Of Breath And Soul Read online

  “I’m not seeing anything,” Jasper announced.

  Tristan popped his door open and climbed out. “Meili and the others are up there. They had the same thing happen.” He pointed to the taillights in the distance.

  Even though I couldn’t see my brother’s face, I could sense his distress. He knew something was up. We all did.

  “It has to be something magical.” I said. “The Vodun have obviously figured out a way to counter Ms. Beverly’s spell.”

  “Or her passing erased it,” Tristan offered.

  I think we all agreed it was probably the latter. Spells were tied to the witch who cast them. I couldn’t believe none of us had thought about this until now.

  “Well, what do we do now?” I asked, hoping my brother or Anna had something in mind.

  “What happened before the truck died?” Anna asked. “Maybe it isn’t anything magical, and we’re all paranoid after everything that’s happened so far.”

  “It started shaking and then it just cut off.” I swiped a few flyaway hairs away from my face. “I thought we were out of gas at first, but we have half a tank. Then the headlights faded out and everything shut off.”

  Her teeth sank into her bottom lip as worry formed in her eyes. “I don’t know.”

  Jasper walked to my window and leaned against the truck, folding his arms over his chest. “I can’t find anything.” He sighed. “And I’ve got a bad feeling about this.”

  A text came through on Tristan’s cell.

  “It’s Meili. She said they’re walking,” Tristan said. “Should we?”

  No one spoke. My heart hammered in my chest as my stomach continued to churn with nerves. What if this was a trap? What if the Vodun had something waiting for us in the shadows?

  “Do you think that’s a smart idea?” I asked no one in particular. All I wanted was for someone to say something. Anything. The silence was killing me. It allowed too many worried thoughts to spread through my mind like a disease.

  “I don’t think we have any other choice.” Jasper’s eyes scanned the area behind us.

  I shifted my gaze to look in the rearview mirror. There was nothing there besides darkness. It stretched out behind us for as far as I could see. How was it possible we were the only vehicles on the highway? I knew it was late, but this was a busy city. The highway shouldn’t be deserted like this. I was sure of it.

  “We can’t keep sitting here,” Jasper added.

  “We can’t walk to the city either,” I pointed out. “We’re thirty minutes from the city by car, that’s like ten hours by foot!”

  “I don’t know what else to do here, Piper. Hopefully, we’ll find a gas station before.” Jasper scratched at the back of his neck. “We don’t have many options. Sitting here isn’t going to do us any good.”

  “Separating isn’t either,” Anna chimed in. “If one of us goes, then we should all go. This could be a trap.”

  “My thoughts exactly,” Tristan said. “Everyone else has already started to walk on foot. If we hurry, we can catch up to them.”

  “Get out.” Jasper opened my door. “Let’s get moving.”

  With a sigh, I unbuckled and climbed out. Walking for ten hours was going to suck.

  After I climbed out, Jasper reached in for the keys and slammed the door shut. I knew he was pissed, because he never slammed the door to his truck like that. Irritation sparked off him the longer I looked at him. I wasn’t the only one ticked by the sudden change of events. My lips pressed together. I knew I needed to watch what I said from here on out, because my brother was a ticking time bomb.

  “Tell the others to wait up,” Jasper said through gritted teeth.

  Tristan pulled out his cell and typed. “Okay.”

  With my arms folded over my chest, I walked forward. One foot in front of the other. A gentle breeze blew through the night. My eyes glanced at the sky. Flashes of airplanes and tiny speckles of stars lit it up. I hugged myself tighter as prickles of anxiety shot through me. When we spotted the others a few feet away, the sensation dulled. After all there was safety in numbers, right?

  “You okay?” Anna reached out and draped her arm over my shoulder.

  “Yeah. I guess.” I chewed my bottom lip. “Actually, I have a—”

  My words were cut off by the sound of a bird calling. Why would there be a bird out this late at night? Shouldn’t it be sleeping? This was a time for bats, not birds. My feet faltered when I thought I heard another answering it.

