This was the little boy Angelique had last seen nineteen years ago, a four-year-old excitedly bragging to his thirteen-year-old aunt about his new baby sister.

"Could you feed my dog?" Jackson Bonaparte whispered, his voice raw and hoarse. His eyes shuttered closed again even as the words slipped from his bitten lips.

"Rene," Angelique said, surprised at the levelness of her voice while her heart was thundering against her ribs, "I need you to fetch the Alphas."

Looking perplexed, Rene nodded. "What you want me to tell Ambrose and January when I find dem?"

Angelique drew in a deep breath. "That you've found Ambrose's brother's son."

"Holy shit," Merlin breathed.

TWENTY-THREE.

CIRCLE OF PROTECTION.

Kallie woke from her doze when Belladonna pulled into the small lot behind Divinity's Circle of Protection botanica and glided the Dodge Dart to a halt in the slot farthest from the trash bin. Aside from Gabrielle's ancient orange VW Bug, the lot was empty.

"Thanks for helping keep me awake during the drive," Belladonna said, looking into the rearview mirror. "Without your constant and unladylike snoring keeping me bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, I probably would've driven us off a cliff."

"A cliff? Between Chacahoula and Bayou Cypres Noir? Where?"

"I'm sure there's a cliff somewhere. And asleep, I would've found it and driven us to our doom. Guaranteed."

"Well, then. ca fait pas rien, and thanks for not killing us."

Belladonna yawned. "No problem, Shug."

Rubbing a hand over her face, Kallie tried to wipe away her lingering sleepiness and failed. She sat up and unstrapped her seat belt. Her brief sleep had left her feeling more tired than before, her thinking fuzzy, and she wished now that she'd managed to keep her eyes open during the drive back to Bayou Cypres Noir.

Kallie looked at Layne and confirmed that he was still out, his honey-blond dreads coiling onto the backseat and floorboard. His breathing was low and easy, and his face-blond whiskers indicating his need for a shave-relaxed.

Well, that's one good thing, at least.

The sky beyond the windshield was still gray and ragged with storm clouds, but at least it was no longer raining. Kallie guessed that it was getting close to noon, and on a normal day, she and her ti-tante would've opened the botanica at ten.

But this was goddamned far from a normal day.

The closed-in air of the car smelled of jasmine, old french fries, leather, and sandalwood. And although the greasy french fry aroma reminded Kallie that she hadn't eaten since early evening the night before, she didn't feel hungry. She actually felt queasy, instead. Too little sleep, too much stress, pure appetite killer.

"After we haul Mr. Sexy Nomad inside, you want to go up to my place and take a shower while your aunt is looking him over?" Belladonna asked. "Give you a chance to catch a second wind or even take a real nap."

Kallie looked at the stairs leading to the flat above the botanica that Belladonna rented from Divinity. As blissful as a nap sounded, Kallie didn't want to sleep until she knew Layne's condition and had a chance to talk with her aunt about loups-garous, loas, and exorcisms. But a shower, on the other hand ...

Tapping a finger against her lips, Kallie mentally reviewed recent sleepovers and decided that, yup, she'd left clothes at the apartment on several occasions. If she was wrong, she could always roll up a pair of Belladonna's jeans or wear one of her tunics as a minidress.

"I like that idea, Bell. Wanna do a coin toss to see who showers first?"

"How about rock-paper-scissors?"

"Sure."

Kallie leaned forward between the seats, shivering as her side brushed Layne's leather-jacketed shoulder. She tried not to think about skin-on-skin contact. Tried not to imagine the feel of him-all hard muscle and heat-beneath her hands.

The heat pooling in her belly and points south told her that she'd failed.

Belladonna's gaze met Kallie's, then shifted over to Layne. A knowing smile slinked across her lips. "Maybe he's going to need a sponge bath," she said, her eyes returning to Kallie's.

The mental images Belladonna's suggestion conjured set Kallie's blood ablaze and put coherent thought on pause. Heat suffused her body in a tingling rush. Glaring at Belladonna, she growled, "Pure evil."

She yawned. "Stating the obvious, girl."

