Demons of Bourbon Street

chapter 28

I pried my heavy tongue off the roof of my mouth and tried to swallow. “Water?” I croaked.


One of the lab techs brought a cup with a straw up to my lips. Not caring if the liquid was tainted with some other sort of drug, I

sucked it down until the straw gurgled with air.

“Better?” Meri asked.

She was already sitting up, her restraints shed. Someone had given her fresh clothes, a white cotton shirt and white linen pants. I

glanced down at myself and scowled. Mud caked my sneakers and dirt stained my jeans. Not to mention I was still a prisoner in the

lab chair.

“How’d you end up with the spa treatment?” I asked.

She smiled. “The dream-inducing drug wears off faster for angels…or former angels. I’m sure they’ll let you shower before the

hearing.”

I tried to sit up and groaned in defeat. “The what?”

“They’re going to make a decision today.” The smile vanished from her face and her voice became barely a whisper. “We’ll find out

which one of us gets to keep your soul.”

Instead of panicking, my whole body went numb. The drugs had taken us through another round of Meri’s memories and one of my

own. Both focused on the same theme: Each of us sacrificing ourselves for someone else.

After experiencing her fear for her loved ones and her unwavering courage, even I couldn’t say who was more deserving. If Meri was

saved and restored to being an angel, wouldn’t she be in a better position to help people? I didn’t speak for a while. Finally I turned

to her. “At least we don’t have to go back to the time warp room.”

She gave a noncommittal shrug. “I guess.”

Sadness blossomed in my chest. Room or no room, either way I had a fifty-fifty shot I’d never see Kane again. Wrap my arms

around him. Feel the gentle caress of his lips. I slammed my fist down on the counter. A metal tray clamored to the floor, the noise

echoing off the walls.

Meri didn’t even flinch.

I clenched my teeth, my jaw aching with the effort. Screw the council. I wasn’t going down without a fight.

***

I did indeed get my spa hour. Not long after I woke up, two young angels came and led me to a room where I was given a bath,

some food, and then dressed in the most beautiful green-silk dress. My grungy clothes were taken away and my meager

possessions tucked in the hidden pocket of my skirt.

They curled and styled my hair, and when they were finished, they guided me to a full-length mirror. I gasped at the reflection staring

back at me. I’d never looked so radiant. My skin glowed and my eyes illuminated the deepest jade green I’d ever seen.

A sad, ironic smile barely turned my lips up. If this was my last night of existence, at least I’d go out in style.

I didn’t see Meri again until I was led back into the sanctuary. She sat at one of two throne-like chairs, both positioned in front of the

two sections of pews. Every last seat was occupied with white and gold-robed angels. A nervous excitement filled the room.

My pair of angels guided me to the straight-back chair opposite Meri. I sat, resting my hands on the wooden armrests, staring

straight ahead, afraid I’d throw up at any minute.

The council filed in, one by one, onto the dais. A tiny angel, no more than five feet tall, scrambled from the wings up to the

microphone. She pulled on a long velvet rope, causing bells to clang at near-deafening levels. “Court is now in session. Angel Drake

Davidson will preside over the proceedings.”

She scurried off to the side, stumbling over her too-long robe. Her high, tinkling laugh echoed through the room.

Davidson, the angel with the long white hair, cast the announcer an impatient glance before moving to his seat at the council table.

Five more angels followed, taking their positions beside him.

The bells gonged again, only this time no one pulled the ropes.

Silence fell inside the sanctuary. An ominous monotone voice came out of nowhere, saying, “This trial is now in session.”

Davidson rapped a gavel and turned to his fellow council members. “We have balance today. Two character witnesses for each of

the ladies on trial. Madeline, please call the first witness.”

Madeline, an elder angel with age lines gracing her eyes stood and shuffled to the podium. “I call the Angel Philip to the stand.”

The air shimmered next to the dais, and a golden chair appeared out of thin air. Philip strode in through a thick golden door behind

the dais and settled gracefully in the chair.

“You understand that by voluntarily taking the stand, you’ll have no choice but to answer truthfully?” Davidson asked.

Philip glanced once in Meri’s direction. “I understand.”

The head councilman nodded toward Madeline. “You may proceed.”

The older woman produced a pair of spectacles and slid them on her nose. She shuffled through a few papers and finally settled on

one. “Angel Philip, please state your relationship to both the women on trial.”

He cleared his throat. “I met Jade Calhoun a few weeks ago after I was assigned to be her soul guardian. Angel Meri is my ex-mate.

”

“I understand you are a witness for the ex-demon?”

“Yes.”

“And she has lost her own soul? She survives by sharing Ms. Calhoun’s?”

Philip nodded. “That is correct.”

