Page 27 of Mardi Gras Murders & Midnight Masquerades
I watched as he drew lines between the altered sections and sites where victims were found. It created a complex geometric pattern centered on Jackson Square. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up as I wondered about the emerging shape. There was no doubt it had an evil purpose.
Adèle's tail swished anxiously as she padded across the map. "That's a soul-harvesting matrix," she informed us. Her mental voice had dropped to a whisper that seemed to reverberate through my skull. "And it's massive. The entire French Quarter is inside it."
Jeff stepped back to view the completed pattern, and the color drained from his face. "My god, Kota. I'm not sure how your masquerade plays into it, but if they activate this during the height of carnival season with hundreds of thousands of people inside..."
"The death toll would be catastrophic," I finished. Myhand instinctively moved to the protective charm at my throat.
"Look at these sections." Adèle pawed five specific modifications that didn't connect properly to the main pattern. "These don't fit. They're not part of the Society's design."
My husband's brow furrowed as he studied the anomalies. "You're right. They create a separate shape within the first one. Almost like..."
"Like someone hijacked their ritual," I concluded. "These modifications weren't in the Society documents Phi found. Someone altered the Society's alterations."
Thunder cracked directly overhead, making the lights flicker. The storm was intensifying, mirroring the tension building in my chest. Before I could ask Adèle what it could mean, my phone rang, displaying Dre's number.
"We've got something," I answered without preamble. "The parade routes form a soul-harvesting matrix, but there's evidence someone has modified the Society's original design."
"That matches what Dani found," Dre replied. "Get down to the warehouse district. Phi decoded an old Society ledger that references a central control mechanism hidden in a float warehouse. We're meeting there in thirty minutes."
"We'll be there," I promised before hanging up.
Jeff was already grabbing his coat. "I can get us in through the service entrance. I've got contacts at Bacchus' main workshop."
"Perfect." I tucked our annotated map into a waterproof case and then quickly gathered supplies from our emergency witch supply. I snagged some herbs, crystals, and defensive potions.
Adèle leapt gracefully from the table to the floor and looked up at me. "Don't forget the Hellfire Hex," she projected firmly into my mind. "That disruption potion couldsave your lives if someone activates the matrix. It's designed to target channeled energy and collapse it back on the caster." Her tail swished with urgency. "If you're walking into danger, you'll want your strongest magic ready," she advised, her mental voice resolute. "And I sense you're heading straight for it."
I nodded, grabbing the small vial of iridescent crimson liquid from our locked cabinet. The glass felt unnaturally warm against my palm as I slipped it into my inner pocket. "Stay here and guard the plantation," I told Adèle as I knelt to scratch behind her ears. "If we don't return in a few hours, contact Dre or one of the others through our bond."
Adèle's golden eyes narrowed with displeasure, but she dipped her head in acknowledgment. "Be cautious. The energy is unstable tonight."
“Always am,” I promised her.
"Let's move," Jeff said as he checked his watch. Thunder cracked overhead as we dashed through the plantation's back door and out onto the covered portico.
The storm had intensified. It was turning the oak-lined drive into a wind tunnel. Jeff's SUV was parked in the closest spot. He started the engine with the key fob before we sprinted through the downpour. Our clothes were soaked by the time we slammed the doors shut.
"For once, I wish I could have brought her with us," I said, glancing back at the plantation house where I could just make out Adèle's silhouette in the window. “She might have some insight about what we encounter.”
"I didn't think it was safe to parade her around,” Jeff replied as he pulled onto the street.
I shook my head. “It’s not. Phoebe and the other Pleiades haven’t announced that familiars are being born again. They don’t want the few there are to be hunted by the Tainted this soon.”
“That’s what I thought. Her help would be nice, but I havefaith in you, love. Besides, she'll alert the others if something goes wrong," Jeff reassured me as he merged onto the highway toward the city.
The drive was tense and largely silent. We were both lost in our own thoughts about what awaited us. This was the first time Jeff had participated at this level in an investigation. And the only reason he was this time was because of his connections and insight. I had to admit, I didn’t like the thought of him being in danger. It made my dragon twitchier than she had been lately. At least my sisters should be there when we arrived.
Jeff navigated around flooded sections of the road while the windshield wipers struggled to keep up with the rain. My phone buzzed with periodic updates from Dre and Dani. They were minutes away from the rendezvous point.
The rain had transformed into a proper deluge by the time we reached the warehouse district. Water sheeted across cracked asphalt. Most workers had fled the storm's fury, making the industrial area feel deserted.
"That's odd," Jeff murmured as we approached the Bacchus workshop. "There should be lights on. They're working around the clock this close to carnival season. Even in this weather."
Even from this distance, I was able to see the massive float featuring Bacchus himself. It loomed like a silent sentinel through the warehouse's partially open doors. Its papier-mâché face grinned manically in the storm's gray light. Its eyes were hollow and watchful.
"Something is wrong," I whispered as my magic and my dragon stirred defensively beneath my skin. "I don't sense anyone inside."
Jeff pulled into a loading zone partially concealed by stacked shipping containers. "Your sisters shouldbe here by now."
