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

Chapter 11

CHAPTER 11

DANIELLE

T he moon hung low over the bayou as we skirted the murky waters and gnarled cypress trees to meet with Remy. The sound of the frogs, cicadas, and other swamp critters was serene and normal. It belied the danger I could feel lurking in every corner. “Stay close and keep your eyes open,” I whispered, turning to my sisters. With them at my side, I wasn’t a frightened mess. They made me brave.

“ I sense subtle magical currents ahead. Be ready ,” Adèle whispered into our minds.

We had been out here for a bit using the insights Remy had provided last night. We wanted to get a feel for things ourselves so the gators didn’t think we were leaving everything to them. “Look at this,” Kota said, pointing to a faintly glowing symbol etched into the bark of a tree. It pulsed with a dark, unsettling energy. “That’s new.”

Phi knelt down and examined the ground around the tree. “These markings are fresh. Garrick was here not long ago.”

I glanced around, feeling a prickle of unease. “I bet he’s what Adèle is feeling.”

Dre adjusted her stance and watched the darkness. “We need to stay together.”

Dea nodded and patted the pouch of potions at her belt. We moved forward with care. The bayou was a labyrinth of shadows and hidden dangers without the asshole killing people out there. He made it that much more dangerous. My nerves were strung tight as I looked for Garrick or any of his friends. The anticipation of a confrontation felt inevitable.

“Dre, over there,” I said, pointing to a faint glow in the distance. We moved cautiously, the air growing colder as we approached.

Suddenly, the ground beneath us trembled and a figure emerged from the shadows. Several curses left Kota’s mouth as we realized it was Garrick. The energy and glowing malevolent eyes were familiar. He was still blurry and shrouded in darkness.

“Back off!” Dre shouted. She lifted her hands and chanted a light spell then threw it at him. I cast my own version of a blinding light a split second later as did the others. Our combined onslaught made Garrick recoil and hiss in anger.

“Now!” I commanded as I started weaving a spell to create a barrier between us and Garrick. The others quickly joined us, forming a circle of protection.

Garrick snarled. “You think you can stop me? You’re fools to challenge my power.” His voice was a guttural growl.

“We’re not here to fight,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady. “We want to know why you’re doing this. What do you hope to gain?” If we were lucky, he would start waxing poetic like most evil masterminds. Most were narcissistic creatures who couldn’t help themselves .

He laughed, a chilling sound that sent shivers down my spine. “You’ll find out soon enough. The bayou belongs to me now.”

With a wave of his hand, Garrick summoned a surge of dark energy. It slammed against our barrier with an overwhelming force. We staggered but held firm. I think the fact that our shield was made of light helped.

“Hold on!” Lia shouted in a strained voice. “Think of it like were doing wall Pilates!”

I snorted and choked on a laugh. Wall Pilates was no freaking joke. I sobered when I noticed Dea reach into her pouch. She had a couple of vials and threw them into the air. They hovered around Garrick and then smashed to the ground. The resultant pulsing energy disrupted his magic.

“Enough!” Garrick roared as he flung his hands out to his sides. A powerful burst of magic followed and knocked us down before he disappeared into the shadows. We stood there in silence gasping for breath. “We need to regroup and be ready,” Kota barked out. “He could come at us again.”

I nodded, feeling relief and resolve. “Let’s check out some of the powerful spots here and see if he’s stolen any others.”

“ I sense recent magical activity ahead. Be cautious and look for hidden runes ,” Adèle told us. How in the hell could she feel that when she wasn’t even with us? She might not have much magic of her own but she could sure tap into ours and make it work like a well-oiled machine.

My legs were shaking as we pressed on. The deeper we ventured into the bayou, the stronger the presence of dark magic became. The essence of the swamp was being corrupted by Garrick’s influence. It was making me sick to my stomach.

“There,” Phi said softly, pointing to a cluster of trees. Freshly carved symbols glowed faintly on the bark .

Kota knelt down and brushed away the branches. “More of the same. Garrick’s been a busy little beaver.”

