“I’ll make it worth your while. Last night was just a taste of my abilities.” Jacque winked at her. “Come on. Let’s get something to eat. It’s been a long morning.”
Chapter Seven
A hushed whisper spread through the cafeteria when Angel and Jacque entered the room. Most of the guys smirked in obvious acknowledgement of Angel’s new status. Like most men, Jacque was oblivious to the attention his behavior attracted. He followed so close behind her they shared one silhouette. She nudged him with an elbow to create some space between them.
Jacque shrugged his shoulders. “What?”
“You gotta give me some space. You’re crowding me, and it’s attracting too much attention. Bad enough I’m the only human
and
the only female. Now they know we slept together. What the hell? Did someone Tweet it?” The words escaped without a breath in between.
“Sorry. I didn’t notice.” He dropped his head and moved the food around on his tray.
She needed something to take her mind away from the craziness. A good sword fight could release some of her anxiety. Too bad they didn’t have training today. She and Jacque took a seat at the far end of the room. Everyone still glanced at them and whispered. Noel approached from the opposite end of the cafeteria with disdain written on his face.
“Finally given up hiding? I knew there was a reason you favored her.” Noel glared at Jacque.
“You need to mind your own business. You’re out of line.” Jacque’s gritty voice held an edge.
“You bust our balls all day long. Nothing we do is good enough, but you allow her to slack off because you’re fucking her!” Noel’s face glowed red with anger.
Before Jacque could move, Angel’s hands locked like vise grips between Noel’s legs bringing him to his knees. She trembled with rage. With shaky hands, she released Noel to fall flat on the ground groaning in pain. As soon as he hit the floor, her foot connected with his rib cage.
Straddling Noel, she grabbed him by his shirt. “Don’t you
ever
disrespect me again! Next time you won’t be lucky enough to pick your stupid ass off the floor.” Angel dropped Noel back down, stomping on his knee as she stormed out the room.
Jacque smirked as he offered Noel his hand.
That’ll teach him to fuck with Angel.
Jacque thought he learned his lesson the day before, but apparently Noel hadn’t. He finished his breakfast to give Angel some time to cool off then strolled to her room and knocked on the door. The bulk of the door muffled her voice. When he entered her room, she lay on her back with her arms tucked underneath her head. Her beauty mixed with fury reminded him of an angry goddess.
“You kicked his ass back there. He’ll never live this one down.”
Her chocolate brown eyes sparked with rage. “He can go to hell for all I care!”
“Babe, we’re already in Hell, but I think you showed him a new meaning for it. You know you can’t go around injuring my soldiers.”
“I didn’t think. Just reacted.”
His laugh rumbled through the room. “Don’t worry about it. Noel will recover. At least I know not to piss you off.”
Sliding on the bed next to her, Jacque pulled her in his arms. She nestled her head against his chest. Rolling over on top of her, he trapped her under him, tasting the saltiness of her kiss. Angel responded to his urgency. He tangled his hand in her hair, jerking her head back slightly, as he ground his hardness against her. She brought her lips just below his ear, languidly trailing her tongue down his neck. A deep voice snapped Jacque out of his haze of pleasure.
“I told you she didn’t belong to you!” Luc spewed.
“Don’t you ever knock? You’ve got to stop popping into my room!” Angel dropped back onto the mattress holding her head.
“This room belongs to me, just as
you
do,” Luc corrected.
“She made a deal with you. She doesn’t
belong
to you,” Jacque challenged.
“Do you think she is yours?” the Devil countered.
“This is crazy! I don’t belong to anyone! Both of you need to back off.” Angel flinched at the pain reflected in Jacque’s eyes.
Angel had had enough of everyone. She just wanted to be alone. Instead, mayhem broke loose before she could put them out. Jacque’s curses burst from the flames enveloping him. Lucifer’s blood-red eyes danced with fury as the flames lapped at his skin. Her screams mingled with his anguish. She couldn’t tell if he cried out in pain or in anger. With one last bellow of her name, he disappeared, swallowed by the fire.
“What the hell did you do!” she cried out, falling to her knees on the spot where Jacque once stood.
“There’s no need for you to worry about him. He won’t be returning.” Lucifer turned to leave. Angel snatched his shoulder and spun him around before he could leave.
“You
will
tell me what you did with him!” Her eyes narrowed, and her words contained the rasping of tears.
