Page 49 of Sweaty Nights & Gator Bites

Dre grabbed my arm, pulling me towards the exit. “No way. We do this together.”

As we burst out into the open air, the oppressive feeling lifted slightly. We hurried through the garden without looking back. My skin prickled, and I threw up a protectivebarrier right as a spell hit it. Dre and I were at the rear, watching the others race through the side gate.

“Come on,” Dre told me. “Keep going,” she shouted to the others.

I nodded and threw a magical bomb behind me to slow whoever was chasing us. Dre added one of her own. The feel of something crawling up my spine made me yank Dre down right before something dark flew over our heads. We countered it together and jumped through the gate in the fence.

On the sidewalk, we poured on the speed and ran like our lives depended on it. Dre had partially shifted and had scales covering her skin. That was smart. I was mid-shift when I felt the spell coming at us. My side caught fire when it hit me. Thankfully, the scales took the brunt. Phi was behind the wheel of my car already and she took off the second Dre and I threw ourselves into the backseat.

“Go!” Dre shouted.

“That was close,” Phi said when she turned onto the highway. “Too close.”

“But we got what we came for,” Dani replied, holding up the scrolls. “This will expose the Montclairs and their dark activities. We don’t need to connect them to the murders in the bayou.”

“You did well. This information will prove to the council what Marie has claimed.” Adèle’s voice held approval.

A thought occurred to me. “We aren’t taking that onto Willowberry property. I think it’s the real Trojan Horse. We can have Kaveh meet us across the road and he can take it to the council building where it can’t cause problems.”

Dre tilted her head and nudged my shoulder. “I hadn’t even considered that. Now that you mention it, I feel something underlying the magic.”

Kota sucked in a breath and turned in the passenger seat. “It would explain why it feels so nasty. They juiced it up so we wouldn’t know. This was all a set up.”

“They killed that girl to get us to infiltrate their home,” Dea said with disgust.

That truth settled like an elephant in the car and we drove in silence. Dre texted Kaveh and explained the situation. He was waiting on the side of the road a half a mile from the plantation. He was taking extra care not to let it get close. Phi pulled up beside him and Dani handed it out through the window. “Thanks for taking care of this,” she told the djinn leader.

Kaveh inclined his head. “I’m just glad you caught on before shit exploded at the reunion. We’re prepared when you need us.”

“Thanks,” we all called out. He saluted us and vanished. The car felt a ton lighter the second the scroll was out of our hands. The rest of the drive was quiet. Steve, Lucas, and Noah met us in the parking lot. I pressed a kiss to Lucas’s lips and we told them what had happened as we walked to the main house.

The moonlight filtered through the tall windows of our parlor and cast a silvery glow over the worn wooden floor and antique furniture. We collapsed onto the couches and chairs. “I knew they were up to something,” Dre said as she laid her head on Steve’s shoulder. “The question is how this applies to the deaths that are to come. Did we thwart those plans by giving Kaveh the scroll?”

Dea grabbed one of the books we had left on the side table. “I could ask him for a picture to be sure, but I recognized some of the symbols. They’re meant to siphon power from spirits and manipulate the energies.”

Phi leaned forward and traced over one of the runes on the page. “That fits with its purpose. Right now, we need to understand exactly how this ties into the deaths in theswamp. As Dre has said from the beginning, it feels connected.”

Kota crossed her arms, her expression grim. “Their plan is already in motion. And we haven’t found anything yet.”

“You need to prepare for a confrontation and gather your allies,” Adèle said as she jumped onto the couch next to Dea. “That way, you’re ready for anything before heading back to the swamp.”

Dani sat forward and clasped her hands between her knees. She looked exhausted. “Who should we call on? We need people we can trust, who can handle themselves in a fight.”

Lucas gave her a look. “My shifters are ready and know the swamp better than anyone. Plus, they have a stake in this. Garrick’s attacks on you guys affect them too.”

“We should call Kaitlyn,” Dre added. “Her knowledge of ancient magic could be invaluable. We need her expertise to counter whatever the Montclairs are planning.”

Phi nodded. “Agreed. We should also contact Cyran and the council. They need to be aware of what’s happening. They might be able to impede Montclairs. If they can’t leave their house, they can’t kill anyone, right?”

“It’s not going to be that easy, but they can make things harder for all of the families. We shouldn’t forget about the others.” Kota stood up and grabbed a fluffy blanket off the rack. “I’ll start sending messages. We don’t have any time to waste.” She pulled out her cell and her fingers were flying over the screen.

We spent the next few hours strategizing, reaching out to our allies, and preparing for the coming battle. The atmosphere in Willowberry was tense but filled with a sense of purpose as one by one, our allies began to arrive. Kaitlyn and her coven were the first to join us, their presence immediately filling the room with a palpable sense of power. Kaitlyn,with her auburn hair and piercing green eyes, radiated authority as she stepped forward to greet us.

“Thank you for coming, Kaitlyn,” I said, meeting her gaze. “We need your expertise now more than ever.”

She nodded and gave me a small smile. “We’re ready to help in any way we can. We don’t want any more lives lost.”

Next to arrive were Cyran and Talindra. They greeted us with hugs. Kaveh appeared behind us, making Dea jump. Finally, Xinar arrived, the UIS agent brought a sense of authority and structure with him.

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