Page 30 of Mardi Gras Murders & Midnight Masquerades
Despite everything, a laugh bubbled up from my chest. "At least we got confirmation." I pulled out the soaked map case, the waterproof seal having protected our discovery. "We know someone's manipulating the Society, and now we have proof."
Jeff nodded and pulled me closer. "Those people in those masks weren't the Society, were they?"
"No," I confirmed, shivering from both the rain and magical exertion. "I don't think they were ever human. They felt almost like projections. Puppets controlled by something else."
"You think it’s the entity Kassandramentioned?" Jeff asked as he guided our craft toward a maintenance platform visible beneath one of the city's bridges.
"Maybe." I checked my phone, unsurprised to find it dead after our river adventure. I patted my pocket, relieved to feel the Hellfire Hex vial still intact. Adèle's warning now seemed prophetic. "We need to warn the others. Those things said I'd make a 'perfect vessel.' Whatever's controlling them might be targeting all of us."
Jeff helped me onto the platform. His warm hand was steadying despite the chill. "There is a workshop not far from here. We can use the landline to call your sisters."
As we made our way through the storm, I couldn't shake the sensation of those empty mask sockets staring at me. Was the Society our enemy? That remained to be seen. They were pawns in a game that was centuries in the making. The bigger threat was still unknown.
"The floats," I realized suddenly, stopping in my tracks. "Those sigils I found. They're meant to do more than collect energy from the parades."
"What do you mean?" Jeff asked.
"What if they're activation switches?" I postulated. "Each float passes over specific points along the modified routes. When they do, they could trigger components of whatever ritual is being constructed."
Jeff's face paled. "And Keryth's masquerade..."
"Is the final piece," I hedged. "All those masks in one place. All that concentrated supernatural power. Plus, the gathered tourists in the Quarter. It's the capstone of the entire ritual."
"We need to find out who's really pulling the strings," Jeff said as we resumed our hurried pace.
"And fast," I agreed. "Because carnival season officially begins tomorrow. And I have a feeling our mysterious puppet master has been waiting centuries for this particular Mardi Gras."
CHAPTER 10
Dahlia
I'd been pacing the library floor for twenty minutes, checking my phone obsessively as my battery drained from all the calls to Kota and Jeff. The storm raging over New Orleans had prevented us from meeting them at the warehouse. It had even caused problems for Lucas's pack as they searched for not only the Society, but also my sister and her husband. Not even our tracking spells could locate them.
"Anything?" Dre asked without looking up from some documents Phi had smuggled from the tunnels.
"Nothing," I replied, slamming my phone down. "What kind of witch can't even locate her own sister?"
“Don't be so hard on yourself,”Adèle told me. The Siamese cat was perched attentively on the nearby bookshelf. “Your magic is strong. If you can't find them, it means powerful forces are at work. Trust in Kota's abilities. She knows how to protect herself.”
"One whose sister is in a magical dead zone," Dani offered. "It's them, not us."
“Precisely what I sensed,”Adèle agreed, her tail twitchingthoughtfully. “The ancient barriers beneath the city sometimes rise during storms. Your sister knows how to navigate them.”
Lightning flashed, illuminating the library before plunging us back into the usual soft glow of our witch fire. It was safer than candles since mundane flames could be manipulated by outside forces. The sound of tires on gravel cut off what I was going to say. We rushed to the window to see a battered pickup truck lurch to a stop. Two drenched figures stumbled out, supporting each other.
"Kota! Jeff!" I was outside before I could think. The rain plastered my hair to my face.
They looked like they'd been through a hurricane. Their clothes were torn and soaked through. Jeff had a nasty gash across his forehead and burns on his left arm. Lucas appeared beside us, lifting Kota effortlessly despite her protests.
Once inside, Dani checked the wards while Dre checked Jeff's injuries. She used her healing ability to fix him right up. Kota collapsed into a chair. Her face was pale with exhaustion, but she didn't look injured.
“Kota, your magical reserves are extremely low,”Adèle observed as she jumped down to press against Kota's legs. “What happened?”
"I didn't want to get kidnapped and used as some psychopath's magical juice box," she replied weakly. "I had to manifest a raft to escape. We're going to need to replace a pier, by the way."
“A raft manifestation while fending off Dark beings? Remarkable spellwork,”Adèle purred with admiration. “That's advanced elemental binding. You shouldn’t be capable of such a feat for decades. You've grown powerful.”
"Who were you running from?" Dre asked as she checked over Kota.