“I sent him back to his army. He serves me, and I no longer have a need for him. If you’re so enamored with him, I’ll be glad to make a deal with you.” A smile crawled across his face.
“What kind of a deal?”
“You want to be with Jacque? I have a simple solution. Give up your soul and stay here. You can be with him for an eternity. How much are you willing to give up for him?”
“You’re telling me my only option is to give up my soul and stay here? How do I know you’re telling the truth? I might agree, and you’ll still cause trouble for us.”
“Are you willing to give up everything for him? I’ll guarantee to let you and Jacque be together in peace.”
“Can I think about it?”
“No. I need your answer now,” Lucifer demanded.
“I can’t give up everything for someone I hardly know. I have to get back to my mother and sister. But you promise you didn’t harm Jacque?” Tears streamed down her cheeks.
Lucifer huffed, “Jacque’s fine,” and vanished.
She remained on the floor for some time, trying to understand what just transpired. She was in way over her head with no easy way out. If she made the right choice, why did this emptiness gnaw inside her? Her feelings for Jacque didn’t justify giving up everything to be with him. Other than a few kind words, the most they shared was one mind-blowing night. Angel had to admit orgasms like the ones last night were almost worth being trapped in hell forever.
Tonight would be an early night. After the shower, she tucked herself into the thick covers on the bed. As she drifted into a turbulent slumber, she searched for Jacque in her dreams. His beautiful face haunted her in her sleep.
Screaming Jacque’s name, she woke at dawn. Last night’s events and lack of sleep put her in a foul mood. She needed coffee and lots of it. She threw on her black Baby Phat sweatpants and a pink spandex tank top and slinked down the stairs to the cafeteria. When she hit the door, the buzz of Jacque’s departure already permeated the air. He was their hero, and she banished him back to the legions.
Grabbing her caffeine and some fruit, she snuck out of the cafeteria to avoid the prying eyes of her fellow cadets. When she turned the corner, she bumped into Isabella—the last person she needed to see right now.
Isabella leered mockingly. “I see you worked things out famously. Hope you’re proud of yourself.”
“I don’t need your shit right now, Isabella!”
“I can’t imagine what the hell the two of them see in you, but whatever. Don’t worry. I’ll take good care of Jacque when you’re gone.”
Before Angel could stop herself, her hand came across Isabella’s face so hard it knocked her back a couple of steps. Hatred glowed in Isabella’s eyes as she leapt on Angel like a tiger attacking its prey. The two tumbled to the stone floor ripping at each other’s hair. Angel rolled on top of Isabella, raining blows to the side of her head as Isabella protected her face. Angel cried out in pain when Isabella bit into her thigh, forcing her to slide onto the floor. Isabella jumped to her feet and kicked Angel with a boot in the small of her back. Angel struggled off the ground. Finding her balance, she connected with Isabella’s jaw with a back kick.
A crowd gathered in the hall. Instigated by the shouts of the crowd, additional blows rang through the castle. Noel yelled, “Stomp her human ass into the floor!”
A fist slammed into Angel’s jaw. The iron-tainted taste of blood trickled down her throat. She tackled Isabella with all the rage burning within her. Once down, Angel snatched Isabella by her T-shirt and slammed her head into the cold stone underneath them until strong hands ripped her away.
Lucifer’s voice boomed in Angel’s ear. “I think you two have had enough.”
“You keep the crazy bitch away from me!” Isabella shrieked.
“Maybe this’ll teach you to better pick your battles, Isabella,” Lucifer chastised.
“I think you’ve had all the training you need here. It’s time for you to leave. I can’t have you causing anymore trouble.”
“Whatever. I’ll be more than happy to get the fuck out of here.” Angel’s exhaustion rang true in her words.
Angel dragged herself back to her room. She took the Vamp Juice out of the mini-fridge and chugged it. She had more than her share of the stuff since she started training. It built up in her system, fortifying her with extra strength, giving her the ability to keep up with her supernatural classmates. Even with the Vamp Juice, she felt like a bulldozer ran her over. She began packing her belongings. She couldn’t leave this place fast enough.
***
A couple of hours later, recouped and ready to go, a knock jogged her from a nap. A statuesque woman stood at the door, her hair bond in an African-style head wrap. Her skin was a shade or two lighter than Angel’s, the color of a latte, but their features were similar. Angel realized the woman was her great-great-great-grandmother—Marie Laveau, Voodoo Queen. Even though it was told she died in her seventies, the woman before her couldn’t be more than thirty. She looked the same as her photos in the family books.