  “Did you hear that?” I asked Anna.

  “Hear what?”

  I glanced up, searching. Movement to my right captured my attention. Something headed straight toward us. Even against the dark backdrop of the night sky I could see the size of the group. Birds. Hundreds of them. And they were heading straight for us.

  “Run!” I shouted. I doubled back for the truck, knowing it was the only shelter close by, while praying I would be able to reach it before the birds got to me—that we all could.

  It didn’t take long for the others to spot what I had. In seconds, we were all making a mad dash toward the vehicles. Shouts of pain pierced my ears a heartbeat later. We weren’t fast enough. The birds had descended on someone. I glanced back to see who and spotted one of Meili’s guys on the pavement, swatting at black birds as they pecked at him. Meili had a hold of his hand and was struggling to pull him to his feet, but it was no use. He was covered by them. They were vicious in their pecking, causing him to cry out from the pain.

  Blue smoke seemed to flow between the guy and the birds. My feet stalled out. I watched, noticing the birds seemed to be feeding from him. Whatever the blue smoke was, they were eating it.

  A hand pushed against my back, urging me to keep moving forward. It was Jasper.

  “Don’t look back. Keep going,” he shouted over the chaos.

  My eyes snapped forward, and I did as I was told. I was two feet away from the truck when the first bird slammed into me from above. The force of it was surprising. It let me know this wasn’t a fluke; these birds meant business. Another grazed my cheek with its razor-sharp claws as it came toward my face. I swatted it away, but it didn’t seem to do any good. The thing came at me for a second time, this time with more force than the first. I felt its claws scratch across my forehead. A scream pressed past my lips as more birds found their way to me, mimicking the movements of the first as though they’d been drawn in by the smell of my blood. Fear trickled through me as my heart beat triple time. Images of the blue smoke being siphoned from Meili’s guy filled my mind, and I wondered if the same was happening to me. I didn’t want to end up like him.

  A flash of sage green smoke caught my attention, and I forced my feet to move faster.

  “Almost there!” Jasper shouted. He was still beside me. His hand pressed against my back, urging me to continue moving. If it hadn’t been for him, I probably would have frozen in panic again.

  Another bird dove, taking a jab at the back of my head while the others continued to scratch at my hands and arms. I struggled to keep them away from my face, but it did no good. Talons tangled in my hair, pulling and tugging with all their might. I felt strands of my hair being plucked from my scalp as I shook my head back and forth. Screams bellowed from my lungs, mixing with the sounds of raven cries and the struggles of those around me. The closer to the truck I came, the fiercer the birds were in their pecking and the more green smoke I saw leave me.

  When I reached the truck, Jasper swung the door to the backseat open and pushed me in. I toppled into the backseat, still swatting at the air. The backdoor slammed shut, nearly taking my legs with it, but at least no birds had managed to make their way inside. I sat up. My chest heaving as I struggled to catch my breath. I pushed my damp hair away from my face so I could see. My eyes darted to the windows, searching for everyone else. Why hadn’t Jasper climbed in behind me? Why hadn’t he hurried into the driver’s seat at least? Where was he?

  The door opposite mine opened, and Tristan dove
in headfirst. He was kicking and swatting, same as I had been. Once he was inside though, the birds seemed to back off without attempting to get in the truck. Blue smoke lingered in the air around him as he pulled the door closed and turned to face me. His hair was a mess, and blood dripped from a gash above his right brow and into his eye.

  “Are you all right?” he asked, breathless.

  I licked my lips. “I think so.”

  “What the heck was all that about?”

  I opened my mouth to reply, but snapped it shut the second my eyes landed on my brother. He wasn’t swatting at the birds attacking him as he walked toward the passenger side of the truck. He was allowing them to scratch and tear at his skin, to siphon sage green smoke from him. It had to be our magic they were taking, our supernatural aura. I didn’t understand why Jasper wasn’t running until I noticed there was someone in his arms—Anna.

