Page 52 of Sweaty Nights & Gator Bites

Kaitlyn turned to us, her eyes widening with concern. The rest of her coven continued their work. Now that we were close enough, I could hear them chanting a protection spell. “What did you find?” she asked, stepping forward.

“We found detailed plans for him to take over the paranormal world,” Dre said, holding up a weathered book with pages that seemed to hum with dark energy. “He’s been strengthening his magic by stealing energy from the swamp. And if he succeeds in taking over the council here, he will cause a lot of problems.”

“And there are notes connecting him to the three families,” Phi added, pulling out crumpled papers covered in Garrick’s spidery handwriting. “He’s been manipulating them, using their resources for himself.”

Kota unrolled a large, brittle map she had taken from the lair. It was covered in markings, notes, and symbols. “He’s marked key locations around the swamp. This is where he plans to strike next. We can stop him.”

Kaitlyn’s brow furrowed as she examined the map. Her fingers traced the lines and symbols, her lips moving silently as she deciphered the notes. “We’ll need to fortify these areas immediately. My coven can set up additional wards and protective barriers to impede his progress.”

Kaitlyn’s coven came to us and looked over things. When they went back to work, they had shifted where they were creating wards. The air hummed with the vibrant energy of their spells. As Kaitlyn’s coven worked, I noticed Xinar approaching along with Lucas and Noah. Cyran and Talindra were behind them. We updated them on what we discovered. Xinar went rigid while we were talking.

“Xinar, what is it?” I asked, moving closer to him, the damp earth squelching under my boots.

A deep frown was etched across his face when he looked at me. “There’s a major disturbance in the area,” he growled. “It’s significant and Dark.”

CHAPTER 18

DAHLIA

“We need to destroy these relics,” Kaitlyn replied to Xinar’s announcement. “They’re feeding power from the bayou directly to Garrick. As long as these exist, he’s stronger. Without these, he will weaken.”

My eyes widened. “And whatever big thing that is happening stops.”

Kaitlyn lifted a shoulder. “That’s the goal. I can’t guarantee it. Magic isn’t always predictable.”

Dani tilted her head from side to side. “It’s our best shot at this point. We can’t afford to give him any more advantage.”

I watched as Kaitlyn and her coven began to set up a ritual circle. Their movements were precise and practiced. The rest of us formed a protective ring around them. The others scanned the swamp for any signs of danger while my sisters and I did a salt circle for Kaitlyn. The relics began to hum as if they’d become aware of their impending doom.

The six of us formed a circle with the coven inside of it. Kaitlyn held up the first artifact. It was a twisted, gnarled piece of wood that seemed to writhe in her hands. The coven began chanting, and Kaitlyn poured a potion on the thing. My sisters and I joined the chanting, and with a final, powerful incantation. Kaitlyn smashed the relic against a rock. The relic shattered with a deafening crack. A surge of Dark magic rippled through the air like a shockwave.

The power rushing past me was cold and malevolent. Thankfully it dissipated in the night before it escaped the barriers the witches had erected earlier. There was no doubt the bayou sighed in relief after that and the oppressive atmosphere lightened slightly.

“One down,” Dre muttered, her eyes never leaving the surrounding shadows.

Kaitlyn moved on to the next artifact. It was a rusted metal charm that glowed with an eerie green light. As she destroyed it, the same surge of dark energy erupted. This time, it felt weaker and less potent. The bayou’s power was slowly being freed from Garrick’s grasp. I wanted to pump my fists in the air.

Phi stepped forward taking the next relic. It was a small, intricately carved bone. She looked at it with disgust before crushing it under her boot. The dark energy it released was barely a whisper compared to the previous artifacts. A sure sign that our efforts were working.

With each relic destroyed, I could feel the balance of power shifting. The swamp, once heavy with Garrick’s influence, began to feel more like itself again. It was wild and unpredictable, but no longer leaning toward malevolent.

As we destroyed the final artifact, a large stone etched with dark runes, the ground beneath us trembled. The release of energy was massive. A final desperate gasp of power reverberated through the swamp. The air was filledwith a cacophony of whispers and screams and then fell silent.

Kaitlyn looked around, her eyes meeting each of us. “We’ve done what we can to weaken him.”

Dani turned to me. “We need to move now. While he’s vulnerable.”

I nodded, feeling a surge of determination. “No time like the present to finish this.”

“Who’s there?” Lucas called out. I ran to his side and gathered my magic.

A group of gator shifters stumbled into the small cluster of trees where we were. Remy stepped forward. “We felt a disturbance and thought it was you fighting Garrick. We rushed to help,” he said in his deep, gravelly voice. “But we discovered another body instead.”

My heart sank. Another victim of Garrick’s madness. “Show us,” I said.

Remy turned and led us through the dense foliage. The air grew colder as we walked and the smell of decay stronger. We reached a small clearing without incident. A vice tightened around my chest when I saw the body lying partially submerged in the water. The sight was gruesome. Another life had been senselessly taken.

“We need to call the coroner,” I said, pulling out my phone. We had one now and needed to use her. No one objected. The call was brief and tense. Dr. Grey agreed to come out immediately.

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