Chapter 12

Dahlia

The moon hung in the sky like a radiant silver pendant, casting its ethereal glow over the narrow alley where we stood. All were poised for battle against the haunting forces the hotline got calls about. I hoped Agnes was behind this. The last thing we needed was to have another problem when we hadn't really made headway on the curse causing havoc in our city.

Refocusing, I opened my senses to try and pick up where the enemy was. Unfortunately, all I could feel was our tension. I didn't have the ability to see the restless spirits.

"It's always midnight escapades," Kota remarked dryly, her gaze fixed on the shifting shadows ahead. "Must be in their ghostly handbook. Rule one: Always confront your adversaries dramatically under the new moon."

Phi had a mischievous glint in her eye as she added, "I bet they even rehearse their spectral entrances. "Step into the shadows with style." It"s practically a ritual for them."

Dea rolled her eyes at the same time I could feel her connecting with the spectral currents surrounding us. At least, that's what I thought when I felt her using her powers. "I wouldn't call what they're doing prancing down a catwalk, but they are acting strangely. They"re prepared for something big. Good thing we are, too."

Kota adjusted her grip on her machete and had a feral grin playing on her lips. "Can you enchant this to slice through their forms? I'd like to paint these walls ghostly blue."

Dani smirked at her and whispered, "I don't think that's how this works. We should be asleep like the rest of the city, but who needs a good night"s sleep when you can have a magical duel under the stars?"

I chuckled low. "Beats counting sheep. Come out, come out wherever you are," I taunted the ghosts, hoping they'd show themselves. I hated that Dea was the only one who could see them. It made it difficult to back her up in situations like this.

Dea chanted something that caused the shadows to start quivering and shifting. Within a few seconds she'd revealed the enigmatic figures of our spectral adversaries. I had to struggle with my fight or flight mode from making me flee when they emerged from the darkness like phantoms. It was something out of my worst nightmares. Their ghostly forms wove through the night with an otherworldly grace.

Dre was our rock and signaled for us to form a defensive line. We did as instructed while she focused her attention on the shadowy corner. "Look who decided to join the midnight masquerade," she remarked coolly. "Did you bring your own ghostly background music, or is that a special privilege of the cursed?"

My brow furrowed in confusion until a figure stepped forward. The older woman had to be Agnes. The power emanating from her eclipsed the other ghosts in the alley. She was a visage from a bygone era. Like all the ghosts I'd ever seen, she looked like she had when she was alive. In addition, I swear Agnes bore the mark of her curse. There was a large T on her chest that emitted smoke from the lines. Was that for Traitor or Tainted?

A shudder moved through me when I really took in her ghostly apparition. Her skin was pallid and translucent like moonlit marble. The lines of age and wisdom that had once graced her face looked like deep crags of dark blue where the rest of her was so light that she would blend in with a bright summer day.

Her attire drifted around her form like wisps of mist that defied the laws of physics. They were the tattered remnants of antiquated garments that might have once been an elegant gown or cloak. It was hard to tell now. Unlike Cami's mother, Mary Alice, Agnes's clothes hadn't transferred to her spectral form very well.

Agnes"s presence was accompanied by a chilling aura and power like I'd only ever felt in one other ghost. Leaning toward Dani, I muttered, "She's as powerful as Delphine LaLaurie. What do you think that means for us?"

Dani shivered. "Nothing good. The only way we banished LaLaurie was to salt her bones. We can't get close enough to the well to do that to this one."

An icy touch sent shivers down my spine when Agnes looked over at us. For a split second, it felt as if I was frozen in place. Whatever spell she'd cast over me vanished quickly. I was busy wracking my brain with what LaLaurie had been able to do to us. Her malevolence was born of her being a serial killer which was different from a Tainted witch. The murderer took life for pleasure where the witch did so for power. That would make them approach things differently. Not that we were in any less danger. Just how it would manifest against us.

She wasn't all-powerful. As a ghost bound to the earthly realm, she was bound by certain rules. The magic she had access to was garnered from her curse. LaLaurie had gotten it from the Dark power her killings had left behind in her attic. Agnes embodied the enduring power of curses and the legacy of ancient magics which seemed far more frightening on many levels.

Agnes's voice was chillingly authoritative yet scratchy, like branches scraping against the glass. "Twisted Sisters, your meddling ends tonight. My curse will consume you, and you will join the spirits you so recklessly dismiss to fuel my return to the Earthly realm. With your combined power, I will be able to return as a ghoul."

Phi twirled a strand of hair with a playful smile. "How poetic. Did you rehearse that in front of a haunted mirror, or is it more of an improv kind of haunting?"

Magic crackled in the air as tiny bolts of electricity traveled throughout her spirit. It was almost as if it traveled through her veins. If she had any. Indifferent to the unfolding drama, the spirits lit the alley with their ethereal light as the ghosts surged forward.

The moon hung like a silver chandelier above us, casting an ethereal glow over the narrow alley where we found ourselves entangled in a spectral battle. The first surge of spirits was like being hit with the cold winds we'd encountered on a ferry ride in Seattle one January. It chilled me to the bone.

