Page 35 of Sweaty Nights & Gator Bites

We stood together, catching our breath. A sense of smugness filled me. We had denied a powerful piece of magic from Garrick. “Let’s get back to Willowberry and plan our next move,” I said. “Meeting Remy is too much for tonight. We have a lot more work to do.”

CHAPTER 12

DEANDRA

The air in ladies’ parlor was thick with the scent of old parchment and the faint, lingering aroma of the bagel I’d eaten half an hour ago. I sat on the couch looking through one of the rare manuscripts Marie had provided open on my lap. Its pages were fragile, aged by centuries, and covered in intricate symbols and delicate script. The weight of its history and the power it contained was pretty impressive. I understood how her family got into power.

Adèle’s presence was a comforting constant beside me. She lounged gracefully on the back of the couch but her eyes were sharp and attentive. They flicked between me and the manuscript. “Look for the references to the lunar phases,”she suggested. Her voice was a soothing whisper in my mind. “They often hold the key to the most potent rituals.”

I nodded, carefully turning the pages. My fingers lightly traced the faded ink. Before becoming a hybrid witch, I’dnever encountered treasure troves of ancient wisdom like this. I spent my nights in the ICU caring for neuro patients. I still did, but on my days off, my life was filled with supernatural hijinks.

Reading over the incantations and rituals on the page I wondered how much harder it was going to be to keep my mundane job. I needed it to ground me. Being an empath and seeing spirits no one else could took its toll on me and it was nice to get a break at the hospital. The book’s latent power hummed beneath my fingertips and brought me back into focus.

The language was archaic. It was a blend of old French and even older dialects. Fortunately, I could understand enough to piece together the ritual’s meanings. “Here,” Adèle pointed out, her tail flicking towards a particular passage. “This section speaks of aligning energies with the phases of the moon. It's crucial for the success of the summoning.”

I leaned closer and my eyes narrowed as I deciphered the text. “It says that during the full moon, the veil between our world and the spirit realm is thinnest. I already knew that. What is different? Other than it is the night before the reunion?" The thought of the ritual made my heart pound. The power it promised was immense but so was the potential for disaster if anything went wrong.

Adèle's mental voice was calm and reassuring. “I recommend summoning them the night before the reunion, so it takes less from you. That will also mean you need to contain them longer.”

I sighed as the ramifications hit me. “The families will know this information as well. Which means it gives them another day to make their move. If I make a mistake, the consequences could be catastrophic. I need to be certain I can control the energies I'll be unleashing for that long.”

Adèle's eyes softened. “That's why you must preparemeticulously. Every detail must be perfect. The ancestors will understand the sincerity of your intent.”

“And hopefully cooperate,” I snorted. We both knew they could make this harder for me. “Okay, so I need to think about this as a whole. It's not just about summoning the spirits. It's about healing a fractured legacy and restoring balance. Most of them seemed to want that as well.”

The next few hours passed in a blur of my mind running around in circles going through everything that needed to be done. My sisters could help with some of it. Unfortunately, the bulk of the work would fall on me. I meticulously copied the key incantations into our family Book of Shadows as Lia and Dani’s girls had dubbed it. I copied the original with annotations so we had the original as well as my translations. I was sure to include the notes on their proper execution according to Marie’s ancestors. Our family was different and might be able to adapt this. This wasn’t the time to experiment with it, but I would eventually. Lia’s daughter Tegan was showing early signs of seeing ghosts, so I wanted to have as much as possible to help her develop her powers.

Adèle's voice interrupted my musings. “Look here,”she indicated another passage. “These protective wards should be added to the set up before the ritual. They are Voodoo and designed to keep out any unwanted entities which will help ensure the summoning is safe.”

I studied the passage, committing it to memory. “These wards require a blend of herbs and crystals blessed in specific ways. How can we perform Voodoo magic? It’s not in our wheelhouse of fun.” My sisters and I had shown power inherited from a variety of magical types, but none of us had shown one iota of those powers. “Do we arrange them in this specific pattern around the gazebo? Will it even work for us?”

“No, you will not be able to perform the magic like Marie oranother Voodoo practitioner. You draw them and the ancestors will power them. It’s simply an additional layer,” Adèle explained.

The first rays of dawn were cutting through the thick curtains of the ladies' parlor when my sisters joined me. I had been up all night, unable to sleep. The intricate work of the summoning preparations consumed me. My eyes burned from lack of rest, but the sight of my sisters brought a flicker of relief.

“Morning, everyone,” I greeted them, trying to muster a smile despite the exhaustion.

“Couldn't sleep?” Dani asked. Her brow furrowed with concern as she settled into a plush armchair.

“No,” I admitted. “There's just so much to do, and the summoning has to be perfect.”

Cami entered the room, carrying a tray laden with breakfast. “I figured you all could use a good meal,” she said, setting it down on the low table. The aroma of fresh croissants and strong coffee filled the room.

“How did you do all this so fast?” Dani asked as Dre joined us. She had a house about thirty feet east of the main house.

“I’ve developed precognitive abilities,” Cami chuckled. “Seriously, though. I heard Dea up talking to Adèle and knew she had been up awhile so I started breakfast rather than disturb her.”

I smiled gratefully at her. “You’re an angel. I needed this. Thank you.”

We helped ourselves to the food. As we ate, I began explaining what Adèle and I had discussed. “We need to add Voodoo symbols around the gazebo and the tent where we'll be summoning the ancestors. These symbols will activate once the spirits arrive and provide an extra layer of protection.”

Phi looked up from her coffee, intrigued. “What do we need for the symbols?”

I listed off the supplies: “We'll need specific herbs, crystals, and a few other items. The symbols have to be drawn precisely, using a mixture of the herbs and crystal dust.”

Cami nodded. “Marie left a package for you yesterday. She said it had everything you'd need.”

We all turned to the package sitting on a side table. Lia retrieved it and opened it to reveal an assortment of herbs, crystals, and other ritual supplies. I underestimated Marie’s desire to heal her family and forge a new path. It took courage to change course and go against tradition. Not to mention the evil loa that held something over their family’s head.

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