Chapter 17
17
ESME
I locked the door to Ancient Magicks with trembling hands and flipped the sign to "Closed" before I turned to face Lizzy.
She gave me an encouraging smile. "They're all here in the back room," she said gently, placing a hand on my shoulder. "It'll be okay. My aunt has agreed to hear what you have to say."
I took a deep breath, bracing myself. Lizzy had dropped the bombshell about her coven on me mere minutes before closing time, leaving me reeling. To be honest, I'd felt ambushed in a way, blindsided by this shocking revelation from the closest thing I had to a true friend in this city, and the betrayal stung. She should have confided in me about this the instant she discovered what I truly was. Instead, she'd kept me in the dark, letting me believe she was just one of many people with slight magical abilities scattered throughout New Orleans. I’d trusted her. Now, disappointment bloomed inside of me until hot tears pricked the backs of my eyes.
But then I realized I was angrier at myself than at her. I'd been so caught up in my own drama that I’d never thought to do my own research and make sure I wasn’t treading on someone else's ground. It was an unforgivable faux pas, as the French would say.
I only felt slightly better when she told me they all lived in the Garden District, except for her and two of her cousins who were also mated to vampires and lived at the main house the vampires owned. Being that I'd stuck to the French Quarter, and exploring had been the last thing on my mind, I hadn't sensed their wards.
My mouth twisted into a nervous smile. "And what if they don't like what they hear?"
Her brown eyes were full of sympathy when they caught mine, but she set her mouth in a determined line. "It'll be okay," she repeated.
I could only nod, for what else could I say? If I refused to go before her coven, it would only prove to them that I had something to hide or I meant them harm. Lizzy gave my shoulder a reassuring squeeze before she led me behind the curtain into the storage room. In the back left corner, one of the shelves had been moved aside, revealing a hidden door.
When I stepped inside with Lizzy and the door closed behind us, it took my eyes a few seconds to adjust to the dim light.
"This room is spelled," she told me. "We could have a dance party with bullhorns in here and no one would know, even if they were right outside the door." She passed her hand over the locks and they clicked into place. If I were to guess, they were also spelled not to unlock from the outside.
"Or scream," I said out loud.
Lizzy gave a quiet laugh, but the atmosphere was thick with tension. I turned to face the group who appraised and judged me as I stepped into their midst. I met their stares one by one, trying to project a calm I didn't quite feel. But I couldn't stop the racing of my heart, knowing that the next few minutes could change everything.
Lizzy made the introductions.
Judy, the High Priestess, stood with her arms crossed over her ample middle, her blue eyes sharp and assessing. This one took me by surprise, as she looked like a typical small-town aunt with short salt-and-pepper gray hair and clothes only found on the discount rack at Wal-mart. Never would I have guessed she was the most powerful witch in the city.
Next were the twins, Alex and Alice, who regarded me with curious expressions. Interestingly, their auras—like their sense of style—were complete opposites. Whereas Alex dressed in black jeans and a simple black T-shirt and was surrounded by a bright red aura reflected by the restlessness of his pose, Alice was swathed in all of the colors of the rainbow. Yet her aura was nearly pure white. Not quite enlightened, but she was well on her way. The goodness in her was very easy to see. It shined from within her like a beacon. But it didn’t hide what she was. Neither did her brother’s.
Their magic was different from the other witches. Different from mine. My breath froze in my lungs as I realized what it was…It was laced with something else. Something I knew well. It was the same magic I’d felt from the djinn. Not fully. Just a trace. But it was there.
I tore my eyes from them as Lizzy introduced me to the next witch. Angel didn't bother moving from where she leaned against the far wall, her red hair like a flame in the dimly lit space. It was only slightly more startling than the cost of the black chiffon blouse and baggy jacquard jeans she wore with platform sneakers. I knew the prices of this designer quite well myself. She gave me a nod, but her mouth was pulled tight and there was something in her hazel eyes that gave me pause. It wasn’t anger. Not fear either. I couldn't quite decipher it.