Kota"s eyes narrowed with fierce determination as she addressed us, her voice tinged with confident resolve. "Get ready, sisters. They may have rehearsed their haunting lines, but we"re about to give them a performance they won"t forget. That bitch is confident we can't do anything to stop her."

Anger glinted in Dani's eyes as she watched Agnes. "Let"s see if they brought their A-game or if it"s just ghostly theatrics. Honestly, what can they do to us? They don't have bodies."

Dre and I shared a look. I doubted taunting the ghosts was a good idea. We all knew they could do plenty. At least Dea was able to protect herself now. Being sensitive to the spirit world meant she was vulnerable to them. She'd been controlled by LaLaurie a few weeks ago.

The clash that followed was nothing short of a mesmerizing spectacle. It was a kaleidoscope of spectral magic intertwining with our own. Our arcane energies illuminated the darkened alley with bursts of brilliant light. That made the ghosts flinch for a second before resuming their attack.

Shadows flickered as the restless spirits swirled around us. Standing in a narrow alley, locked in a desperate battle against the encroaching ghosts wasn't a pleasant place to be. We'd faced more mortal danger, but this ranked right up there with facing off against the evil loa Baron Samedi.

The air crackled with spiritual energy while the spectral forms pulsed with malevolent intent. And it was something only Dea could fight against. The rest of us had to scramble to find something that would work against them.

Dani, Kota, and I remained side by side, casting spells in rapid succession to keep the spirits at bay. We weren't very effective, and one witch managed to wrap her hands around my throat. I could breathe easily, but I could feel the drain with each passing second. It was as if the very fabric of my magic was being siphoned away by the relentless surge of ethereal power.

"Use electromagnetic dampening spells!" I shouted over the din, hoping to disrupt the spectral energies that threatened to overwhelm us.

Kota grunted and ducked under a ghostly arm. "That just might work."

Pride swelled within me as I went to work on my intent. I spent extra time picturing our magic stopping the ghosts. It was our best weapon against them. When Dre nodded, Dani and I chanted with her. Our spells hit the spirits like a tidal wave.

The urge to whoop was nearly irresistible when it caused their forms to flicker and fade momentarily. Being better at staying on task, Dani"s eyes narrowed in concentration and her brows furrowed with determination. Her power blew past me like it came from a flame thrower.

Kota"s elemental magic crackled audibly. I chanced a glance in her direction to see if she was okay. That usually only happened as a manifestation of her simmering anger. A muscle ticked along the side of her jaw. Looking back at our enemy, I redoubled my efforts. After the initial reaction, the ghosts were no longer deterred. And despite our efforts, the ghosts surged forward, unaffected by our onslaught.

Phi wiped the back of her hand over her brow. "We might be able to help Dea if it was just ghostly theatrics. How the hell do we stop something that isn't corporeal?"

Dre held up a finger and swished it in a circle. It was her signal for another assault. "We have to stop questioning our effectiveness, sisters. When we do, we stop forcing them to react. And that allows them to try to take our energy. Or, more accurately, for Agnes to siphon it."

"How is that possible? She's a freaking ghost," I complained.

Dea continued drawing symbols in the air as she said, "She can do this through her curse. She designed it to draw witch power in so she could use it. And seeing her in action, I would go a step further and say she used it to buffer her turning and delay her power from registering her as Tainted with the coven."

Phi gasped and twisted around at the same time. "It's brilliant really," her words came out strangled. "Not being thrown out of the coven right away would give her access to witches and allow her to gather more power for a lot longer than most."

Dani snorted. "Less admiring her evil plan and more fighting her and her spirits."

One of the witches among the ghosts sneered at Dre, distracting her while another came at her back. Dre froze, and the ghost started shaking like a leaf on a branch. I blasted a spell at them to force the ghost on. Panic threatened my ability to think clearly and I did little to make the thing move on. On instinct, I reached for Dre and yanked her to me.

As the battle raged on, the ghosts" numbers seemed to swell, pressing in from all sides. I felt a chill in the air as Agnes"s presence loomed over us. It drew strength from our struggle.

"Protect yourselves. Don't let her defeat us," Dre"s voice carried authority, her eyes scanning the surroundings for hidden signs amidst the chaos.

Phi"s mind analyzed things faster than I could comprehend and she'd grasped what Dre meant and said, "Cast protection spells around your core of magic. It's better than the tactical retreat I was going to suggest."

Kota smirked at Phi. "That"s just a fancy way of strategically avoiding a bad situation. Like ghosting but with more magical flair."

Dea sighed softly, her ethereal connection pulsing with determination. "They're another source of her power." Her words made a boulder form in my gut. That was not good. I swear, every ghost living in the French Quarter was there. "I think I can tether them here. That will buy us some time to figure out how to cut them off from her."