“
Bonjour, petite-fille.
” The light sparkled in Marie’s eyes.
“
Bonjour, Grand-mère
.” Angel graced her with the fullness of her smile.
“We have much to do,
mon petit
. We should be on our way.”
“Where are we going?”
“We return home to New Orleans.”
Angel picked up her bags and followed Marie downstairs to the waiting chariot.
Chapter Eight
The taxi drove through the gates of the large, historic brick house on Madison Street. They were back in New Orleans. Angel read the plaque on the brick wall, “Circa 1817.” She wasn’t sure why they were at this house. The lush garden and floor-to-ceiling windows encasing the colorful interior made her suck in her breath in awe and forget her concerns for the moment. She paid the driver, and he fetched their bags out of the car. The driver watched them the whole ride from the airport, sneaking peeks in the rearview mirror. She was glad to get rid of him—he had stalker potential. She lingered in the courtyard, waiting for instructions after the cab left.
Marie gazed around, taking in her surroundings with an approving smile.
“Lucifer never fails to provide adequate accommodations. Welcome home, Angelique. This will be yours as long as you are with Lucifer. Shall we go see the interior?” Marie headed into the house. Angel followed on Marie’s heels, still dazed from realizing this house belonged to her.
Angel could never afford a house like this in the French Quarter even when she was modeling. The click-click of her heels on the cool marble floors echoed as they traveled through the light-filled hall. The windows framed the beauty of the courtyard and pool like Andrew Prokos photographs. The hall opened into an opulent living room, boosting hand-painted murals and an ornate fireplace surrounded by a mirrored wall. Dark wood beams decorated the ceiling, popping against the white. She suppressed the urge to touch every piece in the room, afraid to break something.
Marie was amused by the wonderment in Angel’s child-like expression. She perched on the edge of the vibrant red settee with gold accents. Slipping off her shoes, she leaned back, wary from the trip. She surveyed the room and eyeballed Angel who turned in semi-circles, taking in the environment.
“
Ma chère
, we have much to do. Freshen up so we can go out shopping for the items we need. Do you have all my books with you?”
“No ma’am. There’re still two books back at Gran’s house.” Angel still considered it Gran’s house even though she passed away two years ago. Her older sister, Faith, and her mother lived in the house now. Faith took care of everyone, including their mother. She was more of a caretaker to Angel than their real mother ever was.
“You will have to go and retrieve them. We have a lot to do with such little time. I can only manifest in this solid form for about a week at a time. It takes many years to recuperate enough to attempt it again.” Marie smoothed the folds of her skirt as she stood.
“I’ll take our things to the bedrooms and get ready. Will you be coming with me to the house?”
“No, child. When you return, I will go with you to the shops. I can’t believe I am home again. It’s been over a century since I last saw New Orleans.” Light reflected in her eyes as they darted around the room.
“I should get ready. I have to think though all the questions I’ll have to answer. Faith is a force to be reckoned with. She won’t let this go easily.” Angel shook her head at the thought of confronting her family. She left to find her bedroom, shower, and change.
Although Angel was elated to be back in New Orleans, she missed Jacque. She enjoyed her time with him. She connected with him more than she had with any other man, including Jackson whom she knew most her life.
She hoped Jacque was okay. Lucifer promised he would be fine, but who could trust the Devil? Regrets and second-guessing was a norm in Angel’s world. She added Jacque to her ever-growing list of “what if’s.” As much as her heart rooted for Jacque, she had to side with logic. Her heart had landed her in trouble too many times.
Angel descended the stairs dressed in a white sundress adorned with blue embroidered flowers. Catching her image in the mirror surrounding the fireplace, her heart skipped a beat. She never thought she would regain her former beauty. But as she ran a finger along her exquisite face where the scar once dominated, a pain still ached within her. She brushed it off as anxiety about meeting her family.
She air-kissed Marie on her way out the door. She waited on the street for the taxi. Even though it was only a couple of miles to the house, it was a difficult walk in her four-inch Christian Louboutins. The cab pulled up and Angel headed off to play twenty questions with her mother and sister. She practiced the story to herself during the short ride to her house.
Straightening her dress, she checked her make-up in the small mirror of her compact. She took a deep breath, turned the key in the door, and entered the house.
