Sweaty Nights & Gator Bites (Twisted Sisters Midlife Maelstrom #12)

Chapter 8

CHAPTER 8

DEANDRA

T he morning sounds of the plantation were a comforting background to my swirling thoughts as I sat outside eating breakfast with my sisters. But my mind was far from at ease. The image of Garrick was etched into my memory. The way he was shrouded in darkness with eyes that gleamed with malevolent power. Every detail of that intense confrontation played over and over in my head. It was how I learned to do things better next time. His movements were swift, almost otherworldly. Did that mean he was some kind of demon or Dark Fae? Off the top of my head, I couldn’t think of more supernaturals from other realms. His magic was unlike anything we had encountered before. The sheer force of his attacks and the way he manipulated the swamp to his advantage was terrifying.

We almost had him, and it took every ounce of our combined magical prowess to do it. And he’d broken through and vanished. I could still feel the residual energy from the battle and the raw power that had crackled in the air as we fought. The way he had slipped away left us with more questions than answers.

Melanie's murder weighed heavily on all of us. The more we learned about her, the more I was certain she had been a bright spirit, full of life and passion. She fought for the good of everyone living in the bayou and now she was gone. The thought of her lifeless body sent a shiver down my spine. Why had Garrick eliminated her? Was it because she refused to back down? I couldn't quite piece his motives together.

The supernatural disturbances in the bayou were escalating, and I feared we were only scratching the surface of a much larger, more sinister plot. Adèle's voice echoed in my mind, her telepathic link provided a comforting presence. “ Dea, you need to focus on the unique magical residues left behind. They might hold the key to understanding Garrick's true nature and his connection to the murders.”

Adèle was right. The magical residues we had found at the crime scenes were unlike anything I had seen before. They were dark, almost oily in texture. And they pulsed with a malevolent energy. If we could analyze these residues, perhaps we could trace them back to their source.

“We need to focus on the magical residues left behind at the crime scenes,” I said, breaking the silence. “Adèle believes they might hold the key to understanding Garrick's true nature and finding him.”

Dani nodded as she tapped the side of her tumbler. “It's worth a shot. If we can analyze those residues, we might be able to trace them back to their source.”

Lia looked thoughtful. “We'll need to use every resource we have. This isn't just about finding Garrick anymore. We need to understand the bigger picture because something else is going on here.”

Dre crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes. “Agreed. Let's gather all the samples we have and start analyzing them for anything. There might be something there we're missing.”

Phi started pulling out the few items we had collected from the swamp during our visits. Lia sorted them into piles based on the different sites where they were found. The air was thick with anticipation as we prepared to delve into the magical residues left behind on each object.

Adèle's telepathic voice resonated in our minds as she instructed us saying, " Focus on the magical residues. Each trace will have distinct characteristics. Use your senses to pull apart the different layers of magic. "

We nodded in unison. Each of us was ready to tackle the task so we could get some answers. Or at least closer to an answer because then we could devise a solution. I reached for the first item. It was a piece of bark etched with runes. I let my magic flow through it, feeling for the different magical signatures.

"Let's start with this one," I said, holding the bark out. I thought I knew what part of the magic was but wasn’t sure. “I can sense multiple layers of magic here. Adèle, what should we do first?”

" Begin by isolating the dominant residue ," Adèle instructed. " That will likely belong to the shifters ." Using that advice, we concentrated and wove our magic to separate the layers. A dark, murky energy emerged first. It was tinged with a primal strength.

"That's definitely the gator shifters," Dre said, her eyes narrowing in concentration.

" Good ," Adèle encouraged. " Now, find the natural magic of the swamp. It should feel ancient and earthy because it is intertwined with the land itself ."

We continued our work on peeling back the layers of magic. A deep, almost soothing energy revealed itself. It hummed with the essence of the water, dirt, and critters of the swamp. Growing up in the area, I was familiar with the feel of each element even before our magic was awoken.

"This one is definitely from the swamp," Phi confirmed, her voice tinged with awe. "It's so... old and powerful."

