Christmas Brew (Witches of New Orleans #2)

4. Three Witches, Two Lycan, One Vampire…and a Partridge in a Pear Tree

CHAPTER 4

Three Witches, Two Lycan, One Vampire…and a Partridge in a Pear Tree

“ W hat’s our next step?” I ask the ragtag duo.

“You’d best be finding someone that can teach you how to protect yourself,” Bessie says, turning to walk away.

“Wait,” I call after her. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to offend you.” I wrap my fingers around the crystal. “Thank you for saving me.”

Bessie and Zeke share a look. She sighs before wrapping her arm around my shoulders, pulling me toward my favorite store. “Annabelle can help.”

“Welcome in…” Annabelle’s words stop short as she looks at the four of us. She moves hurriedly toward the door, locking it behind us and pulling the shade. “Go to the back.”

Following directions, we move through a thick velvet curtain into a room I’ve never been in. A heavy round table takes up most of the space, surrounded by six chairs. The wall behind the table is covered in glass jars, each holding herbs, concoctions, and items I have no name for .

“Please, sit down,” she says, closing the curtain behind us. Annabelle is the last to sit, placing her back against the wall. “He’s made contact?” she asks Bessie.

“He has.”

“Shit. So much sooner than expected. How?” Annabelle continues.

“The lawyer,” Zeke answers.

“Idiot,” she mutters under her breath. “I tried to tell Margaret not to trust him.”

“He’s gone. What matters now is Rose’s safety,” Drake answers. “We need to know how to protect her.”

“The house is protected. There is no way he or one of his creations can walk through the door.” Annabelle looks around nervously. “The city, that’s another story.”

I stand. “I will not let an invisible threat keep me in my home. How bad can he be?”

Zeke jumps to the center of the table, holding his hands in front of him. “I’ve got this one,” he says to the two elder witches. “I spent several years on Kragen’s ship. Most of my time was spent in hiding, watching from the shadows. Over those years, I witnessed more atrocities from that monster than I care to speak of.” He lowers his head. “I’ve lived a long life. I’ve seen many things and been all over the world. But Kragen, he’s the one that sticks in my head. Out of respect for the ones he killed, I will not go into detail. Just know, Rose, you are in danger as long as that man walks the earth.”

“This is sounding better by the minute.” I lean back in the velvet chair, unsure how helpful this has been.

“The only way to fight him is with your power.” Annabelle’s words are no louder than a whisper.

My laughter fills the small room. “My power? I have no idea how to control my power. I’ve managed to manifest ingredients for a meal and know a few magic terms out of the blue, but other than that, I’m powerless.”

“Then we’ll have to fix that,” Bessie adds.

I look at the older women. “You do realize I’ve only been a witch for a little since October?”

“You’ve always been a witch, my girl. You just didn’t know it.” Bessie stands. “Let’s get started.”

“Now?” I stand, moving next to her.

“We’re out of time.” Annabelle stands, moving across the room toward the wall of potions. I watch in silence as she takes ingredients from several containers, mixes them together, and adds them to water. “Drink this.” She hands me the dark liquid.

I stare at the concoction for several minutes before lifting it to my lips. “What is it?”

“A potion.”

“That’s all the information you’re giving me, isn’t it?”

Annabelle smiles warmly. “It’s going to be okay.”

I close my eyes and drink the mixture in one gulp. The room around me goes instantly to black. “Hello?” I call into the blackness. “Drake, Annabelle?” My voice echoes through the wall-less area. “Is this my training? So far, I’m not a fan.”

I blink, and in the instant my eyes are closed, I open them to find a young woman standing in front of me. Her eyes are a beautiful shade of copper and the perfect accent to her dark skin. “Hello?”

She smiles, revealing two pointed teeth. Shit. “You’re a vampire. ”

“I am.” Her accent is a mixture of dialects I don’t recognize. “How perceptive of you.”

Instinctively, I begin to step away. “What is this place?”

She shrugs. “I wouldn’t know. You created it.”

I scoff. “I didn’t create anything. I drank something and…”

“Either way, we’re here,” she interrupts. “Why not play a little? It’s been ages since I’ve drank blood from someone so powerful.”

“We’re going to keep it that way.” I laugh awkwardly.

