Spirits Diamonds and a Drive-thru Daiquiri Stand Read online

  I swallowed the lump forming in my throat. “Hold tight. I’m on my way.”

  Ending the call, I glanced up at Esme, who had a worried look on her face. “I have to go. Can you hold this for me? I’ll definitely be back for it.”

  “Sure. Everything okay?”

  “It’s my brother. He’s—”

  “Bo?” Jade asked from behind me. “What happened?”

  “Thanks,” I said to Esme and turned to Jade. “I’ll fill you in on the way. We have to go.”

  Jade nodded once, her eyes full of worry, and followed me out of the store.

  Chapter Two

  “Kat wants to know if we can reschedule dress shopping for tomorrow,” Jade said, tapping out a message on her phone. She’d sent her a text to let her know why we’d disappeared. Thankfully Kat had been through enough paranormal emergencies that she’d been unfazed by our disappearance. Which was obvious by her desire to lock us down for more dress shopping.

  Sitting at a red light, I bumped up the air-conditioning in my VW Beetle. My neck was damp with sweat due to the ungodly July temperatures. Summer in New Orleans was brutal, and I gritted my teeth as I swept my hair up into a haphazard bun. “Honestly, Jade, all I care about at this moment is making sure Bo and his friend are safe.”

  Jade nodded and sent another message, then stuffed her phone back into her bag. “I told her we’d reschedule for some time next week… after she narrows down her choices.”

  I let out a snort. The truth was, I really liked Kat, but her inner bridezilla was more than I could take lately. “Good call.”

  “If I never see the inside of a bridal store again, it’ll be too soon. Turn here,” she said. “Bo’s text says Reagan lives near the river in a one-bedroom apartment in an old Victorian that’s been converted into a fourplex. Who’s Reagan?”

  “Just a friend of his from school,” I said, forcing myself to remain calm as I steered the car into the Bywater neighborhood. Bo was fine. He had to be. A little magic wasn’t anything to get worked up about. And he’d seen his fair share of questionable spells and curses. It wasn’t like he couldn’t handle himself. The kid had already lived through far worse than a sealed door and windows. Whatever this was, he’d survive it too. But I didn’t want him to have to just survive. I wanted him to have a normal, safe life for once, unlike the one he’d known back in the bayou when he’d been under the thumb of the notorious Emerson Charles.

  “Right. You told me that before.” She leaned her head back and closed her eyes. Her strawberry-blond hair mirrored mine in a haphazard bun.

  “Baby wearing you out?”

  “Always.” Jade gave me a weak smile. “I was told the fatigue is supposed to mostly go away in the second trimester. I guess I’m still waiting. Turn right here.”

  “Maybe we should call Bea or Lucien.” I slowed down for a pothole as I turned the corner.

  She lifted one eyebrow, her green eyes studying me. “Why?”

  “Because Julius is up on the Northshore tracking something for the council, and he’s out of range for a bit. If the magic hasn’t faded and it turns out to be a nasty spell, we’re gonna need some help, don’t you think?” I cast a glance at her small baby bump. “Aren’t you supposed to be lying low with the magic?”

  She pressed her lips together in a thin line. Then in a quiet voice she said, “I’m not totally incapacitated, you know.”

  “Of course not. That’s not what I meant. I thought you said you were trying to avoid using magic when possible.”

  “I am, but…” She shook her head. “I did promise Kane I’d lie low. But if Bo’s in danger and I can help, do you really think I’m just going to stand there and do nothing while we wait for Bea or Lucien to show up?”

  I sighed as I pulled the car to a stop right behind a white pickup truck. “No. That doesn’t sound like you. That’s exactly why I suggested we call one of them.”

  Jade placed her hands on her abdomen. “Don’t worry, Auntie. This little girl comes first. Let’s just see what we’re dealing with, okay?”

  “Well, since we’re already here, we might as well.” I gave her a reassuring smile and climbed out of the car. The truth was I wished I’d thought to call Bea as soon as I’d heard from Bo. Chances were she’d already be here. I was so used to Jade, the powerful white witch, handing anything and everything that I’d forgotten about the baby factor.

