Incubus of Bourbon Street Read online

  “Whoa,” I said. I’d assumed they were whispering, but now that I could see their faces, it was obvious that wasn’t the case. And I couldn’t hear a thing. I waved a hand, trying to get their attention, but once again neither noticed. “You can’t see or hear me, can you?”

  Pyper shifted and stared out the window. Kane frowned and scanned the room again, his brow wrinkled in confusion. It was clear he didn’t see me. Shaking his head, he turned and stood next to Pyper. After a moment, she slipped her arm around his waist and leaned into him.

  He absently stroked her hair, and a small dart of…something shot through me. Jealousy? Not quite. More like an uneasy ache. I swallowed the emotion, ashamed I felt left out.

  But then, right there before my eyes, Pyper lifted her right hand and trailed her fingers tenderly over his jawline.

  I froze, my eyes wide and my heart thundering in my chest. Kane froze, too, seemingly shocked by her actions.

  I saw her mouth the word Kane. Moonlight filtered in through the tall window and shone on her hopeful gaze.

  My stomach rolled. No. This wasn’t happening. Pyper was not making a pass at Kane in his dream. One that I was shut out of, but was forced to watch.

  Pyper reached up higher, cupping Kane’s cheek.

  “Oh, hell no!” I took off in their direction, determined to stop this dreamwalk madness, by force if necessary.

  But before I could get there, Kane jerked back, scowling down at Pyper. I still couldn’t hear his words, but his meaning was clear. He grabbed her wrists and pushed her away from him, a mixture of confusion and anger in his dark eyes.

  Pyper shook her head, her expression clouded with frustration. She took a step forward and—

  I woke with a start and sat straight up in bed, taking the covers with me. “What the hell was that?” I asked, turning my gaze on Kane as I tried my best to tamp down the outrage trying to seize me. Pyper had just made a pass at my husband. The only reason I wasn’t losing my mind was because Kane had clearly been an unwilling participant.

  He stared at me for a long moment, then sat up, running a hand through his thick hair. “I have no idea.”

  Clenching my fists, I scowled. “You were just dreamwalking Pyper and if she’d had her way—”

  “You were there?” he asked, cutting me off.

  “Yes. Only you shut me out.” I knew I sounded like a petulant child, but as much as I wanted to calm down, I was having trouble turning the other cheek after seeing Pyper try to kiss my man.

  He shook his head slowly. “No. I didn’t. I didn’t do anything.”

  “Well, I know you didn’t. I saw Pyper come on to you. I saw you pull away from her. But how else could I have been shut out of your dreamwalk if you didn’t do it?” My voice shook with anger.

  “No, Jade.” He turned to me, his eyes flashing. “You don’t understand. I wasn’t dreamwalking. It was as if I was being dreamwalked.”

  That statement shocked me into silence. I opened my mouth to respond then shut it. Kane had told me once before that he used to dreamwalk Pyper fairly regularly in college. He said when he was close to someone, he had trouble controlling it. As he’d gotten older, he’d gained a better command of his gift and then after he became an incubus, control had no longer been an issue. His power had fixed that. Finally I asked, “How is that possible?”

  He shook his head, foreboding streaming off him. “I have no idea.”

  Chapter 5

  “Are you saying Pyper pulled you into a dreamwalk?” I asked Kane.

  He got up, shook his head, and started pacing. “How could she? She’s not a dreamwalker.”

  I sat in the middle of the bed, watching him. My chest started to ache from Pyper’s betrayal even as my head tried in vain to come up with a plausible explanation. Had she been spelled? Possessed? On drugs? “No. She isn’t.”

  “Everything about it was wrong.” He stared at me. “You said you were there? I thought I felt you, but couldn’t see you. Why didn’t you say anything?”

  “I did. You couldn’t hear me.”

  He shook his head again. “It was just wrong. All of it. I didn’t control the setting, couldn’t see you, and Pyper was…off. It was as if—”

  “Someone else had the power,” I supplied, selfishly praying that was true. If it wasn’t, I didn’t think our friendship could survive. Not after what I saw.

  He nodded and moved to sit next to me on the bed. “We have to call Pyper.”

