He’s not going to listen to me.
“You’re right,” I reply. “It must be regression.”
“We’ve given her a sedative. She should be back to herself tomorrow.”
“I’ll check in on her.” I stand and nod at the doctor, then lead Lucien out of the hospital. Once we’re in the car, I let the pent-up words out. “That motherfucker. Misogynistic asshole thinks he has all the answers, and I should just smile and nod. What a prick. What a piece of shit.”
“But how do you really feel?” Lucien asks as he pulls out of the parking space and drives away from the hospital.
“She didn’t regress.”
“Tell me everything that happened from the minute you stepped inside that place,” he urges. His voice is still hard, angry. He rubs his hand over his lips, moving back and forth in agitation.
The man I love is good and pissed off.
I relay the information, word for word. “And then you were there. How did you know I needed you?”
“The spell you were chanting,” he says. “Not only is it for fighting him off, but because I created it for you, infused it with my energy when I recorded it with the Akashic Records, it automatically links you to me, as well. I’ll always know to get to you as quickly as possible.”
“Well, why didn’t you say so?”
“I didn’t know you still knew it.”
“It was in my dream the other night.” I swallow and lean back in my seat. “Lucien, taking Mama to the house was the wrong thing to do. The damn spirit or demon or shadow or…whatever it is, reattached itself to her.”
“Something definitely happened,” he agrees. “We need to go back tomorrow, armed with your sisters, some potions, and a stronger protection spell.”
“We have some work to do.”Chapter FourteenMillieIt never ceases to amaze me how many people we can pack into Miss Sophia’s house. Her cottage isn’t big, but whether it’s just her and I here, or thirty members of the coven, everyone fits as if she cast a spell to expand and contract her home as needed.
And knowing the older witch as well as I do, it wouldn’t surprise me if she did exactly that.
My sisters are here, of course, along with Lucien’s parents, Mallory Boudreaux, and Miss Sophia’s granddaughter, Lena. Esme said that she wouldn’t miss it for the world, and she’s got her head buried in a spellbook, doing research.
Cash sits at the dining room table, directly across from me. Everyone here is researching the mystical arts, and my sister’s husband is doing what he does best: searching for a killer.
As a former profiler for the FBI, and currently working as an investigator with the New Orleans PD, Cash has vast experience hunting killers. He helped us find this madman once.
I know he’ll do it again.
Lucien passes me a book and takes the one I have in front of me.
“Let’s trade, darlin’,” he says. “You’re just staring blankly at this one.”
“Why do I feel so lost?” I ask and shake my head. “Like I don’t know where to start? We have two things happening. An undead psychopath is after us, and our poor mother can’t shake the goddamn spirit that’s intent on inhabiting her body.”
“That’s why you can’t focus,” Lucien replies. “You’re overwhelmed, and rightfully so. Just breathe. Drink Miss Sophia’s tea and center yourself. You have a room full of witches here to help you.”
“I’m not a practicing witch,” Brielle reminds us. “And neither is Daphne. How can we possibly help?”
“Whether you use your gifts for the craft or not,” Miss Sophia replies from across the room, where she’s stirring something in her cauldron, “you have the Power all the same, child. Joining the coven is always your choice. You’d be welcome here for that, as you are always. But if it’s not for you, that’s perfectly fine, as well. We’re going to teach you the spells to chant with Millicent and Lucien tomorrow because the two of them can’t do this alone. Cash, you’ll join them, as well.”
“Me?” Cash asks, looking around at us. “I have zero gifts. I hate to disappoint you here, but I can’t even make a good cup of coffee.”
“You’re one of the six,” Miss Sophia reminds him calmly, not even looking away from her cauldron. “That’s all the Power you need.”
Mallory walks by, and I catch her attention. “Hey, Mal, I keep meaning to call Charly to ask if she wants a booth at the Halloween street fair again this year, and I keep forgetting. Do you know if she wants one?”
“Yes, she definitely wants one. She has some fun things planned for it.”
“Great, I’ll make sure she has space. And I’ll do some shopping while I’m at it. I need some new work shoes.”
“You should splurge on non-work shoes, too,” Mallory says with a wink and keeps walking to where Lena’s waiting with some essential oils for their part of the spell we’re building for tomorrow.