“Hello!” she shouted down the narrow hall. “Faith? Mother? Is anyone here?”
“Stop yelling!” Angel’s mother hollered back.
Angel froze in the front parlor, waiting for them to greet her. Elise entered the room, sucking in her words when she saw Angel’s face.
“
Mon dieu!
They did it! You found someone to fix you!” Elise exclaimed as she stared at her.
“I missed you, too, Mom.” Angel blinked back the tears.
“What the hell did you do?” Faith said in a raspy whisper.
Angel was so engrossed with her mother’s reaction she didn’t hear her sister come in. She tried to smile, but failed to maintain her composure. “Hi, Faith. I’m so glad everyone’s happy to see me.”
Angel wiped the tears on the back of her hand. Why had she expected anything different? No one ever cared about her before, so why should they start now? She inhaled and released the air slowly. The tears retreated as she regained her composure and replaced the hurt with anger, which better suited her disposition.
“Don’t worry. I didn’t come back to stay. I just need to get my things.” She turned to storm out the room.
“Wait, Angelique,” Faith called after her. “Come back. We need to talk. I want to know what has happened to you.”
“Faith, can we deal with this later? I don’t feel like getting into it.”
Faith caught her by the wrist and spun Angel around. “No. We need to discuss this now.”
“Does it matter what happened or how? They fixed her. She can go back to work now. She might need to lose a few pounds, but nothing dieting and a trainer can’t fix.” Elise’s smile danced across her face.
Faith’s hand trembled against Angel’s as she shot their mother a menacing glare. “Shut your mouth and think about your daughter for once, Mother! Can’t you see Angel’s in some kind of the trouble?”
The pain and fear in her sister’s face made Angel cringe. She wanted to reach out for Faith and tell her everything. She wanted to plead for her help to right her wrong. She couldn’t muster the strength. Instead, she ran up the stairs to her bedroom and locked the door. Angel threw her things in suitcases as fast as she could. Her sister banged on the door, begging to come in. Ignoring her, Angel continued to pack.
When she opened the door, Faith blocked her exit. The pain in her eyes bore into Angel like a laser.
“You can’t win this, little girl. Turn around and sit down. You don’t have to talk, but you will listen.” Faith pushed Angel back into the room.
Angel backed up until she had no choice but to sit on the bed. “You’re not my mother. And I don’t care if you’re eleven years older than me. I’m an adult and you just need to stay out of my business.”
Faith took a seat next to her. She remained silent for a moment. Angel’s heart raced in anticipation.
“I don’t know who you conjured to help you, but it’ll never work. All demons lie. They tell you what you want to hear. They find a way around the deal to keep you for themselves. Who did you call?” Faith hung her head low as if the burden of Angel’s actions weighed her down.
Angel looked out the small window to avoid Faith’s scrutiny. “I’m not sure what you are talking about.”
“You know exactly what I’m talking about.
Who did you conjure?
”
“L-L-Lucifer,” Angel stammered.
“Fuck! What have you done? You made a deal with the Devil himself!”
Self-defeat saturated Angel’s voice. “I thought he was the only one who could help me. I didn’t know I had other options.”
“You never do anything halfway do you, sis? It has always been all or nothing. What was his price for this?” Faith leaned back on her elbows and stared at the ceiling.
Angel spent the next hour detailing the last several weeks for her sister. She described the deal, huffed through Lucifer’s trickery, and shed tears about Jacque. She laid out the whole story. Listening was one of Faith’s numerous gifts.
“This is a complete mess. I’m not sure how we’ll fix it, but we’ll try. Until we figure it out, you have to live up to your agreement. You said
Grand-mère
came back with you?” Faith exhaled a deep breath.
Angel laced her fingers with Faith’s, squeezing slightly. “Yes. She’s back at the house waiting for me. Do you think she’ll help?”
“I don’t know, sweetie, but we’ll find out. Let’s go. We got a crap load of stuff to do.”
“At least everyone’s singing the same tune.” Relief resounded in Angel as she was engulfed in her sister’s love. If anyone would stand by her, she knew Faith would be the one.
Angel dragged her bags downstairs. Faith went up to the attic to fetch the other books. When Angel reached the bottom step, her mother’s soprano voice touched her ears.
“Angel, honey? Where’re you going?” Elise’s transparency clung to her like a cloak.