Madeline peeked over her glasses, eyeing Meri and then me. “Tell me, why would you witness for an ex-demon over the witch? Is it

because Meri used to be your mate? In other words, are you basing your decisions on emotions or logic?”

He took a second before answering and then looked at Madeline, pain written all over his face. “It’s no secret I take responsibility for

Meri’s original fall to demonism. I suppose on some level I feel it’s my duty to help her as much as possible, but that isn’t why I’m

here today. The council put me in charge of protecting Ms. Calhoun’s soul, and that is ultimately what I am trying to do.” He took a

deep breath. “Right now, Meri is half a being. Somewhere between angel and human. By an odd twist of luck, somehow she ended

up sharing Ms. Calhoun’s soul.”

Some odd twist of luck? When Meri was a demon, she’d done everything in her power to steal souls. She’d have gotten Kane’s,

Lailah’s, Dan’s, and my mother’s if I hadn’t stopped her. The only reason she had part of mine now was because she’d marred

Kane. Odd twist of luck, my ass! The demon Meri had left an opening when she’d staked Kane. The twist was that I’d been able to

almost destroy her. Now as a pseudo angel, she was going to destroy me.

Philip swallowed and continued with his testimony, “This happened without Meri’s knowledge, and she didn’t seek it in her current

non-demon state. If she’s given the chance, I’m confident she will once again return to the mighty angel who saved countless others.

As much as it troubles me to condemn Ms. Calhoun’s existence, I believe Meri should be the vessel who carries this shared soul.”

Madeline made a few notes and then stared pointedly at Philip. “You’re saying you do not believe the white witch deserves to keep

her own soul?”

Philip cast a sad glance in my direction. “No, I didn’t say that at all. I’m being forced to make a decision. Given all the facts, I believe

Meri can help the world more effectively.”

I curled my fists, restraining myself from an outburst. I’d get my chance. Wouldn’t I?

“You may be seated, Philip. Angel Lailah, will you please take your place on the stand?”

Lailah appeared from the gold door and as they passed each other, Philip tried to rest a reassuring hand on her shoulder, but she

skirted his reach. She stared at him with narrowed eyes as he took a seat behind Meri. I caught a faint trace of her thoughts. His

fault. He orchestrated this.

Lailah sat and was placed under oath. It was declared she was a witness for me. That I’d expected. It had to be her and…Dan? I

wished with all my heart that wasn’t a question. But who else would witness for me?

A different council angel came forward. He was a handsome, clean-cut blond man who appeared to be in his early twenties, though

age was notoriously hard to judge when it came to angels. Just like witches, they had ways of slowing down the biological clock.

He inclined his head. “It’s good to see you again, Lailah.”

“Peter.” She gave him a skeptical nod.

His lips quirked in a knowing smile, as if he knew exactly what she was thinking. I guessed something along the lines of, I’d rather

eat live crawfish than be in the same room with you. But she kept a neutral expression on her face and waited for his questions.

“You’re friends with Ms. Calhoun?” Peter asked with a fair amount of accusation in his tone.

“Yes, you could say that.”

“And you have a romantic relationship with Philip, Meri’s ex-mate?” He lifted a smug eyebrow.

Lailah glared at him. “Yes.”

Peter’s expression turned serious and almost angry. “Is that why you neglected your assignment of watching over Mr. Toller’s soul

and, instead, decided to do everything in your power to get rid of the ex-angel Meri?”

Fury, so strong it filled the courtroom, sprang from Lailah. “No! That isn’t what happened at all.”

“So Mr. Toller didn’t end up in Hell with Meri?”

“Well…uh,” she sputtered. “Yes, he did, but only because he sacrificed himself.”

Peter pursed his lips. “So, not only did you not do your job, but your assignment showed braver courage than you did.”

Lailah stood and faced the rest of the council. “He is introducing conjecture that has no bearing on this case. I respectfully request a

new inquisitor.”

Davidson stood to address her. “I’m afraid that’s not possible. The urgency of this situation has required us to task each

interrogation to one council member. Peter is yours. The council is capable of weeding out unnecessary information.” He nodded to

Peter. “Proceed, please.”

Peter went on to interrogate Lailah on how she’d handled herself over the last few months, even going so far as to accuse her of

being the cause of Dan’s possession by Meri. She did her best to answer his questions, all the while trying to interject opinion on

what was happening at the moment.

“I don’t see what any of this has to do with Jade keeping her soul. It’s hers. It isn’t right for us to decide to take it away because a

demon managed to form a connection to her.” Lailah waved an impatient hand toward the angels seated in front of her. “Isn’t that

what we’re here for? To protect souls from this sort of thing?”

“That isn’t what I asked you, Lailah,” Peter said patiently.

“Well, that’s the answer you got,” she snapped.

