Chapter 6

Danielle

I sat up from a slouching position when I felt the tingle of Kaveh's magic and upended Adèle. Our familiar gave me a look. She was not happy. "Kaitlyn's going to be here any second," I announced as I smoothed my wrinkled shirt.

We"d been home long enough to get something to eat and watch the kids head for the pool. Seeing all of our children together was a bonus to having the plantation. And most weekends they were there hanging out helping.

Saturdays were usually busy at the plantation. We weren't booked every weekend, but we were damn near close to it. Cami handled her schedule and preferred doing more tours during the week when we typically had no events, so she only had one scheduled for this afternoon.

"I wonder if she was able to put someone on the video footage out there," Dre replied. We'd texted her after we helped Tempe handle the second set of zombies. We needed her help identifying the heart of where the storm touched down.

The ladies' parlor shimmered with magic as the air rippled with Kaveh's power. The energy condensed and Kaitlyn stood there in Kaveh's arms. Their arrival brought a gust of mystical air, swirling around us like a cloak.

"You guys attract chaos like flies to shit," Kaitlyn teased as she sank into a chair across from us and said hello to Adèle. She was originally going to be Kaitlyn's familiar but then she changed her mind and chose the six of us at the last minute. Kaitlyn had a soft spot for her but held no hard feelings.

Cami stuck her head in the room. "Can I get either of you anything to eat or drink?" She directed the question to Kaitlyn and Kaveh.

Kaveh nodded and rubbed a hand over his stomach. "Have any of those scones, Kota makes?"

Kota smirked at him. "Do pixies fly?"

Kaveh chuckled and asked for one with some tea. Kaitlyn asked for the same. After Cami took off to get them we recounted the encounters with the zombies that had terrorized the French Quarter.

Dre took a soda from Cami when she returned and looked at Kaveh. "Please tell me you were able to handle the mess with mundies and media."

Kaveh took a bite of the blueberry scone and talked around a mouth full. "I had my second help with the mundies while I changed the footage. It would be more suspicious if we left everything blank so we went with the story Tempe created about guides dressing up while doing tours around the city. It'll boost the Necros business and it didn't take much to make the zombies look like they had more flesh. Of course, shooting additional footage with Tempe to explain the sighting took some finagling, but it has been handled."

"You used your magic?" I asked to clarify my confusion. "Don"t you usually have to barter favors to access such powerful magic?" I had no idea how the djinn powers actually worked.

Kaveh"s eyes gleamed with a hint of amusement. "In situations where our lives are at risk, there are certain measures we can take that bypass the usual channels of negotiation," he explained cryptically.

Lia let out a relieved sigh. "Well, thank the stars for that. It was a damn mess out there." Her voice was tinged with gratitude.

Dre nodded in agreement. "Now all we need to do is find the heart of the storm to locate the relic Agnes used to cast her curse. And no, Marie"s cryptic message didn't give us more information than that."

Kaitlyn"s sipped her tea and she considered the question. Her fingers traced invisible patterns on the side of the cup she was holding. "Finding the heart of the storm will not be an easy task," she began, her voice resonating with authority.

Adèle rubbed against Dea's leg. "It was supposed to hit the park, but when you interrupted it, you sent it off-course. But with the right combination of scrying spells and ancient rituals, we may be able to pierce through the veil of secrecy and protection."

I leaned forward eagerly, my heart pounding with excitement at the prospect of having an answer. "What kind of magic are we talking about?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

Kaitlyn"s gaze turned inward as if she were reading the pages of a book. "We will need to attune ourselves to the energy signature of the relic," she explained, her words certain. "Only then can we create a tether between our world and the heart of the storm, allowing us to glimpse the relic's true location. Or we could call Nylah and ask her to come and use her powers."

Dre and Kota shared a look before Dre said, "Let's give her a call." Kaitlyn wasted no time in dialing Nylah"s number. My heart pounded with anticipation as the phone rang.

"Nylah speaking," came the familiar voice on the other end. It was filled with warmth and curiosity.

"Nylah, it"s Kaitlyn. I'm here with the Twisted Sisters," she began. We all called out a hello.

