Page 21 of Langiappe & Lost Legends

"Guys?" Phi's voice had that tone that usually meant something was about to go terribly wrong. Her device was vibrating so hard it looked ready to shake apart. "The energy readings are spiking. I think they know we're here."

As if on cue, the mirrors started pulsing with power. The images swirled faster and bled into each other like watercolors in the rain. The energy in the room was built until I could taste it. And it was like someone dropped a watery turd on my tongue. Bile burned the back of my throat.

"We need to go," I said, already backing toward the door. My instincts were screaming warnings at me. "Now. Before they decide to show us something we really don't want to see."

We didn't quite make it. The mirrors exploded inward. Shards of glass flew through the air. I caught glimpses of dinosaurs, flying cars, ancient rituals, and future technologies. They were reflected in the broken pieces swirling around us. "Shield up!" I shouted as I cast every protection spell I could think of around our group. The shards bounced off our combined bubbles. Each impact sent ripples through us. They were trying to destabilize us.

Dre grabbed me, and we ran. It wasn’t our proudest moment. Sometimes, strategic retreat is the better part of valor. Especially when a magical mob was trying to rearrange your insides. We didn't stop until we reached my car. We piled in like the hounds of hell were after us. Which, given what we'd just seen, would have been an improvement.

"Everyone whole?" I asked, performing a quick headcount while peeling away from the gate fast enough to leave rubber in multiple timelines. "All body parts in their original century?"

Kota made a sound like a seasick toddler from the backseat. "Pretty sure my stomach is still back there, possibly hanging out with the dinosaurs."

"Well, get your internal organs sorted before we meet Jasper and Penelope," Dani said. I noticed her checking her watch with the air of someone desperately clinging to normal schedules in the face of supernatural chaos. "We've already got their consultation fees tied up in that UV printer. I refuse to explain why we're requesting a refund because someone's liver decided to take a vacation to the Mesozoic era."

CHAPTER 8

DANIELLE

Isquinted at the faded text while fighting the urge to press my nose against the ancient pages. The desk lamp was doing its best, but whoever wrote this clearly thought legible handwriting was optional. "I’ve got another reference to the Lost Legends using blood magic," I announced as I traced the spidery script with my finger. "Still nothing about where their powers came from originally, though. Just more 'and then they murdered everyone's stories. It’s super helpful."

Thanks to Cami and Xinar's archive diving expedition, we had a fresh stack of dusty books to wade through. After wrapping up the client meeting – where, thankfully, the happy couple had loved our efforts thus far – we'd all settled in for some light reading about historical mass murderers. Honestly, it was sad that this was typical Tuesday night stuff for us now.

The library looked like a tornado had hit an old bookstore. Dea had created her typical ‘organized chaos’ nest on the floor. She was surrounded by enough open books to make a librarian cry. Lia was doing her best impression of a bored teenager in the leather armchair. She had one leg thrown over the arm while she flipped through what was likely someone's murder diary.

Phi sat at the desk like she was posing for ‘Proper Witch Weekly’. Her back was straight enough to make my spine ache in sympathy. Her notepad was filled with her precise handwriting. It was likely color-coded and cross-referenced because she was extra like that. Kota and Dre had claimed the window seat and were passing papers back and forth and occasionally muttering about bloodlines and body counts.

"Okay, but seriously," Kota said as she shoved her glasses up with the back of her hand, "who named these assholes? TheLostLegends? Everyone and their grandmother seem to have a story about them killing someone's great-great-whatever. Shouldn't they be the Unfortunately Very Found and Well-Documented Legends?"

Phi didn't even look up from whatever ancient family tree she was decoding. "Maybe they lost their Yelp reviews along with their souls? Everything we've found suggests they started out as the magical equivalent of supernatural police before going full murder-hobo."

I snorted and turned another delicate page. "They went from 'protect and serve' to 'maim and massacre’? That's a hell of a career change."

"Speaking of corruption," Dre interjected, "I've been tracking the patterns. Every reference to the Lost Legends mentions them seeking artifacts of power. They were particularly focused on crystals and relics that can amplify natural magic."

"Like the Larmes du Bayou," Lia pointed out as she sat up straighter. "Which is exactly what they were after this time."

I was about to agree when something in the text caught my eye. My fingers trembled slightly as I traced the elegant script of what appeared to be a personal account. "Guys," I whispered, "I think you need to see this."

The others gathered around as I began to read aloud. "The Larmes du Bayou must be protected at all costs. Our familybears this burden, as we have since the first conflict with those who would abuse its power. The Smith line has always stood guard, while the Yearsley blood carries the key."

"Wait, what?" Lia leaned closer. She nearly knocked over my water glass in her excitement. "Our Smith line? As in Dad's family?"

"And Mom's family, too," Dea pointed out. "Both sides of our family are mentioned."

My hands shook slightly as I turned to the next page. "The Lost Legends seek to corrupt the crystal's pure energy. They intend to twist its protective powers into something dark and consuming. We cannot allow this. The combined strength of these bloodlines creates a barrier they cannot breach. But only if we maintain the balance between the Smith determination and the Yearsley intuition.'"

"Holy shit," Kota breathed as she sank into the nearest chair. "Our ancestors were involved in stopping the Lost Legends. It sounds like they protected the crystal from them."

"But that's impossible," Phi protested, though her voice wavered. "We grew up completely normal. Besides Mom and Dea's ghost thing, none of us had any powers. Not a damn thing until Phoebe accidentally awakened our magical DNA. There weren’t even stories told to us."

"We know that's not entirely true," Dre said thoughtfully. "Think about it. Dea saw ghosts, like Mom. Phi, you've always had that weird ability to tell when something is meant to be. Kota can calm any animal she meets. And Lia has always had a sense about things."

"And you've always known when any of us were in trouble," I added, looking at Dre. "Even before all this started."

"Do you think Mom and Dad knew something? I bet they heard stories and didn’t want to share because it was too out there.” Lia’s expression had become angry, and shewas clenching her fists. “They should have shared our family history!"

"Maybe they didn't know," Dre suggested. "Look at the dates on these records. Most of them are from the late eighteen hundreds. A lot could have been lost or forgotten over the generations."

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