than purposely trying to get into Hell. I wrapped my arms around myself and squeezed.

Invisible power exploded from Lailah, pressed in on me, made my limbs twitch with desire to feed the magical stream. I clutched my arms, forcing myself to stay passive. Using my magic now was likely to feed Meri. Even though I’d separated myself from Kane, she could still reach me through our bond. Letting her grab any more of my power wasn’t an option.

Philip’s deep voice filled the club. “Goddess of darkness, hear my call. I, Philip Pearson, command you to bring forth my son, Dan Toller.”

Blue sparks sprung from his fingers, colliding with Lailah’s in an impressive display of icy blue fireworks. My body hummed, longing to be part of the circle. I missed the magical connection, the cohesiveness of the coven.

I stared at Lucien, his arms mimicking Philip’s, high in the air, containing the circle. The fierce concentration evident in his stance reassured me I’d made the correct choice in granting him the coven. He had the skill and the intelligence to take care of them while I was gone. As much as I’d shunned covens and magic my entire life, I now knew they were part of me. Necessary. A piece of my puzzle I couldn’t continue to ignore.

The light danced around me, shifting and winding into unrecognizable shapes. Tendrils of magic split off from the ball of fireworks, snaking their way to the two witches. A crackle ran through the room like lightning and suddenly the threads connected the four magic users around the circle, creating a canopy of magic overhead.

A roar of energy filled my ears like static. Lailah’s mouth was moving as she appeared to shout. Lucien’s face contorted into something resembling fierce determination, his green eyes glowing with effort. Opposite him, Rosalee, tiny Rosalee, seemed to have grown five or so inches. She balanced on her tiptoes, face raised to the ceiling as she struggled to maintain the overwhelming magic battering her limbs. Only Philip stood calm in his spot, power crackling off him in waves. He stared at me, waiting.

I pushed forward, arms and legs heavy as if moving through water. He nodded, encouraging me as I fought the thick energy.

When I got a few steps from Philip, he mouthed
stop
and held out his hand for Dan’s pendant. It dangled from my fist, flashing in the light. I didn’t let go, just let the necklace hang from my grasp in front of him.