Page 7 of Hextreme Measures

Sully shrugged. “Does it matter? We’ll pick a bar and get drunk with our people.”

That was all Ofelia needed to hear. “Should we tell them?”

“No. They’ll guilt us.” He fervently shook his head. “Let them figure it out themselves.”

Ofelia was game for that. She immediately slipped her hand into Sully’s and grinned. “Lead the way.”

Sully was relieved she was up for his plan — he really did want to make his mother pay — and he managed to make it two full steps before a scream ripped through the night air. It was not a normal scream.

Ofelia pulled up short and looked around, her eyes wide. “Banshees,” she said in a low voice.

Sully nodded. He’d recognized the scream, too. “I think they’re coming this way.”

Ofelia didn’t want to hear that, but she’d already come to the same conclusion. “Yeah. It’s going to be a bloodbath.”

2

TWO

Screams rocketed through the park and only half the people reacted appropriately, Ofelia realized. The guests who had been invited by Madeline were either paranormal or knew about the paranormal world. The ones invited by Marie were a different story.

“We need to create a perimeter,” Sully barked as several tall men raced to his side. They looked enough like him that Ofelia was convinced they were family members. Which meant they were shifters.

“Should you guys shift?” Ofelia asked it without thinking.

Sully didn’t get a chance to answer. A woman Ofelia knew through her mother took the option away from him.

“It’s not even Mardi Gras,” Agatha Nixon complained. She was dressed in a pink suit that was straight from Ofelia’s nightmares. “This town used to stand for something other than partying.”

“When?” Angelique barked back. “New Orleans has always been the city that knows how to party.”

Agatha looked over the rim of her bejeweled glasses, smarminess permeating her aura. “I don’t believe I was talking to you, young lady.”

“Then who were you talking to?” Even when they were about to be descended on by banshees, Angelique couldn’t let an argument go. It was one of the things Ofelia both loved and loathed about her friend.

“Ofelia.” Agatha gestured toward the witch in question. “This is a nice party. You shouldn’t let the rowdies in.”

Under different circumstances, Ofelia might have been conciliatory to Agatha. She was in no mood tonight. “I don’t think we’re going to have a choice on that. Go over there,” she barked, pointing to where Marie and Madeline were standing and staring into the distance.

Nobody had seen the banshees yet. It wouldn’t be long, though.

“Excuse me?” Agatha was used to being spoken to in a specific way. It certainly wasn’t the way Ofelia was speaking to her now.

“Go.” Ofelia gave her a shove. “Get over there.”

“Don’t you push me, you … ruffian.” Agatha gave Ofelia a shove back, but the witch barely registered it. “I will not be talked to in this manner.”

Ofelia did the only thing she could do. “Mother!” she bellowed at the top of her lungs.

It wasn’t Marie who swooped in to save her. It was Madeline.

“You screeched?” Madeline said just as another scream ripped through the park. It was closer this time.

“Get her out of here,” Sully replied. He was gentler when giving Agatha a shove. Firm, but gentle at the same time. “Also, anybody who can fight should be sent to us.”

Madeline opened her mouth, then seemed to reconsider what she was going to say. “What is going on? What is making that noise?”

“Ruffians,” Agatha replied. “It’s the sort of people who shouldn’t be allowed out of their homes.” She lowered her voice. “It’s the type of people who should be in jail.”