French Quarter hung on the walls in varying shades of blue, turquoise, and green.
Lailah was perched at the end of her couch, tapping her fingers on the armrest.
“Wow,” Kat said turning around in a circle. “This is gorgeous.” She stopped and eyed Lailah. “I never would’ve guessed you love color so much.”
She shrugged. “In my line of work, it’s not good if one stands out. So I do my best to blend in. At home I get to be me.”
I glanced around. “Where’s Zoe?” The newish witch had been staying with Lailah while she got used to her new soul and abilities.
“She’s at the Herbal Connection. Bea’s been giving her lessons.”
Good. That meant Bea could keep a close eye on her. She’d know if the young witch was struggling.
“Have a seat.” Lailah stood. “I’ll get tea.”
“Coffee?” Kat asked hopefully.
“And a cup of coffee,” Lailah said and disappeared.
I sat in a red armchair across from the couch and closed my eyes as I waited, trying not to think of Kane and what he might be fighting right at that moment. He hardly ever came back with even so much as a scratch, but that didn’t keep me from worrying about him. At the thought of Kane, a nagging thread of fear worked its way into my subconscious, and my eyes flew open. Pain shot through my abdomen, and I grunted as it left me winded.
“Jade? What’s wrong?” Lucien appeared by my side, his touch vibrating with magic just waiting to be unleashed. “What happened?”
I shook my head. “I don’t… Oh.” I clutched my stomach and bent over, trying not to vomit.
“She’s sick,” Kat said. “We need to get her to the bathroom.”
“No. I don’t think I can…” I took quick, short breaths, trying to work my way through the pain. Was it the curse? Was the black magic poisoning me?
“Here.” A white bucket was put on my lap. “Just in case.”
I glanced up at Lailah. A hundred questions ran through my mind, but there was only one I cared about. Is this about my future child?
“Take this.” Lailah handed me three green capsules. “They’ll dull the pain and your anxiety.”
Without hesitation, I popped the pills in my mouth and washed them down with the water she offered. It only took a moment for the pain to subside, though a dull ache lingered as if I’d been sucker-punched.
“Better?” Lailah asked.
I nodded. “Thank you. Bea’s herbs?”
She shook her head, “No. I got them from your mom, actually. I’ve been studying healing herbs, and she was gracious enough to send me some to deconstruct.”
“You’re thinking of trying your hand at them?”
“Yeah.” She gave me a shy smile—one very out of character for the Lailah I knew. “When Bea retires, I want to take over her store. But I don’t just want to copy everything she’s done. I want to understand it and make my own mark.”
“That’s great, Lailah,” Lucien said, taking a seat on the couch once more.
“Definitely,” Kat added.
“Thanks.” She disappeared back into her kitchen and returned with the tray of tea and a mug of coffee for Kat. She set it on her intricately carved coffee table and took a seat in the pink-striped armchair next to mine. “All right. Enough about me.” Lailah turned to me. “Want to explain what that was about?”
“I don’t think I can.” I took another sip of the tea and sat back, totally exhausted. “I was just sitting here when it felt as if I was being attacked—as if I’d been punched in the gut.”
She shared a look with Lucien.
I bit back a heavy sigh. They were always doing that when something hinky was going on that they didn’t want to tell me. “What? Spit it out.”
Lucien lifted his hands, palms up. “It could be the curse. Your body could be trying to repel it.”
My heart plummeted to my feet.
“Or an echo,” Lailah added. “Something that’s happened to you before that you don’t remember.”
“You mean like my subconscious trying to tell me
Lailah was perched at the end of her couch, tapping her fingers on the armrest.
“Wow,” Kat said turning around in a circle. “This is gorgeous.” She stopped and eyed Lailah. “I never would’ve guessed you love color so much.”
She shrugged. “In my line of work, it’s not good if one stands out. So I do my best to blend in. At home I get to be me.”
I glanced around. “Where’s Zoe?” The newish witch had been staying with Lailah while she got used to her new soul and abilities.
“She’s at the Herbal Connection. Bea’s been giving her lessons.”
Good. That meant Bea could keep a close eye on her. She’d know if the young witch was struggling.
“Have a seat.” Lailah stood. “I’ll get tea.”
“Coffee?” Kat asked hopefully.
“And a cup of coffee,” Lailah said and disappeared.
I sat in a red armchair across from the couch and closed my eyes as I waited, trying not to think of Kane and what he might be fighting right at that moment. He hardly ever came back with even so much as a scratch, but that didn’t keep me from worrying about him. At the thought of Kane, a nagging thread of fear worked its way into my subconscious, and my eyes flew open. Pain shot through my abdomen, and I grunted as it left me winded.
“Jade? What’s wrong?” Lucien appeared by my side, his touch vibrating with magic just waiting to be unleashed. “What happened?”
I shook my head. “I don’t… Oh.” I clutched my stomach and bent over, trying not to vomit.
“She’s sick,” Kat said. “We need to get her to the bathroom.”
“No. I don’t think I can…” I took quick, short breaths, trying to work my way through the pain. Was it the curse? Was the black magic poisoning me?
“Here.” A white bucket was put on my lap. “Just in case.”
I glanced up at Lailah. A hundred questions ran through my mind, but there was only one I cared about. Is this about my future child?
“Take this.” Lailah handed me three green capsules. “They’ll dull the pain and your anxiety.”
Without hesitation, I popped the pills in my mouth and washed them down with the water she offered. It only took a moment for the pain to subside, though a dull ache lingered as if I’d been sucker-punched.
“Better?” Lailah asked.
I nodded. “Thank you. Bea’s herbs?”
She shook her head, “No. I got them from your mom, actually. I’ve been studying healing herbs, and she was gracious enough to send me some to deconstruct.”
“You’re thinking of trying your hand at them?”
“Yeah.” She gave me a shy smile—one very out of character for the Lailah I knew. “When Bea retires, I want to take over her store. But I don’t just want to copy everything she’s done. I want to understand it and make my own mark.”
“That’s great, Lailah,” Lucien said, taking a seat on the couch once more.
“Definitely,” Kat added.
“Thanks.” She disappeared back into her kitchen and returned with the tray of tea and a mug of coffee for Kat. She set it on her intricately carved coffee table and took a seat in the pink-striped armchair next to mine. “All right. Enough about me.” Lailah turned to me. “Want to explain what that was about?”
“I don’t think I can.” I took another sip of the tea and sat back, totally exhausted. “I was just sitting here when it felt as if I was being attacked—as if I’d been punched in the gut.”
She shared a look with Lucien.
I bit back a heavy sigh. They were always doing that when something hinky was going on that they didn’t want to tell me. “What? Spit it out.”
Lucien lifted his hands, palms up. “It could be the curse. Your body could be trying to repel it.”
My heart plummeted to my feet.
“Or an echo,” Lailah added. “Something that’s happened to you before that you don’t remember.”
“You mean like my subconscious trying to tell me
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