Page 39 of Sweaty Nights & Gator Bites

Xinar pulled us aside before we could leave. “There’s an old plantation I think you should visit. I get the feeling the Montclair’s are hiding something. It belongs to them, but it’s not what you’d think given their family’s reputation.”

“What do you mean?” I asked at the same time Dre said, “Did it feel like there was Dark magic at work there? I still think they are connected to the shit in the swamp. There are no such things as coincidences.”

Xinar sighed and crossed his arms over his massive chest. “I can’t argue with that. All I can tell you is I haven’t seen anything to support that. I’ll keep looking.”

“That’s all we ask,” Dre agreed. “We will look at whatever you think we need to see.”

“I’ll text the address,” Xinar replied.

“Did Cami tell you about everything?” I asked before we left.

Xinar’s cheeks turned pink as he nodded. “She worries about you guys. You’re like family to her.”

I clapped him on the back. “The feeling is mutual. I’m glad she found you.”

Xinar waved us off and left on foot. We climbed in my car and I followed the directions Xinar gave us. My mouth dropped open when I parked in front of an abandoned plantation. It was cloaked in shadows and the dense foliage overhead created a canopy that blocked out most of the sunlight.

Our feet crunched dead leaves as we approached the crumbling estate. The plantation had once been a grand home. It now stood in a state of disrepair, with vinescrawling up its walls. Windows were broken or clouded with grime.

“This doesn’t fit a power-hungry family,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper. “It doesn’t exactly scream Montclair.”

Dani nodded, her eyes scanning the dilapidated structure. “Be careful. Who knows what we'll find inside?”

As we stepped through the overgrown garden, Adèle's voice echoed in our minds. “There's a hidden passage near the west wing,” she murmured.

“Thank the gods there’s another way inside,” Phi blurted. “I wasn’t looking forward to walking up to the door.”

We moved cautiously and quietly after that. The creaking wooden floorboards under our feet sounded unnaturally loud in the silence. The house felt alive. With what, I couldn’t be sure. My face screwed up in disgust when each room we came across was filled with decaying furniture and enough layers of dust to bury ten bodies.

“Look at these symbols,” Dre whispered loudly as she gestured to some faded carvings on the walls. “They're magical and it looks like they form a pattern.”

Phi joined her and said, “It’s almost like a map.”

“They're ancient symbols meant to protect something—or hide it,” Adèle informed us

"Let's stick together," Dea suggested, her voice steady. "We need to cover more ground, but we can't afford to be separated."

She got no argument from us. We moved cautiously through the abandoned plantation with our senses on high alert. "The west wing looks the most promising," I said. “The windows are intact there.”

"Agreed," Dani said as we proceeded down the left corridor together. Our footsteps echoed softly on the old wooden floors. The shadows pulsed with a life of their own, and I couldn't shake the feeling that we were beingwatched. Of course, that could be my overactive imagination.

"There," Adèle's voice guided us. "Behind the bookshelf."

Dre and I pushed the heavy, dust-covered bookshelf aside. We revealed a narrow, hidden passageway. The air inside was cooler and carried the faint scent of damp earth and old magic.

"This looks promising," Dani said, stepping into the passage. "Let's see where it leads."

Our footsteps echoed softly as we followed the winding corridor. The walls were lined with more symbols that glowed faintly. I swear they were drawing energy from our presence. It was like a subtle draw on my magical core. My protective instincts kicked in and I cast a spell to stop what was happening. I noted my sisters did the same thing.

"These symbols," Dre muttered, "are taking from us to obscure whatever is here. It’s insidious."

“I don’t like this,” I muttered as we continued.

The passage finally opened up into a hidden chamber. The room was filled with ancient artifacts. Bookshelves were lined with dusty tomes and a large, ornate chest in the center. "Jackpot," Dani said, her eyes lighting up. "Let's see what we've got."

"Be careful. There might be traps," Adèle warned.

“We should disarm any magical ambushes,” I replied.

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