Demons of Bourbon Street

chapter 26

The blinding light faded and I blinked, clearing the moisture from my burning eyes. One thing became immediately clear—I was no

longer in the shack out in the bayou. Lailah and Lucien’s anti-transportation spell had failed. The cold, hard floor gleamed in the

sunlight. Its gold and white checkerboard pattern stretched out in front of me, leading to white marble steps. I squinted.


Lined up on what looked to be a dais sat six robed individuals, all of them staring in my direction with stern frowns.

I scrambled to my feet and stifled a cry when someone rested a hand on my shoulder.

“It’s me, Jade,” Dan whispered.

“Where the hell are we?”

A collective gasp echoed through the room. Slowly I turned and focused on the surroundings. Rows of gorgeous, perfectly groomed,

flawless faces stared back at me from the spectators seated behind us in what were unmistakably pews. They were all dressed

alike, in white robes, adorned with intricate embroidered gold ruins.

Who were these people, and why were we in a church? I glanced around, desperate for a clue as to where we’d ended up.

Please, God, let us still be in Louisiana.

I gazed upward to the arched ceiling and the familiar murals. Instantly, recognition dawned on me. I should have known right away

when I saw the tiled floor, but the colors were off. In fact, there weren’t any colors at all except shades of white and gold in the entire

building. Even the paintings had been white-washed.

I covered my mouth with my hand, horrified. What had happened to New Orleans’ most notable landmark—Saint Louis Cathedral?

And who were the drones filling the pews?

“What’s going on?” I demanded.

“Jade.” Lailah, who for some crazy reason wore one of the gold-thread-embroidered robes, rose from the front row and joined Dan

and me. “We’ve been summoned to the angel council.”

Philip, who’d been sitting next to her, stood, revealing his matching robe. Meri, still in her burgundy shirt and ripped jeans, followed

his movement and faced the dais.

Holy cherubs. We weren’t in the French Quarter Saint Louis Cathedral. We were in an alternate angel realm, just like we’d been in

an alternate New Orleans underworld when we were in Hell. Was this Heaven?

An ominous bell chimed, and everyone stood. Dan took a few steps toward Philip and Meri and then looked back at me, indecision

clear in his eyes. His inner conflict made me queasy.

I glanced away, unable to deal with his turmoil. What was he doing here, anyway? Had the council summoned him, too? If so, why?

A tall, white-haired angel stepped forward, ethereal in her graceful movements. Her undeniable beauty triggered an intense desire

to weep. I’d be happy to bask in her presence forever. Then her cold blue eyes locked on mine, sending a startling ripple of fear

through me. I shivered and took an involuntary step backward. How could someone be so beautiful and scary at the same time?

Lailah pushed me forward and whispered in a harsh tone, “Do not show weakness.”

“Jade Calhoun,” the woman said, her face void of all expression. Her emotions were hidden from me as well, though most angels’

were. “How exactly has the ex-demon, Meri, obtained a piece of your soul?”

I wasn’t sure what to say. Couldn’t someone have prepped me on the correct way to answer? I glanced at Lailah, but she stared

straight ahead, just as blank as my inquisitor. Fine. What was the worst they could do to me? My soul was already compromised.

I raised my chin. “She stole it.”

The ice blue stare didn’t falter or soften. “Speak truthfully, or you’ll suffer the consequences.”

Was she calling me a liar? I narrowed my eyes, too irritated to temper my reaction. “I am speaking the truth. When Meri was a

demon, she stabbed my fiancé in the thigh. Even though the wound healed, somehow she maintained a connection to him. Through

him, she began slowly sucking away at my soul. We managed to sever his connection to her, but mine remained. Earlier today, she

almost succeeded in killing me as she tried to claim the last of my soul. I demand you put a stop to it.”

“Jade!” Dan and Lailah gasped at the same time. While Lailah reprimanded me, Dan’s tone was one of shocked surprise.