I pulled out my cell and snapped several pictures. “We’re definitely on the right track. I just wish we could stop him from taking any more of the bayou’s magic.”

Dea reached out with her magic, feeling the residual energy. “This isn’t the same. These symbols are meant to ward off intruders. I bet he’s setting traps for us.”

Dre’s eyes narrowed as she scanned the area. “He’s trying to slow us down. Keep your eyes peeled for any sign of energy that doesn’t fit. It might not be all that much.”

We were silent as we made our way slowly. A faint sparkle caught my eye. Pausing, I crouched down and brushed leaves and debris from where I’d seen the flare. Sure enough, there were faint runes etched into the above-ground roots. They were almost invisible to the naked eye. “What do you want to bet that these will try to grab us if we continue?”

Lia stepped forward and extended her hands. “I’d say that’s a guarantee. If we can disrupt these runes, we might be able to weaken his offenses.”

I nodded. “Let’s document everything first. We need to understand exactly what we’re dealing with before we start dismantling his work.”

We spent the next five minutes meticulously recording every symbol, rune, and artifact we found. The air grew colder as we worked. The presence of dark magic pressed in on us from all sides. We cast a spell unraveling the enchantment on the roots and encountered little resistance. The swamp was on our side. It didn’t like what was happening at all.

“Keep your eyes open,” Dre whispered to us when we resumed our trek. “Garrick could be anywhere.”

“I don’t like this. It’s too quiet,” Lia murmured as she moved closer to me .

“He’s an overconfident asshole. We’ve got this, sestra,” Kota told her.

Our senses were heightened and our magic was ready. The swamp closed in around us. One second, we were fine. The next, the gnarled cypress trees and Spanish moss created a claustrophobic atmosphere.

“ He’s going to attack again ," Adèle yelled into our minds.

We immediately began gathering our power. Before we could cast a spell, the ground beneath us erupted in a burst of dark energy. Garrick’s silhouette appeared. He sure loved his shadows. He moved at us with unnatural speed, using the swamp’s terrain to his advantage.

“There!” I shouted, pointing towards Garrick as he darted between the trees. “We need to spread out and surround him.”

Kota conjured a ring of fire, creating a barrier to prevent Garrick from escaping. “We’ve got to box him in!”

Dea chanted a spell, summoning spirits. She directed them to surround Garrick. That would mess with his focus. The air crackled with spiritual energy as they swirled around us and moved toward him. I would never get used to the ghosts. They creeped me out.

I was next to Lia and followed her lead. We conjured a shimmering protection barrier while Dre and Phi used their combined magic to create blinding bursts of light. Garrick snarled and kept unleashing barrage after barrage of dark magic. The ground trembled, and I struggled to maintain my footing.

“Hold the line!” I yelled, pouring my energy into reinforcing the barrier.

“ There’s a hidden path to your left. Follow it! ” Adèle advised.

We moved as one, retreating down the hidden path Adèle had revealed. Garrick’s attacks intensified, but we managed to stay one step ahead and avoid serious injury. This far away our combined magic protected us from the worst of his assault.

The path didn’t remain hidden for long. Garrick followed us and kept throwing spells our way. Kota conjured throwing stars, and we kept enchanting them and hurling them his way. Our aim sucked, and most ended up in the trees. A few hit their mark though, and that was highly satisfying.

We were all getting tired and I could hear the ground sizzling where Garrick’s blood hit it. Garrick threw more at us than he had before making me rethink the energy he still had. Shadows coalesced into tendrils, reaching out to ensnare us. Lia’s barrier flickered and nearly failed, but Dea’s spirits intervened. They grouped together and severed the dark tendrils, weakening him and making him flee.

Dre shook her head. “I don’t think he’s coming back. We cut him up pretty good. He’ll need time to heal.”

“Agreed. Do we go home? Or keep going?” Kota asked as we looked around.

“We keep going. I want to find that old Voodoo temple. I want to know if he’s already taken it and that’s why he’s so powerful,” Lia replied.