Adèle's voice came through again. “ Excellent. Now, look for the third trace. Given what I witnessed while you were fighting, I think it will be more malevolent.”

As we delved deeper into the magical residues, a slimy, unsettling energy began to surface. It was distinct and repulsive. And it made my skin crawl. “That's it,” I said with a shudder. “This one belongs to Garrick. It's greasy and dark.”

The sisters all nodded in agreement, each of us feeling the same discomfort from the malevolent energy. “ Now we have a clear understanding of the different magical signatures ,” Adèle said. “ Keep the feel of each when you return to the bayou. With it you should be able to track his movements .”

Having the magical residues identified and separated gave us hope that we could do this. This case was unique for us. We hadn’t ever dealt with situations where we were dealing with mundie corporations, shifters, ancient land magic, and an evil entity.

“Are we ready to go back?” Dre asked.

Dani sighed and poured the rest of her tall-boy into her tumbler. “We need to figure out how to handle the issue with the reunion and Garrick before we do that. We’ve got a lot on our plate right now.” She spun in her chair and grabbed my hand. “Did you ask Dawson to look into how the shifters and Voss can purchase the land and keep big business out of their hair?”

Chuckling, I patted her hand. “I had Ashton email him the information he gathered on the money transfers so he knows how much money they have. He said he would look into it and get back to me. He knows a guy at HUD and was hopeful he could convince him to help move the sale in their direction. Keeping businesses out will make the EPA happy, and that matters nowadays.”

“Hopefully, before we go back out, we will have more information to share with Voss and the gators,” Dre observed as Dani got up and moved to the next table, where we had a map, books, and other crap spread out. We’d brought it out to go over after we ate.

Adèle jumped up and laid down on the end of the table in a small sliver of sunshine and watched us. She folded herself into a ball and rested her head on her paws. Her eyes were half-closed, but her mind was fully alert.

Lia joined her and grabbed a list of shit she needed to cut or etch on the laser before the reunion. “The reunion is in just a few days. We need to prepare the summoning ritual considering the new information Marie gave Dea and we have to make the wine glasses and other signs.”

Dre crossed her arms, a skeptical look on her face. “How do we delegate tasks and make sure we're covering all our bases?”

I lifted a shoulder and sipped my coffee. “Some of us can focus on the reunion preparations while the others continue the investigation.”

Phi glanced up from the artifact she was examining. “I can help you with the summoning ritual by making sure we have all the necessary components.”

Kota chewed a bite of melon and wiped her mouth. “I'll take care of the security measures for the reunion and check the wards.”

Adèle's voice echoed in my mind, offering a calming influence amidst the chaos. “ I will help Kota ensure they are reinforced and no one can get through them. I was thinking we should set new ones that can be activated and deactivated as needed. ”

Cocking my head, I looked at our familiar. “What do you mean? I didn’t know that was possible.”

“ It’s never been done before and should not be possible. However, you six are unique in the magical world, ” Adèle replied.

Lia snorted and said, “That’s a nice way of saying we’re magical mutts.”

Adèle lifted her head and pinned Lia with a stare. “ Never disparage your heritage. It gives you the ability to do things most others cannot which is why I have been pondering the conundrum of your wards since my arrival. You cannot restrict all traffic because of your venue. However, I think we can set wards that you can turn on at night and off during the day that won’t even allow a frog to cross. ”

Everyone’s eyes went wide. Dre shot to her feet. “Do you really think that’s possible? It would solve so many problems.”

Adèle inclined her head and then laid it on her paws again. “ I would not have suggested it otherwise. Kota and I can start that process. ”

Lia pointed to the books I got from Marie the night before. “We also need to cross-reference these for the historical interactions Marie mentioned so Phi knows what she has to gather. The families she warned us about need to be dealt with.”

“Let’s focus on everything but the swamp this morning,” Dre suggested. “We go as a group to the bayou. We cannot risk Garrick cornering a couple of us. He’s too powerful.”

She got no argument from the rest of us. We divided the tasks between us, giving everyone a clear task to take on. Getting to work brought a semblance of order to the chaos. I looked around at my sisters, feeling a surge of gratitude and love. They were the best gift our mama ever gave me.