Once her racing pulse had calmed down and her temperature had dipped below the steam threshold, Kallie said, "Okay. Ready."

"On three," Belladonna instructed, counting down, and thumping her fist against her palm.

Kallie's scissors won over Belladonna's paper, so she eyed her friend suspiciously. "Did you just let me win?"

"What? Me?" Belladonna shook her head, her blue and black curls swaying. "Hoodoo, please. Why would I do that? It's not like you've been rolling around in the mud or chasing judgmental chickens or going five rounds with death or anything." She flapped a hand at Kallie. "Get over yourself, girl."

Grinning, Kallie stretched across the seat and planted a kiss on Belladonna's cheek. "You're the best friend ever."

"Again, stating the obvious." But a pleased smile lit her face.

The mingled odors of wet pavement and eau de Dumpster swirled in when Belladonna opened the door and hopped out of the car. Just as she flipped the driver's seat forward so Kallie could climb out of the back, a low, husky voice said, "Where are we?"

Kallie twisted back around. Looking at Layne, she saw the same things she'd witnessed before-no color to his handsome face, pain-tightened features, dilated pupils. "At my tante's botanica," she replied. "She's meeting us here."

"I appreciate that," Layne said. "I prefer a hoodoo healer to a hospital. Thanks."

Kallie smiled. "Who doesn't?"

Pushing against the reclined seat with his elbows, Layne levered himself upright, and Kallie realized she was wrong about his face being completely drained of color as she watched him blanch, his fox tattoo stark against his suddenly bone-white skin. He squeezed his eyes shut and swallowed hard. His hands white-knuckled around the seat edge, holding on for dear life.

"Fuck," he whispered after a moment. "Yeah. Okay. I think I need a minute here." He slumped back down in the seat, eyes still closed, jaw tight.

Ducking her head down into the car, Belladonna eyed him critically, then tsked. "Back at Doctor Heron's place, Augustine and Babette kept fighting over control of your body. I told those damned ghosts that they weren't helping the situation-namely, you."

Layne slivered open one eye and looked at Belladonna. "Babette? Holy fuck. So that's my other passenger, the one Augustine's got snared in static. Shit."

"I thought it wasn't possible for a ghost to enter an already occupied Vessel," Kallie said.

"Me too. Ain't supposed to be possible," Layne replied, draping an arm over his eyes. A muscle flexed in his jaw. "But apparently that supposition's dead wrong. I don't know how long Augustine's gonna be able to keep her in the bubble."

Bubble? Kallie mused. So much she didn't know about Vessels, and so much she didn't know about this one in particular.

"Look, let's get you inside and lying down," Kallie said, reaching over to squeeze his forearm. His leather jacket creaked beneath her fingers. "Then we'll figure out how to exorcise Babette. I can always call McKenna-if necessary."

"Thanks, sunshine. I know how much that cost you. Especially since Kenn's no doubt still plotting your demise. By now, she must be up to plan W."

Kallie shrugged. "Like I said before, everyone needs a hobby-even leprechaun-sized nomads with a Darth Vader complex."

Layne snorted. "This is one hobby you don't want to encourage. But we can't do an exorcism until my headache's gone, anyway, so no point in calling her yet."

"She doesn't worry me. Let her give it her best shot."

"Famous last words, sunshine."

"We'll just see about that. Now hold still, okay? Me and Bell are coming around to get you."

"Christ on a corn tortilla," Layne muttered. "What's next? A wheelchair blanket and a can of Ensure?"

"Only if you ask me nicely. What flavor would you like?"

"Vanilla. Gonna drink it out of my belly button?"

Kallie paused, reignited heat flooding her body as she imagined doing just that, her tongue licking across Layne's vanilla-sweetened skin. Her mouth dried as all moisture raced south of the border.

"I'd call that asking nicely," Belladonna said, voice light and airy with mock innocence. "Wouldn't you, Shug?"

Sucking in a deep breath, Kallie banished all thought of her tongue and Layne's skin from her mind, banished the word that begged to slip from between her lips in response to the nomad's teasing question: Yes.

