As we approached Le Masque Noir, new scents cut through the familiar ones. Power and privilege with an undercurrent of ancient magic made my nose twitch. The club sat in a renovated mansion. The antebellum grandeur of the facade met modern decadence when we went inside.
The doorman checked his list with practiced efficiency. "Ah, Mr. and Mrs. Burks. Welcome to Le Masque Noir." His smile was professionally bland. "I believe Ms. St. Claire is expecting you."
My pulse jumped, wondering if he was referring to Alexis St. Claire, the new vampire leader who'd replaced Viktor. It would be peculiar for a vampire to be part of a mundie event like this. Although, she had been oddly intense about the masquerade at the council meeting. Finding her here raised all kinds of red flags.
Le Masque Noir was the epitome of mundane New Orleans luxury. Crystal chandeliers cast warm light over the art deco interior, while a jazz quartet played in the corner. To normal eyes, it would appear as nothing more than an exclusive social club. But my witch's senses picked up so much more. There were several supernaturals in attendance. And there was something dark and ancient woven through the space like poisoned silk. Was that what Dani had described from the crime scene at the market?
Before we could move to the bar, a familiar figure appeared at my elbow. "Dakota Burks," Alexis St. Claire purred, her designer dress and perfect makeup masking herpredatory nature from mundane eyes. "I've been looking forward to meeting you properly."
The vampire's presence triggered every magical warning I possessed. She smelled like old blood and even older secrets. "Ms. St. Claire. I didn't expect to see you here. At a mundie event."
"Please, call me Alexis." Her smile was completely fake. "We're all friends here. Or we will be, once you've been properly... initiated."
The way she said "initiated" made my power flare defensively, but I smiled back. "Is that what tonight's gathering is about? Initiation?"
"Among other things." She gestured for us to follow her toward the VIP section. Closer now, I could sense that the simple velvet ropes were just for show. They were woven with protection spells and privacy wards that made my magical senses buzz. "We have so much to discuss. I understand you're helping with security for the upcoming masquerade?"
And there it was. The connection we'd been looking for. I shared a quick look with Jeff before responding. "Along with my sisters. We take our responsibilities seriously. We will not allow anything to happen on our watch."
"Keryth is counting on you six," Alexis replied as she lifted the rope.
The VIP area looked like old money New Orleans where the supernatural elite lounged in their careful disguises. Some of them went deeper than their clothing. Pointed ears and oddly colored eyes flickered at the edges of my vision.
I recognized some faces. One was even from the council. I hadn’t expected to see Kassandra. The gargoyle had traded her colorful moo-moo for a lacey pink dress that fell to mid-thigh. Several high-ranking Fae and a few witchelders were also present. There were also faces I'd never seen at any supernatural gathering. They all wore rings bearing the same symbol. It was one I'd glimpsed in Marie's grimoire. It was a masked figure surrounded by what looked like flames. Or possibly writhing souls. It was impossible to tell and I wasn’t about to try and get a better look.
"Welcome," a melodic voice announced, "to the Society of the Masked."
I turned toward the sound and felt my breath catch. The Dark Fae who emerged from the shadows was hauntingly familiar, though I couldn't place why. She moved with an otherworldly grace that even her expensive modern clothing couldn't disguise. Something about her tickled at my memory. She might have been at the djinn party we’d hosted. Or perhaps, I’d seen her during one of our previous investigations. Trying to pin down the memory was like trying to grab smoke. That in itself was unsettling.
"We've been watching you and your sisters," she continued in a voice carrying that particular Fae resonance. "Your reputation and your connections to both supernatural and mundane societies could be valuable additions to our little family."
The word 'family' made me uneasy, though I couldn't pinpoint why. The energy in the room was complex. There were layers of magic woven together in a way I'd never encountered before. Something about its intensity reminded me of the French Market scene. Yet, it wasn't the same. There wasn’t enough to draw connections, even if my instincts were screaming at me. I filed the observation away for later discussion with my sisters.
A server appeared with crystal glasses filled with what appeared to be expensive champagne. My witch's senses picked up at least three kinds of magic worked into the liquid. Each one was subtle but distinct. "It’s a special blend,"Alexis explained, noting my hesitation. "Don't worry. It's perfectly safe for witches. We find it helps... ease the transition into our circle."
“And if I don’t want to join your little circle?” I asked.
All eyes in the room landed on me. Refusing to allow it to intimidate me, I lifted the glass and analyzed the magical essence. Under the mundane alcohol was something that made my power stir uneasily. The combination of copper and ozone tickled at my magical senses. It was something that I couldn't quite identify. It wasn't necessarily connected to our investigation, but I made a mental note to describe it to my sisters later.
Before I could investigate the drink further, my phone buzzed. The text was from Dre.Fifth body found. St. Louis Cathedral. Another witch. GET HERE NOW.
I kept my expression neutral as I showed Jeff the message. Over the last year of dealing with supernatural crises through our marriage paid off as he smoothly said, "I apologize, but we have an urgent matter to attend to. A krewe emergency needs immediate attention."
"Of course." Alexis's smile was forced and false like always with her. The mysterious Fae's expression was harder to read. Her features seemed to blur slightly when I tried to focus on them.
"Consider our offer,” the Fae woman insisted. “We'll need an answer before the masquerade."
I cast a subtle protection spell as we turned our back on them and hurried out. I would shift into my dragon and destroy the house if they tried something. "I think they’re connected to the murders," I whispered to Jeff as we made it to our car. "I can’t prove the Society of the Masked is behind them, but I’d swear they are."
"I agree with you. If they are, the masquerade is their endgame," Jeff agreed as he broke several trafficlaws heading for the French Quarter. "Their focus on it was too intense. The question is, how many of our supposed allies are actually our enemies? Wasn’t the gargoyle woman there? I thought she helped you before."
“Kassandra did,” I confirmed. “We definitely need to look into this society more.”
A few minutes later, we found a scene straight out of a twisted carnival display. The victim sat posed on the St. Louis Cathedral steps like a macabre Madonna. She was wearing a mask that seemed to absorb the police lights. It was silver and black with deep purple accents matching the bruising on her throat.
The symbols carved into her skin were familiar and different at the same time. I tried to snap pictures discretely. The magical resonance coming from the scene made my witch's senses spiral, like trying to read a spell during a hurricane.
"Jeff," I whispered. "She was at the club tonight. I can sense the remnants of that magic on her clothes. But there's something else..." I moved as close as possible with the police tape and caught traces of the energy from Le Masque Noir's VIP room. Underneath that was pure fear. And resignation.
