Page 17 of Sweaty Nights & Gator Bites

I ended the call and the room fell silent. Dani and Kota exchanged a glance before Dani spoke up. "We’ve got our work cut out for us. I’m glad you clarified these issues. None of us want the plantation taken over by Marie’s dead family. For now, we need to determine whether or not the gator shifters are a threat.”

“Don’t shift gears just yet. I want to look into something. Hold on,” Phi excused herself briefly to retrieve something. She returned moments later, holding an old, weathered journal. “I found this while researching the historical context for the reunion,” she said, placing the journal on the table. “It’s written by a lesser-known Leveau ancestor who dabbled in magic.”

Curiosity piqued, I leaned in to get a better look. “What does it say?”

“The entries are cryptic,” Phi explained, flipping through the yellowed pages. “They talk about celestial alignments,spirit gateways, and other esoteric knowledge. I wasn’t sure if you could use anything in this for the protections, Dea.”

Dea peered over Phi’s shoulder. “Have you decrypted any of it?”

“Some,” Phi said, pointing to a section filled with arcane symbols. “There are hidden rituals and spells that might protect against threats. It also hints at a secret alliance between the Leveau family and other supernatural entities.”

Dani raised an eyebrow. “That could have major implications for the current family dynamics and power structures within the Voodoo community.”

“There’s more,” Phi continued, her voice tinged with excitement. “The journal mentions a lost artifact that could control or amplify spiritual energies. I think it could be a problem if it is used by one of the living ancestors.”

Kota crossed her arms, her gaze thoughtful. “Finding that artifact would help keep the reunion chaos-free.”

Determination settled over me like a cloak. “We have to prioritize this as well. We’ll locate the artifact and use the knowledge in that journal. I don't want anything surprising us.”

Dre sighed and rubbed the bridge of her nose. “That will mean splitting up to handle Melanie’s death and the search for this relic. I don’t like that but I don’t see another way.”

As we continued to plan, the room buzzed with energy. Our dilemma was not ideal. We were a force to be reckoned with when together. I had to wonder if this journal found its way to Phi to split us up. I bet a million dollars that is precisely what happened.

CHAPTER 6

DEANDRA

The morning light filtered through the tall windows of Willowberry Plantation. It cast a warm glow over the spacious kitchen where we had gathered to plan the upcoming Leveau family reunion. I’d stayed over because my husband and sons were camping before Mateo left for the Navy and I didn’t want to be in my house alone. Not when there was shit to do with my sisters.

Dani had a notebook filled with scribbled notes and color-coded tabs open before her. Her expression was furrowed as she sipped her tall-boy. “The caterer we were hoping for just backed out,” she announced in a tight voice. “They had a health inspection issue.”

Kota straightened up from the counter and went to the coffee machine. “Dammit. That’s the second caterer this month. What are our other options?”

I could see the stress lines deepening on Dani’s forehead as she flipped through her contacts list. “I’m calling everycaterer in the city, but they’re either booked or can’t handle an event this size on such short notice.”

Phi was always the calm in our storm. She looked up from her laptop and smiled at Dani. “There’s a small but excellent catering service run by a couple of retired witches. Kaitlyn told me about them. They might be able to whip something up if we can persuade them. They started their service because of Willowberry so normally I would say they’d be on board. However, they aren’t fans of Marie.”

“How did the rest of us not hear about this?” Dani narrowed her eyes. “This is something Kaitlyn should have told us all.

Phi held up her hands. “This is new. She sent me a text the other day asking whether we would use them. Their specialties are Cajun-centric and she worried that was too limited for us. And for the record, she said she was going to tell us more at the next council meeting. They aren’t even up and running yet.”

Dani sighed and nodded. “Well, in this instance that’s perfect. Can you reach out to them and see if they’re available?”

Phi nodded and started typing away. Meanwhile, Dre and Lia were huddled over the seating chart, trying to make sense of the map of the bayou.

“Every time I think we’ve got it sorted, another RSVP change comes in,” Kota muttered, erasing a name with more force than necessary. “The Leveau family’s dynamics are like trying to untangle a ball of enchanted yarn. I didn’t think her family was that big.”

Lia looked up from the map and started rubbing her temples. “Have we heard from the band? Do we need to find a new one?” We typically used DJs for our events. Few wanted people there singing while they were celebrating. But Marie was the furthest you could get from typical.

Kota pulled out her phone. “I know a jazz band that owes me a favor. I’ll give them a call and see if they’re free.”

As Kota made that call, I focused on the task at hand. “We also need to finalize the setup here. We know our theme is Cajun, but how are we decorating?”

Dani glanced at her checklist. “I was thinking of using antique pieces from the plantation’s collection. Only the ones that are in good condition and none that might be haunted. Otherwise, I’m not sure. We don’t want cheesy.”

Kota put her hand over the speaker of her phone and shot us a grim look. “Speaking of which, I swear one of the lamps in my room upstairs keeps moving around and knocking things over. Maybe we should have Dea make sure there’s not a mischievous spirit attached to it.” Like me, Kota had a house off the property, but we had rooms at the plantation where we stayed in when we slept over.

I sighed, knowing exactly what that meant. “Just what we need. I’ll take care of it. We can’t have a random spirit showing up to dance with the Leveau family during the reunion.”

---