Last was Talin. Pierced eyebrow lifted slightly, she watched me with a mixture of curiosity and caution when I said hello, but her expression was open, if not exactly welcoming. She was stunningly pretty with green eyes and black hair, although I had the feeling from her toned down, nearly boyish clothes that she either didn't realize how gorgeous she was or didn't like to flaunt it.
"Thank you for meeting with me," I began, my voice sounding small. I cleared my throat. "I know my presence here is...unexpected, and I apologize for not warning you I was coming, but?—"
"Let's cut the crap, shall we?"
My eyes snapped to Judy in surprise. However, I didn't take offense. I appreciated people who didn't play games. "With what, exactly? I've barely said anything."
"For one," She took a step closer, her sharp blue eyes running over me from head to toe. I glanced down at my red sweater dress and black boots, wondering if something was askew, and straightened the long, silver chain that hung down the front self-consciously. "How about you release your power and stop hiding it. I want to know who I'm dealing with here."
Oh. That. I wasn't sure that was the best idea right now, but what could I do? Refuse? "Of course," I told her. With a breath of relief, I released the tight hold I'd kept on my magic. It felt like taking off a corset that had been laced too tight when it broke free, expanding and stretching over and through me until I once again felt like myself. The djinn had been right. Because of the toll it took, I didn’t like using my magic. But it was a part of me, nonetheless, as it had been my entire life. I wouldn’t be me without it.
A collective gasp sounded as the other witches felt it, especially from Lizzy, who still stood beside me. I nearly pulled it back. But the high priestess did nothing more than narrow her eyes and say, "Thank you."
"I wasn't trying to hide anything from you—" I started to explain, but she cut me off again.
"I know why you did it. But now that we know who—exactly—we're dealing with, we can talk." She paused, glancing at Lizzy, who stood to my right, still a little stunned. "My niece tells me you're here because you were running from the djinn, Marcus."
"Yes."
"What made you think you'd be safe from him here in New Orleans? Why didn't you run farther away?"
Wow. This one didn't waste time, did she? "Because I didn't know you were here—any of you—if that's what you're asking."
"Then why did you come here? Out of all the places in the world."
That was the question I'd been asking myself for days now. "I don't know," I told her honestly. “After my family was murdered, I flashed my passport, bought a ticket, and got on a bus heading north. This was one of my stops and I was tired and I…" I gave her a little shrug. "I thought I would just...get off the bus. And this is where I was." I glanced around at the room of witches, silently begging them to understand. "I honestly had no master plan. I was exhausted and mourning my family, and probably still in shock." I took a breath, collecting myself. "It was only by chance that I wandered into the vampire bar.”
I studied Judy’s cold features. "You don't believe me."
"No."
I flinched at her honesty, but forced myself to meet her gaze. "Everything I just said is the truth, I swear it to you. Marcus murdered my family. And now he's found me again, and he's threatening me and the people I care about here unless I help him find some book." Lacing my fingers together in front of me, I tried again to appeal to her. "It's the honest truth."
Alex and Alice exchanged a loaded glance, and Angel straightened off the wall, her eyes narrowing.
Lizzy grabbed my arm and spun me around to face her. “Wait. What?? He found you here?”
My cheeks heated with guilt and shame. “I’m sorry I haven’t told you.”
Her hand fell from my arm as she stared at me in shock. “What exactly happened, Esme?”
“He was waiting for me in my apartment. There was nothing I could do. He still thinks I can help him find the spell book he believed my family had.”
"What book?" Alex asked sharply.
"I don't know," I admitted with a small shake of my head. "He thinks it's here in the city. He's given me a week to find it."
"And if you don't?" Talin questioned.
I swallowed hard. "He'll hurt Brogan. And Lizzy. And possibly the others. I can't let that happen."
Judy studied me for a long moment. "Do you know how to get rid of him?"
Meeting her eyes, I played my last card. "No. Or I would've done it a long time ago. However, I'm hoping this book he wants me to find will tell me how."
Apparently finished with her questions, Judy told Lizzy, "Take her out into the store, please. But don't let her leave."
I wanted to tell her I was finished running. Plead with her to help me. Get on my knees if I had to. But my pride wouldn’t allow me to, and I allowed Lizzy to take me out of the room.
