Mikah laughed. “I told you, getting mixed up with a Loa is bad business. I don’t understand their relationships any better than you do.”
“Who else is Erzulie married to?”
“Dumballah… Agwe… those are the ones I know about. She has a husband in every realm. Plenty of affairs with other Loa and even some humans.”
“Sounds like she gets around,” I said.
“In a manner of speaking. Dumballah remains in Guinee. Agwe rules the sea. She holds some kind of influence over every realm by marrying Loa in different jurisdictions.”
“But why Oggie?” I asked. “He doesn’t really rule here… not technically.”
Mikah looked straight ahead. “Rulers come and go. War never ceases. Through war, some kings and rulers are deposed. Through war, other lords and kings consolidate power. Having a hand in Ogoun’s dealings means she has influence over basically every government in the world. She speaks, and more often than not, Ogoun takes the side she’d like to see prevail.”
“Sounds like a woman with control issues.”
“Ya think?” Mikah said, looking at me. “Maybe you can relate.”
“Excuse me?”
“Control issues,” Mikah said. “Why you won’t allow Isabelle to be with me.”
“It’s more complicated than that,” I huffed.
“Is it?” Mikah asked. “I get that it makes you a bit uncomfortable. But if it could make her happy, could make me happy, isn’t love and happiness worth a little bit of your discomfort?”
I sighed. “It is difficult for us to be in any relationship… and I have my headaches every time she takes over.”
“There might be solutions for that,” Mikah said. “I can think of a few things to try.”
I just shook my head.
“See, you won’t even try. Why is that?”
“I’m the one who has to endure those headaches while we experiment…”
“Or, if you found a solution, it would mean you couldn’t be in complete control. You’d have no excuse to keep Isabelle in silence.”
I stopped and gripped Mikah by the arm. “Fine. Maybe you’re right. Perhaps I have control issues. We all have issues. Can we at least table this conversation until we get through tomorrow?”
“Fine.” Mikah smiled. “But we’re having this conversation.”
“Trust me, Isabelle will make sure we do.”
Mikah smiled wide. “So she does have some influence on you, after all?”
“When she wants something badly enough, she’ll just annoy me until I give in. She once sang the “Barbie Girl” song to me fifty times in a row…”
Mikah burst out laughing, then lowered his voice. “Hey, Barbie, wanna go for a ride?” Then he went into falsetto. “Sure, Ken!”
I laughed. “Yeah, that’s the one.”
“Why did she do that?” Mikah grinned widely.
“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you…”
“Try me!”
I shook my head. “She wanted cotton candy.”
Mikah chuckled. “She wanted… cotton candy?”
“She loves the stuff. I can’t stand it. She wouldn’t stop singing that damn song until I ate some.”
“‘Barbie Girl’… those are some extreme measures for cotton candy!”
“Tell me about it! And she’s tone-deaf, which doesn’t exactly help.”
Mikah curled his lip. “So, if she’s willing to do that for cotton candy, how far do you think she’ll go for a chance at love?”
“I— I guess I haven’t really thought about it like that. I mean, I don’t get much of a chance at love either, given that she’s always there lurking in my mind.”
“I get that.” Mikah stared directly into my eyes. “But at least you get a chance to try.”
I nodded and turned to go. “I’ll see you in the morning, Mikah.”
“Just think about it,” he urged.
I pressed my lips together and nodded again, more quickly this time, as I walked away. It wasn’t like Mikah didn’t have a point. The truth was I just didn’t want to hear it. But maybe it was what I needed to hear. The fact that Isabelle wasn’t talking at all suggested she agreed with him. If she thought he was full of it, she would have quickly spoken up, let me know that I had no reason for worry. But her silence spoke more loudly than words ever could. She agreed with him… but was I being totally unreasonable? This is my body. I should have no obligation to her. I didn’t choose this. Of course, she didn’t either. But she didn’t own my body. She was renting space here. Sucked for her to have to depend on me like that. I get it. But did I really have a moral obligation to allow her to take control over me? Mikah, with his condescending tone, seemed to think I did. He had a point. And that really pissed me off.
