Page 50 of Mardi Gras Murders & Midnight Masquerades
"We also need to identify all potential vessels and neutralize them before attempting to collapse the ritual," I reasoned.
"Actually, you need to find his current host first," Elspeth corrected. "Then you can locate his backupvessels. His primary form will be someone close to the supernatural power structure. Someone with access and influence."
I brought out Phi's tracking device again. "Can you help us refine this? Make it target his specific signature more precisely?"
Elspeth examined the device with keen interest. "Impressive work," she murmured. "I can try to enhance its sensitivity. I must admit I am not adept at mixing technology with magic. I thought the rumors of such a thing were false. Let me give this a try." She traced ancient symbols on the screen with one finger and whispered a spell. The display flickered, then stabilized with new parameters.
"There," she said with a big grin on her face. "It will now distinguish between his puppet-marks and those with more of his essence. The former appears as red in your system, and the latter as blue. His true essence will show as gold."
"Thank you," I said, tucking the device away. "But why help us? You've clearly stayed hidden for decades. Why reveal yourself now?"
Elspeth's expression hardened. "Because I'm dying, Danielle. The ritual left its mark on me. I've extended my life through various means, but my time is ending. I won't see another cycle." She gripped my hand with surprising strength. "You and your sisters are the last hope to end him permanently."
Noah placed a protective hand on my shoulder. "We should get back to the others. Share what we've learned."
I nodded, but hesitated. "Will you come with us? Your knowledge could be invaluable."
Elspeth shook her head. "My strength is limited. I've prepared something for you instead." She handed me a small wooden box. It was intricately carved with protective symbols. "Instructions for countering the ritual. Study themcarefully. You'll have only one chance to turn Delacroix's magic against him."
As we left the shop, I looked back to thank her once more, only to find the building had vanished entirely. It was replaced by a nondescript souvenir store that had clearly been there for years. "Did that just happen?" Noah asked, blinking in confusion.
I clutched the wooden box. "She projected an illusion," I realized. "Maintained it just long enough to pass on what she knew."
"Is she even still alive?"
"I don't know," I admitted. "But her information feels genuine." I checked Phi's device. It showed blue and red signatures plus several distinct gold dots in several key locations throughout the city. Including a strong concentration near the council headquarters. That was interesting.
"We need to get back," I said urgently. "The masquerade is tomorrow night, and now we know exactly what Delacroix is planning."
Noah nodded grimly, taking my hand as we hurried through streets increasingly crowded with tourists. None of them realized that tomorrow night, as they celebrated carnival season, six witches would be fighting to prevent an ancient mage from achieving immortality.
The weight of that responsibility settled over me as we raced home. For the first time since we'd discovered our powers, I felt truly afraid. Not for myself, but for what would happen if we failed.
CHAPTER 15
Dakota
I tapped my fingernails against the wooden table in our library. My magic was stirring restlessly beneath my skin. The combination of Dani's intel from Elspeth and the Fae Elder's warning had created a perfect storm of tension. The masquerade was twenty-four hours away, and we were still assembling the puzzle pieces of Delacroix's centuries-long scheme.
"So let me get this straight," I said, pressing my palms flat against the table to stop their nervous movement. "Elspeth was supposed to be Delacroix's channeler in the 1923 ritual, but she sabotaged it? And now this asshole wants Dani for the same role?"
Dani nodded grimly. Her face was still pale from her encounter with the mysterious witch. "She said I'm the perfect conduit because of my psychometry. I can absorb and channel energy in ways the rest of you can't."
"That explains why Delacroix has been testing victims," Phi added as her fingers flew across her tablet. "It makes sense that he would need power from across the magicalboard with forces in creation, destruction, transformation, protection, perception, projection, and communion."
"And we each embody one of these forces," Dre clarified. "We're specifically aligned with the energies he needs and some of us have more than one."
Dani nodded. “That’s what Elspeth said. I wanted to doubt her, but she never tried to hurt us. I think she used the last of her power to give me what she did.”
That was a grim thought. I stood and walked to the map we'd pinned to the wall. Red and blue pins marked locations throughout New Orleans where Delacroix had established magical anchors over the centuries. It was a mess of a web. I’m sure there was a pattern in there that meant something, but it looked like a giant tangle to me. However, there were some spots that stood out to me because of the murder victims.
"Did he pick this city because it was one of the few places that would have enough magic in the land to pull this off? It’s the only thing that makes sense as to why he's been planning this for longer than New Orleans has existed," I said.
“He chose New Orleans for the power running through the ley lines. It is the same thing that has drawn so many other supernaturals to the area,” Adèle told us. “That is not the question you should be focusing on right now. There is a way to stop him before he begins the ritual at your masquerade. You need to hit the right place, though. You have found numerous workshops of his. None of them have been his main one where he keeps his original vessel.”
Dre nodded in agreement. “You’re right. His entire operation requires a central coordination point where he can keep his body safe. It would have to be somewhere he could maintain his work across centuries."
"And monitor the city's supernatural development," Lia added. "He'd need constant access to information and be able to exert influence over keydecisions."
