Demons of Bourbon Street

chapter 21

My eyes flew open and my survival instinct kicked in, adrenaline racing through my veins.


No way was Meri keeping my soul. It was mine, damn it. Mine.

So what if I’d been the one to destroy what was left of hers? She’d been a demon at the time. It was justified. She’d tried to corrupt

Bea with black magic. It’s what demons did. What they were conditioned to do, once they fell from angel status.

My breathing returned to normal, and after a while, a tiny bit of guilt touched my heart. Hadn’t I said Meri was a victim too?

Sure, she took my mom from me, entrapped Dan in Hell, and stole half my soul, but should she be held accountable for those

things? She wasn’t a demon anymore. Maybe she was responsible for the soul-stealing thing, except I wasn’t sure she had control

over the connection.

Until I had the chance to talk to her, I had more questions than answers.

***

My newest mission was to find Meri so we could share information.

Of course, all my friends thought I’d lost my mind, but they hadn’t had the benefit of sharing Meri’s emotions in the dream like I had. I’

d witnessed firsthand her aversion to keeping my soul. Why she still held on to it, I didn’t know. Maybe she didn’t have a choice.

What would happen to her if she didn’t?

“Somebody has to know how to fix this,” I whined to Lailah, Bea, and Kat. The four of us had met at Bea’s to discuss my dream.

Some sort of silent communication traveled between Lailah and Bea before they both shook their heads.

“Don’t think I didn’t see that.” I waved an accusatory hand. “What about the angel council? Or whoever you take orders from?” I

asked Lailah.

“That’s not a good idea,” she said slowly.

“For who?” I stabbed my fork into a baked potato. “You or me?”

“Now, Jade,” Bea said. “There is no need—”

Lailah held up her hand. “It’s okay. She has every right to be frustrated.” She turned to me. “The council is unpredictable. Asking

them for help might result in…an undesirable outcome.”

I made a face. “Undesirable outcome? What does that mean?”

“An earth-bound angel’s job has always been to do everything in her power to save an individual’s soul.” Lailah paused for a

moment, apparently organizing her thoughts. “There’s rarely a debate about who a soul belongs to, because everyone has one of

their own. As far as the high council is concerned, the person isn’t important. They don’t care about the vessel. The battle for souls is

about ridding the world of evil. The betterment of the greater good. Not for protecting any one person.”

Kat’s hand tightened around my arm. A thick film of outrage circled her. “You mean, they could give Jade’s soul to Meri?”

Lailah pressed her lips together in a flat line. She took a deep breath, staring me in the eye. “Since Meri is a former angel…”

She didn’t need to say anything else. The reality of my situation stripped all my bravado and left my heart raw. Angels were rare. If

the council had a chance to save one of their own, they would.

Kat stood, her hands on her hips, anger rippling off her. “Why do they have to give Meri Jade’s soul? Why can’t they give her

someone else’s if Meri’s so important? Not that I think they should be ripping people’s souls out, but it’s hardly fair they’d just take

Jade’s.”

Lailah took a deep frustrated breath and turned to Kat. “Because Meri is already sharing her soul. The council doesn’t have the

power to completely rip souls from people. But since Jade’s is compromised, they can help bind it to one or the other.”

All the fight drained out of Kat as her anger turned to fear. Then she put into words what I didn’t have the courage to ask. “If they give

Meri Jade’s soul, what happens to Jade?”

My vision turned myopic as everything faded but Lailah’s pained face. Our eyes locked and silence filled the room.

Demon. I’d be a slave to the twisted underworld.

“No.” Lailah’s harsh voice punched through the static filling my ears. “You wouldn’t be a demon. You’d fall into a coma and your body

would start to shut down. Life support could sustain you, but eventually your heart would give out.” Her tone turned soft and almost

apologetic. “The only part of you that will remain are our memories.”

Eyes still on Lailah, I stayed seated, too shocked to speak.

“Don’t be ridiculous.” Kat stalked across the room before abruptly moving to stand behind my chair, hovering protectively. “Meri lost

her soul and she didn’t die.”

Frowning, I wondered why that even mattered. Without my soul, I wouldn’t want to live anyway.

Lailah slumped and cast a weary glance at Bea.