19
I WAS SURPRISED at how open Pauli was to helping me out. He was in a much better mood because he’d finally convinced the school to give us all larger wardrobes. I couldn’t believe how nice they were. I mean, I was expecting that we might get larger lockers. These wardrobes, though, were made of wood. Solid oak. They looked like turn-of-the-century pieces, each with its own unique flourish. Mine had a floral pattern carved into the door. It was a work of art, no doubt. It struck me that the school must’ve gone to some extensive efforts to secure these wardrobes. I half wondered if I walked into mine if I might find myself in Narnia. Apparently, if I’d had enough room to wield my soul blade inside of it, I could probably make it happen. Not Narnia—that place obviously was fiction. But to Guinee… to Annwn. The realm of the angels. The realm of the Loa. I chuckled a little at the thought. I’d be going there soon anyway, with or without the aid of my wardrobe.
I would have stuck around to organize all my crap, but I didn’t have much time to get to the surface to meet Ashley. I couldn’t be late either. I mean, I could. But it would be rude, particularly since I had no way to text her from down here. Cell service sucked in Vilokan.
I quickly changed my clothes—the advantage of these wardrobes was that I could technically walk inside of mine and change while avoiding Nico’s creepy glances. He hated me, I had no doubt of that. But more than once I’d caught him stealing a peek my way mid-change. One of the downsides to this whole co-ed open dormitory arrangement.
I took a look at myself in the mirror that was affixed to the inside of my wardrobe door. It struck me that, while my clothes were the same, my style had certainly evolved since arriving at the Academy. Just the way I arranged my clothes seemed more carefree. Stylish but a little less Catholic prep school and a little more punk rock. Of course, we’d worn uniforms at school before. Still, we had free days once a week. Fridays we could wear what we wanted—but the dress code was still strict. No low-cut blouses. No skirts above the knees. But now? I was subconsciously choosing the highest skirt and the lowest-cut tank top I owned. Had I been trying to get Oggie’s attention? Or was it that this place just encouraged a little rebellion? After all, the whole school—this whole underground world—was founded by slaves who were committed to subterfuge. Maybe this was my way of fitting in… rejecting my past, embracing this path as my future.
But if I’m honest I was also trying to get Oggie’s attention. At least I was before I knew he was married… one of Erzulie’s many husbands. My stomach turned at the thought. I mean, any woman who can lure that many men without them destroying one another deserved a certain kind of respect. Still, it was odd that Oggie hadn’t mentioned her. I hadn’t even seen the two together. Of course, I’d only seen Erzulie in formal situations. We didn’t have large school meals Hogwarts style here. We could get our own meals from any number of vendors spread throughout the city—students always ate free of charge. Meals were charged to the school. How the school paid for them, considering that tuition was free, too, was a question I hadn’t given serious thought to.
I fetched Letty from the kennel, figuring she could use the exercise, and snagged a bowl of gumbo from one of the vendors. I downed it just before I
tackled the staircase upward toward St. Louis Cathedral and Jackson Square. The advantage of climbing these steps so frequently, I noted as my glutes started to burn, was that it gave me a natural butt lift.
When I met the surface, I instinctively took in the fresh air. It had only been a few hours since our last trip to the surface, but it didn’t take me long anymore to readjust. Letty seemed to appreciate the fresh air, too, as she took off running in circles.
As I exited Père Antoine Alley and proceeded through the square, I spotted Ashley, hanging on the wrought iron gates at the entrance of the square.
Her blond hair, usually free-flowing, was now tied back into a braided ponytail. Only her jeans, it seemed, were typical of the appearance I’d grown accustomed to. She wore moccasins on her feet—which, I had to admit, had a sort of style about them that I envied. There was charm about the moccasins that seemed to defy the style versus comfort dichotomy that usually governed my shoe choices. Her blouse had a unique pattern—mostly browns and whites aside from a jagged ring around the neck in bright reds and yellows. They resembled feathers, or even flames, draped across her shoulders and across her back.
