Louis: Supernatural Prison book 6 Read online

  Louis

  Supernatural Prison book 6

  Jaymin Eve

  Contents

  1. Louis

  2. Elizabeth Teresa Montgomery II

  3. Elizabeth Teresa Montgomery II

  4. Louis

  5. Elizabeth Teresa Montgomery II

  6. Louis

  7. Elizabeth Teresa Montgomery II

  8. Louis

  9. Elizabeth Teresa Montgomery II

  10. Louis

  11. Elizabeth Teresa Montgomery II

  12. Louis

  13. Elizabeth Teresa Montgomery II

  14. Elizabeth Teresa Montgomery II

  15. Louis

  16. Elizabeth Teresa Montgomery II

  17. Louis

  18. Elizabeth Teresa Montgomery II

  19. Louis

  20. Elizabeth Teresa Montgomery II

  21. Louis

  22. Elizabeth Teresa Montgomery II

  23. Louis

  24. Elizabeth Teresa Montgomery II

  25. Louis

  26. Elizabeth Teresa Montgomery II

  27. Stay Updated

  Acknowledgments

  About the Author

  Also by Jaymin Eve

  Jaymin Eve

  Louis: Supernatural Prison #6

  Copyright © Jaymin Eve 2019

  All rights reserved

  First published in 2019

  Eve, Jaymin

  Louis: Supernatural Prison #6

  No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior permission in writing of the publisher, nor be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition, including this condition, being imposed on the subsequent purchaser. All characters in this publication other than those clearly in the public domain are fictitious, and any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

  Editing: Lee from Oceans Edge Editing and Liv from Hot Tree Editing

  Cover: Tamara Kokic

  For Teresa.

  You claimed Louis as a mate, and I think you might love him almost as much as I do.

  Thank you for being a wonderful friend.

  1

  Louis

  Death. Pain. Burning.

  Coherent thought was less frequent now as I slowly lost my battle with the darkness. Darkness was part of every magic user, usually suppressed by the light inside of us, but now … now my strength to keep it contained was fading. I couldn’t even get any messages through to my brother, Quale, anymore, and my family … I could no longer see them.

  Jessa and the Compasses.

  I’d almost died trying to save them.

  My true family.

  I was the weakest I’d ever been, which gave the demons the opening they had been waiting for. The soul chains clanked as I yanked against them, flickers of fury burning inside of my chest—or the place my chest would be if I was still in my physical body. Right now I existed as nothing more than a soul, which, truth be told, was the most important part of any being. It was the eternal part, and the demons knew this was where the true power lay.

  Fire slashed across my essence again and again. I’d experienced a full range of pain over the years, from agonizing physical torture to an emotional loss that had come very close to completely crushing my soul. I thought there was nothing that could hurt more than losing my chosen mate and her family—who had become my family as well—but these demons were very … inventive.

  The circus of souls, where I had spent an unknown amount of time, was filled with stolen essences. The demons used the magic that was held in our souls to power their world—the land between—a purgatory with no natural energy. The ley lines of this world were dead, but they had found a very inventive way to keep themselves functioning.

  It was here that the trapped demons schemed and plotted to try and gain access to Faerie or Earth, where a plethora of energy and souls waited for them. I would do anything to stop them from leaving this land, even sacrifice myself. Blocking demons from leaving the land between was something I’d been working toward for many years, from the time of the jeweled princesses.

  My family continued this fight. I’d felt the Lebron-Compass energy at the portal. We’d all just managed to keep the demons from being released.

  Family.

  Somehow they’d wormed their way into my heart—despite my best efforts to prevent close connections. I’d finally found my family, and the knowledge that I might not be around much longer to enjoy them caused true sorrow within me. Even if I didn’t die, the darkness inside my magic, the darkness all sorcerers held, was growing in power. My light was fading, and if that happened I would lose myself.

  Darkness would rule me.

  2

  Elizabeth Teresa Montgomery II

  The medical file at the end of his bed taunted me. Louis had been a pain in my ass for more years than I could remember. We grew up together and had been the best of friends. Then he had fallen in love with my sister, and … everything changed. But he had seen me—and my family—at our best and worst, and I thought I had seen him at his, but this, his body so still … lifeless … it was heartbreaking. Far worse than I could have ever imagined.

  I’d spent over half my life missing and hating him in equal measure, and it still bothered me to see him like this. It bothered me a lot.

  Moving closer to his side, I reached out and pushed a strand of his light hair back. “Louis, come on, I need you to wake up so I can get out of here. I need to crawl back into my little hole. There’s too much world out here for me.” I’d even take a moment of having to stare into those arresting purple eyes that saw far too much, just to see he was okay.

  “Lizzie.”

  The feminine voice said my name with a bite of command. I had never been very good at taking orders, even if they were unstated, so I took my time turning. Standing in the doorway was a very young, very beautiful wolf shifter.

