The Devil's Due (The Earthwalker Trilogy Book 2) Read online

  I was in no condition to be walking all the way across campus, so Caleb dropped me off at Riverside so I could change before my class. My loose gray sweatpants were not appropriate attire to be seen by anyone in the sober light of day.

  We bid each other farewell in the drive at the foot of my building, and I left him hastily. I used my ID card to get inside and ran up the stairs to 305. Lacey and Charley were still conked out in the living room, and I grinned at the sight of them. Evidence from the night before still lingered on the coffee table, with popcorn, crumpled up napkins, and few empty soda bottles scattered across the room. They heard the door open and woke up startled. “Oh, Wynn. You’re back,” Lacey droned out in a sleepy slur. “Did everything go alright?”

  I smiled. “Yes.”

  “You’re wearing the same clothes,” Charlene noted. “Is this your walk of shame?”

  I scoffed at her bluntness and insisted, “Nothing happened! I just told him I loved him and spent the night.”

  As I was walking past them to my room, I saw some mail on the table that had been brought up. One piece was addressed to me and was post marked from New Orleans.

  “Nadia sent me a letter!” I cheered to the two of them happily. “I’ve been missing her.”

  I tore it open and found an Amtrak ticket tucked inside along with a handwritten note.

  “What’s that?” Lacey asked when coming over.

  “She … wants me visit her next week. Apparently, it’s some big holiday down there.”

  “You mean Halloween?”

  “Uh … she called it Samhain. What’s that?”

  Charley sat up blearily on the couch and said, “It’s the pagan new year,” she informed me. “You should go.”

  “You know what? I think I will. That would be good for me.”

  I took the letter with me and went back to my room so I could call and thank her properly. My phone was still plugged into the wall from where I’d left it yesterday. I picked it up and found her name in the contacts, dialing her number.

  “Hello?”

  “Nadia! It’s me, Wynn.”

  “Oh, hello dear. How are you doing up there in school?”

  “I’m loving it!” I told her enthusiastically. “But I was actually calling about the letter you sent.”

  “Oh, yes. Do you think you’ll be able to make it?”

  “Absolutely! That sounds like so much fun. Can you pick me up at the station?”

  “Of course. Oh, this is wonderful, the girls will be delighted.”

  “The … girls?”

  “My coven,” she clarified simply. “They’ve been dying to meet you.”

  “Oh. Okay then. I guess I’ll see you when I get there?”

  “Yes, you will.”

  “I’m so excited! See you in two weeks.”

  “See you then. Blessed be.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  Samhain

  Caleb cast a pathetic looking pout in my direction as he dropped me off at the train station. “Are you sure you have to go?”

  I laughed indulgently, giving him one last hug before I boarded. I'd never seen him try and get his way before. Usually, I was the one begging him not to go — it was a nice change of pace.

  I chuckled to myself and pulled my jacket on over my head and stood up to brush the dirt off my jeans. “It’s just for the weekend. I’ll be back before you know it.”

  He stood and shoved his hands back into his pockets. “Okay,” he sighed in defeated, mock dramatic fashion. “Leave if you must.”

  “Alright, ham it up while you can,” I teased.

  He offered me a sobering smile as he took me by the hand. “I love you.”

  I smiled, entwining my fingers with his and stood up on my toes to kiss him. “I love you, too.”

  The conductor blew his whistle, and I had to cover my ears at the high-pitched keening. “That’s me,” I told him. “I’ve got to go.”

  “Okay, I’ll see you Sunday evening.”

  “You will.”

  I grabbed my overnight bag from off the bench and waved goodbye. He watched me board the train with a forced smile and waved goodbye as I handed my ticket to the conductor. It was strange and lonely walking up the steps, the smell of gasoline was everywhere, and it felt a little bit like cattle being herded back into their yard.

