“Read verse fourteen.”
“For the life of every creature is its blood, and I have told the Israelites: You will not consume the blood of any creature, for the life of every creature is its blood, and anyone who consumes it will be outlawed.”
“Make sense?”
“Not really. Isn’t that just about laws of sacrifice and such?”
Oggie nodded. “The word for life, there… the force of it is lost in translation. The word is nephesh. More than just life, but the life-force. Some translations use the word soul. But it’s really more than that.”
“I didn’t know you were a Bible scholar,” I said, shoving my phone back in my pocket.
“Like I said, I’m nearly as old as dirt. I don’t need to be a scholar. I was there before it was written. They saw me as the angel of war.”
“Wait, so you’re an angel, too?”
“Loa… angel. Different words from different traditions. But that’s beside the point.”
“Does that mean the angel of death, the one who killed the firstborn in Egypt—”
“Baron Samedi,” Oggie said.
“Holy shit…”
“But my point is, you take a fallen or rebellious Loa, or you use dark magic to try to arrest or seize our aspect, you get something else entirely.”
“Something that consumes blood… and souls?”
“What you might call vampires,” Oggie said.
“So the fallen Loa are basically fallen angels? They are demons after all?”
“Yes and no,” Oggie said. “We usually reserve the term demon for those lesser Loa who follow the path of one particularly rebellious Loa.”
“The devil, you mean?”
“Lucifer,” Oggie said. “The guy is a real asshole.”
“Worse than Kalfu?”
“Well he certainly was at one point,” Oggie said. “I’m not so sure that the two aren’t allied in some way. Kalfu has always been… dark, but the hatred I sensed in him that night, the lust for power…”
“So he’s basically the devil, Part Deux?”
“Part Deux? Is that a reference to that awful Hot Shots sequel?”
“Awful? It was genius!” In truth, I was somewhat shocked that Oggie got the reference. He didn’t strike me as an aficionado of nineties pop culture. It was before my time, of course. But I’ve always been obsessed with the eighties and nineties.
“I don’t think you understand the meaning of the word genius.”
“Charlie Sheen, baby!”
“The life is in the tiger blood.” Oggie smirked.
I suppressed a chuckle. “So stopping by the reservation is out of the question. Why don’t you just drop me off? I know how to get back.”
Oggie shook his head. “Time is of the essence. We need to get this information back to Legba.”
“Then take the information to Legba! I’ll be back in a day, max.”
“Your sister will be fine.”
“If Nico manages to summon Samedi…”
“Something that is far more likely if you aren’t there when he attempts the ritual.”
“You realize I’m not a prisoner. I can leave the school at any time.”
Oggie nodded. “Of course you can. But you wouldn’t.”
“I might.”
“Not with Nico fixing to summon Baron Samedi, especially knowing he’s summoning him using a Caplata’s essence.”
I folded my arms across my chest as I released a long exhale. “You realize Ashley and I have been tackling this kind of shit together for almost nine years. Nine years! We’re a team.”
Oggie shook his head. “But you are on different paths now.”
“These paths aren’t mutually exclusive. There’s no reason why she couldn’t learn Voodoo too, be a part of the school.”
“As I said, I can only sponsor one…”
“Per year,” I added, staring out the window in front of me. “I’ll tell you what. Promise me you’ll sponsor Ashley next year, bring her into the school so we can fight this battle you think is coming together. Do that, and I’ll agree to tackle this whole Baron summoning thing your way.”
“I already have a candidate in mind for next—”
“Agree to the deal or I’m bailing out of this Hummer right now and hitch-hiking my ass to the reservation to go see her.”
Oggie rolled his eyes. “We’re going sixty miles per hour, you wouldn’t just jump…”
“Isabelle’s magica… it would protect me. I could do it.”
“Fine,” Oggie said.
“Fine, what?” I asked, reaching for the door handle.