I continued throwing every spell I could think of at the spirits. We needed to give Dea time to work. Our magic sparked as it hit the old, weathered brick walls around us. Suddenly, a surge of spectral energy overwhelmed us, and I felt a significant draw upon my own power. My gaze skittered around and given the smirk on Agnes's face, I knew she had upped the ante. Panic seized me as I realized Agnes was using us against ourselves.

"Phi!" Dre cried out. I turned to see Phi being knocked to her face by a ghost. They shouldn't be able to touch her like that. Fear clenched my heart as I rushed to her side. Dre and Kota shot into action at the same time. The realization sank in that our usual tactics were completely ineffective against these relentless apparitions and fueling their attack. They wouldn't have been able to do this without us.

Dre"s voice rang out, filled with determination. "Dea, you have them tethered to the alley yet? We"ve got to banish them to the other side before they manage to kill one of us."

Dea nodded without once losing focus on what she was doing. "We've got an advantage. The city"s heart beats with ours. They may think they"ve cornered us but they"ve merely trapped themselves."

That wasn't something I'd ever thought about or considered. But the glee in Dea's voice gave me hope. Dre and I helped Phi to her feet. It was tough to hide my reaction to the blood streaming from her nose. Dre went to work healing her right away as I resumed helping Dani and Kota keep the ghosts busy.

With every ounce of strength we had left, we fought to hold our ground, knowing that our survival depended on pushing back the tide of vengeful spirits. The alley echoed with the clash of magic, our spells leaving behind char marks on the brick walls as the battle reached its crescendo. Several things happened at once then. Dea cried out in triumph and Agnes roared her displeasure before disappearing. She sounded like a wind storm more than a pissed off witch which was creepy as hell.

The six of us were panting as we stood in the alley. The moon hung high in the night sky casting silvery light over the narrow, cobblestone alleyway. When Agnes managed to slip away, many of the spirits went with her. The rest remained stuck in a grouping. Their ethereal forms flickered in the moonlight. The restless congregation was trapped within the confines of Dea"s ingenious containment spell.

Some spirits hovered silently, their translucent forms shifting in and out of focus, while others murmured softly to themselves, their words lost to the night. "I can't say I like fighting ghosts," Dre said. "We can't do much to help you, Dea. But I like how thoroughly that spell of yours stopped the bullshit."

Chuckling, I nodded in agreement. "I agree. We need to think about some powder that can give them bodies we can kill, or something."

Kota bent to retrieve her machete from beneath the dumpster as she said, "I'll add that to my list. I think I have the memory dust recipe. We can make it when we get a break."

Dea stepped toward the ghosts. Her movements were purposeful, and her expression was determined. "I"m going to try to guide them to the other side," she announced. Closing her eyes, Dea began to channel her mystical energies, her hands moving in intricate patterns as she sought to impart peace and closure to the trapped souls.

We watched with bated breath, hoping for a breakthrough that would bring solace to these restless apparitions. Minutes passed like hours. The only sound was the soft rustle of fabric and the faint whisper of the wind through the alley.

"Dammit. It's not working. I could search for their anchors to this world, but that would just waste time," Dea admitted. Her voice was tinged with disappointment and frustration.

Dre moved closer to the spirits and looked them over. "Leaving them here could pose risks. They may cause further disturbances if left unchecked."

Kota crossed her arms over her chest and glared at the spirits. "But we can't leave them to keep providing Agnes with power. If she loses them, it will weaken her and make it easier for us."

Lifting a finger, I pointed at the middle of the group. "You're right. Cut them off from the evil witch. That solves one problem. Then we can tackle the rest."

Dea smiled at me and started casting more spells. That sent the spirits into another frenzy. They thrashed and fought against the hold she had on them. Their efforts were fruitless, and a second later, they stopped and practically went still. The avarice was gone from their eyes, and they paid little attention to us after that.

As a group, we deliberated, our thoughts colliding like waves against the shore. Leaving the spirits confined within the alley felt like a compromise. It was an interim measure to contain a persistent dilemma. Letting them go could allow them to be ensnared by Agnes again.

"We"ll need to establish a routine," Dani suggested, her eyes scanning the surroundings. "Regular visits to monitor the situation and ensure their containment holds. It's the only way we can be sure."

Phi lifted a shoulder as her gaze went distant. "Perhaps we can devise additional measures to strengthen the containment. In case Agnes can come and chip away at it."

My brow furrowed as I tried to picture what she was suggesting. "We could make a talisman to hide within the wall behind them."

With a collective nod of agreement, we began to retreat from the alley. The moonlight guided our way over the cobblestones. The trapped spirits remained within Dea"s mystically crafted barrier, their ethereal forms beginning to shift restlessly.

"The shifters can help us keep watch," I reassured my sisters. I knew they worried about the amount on our plates right now.

"It won't be forever. I will find a way to force them to move along," Dea promised.

The air hummed with the residual energies of our encounter as we departed. Our thoughts already turned towards the next phase of our ongoing battle against the ghost that threatened our city. The job of the Twisted Sisters never ended.