  I stepped off the curb and onto the vehicular monstrosity, careful to keep my face back into my hood so that no one would feel the need to look in my general direction. Reluctantly, I made my way down the aisle and found a seat in the back where I could sit alone and undisturbed. After fishing my iPod out of my backpack, I slipped on the headphones. The bus pulled forward and I closed my eyes, getting lost in the music and allowed myself to forget about everything else.

  A few seconds later, the driver came in and closed the door to the outside. Before I knew it, the train pulled away and was headed towards New Orleans.

  ~ * ~

  I was gazing out the window when the train pulled to a stop.

  The passengers around me gathered their things, and the driver announced that we’d arrived at our destination. I stood up and picked my backpack off the seat next to me and slid it on my shoulder, grabbing my suitcase with the other hand. As I walked down the aisle it kept knocking against the cushions between the seats and getting caught.

  Nadia was waiting for me at the station with her faithful tabby by her side and a tall, brunette woman standing next to her. As we approached, it became clear the woman she had brought was another fairy because, like all the other Sons and Daughters of Lilith, she was devoid of any aura. Fae were the only creatures I knew of that did not share the otherwise universal trait, which piqued my interest immediately. She had wide, deep-set eyes that gazed at me with amusement and curiosity as I approached them on the platform. Hemingway brushed up affectionately against her heel as I stepped onto the platform and went rushing out to her. “Nadia!”

  “Wynn, I’m so glad you’re here,” she greeted me with a smile. “This is my sister, Paige, who’s also visiting for the festivities.”

  “Oh … your sister,” I verified, looking up at the dark-haired beauty that stood before me. Paige looked nothing like my aunt, with her lovely chocolate skin and raven back hair, I wondered if the familial term had been used for one of the witches in her coven.

  “Half-sister,” she told me with a wink and offered me her hand. “Lord Ellyllon is our father, but we have separate mothers.”

  “Well, I’m glad to meet you.”

  “And you as well, Miss Hendricks. I’ve heard great things about you.”

  “All lies,” I told her with a grin.

  She and Nadia both laughed before gesturing to my luggage. “Do you need any help with your bags?”

  I smiled, releasing myself from her hug and said, “No thanks, I can manage.”

  “You look much better than last time I saw you,” Nadia mentioned kindly. “Were you able to work things out with Caleb?”

  “Oh, yes! I forgot to tell you about that.”

  As we drove the streets of New Orleans back to the French Quarter where her shop and home were located, I told her how Caleb was mortal now and the two of us were together. She was pleased by the change of events and inquired about my classes, whether my supernatural escapades had managed to interfere with my studies.

  Soon, we had made it to the parking structure where Nadia always parked and made the short walk to Quarter Moon. Her shop was tucked away back inside the culvert off Dumaine, hidden from the regular passersby and guarded from scrying magic. Anyone wanting Nadia’s help would have to go searching for it specifically.

  We chatted along the way and as we passed beneath the iron archway of her courtyard, I felt the scrying magic take effect. The alcove led to a large, black door that was the entrance to her shop. It smelled strongly of lavender and sage and there was a multi-colored light fixture hanging from the ceiling. The wall next to them was completely lined with books and a smalli
sh counter with a register upon it.

  We reached the top of the stairs and Hemingway leaped inside to walk in a happy circle around the living room. Her townhouse was decorated much the same as her new age shop was down below, with crystals hanging from every window and tapestries hanging on the walls. Almost every surface was lined with books in some form or another and a chestnut coffee table sat in the center of the floor.

  As soon as I set my bags down on the couch, Hemingway jumped up and sat down on top of them. “I’m delighted that you and Caleb were able to reconcile. He seems like a good match for you.”

  Paige chucked as she hug her purse up on the coat rack and said, “I remember what you were like when a certain gentleman came around,” Paige teased her with a smile. “You were twitterpatted as school girl.”

  Paige and I both chuckled, but I saw Nadia’s smile fade. “Are you comfortable, dear? I was going to make some tea.”

