Page 38 of Mardi Gras Murders & Midnight Masquerades
The chamber had gone utterly silent. Every supernatural held their breath as Alexis continued. "He attempted to recruit me. He even offered the pendant as proof of his good faith. I accepted it to learn more of his plans. My efforts proved fruitless. I was unable to discover anything." Her lip curled slightly in distaste. "I may be a vampire, but I can assure you that I have no interest in the wholesale slaughter of New Orleans."
"And the pendant?" I pressed.
"I kept it, studied it, and eventually locked it away. I’m sure you already know this, but it is a soul anchor. A tether that allows the mage to return to a prepared vessel after death." Alexis's perfect composure slipped for just a moment. "When the murders began again this cycle, I retrieved it from my vault, hoping to use it to track him."
"But you're not wearing it now," Lia observed. Her tone was accusatory enough to make Tanarath nod in approval.
"No," Alexis admitted. "It was taken from me three nights ago. My quarters were breached. My guards were killed, and the pendant was stolen." Her eyes hardened to diamonds. "I've been hunting the thief ever since." How very convenient. I didn’t believe her for a second. Vampires were vile creatures who had no souls.
"If Alexis is telling the truth," Keryth interjected, "then someone else now possesses this anchor. Someone with access to both the supernatural community and the Society."
"No doubt they will also be at your masquerade," I added. "That will be the perfect opportunity for him to get his potential vessels gathered in one place."
"As some of you are aware, the Six Twisted Sisters are the intended vessels," Kota explained. I gaped at my sister. I wasn’t going to tell them. "Mark me. The ritual will draw power from everyone present, not justus. If the mage succeeds, the death toll won't be limited to us. You are all at risk."
“Even if you are the mage’s new vessel,” Lia added. “Your life will be forfeit as soon as the mage returns to his original body.”
"What exactly does this mage want?" Kaveh asked.
"Apotheosis," Marie answered. "The transformation of a mortal into an immortal god through magical means. It's been attempted throughout history, always with catastrophic results."
"Some Society members believe they're working toward this goal collectively," I added, remembering fragments from what I had seen. "But the mage has no intention of sharing his ascension. He's using them, just as he plans to use us."
"Then we must cancel the masquerade," Keryth declared, rising to his feet.
"No," Alexis contradicted sharply. "If we cancel, he'll simply find another venue, one where we have less control. It is better to proceed as planned but with enhanced security and awareness." Of course, she would want things to proceed as planned.
Debate erupted again, and factions formed faster than high school cliques. Kaitlyn sided with us, no surprise there. Kassandra and Cyran backed Alexis. Kaveh, Molvith, and Tanarath argued for a third option involving a lot more violence than I was comfortable with. Talindra and Keryth were prepared to evacuate their people.
"Stop," Dre said as she lifted her hands. "This division, chaos, and distrust will benefit him in his efforts. We are playing into his hands."
Kota picked up Dre’s thread seamlessly. "The masquerade proceeds, but on our terms. Every guest will be screened. Any suspicious magical signatures will be investigated immediately. We will be creating magical cuffs in conjunction withKaitlyn, Kaveh, and Marie. My sisters and I will not allow him to take us."
I shot her a look, catching her almost imperceptible nod. We would share just enough to get their cooperation without revealing our actual strategy. No way in hell were we spilling all our secrets to a room full of supernaturals with their own agendas. Especially not Alexis, who'd somehow ‘lost’ a mystical pendant that powered the evil mage. Convenient.
"I assume the Six Twisted Sisters have some plan for protection," Alexis said with one perfectly shaped eyebrow lifted.
"We're working on several options," I replied vaguely, offering a smile that didn't reach my eyes. "Rest assured, we won't make it easy for him."
Noah stiffened beside me, his arm pressing against mine. He knew we were holding back, but also understood why. When you don't know who to trust, you trust no one.
"This is madness," Molvith rumbled, ice crystals forming along the edges of his clothing. “It feels too risky to go forward with the event.”
"The djinn will assist with wards," Kaveh offered. "We have techniques that may prove... beneficial." His careful phrasing made it clear he wasn't sharing all his tricks either. Smart man.
"The gargoyles will provide physical security," Kassandra added. "We see everything and blend into architecture. Perfect for surveillance."
One by one, the council members pledged support—even Molvith and Tanarath, though they looked like they'd rather eat glass. We nodded and thanked them appropriately. Dre and Phi shared looks that assured me Phi was sorting which offers we'd actually accept and which were too dangerous to entangle ourselves with.
As the meeting adjourned, Alexisapproached me. Up close, I could see the faint shadows beneath her perfect makeup. Was that evidence of genuine strain? "You're taking an enormous risk," she said quietly. "This mage has had centuries to plan. He won't be easily outmaneuvered."
"Neither will we," I replied, meeting her gaze steadily while keeping my mental shields at maximum. The last thing I needed was an ancient vampire messing with my mind.
A ghost of a smile touched her lips. "The pendant has certain... vulnerabilities. If you're truly determined to bait this trap, you should know that its connection to the mage works both ways. If you can locate it, you can use it against him."
"How?" I asked, genuinely curious despite my distrust. Information was information, and we needed every scrap we could get.
"Soul magic leaves traces," she explained. "The pendant holds fragments of his essence from each transfer. With the right spell, those fragments can be turned against their source."