“I’ll sponsor Ashley. Next year. But you need to help stop Nico.”
“Agreed,” I said, extending my hand.
“I’m not shaking on it,” Oggie said. “The Driver’s Education manual indicates that you should keep your hands on the wheel at ten and two at all times.”
“Nobody does that,” I quipped.
“I do,” Oggie said. “We’ll shake on it later.”
This doesn’t make sense. Why doesn’t he just stop Nico himself? Surely he has the influence.
I bit my lip. Isabelle had a point. “You know, I still don’t understand why you need me to stop this anyway.”
Oggie sighed. “Because the only way to be sure that Nico won’t attempt to use the doll to summon the Baron… is if we summon him first.”
I swallowed hard. “Excuse me?”
“We’re going to free Baron Samedi ourselves. And I need you and Isabelle to pull it off.”
“But summoning a Loa isn’t your jurisdiction… Legba guards the crossroads. And in this case, I thought we needed someone from College Samedi to do it.”
“We would under normal circumstances. But your soul blade… it gives us access to Guinee.”
I pulled my fingers through a tangle in my hair. “I thought you said it wasn’t safe to use my soul blade as a portal, that there’s no guarantee we’d be able to get back to our time and place.”
“I did say that.”
“Are you even sure we can release him if we go there anyway?”
“I’m not sure… but you and Isabelle. Both of you are our best shot at this.”
“And after we release Baron Samedi, and we make sure he’s back more like Jekyll than Hyde, then how do we get back?”
Oggie looked into his rearview mirror. “Want to tell her your idea, Mikah?”
“We need to convince your friend to help us out.”
“My friend? I don’t have many friends here…”
“The guy from your class. The colorful one from College Aida-Wedo.”
“Pauli? I don’t know how much he can help.”
“His aspect… it can help hold the gateway open, hold the link between this time and the gate your blade makes in Guinee.”
“His aspect is about snakes and rainbows.” I chuckled. “He doesn’t like snakes, so that much of his aspect is basically wasted on him. And rainbows—he says that isn’t good for much other than putting on a pride parade.”
Mikah rolled his eyes. “He’s a first-year, but he’s not that ignorant. The rainbow is much more than that. A rainbow is basically refracted light.”
“And your point?”
“The rainbow basically gives someone with the aspect of Aida-Wedo the opportunity to travel vast distances. He forms a bow and goes from one end of the rainbow to the next.”
“And how far can he go?”
“As far as he can imagine. Eventually he’ll master his aspect well enough that he can basically go anywhere in the world in an instant.”
“But we’re talking about two worlds… here and Guinee.”
A large grin split Mikah’s face. “If a rainbow is forged and it bridges two worlds, it must rely on two distinct light sources. The bow itself can hold the gate open, it won’t be able to close.”
I looked over my shoulder. “How the hell do you know so much about Aida-Wedo anyway?”
Mikah
sighed. “My mom is Aida-Wedo.”
I scratched my head. “So, like Nico, you joined a college different than your family did in the past.”
“You don’t get it. My mom wasn’t in College Aida-Wedo. Aida-Wedo is my mom.”
I raised an eyebrow. “So you are a child of a Loa, and you don’t have your mom’s aspect?”
Mikah shook his head. “I said she’s my mother. I didn’t say she was a great one. And no offense to Oggie, but Loa make for awful parents.”
“No offense taken,” Oggie said. “It is simply a matter of fact.”
“Sounds more like a stereotype than anything,” I said.
“Not really,” Oggie said. “Parenting is a distinctly human skill. Only human beings, in the image of their Maker, are truly able to put another person’s life and interests above their own vocations.”
“I don’t believe that for a second,” I said, catching Oggie’s glance. “You don’t strike me at all like the selfish type.”
“I didn’t say we are selfish. We were made to serve distinct functions. We are practical. Anything we do, in some way, relates to our functions.”
I snorted. “Still not you. You make it sound like you’re some kind of robot, like an android carrying out a program.”
