by Carolina Mac
Goddess of the moon and sun
So mote it be.
I rapidly repeated the spell twice more and pointed my wand at the old house. Sparks flew wildly about and the startled crows scattered upwards off the roof, cawing loudly enough to wake the dead.
“Yikes,” said Ardal. “I didn’t see the crows on the roof, them being so black n’all.”
“They’re not giving up,” said Moonbeam. “Crows are loyal.”
I inhaled a big breath as we walked towards the front door. “Let’s do this.”
Feeling more repulsed with every step I took, my skin vibrated with pent up power that needed to be released. A sensation I’d never dealt with before and I wasn’t sure I liked it.
“Go ahead, Sonny.” I gave him a pat on the head. “Whenever you’re ready.”
“I thought your dog’s name was Pete,” chirped Charlotte from behind me.
I had temporarily forgotten she was lurking behind me. I ignored her and stroked Pete’s big head again. “You can do this, sugar.”
A shimmer of ectoplasm rose from Pete’s thick dark fur and the specter grew in size and shape until Sonny was all the way out of the dog’s body and hovering above him.
As soon as he was clear of the dog’s body, Sonny zoomed towards the house and entered right through the front window.
“What was that?” asked Charlotte.
“I don’t have time to explain.” Moving closer to the front door, I checked my weapons. Wand in pocket. Gun in waistband. Boline hanging on my belt.
Two minutes later, Sonny was back with information.
“What did you see, Sonny?” asked Ardal.
“The creepy guy is burning a bunch of candles and he has Rufin chained to a table. Looks like he is going to sacrifice Rufin.”
“Sacrifice his son?” screamed Charlotte. She sprinted for the front door and Diana ran to stop her.
“Don’t go in, Char. Wait until we make a plan. We don’t want to tip Rufin’s father off before we’re ready.”
Charlotte twisted away from Diana and shouted at her, “I don’t want to wait. I want to get inside and stop Baron Wedo from killing Rufin.”
“You know his name?” I was getting more pissed at Charlotte by the minute.
“Rufin told me his biological father’s name a long time ago, but I’d never met him until the funeral. Wizard Pictou was Rufin’s stepfather and Rufin loved him. Baron Wedo left Antoinette shortly after Rufin was born and never came back.”
“And yet he came back to New Orleans for the funeral?” I asked. “How did he know to do that?”
“I don’t know,” said Charlotte, “but I do know he wants all of Madam Pictou’s potions and specifically the poison. She was a powerful sorceress.”
“So I heard.” I turned to Sonny with the inkling of a plan in my feeble brain. “Sonny, get in there and whip up a ferocious wind big enough to extinguish all the candles. Charlotte claims she can see in the dark, so she should have no trouble freeing Rufin while I cast a spell on creepy baby daddy.”
“Okay, babe. I’m gone,” said Sonny.
“Diana, call the crows and see if we can get some help from them. We need diversions if our plan is going to succeed. I hope we have enough power to overcome voodoo dark magick. My Mama always said dark magick was hard to overcome.”
Diana ran off and began calling the crows. Charlotte ran to the front door and rang the bell. Ardal and I were close behind her hidden in the shadows as she stood on the threshold of the creepy house.
The murderous Baron Wedo opened the door and beamed an evil smile at Charlotte. “Aw, Charlotte dear, have you come to comfort Rufin in his time of need? He is terribly distraught after losing his beloved mother. Please come in and of course, I welcome the lovely Diana too.”
Moonbeam stood a little further back out of sight waiting for me to give her the all-clear signal.
After the girls were in the foyer, Baron Wedo stuck his head out to make sure no one else was outside before he closed the door.
Bang.
I shot him.
The bullet crashed into his chest and he staggered backwards, falling to the floor in the foyer. I could hear the wind howling inside the house and a second later all the candles went out. I couldn’t see to finish the big creeper off. Damn it.
“I can’t see.” Ardal was right behind me.
“Where’s Charlotte? She was bragging on about seeing in the dark.”
