Page 54 of Mardi Gras Murders & Midnight Masquerades
"Excellent, Marianne," Delacroix replied without taking his eyes off us. "After nearly two centuries of service, your rewardapproaches."
"Marianne Delacroix," Dani breathed. "Your wife." Damn. I should have paid attention more.
The preserved woman inclined her head. "I prefer 'eternal companion'. Marriage is such a limited concept compared to what we share."
I studied her carefully. It wasn’t obvious at first, but I noticed the unnatural stillness and the shimmer of preservation magic surrounding her. "She's not alive," I realized. "Not in any natural sense."
"My greatest achievement," Delacroix said with pride. "A living vessel sustained by countless rituals. Marianne has helped complete what we began so long ago."
While he spoke, I inched closer to the altar. I needed to find a way to free Evelyn without triggering a destructive backlash. Dani caught my eye with a subtle nod. Thank the gods, she understood. I couldn’t ask my sisters to help me without alerting Delacroix.
"The ritual is already in motion," Delacroix continued. "By sundown tomorrow, the Six Twisted Sisters will fulfill their destined purpose. And I will ascend beyond mortality."
I gathered my power, focusing on the edges of the containment spell on Evelyn. I hoped we could free her without catastrophic consequences. With a silent signal to Dani, we unleashed a concentrated burst at the altar's lower corner. To our delight, Dre had joined us. I felt her power form a shield around Evelyn.
The ritual circle flared brilliantly before collapsing. The magical energy crackled and hissed like water hitting hot oil, sending tendrils of golden light spiraling upward. The symbols etched into the stone floor began to fade. Their crimson glow dimmed as our counterspell took effect.
The air seemed to shudder as the magic dissipated. It released a wave of pressure that made my ears pop in the process. Evelyn's bindings disintegrated into ash, and thecollection bowls of blood around her shattered. Their contents evaporated into a crimson mist that was quickly swept away by unseen currents of power.
Delacroix roared in fury. His hands started blazing with corrupted power as he lunged forward. Kenneth's face contorted in a way that looked painful. His skin was stretching as though something beneath it was trying to break free.
Marianne moved fast and intercepted him. "No! The vessels must remain intact for tomorrow!"
Dani moved Evelyn out of the way while the rest of us confronted Marianne directly.
"You know this is wrong," Lia told her. "You've known it for decades."
"I have no choice," she replied. Did her voice waver just now?
"Everyone has a choice," I said. "Even those who have been manipulated for centuries."
Something shifted in her ageless eyes. While they were focused on me, Dre struck with dragon-enhanced speed. She drove her shoulder into Marianne’s midsection while channeling a spell. I hadn’t realized she had used a binding spell until magical restraints materialized around Marianne, and she staggered back. Delacroix howled and sent a blast of his dark energy toward us. Lia deflected it into the ceiling. Chunks of masonry crashed down, forcing Delacroix to dive clear.
"We need to go!" Dani shouted as she and Phi supported the semi-conscious Evelyn.
I hesitated as Marianne struggled against Dre’s binding spell. Her eyes locked with mine. For a split second, I glimpsed the woman she had once been. The one before centuries of preservation magic had hollowed her out.
"If you want to truly stop him," she whisperedurgently, "find the source of his power. Beneath the old opera house there is a sealed chamber where the first vessel still lives. He has been feeding her energy and taking it across decades."
"What?" I blurted at the same time Dre demanded, “Who is it?” We had no time. Delacroix was gathering himself for another attack.
"Eleanor Montrose," Marianne gasped. "She was bound in 1873. She was the first successful partial transfer. She sustains him between cycles. She knows his true weakness."
A blast from Delacroix forced me to release Marianne as we retreated. We raced out of the room and caught up to Dani and Phi who were still supporting Evelyn between them. "This changes nothing!" Delacroix shouted. "The ritual proceeds tomorrow! You cannot escape your destiny!"
We fled through the corridors and emerged to find Veronica waiting. She was clear-headed and determined. "The council members," she warned. "They've all been given 'special wine' for a pre-masquerade toast. I think they're being compromised."
"We know. Keep clear of them. Keep yourself safe. We need to get Evelyn to safety," I said.
"And then find the opera house," Dre added.
"I can take her to a secure location," Veronica offered. "It’s a Dark Fae safehouse where Delacroix's influence can't reach."
We hesitated for a brief second. Could we trust her? Honestly, we had no choice. We had to get to the opera house. We could lose precious time trying to get Evelyn to safety. “Thank you,” Lia told the young woman.
Dani and Phi handed Evelyn over and we hurried out of the council chambers before we were approached by the council. Twenty minutes later, with Evelyn safely in Veronica's care, we stood before the ruins of the old French Opera House. The original structure had burned down in 1919, butportions of the foundation remained beneath newer buildings.
"According to Marianne, Eleanor Montrose has been imprisoned here since 1873," I explained as we searched for an entrance. "He kept her and has been using her as a living battery to sustain him between ritual attempts for some reason. Marianne didn’t say what made this woman special."
