Chapter 1

Dahlia

The expansive porch at Willowberry Plantation cradled us in its weathered embrace as we wrapped rope lights around the columns flanking the double front doors. I loved the wrap-around porch. It was something I'd always dreamed of having. It was even better because I owned the massive plantation house with my sisters.

Kota grumbled as she took the bundle from me to wrap around. "I am tempted to use my magic to do this. Remind me again why we're switching these out. Solar lights are better and save electricity, but we're wasting by taking off perfectly good ones."

Phi laughed. "Our energy isn't toxic to the environment and doesn't drain natural resources like using too much electricity."

Kota snorted at that. "Speak for yourself. This is zapping my resources."

I chuckled as I handed the bundle back to Kota. "I like doing these projects together. It reminds me of the days before magic came into our lives. You know when we would set up for events at people's houses or other venues and doing home improvement projects together."

Dani sighed wistfully. "Remember the days when our biggest headaches came from one of my ideas?"

Kota and Dre barked out a laugh. "You mean like the time we did an extreme makeover of all eighteen hundred square feet of Lia's vacation rental over five days?" Dre asked.

Dani rolled her eyes while we all laughed. Even before joining the supernatural world, we had adventures and fun. Of course, it was less deadly.

As I looked down at my sisters, I marveled at the kaleidoscope of magical prowess we made together. It was unexpected given our individual eccentricities. Although, most were shocked that we got along as well as we did. We might get annoyed with one another or disagree with how we were handling something, but we kept it to ourselves. Okay, we might share it with another sister but it never changed the fact that we loved each other and would step in front of a demon if needed.

"We still do normal stuff like that. We did the renovations of the Sunwhisper Sanctum. And the entire Aegis council thought we were crazy when we had one room done before our first meeting," I pointed out.

Dea nodded in agreement. "And they're supernatural beings that see impossible shit daily."

Dani fluffed the end of her hair. "That's because they know we're insane. At least I am."

Kota gave Dani a knowing look. "We are all guilty of getting crazy ideas. Your mind just happens to create them more often. And make them bigger. But it's given us some of our best adventures."

Dani smiled as she connected the lights in front of her to the solar panel that had been charging in the sun all day. The twinkling white bulbs lit up the column right as the sun rose above the house, throwing the front into shadows. We fell silent as Cami passed with another tour group. None of us wanted to expose the magical world accidentally.

Folding up the ladder, I headed to the barn and silo where we were planning a company picnic we'd been hired to host for a local law firm. This was a first for us at Willowberry. We'd done other types of company parties, but not a picnic for employees and their families.

"So much for the break from the proposal," Dea quipped as she carried another ladder.

Dre lifted a shoulder. "We have to have something to show Mr. Black soon anyway."

Dani opened the barn door for us. "We've covered floral arrangements and we know the theme. We just need to decide if we are going to add a second shifter to act as a lifeguard during the event."

Dre helped me lift the ladder onto the hooks on the wall. Brushing my hands on my jeans, I looked at Dani. "Given Mr. Black's estimate, I'd say that we add two more. The gods know how many kids might be coming. And we all know how dangerous being in the water is when people have been drinking." We encouraged all of our guests to drink and swim responsibly but that didn't mean they did.

Dani inclined her head. "Fair point. We need to show him options for a less formal stage for him to give out his awards." Dani's gaze traveled to the main house and she gasped. "We should have him use the gazebo, and we can set the tables up on the lawn."

Phi gestured to the right. "It'll be far from the buffet unless we move that too."

I pursed my lips and walked out of the barn. "That will make it hard for the caterers. Given the menu involves several creole dishes, it would be easier to be close to the kitchen."

Dre sighed as she joined the rest of us. "Let's call NOLA Girl and ask what would work best for her. If she needs to be close to the kitchen, then that's what we present to Mr. Black. His guests wouldn't be crossing the river to get food or anything. It can't be more than fifty feet from the lawn to the port cochere."