“Hand me one of those books, please,” I told Phi as we split up to get our tasks done. Careful with the old tome, I started reading through what Marie wanted us to know. I got lost in the words on the page. I have no idea how much time has passed. I was immersed in a world where the Leveaus were allied with other magical people. It was not something I would have expected given what we knew of the current Voodoo Queen.

Eventually, Lia and Kota returned. The laser stuff was done and the new wards were set. We would test the latter when we got back. We decided to set aside what we were doing to return to the swamp. My mind was spinning from the information and I had to spend the drive setting it aside. It would be a lethal mistake to go in there distracted. By the time Lia parked her car, I was only focused on finding Garrick and stopping him.

The bayou felt even more ominous as we made our way back to the spot where Melanie had been murdered. The air was thick with humidity as the sun beat down on us. The sound of cicadas created a familiar symphony that reminded me that mother nature was far more formidable than that evil asshole.

“Stay close,” Dre instructed in a voice barely above a whisper. We nodded and kept our gazes focused on the world around us. Using my heightened spiritual senses, I began to attune myself to the energies around us. The swamp had a life of its own. It was a pulsating heartbeat that I could feel deep within my core. I closed my eyes, letting the sensations wash over me. Next, I searched for any lingering spirits or traces of magic that might offer new clues.

“ Focus on the areas where the energy feels distorted. There's a disturbance here that doesn't belong ,” Adèle advised us telepathically.

We moved cautiously, our senses on high alert. The closer we got to the site, the more oppressive the atmosphere became. I could feel the darkness pressing in. It was thick and heavy like a physical force but there was nothing near us. That was more terrifying than facing Garrick.

“ There, ” Adèle said. “ The energy is strongest in that cluster of twisted cypress trees. ”

We turned toward the trees as a group. A few feet away, I noticed symbols carved into the bark. They were faint but unmistakable. They radiated a dark, malevolent energy that made my skin crawl.

“What do you make of these?” Dre asked, running her fingers over the symbols.

“Clearly, they’re not just any symbols,” I replied.

Phi cocked her head and said, “They look like wards of binding and control. I bet anything Garrick used his dark magic here. We already know he’s powerful enough to manipulate the natural energies of the bayou.”

Kota scanned the surrounding area with narrowed eyes. “This doesn’t feel like the same magic we teased out earlier. Is there more than just Garrick out here trying to bend the swamp’s magic to their will?”

Dani crouched and took a closer look at the ground. “We need to find out if there was a ritual performed here. If there was, we can use the remnants to get a better feel for the magic.”

Kota nodded in agreement. “I’ve never wished for candle wax or burnt offerings more in my life.”

As we scoured the area, I felt a sudden chill. A whisper of a presence brushed against my consciousness. It was faint but insistent. It reminded me of a spirit. I focused and reached out with my mind.

“Melanie?” I called softly, hoping to connect with her spirit. I hoped to talk to her and find out who killed her. We all assumed it was Garrick, but we could be wrong about that. The air grew colder before a sense of sadness and fear overcame me. It had to be her. When I tried to reach her, something held her back. Like it was preventing her from fully manifesting.

“There’s something here,” I said. “Melanie’s trying to communicate, but something’s blocking her. At least, I think it’s her.”

The others surrounded me as my hands wove intricate patterns in the air. I cast a spell to clear the spiritual blockage. My energy was bolstered by my sisters’ silent support. “Let’s see if we can help her break through,” I said.

Slowly, the air began to shimmer. Melanie’s ghost appeared before us. She looked distressed. Her eyes were wide with fear. “Help… me…” she whispered. Her voice was barely audible.

“We’re here, Melanie,” I said gently. “What happened to you? Who did this?”

She pointed towards the symbols on the trees. “Dark magic… they control… everything…”

Her form flickered, and I could feel her energy waning. “We need to find out who’s behind this,” I said urgently. “Was it the one who calls himself Garrick?”