  My face ached from my perma-frown. It was well past two a.m. Exhaustion claimed me and all I wanted to do was bury myself back in the covers and pretend none of this had happened. I shook my head and clasped my hand around his. “Do you think it could wait until the morning?”

  He frowned, a worry crease lining his forehead. “But what if she’s in trouble?”

  Damn. He had a point. The world we lived in was full of mystical anomalies, and no matter how much I just wanted to curl up next to him and block the rest of the world out, if Pyper really was spelled or possessed somehow, I’d hate myself. Nodding, I grabbed my phone from the nightstand and handed it to him.

  “Thanks, love.” He took the phone and scrolled through my contacts until he found her name.

  I climbed off the bed, pulled a T-shirt on, and then headed into the kitchen for a glass of water. When I returned, Kane was sitting on the edge of the bed, staring at the phone.

  “Hey.” I handed him the glass. “What did she say?”

  He put the phone back on the nightstand. “She says she hasn’t even been to sleep yet.”

  The tension that had been coiling in my gut ever since I’d seen Pyper try to kiss him eased. I felt equal parts relief and concern. If she hadn’t been sleeping, there was no way she’d been in a dreamwalk. But if it wasn’t her, someone or something else had used Pyper’s image.

  “A witch?” I asked.

  He thinned his lips and shook his head. “I don’t know. I really thought it was her. The person had her voice, used the same words she does, and even felt like her presence.”

  I climbed back into the bed and pulled the covers up over my bare legs. “Come here,” I said softly.

  Kane glanced back at me. “Something invaded my dream state.”

  I nodded. “I know. But the good news is Pyper’s safe. And whoever or whatever it was didn’t have a strong enough hold to hurt either you or me. In fact, I think I was there in the dream because of you, not whoever pulled you over. And now that you’re aware of it, I’m betting you can stop someone else trying to gain control of you. Right?”

  He raised one eyebrow and then shook his head, a small smile on his face. “How come you’re so calm?”

  I shrugged. “After battling demons, having our wedding interrupted by crazy angels, and dealing with black magic, a little dream meddling isn’t going to take either of us down.”

  Without taking his eyes off me, he set the glass on the nightstand. “Beauty and brains. How’d I get this lucky?”

  I grinned. “It must be your—”

  “Masterful skills in bed?” That sexy grin of his was back.

  “I was going to say your real estate, but sexual talent is a good second place.” The jab was funny because there was a ring of truth to it. In addition to owning the French Quarter house we lived in, Kane also owned the buildings that housed Wicked and The Grind. Then there was the plantation house in Cypress Settlement, where we’d gotten married.

  His eyes narrowed and then he pounced, grabbing me around the middle as he flattened me on the bed. “I knew it!”

  Laughing, I lifted my head to kiss him. “You’re the one who gave me a house as an engagement gift.”

  “And I don’t regret it for a moment.”

  ***

  I woke to the sound of my phone ringing. Groaning, I rolled over and grabbed it. “Hello?”

  “Jade?”

  I blinked, trying to get my eyes to focus in the bright morning light. “Gwen?”

  My aunt let out a
relieved sigh. “I’m so sorry to call this early, but I had a vision and…well, this couldn’t wait.”

  My eyes finally focused on the white numbers of the alarm clock—7:01 a.m. That meant it was just past six in Idaho. “You have got to start staying up later,” I said. “Six o’clock is ungodly.”

  “Jade? Did you hear me? I have some information.”

  The panic in her voice finally penetrated my hazy mind, and the rest of what she’d said sunk in. A vision? Gwen never told anyone the details of her visions. She believed the information usually made the situations worse. If she was willing to give me details, then whatever she’d seen was devastating. I sat up, tucking my feet under me. “What did you see?”

  “You know I can’t tell you that, honey.”

  Of course I did. I’d spent my teenage years under Gwen’s care. The only time I was privy to them was when she spoke during one of the episodes, giving me a clue as to what she saw. “Right.” I rubbed a hand over my forehead. “Then what is it you can tell me?”

  She took a deep breath. Then she said, “When the time comes, look to the past.”

