Bewitched on Bourbon Street
Bewitched on Bourbon Street
From New York Times Bestselling author Deanna Chase.
Baby-making with Kane is right up Jade’s alley…until a curse throws a bucket of ice on their fire.
Jade and Kane are ready to take the next step in their lives together. But after a routine blessing goes horribly wrong, suddenly any thoughts of starting a family are put on hold when Jade is cursed and their future child threatened.
Now the hunt is on to find the one responsible in order to break the curse. But life on Bourbon Street is never that straightforward. There are demons to battle, souls to save, and secrets to be uncovered. And as Jade and her friends get closer to the truth, it’s starting to look like someone has made a deal with the devil.
Bewitched on Bourbon Street
A Jade Calhoun Novel
Deanna Chase
www.DeannaChase.com
Bayou Moon Publishing
Copyright
Copyright © 2015 by Deanna Chase
First Edition 2015
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
ISBN ebook: 978-1-940299-33-4
ISBN: Print: 978-1-940299-34-1
Interior Design: The Printed Page, Phoenix, AZ
Cover Design: Janet Holmes toblin
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in, or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the publisher of this book.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locals, business establishments, or persons, living or dead, are entirely coincidental.
Bayou Moon Publishing
dkchase12@gmail.com
www.deannachase.com
Contents
Bewitched on Bourbon Street
Bewitched on Bourbon Street
Copyright
Contents
Acknowledgments
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Epilogue
About the Author
Other Books by Deanna
Acknowledgments
To all the Bourbon Street readers: Thank you! Your love for this series makes it possible for me to do what I do. And to my team, Lisa, Rhonda, Angie, Janet, and Lynn, thanks for all your hard work and putting up with me. I couldn’t do it without you.
Chapter 1
“I never thought I’d be drinking honey-flavored jizz from a plastic penis,” Pyper said, inspecting the phallic-shaped straw.
I sputtered, choking on the honeysuckle daiquiri. “Pyper!”
“Jade!” Pyper mimicked my tone and smirked, the bright-blue streak in her dark hair falling forward as her shoulders vibrated with silent laughter.
My best friend, Kat, put her drink down and pushed it into the middle of the table. Her hazel eyes narrowed. “That’s it. I’m switching to wine.”
“You two are so easy.” Pyper smirked and took a long sip.
Kat gave her a side-eye glance and then got up and crossed the crowded room to the open bar. She was elegant in her skinny leggings and flowing silk shirt, her bright-red curls done up into a fancy bun.
It was afternoon on New Year’s Day, and we were currently with the rest of my coven at a private residence in the Garden District for a fertility party. My coven member, Rosalee, had asked me to host a blessing for her older sister, who’d been having trouble conceiving. When I’d agreed, I hadn’t realized she’d intended to throw a party and invite half the magical community of New Orleans.
“Was it something I said?” Pyper asked me, her big blue eyes round with mock innocence.
I plucked the penis straw out of my untouched drink and flung it at her, reveling in the joy swirling around me. As an empath, I usually tried to block out other people’s emotions, as they often just wore me out. But happy ones filled me up and made me stronger. And today I was enjoying the boost. Especially after the rough morning I’d had.
For whatever reason, right after I’d had my morning chai, I’d gotten a searing headache and almost vomited in the sink. A couple ibuprofen had knocked the pain out, but man, for a minute there I’d thought I wasn’t going to make it today.
Pyper caught the straw and winked as she slipped it into her drink next to the other one. “Looks like I’m having a ménage this evening.”
A bubble of laughter escaped my lips as I shook my head. “You’re insane.”
“I know.”
“Looks like y’all are having a good time.” Rosalee appeared from behind me, a smile on her full lips. She’d left her long dark hair loose and wore a flowing skirt, playing up her earth witch side. Sliding into Kat’s empty chair, she handed out twig crowns twined with honeysuckle vines. “We’ll wear these during the blessing. Honeysuckle is supposed to help with desire.”
Pyper raised a skeptical eyebrow and stared at the handmade crown with distaste. She opened her mouth to no doubt say something inappropriate, but I cut her off. “Are they spelled?”
Rosalee shook her head. “No. We made them for the symbolism. We didn’t want the magic to get out of hand and…” she leaned in and whispered, “you know, affect the guests.”
“Good thing, considering we’re all sucking on these. Wouldn’t want the blessing to turn into something more suited for the Sex Dungeon.” Pyper held up both penis straws and then slipped one into her mouth as she made suggestive eyes at Rosalee.
“Oh, goddess,” I mumbled and took a gulp of my ginger ale. I wasn’t taking any chances with alcohol today. Not after the headache this morning.
Rosalee laughed, her dark curls bouncing around her face. “That would be awkward.” She turned to me. “You ready to start in about five minutes?”
