Page 37 of Langiappe & Lost Legends

"Everyone needs to fall back," Phi announced. "The network's creating some kind of feedback loop with the stored memories in the ley lines. We will get hurt worse if we remain here."

"It's worse than that," Adèle projected to us. Her voice was filled with agitation. "It’s not about the memories or loop. You've fully reactivated old magic. Magic that was deliberately sealed away. The kind that makes your current problems look like a kindergarten science project. The storm cracked the seal.The Legends made it wider. And you six blew it open."

My eyes widened in horror, and my heart began hammering in my chest. “Then we need to contain it. We can’t leave it to consume the Quarter.”

"The Lost Legends," Dre gasped as understanding hit her like a spiritual two-by-four. "When they were originally bound, the power didn't just seal them away. It became part of the ley lines themselves."

"Finally catching up, are we?" Adèle's mental voice could have dried up the Mississippi with its level of sarcasm. "Perhaps now you understand why I suggested more research before activating ancient power networks?"

Lucas's arm around my waist was probably the only thing keeping me upright at this point. "Breathe, baby," he murmured. "We'll figure this out."

"Which means our shield network isn't just redirecting their current energy drain," Phi concluded, her voice tight with controlled panic. "It's accidentally tapping into the original binding spell. A spell that was meant to contain beings powerful enough to change the world."

"And now you've basically shorted out that containment," Adèle added helpfully. "I have to say, it hasn’t been your best work."

Well, shit. No wonder our anchors were failing. We'd basically tried to hook up a home circuit breaker to handle the output of a nuclear power plant. And people wondered why magic users had insurance rates through the roof.

"Our trap," Dani said, her face pale enough to make her freckles stand out like constellations. "If we try to spring it while they're connected to this much power..."

"It'll backfire spectacularly," I finished. "We definitely need a better way to ground everything. Something that can handle both the current drain and the ancient energy stored in these lines." I paused, then added, "Preferably before we accidentally unleash an apocalypse that's been marinating for a few centuries."

"There are places," Adèle said thoughtfully. "Old places, where the natural flow of power creates its own stability. The native peoples knew them. The French and Spanish later built over them, but they're still there." Her mental voice took on that infuriatingly mysterious tone she used when she was about to make our lives more difficult. "They’re hidden in plain sight, where the old magic runs deepest."

"That's... incredibly unhelpful," I muttered, wiping more blood from my nose. "Any chance you could be more specific?"

"Unfortunately, that’s all I know," she purred. "The problem is that the locations aren't fixed points on a map. They shift with the flow of power. What was a convergence point two centuries ago might be dormant now. New ones have formed elsewhere. The city's magic is fluid."

"Phi," I said slowly as an idea started forming. "The ley lines aren't just power conduits, are they? They're like the roots of a tree. They all connect to somewhere central, right?"

"Yeah, at a nexus point," she agreed. "Probably several, given the city's magical history. But finding them would require-"

"Following the memories stored in the lines themselves," I cut in, probably a bit too excited given the whole 'bleeding from the nose' situation. "Which we can now access, thanks to our spectacular screwup with the shield network."

"Finally, a sensible suggestion," Adèle purred. "Though I use the term 'sensible' very loosely here. What you are suggesting is dangerous. You should try other methods of research first. Phi’s new toys might also come in handy in this endeavor."

Lucas gave me that look. One that said he knew I was about to suggest something crazy, but he'd back my play anyway. God, I loved that man. "What are you thinking?"

"I think we need to go deeper. Literally." I gestured to the ground beneath our feet. "These memories are showing us places where the city's oldest magic was worked. Places that might still exist under all these fancy tourist traps."

"There are more convergence points than you'd think," Adèle interjected. “Some in the Quarter, yes, but others..." she trailed off. "Let's just say the city's magical geography extends far beyond tourist maps. It goes all the way out into the swamps, as you learned recently. The true power points form a pattern if you know how to read it."

"And let me guess," I sighed. "You're not going to tell us what that pattern is."

"Where would the fun be in that?" Her mental voice dripped amusement. "Besides, the pattern shifts. Changes. You six need to learn to feel where the power wants to flow, not where someone decided to put it centuries ago."

"There has to be a way to use this," Dre said with her hands still pressed against my temples. The healing energy helped. Although, my brain still felt like it was trying to escape through my eye sockets. "If the power wants to flow naturally, maybewe can work with that instead of trying to force it into our shield network." She got that look she always did when working through a particularly tricky problem. "Like redirecting blood flow during surgery. You don't try to stop it completely, you just guide it where it needs to go."

My stomach lurched as another wave of vertigo hit me. Through the dizziness, I caught Lucas adjusting his grip to keep me upright. The man was basically my support beam at this point. A very sexy, very worried support beam.

"Now you're thinking," Adèle replied excitedly. "The human body and the earth's magic aren't so different. Both have natural pathways that resist being blocked."

I wiped more blood from my nose with my already-ruined sleeve. At this rate, I was going to have to burn this shirt. Though honestly, given our track record with magical mishaps, I should probably just start buying them in bulk. "So instead of trying to patch the old container," I said, struck by a sudden inspiration, "what if we create a new one? Like, instead of trying to put the lid back on a jar that keeps changing sizes, we make a new vessel that can flex with the flow?"

Lucas's arm tightened around my waist. "That's my girl," he murmured. "Always thinking outside the box." His praise would have been more enjoyable if my head wasn't threatening to explode.

"It's possible," Adèle said. "The power can be guided through the ley lines, but it will take significant effort. And more importantly, perfect timing. One misstep and you'll have more than nosebleeds to worry about."

"That's comforting," I muttered. "Any other cheerful predictions? Maybe throw in some locusts for good measure?"

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