Dea nodded and started laughing. "We make things bigger than they need to be. I don't think we should ask anyone and keep NOLA Girl and her buffet by the kitchen while setting the tables closest to the gazebo. That way, we leave space for the games." It's not like we're asking them to trek a mile with their food.

Kota snapped her fingers. "That's right, they are doing shit like a potato sack race and egg toss. I didn't think people did that anymore."

Dani chuckled and said, "They're going old-school."

We stood at the edge of the walkway, each of us assessing the property. Looking out at the plantation, it struck me how lucky we were to have this place. And then I realized how much work we'd done to improve it. We"d taken the rundown buildings and given them a facelift while fixing any major problems.

My eyes flickered with a heightened awareness when something stirred the air with an electric charge. Was Kezia back with her curse? After discovering the Tainted witch had been burrowing beneath our property for centuries, we'd gone over the tunnels with a fine-tooth comb and warded every inch along the way. Xinar said he had rooted out all demons. The pixies had agreed to handle filling in the warren so they could use some of the labyrinth below ground for their homes.

I didn"t hear what my sisters were saying because I was too busy trying to figure out what I'd just felt. The disturbance seemed to have vanished. My gaze landed on a group of mundies as Cami led them past us. She was the unofficial seventh sister, and she was narrating the plantation"s history with a practiced finesse. Of course, she glossed over the magical intricacies and tragedies that were woven through the very fabric of Willowberry.

I was distracted when a woman leaned in to whisper to her friends. "I swear, Gina," she began, her voice hushed yet laden with disbelief, "Tom was talking about seeing someone being chased by an actual demon last night."

I looked over at my sisters and noted their eyes were as large as mine. I couldn"t hear their hearts racing. However, I had no doubt they were just as surprised as I was to hear those words come out of the woman's mouth. There was nothing magical about her or her friends. In the last eight or nine months, we had all learned how to identify when someone was a paranormal. We couldn't tell precisely what they were, but we sensed their ‘otherness.'

"He said they were running through the park, and this small devil was running after a guy. The thing had red skin and horns and was at least four feet tall," the woman continued. Her hands gesticulated to emphasize the supernatural spectacle her husband had witnessed.

Kota shot me a glance that clearly said, "Is she for real?" It was a sentiment that was echoed in the shared expressions of disbelief among my sisters and me.

The woman"s tale unfolded with the vividness of a supernatural soap opera. Apparently, her husband and a few other witnesses had seen this creature chasing a man through a park and onto the street where her husband was walking to get them some beignets. Her description didn't exactly fit an imp, but I pictured one pursuing a man under the moonlight. A mad dash through enchanted foliage was the kind of drama that would fit in the latest magical blockbuster.

"How much did Donnie have to drink last night?" Gina asked with a laugh. "There is no such thing as demons."

As the mundies ambled away, talking about what Donnie could have seen, my chest tightened. Mundies had seen evidence of the magical world. While that was bad, I was struck that these women were blissfully ignorant of the witches standing a few feet from them.

As the tourists continued on their way, Dre pulled out her phone. "We are going to need to investigate this, but I want to bring the council together first."

I frowned as we headed to the main house to get my keys and purse. "Do you think they will help with this? I mean, Xinar will come and deal with the demon, but the others have shown little desire to be useful."

Dre lifted a shoulder and let it drop. "I hadn't even considered that. I'm wondering if someone else has noticed something. There are enough supernaturals in our city that someone should have seen something if mundies are being chased by demons. Not to mention there is likely video coverage out there and that is not a task we will be taking on. Rooting out any trace online will be harder than fighting a horde of harpies."

We chuckled at that as we hurried inside, grabbed our purses, and then headed out in my car. I drove us to the French Quarter and noted there was a draw to the area. "Do we follow the pull?" I asked.

I looked over and noted Kota shaking her head in the passenger seat. It was Dre who responded first as she said, "We continue to the Sunwhisper Sanctum via the long route through the Quarter."