I ignored both of them and took a step forward.

“Plus, Philip over there—” I waved a disgusted hand in his direction, “—the one you put in charge of my soul?”

The woman glanced at Philip.

“Yeah, him. He bailed on me, opting instead to worry about his ex-mate. Seems kind of unethical, doesn’t it?”

One of the other council members joined the ice queen angel. He had long hair that hung perfectly straight in a sheet of the palest

blond I’d ever seen. His mane barely moved, not one strand out of place as he stepped up to the microphone. “Ms. Calhoun,” his

voice boomed. “You will address the council with respect, or you will not address us at all.”

I opened my mouth to speak, but Dan strode over and put a hand up in a wait-a-moment gesture. “What do you mean, she almost

killed you?”

“Exactly how it sounds, Dan. She’s been surviving off me. We can’t share my soul forever. One of us will die. And today when I burst

into the cabin, Meri almost won the battle.”

His face paled, matching the council members’ stark white robes. Fear and an overwhelming burst of anger shot through him. The

sharp stab of his emotions pierced deep inside me. I clutched my chest, trying to dull the pain as he whirled on Philip.

“Is that true?” Dan took three steps, his fists clenched.

Philip met his eyes, staring him down, unapologetic. “Yes. That’s why we’re here, to let the council decide the best course of action.”

“You son of a bitch.” Dan’s right fist flew, followed by a sickening crunch as he broke Philip’s nose. Philip recovered quickly, trying to

stem the blood flow with one hand and raising the other in defense as Dan came at him again. “This whole time you were aware

Jade’s life was at risk and you never said anything?”

Lailah inserted herself between Dan and Philip. Meri stood to the side, staring at me. I met her gaze, trying my damnedest to sense

her emotions. But I got nothing. You’d think with our connection, she’d be the one person I could read.

“F*cking bastard,” Dan spat, reaching around Lailah.

“Dan!” she cried. “Now isn’t the time.”

“It’s the perfect time.” Dan reached out and grabbed Lailah by the waist and lifted her off the ground.

“Stop it. Put me down.” Her arms and legs flailed as she tried to dislodge herself.

He set her off to the side. “Stay out of this, Lailah. This is between me and my father.”

“It’s angel business,” she reasoned with him, but he’d already turned his back on her.

“You used me,” Dan accused, advancing on his father once more. “You abandoned me and my mother and only connected with me

when you thought I could help you get your lover back.”

“That’s not how it happened,” Philip said in a calm, steady voice, despite the blood trickling from his nose. “I’ve never been more

than a phone call away.”

Dan’s anger ratcheted up to fury, making my stomach turn. “This isn’t about my daddy issues,” he said with disgust. “It’s about Jade.

A friend of mine. Someone I care about very deeply. How dare you use her? Use me to get to her?”

This time, when Dan pulled his arm back for another blow, Philip countered it with a block and sucker-punched him in the stomach.

Dan staggered then found his feet. After a small moment to catch his breath, he launched himself on Philip, and the pair went down

in a heap, brawling right in the middle of the church, with the angel council looking on.

Meri stomped over to them and yelled, “Stop it. Both of you.”

Neither of them listened. They were too far gone, duking out whatever personal battle they needed to wage. Sure, for Dan it was

partly about me, but not all of it. I suspected not even most of it.

My shoulders sagged as a bone-wary exhaustion settled over me. Would anyone care or notice if I sank to the floor?

Lailah moved forward, giving the brawling men a wide berth. “Members of the council, please, I beg of you to put a stop to this

unproductive display of male aggression. Before you stand two women with one soul. Your wisdom and assistance is humbly

requested for a resolution in this unusual circumstance.”

The pale, long-haired councilman gestured off to the side and nodded to Philip and Dan, who were grunting and rolling around on

the tile, steadfastly trying to kill one another. Or at least Dan appeared to want to kill his father. Philip was doing his best to hold Dan

off as long as possible and to avoid any more bone-crushing strikes.

