Chapter 8

Dahlia

Dre thrust her hands on her hips. "No freaking way! You are not sacrificing part of yourself. We will find another way."

Dea sighed and shook her head. "If we try to break through our magic will rebound on us. The spirits watched Agnes set the wards."

Adele's voice echoed in our heads as she said, "You should listen to Dea. I cannot sense everything around you, but I believe the spirits are being truthful about the wards. You can get past it without Dea sacrificing and binding herself to the spell forever. Use your resources. Call Nylah and see if she can come help. She's got relic-keeper powers. That includes an ability to get past wards. It's unique to her and helps her get to artifacts when others can't." At least hearing her talk to us confirmed we weren't entirely in another realm. It lifted a weight off my shoulders I hadn't realized had settled there.

I nodded in agreement. "And we can ask Kaveh to teleport her here. This falls under the category of vital to his survival."

"You took the suggestion out of my mouth, Lia. I am having difficulty staying connected, but I will be here should you need me," Adele said.

Dre nodded. "You call Kaveh, I'll call Nylah."

Kota held up a finger. "Will you even be able to reach them? We didn't exactly walk here."

I lifted a shoulder and pulled out my phone. "There's only one way to know for sure. I'll call Kaveh and ask for that favor."

"And I'll call Nylah," Dre added.

The air hung heavy with anticipation as I pulled out my phone and dialed Kaveh"s number. As it rang, I smiled at Kota and gave her a thumbs-up. Dre turned and dialed Nylah. Fingers crossed the relic-keeper could come and help.

"Hey. Lia. What's up?" Kaveh"s voice crackled through the line. There was some static, but I could hear him fairly well.

"Hey yourself," I began, trying to keep my tone light despite the gravity of the situation. "As you know, we conducted the spell searching for the relic. We've been on a wild goose chase and we've come up against a ward we can't cross or break. But we think the new relic-keeper can help. For the sake of time, would you be willing to teleport Nylah to our location?"

There was a brief pause on the other end of the line before Kaveh responded. "I'd be happy to help. And I consider the favor already fulfilled, seeing as you six are taking all the risk and doing all the work to save the rest of us."

"You're the best. I'll text you her number. See you soon," I said and ended the call.

"Did he say no?" Dani asked with a frown.

I shook my head and smiled. "Oh, no. He's going to do it," I told them. Worry gnawed at the edges of my mind and distracted me. "Something just occurred to me. Given the hoops we"d already had to jump through and surpass, do you think they will even be able to get to us?"

Dre hung up her call and swiveled around. "Nylah was going to get some rest. Apparently, she had a rough shift, but she agreed to come help us first. And, we should have thought of that before calling, I guess."

Dea shrugged one shoulder. "They can call us if there's a problem."

A grimace creased my face when I noticed a shift in the atmosphere. There was a subtle sting that prickled my skin. It was almost like the sting of sand in a windstorm. My sisters also felt it because, as one, we turned towards the source of the disturbance. Between one blink and the next, Kaveh and Nylah materialized before us.

I gasped and rushed forward. They both looked like they"d been through the shredder. Usually immaculate in his appearance, Kaveh sported a disheveled look. His clothes were torn and rumpled and his hair was mussed. We'd never actually met Nylah, but I didn't imagine she was usually bleeding from a thousand cuts. And I was pretty sure she typically brushed her hair.

"Are you guys okay?" I asked as I stopped myself from touching Nylah. "It's good to meet you finally, by the way. I'm Lia. And that's Dre, Dani, Kota, Dea, and Phi."

Nylah smiled wearily. "I wish I could say the same. Whatever magic is at work here didn't like Kaveh bringing me here." She had stunning cafe au lait skin and gorgeous green eyes.

Dre extended her hand. "I can heal you if you'll let me."

Nylah sighed and nodded. "That would be great. I wasn't sure I could do much like this."

Dre placed her hand on Nylah's shoulder, and sigils flickered on her arms. Dre yanked her hand away. "Sorry!" Nylah blurted. "I'm not used to my powers yet. That happens when I'm attacked. My power reacted when yours filtered into me. I'll stop it. I'm tired and wasn't thinking before."

