The Vixen & the Fox II

Chapter 285

Kara Nguyen was livid. First she had lost the Regent vote previously fourteen years ago after Katrina when it was confirmed Mary-Alice Claire was dead. Josephine LaRue had won the vote by a surprising landslide because the old witch had always been quiet and uninvolved with the affairs of the Nine. It had made Josephine LaRue a particularly favored Regent; which pissed Kara Nguyen off.

It was in her fury and in the aftermath or Katrina she had felt this powerful pull of ancient power, it had pulled on her magic and guided her through the destruction. The old bones had been buried beneath the city, or within the Mississippi, but she had found the bones. Initially she had reached out to Eva Sinclair, for the witch was an anthropologist, she had worked in Haiti after the Torrential rains, helping identify bodies, and she had worked in Haiti after Hurricane Jeanne, Eva had also been working in the aftermath of Katrina helping to identify bodies, and the Ancestors to be reconsecrated. Dominic Ingeolfsson had also come down to help New Orleans in the aftermath, he was an archeologist and anthropologist as well, and a witch from Iceland looking for a lost Viking settlement. He had come to America believing the Viking settlement to have been founded inland in the lower parts of America, he had started in Virginia, but upon hearing the decimation of New Orleans under the wrath of Katrina had come to offer his services.

In the aftermath of Katrina, Marcellus Gerard had rose to the irrefutable power of New Orleans, and he began his systematic subjugation of her people, and Kara was livid.

Surprisingly, the bones spoke to herself, Eva, and Dominic, whispering a way to defeat the arrogant vampire. At first Kara had resisted the pull of the power, the whispered promises, but then it was too clear they would have to act. Marcel had begun slaughtering all who opposed him, and in the broken remains of New Orleans few could oppose him. Mary-Alice Claire, the most affective Regent in their history was dead and gone, with no trace of her remains or spirit to be concentrated; and Mary-Alice's useless daughter and equally inept granddaughter were useless despite their powers.

Kara, Eva and Dominic though had begun to see the way, the way forward. It would not be easy, but they were patient. Then Eva had ruined it, the witch had gotten pregnant and panicked of what Marcellus would do to her and her Coven so she had acted. The Rites of Nine was something they had begun well before Eva acted, Dominic's research to ensure they could do it correctly, there were few records of such complex magic being done or attempted, but the records were detailed.

Kara and Eva had selected the children to be used: Amelie Dupree, a powerful young witch, descended from the Casquette Girls, the young witch was promising in her Earth connection. Lou-Ann Hughes, an obvious selection to be had as the young witch was spiritually inclined and possessed the third eye. Nicholas Alseis was a descendant of Papa Tunde, the boy was adept at Sacrificial Magic despite his young age. Louis LeBlanc was a boy of no outstanding heritage, but the boy was endowed with a connection to the river she had never seen before. Emil Tran, her nephew, an uneasy selection, but Kara knew her nephew was gifted with a powerful connection to the air. Raymond LeBeau, it was rumored he was descended from Marie Laveau, but there was no proof, he was skilled though in herbs and earth, he was a Voodoo practitioner and traditional magic was his bread and butter. Kara had also selected Davina Claire, post-Harvest, as she had arranged with Bastianna Natale; Davina was the only witch inclined towards Fire; as all Claire witches shared the unusual and natural affinity for Fire. Jean-Pierre Campbell was another child of immense promise, and skill at Elemental Magic, and Tarrot. Then finally Mustafa Carbonneau, who was known for his abilities in Transfigurative Magic, as well as barriers, and connection to the Earth again. Those nine were the most powerful children born in the Nine Covens of this generation.

Eva though had botched it when her husband had discovered her actions. Kara had had to protect herself, so she had immediately acted outraged and betrayed by Eva and Eva's actions before Eva could implicate her. The trial was swift and brutal, and in the end, the harshest sentence available to the New Orleans Witches was given, a lifetime in Fauline Cottage. The Kindred, a banished Coven of New Orleans, founded by the accursed Spaniards who had plagued this part of the Americas never released what they could take. Mary-Alice Claire had been the only inmate of Fauline Cottage to be released and that was because Claires were rare, Fire Witches were always rare, but Claires, they were always inclined to Fire.