“One last time. Did you or did you not end up in Purgatory with Ms. Calhoun’s significant other?”

She took a deep breath and let it out slowly, clearly trying to get a grip on her frustration. “Yes,” she hissed.

He turned to the council. “I declare the angel Lailah unfit as a character witness. Her ties to Ms. Calhoun and the other people

involved in this inquiry have clearly clouded her judgment.”

I gasped. My main spokesperson was being dismissed.

“Noted,” Davidson said then turned to Lailah. “You may step down.”

“But—”

“Now, Lailah. Take your seat.”

If a bucket of water had landed on her right then, steam would have clouded the dais. She sat where she was, obvious outrage

keeping her glued in place. Two guards finally stepped up. She shot them one last glance of disdain and then escaped to a seat

behind me.

Jonathon took the stand next.

I closed my eyes, praying he’d be gone when I opened them. No such luck. There he was, sitting in the witness chair, staring down

at me with tight eyes. God. Could this get any worse? If this good-for-nothing charlatan said anything to contribute to my eminent

demise, I’d come back from the beyond and haunt his ass until the end of time.

A few moments later, he was sworn in, and the first question was asked by yet another woman of the council. Endora. It suited her

perfectly, blue eye shadow and all.

“Jonathon, please tell us your relationship to the ones on trial.”

“I don’t have one with Meri. Ms. Calhoun is one of my parishioners.”

Say what? I whipped around, staring at Lailah. Make him stop, I screamed in my mind. Make him stop. She didn’t seem to hear me.

Damned psychic connection. Never worked when you actually needed it. I absolutely did not want to be associated with Goodwin’s

brand of crazy.

“Are you saying you are here as a character witness for Ms. Calhoun?”

“That is correct.” Jonathon smiled down at me.

I bit my lip to keep from yelling at him. This couldn’t end well. Snippets of my life flashed through my mind: Stolen moments with

Kane, laughing with Kat, dancing with Pyper, making strawberry shortcake with Mom. Fun, special memories. They all started to slip

away. The beginning of the end.

Endora asked Goodwin’s opinion, and he went on and on about God’s plan and how taking my soul to give to someone else wasn’t

an angel’s job. God had the sole power to make such decisions. We served him, and all of us should get on our knees and pray for

forgiveness. He actually gave quite the strong argument, albeit he did use the God card too many times.

Every time he brought up the Supreme Being, Endora became more and more agitated. “Your religious fanaticism is not welcome

here, Jonathon. Please stick to the facts as you see them.”

I had to admit, her statement left me baffled. They were angels, for…well, God’s sake, were they not?

Jonathon fixed her with a disbelieving stare. “I was asked for my opinion. I’m giving it to you.”

“I assure you, your beliefs will be discussed among the council.” Endora grimaced. “All of them. Before I release you, I’ll leave you

with this piece of advice. If you wish to continue to be in good standing with the angel community, you’ll find a new form of

employment among the humans.”

The color drained from Jonathon’s face. “Why?”

“Angels are soul protectors, Mr. Goodwin.”

“That is exactly what I’m trying to do.”

She fixed him with a disgusted look. “No, Reverend Goodwin, you are sitting in judgment over those you swore to protect. True men

and women of the cloth are called to serve because they love mankind. You serve out of anger. Find a new career or your days as

an agent of this organization are numbered.”

Jonathon’s face froze in a stunned expression.

Endora stalked back to her chair, keeping her stare straight ahead at the spectators.

Ouch. I guess he hit a nerve.

“You may step down now,” Davidson said, dismissing him.

Goodwin opened his mouth to speak, but the elder angel’s warning glance silenced him. He let out a frustrated sigh and moved to

sit next to Lailah.

“Dan Pearson Toller?”

What? My two witnesses had already testified.

Realization dawned.

Dan was there for Meri.

Hot, angry tears burned my eyes. After everything we’d been through, he was willing to let my soul be given to someone else? What

happened? Last time we’d been in front of the council, he’d defended me when he’d realized my soul was in danger.

I brushed the tears away and focused on Davidson.

He glanced at my ex and frowned. “You’re not an angel.”

Dan stood near the podium. “No, sir, I’m not.”

The head councilman turned to his underlings. “How did this mortal end up as a witness?”

A gaunt, pale angel on the very end stood. She pulled her mass of curly black hair back and tied it into a haphazard bun. “Mr. Toller

is Philip’s biological son. He’s intimately connected to both the women on trial today.”

Intimately connected? What kind of relationship did he and Meri share? Please, Goddess, don’t tell me Dan and Meri are involved.

Talk about twisted.

“I see. Will you be questioning him, Selma?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Fine. Mr. Toller, please take a seat.” Davidson dropped back and sat with the council.