  Nadia disappeared into the kitchen without waiting for a reply and Paige and I both looked at each other knowingly. “It’s a difficult time for her,” Paige whispered softly.

  “How so?”

  She glanced past me into the kitchen to make sure that we weren’t heard and continued. “This holiday is about death and being born again, but it’s also when the veil between worlds thin, and Nadia can sense that.”

  “Why would that make her sad?”

  “Because when her heart calls to the other side, Raffe isn’t there. He isn’t coming back and she’s painfully aware of that right now,” she muttered slowly. “Feeling that mystic void between Realms shift is the annual reminder of his loss. That’s why I’m here. I didn’t want her to be alone.”

  “Oh … I hadn’t thought of it like that. She really loved him, didn’t she?”

  “Mmmm,” Paige confirmed. “She must have. That was almost twenty years ago and in all that time, she’s never once allowed herself to move on. Only love can break a heart like that.”

  I looked back at my aunt in the kitchen, half talking to myself when I responded, “Then hopefully love can fix it, too.”

  ~ * ~

  I woke up groggy on Nadia’s couch with my jacket propped up underneath my head as a makeshift pillow. There was a row of herbs on the window sill as I rolled over. Every spare inch of wall that had not been overfilled with books, was decorated with eclectic bohemian décor. I blinked as sunlight came shining through the window and illuminated the sitting area. Paige was sitting quietly at the table, sipping a cup of coffee and I brought myself to a seated position, letting out a yawn. The comfortable leather couch sat in the center of her living room that was occupied with all sorts of books. She had the most impressive library I’d ever seen outside the university and I admired her love of reading.

  Nadia poked her head out from the kitchen and smiled with a cup of coffee in her hand. “Good morning, Wynn. Did you sleep well?”

  “I guess so,” I responded drowsily. “What did you have planned today?”

  “Well, as soon as you were up and ready, Paige and I were going to take you for breakfast at Café du Monde. It’s just a few blocks away and I can’t let you leave New Orleans again without trying one of their beignets.”

  I threw my legs over the side of the couch and stretched to relieve my aching back. The knitted afghan she had loaned me was laying half down on the floor in the chunky multi-colored pattern. It was not unlike many of Elyse’s projects and it made me nostalgic for her. “Sounds great, though I wish we had more time together.”

  “Me too,” she agreed, a little sadly. “Well, hurry up and get dressed. The line could be halfway around the block by now.”

  “For coffee and…?”

  “Beignets,” she filled in automatically. “They’ve made the café famous.”

  I chuckled sleepily, scratching the back of my head. “Okay, this I’ve got to see.”

  We each got dressed, and I donned a pair of sunglasses before heading out the door down the narrow, wood-paneled stairwell. Her shop on the ground floor was exactly the way I remembered it, with Moroccan lamps and the musky smell of incense. I followed her through the courtyard and out onto the street where local artists were displaying their work for sale. A few of them approached us to hand out flyers, but I politely declined their offer.

  It was only four or five blocks to the Café she had told me about, and just like she predicted there was an enormous wait outside. “As you can see it’s a bit of a tourist attraction,” she informed me quietly.

  We made our way to the back of the line and I turned to her awkwardly. “Hey, Nadia, I … just wanted to thank you for everything. You’ve been really wonderful, and I don’t think I could have done any of this without you.”

  She smiled at me impishly and gave me a one-armed hug. “Of course, dear. You know, I never had any children of my own, and it’s been an honor and a privilege to hear that from you.”

  I blushed. “Do you have any plans for the holidays?”

  She raised an eyebrow as the line moved forwards and answered, “No, I don’t believe so. I usually spend that time alone or with my coven.”

  “It’s just that you’re family to me and Nate. I know Dad thinks of you that way too, he wanted me to invite you for Thanksgiving.”

  She nodded thoughtfully. “I’m assuming your paramour will be there too?”

  “Of course.”

  “Then I’d be delighted.”