“I have a map on my phone. We can use it to get there faster,” Phi said and pulled up the directions. Phi had spent hours scouring ancient texts and piecing together information to locate this hidden place. We gathered around her and followed the directions through the swamp. We were all on edge and scouting our surroundings for Garrick’s return.

Our trek through the bayou was arduous. The air was thick with humidity, and the ground squelched under our boots with every step. Mosquitoes buzzed around us, and the distant croak of frogs provided a familiar soundtrack to our journey. Spanish moss hung from the trees like ghostly curtains, and the dense underbrush made it difficult to see more than a few feet ahead. We had to go slow and keep looking for more of Garrick’s attacks.

The ancient magic of the bayou was palpable, a living, breathing presence that seemed to watch our every move. Adèle kept her senses sharp and guided us telepathically through the treacherous terrain. Finally, we reached the clearing where the old Voodoo Temple stood.

The structure was ancient, its stone walls covered in moss and vines. Carvings of protective symbols and runes adorned the entrance. There was a sense of history about the place. I shot a smile at Lia when I felt the power radiating from it.

“This is it,” Phi said, her voice tinged with awe. “The temple.”

The temple's architecture was both imposing and mesmerizing. Its grand entrance was flanked by two massive stone columns intricately carved with scenes depicting rituals and ceremonies of the past. Vines had claimed much of the structure. They wove through the carvings and added a layer of natural beauty to the ancient stone. They made it look like it belonged in the bayou.

As we approached the entrance, a shadowy figure darted out from behind the temple and took off into the trees. “Did you see that?” I asked, squinting into the dim light. “Someone’s here.”

Lia's eyes were wide as she said, “It looked like a feral child. But... it can’t be, right?”

Dre shook her head, skeptical. “A feral child in the middle of the bayou? Lia, you must be seeing things.”

Dea lifted her hands and held them out. “Regardless, we should inform the gator shifters. If there’s a child out here, they need to know.”

I nodded in agreement. “Let’s make sure they’re aware. For now, let’s focus on the temple. We need to find out what secrets it holds. ”

We stepped into the temple, the air inside was cooler and still. The walls were lined with shelves. To my surprise, they were filled with old tomes and artifacts. The swamp was trying to reclaim the structure but it couldn’t erase the scent of ancient incense that lingered in the air. At the center of the room was an altar, covered in offerings and surrounded by candles that had long since burned out.

“This place is incredible,” Phi whispered, running her fingers over the carved symbols on the walls. “It’s a snapshot of history.”

The temple’s interior was a labyrinth of rooms and corridors. Each one was filled with relics from the past. Dusty tapestries hung from the walls, depicting scenes of rituals and gatherings. Ornate wooden chests, now brittle with age, held an array of ritualistic tools and artifacts.

Kota coated her hands in her witch fire to illuminate the dark corners of the room. “It doesn’t feel like he’s been able to steal the power of this place.”

“We can't let Garrick or anyone else misuse this temple,” I said, my voice firm. “We need to protect it.”

With Adèle’s guidance, we began casting a powerful protection spell. We formed a circle around the main altar. We joined hands and our voices united in a melodic chant. Right away the air around us began to shimmer with energy as we tapped into the magic of the structure. The ancient symbols on the walls glowed in response.

“ Focus your magic ,” Adèle urged us telepathically. “ Connect it with that imbued in the temple. It will keep the spell going after you are gone. You have to create a barrier strong enough to keep Garrick and his cohorts out. ”

We wove the containment spell, forming a shimmering barrier that began to close in on the temple. The two streams of power touched and braided together. We kept the energy flowing and added more layers of protection. When we chanted the words of the final spell, a brilliant light enveloped the structure, sealing it with a powerful ward. It crackled all around us.

“Thank the gods,” I said, exhausted and satisfied. “The temple is protected.”

We stood together, catching our breath. A sense of smugness filled me. We had denied a powerful piece of magic from Garrick. “Let’s get back to Willowberry and plan our next move,” I said. “Meeting Remy is too much for tonight. We have a lot more work to do.”