Dre smiled and nodded, and went back to work. The cuts on Nylah's skin closed before our eyes. The dark circles vanished next and she stood straight. "That's better than a triple espresso," Nylah gushed.

Dre chuckled. "It comes in handy. Thanks so much for coming to help us. That's the door we were trying to get through," she said, getting right to work.

Nylah nodded and approached it but diverted to the door on the opposite wall. "The relic isn't that way. It's through here."

Kaveh inclined his head. "I'll take my leave. Call when you are ready to return home."

"Thank you for coming to get me. I could have flown Brylan here, but that would have taken time. And he couldn't have brought me directly here," she told him.

Kaveh dipped his head. "It's a pleasure to serve the relic-keeper. And you need not worry. I will keep your identity secret." He vanished without another word.

Nylah shook her head and went back to work. "I can't believe I met a djinn. I hope you didn't have to promise him something too costly to get me here. Brylan can fly fairly fast."

"Not at all," I assured her. "He did it in return for us doing the work and taking the risk to solve this problem."

Nylah didn't respond to that other than to nod her head in acknowledgment. She was focused on the work she was doing. With a graceful sweep of her hand, she summoned the essence of the elements and channeled their raw power into a focused beam of energy. That wasn't how witchcraft typically worked. Fae had the power to manipulate the elements but couldn't cast spells and witches could do the reverse. Of course, witches called on the elements when they performed some magic.

The air crackled with electricity. Wisps of swirling wind coalesced around Nylah"s outstretched palm, forming a cyclone of elemental force. Sparks of lightning danced along her fingertips, illuminating the room with their vibrant glow. It allowed us to see the symbols she then drew along the outline of the opening.

With a determined gaze, Nylah directed the cyclone towards the door. The wooden frame creaked under the pressure of the elemental onslaught. The ward, woven with ancient magic to thwart intruders, shimmered and wavered in the face of Nylah"s power.

As the cyclone made contact with the ward, a surge of energy cascaded through the room. It sent shockwaves rippling through the very fabric of reality. The ward was unable to withstand the sheer force of Nylah"s elemental might. Then it shattered like glass, its protective barrier crumbling into nothingness. With the ward now dispelled, the path to the relic lay open before us, beckoning us forward into the heart of mystery and magic.

Nylah turned with a triumphant smile on her face. "I wasn't sure that would work. Shall we?"

"You sound like us about seven months ago," Kota said as we followed her.

The room we entered pulsated with the mystical energy of the relic. Nylah threw out an arm when she saw the symbols etched into the floor. They glowed with an otherworldly luminescence.

Anticipation hung heavy in the air, mingling with the faint hum of ancient magic. Nylah cast a solemn gaze upon the glowing symbols scattered across the floor. My stomach knotted when I noticed her grave expression.

"Stay clear of the symbols," she cautioned, her voice carrying authority. You'd never know she hadn't been a relic-keeper for more than a couple of months. "I have to nullify each one before we can approach the tablet. And that is going to be tricky. They never make it easy."

I snorted and said, "Making shit dangerous and difficult is part of the evil mastermind handbook." everyone laughed at that.

Dre gestured to the floor. "Can we assist you in any way?" She was like me. We were always the first to lend a hand.

Nylah shook her head slightly. "No, but keep your eyes peeled. We cannot afford any missteps, and I'm certain there will be trouble at some point. That"s also in the handbook."

We smiled and nodded as we watched her begin her intricate work. Her movements were fluid and precise. With each glowing symbol she encountered, she drew intricate runes in the air with her finger, chanting ancient spells under her breath.

Dea"s voice broke through the tension. It was tinged with concern. "Uh, the spirits are becoming agitated," she warned, her ethereal connection to the spirit realm sensing the unrest among the trapped souls.

Before we could react, the room erupted in chaos as the ghosts surged forward, their spectral forms swirling with malevolent energy. I found myself thrown across the room. I landed on one of the glowing symbols, and a searing pain shot through me. I cried out. It was burning my skin.

