Page 48 of Mardi Gras Murders & Midnight Masquerades
I pulled back, slightly nauseated from the intensity of the impressions. "I got more of the same," I announced to my sisters. "Although, each time they wear the masks, they leave a magical imprint that lingers. It doesn't control them outright, but it influences them. The longer they wear themasks, the more susceptible they become to certain ideas seeming more natural and logical."
"So, they use magical suggestion?" Dre asked with a darkening expression.
"It’s a bit more sophisticated than that," I replied. "It layers into their minds so seamlessly they can't distinguish between their thoughts and the implanted ones."
Angela's face had gone pale. "That's not possible. I make my own decisions."
"You do," I assured her. "But someone has been subtly influencing which options seem most appealing to you. Think of it like a voice whispering suggestions so quietly you mistake them for your own ideas."
Phi looked up from her laptop where she'd been analyzing data. "I think I can track the energy," she announced. "I’ve been evaluating the mask and there is a distinct magical signature that is different from the other magic."
"If we can track it, we can find his current vessel," Kota said.
"Exactly." Phi turned her screen to show us a map of the city with the ley lines, the sites of the murder, and other hot spots. "I've been developing this system to distinguish between different types of supernatural energy. The Society's collective magic shows up in blue, but there's a distinct red signature that matches what Dani just described in Angela's mind." That’s what the other lines were? Damn, Phi was good.
"We need to take this into the city," I decided and turned to Noah who'd been silently watching from the doorway. "We have to try to trace the source of that red signature."
"I'll come with you," Noah said immediately. “The others can stay here with her and continue with thecount... their work.” I understood his caution. We didn’t want Angela to know we were trying to thwart Delacroix.
"Yes, we will prepare for the masquerade," Dre corrected. "Two days isn't much time to cover everything we still have to do."
Lia looked at our oldest sister with a raised eyebrow. "You can't be serious. We have an ancient mage to defeat and you're worried about party prep?"
"We need to plan as if the masquerade will happen unencumbered," Phi said firmly, pulling out her tablet where our extensive planning documents were stored. "We have to believe we'll stop Delacroix. Otherwise, what's the point of fighting? Moving forward is our best strategy."
"Which means all those flower arrangements, glass etching for the custom champagne flutes, and final decor selections still need to be handled," Kota added with a grimace. "I'd rather be preparing magical countermeasures than approving the exact shade of purple for the table runners, but Phi's right."
Dre nodded. "We'll divide and conquer. Dea and Phi, you handle the planning with Adèle. Kota, Lia, and I will start the glasses. Dani, you go into the Quarter to see if you can find Delacroix."
"I'm happy to continue interrogating our guest," Lucas said, nodding toward Angela.
"Before I get to the countermeasures, I'll call the florist to confirm the centerpieces," Dea sighed. "Being a witch is glamorous work."
Noah and I left with our plan clear in our minds. It didn’t take long to reach the French Quarter. We were walking through its streets with Phi's tracking system twenty minutes later. She had compressed it into a modified smartphone app. The screen pulsed with varying intensitiesof blue and red as we mapped the magical signatures throughout the area.
"The Society's influence is everywhere," Noah observed, watching the blue signatures flare around businesses, streetlamps, and even sewer grates. "They've woven their magic into the city's infrastructure."
"If they were evil, we would be screwed. Look at the red signatures," I replied, focusing on the distinct pattern that represented Delacroix's personal magic. "They're concentrated in specific locations, not spread throughout the Society's network. That’s a good thing."
We followed the strongest red signal to Jackson Square, where tourists snapped photos of the cathedral while street performers entertained the morning crowds. None of them noticed the intense magical signatures surrounding them.
"There." I pointed to a decorative medallion embedded in the cobblestones. It was identical to the one that had hidden the entrance to the tunnels beneath the square. "It's a focal point."
Noah knelt to examine it without touching the metal. "This is different from the Society markers."
I checked Phi's app. It showed an intense concentration of red energy emanating from the medallion. "It's one of Delacroix's personal anchors. Let me see if I can get a reading."
Careful to shield my mind from potential traps, I placed my fingertips against the cool metal. Immediately, my psychometry activated and drew me into the object's history. Images cascaded through my consciousness. They weren’t chaotic impressions, but deliberately organized scenes. This hadn‘t been involved in as many rituals as other items I’d touched.
The medallion revealed six distinct murders. Each victim was positioned at specific locationsthroughout New Orleans. I witnessed how the killer had meticulously carved sigils into their flesh. Each design was uniquely tailored to the victim's inherent magical signature. Through the medallion's memories, I saw how these deaths formed points on an elaborate ritual circle spanning the entire French Quarter. I had no idea such a thing was even possible. As I saw more, I noted a position was left conspicuously empty. It was a central point where all the harvested power would converge.
I pulled back, gasping as my consciousness returned to the present. My fingers tingled with residual energy. Noah's steady hand was on my shoulder helping to ground me and keep me upright.
"It's a one point ritual circle," I told him in a shaky voice. "It’s a blueprint for his immortality ritual. Six victims plus a seventh position. A central point where he will stand and direct all the harvested power."
"You and your sisters are meant to form the circle," Noah said grimly, his eyes darkening with concern. "I will never allow him to touch one hair on your head."
I pressed a kiss to his lips and said, “I know you won’t. I love you.”
