Angels of Bourbon Street (9 page)

No. She wasn’t. But she used to be. “I know.”

She shook her head. “I don’t think you do. Not where it counts.”

Goddess, save me from smacking her. I did not need this right now. “What are you talking about?”

She leaned back, her eyes sparkling with a knowing glint. “You’re so busy looking backward you don’t see what’s in front of you.”

My exasperation exploded with an exaggerated huff. “Meri, I’m sorry, but I can’t do this right now. I don’t think we’re going to be able to work out our
issues
in one night anyway.” I pushed my chair back and stood.

She shrugged. “Fine. This isn’t about you and me anyway. But you might want to think about what I said.”

I gave her an incredulous look as I stalked out of the kitchen and then stopped in the middle of the dining room. Pyper was in the room I shared with Kane. Gwen was in the living room. Meri was in the kitchen. That left the guest room if I wanted solitude. What I really wanted was my little apartment on Bourbon Street and my ghost dog, Duke. But Kane would kill me if I left. And I’d have to take Meri if I didn’t want to end up possessed again.

Shit.

I spun and headed back toward the master bedroom. I could hole up and wait for a phone call, or I could get to the root of the problem with Pyper.

Dragging my feet, I forced myself down the hallway and paused outside the bedroom.
Just get it over with.
What was the worst that would happen? She’d throw something else at me? It wasn’t as if she could kick my ass. After all, I
was
still a witch.

Not that I’d actually use magic against her. I shook my head, knowing it wasn’t a physical outburst I was worried about. Time to woman up. I knocked gently on the door. “Pyper?”

Silence.

I knocked harder and pressed my ear to the door. “Pyper, I’m coming in.”

My words were met with the sound of running water. She was in the bathroom. Fine. I’d be waiting when she came out. Slowly, I opened the door just to make sure I hadn’t misinterpreted the noise. The bathroom door was shut with light seeping from the gap at the bottom. I glanced at the empty bed then headed for the armchair in the corner.

With my feet tucked under me, I waited.

I stared at the bedside clock and counted as the minutes passed. One. Three. Five. What was she doing in there? Just as I was about to get up and check on her, the door eased open. Pyper emerged, a tissue clutched in one hand as she wiped fresh tears from her cheek.

“Oh, Pyper, no,” I breathed and hurried to her side. I’d only seen Pyper cry once. And that was after she’d been used as a punching bag by an evil ghost. She stiffened as my arms came around her, and despite my instinct to back off, I pulled her into a hug. She resisted for only a moment then leaned into me, sniffling.

I placed my hand on her back, rubbing gently. “What is it?” This couldn’t be about me. There was something a lot more serious going on.

She took a ragged breath and gently pushed me back. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay.” I tugged on her hand and led her to the bed. Sitting, I patted the space beside me.

“No, it isn’t. I threw a sponge at Gwen.”

I laughed. “You threw it at
me
.”

She snorted and then frowned, her eyebrows pinched as she struggled to keep the tears at bay.

Wrapping an arm around her shoulders, I pulled her into a half-hug. “Don’t worry. Whatever it is, I’m sure everything will be all right.”

“No.” She yanked back and dabbed at her eyes, reeling in the tears. “It’s not going to be all right. Ian kissed you, the asshat. After all this time, and you and Kane getting engaged, he still fucking kissed you!”

I swiveled, staring at her. “Is that what all this is about? I’m not even all that sure what happened. I mean, I was possessed. It was a blur. One minute, I was struggling to regain control of my body, and the next, the ghost was sucking Ian’s face.”

“What difference does it make?” She clutched at the comforter. “Between his infatuation with you and that reporter chick, I don’t know what the hell I’m doing with him.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Reporter chick?”

She laughed. A hollow, sardonic sound. “You don’t even know about her. Typical.”

“Hey, wait just a minute,” I said gently, trying to be sensitive. Tears still glistened in her eyes, but I would’ve bet my last dollar she wouldn’t let them fall. “I was gone for a month. How can I know stuff if you don’t tell me?”

Her normally bright blue eyes turned stormy. “You don’t ever ask. And Kane’s too busy watching over you to pay attention anymore.”

An ache formed in the middle of my chest. That was what she meant when she said everything revolved around me. Kane was her best friend and the one person who’d always been there for her. Ever since I’d come into his life, she’d taken a back seat. And some friend I was. I’d been so wrapped up in Kane and the wedding I hadn’t even noticed something was wrong. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. “I’m so sorry, Pyper.” Reaching out, I curled my fingers around hers. “You must hate me right now.”