Two large bouncers, both resembling some sort of angel giants, emerged from the wings. In no time they had Dan and Philip

restrained. Dan did his level best to break free from his captor. Philip relaxed, despite the guard securing his arms behind his back.

“Take them below,” the councilman said.

Dan twisted and called to me, “I didn’t know.”

I nodded, a piece of my heart mending. Even though Dan had been helping Meri, he hadn’t chosen her over me. My turbulent

emotions overwhelmed me. I longed for a quiet place to curl up in the fetal position.

The bouncers guided the duo out of the room.

Lailah seemed to sense my weariness because she stepped up beside me and linked her arm through mine. “Lean on me if you

have to.”

“Ms. Farmoore,” the ice queen angel on the dais said. “Wasn’t Mr. Toller’s soul assigned to you?”

“Yes.”

“Then I suggest you join him.” She waved a hand toward the hall leading out of the sanctuary.

Lailah tightened her grip on my arm. “I don’t think so. Philip was assigned to Ms. Calhoun, but he’s abandoned her. At this time, Ms.

Calhoun is in far more danger than Mr. Toller. She deserves an angel in her corner.”

She stared down at Lailah as an eerie silence filled the church. None of the parishioners spoke or even moved. Finally, she

murmured something to the councilman to her left. He nodded and headed for the pair of us. He stopped on the other side of Lailah

and whispered in her ear.

Lailah didn’t make any indication she heard him. The ice queen’s cold gaze passed over me and then she said, “Though we don’t

agree that Mr. Pearson has neglected his duty to guard Ms. Calhoun’s soul—part of it does reside within the ex-angel Meri—we find

your request acceptable.”

“Thank you,” Lailah said.

“You have been granted permission to guard Ms. Calhoun’s soul,” the councilman confirmed. “Do you understand since you claimed

her, her fate is yours?”

Lailah nodded solemnly. “I understand.”

Her fate was mine? Holy shit balls, what did she just agree to? I clutched her arm tighter. “Lailah?”

“Not now, Jade.” My new angel guardian moved to stand in front of Meri. She stood with her feet shoulder-width apart, hands settled

on her hips. “You know what that means, right?”

Meri raised her head and gave Lailah a grim smile. “Yes, I know what that means.”

“Good. Then you know I won’t be giving up.”

Meri gazed at the floor and mumbled, “I never expected you to.”

The lead councilwoman stepped up to a mic. “In light of recent events, the council will recess until further notice. Ms. Farmoore, you

and your associates will be shown to guest quarters. We’ll summon you when your presence is required.”

A short, redheaded angel materialized from behind us. She held a hand out in the direction of the hallway and nodded, indicating we

should follow her. We did as instructed, and I fell into step beside Lailah. “Want to tell me what that meant? My fate is yours?”

She sighed. “When an angel abandons an assignment for another, she is then forced to suffer the trials of her new charge. That

means anything that happens to you, I will be forced to experience it with you.”

I froze in horror. “You mean if I lose my soul, you will too?”

“Keep up, please,” the redhead called over her shoulder, not slowing down.

Lailah grabbed my arm, propelling me forward. “No, I will remain unaltered, but I will experience the extraction as if it were my own.”

Oh, Jesus. What had she done? “So you will feel all my emotional and physical pain?”

She gave me one curt nod. “It is what it is.”

I gaped. It was worse than being an empath. “But why would they do that to you? You’re only trying to help me.”

“Angels are preprogrammed to want to help troubled souls, but we can’t possibly help everyone. The council sends us our

assignments based on importance. The bonding is sort of like a punishment for redirecting our focus away from our regular clients.

It’s to discourage us from going rogue and helping every poor soul that crosses our paths.”

“But Dan is here and Bea’s not in any danger.” Especially since the whole reason Bea had an angel guardian was because of me.

While I was here, she should be safe.