  I smiled as we finally made it to the front and Nadia placed an elaborate breakfast order. It was far more food than she and I could possibly be expected to eat, but she assured me it was worth it.

  As the coffee and weird French-made doughnuts arrived, I bit into one of the pastries hungrily. What I tasted was difficult to describe, it was light and fluffy like a funnel cake drizzled with honey and powdered sugar.

  It was heaven.

  “Hot damn, that’s good,” I told her approvingly. “You weren’t kidding.”

  Nadia grinned. “I never kid when it comes to food, your mother taught me that.”

  I held my mug out to toast and responded, “Fair enough.”

  We laughed and exchanged pleasantries while finishing our meal. I told her about Beelzebub, Asmodea and how the stars had magically aligned for Caleb and me. She couldn’t have been more pleased. When I added the complication of Maya and how Ryan and Charley had bound themselves together, she sat back in her seat and soaked up every word. Paige sat quietly in the seat beside her, listening to our conversation as she nibbled on her beignet.

  As I was coming to the end of my story, Nadia smiled. “That’s quite impressive, Wynn. It’s a fascinating thing watching madness take place from the sidelines for once. When Michele was going through this, or … you know … I was actively involved. But this time I heard everything secondhand, and that’s amazing. You should be proud of the way you handled things. I know you doubt yourself sometimes, but you shouldn’t. As angry as you may be at her, Michele raised you to be a fighter. I find that commendable.”

  “Thank you, Nadia.”

  “Caleb sounds like a charming young man, I can’t wait to see him again at Thanksgiving.”

  I grinned, finishing off the rest of my coffee and said, “I’ll let him know you said that.”

  “Please do. Are you about finished, though? We should probably get going if we’re going to meet the other girls on time.”

  “Oh, yes. The food was delicious,” I told her, looking down at my empty plate. “Where are we going anyways?”

  “To Couturie Forest, it’s a secluded nature reserve outside the city,” Paige answered for her. “It’s where Nadia’s coven always celebrates Samhain. It’s an annual ritual this time of year, we both think you will quite like it.”

  I shrugged and said, “It’s Louisiana, I thought everything outside the city was, you know, swamp.”

  “Most of it,” she conceded. “But if you know where to go I think you’ll find the trees to be quite … magical.”

  “I believe
you.”

  The three of us carefully left the table and made our way back out to the street. It was bustling with street musicians and local artist as far as I could see and Jackson Square where we were located was in the heart of the commotion. The series of red brick buildings and wrought iron railings were iconic to the French Quarter. Ever since Ryan and I had come here that fateful day earlier this spring, I fell in love with it.

  On our way back to her apartment we passed the VooDoo Emporium and high end hat store. There was even a tour guide leading one of the classic ghost tours that went back into darker alleys.

  Nadia’s car was parked only a few more blocks away, which gave me ample time to look around. We climbed into the cab as soon as we got there and buckled in to the leather seat. As we chatted on the drive, I learned that Paige lives in Dublin with her husband and three children, all of whom had grown up shielded from fairy magic.

  “Can I ask you a question, Nadia?”

  “Of course, dear.”

  “Am I going to be safe in this group of witches?”

  “Excuse me?”

  “Well, it was my understanding you have to be a pretty terrible person to make that kind of a deal with a demon. Or at least desperate in any case.”

  “There are lots of reasons you can be desperate,” she reminded me gently. “Your mom’s story is the only one you’ve experienced. Desperation can be fueled by many things, one of them is love. You’ll see. Try not to judge them until you know the whole story.”

  “Okay.”

  We drove the streets of New Orleans out into the swamp and a deeper rural setting. The trees became wider, the houses smaller and more spread apart until there were none of them. As the sun came down, it grew darker and the city lights dimmed until we were lost in a maze of trees.

  Eventually, we came across six or seven cars parked on the side of a dirt path that couldn’t constitute a road anymore. Nadia parked beside them and turned to me with a smile. “Ready?”