“Nice shirt,” I said as I approached my sister.
“Thank you,” Ashely said. “It was handmade by one of Roger’s great-aunts.”
“Beautiful, actually,” I said.
“It is,” Ashley said, forcing a slight grin.
“What is going on?” I asked. “Your texts earlier seemed… urgent.”
Ashley took a deep breath. “I didn’t know if you would get my messages. Thank God you did.”
“Just barely. I don’t get to the surface every day.”
“Remember the Loa who came after us that night on the road… I mean, of course you do.”
I nodded.
“Has he tried to get to you at all?” Ashley asked.
“Not really… I mean, nothing for certain. I have my suspicious that a classmate might be working with him, but nothing I can prove.”
“Have you seen this before?” Ashley held out a piece of paper, which I quickly unfolded.
“This is a veve,” I said. “A symbol used to summon a Loa. Where did you get this?”
“At home, back at the plantation.”
I raised my eyebrows. “In our house?”
Ashley shook her head. “In the old slave quarters… I sensed something back there. Something that broke down my wards. I went to check it out.”
I took a deep breath. That was where we’d encountered Baron Samedi when I was nine. It was where Isabelle and I were first fused. And Nico had said that College Samedi recently came to learn about what happened that night. There had to be a connection.
“Any thoughts, Isabelle?” I asked. Ashley cocked her head slightly.
I haven’t seen this before. But I know Baron Samedi’s veve… it resembles a cross on top of an altar.
“Yeah, Isabelle. I remember that one, too. I could never forget it.”
“What did she say?” Ashley asked.
“She says this definitely is not like Baron Samedi’s veve.”
I reached into my pocket and retrieved my phone.
“What are you doing?” Ashley asked.
“Googling veves. Worth a shot, right?”
I scrolled through a list of veves I found on a Voodoo website. Not all of these sites were totally accurate. Most of them were set up by amateur practitioners who’d never been to the Academy. Still, from time to time, they could be helpful. Then I found it… a veve that matched the one Ashley had shown me. I seriously hoped I wouldn’t confirm what I’d suspected I might.
“If someone affixed this veve in the slave quarters, they must’ve been trying to summon Kalfu there.”
“Shit…”
“And the timing couldn’t be worse. We have an urgent mission that really can’t wait.”
“A mission?”
“Yeah, I’ve acquired a new ability. It lets me travel into Guinee.”
“Guinee?” Ashley asked.
“The realm where the Loa come from, where Isabelle gets her power. Something like a Garden of Eden, I guess. I think the Druidess used to call it Annwn.”
“I recall,” Ashley said. “But why would you go there?”
“I’m supposed to help free Baron Samedi…”
“What?” Ashley’s jaw dropped halfway between her face and the ground. “You can’t be serious!”
“He used to be the head of one of the colleges at the Academy,” I explained. “And one of my classmates is really close to freeing him, himself. But to do it, he’s created a doll with Messalina’s essence.”
“I don’t know what that means, but it can’t be good.”
“It means if he restores Baron Samedi, the Loa will come back with the same disposition he had when under her influence. If we bring him back, apparently he’ll be a more balanced version of himself. A little good. A little evil. You know, like most people.”
Ashley sighed. “I know you were only nine, but… I really don’t think Messalina had any control over him.”
“She’s the one who summoned him.”
“You probably don’t remember,” Ashley said, “but Messalina had broken her bargain with him. He tried to revise the deal, then she turned against him. Sacrificed herself, channeled her own soul in some kind of spell.”
“To break the bargain.”
To save me…
Ashley could always tell when Isabelle was talking. Apparently I had a few subtle tells. “What is she saying?”
“Isabelle says she turned on the Baron in order to save her…”
“Because Baron Samedi wanted her power. Same reason as Kalfu.”
I nodded. “Oggie says there’s hardly a Loa, good or evil, who wouldn’t try to influence me if they knew about our abilities… Isabelle’s abilities, I mean.”
