Then we stopped, hovering in midair as Beli flapped his giant wings.
“What was that about?” I asked.
The dragon didn’t respond. Instead, he looked toward the ground and drew in a massive breath. A half second later we were plunging toward the ground, directly for the border between the grassy groves and the deathly blight on the other side.
“What the hell!” I shouted, but we were diving so quickly my words were lost on the wind.
Beli exhaled, a torrent of flames pouring from his wide-open jaw, striking the ground. When the flames hit the border, it looked as though the earth split apart at the seams. It wasn’t a tunnel or a cave—not exactly. It looked like a black hole, summoned out of the ground. I’m not a big sci-fi geek, but one thing I know about black holes from the movies is that you never want to get sucked into one. But we were flying directly into it… and Beli was not about to be dissuaded.
Everything went completely black. Cold and dark. The g-force of falling gave way to a graceful glide through the abyss.
This is what dying feels like…
“It’s… strangely peaceful.”
But we aren’t dead…
“Are you sure?”
We’re still together, right?
I nodded. We were together. I could still feel Beli beneath my body. His warmth helped fend off the chill of this… place. If you could call it a place.
“Where are we?” I asked.
“We are between death and life,” Beli replied, his voice calm and cool.
“This is where Baron Samedi lives?” I asked, looking around but seeing nothing but blackness… nothingness.
“Lives?” Beli huffed. “It is where he might be found.”
I looked around again. Still, I saw nothing.
Say his name…
“What?”
Say his name. I had no memories of this, until we arrived. When I died, someone said my name. That’s when I was drawn out of the abyss.
I took a deep breath and nodded, giving myself permission to say it.
“Baron Samedi…”
The name echoed throughout the void.
Then I saw two lights in the distance. One was green, the other was red. It made me think of Christmas—but I suspected what we were about to encounter was anything but jolly.
As we flew closer I saw two figures, each illuminated by the lights flooding from their eyes, their ears, even their pores.
The two figures were identical, aside from the hue of the magic that filled them. He looked just as I remembered him. Tall and lanky, dressed in a black suit that looked like it had come out of the nineteenth century.
The two figures appeared locked in a struggle, each floating through the air, exchanging blows with the other. Neither seemed to have an advantage.
“I wonder how long…”
Ever since that night…
I nodded.
When Isabelle spoke, the figure illuminated in red turned toward us, a combination of hate and lust seeming to pour from his inflamed eyes.
“Finally!” the red Baron shouted. “The power!”
My whole body trembled. This was the demon… the evil Loa exactly as he’d been when I saw him that night.
He’s still consumed by a Caplata’s magic, by Messalina’s summons.
I gripped the totem that Ashley had given me, now hanging around my neck. It was the only thing I had that connected me to her… and I wanted my big sister.
When I touched it, I felt a strange calm come over my body. It felt like electricity, coursing between the totem and my bosom.
“Are you doing that?” I asked Isabelle.
Not exactly… not intentionally… but it’s still my power.
Then another voice entered my mind… a voice I knew well.
He can’t hurt you, little sis.
“Ashley?”
I’m here…
“How the hell?”
Shaman magic. Stand up to him. He thrives on fear. The magic within him, Bokor magic, it’s all powered by fear.
I felt my dragon dissipate beneath my thighs, and suddenly I was standing in the middle of the void. My feet hit some kind of surface, but I couldn’t see anything there to secure my footing.
As the red Baron approached, I looked in the distance. The green Baron stood still, his eyes meeting mine. It was as though he was begging me to call to him.
I think she’s right, Isabelle said. So long as you are afraid, the red Baron is in control.
I felt the red Baron’s cold, bony hand touch my cheek.
“How long I’ve longed to claim you both. You’ve grown up. You’ve become… beautiful.”
I felt sick to my stomach. “You look the same… like an old dirty bastard.”
He cocked his head to the side. “And you have spunk. We could have fun together… you and Isabelle, both of your powers, combined with mine.”
Again, I gripped Ashley’s totem and felt the calm she channeled from it into my body. Fear… that’s all he has over me. What is fear? Fear is only as powerful as the object we dread. And what was this monster? The Grim Reaper… death personified. Everyone fears death, at least a little. But perhaps that’s why death has such control over us. We’re afraid of it, so we let the fear of death consume our lives.
I reached beneath the totem and palpated the crucifix I’d worn nearly every day since I’d been confirmed. The words seemed to echo in my mind, spoken by a voice I’d known all my life, a voice that had always been there, even when I didn’t hear it. It was my voice, but still the voice of another…
He maketh me lie down in green pastures…
The image of the garden groves appeared in my mind, the image of paradise itself. Life itself.
He leadeth me beside still waters. He restoreth my soul….
The tingle that came from Ashley’s totem now seemed to envelop my entire person. What was this?
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me…
I finished the words myself: “…thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.”
Then I felt the hilt of my blade form in my hand. Beli… the Spirit of the Dragon, the Spirit of the Elements…
But this time, it wasn’t a blade that formed out of the hilt. It was a long staff. As I took hold of it, the red Baron froze, his red eyes still locked on mine, just inches away.