"We"re in dire need of your help," Lia told her. "We"re hunting for a relic linked to a curse on a well here in New Orleans. Your expertise could be crucial in our search."

"What relic? What's going on?" Nylah asked.

We gave her a brief explanation of what had happened. There was a brief pause before Nylah replied, her tone thoughtful. "I understand the gravity of the situation," she said. "I"m walking into the firehouse right now and can't leave them without enough coverage. People die when that happens. But I can make arrangements to join you in New Orleans in a couple of days after my shift ends and I get at least a little sleep."

As we stared at each other with shocked eyes, a sense of urgency still gnawed at my gut. "We can"t afford to wait two days," I blurted with a defeated sigh. "Given the risk of a zombie apocalypse, we need to take action now."

"No, you can't," Nylah agreed.

"You need to continue with what you have for now," Adèle told us. "And get back to Nylah as soon as possible."

Dre told Nylah what Adèle had suggested. We said our goodbyes to Nylah, and Kaitlyn hung up. Kota"s brow furrowed in concentration, and she asked, "What about the dangers we may encounter along the way? How do we protect ourselves?"

Kaitlyn"s expression softened, a reassuring smile playing at the corners of her lips. "Protection spells will be crucial," she replied. "But our greatest strength lies in the power the six of you create together. You're like those sisters in that TV show, only you're so much more than the power of three."

Kota smirked and fluffed her hair. "Damn right, we are. Speaking of our power, I wanted to run an idea by you after we finish this."

At Kaitlyn's questioning expression, I explained, "She wants to create a memory dust that can be used on mundies. Something we will make and sell to supernaturals to help handle minor incidents of exposure."

Kaitlyn's eyes widened, and a smile spread across her face. "That's brilliant. I definitely want to discuss that."

Kota pointed at her. "I'm going on record now and filing a magical trade mark so you can't steal it and do it for yourself."

Kaitlyn chuckled. "Don't worry. Very few witches alive would be able to accomplish something like that. I don't know if Phoebe could do it. Not because she doesn't have enough power. I have a feeling this will take diversity to be able to work on a variety of minds. Anyway, we can talk about that another time. Let's talk about how to find the eye of the storm."

With Kaitlyn's help, we outlined a plan to search for the location. We also created the potions and practiced the ritual. Kaitlyn's phone interrupted us before we made it to City Park where we were going to put it into action.

"Hello," Kaitlyn answered her phone as we paused in the parking lot. She'd driven with us.

My stomach churned when her face turned to one of absolute horror. "What? Where?" She nodded her head and listened for several more seconds. Hanging up, she looked at us with a stricken look in her eyes.

"What happened?" Dre asked as she placed a hand on her shoulder.

She swallowed hard and shook her head. "A mundie died after visiting the wishing well."

"How?" I blurted.

Kaitlyn took a deep breath. "He'd heard the well was granting wishes and went to ask to meet the love of his life. His friends decided to take him to a bar on Frenchman Street to see if he would find her. He was hit by a drunk driver and killed."

A heavy weight settled on my heart. Lia squeezed my hand, trying to reassure me, and said, "The wishes have become deadly."

The night took on a sinister feel then. Darkened alleys stretched like yawning mouths, ready to swallow anyone who dared wander too close. Even the neon signs were affected. They were the city"s attempt at glamor and now cast an eerie glow on graffiti-covered walls.

Dea's head came up, and her eyes turned opaque. "The spirits are upset. They're trying to take me somewhere, but there are too many talking at once."

Dre scanned the surroundings with a scowl. "Great. Just what we needed, a haunted scavenger hunt in the heart of the city. Do you know where they want you to go? We shouldn't follow blindly in case Agnes is driving them."

Dea"s gaze remained focused on the spiritual plane as she shook her head. "I can't tell. There"s a heaviness in the air. I can say that they are restless and uneasy."

Kota, whose instincts were as sharp as ever, growled low. "It might be the restless spirits, but I can feel eyes on us. We"ve got company."

The shadows shifted, revealing figures clad in the kind of suits you"d see in a noir film, not on the streets of New Orleans. These guys weren"t here for beignets and jazz. They were the classiest demons I'd ever seen and meant business.