Once we were out of earshot, I turned to her and grabbed her hands. “Lizzy, I’m so sorry I didn’t tell you about Marcus. I was trying to keep you out of it.”
“And yet, you’re perfectly alright showing up at my shop for work,” she countered. “That doesn’t make me feel like you’re very worried about my safety.”
She was angry, and I didn’t blame her. “I…” My excuses stuck to my tongue. She was right. “I did. I wanted to believe he wouldn’t bother me here. And that was irresponsible of me.”
Wrapping her arms around herself, she wouldn’t meet my eyes.
“Lizzy, I really am sorry. I’m afraid to be at my apartment by myself. So I came here so I wouldn’t have to be alone. I’ve been trying to figure out a way to stop him, to keep everyone safe, and I’ve been completely ignoring the fact that my being here…” I couldn’t finish the sentence. “ Dios , I’m so sorry,” I repeated.
After a long moment, she sighed heavily and lifted her eyes to mine. Then she pulled me in for a hug. “It’s okay,” she whispered. “The shop is probably one of the safest places for you to be. But you can’t hide things like this from me.”
I hugged her tightly. “I swear I won’t keep anything from you anymore.”
She pulled away but kept her hands on my shoulders. “I want you to move into the house. With me and Killian.”
Immediately, I shook my head. “That’s not a good idea.”
“Esme, you can’t stay in your apartment all alone. What if he comes back?”
The worry in her eyes touched my heart. “I put extra wards around the apartment. He won’t be able to get inside again.” I didn’t know if that was true or not, but if I moved into the house, Brogan would never give me the space needed to find the book.
Wiggles woke from his nap and got up from his bed, waddling over and giving my leg a serious sniff before plopping onto my foot, panting from the effort. Bending down, I rubbed his silky little ears and tried not to think about what I would do if Judy insisted I leave. Because if she did, she was calling for not only my death, but for the deaths of Brogan, Lizzy, and anyone else the djinn decided to tear down in his wrath. Surely, she would see that and agree to at least allow me to stay, even if they decide not to help.
Lizzy and I were quiet after that as we waited, and when the door to the secret room finally opened, I straightened with a start. The one with the bright red hair—Angel—waved us back in.
Dislodging Wiggles from my foot, I promised him I'd be right back and rejoined the others.
Once again, all eyes were on me as Judy spoke. "You can stay in the city on one condition—that you stay far away from The Garden District, and you keep us out of it."
The smile that had started to spread across my face fell just as quickly as it had come on. "Excuse me?"
"Your fight with the djinn isn't ours."
Confusion made me stutter as I glanced at Lizzy's shocked face before turning back to Judy. "But…but…he’s a threat to us all. I…I…don't understand."
I glanced at the others to see if they agreed with this decision. Angel and Alex were stone-faced, and Alice was staring at the floor. It was quite obvious she wasn't happy. Talin glared at Judy. So perhaps it wasn't a unanimous decision, not that it mattered. They would do as she told them to.
"I'm sorry," the high priestess told me, yet I didn't feel that she truly meant the apology. "But we're still trying to regroup from his last visit. We can't help you find this book. We need to get our strength back." She glanced at Angel, who clenched her jaw and looked away.
I looked back and forth between the twins, reaching out with my magic until Alex snapped his head around and stared straight at me. I wasn’t wrong earlier. They had the same power as the djinn. Alex’s was more apparent, but not stronger than Alice’s. Were they related to him somehow? Were they all under his control?
"I'd like to help her," Lizzy said beside me. Then she turned to me. "I will help you. And the vampires will help you. I'll convince Killian."
But as Judy's words began to sink in, and my own suspicions rose, I shook my head. "No, Lizzy. Your high priestess is right. This is something I need to do on my own. If I drag any of you into it with me, it will only endanger you further. And I would never forgive myself if anything happened to you. To any of you. Including your mate and his family."
And especially Brogan.
My eyes met blue steel as an understanding passed between us. Judy gave me a nod.
There was no way I'd be able to find this book. I never stood a chance against the monster who'd shattered my world. He was going to destroy me.
I took a deep breath. Fine. As I'd said a few moments ago, I had no one left in this world. Let him do his worst.
But I wouldn’t let him take out anyone else with me.