Mika’il didn’t answer for a moment. Then he sighed. That didn’t work out quite the way we planned, but just focus on the fact she’s alive.
I will, but how can I trust you about Delacourte having been punished for what he’s done?
Trust me. The Vodou community won’t allow him to go unpunished. Anyone who messes in something he doesn’t understand deserves what he gets. The spirits are vengeful.
Dominic gazed down at Teresa and decided he really didn’t care. I’ll believe you, Mika’il.
He told Terrance, “Don’t worry, Terrance. I have it on good authority that Delacourte has been punished.”
Terrance looked puzzled for a moment before he shrugged. “Thanks, sir. I hope you’re both feeling better soon.”
Dominic and Teresa cuddled for a while. He couldn’t find the words to tell her how scared he was and how much he loved her. Before he could say anything, a knock sounded on the door.
“Come in,” he called.
Randy came in with a bright grin on his face. “I’m glad to see you both awake.”
“How long was I out?”
“About four hours. The oungan said the ceremony was a success. The Gèdè denied Teresa entrance into the spirit world and lifted the curse. We cleaned up and I took him home.”
Dominic shook Randy’s hand. “I can’t ever thank you enough. When I get back to the club, we’ll talk about what kind of compensation I should give to the oungan.”
“He’ll appreciate it, boss.”
“Tell me what happened after I passed out.”
“The oungan was possessed by one of the Gèdè. When it found out what was going on, it lifted the curse because Teresa was such a beautiful girl. The Gèdè like beautiful women.” Randy smiled. “He went away and about five minutes later, Teresa opened her eyes. She’ll need a few weeks to recover, but she’ll be fine. The oungan said you and Danielle passed out because the spirits took your strength to materialize.”
“How did I get cursed in the first place?” Teresa asked.
“At some point, the bòkò must have sprinkled dirt from a grave on you or a route you walk often.”
Teresa remembered the odd little man who had spilled dirt on her. “I think I know how it happened.”
“The bòkò who did this to you along with Delacourte will be dealt with,” Randy promised them. “Now, I promise I’m the last one to bother you. Terrance is downstairs if you need anything. He’s planning on staying here for a couple days until you recover, boss.”
Randy smiled at them and shut the door behind him. The French doors were open to allow the night sounds to provide a soothing background for them. Dominic moved Teresa to her back. He leaned over her and smiled. “I’ll be forever grateful to all of them for bringing you back to me.”
“And I’ll be grateful to them for their loyalty to you,” she whispered.
“My love, you were leaving me. I don’t know how I would have survived without you.” He buried his head against her shoulder and cried.
She ran her hands up and down his back as she tried to soothe him. “Please don’t. You didn’t lose me. I knew you would find a way to save me. The closer I got to dying, the more faith I had in you.”
“At the end, I gave up and put all my trust in God. I had done everything I could to save you, but ultimately it was God’s strength that did it.”
A hard lesson to learn, my friend, and I’m sorry for that, Mika’il whispered in his mind.
“Do you think it was a test?”
He shrugged. “It doesn’t matter. You’ve alive.”
He crushed his mouth to hers. He nibbled along her lips and his tongue stroked hers. With a thought, he stripped them. He didn’t want to take any more time than he had to. Getting inside her warm moist body was more essential to him than breathing. His hand slid down between her legs and teased her hard clit with the tips of his fingers. She gasped and then sighed as he inserted two fingers inside her pussy. Her inner muscles tightened as he pulled them out. He thrust in again and she arched her back. When her juices were drenching his fingers, he knew she was ready.
Grabbing a pillow, he tucked it under her hips to give him a better angle for a deeper penetration. Finally, he slid home and they sighed.
“This is where I belong, love. Deep inside you and loving you. No place on earth will ever be a paradise again unless you’re with me.”
She wrapped her legs around him. “Take me to Heaven, Dominic. I love you so much.”
It only took a few thrusts before they were crying out together. She cradled him in her arms afterwards. As they were drifting to sleep, Dominic heard Teresa murmur, “Why was Mickey O’Flynn in Heaven?”
* * * *
Delacourte stared at the silent men and women surrounding him. The spirit inside him hissed at them. It didn’t want to leave the fresh mortal body it had found. The oungan completed the ceremony and the spirit went howling back into the world it had come from. Crying out, Vincent fell face first to the ground and moaned.
“You’ve been found guilty of committing crimes against an innocent,” one of the men said.
“You can’t judge me. This isn’t a proper court and you certainly aren’t a jury of my peers.”
“You profess to be a follower of Vodou. As such, you can be judged and punished by us.” The man gestured to four burly men with ropes.
“Wait. I didn’t know the spell would kill her. I only wanted to make her sick. The bòkò tricked me. You should be punishing him.”
“Ignorance is no excuse in a crime like this. The bòkò who did the spell has already been dealt with. It’s your turn.”
As the men came towards Delacourte, he realized he had lost everything. There was nothing left of the world the spirit had helped him create. He would be charged with worse crimes if he was sent back to the world he considered his. His mind went black as one of the men clubbed him.
A few days later, Vincent Delacourte’s body washed ashore on Lake Pontchartrain. He had been beaten to death and a small black cross was tucked into his shirt pocket.
* * * *
A few weeks after her illness, Teresa walked into the Fallen Angel club. Dominic had closed it for the private party he was throwing. He had invited everyone who had helped them. Danielle had sent a gift, but her note said that one trip to New Orleans had been so much excitement, she was afraid a second trip might kill her. The old mambo they had talked to first had died earlier that week. Teresa said a prayer every night for that wonderful old woman.
She stood on the edge of the crowd watching Dominic before he noticed she was there. Her fallen angel had lost the weariness that had always haunted his eyes. His beautiful smile came more often and the sadness didn’t plague him. She was pretty sure it was the daily glimpses of Heaven they had that were making him happier.
“There you are, love. Come here.” Dominic grabbed her arm and dragged her on to the middle of the dance floor. He raised his hand and everyone went silent.
“First of all, Teresa and I would like to thank you all for coming tonight. This is our way of showing our appreciation for everything you’ve done the past several weeks.”
He took her hand and went to one knee. Smiling up at her, he said, “Second of all, Teresa Ryder, will you marry me and take me to Heaven forever?”
Go ahead, child. The voice speaking in the back of her mind was the same raspy one she had heard in the church. He’s your best friend and your lover. You have the best of both worlds.
“Yes, I will.” She threw her head back and laughed as Dominic picked her up and twirled her around. The crowd cheered.
A silver-eyed angel watched the commotion with a hint of envy in his heart. Dominic and Teresa had learned the lesson Mika’il had learned. Sometimes love comes with a heavy price.
The End
About the Author:
Tiffany Aaron has always been writing. She still has one of the first stories she ever wrote about a time machine and talking mushrooms
. While her head was in the clouds, her parents told her to prepare for the “real” world. So she got a degree and a job, but never stopped writing. Her favorite question is “What if?” and so a story is born.
She lives in Michigan with her loving husband. She has two dogs—one who believes he’s human and the other who loves to hear the sound of her own bark. When she’s not writing, she’s reading or watching Jet Li movies. Please visit her at www.tiffanyaaron.com
She loves to get email at [email protected]
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Fallen: Dominic Page 12