  Jade followed me without hesitation, and despite her earlier complaints of fatigue, she appeared to be no worse for wear as we both strode up the street.

  We passed two houses and stopped in front of the bright red door of a large white Victorian.

  “This is it,” I said and reached for the doorknob.

  “Wait.” Jade grabbed my arm stopping me. “There’s evil pouring out of this building.”

  I sucked in a sharp breath and whispered, “Bo is in there.”

  “I know.” She pressed her hands to the door, closed her eyes, and let her magic fly. Magic crackled like an electric current, zapping and sizzling until a black cloud of smoke appeared and the door popped open. We glanced at each other, and without saying a word, we ran inside.

  “Bo?” I cried and tore through the entry of the Victorian. “Bo? Reagan?”

  I thought I heard a muffled sound, but my teeth had started to chatter. The air was so cool I could actually see my own breath.

  “This way,” Jade said, pointing to the apartment on the right. “I can sense him inside. I assume the other person must be Reagan.” Jade was an empath, and when she lowered her mental shields, she could sense each person’s emotional signature.

  A tiny bit of relief rushed through me, but I didn’t let my guard down. Just because she could feel them didn’t mean they were safe. Trusting her senses completely, I grabbed the door handle. It turned easily, but the door was, in fact, sealed shut.

  I banged on the door and called, “Bo! Are you okay?”

  “Yes, we’re fine. Just trapped.” His faint voice filtered through the door.

  “We’re here. Give us a minute.”

  I turned to Jade, but she’d moved over to the apartment across the hall and had her hand pressed against the wooden door. Just above her hand there was a spiral-shaped symbol with a slash through the middle that was glowing with golden magic.

  “Hey what are you—”

  “Aperio!” Magic rippled from her fingertips, scattering over the door like a spiderweb of electrical currents. Her long strawberry-blond curls puffed up with her magic, and her entire body started to vibrate as she poured more and more of her magic into the door.

  I stood behind her, powerless to do anything. My only useful skill was talking to ghosts, and while I’d recently learned I carried a trace of magical power, I was useless without my enchanted dagger—the dagger that was locked in my personal safe back at my apartment. However, I knew other witches. Cursing myself, I pulled out my phone to send Lucien, Julius, and Bea a group text. But when I pressed the On button, nothing happened. The phone was dark, unresponsive.

  “Son of a… Crap!” I shoved the phone back into my pocket and called, “Anyone else here? Anyone from the afterlife?”

  A flicker of light moved in the shadows in the back of the hallway. I took a step forward and froze when it winked out. The door Jade had been battling crashed open, and just like that, the air warmed and the July humidity turned oppressive.

  Jade poked her head into the apartment and cursed.

  “What is it?” I asked, following her inside.

  But she didn’t need to say a word. A young man lay on the floor, one leg twisted at an odd angle, his unseeing gaze staring up at nothing. There was a knife jabbed into his chest.

  “He’s gone isn’t he?”

  “Yes.” Jade walked carefully over to the man and pressed two fingers to his pulse. Shaking her head, she stood up and started moving toward the open door. “His emotional signature was gone, but I needed to be sure.”

  I stared at the open w
indow and the broken coffee mug shattered on the floor. Black coffee had splattered across the wood floor, the rich scent still lingering in the air.

  “Someone just escaped out of that window,” I said and hurried over. Peering out into the small alley between the two houses, I shook my head. “They’re gone.”

  “Come on.” Jade wrapped her hand around my wrist and pulled me gently from the room. “We’re disturbing evidence.”

  “Pyper?” Bo’s shaken voice came from the open door.

  My gaze locked onto his brilliant blue eyes, so much like my own, and something broke inside me. I rushed to him, wrapping my arms around him and hugging him tight.

  “Whoa,” he said, taking a step back.

  But I held on, not letting him go. I was too shaken. Too relieved. Even though we hadn’t known each other for long, I’d fallen hard for the kid. He’d been forced to be tough as nails in order to survive the past five years but yet still had a tender, protective heart of gold.