I glanced over at Bea, my mentor, who was sitting a few tables away. She was radiant in her royal-purple sheath dress and matching heels. Elegant. Absolutely stunning. I only hoped I managed to look half as good as she did when I was her age…which I guessed was mid- to late sixties, but you’d never know it based on her appearance alone. She met my gaze and smiled, her eyes full of kindness.
“Sure,” I told Rosalee and nodded at Bea. “I’ve never done one before, so Bea is going to help me.”
Rosalee clasped her hand over mine and squeezed. “Thank you so much for doing this. It means a lot to Dani. It’s all she’s been talking about for the past few weeks.”
Her gratitude zinged through me as we all turned and looked at her sister, the woman of the hour. She was an older, plumper version of Rosalee with one major difference—Rosalee was a powerful witch, and Dani wasn’t. It wasn’t unusual for family members to have varying degrees of magic. But in this case, as far as we knew, Dani didn’t have any magic at all. And according to Rosalee, she’d resented that fact for a long time. But now that she was married, all she wanted was to start a family.
“It’s not a problem. I’m happy to do it.” I smiled, warmth filling my belly.
Kat returned and sat on the other side of me, her hand wrapped around a chilled wine glass. She faced me, her expression earnest. “When you have your blessing done, I expect it to be less ‘ladies’ tea’ and more ‘let’s party,’ okay? I mean, the props are fun, but I prefer a night out to really get everyone in the mood. Know what I’m saying?”
“Yeah. Whatever happened to letting a drunken night of debauchery end with hot sex and a bun in the oven?” Pyper added.
The pair of them got lost in their laughter, but for once I didn’t find their teasing all that amusing. From what I understood, Dani and her husband had been trying to conceive for the last few years without much luck. And she wanted to start the new year with a little help.
I knew it shouldn’t, but it bothered me that my friends were joking about this day without really understanding her struggle. Sitting back, I crossed my arms over my chest and frowned at them.
“Jade? What’s wrong?” Pyper asked when her laughter faded away.
I shrugged, fully aware of what my problem was. But now wasn’t the time to talk about it. My fingers dug into my biceps as I tightened my grip.
“Hey.” Kat gently pulled on one of my arms, forcing me to relax my hold on myself.
I let her and met her apologetic gaze.
“Sorry. I know you’ve been thinking about trying.”
“Trying what?” Pyper asked and popped a chocolate-covered caramel into her mouth.
We both just stared at her.
She stopped mid-chew. The chatter of the others around us filled the silence. Pyper’s throat worked as she forcibly swallowed the rest of the chocolate. Her eyes softened, and then she smiled. “Are you and Kane trying for a little witch of your own?”
I cast my eyes down, pretending to inspect the fruit I’d left untouched on the plate.
“Jade?” Pyper asked softly.
I shook my head and dipped a strawberry into the whipped cream.
“But you want to?”
“Yes,” I finally said. “We’ve talked about it, but we haven’t decided one way or another. It’s probably not the best time to start right now.” Kane and I were constantly fighting demons, black magic users, and other power-hungry magical creatures. As much as I wanted to—we wanted to—the idea of bringing a child into our crazy life wasn’t exactly practical.
“Aw, honey,” Kat said with a gentle smile. “You know what they say. It’s never a good time to start having babies. You just do, and it works itself out.”
“Yep,” Pyper chimed in. “If it’s what you want, put the witch B.S. aside and go for it.” She waggled her eyebrows. “Besides, who wouldn’t want to make a baby with Kane?”
“What she said,” Kat added. “I’m so jealous. Your babies are going to be gorgeous.”
“That’s quite enough,” I said, chuckling. “You two talking about Kane like that is weird. You’re creeping me out.”
“Please. I was just referring to his superior good looks. I don’t want anything to do with his man parts.” Pyper wrinkled her nose and winked. They were best friends and behaved exactly like brother and sister.
“Me neither.” Kat said and gave us a sly smile. “I’ve got my hands full with Lucien.”
“That’s better.” Their advice warmed me, and if I was honest, it was exactly what I wanted to hear. Only I needed to hear it from Kane, and he still had reservations about the timing. I shook my head, clearing the thoughts from my mind. I had a job to do. “Enough about me. Time to get this blessing show on the road.” I stood and walked over to Bea. “Ready?”
She nodded and followed me to the small temporary stage Dani had installed. I cupped my hands around my mouth and whispered, “Amplify.”
A small tingle of magic touched the back of my throat, indicating the spell had worked. “Happy New Year, everyone!” My voice boomed through the room, instantly quieting the guests. I met Dani’s gaze and smiled. “If we can get the guest of honor up here, I think it might be time to add a little magic to the baby-making process.”
Everyone hooted and hollered as Dani blushed and joined us.
“Yeah, girl. That’s all you need. A little magic in the bedroom while Todd does his thing,” Mati, a Coven Pointe sex witch, called from across the room.
Dani’s blush turned bright red. She looked like she’d rather have the floor open up and swallow her whole than endure the good-natured taunting.
Rosalee, who was sitting at the nearest table, clamped her hand over her mouth, hiding her laugh.
