Page 33 of Sweaty Nights & Gator Bites

Suddenly, the ground beneath us trembled and a figure emerged from the shadows. Several curses left Kota’s mouth as we realized it was Garrick. The energy and glowing malevolent eyes were familiar. He was still blurry and shrouded in darkness.

“Back off!” Dre shouted. She lifted her hands and chanted a light spell then threw it at him. I cast my own version of a blinding light a split second later as did the others. Our combined onslaught made Garrick recoil and hiss in anger.

“Now!” I commanded as I started weaving a spell to create a barrier between us and Garrick. The others quickly joined us, forming a circle of protection.

Garrick snarled. “You think you can stop me? You’re fools to challenge my power.” His voice was a guttural growl.

“We’re not here to fight,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady. “We want to know why you’re doing this. What do you hope to gain?” If we were lucky, he would start waxing poetic like most evil masterminds. Most were narcissistic creatures who couldn’t help themselves.

He laughed, a chilling sound that sent shivers down my spine. “You’ll find out soon enough. The bayou belongs to me now.”

With a wave of his hand, Garrick summoned a surge of dark energy. It slammed against our barrier with an overwhelming force. We staggered but held firm. I think the fact that our shield was made of light helped.

“Hold on!” Lia shouted in a strained voice. “Think of it like were doing wall Pilates!”

I snorted and choked on a laugh. Wall Pilates was no freaking joke. I sobered when I noticed Dea reach into her pouch. She had a couple of vials and threw them into the air. They hovered around Garrick and then smashed to the ground. The resultant pulsing energy disrupted his magic.

“Enough!” Garrick roared as he flung his hands out to his sides. A powerful burst of magic followed and knocked us down before he disappeared into the shadows. We stood there in silence gasping for breath. “We need to regroup and be ready,” Kota barked out. “He could come at us again.”

I nodded, feeling relief and resolve. “Let’s check out some of the powerful spots here and see if he’s stolen any others.”

“I sense recent magical activity ahead. Be cautious and look for hidden runes,” Adèle told us. How in the hell could she feel that when she wasn’t even with us? She might not have much magic of her own but she could sure tap into ours and make it work like a well-oiled machine.

My legs were shaking as we pressed on. The deeper we ventured into the bayou, the stronger the presence of dark magic became. The essence of the swamp was being corrupted by Garrick’s influence. It was making me sick to my stomach.

“There,” Phi said softly, pointing to a cluster of trees. Freshly carved symbols glowed faintly on the bark.

Kota knelt down and brushed away the branches. “More of the same. Garrick’s been a busy little beaver.”

I pulled out my cell and snapped several pictures. “We’re definitely on the right track. I just wish we could stop him from taking any more of the bayou’s magic.”

Dea reached out with her magic, feeling the residual energy. “This isn’t the same. These symbols are meant to ward off intruders. I bet he’s setting traps for us.”

Dre’s eyes narrowed as she scanned the area. “He’s trying to slow us down. Keep your eyes peeled for any sign of energy that doesn’t fit. It might not be all that much.”

We were silent as we made our way slowly. A faint sparkle caught my eye. Pausing, I crouched down and brushed leaves and debris from where I’d seen the flare. Sure enough, there were faint runes etched into the above-ground roots. They were almost invisible to the naked eye. “What do you want to bet that these will try to grab us if we continue?”

Lia stepped forward and extended her hands. “I’d say that’s a guarantee. If we can disrupt these runes, we might be able to weaken his offenses.”

I nodded. “Let’s document everything first. We need to understand exactly what we’re dealing with before we start dismantling his work.”

We spent the next five minutes meticulously recording every symbol, rune, and artifact we found. The air grew colder as we worked. The presence of dark magic pressed in on us from all sides. We cast a spell unraveling the enchantment on the roots and encountered little resistance. The swamp was on our side. It didn’t like what was happening at all.

“Keep your eyes open,” Dre whispered to us when we resumed our trek. “Garrick could be anywhere.”

“I don’t like this. It’s too quiet,” Lia murmured as she moved closer to me.

“He’s an overconfident asshole. We’ve got this, sestra,” Kota told her.

Our senses were heightened and our magic was ready. The swamp closed in around us. One second, we were fine. The next, the gnarled cypress trees and Spanish moss created a claustrophobic atmosphere.

“He’s going to attack again," Adèle yelled into our minds.

We immediately began gathering our power. Before we could cast a spell, the ground beneath us erupted in a burst of dark energy. Garrick’s silhouette appeared. He sure loved his shadows. He moved at us with unnatural speed, using the swamp’s terrain to his advantage.

“There!” I shouted, pointing towards Garrick as he darted between the trees. “We need to spread out and surround him.”

Kota conjured a ring of fire, creating a barrier to prevent Garrick from escaping. “We’ve got to box him in!”

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