Melanie opened her mouth but said nothing. “ The symbols are from someone with deep knowledge of dark rituals, " Adèle said “ We need to cross-reference these with any known practitioners in the area. ”

Dani’s wide eyes shot to me. “Could that apply to the Montclairs, the Dubois, or the Rousseaus? You read about them.”

I lifted a shoulder. “They certainly have the history and the motive to be involved in something like this. However, nothing I read suggests that they would lash out against anyone outside the Leveau family. It’s something to consider, though.”

Melanie’s spirit faded and we left the site ready to find the culprit of the dark magic that had claimed Melanie’s life. The swamp was eerily quiet as we moved through the dense undergrowth. At least each step was muffled by the thick, wet ground beneath our boots.

“I’ve got a bad feeling about this,” Lia murmured. The rest of us shared her unease but didn’t say anything. I was too busy wondering if the swamp had a way of amplifying our fears. Not the land itself, but the oily magic that was growing in the area.

Suddenly, Adèle’s voice echoed in our minds. “ Something’s not right. Be on high alert. There’s a disturbance up ahead.”

We nodded and our pace quickened as we moved toward the source of the disturbance. The swamp seemed to grow darker and the shadows lengthened as if trying to swallow us whole. “There!” Dre pointed ahead to a small clearing. The sight that met our eyes sent a chill down my spine.

Another body lay crumpled on the ground. We hurried forward and I noted the unmistakable signs of magical assault marring the man’s lifeless form. It was a gruesome sight. His skin was marked with burns and strange symbols that glowed faintly in the dim light. The symbols were similar to those we had found on Melanie. This murder was linked to the same dark force.

“Oh no,” I whispered, my heart sinking. We weren't working fast enough.

Lia knelt beside the body with a grim expression. “This is just like Melanie. The same dark magic, the same brutality. Garrick’s behind this, I’m sure of it.”

Kota clenched her fists, and her flames flickered from her restrained anger. “We need to find him before he kills again. But you all need to get up and stay vigilant in the meantime. He could be out there waiting to pounce when we aren’t looking.”

Lia popped up and became vigilant again. I wanted to identify what I was feeling so I allowed my gaze to track while my mind went elsewhere. I reached out with my spiritual senses. The residual energy from the attack was still strong. It left a toxic miasma that made my skin crawl. I could almost hear the echoes of the victim’s last moments. The guy’s pain and fear was now etched into the very fabric of the swamp. Whoever was behind this was turning the whole area. That was the reason for the murders. The land was fighting the incursion, so they needed to poison it.

“Be careful,” Adèle warned telepathically. “ There’s something else here, something watching you.”

Lia scanned the perimeter with her hand covered in her witch fire. “We need to move fast. If Garrick’s nearby, we can’t let him ambush us.”

Dre began casting a protective ward around us. She finished the quick incantation and said, “This will give us some cover, but we need to get out of here and regroup.”

Phi snapped some pictures of the symbols on the body. “These are more complex than the ones we saw on Melanie. He’s getting stronger, more confident.”

“We need to take this information back to Willowberry and call Terrance to come out here and pick this guy up. We can’t keep him out anymore,” I said, my voice firm. “But we can’t leave his body here unprotected.”

Lia crouched again and kept her gaze on the tree line while she laid a hand on the ground. “I’ll strengthen the ward to keep any scavengers away.” Her magic flared brighter as she expanded the protective barrier. “This should hold for now. Let’s get moving.”

As we turned to leave, a rustling sound caught our attention. The underbrush parted, revealing a pair of glowing eyes staring at us from the darkness. “Shit. Adèle was right,” Dani muttered, drawing her weapon. “We’re not alone.”

The eyes vanished, but the presence remained. The threat lurked just out of sight. We moved quickly, keeping our senses on high alert. Garrick or one of his minions could attack at any moment. We reached the edge of the swamp without incident, but the sense of danger never left us.

My heart was racing as we climbed into the car and drove back to Willowberry Plantation. Lia called Terrance and told him about the body and the location. I wanted to crawl through the phone and strangle the paranormal police officer when he asked if we were going to remain the lead on the investigation. Then I recalled he was in charge of the entire southern United States. That was a lot of ground to cover.