The vampire sniffs the air. “You come from a strong lineage.”

“How…how…can you smell my blood?”

Her laugh sends shivers down my spine. “It’s a gift, I suppose. Your blood is…delightful.” She steps toward me, closing the gap between us. Her eyes begin to turn black, and her beautiful face transforms. She stares into my eyes. “Come to me. I won’t hurt you.”

I feel myself falling into whatever hypnotic trance she’s working. “You won’t hurt…”

“That’s it. Come to me. I won’t hurt you,” she repeats.

“You…”

“Use the crystal,” Margaret’s voice rings through my head. I wrap my hand around the shiny object, pulling it out of my shirt and holding it between the two of us.

“How pretty,” she replies with a laugh. I shake the crystal, willing it to do something…anything. “Were you showing it to me or expecting something to happen?” Dark lips retract, and her fangs become more prominent as she laughs at my foolishness, taking another step toward me—close enough that the faint smell of fire fills my nose.

The crystal, still held tightly in my grip, burns my skin. The same heat I felt when I was in the car earlier. “Use the crystal,” Margaret says once more.

Fighting against the pain, I lift the crystal again. My body relaxes as a sense of calmness rushes over me. “Ardeat,” I whisper into the face of the monster. “Adolebitque vampire!” The vampire bursts into flames. Her screams pierce my ears as she turns, running into the darkness.

The darkness disappears as quickly as it appeared, returning me to the back room of the tarot shop. I’m breathing harder than I would’ve been had I been in a race.

“Rose?” Drake asks, moving to my side. “Are you okay?”

I turn, facing the woman I thought was my friend. “You put me in there with a vampire?”

“I had no idea what would appear, but a vampire seems adequate.” Her words are cold and flat.

“Adequate? She could’ve killed me. She tried to kill me.” Anger fuels my words.

“What are you talking about?” Drake asks. “You just drank the potion and haven’t gone anywhere.”

“Annabelle’s potion sent me into darkness with a vampire who wanted nothing more than to drink my blood.” I turn back toward Annabelle. “What the hell was that supposed to teach me?”

“Is that true?” he asks the shop owner.

“She had to learn how to use her powers. ”

“You think turning me into prey was the way to make that happen? What kind of tough love shit is this?”

“The kind that works,” Bessie answers.

“How did you defeat her?” Zeke asks.

“I don’t think I defeated her. The crystal was the answer.” I turn toward the imp. “How did you know it was a her ?”

Tiny shoulders shrug. “I was there…just in case.”

“You see, Rose. You were never in any real danger. Xyqloux was with you.” Annabelle’s words don’t offer the reassurance she’s hoping for.

I fight to keep the tears from falling. “I’m leaving,” I whisper. “Don’t follow me.” I glare at the imp before storming through the velvet curtain into the main store.

Exiting the store, I turn down a familiar alley. I laugh at the irony of the nickname, Pirates Alley, as I push past the tourists and further into the Quarter. Christmas lights and décor make it harder to move through the already crowded streets. I don’t bother apologizing as I push into the shoulders of people in my way.

An overwhelming amount of energy stops me dead in my tracks. I turn, realizing I’m on a popular French Quarter street, standing in front of one of the many bars in the area. The energy is coming from inside. Taking a deep breath, I open the heavy door and enter.

I sit at an empty barstool, propping my elbows on the wet counter. “Hey, sugar. Are you old enough to be in here?”

“Yes,” I lie.

The young woman in front of me has dark brown hair and oversized green eyes. Her pixie-cut hairstyle is the perfect accent for her angular face. “I’m afraid I’m going to need to see proof. You don’t look a day over sixteen.”

I reach for my purse, realizing it’s still at the tarot shop. “I…I don’t have it with me.”

“Yeah. How about something alcohol-free?” She leans closer. “You can stay here as long as you don’t leave the bar area.” She winks, leaving me alone at the counter.

She returns moments later with something pink and fruity in her hand. “Here you go. It’s the Maddie Special .”

“Thank you.”

“What brings you into a place like this?” She looks around. “You’re not our usual clientele, if you know what I mean.”

“I needed to get away. This place called to me.”

The bartender laughs. “I get that. It has a way of doing that.”

