Chapter 18

Dreya

As we traversed the surreal streets of New Orleans, every shadow seemed to dance with ominous intent. It became difficult to ignore the gnawing sensation. To distract myself, I watched Pathiel as he observed the cityscape with a mixture of awe and concern.

"The French Quarter is usually alive with music and laughter," I explained, gesturing towards the quiet streets. "Something happened while we were gone, and now... it"s like the heart of the city has fallen still."

Lia wrapped her arms around herself. "It's not right. I miss the throngs of drunk people."

Framed by a faint glow, Pathiel"s eyes scanned the unique architecture with a furrowed brow. "Your city is unlike anything I"ve ever seen before. I wonder what it would be like without the dread," he replied. "Regardless, the structures are beautiful."

As we ventured deeper into the Quarter, the gas lamps flickered to life. There was something ominous about them tonight. They cast elongated, distorted shadows that seemed to writhe on the cobblestone pavement. The streets should be bustling and filled with the rhythmic pulse of life. Instead, the throngs of people who were out and about had somber expressions and weren't laughing and having fun.

"Those mundies at the well mentioned their daughter was in the hospital," Phi recalled. "Some serious shit went down in our absence. Should we call Lucas and Noah to find out?"

"I've texted Noah," Dani interjected. "I don"t want to be distracted by a conversation right now."

Kota crossed the street and headed toward the river as she said, "The essence of the city has been shaken to its core. There aren't even vampires out right now."

Dea reached out to touch the trunk of a gnarled tree as we passed it. "Nature is recoiling. It's bad when the plants are shrinking from the encroaching darkness."

Dani's phone must have vibrated because she pulled it out of her pocket. A lump formed in my throat as she scanned the screen. "What is it?" I asked.

Dani's expression was stricken when she looked up. "Apparently, we've been gone two days. Noah and Lucas have been worried sick. They've had the pack out looking for us. He said the cursed well has been acting up and it's wishes have turned deadly. Two people have died already, and a dozen more are in the hospital. The authorities are baffled, blaming it on some sort of unknown virus," she said as her fingers flew across the screen with a reply.

Noah was Dani's mate and a shifter. One thing I'd learned from him and Lia's mate Lucas, was that shifters were incredibly possessive and protective. And if we'd been gone that long, I could understand why they were worried. I pulled out my phone to send Steve a message letting him know we were okay and would be home soon. When I looked up, everyone was typing out messages and Pathiel was watching with a furrowed brow.

"These are called cell phones. They allow us to communicate with people who are not with us," I explained.

His eyes widened, and he extended his hand. I placed the device in his palm and he almost dropped it when it vibrated with Steve's reply. "You must be powerful witches," the angel said with awe.

"It's not magic. It's a machine. I will explain it better later. Right now, we need to get a handle on what is happening here," I replied.

He nodded in agreement, and I summoned gusts of wind to clear a spectral fog that clung to the alleyways. When I did that, I revealed glimpses of distorted shadows that seemed to writhe with unseen malevolence. "What the hell is that?" I asked with my finger pointing out the creatures.

Dani surveyed the scene with a raised eyebrow. "Dark carnival vibes and gothic architecture... It"s like a nightmare come to life."

Though laced with humor, the banter couldn"t fully mask the underlying fear. We hadn't seen these beings before and knew nothing about them. The city"s shadows seemed to pulse with hidden threats, and the air was thick with an unsettling aura.

"Those are horrific," Lia admitted. "We have to find the source of these nightmares and put an end to them."

"I didn't see anything before, but I think it's safe to say the curse on the well has grown stronger and taken on a life of its own," Pathiel observed.

Kota conjured a sword like the one she had before. "You're right. It"s also feeding on the fear and chaos in this city. We can't take you to Willowberry yet. We have to stop this before it gets too big for us to handle."

Pathiel lifted his chin. "I'd like to help you as you did me." His towering form was cloaked in the illusion of mundanity but his power radiated off of him. His pale gaze swept over the macabre spectacle in the alley and I wondered if his angelic glow would come in handy. We couldn't remove the glamour yet. We didn't have the memory dust to erase the image of him from mundie minds.

"The city"s agony seems to have birthed a nightmare of its own," I remarked as I processed the situation. "Let the shifters know so they can come help."

Pathiel"s eyes were radiant and watchful. "The magic in your realm is far less potent but more at the same time. This would never happen on Luminaria." Wisps of darkness slithered through cracks and crevices like tendrils of sentient shadow as he spoke about them.

