Page 69 of Mardi Gras Murders & Midnight Masquerades
"Then that's where we need to be," Dre said.
The remains of Delacroix's original body continued to burn with unnatural flames, centuries of dark magic being purged in a single cathartic blaze. Kaveh and Kaitlyn returned then. “Eleanor passed with a smileon her face. We gathered her ashes and will spread them in the bayou,” Kaitlyn told us.
“Thank you,” I told her as we watched the flames consume the last physical trace of the man who had terrorized New Orleans for generations. "We have one more step to go. And we know where to go."
CHAPTER 19
Dahlia
"He'll be expecting us," I said as I sped toward Alexis's mansion in the garden district. The destruction of Delacroix's original body had sent ripples through the magical fabric of New Orleans. Every supernatural with even a hint of sensitivity would have felt it. "We need to hit hard and fast before he can complete another transfer."
My hands were still tingling from the power we'd channeled. Not to mention the adrenaline of the race to beat this asshole. The image of Delacroix's body erupting in the multicolored flames my sisters and I had created was seared into my memory. I would never forget it.
For centuries, the bastard had preserved his body using magical cryogenics. While I was busy living a normal life—thinking my biggest problem was paying my mortgage on time—this evil mage had been working his ass off. He’d killed so many people to harvest enough power for his immortality spell. Talk about dedication to being a complete psychopath.
Now his shell was reduced to ashes. I felt a savage satisfaction watching the last bits crumble, even if my mind wasstill spiraling over the fact that he could pull a Lord Voldemort in the first place. I mean, before a year ago, I didn't even believe in magic. Hell, I thought fantasy novels were just that—fantasy. Now I was racing across town to stop a centuries-old megalomaniac sorcerer with power crackling at my fingertips. Funny how life turned out.
"Phi, what's your tracker showing?" Dre asked from the back seat.
I looked in the rearview mirror and saw Phi studying her phone intensely before she responded. "There’s a massive concentration of gold energy at Alexis's mansion, plus dozens of blue signatures, which means we can expect Society members. They're responding to his call and gathering."
"How are his followers still so loyal to him?" Dani asked curtly. "Don’t they see he’s going to use them for protection while he prepares his next vessel?"
"He’s also going to use them to power his emergency transfer," Dea added. "Since we destroyed his original body, he'll need substantial magical energy to stabilize in a new host."
"They're fucking idiots," Kota muttered, making us all chuckle.
Outside the window, New Orleans rushed past in a frenzy of purple, green, and gold. Mardi Gras was in full swing. Drunk revelers spilled into the streets, feathered masks bobbed like exotic birds, and beads glinted in the neon lights. The Quarter was a chaotic carnival of humanity, completely oblivious to the supernatural storm brewing beneath the festivities.
"All these people," I said, watching a float pass by with wide-eyed tourists scrambling for throws. "They have no idea what's happening right under their noses."
In the rearview mirror, I could see Lucas and Noah'svehicles navigating the parade-clogged streets behind us. They were carrying shifters along with Kaitlyn, Kaveh, Marie, and our other allies. We would need everyone present to keep this from exploding on us.
My phone buzzed with a text from Detective Payne. Kota grabbed the device and read the message aloud. “Police focused on parade routes. Garden District has minimal coverage. You have a window. Be careful.”
"Tell him we’re always careful,” Dre muttered. “At least the mundies are distracted. But there are so many of them out tonight. If this goes sideways..."
Kota grunted. "Small mercies. But Society members are another story."
"We've dealt with them before," Dre said confidently, as we passed another crowd of masked partiers throwing beads from a balcony.
"Not with Delacroix directly commanding them," I pointed out. My stomach knotted as I narrowly missed a drunk guy in a jester costume stumbling into the street. I hated carnival season for that very reason. "He's desperate now. And desperate mages make for dangerous enemies. If magic starts flying in the open with all these people around..." I left the sentence hanging, the implications were clear.
"Woah," Kota muttered as I swerved around a stalled parade float. "A supernatural showdown with ten thousand wasted mundies as collateral damage is the least of our worries if Delacroix wins. Put it out of your mind. Our focus is on the mage. We have to trust our allies to keep the mundies safe so we can end this."
Alexis's mansion appeared ahead. It was a sprawling antebellum structure surrounded by ancient oaks. Even from a distance, I could see the robed figures hurrying across the grounds, and strange lights flickering in the windows. More concerning was the shimmer in the air aroundthe property. It was layers of magical protection far stronger than typical vampire wards.
"Damn, he's locked it down tight," Phi muttered as I pulled to a stop a block away. The others parked behind us, and we quickly gathered in the shadow of a massive oak.
"Those are complex barrier spells," Marie observed as she studied the mansion. "There are multiple layers from various factions, each with different trigger mechanisms."
"Can we break through?" I asked.
"Together, yes," Kaitlyn replied. "But it will alert everyone inside immediately."
"Then we do this smart," Dre decided. "We need two teams. One creates a diversion at the front while we go in through the back."
“Or you could use Alexis’s secret entrance,” Marie suggested.
