Charmed Again (Halloween LaVeau) Read online

  I looked to Liam for his response.

  After a pause, he nodded, then said, “Nicolas hasn’t done that as far as I know. Of course we haven’t exactly been on speaking terms until recently.”

  At first, Liam had led me to believe that Nicolas had been at LaVeau Manor only to collect my blood. Had he been? I didn’t know who to believe.

  “So this beast was attacking the witch and she asked you to turn her.” I felt as if I was interrogating Nicolas, but the questions had to be asked.

  Apparently I wasn’t getting out of this Underworld leader thing tonight.

  “Just before she took her last breath she asked me to turn her.” He shook his head as if he was trying to get rid of the memory.

  His response sent a chill down my spine. I was envisioning the scene in my mind and it wasn’t a pretty sight.

  I braced myself for the next question I was about to ask. “Can you tell me more about this demon beast? What does it do? Can you tell me more about what it looks like?”

  Nicolas scrubbed his hand across his face. “I’m not an expert on these creatures. But it looked like a giant werewolf and attacks like one too.”

  “How do you know it wasn’t a werewolf?” I asked.

  “It disappeared as soon as I approached. Meaning it didn’t run away, but disappeared into thin air,” Nicolas said.

  I contemplated this for a moment. “I wonder why it vanished.”

  Nicolas nodded. “I couldn’t begin to guess.”

  Picturing Nicolas biting anyone’s neck was tough, although since he was a vampire I knew he’d done it before. But had he ever killed anyone in the process? Just because he was a vampire didn’t mean that he’d caused anyone harm, right? Was that just wishful thinking on my part? Probably. He had come close to biting my neck, but I’d thought of that as more of a nibble… a love bite.

  “Did you experience anything from turning her?” I asked, unsure of my wording.

  Like I said, I’d never dealt with this. How was I expected to know the correct terms?

  “Are you asking if my powers increased?” He met my gaze.

  A pang of sympathy ran through me. “Yes, I guess that’s what I’m trying to ask.”

  Nicolas looked down and didn’t respond. He didn’t have to answer. His silence was all I needed to know. This wouldn’t help Nicolas’ side of the story.

  In the distance lights came into view. My heart rate picked up and my stomach turned. I didn’t have to ask to know that the lights came from our destination. They must be waiting for me. I had no idea if the Coven would consist of two members or two hundred. But I assumed since it was New Orleans then it would be quite a bit larger than Enchantment Pointe’s Coven.

  As we turned onto the tree-lined pebble driveway, I knew I’d soon find answers to some of my questions.

  The driveway seemed to stretch out forever as the plantation came into view at the end. Moss-draped oak trees dotted the landscape. For a moment the thought of alligators popped into my mind. I knew the area was surrounded by the bayou. Alligators might be the nicest thing I’d encounter tonight.

  Clouds completely cloaked the night sky now, blocking out the last slivers of moonlight. Two large porches wrapped around the home on both the bottom and top floors. Massive columns decorated the front of the white façade. Light shone brightly from every window, casting an eerie glow into the dark night sky. If not for the lights, it would have been unnervingly pitch black. Was I really ready for this? I knew the answer to that question after one second—no.

  When we pulled up in front of the house, several people stepped out onto the porch. Obviously they’d known I was coming and they hadn’t wasted any time in coming outside to check me out. By the expressions on their faces, I knew this visit wouldn’t involve eating cupcakes and playing with puppies.

  Chapter Two

  A small group of people greeted us as we stepped out of the car. All eyes were on me as if I was some kind of novelty circus act. If my count was correct, there were three men and three women. They must have been the head members of the New Orleans Coven.

  Most people might picture coven members dressed all in black, but that wasn’t the case. Dressed in casual business attire of slacks and dress shirts, they looked more like they were there for a homeowners’ association meeting than a coven gathering. That was the thing—witches had special powers, but looked and dressed just like everyone else. No green skin or warts. The smell of approaching rain hung in the air. Warm night air wrapped around me, but nothing comforting came from this situation.