  Jessa Lebron, the chosen dragon marked who had helped to defeat Larkspur. A pang of guilt hit me then—I’d been avoiding her as much as possible. Louis had called for me during their battle against the dragon king and I had ignored him. I had let them all down. I should have been here for that fight. But I just … couldn’t. I could not be in one more war. I’d already lost everything, every single being I cared about. I was done.

  And if I was really honest, seeing Louis again might have actually broken me.

  I raised an eyebrow as she stared at me. “Yes?” I finally said.

  She shook her head. “Oh, sorry, I’m staring. It’s just that you’re kinda a big deal.” She winked then, and I couldn’t help but laugh. Jessa was charming, there was no denying it. Her blue eyes twinkled as she took a few steps closer. “The real reason I’m here is that we have some news about Louis. We got back yesterday from Faerie, and Grace is a princess, and so much shit happened. But the important thing is that we learned Louis is stuck in the land of the demons. His brother has been able to communicate with him … kind of, anyway. His soul was captured and dragged there in the last battle with Kristoff. We need to go and rescue him.”

  “Fuck…” The light bulb above our heads shattered. It took me a few moments to realize it was my loss of control which caused the explosion. Holy hell, I hadn’t lost hold of my energy for years. Decades, even. Jessa never even flinched. Clearly, volatile magic did not bother her.

  “You swear?” she said with a grin. “I never expected that from you, I guess because you’re so … pretty.”

  Despite my current disbelief, I couldn’t help but smile. “Firstly, you’re pretty,
and I’m guessing you enjoy a curse word or two.” She shrugged and nodded, not even attempting to deny it. “And secondly, I was the bad girl of my time. ‘Ladies don’t curse’ was the most used phrase around me.”

  Before she could comment on that, and she was definitely amused, I turned the conversation back to the important facts. “The land of demons? His soul has been there this entire time?”

  No wonder there had been nothing I could do to bring him back. He was trapped with beings far worse than anything Earth knew. Louis was the last of my family, even though we hadn’t treated each other as such for many years. Not since we lost Regina.

  Lost. Such an insignificant word for her murder. Stolen. Torn. Destroyed. Much closer, but still not enough.

  “We’re going to get him back,” Jessa continued, ripping me from the pain of old memories. “The Compasses are just sorting out bullshit council details, gathering supplies, and then we’re heading back to Faerie. Pretty much straight away.”

  I nodded. “Faerie is the easiest way to get there. There’s a direct path to the land between. But you can also open a magical doorway from here, if you don’t mind messing with dark magic.”

  The words slipped out before I could stop them. Only for Louis would I consider the use of dark magic. Jessa seemed to think about that suggestion. “That must have been how that supernatural smuggling ring worked,” she finally said. “Dark magic was involved in setting up those fairy-tale houses that lured in the unsuspecting.”

  I knew about that also. Just because I chose to remain in my solitude didn’t mean I wasn’t somewhat up to date.

  “Yes, it was definitely dark magic,” I confirmed.

  Jessa finally shook her head. “Louis wouldn’t want us to mess with that sort of energy, not even to save him, so we better do this the old-fashioned way.”

  She knew him very well. Before I could think too much on it, I said, “I’ll help you save him.”

  Stupid, Tee. I flinched then, when I realized I’d fallen into the habit of using my old nickname. I told everyone to call me Lizzie now, because Tee—shortened from my middle name, Teresa—died long ago. Being around Louis … it was messing with my head.

  Jessa’s smile brightened even more. “Thank you, we would really appreciate your help. Louis especially.” Her eyes dropped to the form in the bed, her gaze running along his long limbs that dwarfed the double-sized mattress. Even in slumber he looked lethal. Dangerous.

  I knew that Jessa was true mate to Braxton Compass, dragon shifter, leader of the shifter council in America, but there was definitely some sort of relationship between her and Louis. I found this curious, and I wanted to know how it had happened, because Louis had taken the same path as me for the past decades, avoiding close ties.

  “How is it that you know Louis so well?” I asked.

  She examined me closely, trying to discern deeper meaning, no doubt. But there was none. I was simply trying to piece together Louis’s life now. The fact that he was even able to live a life when I’d continued to exist in exile kind of grated on my nerves. When did he stop hiding? Why hadn’t I been told?

  Jessa smiled then, her eyes on Louis once more. “He saved me when I was a baby, spelled my dragon mark so that I wouldn’t be taken by the hunters. Then, when all hell broke loose with Larky, he stepped in and helped in every way. He also saved my children from being taken and used by a demon. I owe him everything.” Her voice broke. “We would all be dead without his power and knowledge. He’s one of my closest friends—family—and it is killing me to know that he’s been trapped there this entire time while we’ve been screwing around with our heads up our asses.”

  I felt an instant kinship to Jessa. She reminded me of myself when I was younger. I’d been the headstrong one who cursed and snuck out, and sometimes read books about dark magic. Regina had been the perfect one, never causing a moment of upset for our parents. I’d been a poor replacement when she died.