I fully expected another humorless laugh, but when her lips curved up, her eyes softened. “I don’t hate you. How could I? You make Kane happier than I’ve ever seen him. It’s just…”

“You’ve been left behind?” My words slipped out so low I barely heard them.

She bit her lip and nodded. “I don’t…there’s no one around when I need…”

“I’m here,” I said. “And Kane’s here. I—”

“Where? When?” She glanced around. “When is there ever time for a normal breakdown? When aren’t we chasing a missing person or an evil ghost or demon? Hell, even my best dates with Ian include ghost hunting.”

“I’m here,” I said firmly. “And so is Kane.” Before she could deny my declaration, I took her hand and squeezed it. “I know I’ve been preoccupied. But that doesn’t mean I don’t care. Pyper, please, all you need to do is say something. You know Kane and I will come running.”

“That’s the point, isn’t it?” She didn’t acknowledge the pressure I kept on her hand, but she didn’t pull back either. She turned to stare at a blank space on the wall. “Before all this started, Kane always knew when I needed him. Now…” She shrugged. “I gained a sister.” Her eyes met mine. “But I feel like I lost my brother. And now my boyfriend, too.” She took a deep breath. “He’s been spending time with some reporter he dated in high school, and he’s clearly still got a thing for you, even though everyone knows you don’t want him.”

Damn Ian. He knew Pyper was in love with him. The bastard. She’d told him at the Christmas party last month. I couldn’t believe he was behaving this way. Sure, he’d been into me once, but I’d thought all that had ended after he started dating Pyper. What the heck had that kiss been about? “Tell me about this reporter. What’s her name?”

“Sybil Tanner,” she said, misery coloring her tone.

The name rang a bell, and her face flashed in my mind. She’d done a story on the immorality of witches not long ago and outed our coven circle. “The one who reported on Goodwin’s rally last fall?”

“Yep. That’s her. Perky Sybil.”

I frowned. Ian had gone to high school with her? Why hadn’t he said anything? It wasn’t as if Ian and I were best buddies. Still, Sybil had reported on the coven circle. You’d think he could have warned us her knew her. “What makes you think he’s seeing her?”

Pyper clenched her hands into fists as her eyes narrowed. “Well, he
says
he isn’t seeing her. But I know they’ve had dinner together at least twice. Charlie saw him with ‘some blond in a pink suit’ at The Gumbo Shop last week. And once, on a different occasion, I accidently picked up his iPhone, thinking it was mine, and saw a text from her, confirming drinks.”

“Did you confront him about it?” My mind spun in eight different directions, contemplating the ways I could torture the douche canoe. My favorite involved fire ants and maple syrup.

“No. ” She stood and paced in front of me. “I was hoping he’d tell me, and when he didn’t, I had my answer.”

I leaped off the bed. “And you’re still dating him? Why?” I grimaced as I heard the accusation in my voice. Dammit. The last thing she needed was me judging her. “Sorry. I didn’t mean—”

“Don’t worry about it. I was just sitting here asking myself the same thing.” She moved to the door.

“Wait.” I stood and scrambled to block her exit. “Can you tell me one thing?”

She tilted her head, waiting.

“Why Ian? I mean, I used to think he was a nice guy, but now I don’t know. What is it that drew you to him?”

She laughed, true humor shining through this time. “He’s quirky. A free spirit. Someone who hasn’t conformed to the norm. Just like me. I thought that was obvious.” She reached around me for the door and quietly slipped from the room.

I stood there, staring at the deserted hallway and filing away that mental note. Ian had said much the same thing to me once, that he liked me because I made a living as a glass artist, or at least tried to. He liked that I understood his desire to live a nonconformist life and didn’t judge him for wanting to make a living hunting ghosts—something most women found unstable at best and downright crazy at worst.

Pyper fit that bill to a T. She’d been a stripper for a handful of years before she opened her coffee shop. She was a body-paint artist. She even helped Ian with his ghost-hunting jobs. He’d be hard-pressed to find someone more supportive of his unconventional goals. And she was sexy as hell. What the fuck was wrong with him? Anger burned in my chest, and the fire tingled at my fingertips again.