After Selma swore Dan in, she asked, “State for the record your relationship to Meri and Ms. Calhoun.”

He glanced at me, eyes full of sorrow. “Jade and I were childhood friends until we started dating. We were together for over four

years and almost got engaged before our relationship fell apart.” He took a deep breath. “Meri possessed me as a demon and

entrapped me in Hell as her minion. Jade managed to break her, almost destroy her completely, but somehow Meri survived and

was no longer a demon. We took care of each other in Hell until Philip came for us.”

“My notes indicate you’re a witness for Meri, correct?”

Dan swallowed. Opened his mouth. Then shut it. Finally he nodded. “Yes.”

My heart seized and threatened to crack into a million pieces. I stared down at my white-knuckled hands, knowing if I looked at him, I

’d either scream or burst into tears. Neither seemed an effective strategy at the moment.

“Tell us why you’d advocate for an ex-demon over someone who was obviously important in your life,” Selma said.

Dan cleared his throat. “That’s just it. Meri isn’t a demon anymore, is she? I want to make it clear I’m not advocating for Meri’s life

over Jade’s. I just think Meri needs someone to speak for her.”

Frustration filled me to the point I was almost shaking.

“And why is it you’ve taken on this role?”

Dan’s voice turned hard, angry. “Meri sacrificed herself for my father, and he left her in Hell. She. Saved. His. Life. And he left her

there.”

Something close to hatred streamed from Dan. I glanced up, watching him try to calm himself.

He met my gaze and when he spoke, his words were for me. “Meri deserves a second chance. She paid the ultimate sacrifice. I

hope the council can spare them both.”

I couldn’t help myself. It wasn’t that I didn’t agree with him. Meri did deserve a chance at life, but I didn’t see how his plea was

possible. I stood, my chair scraping loudly on the tile floor.

The pressure of the hearing, and my ultimate fate, made me snap. “But there’s only one soul! Mine. What do you propose they do?

Take someone else’s? Condemn some poor innocent? You can’t have it both ways. Damn it, Dan, you have to choose. Meri or me?

”

A tiny burst of magic collected at my fingertips with my emotional outburst. The entire room let out a collective gasp. I tamped the

magic down instantly, but I was too late. Davidson gave a command, and two guards closed in on me. Lailah jumped to my side.

Jonathon followed, sliding to a stop right in front of her.

Dan stood in the witness box, his face contorted with a mix of confusion and horror. “Of course not. I don’t want to condemn anyone.”

He turned to the dais. “You’re angels. Surely you can do something to save them both.” Apparently he hadn’t been filled in on the

rules of this particular game.

No one answered him.

“Stop right there,” Lailah ordered the guards.

They ignored her and closed in tighter.

Jonathon took a step toward them. “There’s no need for this. I’m sure Jade will calm down.”

“Seize her,” Davidson demanded.

The guards grabbed Lailah and Jonathon, bodily removing them.

I held my hands up. “Now, wait a minute. I just lost my cool with Dan. Not the entire council. Let’s all take a moment to calm down.”

“Ms. Calhoun, outbursts are not permitted in the sanctuary from anyone. Especially not a witch. You’ll be taken to your room to await

our decision.”

“The time warp room?” I gasped. “No—”

Dan appeared just behind the guards. “That isn’t necessary. Jade would never hurt anyone.”

Meri pushed her way through the small crowd and nudged Dan to the side. “I humbly request Ms. Calhoun stay for the remainder of

the inquiry. I’m sure she’ll give her word she won’t wield any magic during this trial.” She turned to me. “Right, Jade?”

“Yeah, yeah. Of course. It isn’t my wish to harm anyone.”

The sixth member of the council stepped forward. She was so beautiful, light seemed to radiate from within her. Her skin glowed,

and the only thing I felt from her was love, an oddity in the room full of seemingly emotionless and political angels. She placed a soft

hand on Davidson’s arm. “Ms. Calhoun may stay.”

A hush fell over the crowd. This angel must be important. And while I was grateful, the command she had of all the other angels

made me uneasy. I fought the urge to wrap my arms around myself in a protective nature.

“Please, everyone be seated,” the beautiful one said, and everyone except Lailah returned to their seats.

“If it pleases the council, I’d like to chaperone Ms. Calhoun for the remainder of the proceedings,” she said.

Davidson sent her a look of exasperation. “Fine. We’ve heard from Ms. Calhoun. It’s time to hear from Meri.”

I opened my mouth to protest, but Lailah nudged me with an elbow and gave me a slight shake of her head.

Meri stood. “Thank you.”

“Former Angel Meri, please tell us why we should award you Ms. Calhoun’s soul.”

She stared right into Davidson’s eyes and with a strong voice said, “You shouldn’t.”