I take a drink of the pink liquid. The sugary sweetness tastes better than I imagined. “This is perfect.”

“Thanks.” She wipes the bar top next to me. “Are you in danger? Do you need help?” she whispers.

“No, nothing like that. I just needed to get away from the chaos.” The energy coming from her is strong. This woman is definitely something paranormal.

“Are you a vampire?” My question is no louder than a whisper.

The girl laughs loud enough to draw everyone in the bar’s attention toward us. “Oh, my! No one has ever asked that one before.”

“I’m sorry. It’s just that…”

“You sense something from me?”

I look up, not sure how to answer. “Yes. ”

“I sense something from you, too. We are not that much different, you and I.”

Drake’s words come to mind as I look around the bar. Most of the customers are tall and muscular. “This is the lycan headquarters, isn’t it?”

The girl smiles. “I can’t officially answer that, but…” She points at a picture of a wolf on the wall. The image is of a bright red wolf with piercing blue eyes. She holds her hand toward me. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, witch.”

“How?”

“The same way you knew I was something. Over time, you learn what the different energies feel like.” She looks me up and down. “Your energy screams witch.”

“Thank you?”

“I’m guessing from your question about vampires that you’re having issues with one of the bloodsuckers?”

“That obvious, huh?”

Maddie laughs. “Join the club. Vampires are all jerks. I’ve only met one that’s slightly tolerable, and even he gets on my nerves. The rest suck…no pun intended.” She laughs, easing the tension.

“A vampire is trying to get to me.”

“Then you came to the right place.” A familiar feeling enters the bar. I turn, finding the source. Drake is moving toward me, alone.

“You okay?” he asks, sliding onto the stool next to me.

“How’d you find me?”

He shrugs. “I know what you feel like.”

“In any other situation, that would be extremely creepy.” I can’t hold in my laugh.

“Yeah, sorry. ”

“Want me to kick this guy out?” Maddie asks, wiping the bar in front of Drake.

“No. He’s okay.”

Maddie sniffs the air in front of Drake. “You’re one, too.”

“One what?” he asks.

“Oh, I think you know.” She turns, heading toward a large man at the end of the bar. He doesn’t look much older than me, but he’s at least a head taller. The two of them talk for a moment before he glances my way. The minute our eyes make contact, chill bumps cover my skin. There’s no doubt he’s a lycanthrope, and the energy pouring off him is strong. He moves toward us, making me feel more awkward than usual.

“Maddie tells me you’re having trouble with a vampire,” he says, leaning onto the stool next to me.

“Yeah.”

He holds his hand toward Drake. “Cameron St. James.” Drake shakes his hand and looks as wide-eyed as I feel.

“Drake,” he answers.

Cameron’s eyes meet mine. “How can I be of help?”

“Can we talk somewhere private?” I ask the giant man.

“Sure. My brother’s office is open. That’s as private as it gets around here.” He leads us into a room in the back of the building. A large wooden desk takes up space at the far end of the room, with an oversized bookshelf behind it. Two wingback chairs face the desk and look more like they belong in a model home rather than a bar. Cameron motions to the chairs. “Please, have a seat. ”

“Are you the alpha?” Drake asks, looking around the room.

“No, my brother Topher is. I’m the youngest of five. In order for the title of alpha to be passed to me, all four of my brothers would have to die.” Cameron leans back in the chair, propping his long legs on the desk, crossing them at the ankle. “When the Alpha’s away, the pups like to play.” He smiles, easing the tension. “What vampire is causing trouble?”

“Rose,” Drake warns. I know what he’s thinking, and he’s right. We don’t know this man enough to trust him. But there’s something inside telling me this is what we need to do—what I need to do.

“His name is Kragen, and he wants this.” I pull the amulet out from under my shirt.

Cameron pulls his feet off the desk. “I recognize that. It belongs to Margaret.”

Sliding forward in my chair. “You knew Margaret?”

“I did. How do you have her crystal?”

“My name is Rose Lovelace, and Margaret is…or rather was my aunt.”

“You think Kragen is after her crystal?” he asks.

“I do.”

Cameron leans back in the chair. “There’s only one problem, Rose. Kragen is dead.”