Page 70 of Mardi Gras Murders & Midnight Masquerades
"Secret entrance?" I raised an eyebrow.
"All vampires have escape routes," Marie explained with a knowing smile. "Particularly ones as old as Alexis. It's likely on the east side, where the tree coverage is thickest."
Lucas stepped forward. His wolf was close to the surface. "Noah and I will lead the diversion team. We'll make enough noise to draw attention away from your approach."
"I will accompany them," Kaveh added. Desert heat shimmered around his hands. "My djinn fire should provide quite the spectacle."
"Be careful," I told Lucas, pressing a quick kiss to his lips. "This isn't just Society members we're dealing with. We have no idea what Delacroix is capable of."
"We'll keep moving," he assured me. "Hit-and-run tactics only."
We divided our forces quickly. Lucas, Noah, Kaveh, Xinar, and several others would create chaos at the front, while Marie would guide the six of us to the secret entrance.Kaitlyn was coming with us. Pepper, a witch-vodun hybrid, would coordinate from our vehicles. She was going to monitor the situation and alert us to any unexpected developments.
"Ready?" Dre asked as the diversion team moved into position. Everyone nodded in response, making my magic surge in anticipation.
A flare of intense magical energy erupted at the front of the property. Kaveh's djinn fire, bright and unmistakable, lit up the sky. Shouts of alarm echoed across the grounds as Society members no doubt rushed toward the disturbance. Through the trees, I caught glimpses of Lucas and Noah in wolf form. They were darting between the robed figures with supernatural speed. Several smaller wolves joined their leaders.
"Let’s go," Marie whispered as she led us along the eastern perimeter.
We moved silently through the shadows. Our approach was masked by the commotion at the front gates. Marie stopped beneath an ancient magnolia tree whose branches hung over the property wall. "There," she pointed to a section of the wall that appeared identical to the rest. "She’s got vampire illusion magic hiding it. It’s basic but effective."
Dani placed her palm against the stone and used her psychometry. "It's hollow," she confirmed. "There's a passage beyond."
Dre reached for my hand, and I reached for Dani’s. Without needing further direction, the six of us joined hands and cast a spell to dispel the illusion. A narrow door was set into the wall. It was sealed with vampire magic. Blood wards that would normally require Alexis's essence to open.
I was about to ask Kaitlyn how we could break past it when Marie said, "Allow me." The Queen of Voodoo then produced a small vial of dark liquid. Her lipscurved into a knowing smile. "From when I ran this city." Marie ran this city with an iron fist, so it wasn’t surprising she had some of Alexis’s blood.
She tilted the vial, spilling a single drop onto the lock. The ancient mechanism hissed, and the door swung open silently. "Do you have keys to every building in New Orleans?" I whispered.
Marie's eyes glittered in the darkness. "Darling, I don't need keys. I never needed them. I had power. And secrets. Sometimes those are the same thing."
The passage beyond was dark and narrow. It sloped downward beneath the mansion's foundations. We proceeded slowly while remaining alert for traps or guards. My witch fire provided just enough illumination to navigate by. Marie was in the lead and moved with the confidence of someone who'd walked these hidden paths before. Looking at her, I remembered the awful woman she had been back then. It was a poignant reminder that we should never let our guard down around her.
"This leads directly to Alexis's private chambers," Marie whispered as we reached a junction. "From there, we can access the main house."
"Or we could follow that," Kota said, pointing to an unmistakable trail of Delacroix's golden energy signature. It pulsed along the floor of the right-hand passage.
"That's new," Marie frowned. "Alexis wouldn't allow another practitioner's magic in her sanctuary."
"Unless she's not in control anymore," Kaitlyn suggested.
We followed the golden trail. The passage opened into a small antechamber with multiple doors. Delacroix's energy signature flowed like a river beneath the central door.
"Lia, Kota—take point," Dre said. "Phi, create a barrier at our backs and have that mask ready. Dani, with me. Dea, beready to disrupt any vampire magic. Kaitlyn, help Phi. Marie, can you help Dea?”
Marie nodded, and we moved into position. Dre pushed the door open with her telekinesis, and we surged forward. The vampire stood in the center of an elaborate chamber. She was surrounded by flickering candles and ancient artifacts. Her normally perfect appearance was disheveled. Her eyes were wild with an unnatural golden light.
"You're too late," she hissed. Her voice was layered with another. "The transfer has already begun."
"Delacroix," I spat, recognizing the mage’s presence immediately. "Still hiding behind others, I see."
Alexis/Delacroix snarled, revealing elongated fangs. "This vessel is temporary. Soon, I will have a more permanent arrangement."
We didn't waste time with further conversation. I hurled myself forward. My witch fire was already crackling between my fingers. There was a blur of movement to my left. It was Kota, and she had cast a blinding light that made the vampire shriek. Furniture splintered across the room as Dre turned antiques into projectiles.
I ducked a flying bookcase and unleashed my fire in spiraling chains meant to bind rather than burn. We needed to contain Delacroix’s soul. Alexis moved inhumanly fast, but not fast enough. My flames caught her ankle, and she stumbled.
"Now!" I shouted.