“You wouldn’t know it either way. Perhaps I act human at times, but that’s because I’m working with humans. Again, it’s practical.”
I bit my cheek. “That twinkle in your eye when you look at me. That’s practical, too?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Oggie said, staring straight ahead at the road. “We need to return to the topic at hand. Tonight we’ll inform Legba. Tomorrow, bring Pauli to your morning session.”
“We’re doing this tomorrow?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Like I said, time is of the essence.”
“Time is always of the essence.” I reached into my pocket and retrieved my phone. It had been vibrating incessantly since we left Baton Rouge. Since I hadn’t responded to Ashley’s first message, I assumed they were all from her.
Sure enough. “I need to see you ASAP. It’s urgent.”
Of course it would be urgent. Everything that matters always is. I hadn’t promised I wouldn’t talk to Ashley, or even see her. I simply promised I wouldn’t go running off to the reservation.
I held my phone at my side, just low enough where I was pretty sure Oggie wouldn’t be able to see. “What about?”
It took her only a few seconds to respond.
“Shouldn’t say on text. I need to see you.”
“Meet me in Jackson Square? Midnight?”
I received a thumbs-up in response. Another message followed shortly after.
“See you soon, little sis!”
I bit my cheek. Midnight. That would give me about an hour, give or take, to talk to Pauli once we got back. I hoped that whatever Ashley needed would be quick. I’d have to be at the gymnasium at the butt crack of dawn, so that wasn’t going to give me much chance to sleep. Sounded like whatever it was, though, would probably keep me awake. Ashley wasn’t the kind to overreact to things. Something was going on… something serious.
I don’t like this idea… Isabelle broke her silence. We should just do what Oggie says. Whatever Ashley has to say can wait one night. When we don’t have so much at stake…
I sighed. I opened a blank document on my phone.
“Ashley says it is important,” my thumbs tapped out on my virtual keyboard.
This is important.
“A lot of things can be important at once,” I typed back.
Tell him, then!
“Ashley said not to tell anyone.”
You can trust Mikah. Tell him.
“Tell Mikah? I thought you meant tell Oggie.”
Tell them both.
“Not until I know what Ashley has to say.”
18
THE STAIRCASE LEADING to Legba’s office was precarious enough for one person. Heading up there with Oggie and Mikah both? For a girl who doesn’t care for heights, the added sway that their weight added to the already wobbly staircase was enough to make anyone’s heart skip a beat.
Mikah turned and grinned at me. “Not a fan of heights?”
“It’s not the heights that bother me. It’s the prospect of falling.”
“These stairs have been here more than a century. Haven’t fallen yet.”
I gripped the side rail. “Telling me that these stairs are that old doesn’t help my confidence that they’re structurally sound.”
Mikah laughed. “Well, at least Isabelle will keep you safe if you fall.”
I took a deep breath. “Yeah, there’s that. She can heal me, provided I don’t die on impact.”
“And you weren’t worried about that when you threatened to jump from the Hummer at sixty miles per hour?”
I grinned. “I was bluffing.”
“Of course you were. He knew it, too.”
“Then why’d he agree to sponsor Ashley?”
“I think he’d agree to anything if you asked him sweetly enough.”
“What is that supposed to mean?”
“I see how you look at each other.”
I blushed a little. “Yeah, so?”
“Not particularly wise.”
“That’s what Isabelle thinks, too. A teacher and a student…”
Mikah laughed. “That’s not the reason it would be foolish.”
I squinted. “What do you mean?”
Mikah was about to respond when Oggie knocked on Legba’s door three times.
“There’s something wrong,” Oggie said. “This door is never locked. And he’s in there… I can hear him moving around.”
I pressed my ear to the door. I could hear footsteps inside, moving quickly but not toward the door. I heard a glass break, shattering somewhere inside.