I parked in the lot owned by Ricky and told him what we'd heard then asked him to keep his eyes peeled for anything odd. The atmosphere in the Quarter crackled with an unusual energy. Dea pointed to our right as she caught glimpses of eerie lights and shadows. When I looked over I swear it was almost like they were engaged in a supernatural ballet.

Kota frowned. "Feel that?" Kota whispered, her eyes narrowing. "It"s like the fabric of magic is spinning around us."

"It's disturbing as hell," I replied.

The others agreed because our leisurely stroll transformed into a purposeful march. Our group converged on the heart of the French Quarter. The mystery of the flickering lights was joined by disoriented mundies.

Dea cocked her head to the side. "Are they just drunk? Or is this something more?"

Phi snorted. "Chances are higher that alcohol is impairing them than something supernatural. They're all carrying cups from one bar or another."

There was that. We continued to the council headquarters, and I made note of the palpable sense of a magical imbalance. With luck, we would make sense of what was happening. It was nothing like what happened on Royal Street not long ago when Madame Delphine LaLaurie's ghost returned and tried to continue her evil machinations.

The council headquarters was located in an old building in the Quarter. You would think it was an arcane tapestry woven with threads of history and hushed whispers of otherworldly deliberations. The walls had seen a lot in the time since they'd been built, but there was nothing supernatural that we knew of.

However, it did stand as a testament to the complex web of supernatural politics. And unity, and that's what mattered. It gave the paranormals a place to go in emergencies where none had been before. It was the lack of supervision that had allowed Marie Leveau to take control and assert her dominance.

The air within, heavy with the scent of new paint and plaster. The small library that we had built was slowly being filled by the various leaders as they brought in books and scrolls. The ancient parchment lent a subtle undertone of dust and paper when you passed the room. I hoped one day it would be all that you smelled. It was comforting to know there was knowledge and power in the place people went for help.

Dre led us past the Light Fae answering the hotline and took us directly to the meeting room that we had spelled to keep secrets. With others now working on answering calls and helping visitors, we couldn't afford for sensitive council discussions to get out.

The six of us took a seat. Dre was the oldest of us and looked at things with a hawk-eyed precision. The ambiance, while ostensibly formal, carried an air of otherworldly satire as the other leaders continued filing in.

I shifted in the hard chair and bit back a groan. A languid smirk curved my lips as I thought about that. "Doesn"t it strike anyone else as paradoxical that beings with the power to alter reality struggle to summon decent seating?"

Kaitlyn snorted. "Who picked these out, anyway?"

With a knowing glint, Dre replied, "Comfort is overrated. And is part of the collateral damage in the battleground of supernatural diplomacy."

Kaitlyn laughed while Phi"s eyes gleamed with amusement as she gestured to the tray of pastries that Xinar had brought. "The pastries are about to become more collateral damage."

Marie Leveau lifted her chin in our direction before her gaze settled on Dre. "Why did you call this meeting, Dreya?"

Dre sucked in a breath and recounted the story we'd overheard the woman at Willowberry telling her friends. The gasps and wide eyes of the other Aegis Council members echoed precisely how we felt. It wasn't every day you heard mundies telling stories about seeing the supernatural world.

Marie Leveau sniffed and gave my sisters and me a disdainful look. "Nothing like this would have happened when I was in charge of this city." The voodoo queen's aura danced between mystique and authority she no longer possessed.

Kassandra, the gargoyle, rolled her eyes and snarled at Marie. "For all we know you're behind this trying to make us believe we need you in charge again."

Marie sucked in a sharp breath. "How dare you..."

Cyran sliced a hand through the air, cutting off whatever else Marie was going to say. "This city is far better off now than it was before. This is a serious report. Has anyone heard anything about any disturbances? I thought I felt something earlier, but it was too ephemeral to dig into."

Kaveh frowned as he listened. "I haven't experienced anything. Are the six of you looking into things?"

Dre gave me a knowing look before she nodded. "Someone has to."

Cyran grimaced. "We don't mean to take advantage. It's just that the six of you are so good at solving the bullshit that comes up. How can we help? I assume you called this meeting for a reason."