I shook my head, swallowing my amusement. For a girl who’d decided penis straws and sperm-shaped cookies were a good idea for her party, she sure was modest. “I’m certain there’s plenty of magic in that department.” I winked at Dani and took her hand in mine. “This blessing is more about clearing any muddled energy and creating the right environment for welcoming a new soul into their lives.”
Dani took a deep breath and gave me a grateful smile. While the teasing was fun and entertaining, this was serious business to her. That was clear. I squeezed her hand, letting her know I understood.
Bea took a step forward. “Thank you all for joining us today. Each of you was invited because of your personal connection to Dani and Rosalee and because of your unique energy. While Dani would be grateful if you participated in the blessing, it’s not required. There’s magic involved, and your energy will be used as part of the spell. So if you choose to sit it out, it’s understood. Your presence indicating your support on this special day is quite enough.”
Most people were nodding their agreement, but I noticed Lailah and Zoe whispering as Zoe shook her head. Lailah was our resident angel and soul guardian. She was dressed in a muted cream skirt and peasant top, void of color except for the red poinsettia hairclip tucked into her honey-gold locks. Zoe, by contrast wore black wool pants and a button-down shirt that made her look ten years older than her twenty-four years. Gone was the fresh vibrant blonde I’d met a few months back, replaced by the somber witch who was struggling to fit in.
A few months ago, Zoe’s soul had been stolen by a lesser goddess and used for evil purposes. But thanks to Lailah and the Angel Council, she’d been given a new one. From what I understood, there’d been some challenges adjusting, and Zoe’s magic wasn’t up to speed. So I wasn’t surprised when Lailah stared at me and then shook her head, indicating neither would be participating. Lailah could, but she was really only here to keep an eye on Zoe.
I nodded and faced the crowd. “Those of you willing to participate, please stand.”
Sure enough, everyone in the room stood except for Lailah and Zoe.
“Great,” I said, smiling. “Now grab your honeysuckle crowns and place them on your heads. When you’re ready, join hands.”
The two dozen or so guests moved to the middle of the room and formed a circle.
“Perfect. Since this is my first blessing, I’m going to let Bea lead.” I stepped back, giving Bea the stage. She was the former New Orleans coven leader, extremely powerful and more than capable of doing the blessing without me. But since I was the current coven leader, it was up to me to bind the magic once the blessing was ready.
“Welcome, friends and loved ones,” Bea said with her arms stretched out wide. “We’re here today to cast a fertility blessing for one of our own. Dani?” She gestured to our hostess. “Please take your place in the middle of the circle.”
Dani smoothed her pure white dress as she slowly made her way into the circle. I followed, placed a white pillar candle in front of each of the participants, and then took my spot on the northern-most point of the circle.
“Jade, raise your candle,” Bea said.
I held the unlit pillar out, and when Bea nodded, I whispered, “Levitate.”
The candle floated right in front of me. Pleased everything was going according to plan, I joined hands with Kat and Pyper. Across from me, Rosalee repea
ted the step, followed by the two witches occupying the east and west points.
With the four candles elevated, Bea raised her arms skyward and called, “Aphrodite, goddess of love, beauty, pleasure, and procreation, we ask you for your blessing of fertility. We, the friends of Dani, offer our support and our strength in her journey to motherhood. From earth, wind, fire, and sea, we call forth to thee.”
The four candles lit simultaneously with an elegant flare.
Bea met my gaze and gave me a slight nod. I let go of Kat and Pyper’s hands and raised mine, palms up. The remaining candles rose, completing the candle circle. I repeated Bea’s words, ending with, “We call forth to thee.”
Magic glowed in the palms of my hands.
“Everyone except Jade, please place your hands around your candles,” Bea said.
The entire room was silent as they did as they were told. Once everyone had a firm grip on their candles, Bea said, “Now, Jade.”
The magic sparking in my palms glowed brighter the closer I got to my pillar candle. The two were like magnets, wanting to be connected. Good. This was working exactly how it was supposed to. Confidence swelled in my chest as I cupped the candle with both hands.
The flame on my candle shot high in the air, the strength of it surprising me. It flickered twice, then held steady, pulsing with clean energy. Nice.
“With these candles, we call upon the Goddess Aphrodite to bless Dani with the gift of life,” Bea said.
Closing my eyes, I clutched my candle and chanted, “From north to south to east to west, we call upon the earth, wind, fire, and sea to bring a new life to thee.”
Magic burst from me through the candle to the flame. Sparks of fire shot around the circle, uniting with the other flames, and a collective gasp sounded from the participants at the exact moment my magic touched them.
“Repeat the phrase ‘bring new life to thee,’” Bea ordered.
Together as if one unit, the women chanted, “Bring new life to thee.”
The candles blew out, leaving a trail of white smoke. Then a wind kicked up, and the smoke shot toward Dani and wound around her, seeming to seep right into her skin.