"Shut up," Kallie growled instead, cheeks burning. "Both of you."

It didn't help that both Belladonna and Layne chuckled in unison, like evil twins. But at least her desire-desire? How about grab-him-throw-him-down-tear-off-his-clothes-and-ride-him-for-all-he's-worth lust?-had cooled.

Kallie climbed out of the backseat, then walked around to the passenger door, relieved that she and Belladonna wouldn't have to haul Layne inside the botanica. She honestly didn't think she had the strength to carry him again, although she would've given it her damnedest.

Hell, she would've trotted over to the Beyond Roses flower shop next door, if necessary, and politely asked the proprietor and main bouquet artiste, Arthur Dempsey, if she could borrow his muscular and often shirtless boyfriend, dark-eyed Cole.

Kallie had no doubt Arthur would've been agreeable. Especially once he'd gotten a look at the nomad his boyfriend needed to scoop up and carry. Probably would've directed the entire thing too, she mused.

Careful, Cole, he may be a nomad, but he's a human being. A lean and sexy human being. Carry him like one. Over the shoulder like a fireman-that's right. Now follow the ladies. They'll show you the way, darling.

And just like that, the lusty thoughts returned.

"What are you snickering about?" Belladonna asked as she joined Kallie at the passenger door.

"Just picturing Cole from next door carrying Layne inside for us."

"Are they both shirtless in this little imagining?" Belladonna replied, voice dreamy. "Chests oiled? Rippling abs gleaming? Belts unbuckled?"

"Yup," Kallie said, pulling open Layne's door. "And that's just the start."

"Mmm-mmm-mmm," Belladonna purred. "Oh, I'd pay to see that."

But, Kallie reflected a split second later, it seemed that what Belladonna wouldn't pay to see was Layne suddenly leaning out of the car and dry-heaving onto the pavement in a very nonsexy, but undeniably nomad, manner.

Kallie gathered Layne's thick dreads in her hands and held them away from his face while Belladonna slapped her hands over her own mouth and back-pedaled a healthy distance across the parking lot.

After a few moments, Layne stopped trying to upend his stomach and lifted his head. He slumped against the door frame, sweat glistening on his forehead, eyes closed. Some color had returned-green.

"Well, that was seven degrees of awesome," he muttered.

Kallie knotted his dreads to keep them back in case he got sick again. She brushed the backs of her fingers against his heated face. He shivered beneath her touch. "You want to wait a bit before trying to stand up?" she asked gently.

"Just for a minute, yeah," he whispered.

"Let me know when you're ready." Kallie motioned for Belladonna to return. "Dry heaves and puking aren't contagious, Bell. And anyway, he's done." For now.

"I know they're not contagious," Belladonna replied indignantly, lowering her hands from her mouth, but remaining right where she was. "It's the whole monkey hear, monkey puke thing that's at issue."

"Ah. Then why are you still over there? There's nothing to hear-"

The botanica's back door creaked open, and Divinity stepped out, hands on the hips of her purple Gypsy skirt. "Dere y'all are. I was starting to wonder, me." A pause, then, "You girls need help with de nomad?"

Kallie shook her head. "No. He's just resting."

"Not anymore," Layne said, opening his eyes and glancing at Kallie. "I'm ready."

"Okay. Let's do this," Kallie murmured.

Kallie snugged a bracing arm around Layne's waist once he'd levered himself upright and helped him out of the car and onto his feet. He swayed, stumbling against Kallie, but another arm looped around his waist from the other side, warm hand brushing against her own, and steadied him.

"Nomad, I don't care how good you look in wet boxers-or out of them," Belladonna grumbled, "you puke and y'all are on your own."

"Ain't you just an angel of mercy?" Layne replied.

Kallie looked up to see a smile twitch across his bloodless lips. She felt a smile pull at her own when he winked at her.

"Damn straight," Belladonna affirmed. "Now, move your fine ass."

Still holding the back door open, Divinity called, "Sometime dis century."

"Yes, ma'am," all three replied in unison. Then laughed.

TWENTY-FOUR.