Lucas and Noah came in before Dre could reply. I'd sent him a message asking him to ask around before he came to the meeting. Dre was busy asking for someone to ensure no videos of the incident remained on the internet while I ogled my mate for a few seconds. Normally I was far more focused, but we'd only recently completed bonding and it was all I could do to keep my hands off of him thanks to his wolf and my dragon. They were insatiable.

Lucas, my shifter mate, sat forward and looked around the group. "We've heard whispers of tourists making wishes and getting more than they bargained for." His tone was laced with a touch of sarcasm.

Noah added, "It"s like the city itself is mocking their desires. Turning dreams into nightmares."

The weight of needing to solve a case with so little information settled on me, and I blurted, "Who needs theme park attractions when New Orleans is dishing out curses with a side of gumbo?" Feeling my cheeks flush, I turned my focus to Kaveh. "Are your people granting wishes that are backfiring on people?"

Kaven scowled at me. "I never thought you would believe such a cliched assumption."

I threw my hands in the air. "I meant no offense. I don't know enough about your kind. I just know favors or wishes are kind of your thing, right?"

Kaveh sighed. "We do grant favors at a price, but we would never do so for mundies. They have nothing to bargain with. This is something else."

"And it feels old. Maybe this is something else that was woken by that damn hurricane," Lucas added.

"Any of you that have lived in this city for a long time, can you think of anything that might fit the bill?" Phi asked.

Every head at the table shook from side to side. Kaveh pointed to Marie. "Nothing handed down from your ancestors?"

"Nothing about wishes being granted," Marie said.

I tapped my lips with a finger before lifting it into the air. "We could call Cami. She lived a long time ago and has been around as a ghost for a long time. Same with her mother. Maybe one of them knows something." After the council agreed, I pulled out my cell, hit Cami's contact, and then put it on speaker, setting the phone in the middle of the table.

"Hey, Lia. Is everything okay? You guys left before I got to ask what was going on," Cami said when she answered.

My sisters and I gave her a rundown, with Lucas and Noah adding what they heard. She hummed low in her throat, and I pictured her looking off into the distance as she tried to recall details from her life. "I can't be sure it's about this," Cami replied finally.

"Tell us what you know, Cami," Kaveh urged, his eyes reflecting genuine curiosity. "It might give us a clue if it isn't the answer."

"I'll do my best. It was a long time ago, but I will share what I remember," Cami replied. "As a general rule, slaves were given Sundays off. My father would take me to the Quarter where we would visit and celebrate with others. There was a young man and his father that we'd grown close to and one day they stopped showing up. After four weeks, I asked if they'd been sold. A priest told me about a well nestled in the heart of the park. He said it was a conduit for dreams and a gathering place for whispers and wishes. Locals believed it held the power to amplify the desires of the heart." I looked over at Dani, who looked sick to her stomach. Dre, Dea, Phi, and Kota had similar expressions on their faces.

"But," Cami continued, her tone taking on a subtle gravity, "it was said that darkness had tainted its waters. The priest told me how the well had twisted Harlow's desires and he and his father acted out, resulting in them losing their lives. More talk of malevolent wishes began to circulate. Once a source of community bonding, the well had turned into a breeding ground for nightmares. Word got around to the local coven."

Dre furrowed her brow. "What happened next?"

"My mother told me her coven bound the witch that polluted the waters. Legends say it all started with a scorned witch," Cami revealed, her words painting a vivid picture of magical vendettas and mystical drama. "She sought to twist the well"s powers for her own gain. As you can guess she was fueled by a desire that veered into forbidden territories."

Dea leaned in, her eyes sparkling with interest. "And?"

"The witch cast a spell that soured the very essence of the well. She made it twist desires and wishes to make others pay. The once-holy gathering place for dreams became a dark abyss, echoing with the haunting whispers of the scorned and the cursed. She did so to make them vulnerable. She would be able to isolate those affected to take their powers, and then kill them."