  A man stepped forward and stretched his hand toward me. “You must be Halloween LaVeau. We’ve been eagerly awaiting your arrival.”

  Something about his clipped tone made me uneasy. How long could they have been awaiting my arrival? We’d only learned of the charges against Nicolas an hour ago.

  I shook his hand. “Pleased to meet you.”

  He gestured toward the beautiful home. “Won’t you come in? My name is Jacobson Stratford.”

  This had to be the brother of the victim. What would be his reaction to seeing Nicolas? This was more than a little awkward.

  The Coven members glared at Nicolas. Obviously, he wasn’t their favorite person right now. Everyone in the group was tall, making my insecurities as the new leader even grander. I was like a tiny scrub in a forest of redwoods. Liam gestured as if to say he would follow me. Nicolas’ eyes were blank. Was it worry darkening his expression? I had no idea what must be going through his mind.

  How bad could this really be? I mean, the woman was okay, right? No harm done? Well, other than the fact that she was a vampire now. That was kind of a big deal, I guessed. But she’d asked him to turn her, right? Maybe she was telling the truth though. What if Nicolas had turned her against her will in a botched attempt to steal her powers? At that moment I realized that I didn’t know Nicolas nearly as well as I thought I did. After all, I’d only known him for a short time. I was letting the sexual chemistry between us cloud my judgment.

  Nicolas and Liam followed me up the steps toward the large front door. Maybe they wanted to walk behind me so they could catch me if I decided to run away. But I was the leader now. I could run away if I wanted to, although I wasn’t sure what would happen to Nicolas then. In a way, I had to save him.

  I followed the coven members into the grand parlor of the home. To my left was the parlor and on the right was a room that looked to be used as a library. It was dark in there, but I caught a glimpse of books on the shelves. We turned to the left and entered the parlor. The crystal chandelier was dimmed and candles flickered in the corner. I wasn’t sure if I was there for a meeting or a séance. The room was decorated as if it should be in a magazine.

  Jacobson motioned toward a plush velvet armchair. “Please have a seat.”

  For a moment, I hesitated. All eyes were still on me. Finally, I walked over and eased down into the chair. Why did it feel as if he was in charge of this meeting? Sure, he was the leader of the coven, but they’d called me to settle this situation. I didn’t like his bossy attitude. I’d find out what he wanted, then we’d be out of there. And none too soon either. Jacobson sat in the chair next to me while Nicolas and Liam sat across from us on the sofa. The other members stood around the room as if on guard. This environment was more than a little hostile.

  I looked at each woman in the room. Was the woman who had accused Nicolas of stealing her powers and turning her in the room with us? Everyone was staring at me, as if they were waiting for me to start this meeting. It finally struck me that this was the meeting—nothing special or grand. I supposed it was time for me to stumble my way through this whole thing. I’d do my best to pretend that I knew what I was doing.

  I sat up straighter in the chair, then folded my hands in my lap. It was my best professional business like posture. “I’ve been called here because there’s a problem. When does the meeting start?”

  Jacobson stared for a beat with a sly smile on his
face, then finally said, “Yes, there is a problem. This is the meeting.”

  Just as I’d suspected—this really was the meeting. I figured there would be some big elaborate production. This was just a bunch of people sitting around in a living room.

  “I’m glad you brought the accused with you.”

  He looked at Nicolas with a slight sneer. Of course Jacobson’s reaction to Nicolas made me dislike Jacobson even more. Jacobson was assuming Nicolas was guilty right away. There was no way I would rush to judgment like that. This guy was really rubbing me the wrong way and I’d only known him a few minutes. Enough of the chitchat, I wanted to get straight to the point.

  “Why don’t you just tell me what’s going on so we can get this settled.” I glanced at my watch.

  “Do you have somewhere else to be?” he asked with disdain.

  As if that was any of his business. I looked him in the eye. “As a matter of fact, I do. I’d like to be in bed right now. It’s late and I’m tired. It’s been a long day.”

  He smiled. “Yes, I heard. You fought off Mara. That is very impressive.”

