Firelight and Feathered Lies

In the heart of 1923 New Orleans, where the sultry air hangs heavy with the scent of beignets and the whisper of magic, Lavinia Monroe, a witch with a penchant for clockwork contraptions, finds her carefully ordered life thrown into disarray. When Elias Finch, a respected artisan of enchanted jewelry, vanishes from the bustling French Market, Lavinia and her sardonic raven familiar, Corvus, embark on an investigation that plunges them into the city's occult underbelly.
Their path crosses with Rayne Blackwood, a seer whose languid charm masks a sharp intellect and a world-weariness born from glimpsing the city's hidden darkness.  Drawn together by the enigmatic nature of Finch's creations — jewelry imbued with magic that whispers promises of both fortune and peril — Lavinia and Rayne form an uneasy alliance. Their combined talents illuminate a trail of similar disappearances, each victim linked by a piece of Finch's bewitched adornments.  They discover the jewelry serves as a conduit, a key to a forgotten ritual woven into the fabric of New Orleans' arcane history.  This ritual, orchestrated by the clandestine Crepuscule Coven, threatens to siphon the city's magical energy, leaving it vulnerable to unimaginable chaos.
From the shadowy alleys of the French Quarter, where whispers of voodoo and gris-gris cling to crumbling brickwork, to the opulent grandeur of Garden District mansions, where secrets fester behind closed doors, Lavinia and Rayne unravel a tangled web of familial rivalries, ancient grudges, and a prophecy that could shatter the city's delicate magical balance. As they delve deeper, an unexpected spark ignites between the pragmatic witch and the enigmatic seer. Their shared pursuit of truth, their contrasting yet complementary approaches, forge a connection that transcends their initial wariness.  Their burgeoning romance, however, is a fragile bloom amidst the encroaching shadows.
As they draw closer to exposing the Crepuscule Coven, they become targets. Threats escalate into attacks, orchestrated by a shadowy figure known only as “The Silencer,” whose chilling brand of magic pushes Lavinia and Rayne to their limits.
The investigation culminates during the vibrant Fête des Mystères, a celebration of New Orleans' magical heritage. Amidst the masked revelers and the intoxicating magic of the festival, the coven prepares to enact the final stage of their ritual. A shocking revelation — Elias Finch is not a victim but a willing participant, seduced by the coven’s promises — forces Lavinia and Rayne to re-evaluate everything they thought they knew.
With Corvus's dry wit providing a much-needed counterpoint to the escalating tension, they race against time to expose the coven and prevent the impending catastrophe. Their pursuit leads them to a hidden chamber beneath St. Louis Cathedral, where a climactic confrontation awaits.  Facing Seraphina Devereux, the coven's formidable leader, Lavinia and Rayne must combine their unique talents and burgeoning love to thwart the ritual and restore balance to the city they both cherish. In a dazzling display of clockwork magic, precognitive prowess, and unexpected avian intervention, they confront the darkness and emerge victorious, their love story a beacon of hope amidst the lingering shadows of New Orleans' magical heart.