With a swift motion, Kota and Dre yanked me free, the scent of burnt flesh lingering in the air and making me sick to my stomach. Or maybe that was the pain. Dre wasted no time, her hands glowing with healing energy as she tended to my wounds with practiced skill. The relief was immediate, although the damage to my clothing remained.

Once done, we sprang back into action. Dea was already tapping into her powers. Her connection to the spirit realm pulsated with raw energy as she sought to calm the agitated ghosts.

Feeling the urgency of the moment, my sisters and I rallied around Dea. We offered her our energy to bolster her efforts. With a collective surge of power, we channeled our energy into Dea, lending her the strength she needed to banish the restless spirits.

It felt like we were being thrown around while Dea and Nylah worked their magics. It was harder than I would have thought to stand there doing nothing. My foot slipped and my body was flying toward the symbols again. I braced myself for the pain. Aside from a sore shoulder when I landed, nothing else hurt.

Rolling over, I sighed when I noticed Nylah had completed her task. The last symbol had been nullified. "You've got great timing, Nylah." I got to my feet and joined my sisters as we strode to the pedestal where the tablet was sitting.

The six of us surrounded Nylah as she stood in front of the relic. The moment her hand touched the tablet, the world around us seemed to spin. The room vanished in a blur of motion, and we found ourselves engulfed in a whirlwind of magic and mystery. Fucking hell, the relic"s power was transporting us to parts unknown.

Almost instantly, we landed with a jolt. My sisters and I ended up in a heap on the ground. "What the hell?" Kota blurted as she extricated herself.

"We're back in City Park," I said and pointed to the current bane of our existence. "Next to the stupid well."

It was nice to be back in the real world, so to speak. The power of the magic Agnes used to keep the tablet hidden had been like a heavy cloak surrounding us. I took in everything, searching for danger. It was an additional bonus to be in the tranquil oasis amidst the hustle and bustle of the city beyond.

"We need to unravel the curse on the well," Dre said, keeping us on track. She turned to Nylah and asked, "Can the tablet help us with that?"

Nylah regarded us with a solemn expression. "I can try." There was a hesitation that hinted at her not wanting to help. "But my expertise lies in securing and shielding relics, not in using them, so I doubt I can figure this out. I don"t know how to use a relic unless I'm familiar with it."

Dani stepped forward with her gaze on the tablet Nylah was still holding. "Will it help if you know the symbols Agnes used?"

"Yeah," Nylah's brow furrowed in confusion, "but unless you have a time machine, I don't see how that is going to happen."

Dani beamed. "I have psychometry and saw what she did." She was excited as she gestured to the intricate markings etched into the tablet"s surface. It hit me that each line and curve was the key to performing ancient magic. It didn't seem like it should be possible, but that was my mundie origins showing again. "Perhaps they hold the key to breaking the curse," Dani finished.

Nylah nodded thoughtfully, her gaze shifting to the ground at her feet. With a graceful motion, she picked up a nearby stick, its rough surface worn smooth by the passage of time. "I'll draw as you show me," Nylah said.

Dani joined her, and they got to work. The rest of us stood aside, keeping an eye out, while Nylah drew the symbols in the dirt around the well. Each stroke of her hand was deliberate and sure. I was once again struck by how skilled she was. It was more proof of how kickass she was.

As the last symbol was drawn, a hushed silence fell over us. We grinned at one another and Nylah opened her mouth to say something when a sudden surge of dark energy rippled through the air. The oily feel of it had me doubled over. I looked to my sisters for answers. I had my suspicions about what just happened but couldn't be sure.

Kota grimaced and rubbed a hand over her stomach. "I think that just made the curse stronger."

Nylah"s expression darkened with concern as she realized the gravity of our situation. "Shit. The curse is too strong," she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper. "You're right, we"ve only made it worse." A sense of defeat washed over us as we stared at the cursed well. In our quest to undo Agnes"s curse, we had unwittingly unleashed its full fury, leaving us more vulnerable than ever before.