My mentor patted her hand and gave Kat her full attention. “Only angels turn demon. Human souls can be corrupted by black magic,

but their essence prevents them from turning. Without both an essence and soul, a human cannot live.”

“And Priscilla and Felicia? How come they didn’t die when their souls and essences were taken?” I asked.

Bea’s eyes turned cold with quiet unease. “Meri preserved them in Purgatory. If they’d been here, in our world, they would have.”

I nodded numbly. So much for sharing information with Meri. If I wanted to survive, I had to find a way to rip my soul from her before

the angel council could intervene.

Kat steamed from behind me. Righteous indignation exploded from her chest, making the room temperature rise a few degrees.

“You’re just telling us this now? It’s been five days. I can’t believe you’ve been holding this information back. Jade had a right to

know. You should have—”

I pressed my fingers to my pounding temples and did my best to block my friend out as she continued to rage. I supposed if I were in

her shoes, I’d be just as angry, if not more. Although, I had no idea how things would have been any different had they told me.

Kat started to pace again, still verbally berating our friends. They kept still, appearing appropriately chastised.

During one of her trips through the living room, I slipped out the front door and stood at the porch railing. I breathed in the cool air

and wished I could will it to cleanse away all that ailed my weakening body.

After a few moments, I dug a bag of M&Ms out of my pocket and proceeded to chump down my chocolate energy treats. I was

going to need a whole new, slightly larger wardrobe if I kept up the sugar craze.

The front door creaked open, and somehow, even though I couldn’t feel her energy, I knew it was Lailah.

“Your headache’s better?” She took a place beside me on the porch.

I nodded. Studying Bea’s marigolds, I asked, “What would you do?”

She leaned over the railing and in a quiet voice said, “I’d spend every spare second with those I love and put my affairs in order.

Then I’d fight like hell to keep my soul.”

I tore my gaze from the flower garden and turned to her in surprise. I’d gotten so used to her reading my thoughts I hadn’t felt the

need to clarify my question. “I meant, if you were Philip.”

“Oh.” She gave me a half-smile. “I told you the connection would start to fade. I’m only getting snippets now.”

Finally. At least something was going in the right direction. “So, if I’d been your assignment and you had to choose between an

angel and a human, what would you do?”

Her smile faded and her shoulders hunched. “It isn’t that simple.”

“I know. Meri is his mate. It complicates things. But try anyway.” I wasn’t going to let this go. Would all angels sacrifice a human for

one of their own? When it came time to fight, I needed to know who to trust.

She fidgeted, taking her time before she answered. “Field angels are very different from council angels. They live in a reality

separate from our world. In a sense, people are interchangeable to them. For those of us living among humans, it’s not so cut and

dry. We live and love just like everyone else. I can’t look at you and only see a soul. I see Jade, who is made up of her own unique

soul and spirit. You aren’t you without both.”

“So you’re saying if Meri ends up with my soul, her spirit takes over and mine dies. Like you said before, I cease to exist.”

“Yes, but that isn’t what I meant. I’m saying you’re my friend. No matter how rough the journey we’ve had in our rocky relationship, I’m

not willing to let you go.”

The conviction in her voice made me stand taller. She mimicked my movement, and I flung my arms around her. She stiffened

momentarily and then returned my hug.

“Thank you,” I whispered in her ear. “You have no idea how much that means to me.”

“I think I have an inkling.”

I stepped back and grinned. “Psychic connections do have their uses every once in a while.”

She laughed and shook her head. “I wouldn’t go that far.”

We were still laughing when the front door banged open. Kat stood in the threshold, excitement streaming off her. “He’s been

spotted.”

The laughter died on my lips. “Dan?”

“Philip?” Lailah asked at the same time.

“Philip,” she said. “He’s in Cajun Cove.”

Having spent less than a year in Louisiana, and most of that time within a ten-mile radius, the name of the town meant nothing to me.

“Where’s that?”

Lailah whipped out her phone and tapped in a number. “South of here, in the middle of the bayou.”

I stepped into the house and snatched my purse. As I turned to leave, Lailah strode back in and took a seat at the table. “What are

you doing?” I asked.

She grabbed a piece of paper and a pen. “Making a list of supplies so we’ll be ready in the morning.”