I felt a cold clammy hand close around my wrist and Baron Wedo whispered, “You try to kill the High Priest?” He laughed. “I am immortal, child. You can’t kill an immortal with a bullet. Silly girl. Now you must pay for your ignorance and stupidity. Come with me.”
While the ugly fucker dragged me from the foyer to the room where he had Rufin shackled, I cranked out the only spell I could think of on short notice.
Blood be spilled and flesh be torn
Bones that ache from night ‘til morn
Heart so black from harm done
Your life you waste ‘til you have none
I curse your lies
I curse your lands
I curse your feet
I curse your hands
I send your evil back to you double
From this day you only know trouble
So mote it be.
Spewing it out for the third time the spell seemed to be bouncing off Baron Wedo and having no effect at all.
Ardal succeeded in opening a window and with a huge whirring and flapping of wings, he let the murder of crows into the house.
Charlotte screamed and ran and I squelched my urge to laugh at her. Diana flicked on the lights and I was ready with my boline in my hand. The gun hadn’t worked, but if Wedo had no head I might have better luck finishing him off.
Waving his arms and batting the crows away as they attacked him, he came towards me laughing and chanting out a voodoo curse in a language I couldn’t understand.
My fingers gripped the ivory handle of my boline and with one swift motion I threw it hard and straight.
Thunk.
The Baron’s ugly head hit the floor and the crows were on it like vultures on road kill. In seconds, they pecked out both his eyes and flew out the window with his eyeballs as prizes.
Their job was done.
Charlotte screamed again and she was wearing thin on my nerves. “You cut off his head, Gillette. What is wrong with you?”
Rufin moaned as the spell gave way. Now that the Baron was dead, his power over the living vanished.
“Help Rufin to the sofa and get him some water,” I hollered in Charlotte’s direction. “I’ve got a head to bury.”
Always at the ready, Moonbeam found a wicker basket big enough to hold the Baron’s ugly head. Avoiding the lake of blood surrounding the severed head, she squatted down and turned the basket on its side. With the toe of my boot, I kicked the head into the basket and Ardal grabbed the handle and righted it.
“This fuckin head is heavy,” said Ardal. “Where are we going with it?”
“Let’s bury it next to the mojo bag,” said Moonbeam.
“Perfect spot, Moon. We’ll need a bigger hole. Where’s Pete? He’s an expert at digging holes where they don’t belong.”
Ardal toted the basket holding the head and whistled for Pete. Sonny was weakening and he’d gone back inside the dog.
“I’m resting,” growled Pete. “Sonny took all my energy when he left me.”
“Do you have enough energy left to dig one hole for the dead guy’s head?”
“Hell, yeah. I hated that creepy dude. He gave new meaning to the word vile.”
I laughed and hugged my dog.
Moonbeam pointed to the spot where she wanted the hole and Pete dug his front paws into the ground. Dirt flew out behind him and the hole was ready in less than a minute.
“Good boy, Pete.” I gave him a biscuit.
Ardal turned the basket upside down and dumped the head into the hole. Together we filled the hole in and Ar
dal tamped the dirt down with his boot.
Moonbeam looked on and nodded her head. “I hope that holds him.”
“Why wouldn’t it?” I asked.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Saturday, November 7th.
Nine Saint Gillian Street. New Orleans.
I thought I was up first, but when I hit the kitchen, Moonbeam was drinking coffee at the head of Misty’s long worktable.
“I thought I was the first one up,” I said on my way to the back door to let Pete out.
“I couldn’t sleep. Too much excitement last night, I guess.”
Not wanting to think about it, I just nodded my head as I crossed the kitchen to the stove and filled a mug with coffee. Misty called on my cell as I was adding a splash of cream. “Morning, Misty.”
“Were you able to help Rufin?”
“Yes.” Damn, now I had to relive it. I filled her in on the events from the night before and she listened without commenting until the end of my long story.
