Bewitched on Bourbon Street by Deanna Chase Read Free Book Online Page B

was in the angel realm intensified.
    I stood and placed my hands on my hips. “I don’t know what’s going on, but we need to get down to business here.”
    Chessandra turned her head slowly, her eyes flashing pure white.
    Whoa.
    “We’re waiting for the angel who cursed you to arrive.” Chessandra’s voice was far away, detached.
    “I see.” Only I didn’t. Was she able to call angels to her side? Did she have some weird dark-mark-type magic that plucked angels out of thin air?
    “Chessandra?” Kane called, his tone hesitant. “What do you see?”
    Her pupils turned black again, but her irises stayed white. The only thing that would’ve made her look more evil is if her eyes had turned red. I shivered, wanting to get as far away from her as possible.
    “Bad things,” Chessa said in an ethereal voice. “Not safe. Dark forces are coming.”
    A ripple of fear ran through me. Not because I was afraid of dealing with dark forces. We’d done it before and we’d do it again. But because of the creepiness rippling from her.
    She stood abruptly. “This way.” Her white robes sailed out behind her as she hurried off into the room Drake had disappeared into.
    Kane and I didn’t hesitate to follow. Had the angel responsible for this shown up? I could only hope. Whoever it was, he or she was going to regret ever messing with my uterus.
    We crossed into the second room, and I stopped dead in my tracks. I recognized it. White furniture, overstuffed chairs, and couches filled the living room. There was a fully stocked kitchen and four connecting bedrooms. Poppy-colored pillows were the only color to break up the stark room.
    There weren’t any windows and no other exits. My heart started to pound against my ribs.
    The room where time stood still.
    Dammit! How stupid could I be? Lailah had warned me, and I’d let Kane’s anger drive me to force my way into the realm, right into Chessandra’s clutches. Again.
    I spun, intending to retreat into the first room, but the door had already vanished. All that remained was a smooth sheetrocked wall.
    Slowly, I turned, my fists clenched in tight balls. “Why are we here?”
    “Jade,” Drake started, his tone meant to soothe me. “Please understand.”
    “No. I don’t have to understand anything.” I strode across the room and jabbed him in the chest with my forefinger. “What the hell? I can’t believe you were in on this.”
    “You’ve been cursed. Don’t you understand what will happen if someone takes your child? We have to protect you until we can figure out who’s behind this spell.”
    “I thought Chessandra was waiting for the angel to show up.”
    “She is. But it can sometimes take a while. She’s put the spell in place. When the angel lets his or her guard down, we’ll know it.”
    “What does that mean?” Kane demanded, his gaze trained on Chessandra. Her head was tilted up and her eyes were closed as if she were worshiping the sun.
    “Her magic is powerful, but angels have guards to keep their souls protected. All it takes is for them to relax for just a second, and then Chessa will have them. Sometimes it happens instantly, sometimes it takes a while. That’s why we’ve decided it’s best if you both wait here until we can contain the angel who’s cursed Jade.”
    “Stay here? Contained in this room?” Kane shook his head in disgust. “You’re out of your mind. We both have jobs to do. There’s no way we’re waiting around here for an unspecified time.”
    I nodded and walked to his side to present a united front.
    “Mr. Rouquette, you’re welcome to go. You’re not the one in danger. But I’m afraid we’re going to have to keep Jade here until the threat passes.” Drake ran a hand over the plush white sofa. “Do not worry. Every comfort will be provided for her.”
    “No one is staying here,” Kane ground out. “Open the door. We’re leaving.”
    “It’s not safe. Danger is coming,” Chessandra repeated.
    “It’s your