“Try speaking to him,” Oggie said. “Tell him you have an answer. He’ll surely respond.”
I nodded. “Papa Legba?” I said. “It’s me, Annabelle.”
Again, I pressed my ear to the door. The noise inside ceased.
“If this isn’t a good time, I can come back, but I have an answer.”
I almost fell in as the door mechanism quickly unlocked and it swung open.
“Please, Miss Mulledy…” Legba gripped the doorknob tightly. A look of horror fell on his face. “Why did you bring them with you!”
“Please, Legba,” Oggie interjected. “We have some disturbing news we must report.”
“Of course you do, Ogoun. There’s always something disturbing, some kind of war brewing, some kind of crisis with you.”
Oggie looked at me and shrugged.
“Oggie can wait outside,” I said, looking up at my mentor. Oggie shook his head, clearly not pleased with the idea. “We really need to speak with you.”
Something is off with him, Isabelle said. His aura… it’s changed.
I coughed twice over my shoulder.
I can’t say for certain… the aura of Loa are unpredictable. But it seems unstable.
“Please come back in the morning, Miss Mulledy, and we will discuss this further,” Legba said, pulling the door shut and locking it again.
“It can’t wait until the morning,” Oggie said. “Time is of the essence.”
“And this is not a good time,” Legba replied, shouting through the door.
“What’s going on with Papa Legba?” Mikah asked.
“I’m not sure,” Oggie said. “Perhaps his attentions are split. Guarding the crossroads… if anyone is attempting a summoning of any kind, his focus will be divided. In all my years dealing with him, though, he’s never been quite so difficult. Normally he will simply dismiss you and bid you to wait your turn.”
“Whatever it is,” I said, “must be important. I thought he’d jump at the chance to hear my answer about summoning the Baron.”
“I thought the same,” Oggie admitted. “But we mustn’t allow this to derail our plans.
If anything, we must carry on. I simply believed it wise that he know when a portal to Guinee is going to be summoned in his school.”
“Could he shut it down?” I asked.
Oggie shrugged. “This is uncharted territory. The portals your soul blade creates, cutting through the fabric that separates our worlds… it’s unheard of. Not since the days of Beli and the dragon gatekeepers.”
I nodded. “I can see why the Loa of the crossroads might be concerned about a passage between worlds… one he cannot control.”
“Exactly,” Oggie said, taking a deep breath. “But this changes nothing. We proceed as planned. You can keep your appointment with Legba after our return, after we succeed.”
“So I suppose I should go and start selling this to Pauli,” I said. “But I have one question. Pauli is just a first-year… wouldn’t he be better prepared for this if Aida-Wedo knew? Mikah could talk to his mom about this.”
Oggie shook his head. “That might be true, but that would require another Loa learning of your abilities, your soul blade, and Isabelle too. It would put you at risk.”
“I can accept the risk,” I said, “if it helps ensure our success.”
“You may accept it…” Oggie placed one of his massive hands on my shoulder and squeezed gently. “But I do not.”
Mikah grunted. Clearly, he was not thrilled with the kind of infatuation that seemed to bind Oggie and me.
“I’ll leave you be for the night,” Oggie said. “I must prepare. Traveling to Guinee while still inhabiting my host could sever our bond if I am not careful. I need to ensure the integrity of our bond before we proceed. You should get your rest.”
I nodded. After making our way down the spiral death trap, Oggie took off toward his office, but Mikah followed close behind me.
“What were you trying to tell me?” I asked.
“What do you mean?” Mikah asked.
“About Oggie. Right before he knocked on Legba’s door.”
“Only that you’re treading in dangerous waters with him.”
“Why do you say that?”
“His wife might not take kindly to it.”
I stopped in my tracks. “His wife?”
“Erzulie can be possessive of her husbands.”
My jaw dropped. “Husbands? And Oggie is one of them? What gives her the right to be jealous when she has husbands?”
Gates of Eden: Starter Library Page 64