Ashley squinted. “You’ve changed, little sis.”
I shrugged. “What do you mean?”
“You wouldn’t have corrected yourself before, but you just emphasized those abilities belong to Isabelle.”
“I’ve developed a few abilities of my own,” I said. “This Voodoo stuff, it seems second nature to me. Natural. I don’t know. Maybe I’m just getting used to the idea that she and I are really separate people, different souls.”
“So what are these abilities? You said that you can actually travel to Guinee?”
I grinned and extended my hand, focusing my will. “Beli…” I felt the hilt of my soul blade form in my hand after speaking the dragon’s name. The streetlights around us glistened off the blade as it formed.
“Killer!” Ashley exclaimed. “That’s a badass blade!”
“Check this out.” I swung the blade through the air, piecing the veil between our world and Guinee.
Ashley belted out a hoot. “That’s amazing! I can literally see a whole other world in there…”
I nodded, grinning widely. “Oggie says that he’s never seen a recruit with this ability. My blade is forged from a combination of elementals, like a dragon. Dragons, he says, were the ancient gatekeepers between realms. I guess I’ve managed to tap into that power. Not even a Loa can open portals like this.”
Ashley’s grin turned stern. “I think you should close the gate.”
I released my soul blade, and it immediately vanished into the ether. “What’s wrong?”
“I don’t know,” Ashley said, shaking her head. “It’s that Shaman’s intuition. I’m getting a sense of foreboding… but I can’t put my finger on it.”
“Well, considering the fact that you just saw Kalfu’s veve on our property…”
“I think that has something to do with it… it’s all connected, somehow. If you make these gates, are you sure that something else can’t come through?”
“I really don’t know. I mean, it’s possible I guess. But as soon as I drop the blade, my gates dissipate with it.”
“I think I should go with you.”
I shook
my head. “Oggie would never allow it. No one is allowed at the Academy who hasn’t been sponsored.”
“Can’t you sneak me in?” Ashley asked.
“I don’t know how.” And I didn’t. I couldn’t even bring her into Vilokan if she didn’t have a Loa’s aspect, or unless she was accompanied by Père Antoine.
“Then let’s go now. You and me.”
Again, I shook my head. “These gates, we can’t control where or when they form. Without someone from College Aida-Wedo, someone who can bind the gate in place, we’d risk never being able to get back to this time and place.”
Ashley reached into something resembling a fanny pack. I had to admit, while I knew they were making something of a comeback, the way she sported it gave the accessory a bit of flair. It accentuated her hips well. I made a mental note of that—I’d have to try one myself. Though, the one she had appeared as though it had been handmade, likely by someone on the reservation.
“If I can’t go with you”—Ashley tossed me a small item, which I instinctively raised my hand to catch—“take this with you.”
I looked at the item. It was something of a small totem, a bird—possibly an eagle—carved into the top. It was only about four or five inches long and about the diameter of my thumb. I traced my finger along the delicate carvings. “What is it?”
“Think of it as a good luck charm.” Ashley grinned. “If you are in need, touch it with your magica… with Isabelle’s magica.”
“In need in what way? Like, if I have to go pee in the netherworld but can’t find a decent place to squat?”
Ashely curled her lip. “Not exactly. I’m thinking more of a desperate need. Something life or death.”
“But what does it do?”
“That depends what you need,” Ashley said. “It should bring you good fortune.”
“Cryptic, but okay,” I said, sticking the totem into my pocket.
Ashley grinned. “At the very least, it should give you some confidence.”
I didn’t exactly need a good luck charm, and based on Ashley’s shrouded explanation about what this little trinket was supposed to do, I suspected that was all it was worth. Growing up, the Shaman Roger had constantly given us little trinkets, hung little items around our house. He’d done a lot of things that he swore would help protect us in our home. Sometimes just believing that something is there, even something small, keeping the baddies at bay, can do wonders. Of course, I was all grown up now. I didn’t put much stock in these things. Still, if Ashley insisted it would help, it certainly couldn’t hurt.
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