  “Um, Pyper,” he said tentatively. “I think you can let go now.”

  I tilted my head up, craning to look him in the eye, and shook my head. “Just a sec. I need a minute.”

  He stood frozen in my arms for just a moment then wrapped his arms around me, completing the hug. Tears burned the backs of my eyes, but I blinked them back. Now wasn’t the time to fall apart. We were standing in the middle of a crime scene, and I needed to get the kids away from the dead man sprawled on the floor.

  I pulled back and gave him a weak smile. “Come on. You two need to get out of here.”

  Neither Bo or Reagan hesitated as I ushered them out into the hall.

  Jade followed but stopped and stared at the still-glowing symbol on the door.

  “Do you know what it stands for?” I asked her.

  Jade shook her head. “No. But it feels… I don’t know. Angry? Out of control?”

  “Still?”

  “Yes. I thought I’d neutralized it when I busted in, but apparently not.”

  “Is it black magic?” I asked, unable to keep the worry from my voice.

  She bit her bottom lip. “I think so. But I’m not entirely sure. It feels different than the other black-magic spells I’ve encountered.” Pressing her hand to the door, she stilled and blasted it once again with magic. “Ouch!” She jerked back, cradling her hand. “Dammit. That didn’t work.”

  “That’s enough of that,” I said, pulling her out of the house. She didn’t fight me, but she glared over her shoulder at the door, clearly irritated she hadn’t been able to neutralize the curse.

  Once we were waiting on the sidewalk, we heard the sound of sirens screaming through the air, indicating first responders were on their way.

  “What happened?” Jade asked Bo and Reagan. “Did you hear or see anything?”

  “Not much,” Reagan, a pretty girl with straight dark hair and onyx-colored eyes, said. She pressed her hand to her throat and bit down on her bottom lip. “We were just sitting on my couch when we heard the boom. Bo tried to get out to see what was happening, but that’s when we were sealed in the apartment. The walls glowed with light… like that symbol on Clive’s door.”

  “That must’ve been one powerful spell to light up the entire building,” I said.

  Jade nodded and frowned as she watched the first responders run into the building. Two more police cars and an ambulance had arrived. Paramedics were retrieving the man’s body while five of the police officers milled around the entrance of the building as if this were just another homicide.

  It didn’t take long before one of the police officers walked up Reagan. “Miss, we have some questions for you.”

  Reagan glanced at Bo, a worried expression on her face, but she nodded. “Okay.”

  “Did you know the victim?”

  “Not really. He was just my neighbor.”

  The officer made a note and without looking up asked, “Did you ever date him?”

  “What?” She jerked back, startled by the question. “No. Why would you ask that?”

  “Did you two ever have any conflict?” The officer continued, ignoring her question.

  “No.”

  “What about your boyfriend here?” He gestured to Bo. “Did he have a problem with your neighbor?”

  Reagan’s face scrunched up in confusion. “He’s not my boyfriend.”

  “What are you implying, Officer?” I asked, not bothering to hide my anger. “Are you seriously standing here accusing my brother and his friend of murdering that man when there’s zero evidence?”

  The officer turned to me, his gaze of steel staring right through me. “That’s not entirely true.”

  “What do you mean by that?”

  He just stood there saying nothing, irritating the crap out of me. Then he finally waved one of the investigators over. The woman, dressed in jeans and a T-shirt, had a badge around her neck and a camera in her hands.

  “Perry, show them the photos,” the officer said.

  She raised her eyebrows in silent question. When the officer gave her a barely noticeable nod, she shrugged and hit a few buttons. The screen lit up with a photo. She turned it around for us to see.

  I squinted, trying to make out what we were seeing. “What the—?”

  “It’s a collage,” Reagan said, pressing her hand to her throat. Then she squeaked out, “They’re all me.”

  Chapter Three

  From the pure shock on Reagan’s face and the simmering rage rolling over Bo’s, even without being an empath I could tell neither of them had ever seen those photos before.

  “He was stalking her?” Bo spit out.