“I have a new place to stay, Mom. I told you I wouldn’t be here long.” Angel bit the inside of her lip to temper her words.
Elise lounged on the sofa sipping her drink. “Why? I’ve already called Jackson and let him know everything is back to normal. He’s excited to see you again.”
The rage choked the words in Angel’s throat. “Mom, you and Jackson can both kiss my ass!” She grabbed her suitcases and dragged them out the house to wait for Faith.
My mother must be insane to think I would go back and work for the prick who left me when I needed him the most. I don’t care if he’s the best agent in New York
, Angel fumed.
Faith emerged from the house with her sandy-brown hair pulled into a tight ponytail at the top of her head. The worry weighed heavy in her light brown eyes. Faith’s distress emphasized the dark sadness in her gaze. Outside of her concern, nothing else was out of place. The Ann Taylor ensemble lay perfectly on her slender body. Her Coach bag and Miu Miu shoes were gifts Angel had given to her last Christmas. If Angel didn’t know better, she would think they were going to church.
***
They rode back to Madison in silence. Faith gasped when they pulled into the gates. Marie waited for them in the courtyard. Angel helped Faith out of the cab and gave Marie an apologetic half-grin. Marie seemed unaffected by Faith’s presence. She greeted Angel’s sister with a kiss on both cheeks and a lingering hug.
“Welcome, I am happy to see you, Faith. It’s been quite some time since we spoke.” Angel’s jaw hit the ground before Marie could finish her words. “Faith...you’ve spoken to
Grand-mère
before?”
“You’re not the only one who was curious about our family history. I found the books in Aunt Aimee’s attic when I was about sixteen.” A slight color rose in Faith’s cheeks.
Marie’s lips crawled into a wide grin. “Faith learned from me for almost a full year. I’m not sure what happened, but I never heard from you again.”
“What distracts all teenage girls? A boy. I met my husband the summer I left you.” Pain darkened Faith’s features. James was on a call in the ninth ward when the levees broke. Even after five years, Faith still carried his picture in her wallet.
“I see. I can forgive love.” Marie hugged Faith tight to her. “Ladies, shall we go in and figure out our plan?”
“What plan?” Angel asked.
“Faith wants to find a way to get you out of this deal with Lucifer. It will be difficult, but maybe not impossible.” Marie looped her arm through Faith’s and headed into the house.
“Now, that’s a plan I can get behind,” Angel acknowledged, following them inside.
The three ladies congregated in the dining room, pouring over the books of spells and potions passed through the family, generation after generation. They searched for anything to sever or work around Angel’s pact with the Devil, but found nothing. The sun disappeared behind the courtyard walls, signaling the night.
The chimes of the doorbell startled everyone. Angel jumped up to answer the door. She didn’t recognize the buff blond standing expectantly on the other side of the glass. She cracked the door and peeked out.
“Can I help you?” she asked, eyeing the stranger.
“Hi. I’m looking for Angelique Dias.” His smooth, rich voice complemented his good looks.
Angel held the door tight as she questioned him. “And who are you?”
“My name’s Laurent. I was asked to deliver a package to her.”
Angel opened the door a bit wider. She wedged her body in the space and held out her hand. “I’ll take the package.”
“I’m only supposed to deliver it to Angelique.”
“You’ve found her. Hand over the package,” she huffed, tired of the games.
Laurent snorted. “I can see why you drove Bell so crazy.”
“You know Isabella?”
“She’s my sister, although most days I hate to admit it. Jacque failed to tell me you were so beautiful. I’ll have to have a talk with him about holding out.” A sparkle glittered in his eyes as he chuckled. His eyes were the same cerulean as his sister’s.
“You spoke to Jacque?” Angel’s heart pounded just hearing his name.
“Aw, shit! He got to you already. I’ve got to get on whatever welcoming committee he’s a part of. He always gets the good ones first.”
She blushed. “Laurent. You said you had a package for me.”
“Oh, yeah. I almost forgot. Can I come in and explain what everything is?”
“Sure.” She opened the door for him to enter.
Laurent came in and Angel introduced him to her grandmother and sister. Opening the package, he gave Angel a BlackBerry, car keys, credit cards, and safety deposit key. He explained she would get her target via email on the Blackberry with all the necessary details. He was also her Topside liaison. If she needed anything, she could contact him. Although Laurent refused to say it aloud, Angel knew his other duty was to report on her progress.