“You did well, Gillette. I’m proud of you. Baron Wedo was a very powerful High Priest of voodoo. You made all the right decisions. The only way you could have killed him was by severing his head. You handled it perfectly.”
“Thanks. We’re coming home today.”
“You need a week of rest before we move on to a new case. Take some time to relax.”
“Exactly my thinking. I’m worn out.”
“I’ll call you next week.”
Once Ardal was up and dressed, Moonbeam made us breakfast. “We’re going home to Texas today, sugar.”
His face lit up. “For real?”
“Uh huh. Absolutely for sure, this time. Misty told me to take a week off when we get home. I need some time to recharge and get my shit together.”
“Do we get a week vacay?” Ardal grinned and seemed pleased at the thought of it.
“Yep. I’m going to finish unpacking and straighten my house out before I lift a finger to bring down one more bad ass.” I jumped when there was a loud tapping on the kitchen window.
“Looks like Banjo,” said Ardal, “and he has a little friend with him. You’d better go out and talk to him, Gilly. He might have another message on his leg.”
“I don’t want any more messages, thank you. I’m going home. And I don’t want to talk to a crow. I want to sit here and finish my coffee.”
Ardal stood up. “I’m going outside to see what Banjo wants.”
I let out a big sigh. “Okay, I’m coming.” I stood on the end of the deck and waited while Banjo and his little friend fluttered closer and perched on the railing.
“I came to thank you for saving Rufin,” said Banjo. “You were brave and quick to come and save his life.”
“You’re welcome. I hope Rufin recovers from his terrible ordeal.”
“He’s a little better this morning,” said Banjo. “As a token of my gratitude, I’m giving you Zing to be your familiar. She’s young and still has a lot to learn, but her vocabulary is adequate and she follows orders nicely.”
I don’t want a crow.
“Aw, thank you, Banjo, but won’t she be sad not being with her family?”
“No. She’ll get used to being with you and your family and she won’t be sad. Crows are a happy lot. Most people don’t realize how much fun crows can be.”
“I do realize it, actually. My Aunt Wenda has several crows and they are wonderful. Joe and Jon Snow are two of her favorites.”
“Wonderful names,” said Banjo. “I often wondered why Mama named me after a musical instrument.”
He cawed a couple of times then flew away leaving me with Zing and wondering what I would do with a crow on the trip back to Texas.
Moonbeam had the kitchen tidied and Ardal was toting our luggage out the back door when a blue Honda parked at Misty’s back gate.
“Oh, no. Not her,” I mumbled. I was hoping I wouldn’t have to see Charlotte again before I left New Orleans. She grated on my last nerve and put my teeth on edge.
Moonbeam stepped out of the sunroom onto the deck and stood beside me. “Rufin is with Charlotte and he doesn’t look steady on his feet.”
“What’s he doing here?”
“Maybe he’s coming home with us,” said Moonbeam.
“I don’t think so,” I said. “Let’s load the truck, Ardal. I’m not hanging around chatting to Rufin and his girlfriend.”
Ardal locked the house and returned the key to the window ledge. He put the spell on the key so no one could pick it up and use it. He was proud of his newly learned skill and it showed.
We met Rufin and Charlotte in the middle of Misty’s yard, them coming in and us going out.
Rufin spoke in a weak voice and I felt slightly sorry for him. Only slightly. “I just came by to thank you, Gilly, for saving my life. You are a true friend.”
You are not.
He rambled on. “I’m taking some time to deal with things here in N’Orleans. I’m terribly sorry for the way things turned out.”
Turned out?
He pulled me into an awkward hug and surprised me. I didn’t want to be that close to Rufin Pictou ever again. It was bad for my mental health.
I eased away from him and said, “Ardal is anxious to get home. There is a lot of work waiting for us in Texas.”
“We won’t keep y’all,” said Rufin. “Have a safe trip to Texas.” He stepped out of the way and stood close to Charlotte.
I could barely stand to look at the two of them standing close together like they were a couple. “Come on, Zing.” I waved to my newest problem and asked her if she wanted to ride in the cab or in the back of the truck in the wind.