  I bit my lower lip. “What past? Whose?”

  I could almost feel her struggle with what to tell me. Gwen and I had been very close and even though as an empath I usually needed to be in close proximity to feel someone’s emotions, I swear right then, I felt her inner turmoil churn within my stomach as my limbs went cold with fear.

  “Gwen?”

  “Sorry, honey. I’m just flustered. You’ll need to…um, do your research.”

  “Uh, okay. That doesn’t give me a lot to go on.” I glanced around the empty room, frowning. When had Kane gotten up?

  “I know,” Gwen said and sighed. “But it’s the best I can do. Now I have to go. The horses need to be watered.”

  “Gwen?” I called before she could disconnect us.

  “Yes?”

  “How’s Mom?”

  My aunt paused, seeming to search for the right words.

  “Gwen?” Mom and Gwen had been in New Orleans until Kane and I had gotten married. Then they’d gone back to Idaho. I’d heard from them once a week, but my calls with Mom had gotten shorter and shorter over the past month.

  “She’s doing okay. Just trying to find her footing again.”

  “Isn’t she working on her healing herbs?”

  “Oh, yes. That’s going well. It’s just…well, dang. She’s dating again.”

  My eyebrows shot up. “Really? That’s good, right?”

  “Yes, darling. It’s wonderful. I think she’s just not sure how to tell you.”

  I frowned. “Tell me what? That she’s dating? I think that’s fantastic.” I really had no idea what the problem was. Well, other than the fact that she’d been trapped in Purgatory for twelve years. That would make anyone rusty.

  “Not what, Jade. Who.” Gwen’s tone lit with something that sounded suspiciously like joy.

  “You can’t say that and not tell me!” I cried into the phone. “That’s just mean.”

  “You know it’s not my place.” She laughed. “I’ll talk to you soon, Jade. Remember to do the research. You’re going to need it.”

  The call ended, leaving me in a state of frustration. I loved my aunt, even when she was being evil. I thought about calling my mother, but she wasn’t an early bird like my aunt. Chances were she’d only been in bed for a few hours. She was an earth witch and often stayed up late working on her magical herbs.

  The door swung open, and Kane walked in, carrying a large red mug. “Morning,” he said and handed me the steaming cup of coffee.

  “Is that bacon I smell?”

  He gave me a slight smile. “Might be. Breakfast is in five.”

  I took a long sip of the perfectly prepared latte and sat in the armchair under the window. “Any chance of breakfast in bed?”

  He shook his head as he retreated to the door. “Sorry. With our track record, we’ll end up very late. We have a meeting in forty-five minutes.”

  “What?” I stood and headed straight for the dresser. “What meeting?”

  “Chessandra. She demands a report.”

  “Great,” I said dryly. “This should go well.”

  He shrugged. “At least she’s coming here this time.”

  “She is?” A shiver of unease filtered through me. The high angel seemed to only show up in person when there was a dire emergency.

  “That’s what the note says.” He handed me a thick stock notecard. Inside it read, The high angel will arrive at 7:45 a.m. Be prepared.

  Crap. I glanced at the bathroom, contemplating a shower, but the bacon scent filling the air won out.

  ***

  I was sitting cross-legged in one of the kitchen’s wooden chairs, sipping my second latte, when the brilliant white light shone down inside our kitchen.

  Neither Kane nor I moved. I hadn’t even dressed for the meeting. All I’d done was pull on a pair of fresh underwear and a cotton skirt and then stuff my feet into flip-flops. Kane was in jeans, a T-shirt, and had bare feet. If the high angel was going to show up before eight, she’d just have to live with what she got.

  Chessandra appeared in our kitchen. Her long golden hair was pulled back into a sleek ponytail and she wore a crisp white tailored suit. She looked every bit the high-powered business woman.

  I raised a questioning eyebrow. “I hope you didn’t get dressed up for us.”

  She barely glanced at me and focused on Kane. “What did you find?”

  I hated when she did that, acted as if Kane was in charge, as if the man was the one who had all the answers. “He’s not the only one who was there last night, you know.”

