Page 73 of Mardi Gras Murders & Midnight Masquerades
"Has anyone seen my mascara?" Lia called from the main bathroom.
"Using it!" Phi shouted back, leaning toward the mirror with intense concentration.
I squeezed into the corner bathroom, unzipping the garment bag that held my gown. It was a custom creation in deep emerald that complemented both my complexion and magical signature. Dre appeared in the doorway, already halfway into her midnight blue dress.
"Zip me up?" she asked, turning.
"Only if you help with these ridiculous hooks on mine," I bargained.
Dea wandered past with a frown. "Has anyone seen my other shoe? The silver one with the little moon charm?"
"Check under Kota's dress bag," I suggested, stepping into my heels. "I think I saw it under there earlier."
Jewelry passed from hand to hand as we raided each other's collections. Kota's diamonds glittered at Phi's throat while my silver cuff adorned Dani's wrist. We'd been sharing accessories since childhood, so this wasn’t unusual.
Noah's voice called up from the bottom of the stairs. "Car just pulled up the drive! The first guests have arrived!"
The announcement sent us into hyperdrive. I applied my lipstick with surprising steadiness as Dre slipped a borrowed hairpin into my updo. When I emerged from the bathroom, Noah whistled appreciatively from the hallway.
"You look absolutely stunning," he said as he helped me fix the delicate silver necklace that had slipped askew.
"You clean up pretty nicely yourself," I teased, straightening his tie.
My phone buzzed with a group text from Dre, who had somehow made it downstairs already. “Doing a final walk-through now. Meet in the main hall.”
When we arrived downstairs, I barely recognized our plantation. The transformation was breathtaking. What had once been our family home was now an enchanted wonderland. Crystal chandeliers cast prismatic light across walls draped in midnight blue silk. Silver stars twinkled from the ceiling. Subtle magical enhancements created an atmosphere of wonder without alerting the mundie guests who would attend.
"We've outdone ourselves," Dea whispered beside me. She was resplendent in a silver gown that complemented her connection to the spirit realm.
"Wait until you see the gardens," Phi said, twirling to make her sleek sapphire dress catch the light. Those blue eyes of hers practically glowed against her skin. "The light enchantments are freaking magical." Of course they were magical. That was kind of ourwhole thing.
We prowled through our finished masterpiece with the precision of soldiers on a mission. Keryth arrived first. He looked annoyingly perfect in his formal attire. Elves, man. They don't even have to try.
"I am genuinely impressed," he admitted. "This exceeds even my considerable expectations. And to know you pulled this off while also stopping a crazed mage makes it even more impressive."
Translation: I didn't think you witches could pull it off. Typical. The lack of faith in us should have made us stop solving these supernatural crises. But our mama didn’t raise no quitters.
"Just wait until you see the cocktails," I replied with a smile that maybe showed too many teeth. "Brezok has outdone himself. Each has a subtle magical property. Rest assured, the mundies will be none the wiser, but the supernatural crowd will appreciate the nuance."
"The Midnight Bloom will cause mild euphoria," Dre explained with a smile. "While the Silver Moon will enhance empathic connections for about five minutes."
"Perfect for diplomatic mingling," Keryth nodded like he'd thought of it himself. "You've thought of everything."
"It's what you hired us for," Kota reminded him.
"I hired you for a masquerade," he corrected. "You've created an experience that will be remembered for generations."
Well, shit. An actual compliment from the elf? My sisters and I exchanged glances. We were all thinking the same thing—we'd pulled off something pretty damn spectacular and it was about time someone noticed. As Keryth wrapped up his tour of the grounds, guests started rolling in.
I stationed myself at the entrance with Lia. The masks our guests wore were classy but nothing that was out-of-this-world spectacular. Not like those nasty things Delacroixhad created to control people. These were just pretty accessories. Some had minor enchantments to make cheekbones pop or hide a bad complexion. But nothing more serious than that.
"Detective Payne," I greeted the human cop. Surprised and genuinely pleased to see him. "I'm glad you could join us."
Payne looked surprisingly at ease in his tux. Though, his eyes never stopped doing that cop thing where they scan everything. "Wouldn't miss it. It's not every day I get invited to a supernatural gala."
"Consider it your official welcome to our world," Lia told him with that warm smile of hers. "There's a lot more to New Orleans than most people see."
"So I'm discovering," he replied dryly. "Ummm, that gentleman over there—the one whose skin seems to be... glittering? Is he...?"