  My eyes locked on her. Her head was tipped back, allowing her long brown hair to sway in with my brother’s jerky movements. If I hadn’t known any better, I would have thought she was sleeping. However, there was something about the way her body moved though that had me rethinking the possibility. She was too limp.

  “Oh shit,” Tristan said, his eyes having followed mine. He jumped out of the truck and rushed to open the door for my brother.

  Jasper set Anna in the passenger seat. The birds seemed to pull back once she was placed inside. It was almost as though they were soaking in the sight of their victory. We were retreating. We’d done what they wanted—climbed back in the vehicles for cover. Was that what they’d wanted? Why?

  The passenger door slammed shut, shaking the truck and jolting me from my thoughts. My eyes tore away from the birds hovering a foot away from the truck, watching as Jasper and Tristan made their way inside and shifted to Anna. I stared at her neck, waiting for the pulse of her heart to move the skin there. My eyes strained to see it, but saw nothing. A sinking feeling slipped through my core as I fought back tears brought on by the fear she was gone.

  My eyes didn’t waver from her even when Tristan and Jasper slammed their doors shut. Anna didn’t move. Not at all.

  My palms grew cold as the reality of the situation pulsed through me—Anna was dead. I didn’t understand how though. There seemed to only be a few cuts and scratches on her. It didn’t make any sense. Until I remembered what I’d seen them taking. Whatever the colored smoke had been, it was obviously necessary to our lives.

  “You’re okay.” Jasper twisted in his seat until he faced her. He smoothed Anna’s hair away from her eyes, his gaze determined as he assessed her. “I got you away from them in time. I know I did. You’re okay.” His words cracked with emotion.

  He knew she was gone.

  When I came to the realization, he must have too, because he twisted in his seat the next instant, trying to get as close to her as he could.

  “Why didn’t I put her in the back?” he growled as he pumped her chest. “I can’t do this here.”

  I blinked, unable to look away from the sight of my brother falling apart. Never had I seen him so shaken. At least not since our parents died.

  “Damn it!” he shouted as he attempted to blow into her mouth. “Come on, Anna. Don’t do this to me.” He pumped her chest harder and faster as though it would help. Her body shook from the movements, and all I could do was stare.

  Tristan seemed as shocked by the sight of my brother and the turn of events as I was. He didn’t say anything; he didn’t even seem to be breathing.

  “Jasper, stop.” The words floated from my mouth, but I hadn’t remembered forming them. All I could think was how this moment had to end. We could do nothing. “She’s gone.”

  Jasper stopped. His hands fell to his sides, but he continued to stare at Anna. A tear tracked down his cheek, and he wiped it away with the back of his hand before shifting to crumble over the steering wheel. Sobs wracked his body, vibrating the odd energy inside the truck and causing my chest to constrict.

  Anna was gone. I blinked, allowing the surge of emotions swelling inside of me to take me under.

  Tristan’s hand reached for mine. The contact did nothing for me. Nothing could. Tears spilled from my eyes as something inside me snapped.

  Maybe it was because death’s cold hand had touched my life one too many times. Or maybe it was because of the heartache I knew my brother felt. Whatever the reason, I reached for the handle to my door and opened it. I’d climbed out into the night before anyone could stop me and stood with my arms up in the air.

  “I will kill you! You’ve taken everything from me and my brother!” I shouted. My throat rattled with the force of my words, causing pain. “Do you hear me? I will kill you for this!”

  My chest heaved with the energy I’d exerted behind my words. I stared into the night, watching as the birds seemed to form a wall in front of me. They flapped their wings to remain hovering where they were. My eyes narrowed on them. I wasn’t afraid. I was pissed. Anna was the sweetest person I’d ever known. She hadn’t deserved to die, and Jasper hadn’t deserved to lose her. He loved her.

  The Vodun would pay.

  Hands circled my waist. “Come on,” Tristan’s voice whispered in my ear. “Let’s get back in the truck.”

  I refused to move, fighting against his grasp. “No.”