"It's confusing as hell, isn't it," Phi said. "We specialize in handing out ass whoopings, so these fuckers had better watch it."

I shot her a wry smile. "This is certainly avant-garde, in a "terrifying descent into madness" kind of way. But they're getting away. We need to follow them." I watched as the shadows slithered down the street, running away from us.

The seven of us raced down the sidewalk, trying to catch up with the shadows without drawing too much attention. The mundies might be somber, but they weren't dumb. A group of middle-aged women racing around wasn't a common sight.

Kota raised an eyebrow when a group of mundies started turning on one another and fighting. "These shadows may be psychological manifestations, but they"re real enough to cause havoc. We need to stop that."

Dea leaped into action, and her power was rolling out of her before she reached the group. She grabbed hold of a woman's hand. She'd tangled it in another woman's hair and was pulling it violently. We hung back and let her work her empathic mojo. Within moments the woman released her friend, and they were embracing.

"I miss the days when the bad guys just wanted to rob a bank." Dani shook her head as she said that. "Now we"re dealing with shadows that are manifestations of the city"s collective emotional baggage thanks to a cursed well."

Lia stepped onto a fractured sidewalk. "When did we ever deal with bank robbers? I had a few kids arrested for armed robbery, but you were a nurse in the NICU, sestra."

Dani waved that away. "You know what I mean. We didn't know shit like this existed and never had to deal with it."

I pinned Dani with a look. "Would you change your life and go back to a mundie existence if you could?"

Dani's face looked like she'd just sucked on a lemon. "Not a freaking chance. I was just venting about having to face another new problem."

I put an arm around her. "I get it, sestra. We all feel the same. Did anyone see where the shadows vanished to?"

The others shook their heads as we continued through the streets. The silent cries of unseen fears became more pronounced. The ground beneath us trembled with echoes of forgotten traumas.

We were silent for several minutes when Kota finally broke it. "People trusted us to protect the city. Now we"re protecting it from its own fears. The irony is not lost on me."

Dani smirked at Kota. "They don"t teach you this stuff in superhero training. Maybe we should add "city therapists" to our resumes."

Lia led us through a labyrinth of alleys and courtyards. "No matter how warped the city becomes, we"ll find the light within its shadows. That"s our job as the Six Twisted Sisters."

Pathiel smiled at her. "You're warriors with the strongest protective instincts I've ever encountered. Not many would have jumped right in and helped fight an unknown creature."

My feet froze in a courtyard filled with those shadows. They were everywhere. On the walls, behind plants, and dancing in the fountain. Phi was the first to react to the unsettling scene. Her expression resembled a stormy sea with turbulent skies above. "They"re not just made of fear. They instill it, too."

Dea moved closer to Phi. "These shadows know where to nudge to make me twitch with discomfort."

Kota"s face flickered with a disconcerting uncertainty. "I"ve faced many foes, but they"re making doubts flicker to life in the corners of my mind. It is... unsettling."

Dani pursed her lips and conjured a ball of her witch fire. "This is no time for a campfire where we share our deepest fears. We're the Six Twisted Sisters, and we are better than this. We can remind each other of our worth later."

Lia observed the swirling shadows with a stoic expression. "Dani is right. These shadows are exploiting our vulnerabilities. We need to confront them together, face our fears, and emerge stronger."

Why did this shit always make us face crap we would rather ignore? It was impossible for me to contain my sarcasm before I quipped, "Sure, let"s have a heart-to-heart with our deepest fears. Like a cozy chat with a nightmare. We could also cast a barrier so they can't reach inside of us. That would be easier."

Lia frowned and clasped my hand. "They make it hard to think straight. Thank the gods you haven't lost your mind entirely."

Dani shivered and nodded in agreement. "We need to cast that spell. They're closing in around us. It's getting worse."

Joining hands, we cast the spell immediately. The enchantment fell into place and relieved the pressure on my heart and soul. "It worked," Kota said as she cracked her knuckles. "How do you think we kill these assholes?"

"With fire," Dani suggested as she tossed the ball of flames at the closest shadow. The impact burned a hole in its shoulder and made it shriek.

That felt like a win as we stood there facing the cluster of shadows trying to suffocate us. They were alive and moving with purposeful intent, their dark forms writhing and pulsating as they sought to overwhelm us. Dani"s flames flickered erratically and ignited a section of a wall. Thankfully this was her witch fire which she controlled entirely. She wouldn't allow it to burn the building to ash.