  “Or she was posing for him,” the officer offered.

  “Let me see the photo.” I peered over the investigator’s shoulder. Reagan wasn’t looking into the camera in any of the photos, and as far as I could tell, they were all one hundred percent candid. Not one pose in the bunch. My insides simmered with pure disgust, and I dropped my focus to the officer’s name badge. “Officer Gandy, I think it’s best if you reevaluate your line of questioning. It seems pretty obvious from the collage and the type of photos that this man was stalking Reagan.”

  “Which would explain why she might be inclined to retaliate,” he said with a smug, humorless smile.

  “I didn’t—”

  “Reagan,” I said, cutting her off. “You don’t need to say anything else. Officer Gandy is fishing for information. Information you don’t have. Don’t let him trick you into saying something he might use against you later.”

  Bo opened his mouth, but Jade grabbed his arm and pressed her fingers into his skin.

  “Hey!” he said, frowning at her.

  “I think we should wait to talk to the investigator from the Witches’ Council,” I said, crossing my arms over my chest.

  Gandy frowned and furrowed his brow. “There’s not going to be any investigator from the Witches’ Council.”

  “Why not?” Jade exclaimed.

  “Because there’s no sign of magical activity or foul play, Ms.…?”

  “Calhoun.” Jade offered her hand and cleared her throat. “Jade Calhoun, New Orleans coven leader.”

  Gandy stared at her hand as if it were a piece of cold, dead fish.

  A few seconds ticked by, and when it became obvious he wasn’t going to shake her hand, Jade lowered it. “Fine, don’t be civil. But at least explain why you aren’t calling the council.”

  “I already told you, we’ve found zero evidence of paranormal foul play.”

  “But what about the glowing symbol on Clive’s door?” she asked.

  He shook his head. “There isn’t any symbol.” Then he turned to Reagan. “The building is going to be closed off for the next few days while investigators comb through everything. That means no entry. Got it?”

  “But… where am I supposed to stay?” she asked, panic in her tone. “I don’t have money for a hotel or—”

  “You’ll stay with us,” Bo said.

  “
She will?” My eyebrows arched so high I was certain they’d reached my hairline.

  “I can’t do that,” Reagan said, shaking her head. Tears sprang up in her eyes, and all my mama-bear instincts flared to life.

  “Of course you can,” I said, my moral code kicking in as I remembered Reagan was a seventeen-year-old girl who’d been emancipated seven months ago after her mom died in a car accident. She lived alone, and letting her fend for herself after the day’s events was unacceptable. “You can use the couch.”

  “She can have my bedroom,” Bo insisted. “I’ll sleep on the couch.”

  Gandy, who’d been looking bored by the entire exchange, handed me a clipboard. “Write down your address. We’ll likely have more questions for these two.” He waved a hand, indicating Bo and Reagan.

  His words silenced everyone.

  I quickly filled in my address and phone number, and as I handed the sheet back to Gandy, I forced out, “They didn’t do anything.”

  “We’ll see.” His voice was gruff and full of accusation as he stalked back into the Victorian.

  Jade followed him and walked right into the building as if she belonged there. It didn’t take long for an officer to escort her out, but she had a smug smile of satisfaction pasted on her lips, and I knew right away what she’d been doing—checking on the symbol while the building was still accessible.

  “The symbol really is gone.” Her smile faltered and she looked dejected. “Without it, they won’t call the council.”

  “But we all saw the magic. Surely our word is good enough, right?” I protested. There was no doubt in my mind a rogue witch had murdered Reagan’s neighbor. The NOPD wouldn’t have any chance of catching someone who could wield powerful magic. “Why not call them in just to be safe?”

  “He doesn’t believe them,” Jade said, indicating Reagan and Bo as she glared at Gandy, who was now standing on the front porch. “Worse, he’s hungry for a conviction. I could feel his excitement.” She shuddered as if his emotional energy had given her the creeps. “I bet he thinks closing a murder investigation is going to get him a promotion. Pyper, I really think he’s going to do everything in his power to pin this on Bo and Reagan.”