I looked into the red magic that consumed his eye sockets. I knew, in that moment, that I had no reason to be afraid of this Reaper.
Then his eyes changed. I looked up. The green Baron had enveloped the red Baron from behind, and the two fused into one. His eyes remained locked on mine as the red and green light converged, and a white light filled the Loa’s eye sockets.
“Baron Samedi…”
He bowed his head, his tall top hat accentuating the gesture.
“My apologies,” the Loa said. “We all have a dark side, and mine can be particularly offensive.”
“Yeah, he’s kind of a bitch,” I said.
The Loa laughed.
“Ever since that night, you’ve haunted my life.”
Baron Samedi retrieved a cigarette from his jacket. As he lit it, turning his head to puff a cloud of smoke away from my face, he simply smiled. “I had been summoned out of a spirit of vengeance, of hate, and those forces are cousins to fear. Evoked in such a spirit, my persona takes on these very traits.”
“So you couldn’t control it?”
“It’s a bit more complicated than that. We Loa… we don’t have a free will, not in the way you humans do. We are bound to act according to our natures.”
“And Bokor magic…”
“I dwell on the divide between light and dark, between good and evil. I am the one who guides one through the passage toward heaven or hell. To some, I am a guiding angel of light. To others, I am the dreaded Reaper.”
“And to me?”
“Your fear called me, at first. Thus, that is the
side of me that you saw. But when you cast out fear, I came to you instead as an angel of light.”
“But I am not here for you to guide me to heaven…”
Baron Samedi tipped his hat. “I suspected not. You still have breath within your lungs. You still possess the spirit of another.”
“We need you to come back… to the Academy.”
The Baron took a second puff on his cigarette. “The reason I left—”
“Was because of what Messalina—”
“Yes, and no. When I was summoned before, my fearful aspect was released. Hundreds of people now possess it. I can’t return. If I do, my aspect will be activated.”
“But Kalfu has come. He’s attacked us.”
“Wait, did you say Kalfu?”
I nodded.
“He’s supposed to be bound to Legba, imprisoned in his essence.”
“Not anymore. He’s taken over. Now he rules Legba and… he tried to come after me. Bit a friend of mine.”
The Baron shook his head. “Papa Legba is the guardian of the crossroads. He prevents the evil Loa from manifesting on Earth. But if Kalfu is in charge…”
“He will basically bring demons to Earth?”
Baron Samedi nodded. “And if he acquires Isabelle, he’ll have access to the garden groves. He’ll be able to invade heaven itself.”
“So we basically have two shitty choices. If you come back, a bunch of people who have the red Baron’s aspect become… whatever.”
“They will become vampires.”
“Of course… Just what we need. But if we don’t get the vampires, the legions of hell basically get free rein on Earth.”
“And on heaven, once they acquire Isabelle. And if they are free, it’s only a matter of time.”
“So it’s really no choice…”
The Baron dropped his cigarette, which fell somewhere into the void beneath us. Then he pulled a flask from his jacket and took a swig.
“So you’ll come with us?” I asked.
“There’s one more thing,” the Baron said. “When we return, presuming I succeed in binding Kalfu, it will only be a matter of time before the red Baron’s aspect takes over.”
“Why would that happen? I mean, if you’re whole…”
“Those who acquire my aspect determine my… nature. There are only a few who, by virtue of my wife Brigitte, possess the green Baron’s aspect.”
“But once the vampires return…”
“They will inspire fear, and that fear will vivify the red Baron.”
“So we’re back to where we started… hell on Earth.”
Baron Samedi nodded, pocketing his flask. “Of a sort. Once the red Baron takes over, he will give of his aspect liberally. The vampiric curse will spread like the black death… until the predators outnumber the prey.”
“Until there aren’t enough humans to feed from?”
“It will be an extinction event… eventually. If you do not stop me.”
He wants us to kill him?
I sighed. “Are you saying we have to kill you?”
Baron Samedi shook his head. “That’s not possible. I am death itself. Can flames consume flames? Can darkness overtake itself? There’s only one way you’ll be able to undo this inevitability: You will have to save me, bring back the green Baron.”
“How do I do that?”
“You already possess what you need.”
“Dude, we’re talking about saving the world here. It’s not the time to be cryptic. Just tell me what I’m supposed to do.”
Baron Samedi retrieved his flask again and took a bigger swig this time. “I put this away too soon…”
“So you won’t tell me?”
“I could tell you, but then you would live in dread of the moment. If fear consumes you again, all will be lost.”
“I don’t understand… if I’m going to be afraid of what I have to do, won’t it scare me when the time comes?”
“It might,” the Baron said, buttoning up his coat. “But then again, sometimes we become emboldened in a moment.”
This doesn’t sound like a great idea…
“Isabelle agrees, this sounds like a risky plan. I mean, if I don’t know what I have to do, won’t the red Baron know exactly what I need to do to stop him?”
“He will…”
“So the future of humanity hinges on me fighting blind against the nightmare of you… who already knows the only way I can defeat him, and who will probably be hunting me for my power, for Isabelle’s power anyway.”
“That’s the plan.”
“Well, if it comes down to that and hell coming to Earth, one way or another… what choice do we have?”