Dre broke the heavy silence that hung over us like a shroud. "So, what now?" she asked, her voice tinged with frustration. "We can"t just leave things like this."

Nylah"s gaze was solemn as she turned to face us, her eyes shimmering with a hint of sorrow. "I'm sorry. I never should have tried that. I had no idea what I was doing." She was beating herself up for something that wasn't her fault.

I wanted to reassure her she did nothing wrong, but my mind was too busy churning over the situation. I gasped and grabbed Nylah's arm. "I have it! We need to find a way to shield the relic," I explained as my plan formulated. "That will keep Agnes from drawing its power. It might even weaken her. We can keep researching to find a way to undo the curse, but we can at least cut her off."

Nylah nodded in agreement. "I can do that." Her voice was excited and her earlier guilt was gone.

Dre toed the dirt near one of the symbols. "We should try to undo what we just did after you do that, Nylah. We don"t need to leave her with that additional power and since she didn't cast it, we should be able to do it, right?"

Kota clapped Dre on the shoulder. "Good thinking, sestra."

Nylah watched us with a bemused expression before she turned her attention to the relic. She lifted one finger and started tracing symbols in the air above the artifact. Almost immediately, energy started shimmering in the air around her. As she worked her magic, a shimmering barrier began to form around the relic. Its surface pulsating with a faint ethereal glow. With each passing moment, the barrier grew stronger, until it seemed to hum with the power of a thousand storms.

The grin on her face was wide when she lifted her head. She stowed the tablet in her crossbody bag and said, "Alright, let's wipe my work out."

We gathered behind her as she crouched and tried to erase the symbols she'd drawn on the ground. She clenched her jaw and grunted as she worked far harder than she should have needed to erase the first rune. The air around us grew heavy with the sense of impending danger. I could feel the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end as a powerful surge of dark energy rippled through the air, threatening to tear our makeshift sanctuary apart.

"We need to hold the line and shield Nylah so she can keep working," Dre urged.

With a nod of agreement, my sisters and I joined hands, forming a circle of unity and strength amidst the chaos that surrounded us. We closed our eyes and focused our collective energy on creating a barrier around Nylah. We poured every ounce of our magical prowess into the task at hand.

The dark energy continued to surge around us, its force growing stronger with each passing moment. I could feel the ground beneath my feet tremble with the force of it, threatening to tear us apart like leaves in a hurricane. The wind became fierce, blowing our hair around our faces so hard it stung when the strands hit my cheeks.

"We can"t hold on much longer," Phi cried, her voice barely audible above the howling winds that whipped through the clearing. "We need to do something, and fast."

With a surge of determination, my sisters and I redoubled our efforts. We channeled every last ounce of our magical energy into keeping it off of Nylah so she could undo her earlier work. This was the worst curse I'd ever come across. It refused to let her take power away from it.

My eyes watered, my skin hurt, and I was getting tired. Not a good combo if we were going to succeed. As if wanting to prove me wrong, a surge of light erupted from the ground, bathing the clearing in a brilliant cascade of energy. The dark clouds that had hung over us like a shroud began to dissipate, their malevolent force weakened by the power of our combined magic.

With a triumphant cry, Nylah reached out and wiped out the last of the sigils she'd drawn. Her touch sent ripples of energy cascading through the air. "Holy shit that was one insistent bitch," Nylah muttered when she was done.

"We seem to grow them stubborn here," Dre replied. "This is par for the course for us. But don't let that affect your opinion of New Orleans. It's the best city on the planet."

The hum of dark power was back to what it had been before. It hadn't been easy to undo what we'd done, and the aftermath was like stepping out of a hurricane and into the eye of the storm. The atmosphere was heavy with the residue of the clash of our magics. The relic didn't give us the answer we needed to unravel the curse, but we had managed to take it from Agnes. Weakening her would only help us.

Nylah laughed at Dre's comment and said, "I believe you. One time, I'd like to take a trip that doesn"t involve messing with ancient relics."