Demons of Bourbon Street (26 page)

I scrambled to my feet and rushed to Kane’s side.

“
Run!” He grabbed my arm and yanked me away from Meri.

The small group of demon spectators, who’d been watching the showdown, seemed frozen with bewilderment. We took off, not waiting for an outcome.

We didn’t speak, just headed straight for the green-lighted passageway. Right as we sprinted under the archway, a loud boom rumbled from the auditorium. I skidded to a stop and poked my head out of the opening.

“
Oh my God!” I cried. “It’s Philip and Lailah.”

The pair descended from somewhere high above, landing crouched in a fighting position. The demons instantly formed a circle around them. They’d answered my distress call. Only I’d had no idea that meant they’d show up here. I’d expected them to perform a calling to yank us back to the living world. It was a lot more dangerous for angels in hell. Their souls were extremely vulnerable to black magic corruption.

“
Let them be.” Kane yanked my arm as he took off running down the tomb-filled passageway.

“
But—”

He didn’t slow down or even glance back as he yelled, “Now’s our chance.”

I shoved the fears and doubts out of my mind. He was right. With Meri and her minions fighting off Philip and Lailah, this was going to be our best opportunity.

We passed the crumpled, once ornate ruins of gargoyles, screeching devil-dogs, and statues of humans twisted with torment and despair. I tried my best to not focus on any of them. Even though they were stone, agony poured into my being, tearing at my soul with each step I took.

My breathing labored as my eyes blurred. I blinked.
Focus, Jade
. Almost there. I spotted the rotting archway Mom had pinpointed as a marker. A few more paces, and we’d be at Meri’s dungeon. I slowed, senses on hyper-alert for any guards. But I was too overwhelmed with the agony and despair of the stone statues.

A terrible thought came to me. Were lost souls trapped in them? I turned to stare at the one closest to me. With her arms raised and crossed as if to ward off an attack, her big, frantic eyes pleaded for help. I took a step forward, trying not to register the warped, twisted body, shriveled with age. It was only a statue, I reminded myself. A grotesque representation of pain and suffering.

Her eyes seemed to follow my every movement. Another step closer. A trickle of sad misery, lined with a faint trace of hope brushed against my emotional radar.

Shock rooted me to the floor.

A soul resided in that statue.

I reached out, determined to soothe the suffering being. I couldn’t do much, but I could send her a little bit of comfort. Just as my hand brushed the icy surface of the statue, Kane jumped back, knocking me sideways.

“
Ouch.” I cradled my dead-weight arm. He’d hit me hard enough and in just the right spot that I’d been rendered temporarily paralyzed.

“
Sorry.” He pulled me close. “I think it’s a bad idea to touch anything you don’t have to.”

“
But someone’s trapped in there.”

He turned to inspect the grotesque being, a look of horror transforming over his features. “Oh, no. Not again.” He maneuvered me farther from it. “Not only am I not letting you get involved, but we don’t have time for this. Meri’s chamber is just ahead. Let’s go.”

I gave the statue one last look and followed Kane. It killed me to not do something for anyone suffering. But what was I going to do? Make it my mission to free everyone trapped in Hell? What if they belonged there? I shook my head, trying to dislodge the thoughts. We had work to do.

As soon as we rounded the corner, I knew we were in the right place. Withered oak trees lined the stone wall in an eerily familiar formation. I squinted, imagining them hearty and full of life. Yes, I recognized these trees; they were the same ones near our coven circle. I touched the wall, and a faint trace of Dan’s distinct energy reached me.

I squeezed Kane’s hand, hard, and nodded to the stone door. “He’s here.”

We both stared at the smooth surface. No handle. No lock. No obvious way to open it. Mom had warned us we’d need a spell to get in.

“
Can you send energy toward Dan?” Kane asked. “Maybe he’ll realize you’re out here and open the door himself.”

“
No. You forget most people can’t feel my energy.” Kane could, but he was a dreamwalker and, for some reason, had always been able to sense me. Dan didn’t have such abilities. “Besides, I think the spell is needed to open the door from either side.”

“
Right.” He ran a frustrated hand through his sweat-soaked dark hair. “Damn it, Jade, the spell is too dangerous. You’re too weak after our encounter with Meri. We should find another way.”

I sighed. “I’m out of options. Would you prefer I run back to the battle with Meri? Either way, I’m taking a risk. At least if I try this, we have a shot.”

A muscle in Kane’s jaw twitched as he bit back a reply. Despite his obvious reluctance, he stepped aside, making room for me to cast the spell.

My mother’s soft voice rang in my mind. Words she said she’d never forget—Meri’s personal signature. The incantation that would open the door if I managed to infuse enough magic into them.

Where freedom’s lost and dreams turn to nightmares.