  Louis would be in good hands when he returned. He’d have the family he deserved. Now it was time to get it out of the way so I could get back to my … existence.

  “You should leave someone to guard him,” I warned her as I moved toward the doorway. “Louis is old and powerful. He has plenty of enemies who would love to take advantage of his current state.”

  This time when her gaze dropped to the bed, anger creased her forehead. “No one in Stratford would dare! He saved us all from the demons. We owe him everything.” She sucked in deeply, in what seemed like an attempt to calm herself. “But it doesn’t hurt to be extra vigilant, in case an outsider breaks through our barriers or manages to trick their way inside. I’ll get my father to stick around, assign some of the shifters to the case.”

  I nodded, satisfied with that. I knew Jonathon Lebron well, and I trusted him to do a damn good job of keeping Louis safe. We both left the hospital then, sparing Louis one more glance over our shoulders. The moment I was outside, I sucked in a deep breath. It was warm in Stratford, the climate much more hospitable than where I lived in Alaska. The snow was pretty peaceful though.

  “You don’t talk a lot, do you?” Jessa asked, distracting me from my inner monologue.

  “I’ve been alone for … too many years to count,” I admitted, my voice soft. “You kind of just get used to the silence.”

  That wasn’t completely true. I had three best friends up there, a group of supes who owned a hunting lodge near my cabin. The guys were all bear shifters, and they were noisy and fun and growly. They also encouraged my use of curse words, so I was back to my old ways. They were only at their cabin one week a month, though, so I was still alone a lot.

  Speaking of, I better try to call them before they freaked out. They’d be due for their next trip really soon, and when they found my cabin empty, they’d definitely worry. I was always there.

  “Why do you live alone?” Jessa asked in the blunt way of youth. Yeah, she made me feel every single one of my hundred-plus years.

  “Because….” I cleared my throat. “Sometimes it’s easier. Sometimes it hurts less being alone than losing people you love.”

  Even my bears… It was scary knowing how much I cared for them now. How much I looked forward to their visit every month. They’d wormed their way into my heart, and I again had something to lose. It was almost too scary to contemplate.

  A warm hand wrapped around mine, squeezing tightly before releasing me again. I blinked at the shifter. “I’m so sorry,” she murmured. “Louis was the same way when we first brought him into our world—shut off from everyone—but now he’s family. Part of our pack. And he was much happier. At some point you have to make a choice—am I really living like this?”

  “It’s crazy,” I said, unsure why I was sharing so much with her, “but I almost feel like I died when my sister did. Regina.”

  Jessa startled, her eyes growing wide. “Louis’s mate?”

  I nodded to answer the question in her tone. “Yes, they were together for five years before she was murdered.”

  “Holy fuck,” she said, blinking at me. “How is it that none of us knew your sister was Louis’s mate?”

  I’d completely blindsided her with that. The funniest part was that Louis had been my best friend for years before he had anything to do with Regina. I’d been the idiot who had feared ruining the friendship, so I never pushed for anything more. Regina had no such qualms when she finally noticed how amazing Louis was. I hadn’t been surprised when they fell for each other. But it had hurt. More than I thought anything could hurt. From then on, I’d just done my best to hide the attraction I’d always had for Louis. I never questioned their love, or that she was his chosen mate.

  Even when it killed me.

  “He blames himself,” Jessa said as we started to walk again, faster this time.

  I nodded. That was definitely no secret.

  Thankfully, we seemed to have reached their home: a very impressive log cabin that bordered the back of the huge forests of Stratford. Co
nversation about Louis dried up, and I was grateful not to have to keep picking at old wounds.

  Jessa led me inside, into a huge space they had set up as a living area. The doors and windows were open, allowing in cool breezes from the forests beyond. I could smell the wildflowers and the scent of our mother. Nature was everything to magic users. We communed with it all the time, and I missed this sort of greenery.

  A large group of supes waited inside, and I forced my expression to go blank. Socializing was going to take some getting used to.

  “Hey, everyone, gather around,” Jessa said, waving her hands toward her face. “We’re ready to head out now to save Louis, and I need to make sure we’re all on the same page.”

  A devastatingly handsome shifter crossed to her. He had tousled dark hair, blue eyes, and dimples in both cheeks. He also had that look in his eyes that scary-powerful supes got, the one that said “do not mess with me or mine.”

  At the moment, though, he mostly seemed amused as he devoured Jessa with his gaze. “You know I love it when you’re bossy,” he rumbled, his arms wrapping around her as he pulled her closer.

  Jessa’s eyes closed as she sank against him, and I turned away because there was too much emotion there. It was almost painful watching that sort of true love.

  “It’s nice to see you again,” Tyson Compass said, distracting me when he stepped closer. At his side was a tall, willowy redhead. She was beautiful, her eyes an arresting icy blue, her skin scattered with glittering pigment.