Dea"s purple flames sprang out from her finger and entwined with the shadows in front of her. It momentarily halted their advance. I had to dart around a vicious shadow in front of me, so I didn't see what happened when she increased the flames. I ran into Phi"s side and nearly knocked her down. That impact sent Phi stumbling into the shadow. Her scream shredded my heart. I grabbed her bleeding arm and immediately sent healing energy to the torn flesh.

"I am so sorry, sestra," I told her over and over.

Phi shook her head and conjured more of her green fire. With a snarl. she threw them into the shadow's face. It shrieked and erupted into a blazing column of darkness. "Don't worry about it, Dre. I'm good thanks to you."

I nodded and tried to call up my witch flames. Unfortunately, I couldn't concentrate and had to resort to running away. I was paying more attention and stopped before colliding with Pathiel. He stood like a bastion of celestial light amidst the encroaching darkness.

I watched in awe as he channeled his light magic with focused determination. he sent brilliant beams of energy into the heart of the shadows. Each beam struck true, causing the shadows to recoil. It was only the two closest to him that withered and eventually dissipated.

"Dre, watch your left!" Lia"s urgent voice broke through my stupor.

I spun around just in time to summon a gust of wind that dispersed a cluster of shadows creeping up on me. Watching the angel had given me an idea and I worked on building power for a sun spell. I prayed it would work the same.

"Use a light or sun spell," I called out. "Think of Pathiel's light when you do."

The battle wasn't as dangerous as many we'd been in, but it was exhausting. The shadows moved fast and managed to avoid my attempts to catch them with my enchantments. Pathiel didn't have the same problem. His determination never faltered, despite the toll using his powers took on his strength. Beams of light continued to pierce the darkness, and with each strike, the shadows retreated further.

Kota cast something that illuminated our surroundings with an orange glow. At least she'd gotten the hang of it. As the battle raged on, we slowly maneuvered toward the entrance of a nearby house, seeking refuge from the relentless onslaught of shadows. With a coordinated effort, we pushed forward, our collective wills pushing back against the malevolent forces that sought to consume us. Together, we burst through the doorway into the house"s entryway, the shadows writhing and recoiling from the sudden influx of light. The interior was dimly lit, with long shadows stretching across the floor and walls.

"Dre, lock down the entryway!" Dani called out as she threw light from her hands. I released the spell I was working on and aimed it at a cluster of shadows. That done, I summoned a burst of wind to seal the entrance. It would prevent more shadows from following us inside.

Lia scanned the interior. "Let"s clear this place. Pathiel, can you keep using your light magic to drive them back?"

Pathiel nodded, his gaze unwavering. "I"ll give you everything I have."

As we advanced further into the house, the shadows seemed to thicken, coalescing in the corners and alcoves. Each room presented a new challenge, but we fought on, our unity a testament to the strength of our resolve.

The house itself seemed to groan under the weight of the encroaching darkness, its walls adorned with faded wallpaper and old portraits that seemed to watch us with haunted eyes.

Pathiel's attention snapped to his right, and he muttered something under his breath before taking off in that direction. "What are you doing, Pathiel? What"s going on?" I asked as we scrambled to catch up to him. It was clear he had picked up something.

"There's something powerful that's causing all of this," he replied distractedly.

I shared a look with my sisters and shrugged. "How the hell can he tell that?"

Kota sighed and said, "Who knows? It can't hurt to follow him. And it would be a bad idea to let him go alone." As he led us through the house, his bright aura seemed to cut through the shadows like a beacon of hope. We followed him as he tracked a trail of residual magic, deeper into the heart of the old home.

The further we ventured, the denser the shadows became. What drew them to this place? Was Pathiel right? Did the weathered and worn fa?ade hide something powerful? It was certainly possible. Pathiel finally paused at a nondescript door hidden behind a tangle of magic. With a gentle push, he revealed a hidden passage leading to a secret room within. How did he do that without undoing the spells? I bet it was his bright aura. It had dissipated the enchantments entirely.

As we stepped into the dimly lit chamber, my eyes were drawn to an ancient artifact resting atop a weathered pedestal. It was a mysterious crystal sphere, translucent and shimmering with an otherworldly glow. Within its depths swirled shadows that seemed to dance and whisper ancient secrets.