Page 67 of Mardi Gras Murders & Midnight Masquerades
"We did," I confirmed. "And we know where his original body is hidden."
Xinar stepped forward, looking immaculate as always in his perfectly tailored suit. "Did you say Delacroix? Armand Delacroix, the Dark Mage?" His eyebrows shot up in surprise when we nodded.
He wrapped an arm around Cami’s shoulders and pulled her into his side. "Had I known what you were dealing with, I would have come sooner. His name has appeared in several ancient contracts with various demonic entities. He's been borrowing power for centuries with promises he never lives up to."
"That tracks with everything we've learned about him," Dani said as she joined us from the kitchen with a tray of steaming mugs. The scent of strong coffee filled the air. "He takes what he needs and discards what—or who—he no longer finds useful."
I accepted a mug gratefully. The caffeine hit my system like a magical booster shot. "We need to talk about our attack," I said. "We are goingto need help."
"Let’s have a war council in the dining room," Dre announced, gesturing for everyone to follow her. "We need a solid plan in place before we move."
The massive dining table had been transformed into a tactical command center. Maps of New Orleans were spread out. They were marked with the locations of each ritual site. The books and journals we’d gotten from Delacroix’s various sites were on a separate table.
"Xinar, what exactly did you discover in the Underworld?" I asked as we gathered around the table.
He leaned forward, his expression grave. "Delacroix has been playing a dangerous game with multiple demonic patrons. He's promised his soul—or parts of it—to at least three different Lords in exchange for knowledge. None of them are happy about being strung along for centuries."
"Can we use that to our advantage?" Lia suggested.
"Possibly," Xinar nodded. "But it's risky. We would have to bring their Lords through the Hellmouth. And demons aren't exactly reliable allies."
"We don't need them," Marie interjected. "We already understand his vulnerabilities." She moved to the map of ritual sites. "We need to destroy the locket and disrupt one or two sites. He won’t be able to perform the ritual if we do."
"His body is the key," Kaitlyn countered as she tapped the location beneath the opera house. "As long as his original form exists, he can attempt the ritual again."
Jeff entered then, crossing to kiss my cheek before joining the discussion. "The masquerade preparations are proceeding on schedule," he reported. "No sign of Society interference, but I've positioned Lucas's pack members at strategic points throughout the property."
"Good," Dre nodded approvingly. "We need eyes everywhere."
"What about Eleanor?" Dea asked quietly. "We can't leave her to die beneath the opera house alone."
“I will make sure she isn’t alone in that moment,” Kaitlyn promised.
Kaveh nodded in agreement as he placed his hands protectively on Kaitlyn’s shoulders. “I will take her there when the time comes.”
That was a relief to hear. I’d been thinking the same thing as Dea. The woman had been through too much suffering in her life. The strategy session continued as we discussed who would be nearby when we went into the opera house. Once his body was taken care of, we would scry for Kenneth’s location and converge on him before he could recover.
Marie looked impressed by our coordination. "You six really do function as a single unit," she observed. "I've never seen witches work together so seamlessly."
"Family magic," I replied with a shrug. "It's what makes us stronger than Delacroix anticipated."
"Speaking of what the asshole anticipates, we should go to the opera house now. He will know we took the locket,” Dre said grimly. “We can't risk waiting."
"Agreed," I said. "We should take a small contingent to the opera house. Just us sisters, plus Kaitlyn and Kaveh. The fewer magical signatures we bring, the less likely we are to alert Delacroix."
“Good thinking. I will have the rest of the teams waiting for a final location on Kenneth,” Lucas interjected.
Kaitlyn nodded thoughtfully. "I suggest we destroy the locket along with his original body. If we attempt to destroy the locket first, Delacroix might sense what happened and move his body before we can reach it."
"That's smart," Dre agreed.
We moved out quickly after that. Lia drove much more sedately than Lucas had when we escaped theBlackwell mansion. We arrived in record time despite the crowded streets. Finding parking took magic. We didn’t have time to drive to the pack parking lot and hoof it back.
The city seemed to hold its breath as we got out and approached the opera house. "Something's wrong," Dani whispered. "The energy feels... angry."
"I bet Delacroix knows we're coming here," I agreed, sensing the same disturbance. "We need to move fast."
"We know he's on the opposite side of the building from where we found Eleanor, but we have no idea how to get in there," Lia pointed out, frustration edging her voice.