“But first, we need to deal with Kalfu.”
I nodded. “Need a ride back to Earth?”
“Do I need one? Not really, but not even a Loa can pass up a chance to ride a dragon.”
* * * * *
To say that it was a bit creepy to feel death himself wrap his arms around my waist as we flew Beli into the portal would be putting it mildly. The Baron’s fingers were bony and, frankly, he reeked… a combination of cigarettes, whiskey, and BO. In other words, he smelled like the French Quarter.
It struck me as odd that the very creature I’d grown up fearing, the very Loa who, if he was right, I’d likely spend the next unforeseeable chapter of my life fighting as a mortal enemy, was now holding onto my waist, prepared to go save the world from a hell he’d eventually end up exacting on Earth himself, albeit in his own deathly way.
One thing at a time, right? I’d have time to worry about all that later. For now, we had to stop Kalfu.
Beli said he could create a gateway to our world, carrying us back to the gymnasium within moments after we’d left. If we arrive in time to stop Kalfu before he bites Pauli, we’d only have a split second to act. After all, he bit Pauli only moments after I passed through the gateway. Still, I was ready. I was willing to blow my magical load—as much of Isabelle’s power as I could muster—to pull it off. I was even willing to risk allowing Isabelle to take the reins. I was reasonably certain we’d avoid the debilitating headache, now that Isabelle and I were at peace together. But I wasn’t completely sure the absence of the headache wasn’t due to the fact that we’d done it in a magical paradise. Still more, bringing her out would risk exposing her to not only one Loa who’d indicated his desire to possess her, but two… the very same one who was now holding on to my waist. Sure, this was the green Baron, but how long would he last before the red Baron took over? Not to mention, I couldn’t risk exposing Isabelle to the other Loa, to Nico and Sauron… to anyone. Not until I knew who I could trust.
As Beli flew headlong into the portal, it felt like I was being thrown through space. The moment we hit the gateway, Beli dissipated. Our bodies hurled through the gate, causing us to tumble onto the gymnasium floor.
I quickly looked toward the door—where we’d been standing when we left. Pauli lay on the floor, his body convulsing.
We didn’t make it in time…
In fact, it seemed like some time had passed since we left. Oggie had arrived, along with Mikah, and they were huddled over Pauli’s body. Erzulie and Ellie stood at the doorway, Ellie’s face blank and flush, as if she’d just seen a ghost.
“You did it!” Oggie said as he glanced toward the Baron, then made eye contact with me.
“We did. How is Pauli? What happened?”
“Kalfu infused him with his aspect. I’ve been trying to draw it out of him, but so far, no luck.”
“What will happen to him?” I asked.
“His body should heal, if he survives the transformation…” the Baron interjected, walking over to Pauli, who continued to shake.
“The transformation?” I asked.
“Like those who hold the red Baron’s aspect, he will become… undead.”
“Can he be cured?”
The Baron just shook his head and didn’t bother to respond. “You would do better to stake
him now than to allow him to live with this curse.”
“No!” I shouted. “We are not staking Pauli. He’s my friend.”
“He was your friend,” the Baron said. “When he awakens, he will be something else.”
“Maybe… but I’ll find a way to cure him. There has to be a way. We’re not killing Pauli!”
“I agree with Annabelle,” Ogoun said. “I should accept the burden. I was the one who encouraged Annabelle to get him involved.”
“Ogoun,” the Baron said, lighting a cigarette. “Your sentiments are respectable, but foolish. He will become a vampire, and with the aspect of Aida-Wedo combined with Kalfu’s, he’ll be almost impossible to catch. He’ll be able to teleport anywhere he wants. And with his hunger, think about all the people he could kill.”
“We’ll bind him with wards. Annabelle deserves a chance to cure him. If anyone has the ability…”
“It’s a risk,” the Baron said. “And now that I’ve returned, you know well what that portents for the near future.”
“I do,” Oggie said. “But the boy is not our enemy until he makes himself one.”
The Baron sighed. “You are idealistic when the moment requires a pragmatic response. No matter, my time is short. We need to find Kalfu.”
“Agreed,” Oggie said before looking toward Erzulie and Ellie on the opposite side of the room. “Can you two help Mikah with Pauli? Treat his wound, make sure he’s bound behind wards that won’t allow him to teleport once he comes to.”
Erzulie looked at Oggie curiously, then nodded. I wasn’t entirely sure what all that meant, but I felt mildly comfortable knowing that a house Loa would ensure that Pauli was safe.
“There is one thing about all of this that does not compute,” the Baron said. “I do not understand how Kalfu could have been released, how he came to take over Legba, who normally binds himself at night.”
Mikah turned his head sheepishly. “I think it was my fault, sir…”
The Baron looked at Mikah and narrowed his eyes. “Explain, child.”
“I was attempting a common summons of Legba, but I screwed something up and ended up evoking Kalfu instead.”
The Baron cocked his head sideways. “I suppose, Ogoun, you do not know the difference between a gris-gris used to summon Legba and Kalfu?”
“Summoning is not my thing,” Oggie said.
Voodoo Academy Page 17