  If these were the messengers for the Vodun, I wanted them to do their damn job. My hand lifted, and I gave the birds the one finger salute before I spat at them. “You don’t scare me. I’m coming for you.”

  The wall of birds burst into flames as the same whispered words from before floated through the night. “Stay away.”

  “No.” My brother’s voice startled me. He’d climbed out of the truck and was standing behind us. His eyes were narrowed and his body tense. “Make no mistake; we are coming for you.”

  People say there is power in words. In that moment, I became a believer. While I’d been fierce and determined, it was nothing compared to what radiated from my brother. As if he’d needed another reason to murder the Vodun witches.

  The hissing message that had been on repeat stopped and the truck cranked to life. In the distance, the van Meili had been driving did the same. Whatever magic had been at play was now played out. The problem was, it had happened too late.

  I turned to look at Jasper. His eyes were dark and his features hard. Reaching out, I wrapped my arms around his waist. His heart beat rapidly against my ear.

  “I’m so sorry, Jasper,” I whispered.

  His arms locked me against him as another sob shook his body. His head dipped until his chin rested on the crown of my head. I could feet his tears soaking my hair, but I didn’t care.

  I held my brother as he broke apart, mourning the woman he loved.

  Chapter 18

  We placed Anna in the backseat with Jasper, and Tristan drove the rest of the way to the city. Silence filled the cab of the truck. Noise of any kind seemed disrespectful. I kept glancing at Jasper. He didn’t shed another tear, but I knew inside he was breaking apart. It was written on his face and had been reflected in his eyes the few times they’d locked with mine. I was worried about him. I hated to see him in pain. It wasn’t fair. Jasper had done nothing in this life worth all the heartache he’d endured. Losing our parents so young had been enough to handle, but losing Anna was too much. I could see it in his eyes. He would never be the same. Neither would I.

  Death only has to touch a person once to change them, but when it touches them more than once, the person becomes unrecognizable.

  The instant we crossed into the city limits, a text came through on Tristan’s cell.

  “It’s probably Meili. What does it say?” Tristan nodded to his cell resting in the cup holder.

  I reached for it and read the message out loud. “We are heading to the house. Follow me.”

  “No.” Jasper was quick to dismiss what Meili had said in a raw and scary voice. I glanced at him. He was stroking Anna’s hair, his eyes locked on her face. �
�We’re going to find the Midnight Cauldron first. I want to meet this all-powerful witch.”

  His words sent a shiver up my spine. I knew what he was thinking. I also knew it couldn’t be done. “Jasper, she can’t bring Anna back.” My words were a whisper. I wasn’t sure I wanted to say them, because I didn’t want to upset him, but I couldn’t let him get his hopes up either.

  Every muscle in his body stiffened at my words. When his gaze met mine, cold determination reflected in his eyes. “You don’t know that. Neither do I.”

  “She wouldn’t be the same.” I swallowed hard, unable to shut up. “You know that. Even if she was brought back, she wouldn’t be the same.”

  “She might be.” He stroked her hair. “We’ve never brought anyone back. How do we know for sure?”

  Tristan placed a hand on mine. He shook his head and mouthed the words. “Leave him be.”

  Chewing my bottom lip, I shifted in my seat until I faced the front again. The city was alive even at the butt-crack of dawn. Tristan’s hand inched to my thigh. His thumb moved against my jeans in slow strokes. I knew it was meant to soothe me, but I didn’t think anything could, given the circumstances. Anna coming back was the only thing, and it wasn’t possible. Not in the way I wanted it to be at least.

  The fire I’d felt when facing off the birds burned through my stomach again. I couldn’t wait to find the Vodun. Jasper was right; heading to the house was out of the question. What we needed to do was find Kalisa like Ms. Beverly had told us to. Even though I doubted she would be able to do what my brother wanted, I knew there had to be a reason Ms. Beverly wanted us to visit her.

  I scooped up Tristan’s cell from my lap and sent Meili a text, telling her she could head to the house if she wanted, but we were searching for the Midnight Cauldron. It took only seconds for her to respond.

  We will come too. No separating.