I stared down in horror-filled fascination at the flames flickering from my fingers and took a step back from the door.
Just breathe, Jade. Breathe.
As the air filled my lungs, I forced myself to relax. Rolling my shoulders, I exhaled and imagined the tension draining from my muscles. My fingers tingled with cold and when I looked down, the fire was gone.

What was I becoming? My heart thundered. What if I couldn’t control my magic? What if I hurt someone? I stumbled back and landed on the bed, too afraid to move. Trembling, I reached into my pocket and produced my phone. I stared at it, ready to scream from the lack of messages. Where was Kat? Why hadn’t they found her yet?

Just as my finger touched the button to call Kane, my phone started to vibrate. Lucien’s number popped up.

“Have you seen, Kat?” I asked.

“Yes. She’s with me—”

I let out a loud sigh of relief, totally missing his next words. “Huh? What was that?”

“Dammit, Jade. We’re at Bea’s. Just get here. She’s barely hanging on.”

“What?” I jumped up, running into the hall.

Silence on the other end.

“Lucien?”

The phone beeped twice, signaling a dropped call. Kat? No! He was wrong. Not her. She wasn’t even a part of the crazy paranormal world.

“Goddammit!” Tearing through the house, I burst into the living room and spotted Meri lying on the couch, a light blanket covering her legs. “Get up. We’re leaving.” I glanced back at Gwen. “It’s Kat. She’s in trouble.”

Without waiting to see if anyone was following, I burst through the door. A whisper of ice crept over me, and I froze. Static filled my ears.

Ghost.

Chapter 8

Not again.

“Meri!” I cried, unable to move. My limbs were already starting to go numb again.

My breathing turned rapid and panic took over. This could not be happening. Kat needed me.
Kat.
A sob formed at the back of my throat. Pyper had been right. My life was such a cluster-fuck. I wasn’t there for anyone who needed me.

“Jade, what
were
you thinking?” A faint voice penetrated the static filling my ears. My head wouldn’t move. I tried to turn but couldn’t. I was trapped in my own personal hell. “I thought you were in a hurry?” The voice was slightly louder this time, irritated.

Ice slithered through me, and the fear bursting from my core did nothing to thaw my frozen limbs. I forced my mouth open, determined to speak a fire spell, hoping the flames would burst at my fingertips.

“This is ridiculous,” Meri said, her voice distinguishable now. “I’m going back inside.”

“Whaaa,” I forced out, before my mouth clamped shut. Or I should say Camille clamped it shut for me. My only consolation was that it appeared she couldn’t move either. We were locked in a stalemate.

“Jade?” Meri said again, and I thought I heard her move closer. I wanted to warn her or move away, protect her from the ghost possessing me, but I couldn’t. I couldn’t do a damn thing. “Are you okay?”

My shoulder tingled, and the ice melted. Feeling rushed back into my arms, core, and legs as the rest of the static fled.

I shifted to study her, finally noticing her hand on my arm where the tingling had started. “How’d you do that?” I croaked out, my throat raw from the forced communication. It was as if I’d been screaming for hours at a rock concert.

“Do what?”

I shook my head, trying to clear the cobwebs. “You expelled Camille. How’d you do it?” Whatever spell she’d used, I needed to know it. Maybe next time I could combat the possession before Camille overtook me.

She frowned, confusion lining her face. “I didn’t do anything.”

“Yes,” I said, ignoring the pain in my throat as I raised my voice. “I was possessed, and then when you touched—” Holy crap. What was it about Meri that kept the ghost away? And could I reproduce it? I swallowed and lowered my voice. “It was your touch. As soon as you placed your hand on my arm, you broke the spell, and Camille fled. Do you have some special ghost kryptonite or something?”

She stared at me, eyes narrowed. “Not that I’m aware of.”

I grabbed her arm and clutched it to me. “Whatever it was, it worked. You saved me from a full-on possession.” I sighed and sent Philip a silent thanks. As much as I hated the bastard, he’d been right about making me and Meri stay together. “Let’s go. Kat’s in trouble.”

***

I parked Pyper’s VW Bug behind Bea’s Prius and scanned the grounds. No creepy ghosts. That was something. Then I had to force myself to wait for Meri before sprinting into the house. I wouldn’t be any use if Camille showed up and took over again.
Hurry up
, I wanted to scream when her light sweater got caught on the door handle and she struggled to detangle herself. Clenching my teeth, I seethed silently, my hands glowing with magic again. I rubbed them together, stamping it out. I was sure she wasn’t intentionally trying to piss me off.