  I wasn’t sure how impressive it was, but at the moment I didn’t care. Mara was the last thing I wanted to think about.

  She was the witch who had killed Nicolas’ mother, her own sister. Mara had wanted to be the leader of the Underworld and she’d come after the Book of Mystics… and me. With Nicolas and Liam’s help, I had banished her and her demon friend Isabeau to hell. And I hoped that was where they stayed.

  “Anyway, back to the reason why you’ve called me here tonight.” I was determined not to allow Jacobson to lead the conversation.

  He leaned back in his chair, all casual and relaxed-looking. “I’m sure you can understand that the charges against Nicolas Marcos are quite serious.” He glanced at Nicolas again, then back to me. “We just can’t allow this kind of thing to happen. He’s very dangerous.”

  A smile crossed his face as he said that, as if he got great pleasure from the words as they rolled off his tongue.

  “With all due respect, Mr. Stratford, I don’t think Nicolas is dangerous at all.” I cast a quick glance at Nicolas.

  His expression was still blank, almost catatonic. Was he in shock? This was no time for him to freak out. If I could hold it together and feel my way through this leader thing, then he could help me out by not zoning out into some zombie-like state. I wanted to snap my fingers and bring him out of the trance. Liam looked like he was ready to kick Jacobson’s ass.

  “How long have you known Mr. Marcos?” he asked with a smug smile.

  Oh, well played, Mr. Coven Member, well played.

  “Well, I haven’t known him long, but I am a good judge of character and I feel he is a decent man,” I said, folding my arms across my chest.

  Okay, even I knew that sounded ridiculous. Nicolas gave a half-hearted smile. At least I’d gotten some reaction out of him, which was more than I’d had in the past hour.

  “Let’s get right down to the charges, shall we?” Jacobson folded his hands in his lap.

  Well, that was what I’d wanted about ten minutes ago. It was about time.

  “Please. I’d love to,” I said, drily.

  “I’m not sure if you’re aware, but my sister Sabrina was attacked by Mr. Marcos,” he said.

  I bit my tongue. The overwhelming need to defend Nicolas came over me, but I had to listen to what this man had to say before I dismissed him. It was only fair that I got to the truth about what really happened.

  Holding my composure, I said, “I was filled in on what happened from Mr. Marcos. With all due respect to your sister, he has a different version of the story.”

  He chuckled. “I’m sure he does. That doesn’t make it true.”

  “You’re right, but that doesn’t make what your sister says true either.” I stared him straight in the eyes.

  He glowered. “Are you calling my sister a liar?”

  I had to remain strong. “No, that is not what I’m implying at all. But I need to know the facts behind the whole situation. Is your sister here? I need to speak with her.”

  “She is too upset to speak.” He cut me a sharp look as if daring me to argue.

  This conversation was going nowhere.

  “I can’t just take your word for it, Mr. Stratford.” I looked at Nicolas again. “Or Mr. Marcos’ either, for that matter.”

  “The fact of the matter is she is a vampire now. There is no denying that. Mr. Marcos is even admitting to biting her.” Jacobson gestured wildly in Nicolas’ direction.

  He had me there. Nicolas had admitted to that much.

  “As I’ve been made aware, she asked him to turn her as a last resort over death. Mr. Marcos felt he had little choice and was only trying to do what was right. Aren’t you grateful that he saved your sister’s life?” I returned the annoyed gleam in his eyes with an angry glare of my own.

  He focused his attention on Nicolas. “There was nothing to save her from. It was an unprovoked attack.”

  Nicolas shifted in his seat. I felt his tension. I knew he wanted to say something, but in order for this not to turn into an all-out war, it was best if I did all the talking. Even Liam was letting me handle the situation. Was I really stepping right into my role as leader? Sure, I had no idea what I was doing, but I was giving it my best shot. The local Coven wouldn’t believe it. I used to screw up witches’ spells for miles around and now people were coming to me to solve their problems.

  “A demon beast attacked her. Nicolas was saving her,” I said with too much panic in my voice.