Dre crossed her arms. "Well, well, look who decided to crash our little party. Secret society meeting tonight, fellas?"

One of the suited figures stepped forward, his tone as cold as the stare from his dark eyes. "You"re meddling in affairs that don"t concern you, witches."

I couldn"t help but chuckle. "Affairs that don"t concern us? Sweetheart, our middle names are "meddling'. Our mama wrote it in bold on our birth certificates."

Phi grinned like a cat who found the cream. "Besides, it"s not meddling if it"s saving the world. Very superhero-esque, don"t you think?" The suited figures didn"t seem amused. They moved with an eerie synchronicity, encircling us like vultures eyeing their prey.

Kota conjured a machete and muttered, "This is getting us nowhere. Let"s cut through the chit-chat and get to the fireworks." She jerked her chin to the alley nearby. The six of us raced for cover, and Lia turned back to grab Kaitlyn.

We started throwing spells at them before they managed to unsheathe their claws. The narrow passage erupted into chaos. It stretched behind us like a winding serpent. Its brick walls rose tall and foreboding on either side, diffusing the glow of moonlight so it barely reached the ground. This was going to go sideways. I could hardly see a thing.

My sisters and I formed a stalwart semi-circle. Our backs were exposed. I was tempted to back up and press them against the cold, unforgiving stone. At least then we wouldn't have to worry about being attacked from behind.

Kaitlyn's power crackled on her hands as she cast offensive spells with us. The demon's movements were fluid yet filled with an air of menace. Clad in attire that spoke of wealth and refinement, they seemed out of place in the desolate alleyway. However, their polished veneer betrayed the darkness that lurked within them.

"Nice suit," Dre called out, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Too bad it"s about to get torn to shreds."

Our spells hit them dead center and rolled off like water off a duck's back. With a grotesque contortion of limbs and a sickening crack, the demons shed their shiny veneer, and their true forms were revealed. They were twisted, grotesque creatures that would fit in any nightmare. Their ashen skin pulsated with malevolent energy and pockets of pus. I swear they were going to burst and spew toxic venom.

I aimed and threw a magical arrow at the closest demon. Unfortunately, I hit my target. It pierced one of those pus pockets and a gush of green goo hit me in the face. It burned like unholy fire. And made it difficult to concentrate and continue fighting.

With a growl, I cast a magical lance at it and left a hole in the center of its chest. None of us cowered in fear or stopped fighting. My sisters met the demon's advance with defiance, taunting the demons with more snarky quips and defiant jeers.

Phi's laughter echoed off the alley walls. "You give new meaning to a terrifying surprise lurking behind a charming facade?"

As the demons lunged forward, Kaitlyn unleashed a torrent of spells. Her incantations wove through the air like strands of liquid fire. But the demons were unfazed, their infernal forms seemingly immune to her arcane onslaught.

In the midst of the chaos, Lia"s form shimmered with an otherworldly light as she shifted into her small dragon form. It was a sight to behold amidst the swirling maelstrom of battle. With a defiant roar that echoed through the alley, she launched herself at the nearest demon, talons extended, and fangs bared. She chewed through demons at a rapid rate.

The battle was a symphony of violence and chaos that reverberated through the alley like a thunderstorm. I said a silent prayer it didn't draw the attention of mundies, and then I remembered I had magic. I cast a bubble around the buildings to hide the noise.

Spells collided with daggers, the clash of magic and metal filling the air with a cacophony of sound. And amidst it all, Lia fought with a ferocity that belied her diminutive size. Her dragon form was a whirlwind of destruction amidst the darkness. She was key in turning the tide in our favor.

Before long, Kaitlyn was killing the last demon. As the dust settled, a sudden realization dawned upon me. Lia"s clothes were destroyed. With a wry grin, I turned to my sister. "Looks like we"ll need to find you some new clothes before we can leave this alley," I remarked, a note of amusement in my voice. "Take care of these bodies while we're gone, will ya?"

She shook her triangular head, and smoke puffed out of her nostrils. I patted her side and set out in search of attire for her. Dre stopped me to heal my face. It was nice to have a sister who could heal us.