Cyran cocked his head to the side. "You said the coven stopped her. How? And why would she be active again?"

"Realizing the peril the well posed," Cami replied, " the local coven sealed it and the witch off. But the story doesn"t end there. As she was being bound, the witch cursed anyone interfering to an agonizing death."

Kaitlyn, her eyes reflecting the weight of ancient knowledge, nodded in understanding. "And now the curse of the well has resurfaced," Kaitlyn finished.

Cami"s narrative, a tapestry woven with the threads of magical lore, left us with a profound realization. The well, once a source of communal dreams, had become a nexus of ancient curses. It was now a wellspring of malevolence that threatened to unravel the delicate balance between the magical and the mundane. As the call ended, leaving us with the echoes of a haunting saga, I couldn"t help but quip, "Well, isn"t that just the cherry on top of our magical sundae?"

Amidst the questions and comments, a subtle shift reverberated through my being. It triggered my connection with Lucas. It seemed as if it was a dormant spell suddenly awakening. A current of wolfish instincts surged inside me and the mundanity of the council"s proceedings was momentarily eclipsed by a more primal awareness.

Through Lucas"s senses, I glimpsed a disoriented raccoon executing a jittery cha-cha. Also a fox locked in a bewildered staring contest with its own tail. Then a pair of rabbits engaged in a hopscotch marathon. The ludicrous tableau of perplexed wildlife played out in vivid detail, and my incredulous gaze shot to his.

He grabbed my hand and leaned close to my ear. "Are you alright, Flower?"

"What the hell was that?" I asked.

Lucas averted his gaze, and once assured the others were focused elsewhere, he turned back to me. "I tuned into the wildlife to see if they've seen anything. I forgot to turn it off."

"Shit. Mundies aren"t the only ones experiencing a bizarre day," I whispered.

He shook his head. "No, they aren't. We need to investigate this well Cami talked about."

I nodded in agreement while inside, I was thinking about how ironic it would be to have a wishing well delivering potentially deadly wishes. The council adjourned, and my sisters and I were given the task of tackling the well. Kaveh and Xinar agreed to look into the video.

We left and returned to the plantation to obtain as much information as possible. I was in the middle of driving home when I smelled gasoline and freshly mowed grass. A second later my vision started to go wonky. Luckily, I had just pulled off the highway. I wrenched the car over to the side of the road and allowed the scent-o-vision to consume me.

Hands shook my shoulders from behind when I came to. "You okay, Lia?" Dre asked.

Shaking off the disorientation, I shot her wide eyes in the rearview mirror. "I had a vision. They seemed like mystic musings of the universe. I was granted glimpses into a myriad of people and paranormals acting out. It was like looking at fate. And let me tell you, it"s not offering any Black Friday deals."

Kota looked at me sideways. "I hope these visions come with a return policy."

I lifted a shoulder. "I saw a storm of chaos amid a whirlwind of oddities. If I didn't know better, I'd say the universe is having a field day with us."

Dea chuckled wryly. "Now that's a party theme we can work with. Chaos and Cosmos, what do you think?"

Kota snorted. "The magical equilibrium is throwing a tantrum."

I laughed and told them about the scene of a river of shimmering stardust cascading over the French Quarter, and each particle spelled out riddles and prophecies. And then there were the demonic beings. Their faces were obscured by veils of time. Then I saw an ancient oak tree. Its roots delved into the very essence of the earth and whispered secrets to those willing to listen.

Amidst the chaos, a figure cloaked in shadows emerged. The silhouette was adorned with symbols that made me think of creation and destruction. I shivered thinking that person held the balance of the universe in its hands.

"What does this have to do with everything going on and the well we are supposed to look into?" Dani asked.

Dre's expression was fierce as she looked straight ahead. "I have no idea, but we need to think this through before we go off half-cocked. This just got a lot more complicated. Switch seats with me Lia. We don't need you crashing because you have another vision."

My stomach was in knots as I got out of the car. The images might not have been particularly bloody, but they spelled trouble. And that was never good.