Through this door lies a path to despair.

Hopeless. Destructive. Comfortable.

Open to an existence where disappointment ceases to exist.

I said the words over and over in my head, letting my magic build one layer at a time. The spark was faint, but it was still there. With the mental chant, my body grew hot with the kindled magic, forming a different sensation than I was used to.

Panic shot through me. Was I using black magic? I raised my hands, inspecting my fingers. The last time I’d tapped into darkness, they’d turned black. Here in Hell, I noticed nothing except the extreme change in temperature.

Meri’s depressing mantra flashed through my mind one last time. I pressed my palms to the stone. Around my flesh, the door glowed bright orange. The magic spread in a spider web formation across the wide plane. A low rumble sounded from within. The magic popped and crackled as if it were live fire. I stepped back, colliding with Kane. His arms circled my waist steadying me. We both stared.

“
Holy shit,” I said under my breath.

Kane’s grip tightened as the door slowly moved.

The magic faded away, and finally the door stood three-quarters of the way open.

I carefully disentangled myself from Kane’s grasp and moved toward the chamber.

My heart hammered, and I barely breathed.
Please let Dan be all right.
Taking one last frightening step, I scooted into the massive room.

The opulence stopped me in my tracks. The space was nothing like the run-down ruins of the tunnels we’d been working our way through. Pale pink silks lined the walls. A lush, thick white carpet lay beneath satin settees and mahogany wood bookcases. I spared one absurd brief thought for the springiness of the carpet. Where exactly did one shop for finer goods in Hell? A silver tea set sat near an armchair, steam streaming from the top of the pot.

The same one I’d dreamed about!

I turned to Kane and let out a gasp of surprise.

Right behind him stood Meri, her eyes pinched in anger. “How dare you defile my space!”

Kane spun and backed up as if to shield me.

“
Give us Dan and we’ll leave,” I bargained and moved to Kane’s side, knowing our departure would never be that easy.

She snapped her fingers, and her door started to rumble again. Only this time it closed.

I swallowed the ‘no’ forming in my throat. Pleading with her would make me appear weak. We couldn’t leave anyway. Not without Dan and the ruby.

Meri advanced on us, desperate anger streaming from her.

Desperate? What did she want, Philip? He was her mate.

And what happened to him during their battle? Jesus, we were in deep now.

I moved, dodging Meri’s blow.

Another surprise. Instead of following me, she beelined her way toward a narrow door at the end of her chamber. Kane grabbed my arm and tucked me once again beside him.

Getting out in a hurry after we found Dan wasn’t going to be easy. I

racked my memory for a banishing spell or some way to magic ourselves back to our reality. Nothing miraculously materialized in my tired brain.

Meri flung the second door open and came face to face with Dan.

His eyebrows shot up as surprise registered over his expression. “That was fast,” he said.

She grabbed him, clinging to his frame.

“
What happened?” he asked, stroking her hair.

I gasped. Was he possessed again? Had Meri found a way to corrupt him? “Dan?”

He jerked back and stiffened.

Meri released her hold and turned. She stood in front of Dan exactly the same way Kane had earlier while protecting me. She didn’t say anything, though. She just eyed me with those deep, almost black eyes.

Dan shifted to stand at her side, pushing his tousled brown hair back with one hand. “Jade, what are you doing here?”

“
Saving your ass, you idiot. What are
you
doing?” I gestured to the demon beside him. “Have you lost your mind?”

“
Jade,” Kane warned under his breath.

I glanced at my boyfriend, sending him a you’ve-got-to-be-kidding-me look. We risked our lives to save Dan’s sorry butt from Hell. Who knows what happened to Philip and Lailah? And he was lounging in Princess Demon’s silk-filled dungeon. Drinking tea.

Dan’s pale green eyes narrowed. He held his emotions in tight control, but I thought I sensed a faint trace of weariness. “Surviving.”

“
Not anymore,” I said. “Today you’re coming home with me.”

“
No!” Life seemed to come alive in Meri. Flinging her arms out, she reached for more power, but it fizzled after a few short sparks. She stared at her hands for a moment, frustration streaming off her. Odd, she didn’t seem at all surprised her magic failed her. Was she still recovering from our battle a week ago? Abandoning Dan, she barreled into me.

I landed hard on my side. My bones screamed in protest, despite the previously believed cushy carpeting. We grappled, each trying our best to get the upper hand. Nails scraped down my arm. I bit back a cry and rammed my elbow into her bicep. She grunted and lunged for me.

“
Get what we came for,” I yelled at Kane and then choked on a mouthful of Meri’s long black hair. Still battling her incredible grip on my arms, I met Kane’s eyes. He glanced at Dan and raised his eyebrows.