  It was funny how quickly things could change because I suddenly felt as if I was losing control of this situation fast. The Coven members laughed, a cacophony of humiliation.

  “That is an absurd story. There was no such beast. Why would this demon run away simply because Mr. Marcos approached? Wouldn’t the beast just attack both of them?” Jacobson looked at me with an unflinching glare.

  “I can assure you that I am no expert on this matter, so how can I answer that question?” I cut him a warning look, letting him know that I would be a fierce enemy if crossed.

  “You can say that again,” a woman scoffed from across the room.

  I glared at the women. I was so going to get her name and write her up. Was there some kind of ticket system? Could I fine her for being a jerk? Probably not. If that were the case I would have been fined for my crappy magic ages ago.

  “Have you not noticed that Mr. Marcos’ skills have greatly improved?” Jacobson flashed a smug smile.

  He had me again. The facts were not going in Nicolas’ favor at the moment. There had to be a way to prove his innocence, but at the moment I had no idea how that was going to happen.

  I stood from the chair. “I think it’s time for us to go.”

  “Aren’t you going to take care of this?” Jacobson demanded.

  I scoffed. “Am I going to take care of this tonight? No. Without looking into the facts and getting the truth? No.”

  He glared at me.

  “What did you expect, Mr. Stratford? For me to find Mr. Marcos guilty tonight based on your version of the incident? That is not going to happen.” I wouldn’t allow him to have the upper hand.

  “You are the leader now. This is your job to take care of this.” He pointed.

  “I will take care of it, but not tonight.” I stepped closer to him. “And if you don’t like it, well, then that is just tough.” My finger was so close to his face it almost touched his nose.

  Who did this guy think he was anyway? I wasn’t a member of his Coven and I didn’t have to answer to him. What would he do? Call my mommy? I wouldn’t lie and say that my adrenaline wasn’t pumping because of this confrontation, but it had to be done. I would not let him boss me around.

  The group neared the door and I feared we would soon have a fight on our hands if we didn’t get out of there. We were being surrounded. Did my leader of the Underworld status mean nothing? Apparently they di
dn’t care. What had I gotten myself into? I wasn’t sure I wanted this gig. One hour in and it was already a headache.

  Nicolas and Liam followed me to the door. The energy changed in the room. It was thick like walking through a bag full of cotton balls. Was someone trying to cast a spell? I hoped they weren’t trying any funny business.

  “The allegations against me are false and you know it, Jacobson. Just because I’m a…” Nicolas stopped before finishing the sentence as if someone had stuffed a sock in his mouth.

  “I should have known better than to allow vampires into the coven.” Jacobson turned his lips up in a sneer.

  Liam whipped around. “You didn’t have a choice in allowing us to join.”

  Underneath the fabric of Liam’s long-sleeved shirt, the muscles of his strong forearm tightened when I grabbed him. I pulled him toward me before the venom-laced words turned into a physical confrontation. Liam had said Jacobson hadn’t had a choice in allowing them to join the coven, but only Nicolas was a vampire, right? There wasn’t time to think about that now. We needed to abandon the meeting right away.

  “Come on, guys. It’s time to go.” I motioned for the men to hurry.

  As we walked out the door and down the porch steps toward the car, I felt the presence of the others right behind us. Magic flew across the night sky with silent stealth.

  When I turned around, Jacobson’s face at turned red and his eyes slits of rage. Within seconds, Jacobson slammed his fist into Nicolas’ face. Nicolas grabbed Jacobson, throwing him to the ground. Jacobson hit the pebbled driveway with a groan. The men struggled, pounding each other while the rest of the group gathered in a circle and watched the fight unfold.

  If I didn’t act quickly, this could turn deadly. The men broke free for a second, but they stood in a showdown ready to pounce again. During a momentary lapse in judgment, I ran over and shoved my fist into Jacobson’s stomach. His stomach muscles were harder than I had anticipated. In hindsight, I should have handled the situation in a more professional manner. But that Jacobson really set my temper on fire.