Page 13 of Langiappe & Lost Legends

"This is like trying to punch a ghost!" Kota shouted in frustration as another of her attacks passed harmlessly through the guardian. "A really angry, seriously pissed-off spirit!"

"The binding's almost ready!" Dea called out. "I just need a few more seconds!"

The guardian seemed to sense the threat. It turned toward Dea with frightening focus. Energy gathered around its jaws like bottled lightning. I didn't want to know what those teeth would do to human flesh. "Oh no you don't," I growled.

I drew on every ounce of power I could muster. I hurled a bolt of pure energy at the creature's head. It connected just as Dani and Kota hit it from the other side. The combined assault staggered it long enough for Dea to complete her spell. Magic snapped through the air like a steel cable pulled too tight. The guardian roared as Dea's spell locked it into a solid form. Its shifting essence crystallized into something we could actually hit. Able to actually hurt it now, I shouted, "Hit it with everything! And don't let up!"

"Not like we were planning to offer it tea and beignets!" Kota yelled back as her magic joined ours in a concentrated assault.

This was where we excelled. It was what set us apart from others. We attacked as one. Six different types of magic converged on the guardian from all angles. It fought back with terrifying strength. Its attacks left gouges in concrete and steel. But without its ghostly shifting ability, it couldn't repair everything we threw at it.

The final blow came from an unexpected source. One of the bizarre rats scurried between the guardian's feet. It was sporting a Revolutionary War uniform. Its presence caused the creature to stumble. We took advantage and threw more at it. This assault struck it squarely in the chest, making it explode in a shower of rainbow shards.

Something clattered to the ground in the aftermath. My gut told me it was the crystal we'd been searching for. It rolled across the concrete. It was impossibly graceful for something so jagged. It was about the size of my fist. Someone had captured the essence of a New Orleans storm and frozen it mid-lightning strike. Dark clouds swirled in its depths. Threads of purple-white energy crackled along its facets. Even lying there on the dirty floor, it had a presence. The kind that made your skin prickle and your magic stir restlessly.

The silence that followed was deafening. Even the constant humming of the machinery had stopped. "Is everyone okay?" I asked as I scanned my sisters for injuries.

"Define 'okay'," Kota replied as she brushed glittering fragments off her jacket. "The one day I actually go casual with a ponytail, my hair's giving off major 'stuck my finger in a magical socket' vibes. I should've kept the helmet hair. At least that wouldn't have moved."

"Hey, you finally achieved that 'lived-in look' you're always talking about," Dani smirked and then dodged Kota's half-hearted swat. "Though I think you overshot 'lived-in' and landed somewhere between 'struck by lightning' and 'touched a Van de Graaff generator'."

"We need to secure that crystal." Phi changed the subject as she approached where it had fallen. "The energy bleeding from it is intense. If we don't contain it properly, half of New Orleans could end up seriously warped."

"Not so fast." The voice came from behind us. It was as smooth as aged bourbon and twice as dangerous. We turned to find a woman standing in the shadows. Holy hell, she was something else. Her dress was a masterpiece of impossibility. It was an antebellum hoop skirt met prohibition-era beading flowing into modern leather and lace. But it was her face that caught you, held you, and made you want to look away but couldn't.

Her high cheekbones were sharp enough to cut glass. She also had skin like polished mahogany. Her eyes shifted between deep purple and storm-cloud gray. A cascade of tiny braids adorned with gold cuffs and crystal beads framed her face. Each ornament caught the light like tiny stars.

Power rolled off her in waves that made my teeth ache and my bones hum. She wasn't just magic. She had old power. It was the kind that came from when New Orleans was nothing but swamp and secrets.

"You're one of them," Dre said. "One of the Lost Legends."

"Smart girl," the woman replied with a smile that didn't reach her eyes. They were now purple. They also held centuries of calculated patience and something darker and hungrier. "But you're too late. The Larmes du Bayou is ours." She gestured with one arm, and the crystal vanished in a flash of iridescent light. "You've won this small victory, but the real battle is only beginning. The world is a cage, and we are its liberators."

"I’m pretty sure the world prefers its current arrangement," I shot back. "Most people like their lives just fine without yourliberation."

She disappeared before we could stop her. She left behind the faint scent of magnolias and brimstone. And about a million questions. "That was highly unexpected," I muttered as I kicked a piece of debris. "Now what? They've got the crystal. Half the Quarter is probably still experiencing weird magical hiccups, and we're no closer to stopping them."

"At least we know they can be hurt," Dea offered. "The guardian wasn't invincible once we figured out how to bind it."

"Yeah, but we can't exactly go around casting binding spells on every Lost Legend we meet," Kota pointed out. "We need a better solution."

"And we need it fast," Phi added, checking her phone. "The magical disturbances aren't stopping just because we took out their guard dog. If anything, they're spreading."

Dre holstered her weapons with a grim expression. "Now we need to talk to Marie. If anyone knows what her ancestors did with that relic the first time, it's her. We need that information before they finish whatever they're planning."

CHAPTER 5

DANIELLE

"Are you sure about this?" I asked as Lia pulled up the number for Marie Laveau on her phone. We were back at the plantation and still covered in magical residue from our power station adventure.

"No," Lia admitted as she stared at her phone like it might bite. "But we're running out of options faster than tourists run out of sobriety on Bourbon Street."

"Marie?" Dre asked in a sharp tone. "I know she says she’s changed after everything that happened during the storm. But she could be playing us like a jazz quartet."

"Don’t forget that she helped us in the end," Phi pointed out. Although, she didn't sound convinced. Her fingers absently traced the scar on her arm. It was a souvenir from the last time we'd trusted Marie's ‘help’.

"Yeah, after nearly getting us all killed," Kota muttered. "Multiple times. Or did everyone forget about how she kidnapped Dani and Lia?"

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