“I’m used to being outside.”
I tucked her into a corner of the load bed and told her to hang on tight. She seemed to understand, but my crow conversations had been few and far between up to this point. “I’ll get you some food when we stop for lunch.”
Caw.
Pete growled his displeasure at me having another pet and I ignored him for the time being. We could sort out the hierarchy when we got home.
Not bothering to wave, I backed out the laneway, turned onto the next street and headed through the city to the Interstate. “Here we go again, Ardal. Maybe this time we’ll make it all the way home.”
“We will, Gilly. This time we’re gonna make it.”
Lake Charles. Louisiana.
On our second try, we zoomed right through Lafayette and stopped for lunch in Lake Charles. Ardal was in a much happier mood as we zeroed in on the Texas state line.
A cool breeze blew my hair all over as I stepped out of the truck. Before going into the restaurant, I checked on Zing in the load bed while Ardal took Pete for a run around the back of the restaurant.
My little crow was hunched down in the corner exactly where I’d put her. I picked her up and stroked her shiny black feathers. “Are you okay?”
“Yes.”
“Do you want to fly around while we’re in the restaurant? Don’t go too far.”
“I’ll wait up in a tree and watch for you.”
“Okay. I’ll bring you food. What do you like to eat?”
“Bugs or worms.”
“Okay, I won’t be bringing either one of those, but I’ll bring something nice for you.”
Zing flew up into one of the tall trees bordering the restaurant property and I took note of which one she was sitting in. Could I get used to having a crow?
I leaned on the truck, lit up a smoke while I waited for Ardal to come back with the dog and I called Farrell.
“Hey, baby girl. I miss you so much. When are you coming home?”
“On my way. Be home by tonight.”
“I’ll come over. We have to work things out, Gilly. I’m going crazy without you in my life.”
“Same, Farrell. I love you so much, and things have changed with Sonny. I think we’re going to be okay.”
“Fantastic. All I want is us to be together. I don’t care what kind of arrangements
we have to make to put us back together as a couple. I can’t stand being separated from you, Gilly. I love you too much.”
“I want that too, Farrell. I love you...like forever love you. I’ll give you a heads up when I’m about half an hour away from Elgin.”
“Misty filled me in on the stuff going on in New Orleans and told me how you handled it all on your own.”
“I managed with Ardal and Moon helping me.”
“I’m proud of you, baby girl, and I can’t wait to see you and hold you in my arms.”
Feeling pumped after my talk with my one true love, I realized how hungry I was.
Nine Hemlock Way. Elgin. Texas.
Farrell’s red truck was parked in my driveway when I got home and I was so happy to see him, I couldn’t hold back the tears.
My crush on Rufin only happened because I was so sure things would never work out with Farrell, but now I wasn’t so sure about that. Sonny was settled inside Pete and he had become fairly docile and accepting of his new existence. I could lock Sonny out of the bedroom if I wanted privacy with Farrell. My life might work out after all.
Farrell wasn’t in his truck so I figured he was inside or on the patio at the back of the house drinking a beer.
Caw. Caw.
Zing flew out of the back of the truck and up into one of my trees. She could pick any tree she wanted for her new home.
“Where’s Farrell?” asked Ardal.
“Maybe he’s inside.” I tried the front door and it was unlocked. “Hey, I’m home,” I hollered and didn’t get an answer.
Running through the house to the kitchen I could see him sitting on the patio talking to somebody. I slid the door open and stepped outside.
Jody.
I plopped down on Farrell’s knee and kissed him, not caring who was looking. “I missed you so much.”
“Same, little girl. Me and Jody were having a little talk about what happened to him and he’s a bit pissed at you for it.”
“Sorry, Jody. I had no idea those warlocks tied you up and stole your identity. As soon as I could, I sent Misty to check on you.”
Jody was sitting across the table from Farrell and through the darkness I could see the glow around him. He definitely had some magick in him.