  This time she met my gaze and held it. “I’m aware, Ms. Calhoun. I’m also aware I’m more likely to get a straight answer from Mr. Rouquette, and as I have another appointment, I’d rather not waste any of my time.” She flicked her gaze from mine to Kane’s. “Report?”

  Kane put his coffee mug down and stood. “We entered the shadows and as soon as we did, my energy was drained. If it wasn’t for Jade, we’d still be there.”

  “I see.” She rubbed her jaw, contemplating. “This is worse than I thought.”

  I stood up beside Kane. “I have to tell the coven. If I—”

  She held her hand up. “That is unacceptable.”

  Clenching my fists, I resisted verbally lashing out at her. “If you want me to try to get to the bottom of things, I need my coven. I need to brainstorm with my mentor, Bea. I can’t fight the entire shadows by myself.”

  Chessandra’s expression turned stormy as she stared at me. “I do not appreciate your tone, Ms. Calhoun.”

  Dammit. I’d actually been trying to be reasonable. “And I don’t appreciate you asking me to fix the entire shadow world without any help whatsoever.”

  We had a stare-down of epic proportions.

  Finally I said, “Beatrice Kelton is the most trustworthy witch I’ve ever met. She has already proven she’d lay her own life down to save Lailah, our resident angel. And you’re still not willing to take a chance by allowing me to work with her?”

  The angel glanced from Kane to me. Then she said, “I never said you needed to fix the entire shadow world all on your own. Your mission is to find out what’s causing the disturbance and then to report back without causing a mass panic.”

  I opened my mouth to reply, but she cut me off.

  “I came to tell you that one of the angels has woken up. As soon as she’s strong enough, you may interview her.” Her eyes went flat as she added. “You may speak with Mrs. Kelton, but no one else.”

  She raised her arms and despite the absence of the white light she usually travelled through, she vanished into thin air.

  “Whoa,” I said and turned to Kane. “How did she do that?”

  He shook his head. “Special high angel magic, I suppose.”

  “I guess so,” I said, feeling awful about my exchange with Chessandra. She’d come to give us informa
tion, and I’d been nothing but hostile. Not to mention I’d misinterpreted the mission. Dang, I was an idiot.

  “Jade?” Kane said.

  “Huh?” I glanced up.

  He was standing in front of me, holding his Demon Hunter dagger in one hand. The design in the hilt was glowing, indicating he was being summoned. “It’s time to go.”

  I clutched his hand, wishing I’d thought to put a bra on as the dagger pulled us into the shadows.

  Chapter 6

  I wanted to cry out, to somehow stop Kane from letting us travel through the shadows, but the magic wrapped around us and a tug pulled at my belly, sweeping me through the fabric of the other dimension.

  The light was a blur of color and the next thing I knew, we were standing in front of the Brotherhood mansion in the Garden District. The trip had only lasted for a few seconds, but it had left me disoriented and slightly nauseated.

  Kane squeezed my hand. “Hey, are you all right?”

  I swallowed back the bile threatening to choke me. “Yeah. I’ll be fine.” Then I glanced up at him. He was pale, and fatigue shown in his eyes. “What about you?”

  He straightened his shoulders, seeming to steel himself. “Fine.”

  But he wasn’t fine. He was exhausted. The shadows had drained him and had the dagger not pulled us straight to the Brotherhood house, I was almost certain he would’ve gotten trapped again. The energy he’d gained from our lovemaking the night before was already drained. Squeezing his fingers, I tapped the power gently pulsing beneath my skin and pushed it into him.

  Right before my eyes, his skin tone evened out and the weariness claiming him melted away.

  “Jade.” He pulled away from me, putting a foot between us. “You can’t keep doing that.”

  “Why not?” I gave him a pointed look.

  “Because if I keep taking your power, you’ll be drained. Then what will you do?”

  “I’m fine,” I insisted. And I was. For now. But I wasn’t going to let him go deal with Maximus looking like he was going to pass out. Demon hunters weren’t weak. Especially not mine.

  The double doors of the Antebellum home swung open, and Maximus himself appeared.

  Kane and I shared a glance and then moved forward. Well, Kane did. I bounced off an invisible wall and stumbled backward.