Lailah shot me a confused look. “You didn’t think they were my only assignments, did you?”

“Well…yeah. I mean, you didn’t say anything about anyone else.”

“It’s confidential, remember?”

That’s right. Angels didn’t reveal themselves to their assignments. And they certainly didn’t go around telling other people about

them. I wondered how many souls Lailah was ignoring right now. I opened my mouth to ask more questions, but she cut me off.

“Let it go. Please, Jade?” She stuffed her hands in hidden pockets in her robe. “While things might get unpleasant, my life isn’t in

danger. Yours is. I’d like to focus on keeping you around, if that’s okay with you?”

I nodded and let her go ahead of me. My footsteps slowed and my limbs started to go numb. I was in shock mentally and it was

affecting me physically.

The white halls we traveled down were bare except for the gold gilded sconces and soft yellow flames that flickered within them.

Hallway after hallway, it was all the same golden-splashed whiteness. My vision narrowed to our escort’s feet. Just when I thought I

couldn’t take one more step, she stopped and produced a gold key.

She unlocked our room and pulled open the gold door. Inside was a lush suite, filled with elegant, white, overstuffed couches and

chairs. A mountain of gold silk pillows rested on the plush gold and white checkerboard carpet, and four separate bedrooms circled

the common living room and kitchen area. The only colors in the entire place were from the plates of fresh fruit piled on the dining

table. I wandered in, collapsed on one of the couches, and sighed in relief.

Meri and Lailah hesitated in the hallway.

I raised my eyebrows in question.

“Not everything is as it seems,” Lailah said and then confronted our guide. “How long will we be held here?”

The guide said nothing, not even acknowledging Lailah spoke. She held the door open, waiting for her to enter.

Lailah’s face turned dark. “Speak, young one.”

This time the guide flinched and looked up at her with wide, pleading hazel eyes as she shook her head.

“She’s fulfilling her vow of silence,” Meri said, pointing to a thin gold ring on the angel’s hand. “She can’t answer you. Besides, she

likely doesn’t have the answer.”

Lailah took another step away from the room. “Even so, she knows.”

I sat up. “What’s going on?”

“Those committed to silence know everything,” Lailah continued as if I hadn’t spoken. “They run the council’s errands and serve their

every whim.”

“We just got here. She can’t know,” Meri argued. “What does it matter anyway?”

Lailah turned on Meri, her face contorted in disgust. “Did you not learn anything in angel training? That room is a time warp. We

could think we’re in there five minutes and a whole year could go by.”

“Oh, shit.” Meri started to back up. “I’d heard of the time warp rooms, but I didn’t think they put angels in them.”

“Didn’t they tell you? Technically your angel status is pending until after the hearing, and I’m tied to Jade’s fate,” Lailah said in

exasperation.

Meri shook her head. “No one told me anything.”

I flew off the couch, ready to join the group in the hall. I would not get stuck in a place where time stood still. I had a life to lead, damn

it. But when I tried to cross the threshold, I couldn’t. An invisible wall kept me trapped inside. Frantically I banged on the barrier,

yelling profanity at the small guide.

Her lips turned up in a sad, twisted smile as she started to grow right before my eyes. She shot up three feet and her body morphed

into a transparent image of her former self. When she flickered back into solid form, there was two of her.

The twins moved fast, each crowding Lailah and Meri. Horrified, they both started to move forward, though their stiff movements

made it obvious they were being forced. What were the twins doing to them?

They had to be using some sort of angel magic. Slowly, painfully, Lailah and then Meri made tiny, reluctant steps. They both put up a

tremendous mental fight. Their fierce determination filtered through their angel defenses and pulsed around me. But the key master

was too strong for either of them. With one final push, the twins propelled the two angels into the suite and placed one palm on the

invisible barrier. It flashed solid white and instantly became a seamless part of the interior wall.

The gold door was gone. The three of us were trapped in a gilded cage.