Page 35 of Mardi Gras Murders & Midnight Masquerades
He turned back to us with renewed purpose. "But not anymore. Not if lives are at stake."
Dre pinned him with a look. “This information is not something you can share with anyone else. Not even your wife. The supernaturals will kill you if you do. It’s how we ensure our survival.”
“Understood, but you can’t expect me to sit back and do nothing,” he replied.
"We will let you know what you can do. First, we need to find out who the mage is possessing in this cycle," I said, flipping through Sullivan's notes. "It would have to be someone with access to both the Society and supernatural community."
"Someone who could manipulate parade routes," Dani suggested.
"And would be present at the masquerade," Dea added.
"Could it be Keryth? Perhaps that is why he wanted to host the masquerade," I suggested, thinking of the elf who was paying us to plan and hold the event at Willowberry.
Dre shook her head firmly. "No, it doesn't fit his power signature. Not to mention, he was incredibly upset about the recent murders. He even asked if we should cancel.”
"What about the pendant Alexis was wearing? That feels like it will be our best lead," Dani said, pointing to Sullivan's detailed sketch of an ornate pendant that was worn by witnesses across the decades. "We need to see if she is still wearing it. If not, we need to find out who is."
"It’s not Alexis. She would be too obvious,” Dre replied. “It makes more sense that she was the protector until they had enough power to move his soul to someone new. Whoever it is will be at the center of both communities while not being someone we would immediately suspect."
"We need to make a list of all prominent figures who'll be at the masquerade," I suggested. "Then find a way to see who is wearing the pendant."
"We can't confront them directly," Dea pointed out. "If they've been practicing magic for centuries and accumulating knowledge with each new host, they'll have safeguards we can't even imagine."
CHAPTER 11
Danielle
I scratched at my arms like a meth-head going through withdrawals, but the creepy-crawly sensation wasn't budging. We'd just gotten back to the plantation after our chat with Detective Payne. That drive from the precinct to Willowberry? Silent as a graveyard at midnight. All of us were too busy having our minds blown by what we'd learned. Some ancient mage-dude had been playing puppet master with the Society, manipulating them into helping him extend his life like some undead parasite. Well, that was our theory, anyway. No way to be sure until we confronted the creepy bastard.
My skin was turning red from all the scratching, but the sensation wasn't going anywhere. It was that freaking mask. Its energy was like nails on a chalkboard to my senses. The thing sat inside Kaitlyn's containment box on the workshop table. Its dark energy was pulsing against our barriers like some heartbeat from hell. I could feel its malevolence from across the damn room. Our wards were about as effective as a screen door on a submarine. The mask'senergy was cranking up to eleven, and now the thing felt like a bomb ready to blow us all to kingdom come.
"That mask is part of the mage's plan,” Dre said as she rubbed her temples, “and I'd bet my last dollar it's somehow connected to his ritual to make us his vessels. We need to understand it before the masquerade."
"I'll call Marie," I said, whipping out my phone. "That woman's seen more evil magic than a horror movie marathon. If anyone knows how to poke at this corrupted piece of crap without getting our souls sucked out, it's her."
Lia's eyes were glued to the box like it might sprout legs and scuttle away. "It's getting stronger. Can you feel it? Whatever power he put on it is fighting against the containment."
"Like a rabid raccoon in a cardboard box," I muttered, typing out a text.
While we waited, my sisters and I cast a containment bubble that would at least give us some breathing room. We worked in perfect sync, our sisterly bond making the magic flow between us like electricity. We wove an invisible dome around us and the mask. It wasn't exactly Fort Knox, but it would buy us time if the mask decided to expel its power. The plantation would be safe.
Marie was lugging an ornate wooden chest that practically hummed with protective magic when she arrived. Subtle wasn't her style. Her eyes narrowed the second she stepped into the workshop. She immediately sized up what we were dealing with.
"You were right to call me," she said before setting down her chest and approaching the containment box cautiously. "This is old magic. Very Dark. And it's waking up."
Kaitlyn appeared in the doorway with Kaveh close behind her. "The null-sphere is faltering. Whatever energy is in that mask, it's exploiting the weaknesses in our barriers."
"We need to know what we're dealing with," Dre told them without revealing we were the target of this crazed mage. "Can we examine it safely?”
“I could use my psychometry to learn its secrets?" I offered.
Marie hovered her hand over the box, her eyes narrowing like she was trying to see through concrete. "Not alone," she finally answered. "But if we all pitch in and combine our mojo, we might be able to strip away the layers without setting off whatever nasty surprise is crammed inside."
"What exactly are you proposing?" Kota asked, shooting glances between Marie and Dre like she was watching a tennis match of potential betrayal. Her skepticism? Totally justified. To work together meant cracking our mental doors open to Marie. Given our history, we trusted her about as much as a hungry fox in a henhouse.
Adèle, our feline familiar, chose that moment to jump onto the table beside the box. Her sleek black fur stood on end, and her golden eyes fixated on the mask with a look of pure feline disgust.“I should weave the magic together,”she projected into our minds, including Marie, Kaveh, and Kaitlyn in the mental conversation. “I can ensure the power remains balanced.”I suppressed a snort. Leave it to Adèle to insult everyone's magical abilities while simultaneously volunteering to save our asses.
Marie's lips twitched into something almost resembling a smile. "Your familiar has a point," she admitted, clearly surprised to be included in Adèle's telepathic chat. "A familiar's connection to magical energies is... different. More fluid."