I hitched my purse higher on my shoulder and tightened my grip on the handle. “In the morning? We need to go now.”

“We can’t go in the dark,” Lailah said. “Cajun Cove is an island in the middle of the bayou. We’ll need an airboat, a guide, and

supplies. Philip isn’t staying there. Too many people. He’ll be holed up at a camp somewhere and only going to town for food and

stuff.”

Slowly, I relaxed my grip on my purse and set it back down. Despite every nerve screaming to hunt down my guardian angel, I took a

seat at the table. “What can I do?”

She stopped writing and softened her voice. “Nothing we can’t take care of. Go home, Jade. Get some rest. Spend a quiet evening

with Kane. Tomorrow we’ll start early. With any luck, you’ll be able to pinpoint the camp you’ve been seeing through Meri’s eyes.”

I didn’t move. How could I leave them when we finally had a lead? I glanced at Kat.

She stood. “Come on. I’ll drive you.”

After all the days of worrying about Dan, she wasn’t staying to help either? “What are you going to do?”

“Take you home and then call Lucien to study some maps.”

I nodded. “Sounds like a great plan. I’ll help.”

She shook her head, and Lailah chimed in once more. “Remember what I said earlier? What I’d do in your shoes?”

My stomach dropped. Once I found Meri, one of us wasn’t walking away from the encounter. How long could a soul stay separated?

Judging by my weakening state, I was the underdog. I crossed the room to stand behind Bea, placed my hands on her shoulders,

and bent to whisper in her ear, “Whatever happens, take care of them.” My voice came out low and strained.

She placed her right hand over mine and squeezed. “If anyone can survive this, it’s you.”

Tears burned my eyes, but I blinked them back. I straightened and rejoined Kat. “Let’s go.”

***

We crossed Canal Street, heading into the French Quarter. “Can you drop me at my studio?” I asked.

“You’re going to work tonight? What about Kane? Isn’t he waiting for you?”

“He is, but I need to take care of some things first. I won’t be long.”

She quirked a skeptical eyebrow, but dutifully made the turn to the glass shop. A few minutes later she put the car in park. “Want me

to wait?”

“No, thanks. I can walk from here.” I pushed the door open.

Kat reached over and grabbed my arm. “I’m going with you tomorrow.”

“I know.” Nothing I said would stop her. The two people she loved most in the world were in the middle of this mess. Besides, as

selfish as it was, I wanted her there.

“Good. Now do whatever you have to do and then get home. You need rest.”

“Yes, Mama Kat.” I smiled and scooted out of the car.

“And Jade?”

I leaned back down and peered at her. “Yeah?”

She tossed me a new package of Junior Mints. “Don’t let that man of yours wear you out.”

Laughing, I slammed the door shut and watched as she sped off. The humor faded as I wondered if she’d ever get a chance to

tease me again. I bit my lip and hurried into my sanctuary, popping a handful of minty chocolate. It would be enough to get me

through at least a few hours of studio time.

I hit Kane’s number on my phone. After filling him in on the Philip sighting, I let him know I needed a few hours to myself.

“Sure, love,” he said. “But don’t be too late. I’m making dinner.”

“I won’t.” I smiled at the idea of him slaving away in his kitchen. “And, Kane?”

“Yeah?”

“I love you.”

“Love you, too, pretty witch.”

The line went dead, and I sat at my work bench. For years, glass had been my escape from my empath gift. Imagine going through

life not only knowing everyone’s emotions, but experiencing them right alongside them. Sure, joy and happiness were a bonus. Who

didn’t want that little boost? Unfortunately, just like a sugar high, a few hours later I’d come crashing down. And don’t get me started

on those who were suffering their own demons. I had enough of my own to deal with. The world was filled with far too many unhappy

and deeply wounded people.

To block everything out, I’d turned to glass. Alone in my studio, the lure of the flame called to me. The perfect thing to calm my

nerves.

After two weeks of neglecting the studio, I first checked the pressure on my oxygen tanks and then the gas line. Mollified everything

was in working order, I flipped the switch to turn my kiln on and lit my torch.

The tight pinpoint flame flickered to life, strong and steady. I dipped the end of a glass rod into the two-thousand-degree heat and as

it melted into a molten ball, the tension drained from my temples, and the last of my headache vanished.