I stepped towards her and reached out to touch her shoulder. As soon as my palm made contact with her body, she jerked away. Her face was the picture of horrified surprise and unspoken apologies that showed her shame. She reminded me of my poor, broken best friend. The situation was awkward, but I wanted her to know that I would do what I could to help her. I knew the marks weren’t from an accident. Someone was hurting her, badly from the looks of it.
“It doesn’t look like an accident, Della. You can tell me who did this to you and I will do everything within my power to make sure it never happens again.”
Her eyes shifted, scanning the room, but I wasn’t sure for what. “I…can’t.”
Whatever she was afraid of must have been pretty bad to hold such sway over her. She’d continue to put herself at risk rather than out her abuser.
“Why?”
A hot flush spread across Della’s face and the tendons and veins began to stick out, strained, all down her neck. “I…he…” She paused and went silent, the color left her face like she could finally breath again. “I just can’t.” She curtsied again and quickly departed.
She left me standing in my room alone, clutching my towel to me and confounded. What the hell was that? I couldn’t help but think she had been about to tell me something important. However, something was stopping her.
Finally, moving from the spot I’d been rooted to, I got dressed quickly. I couldn’t stop thinking of Della. My mind was full of different scenarios tossed into a blender, each one steadily becoming more alarming and graphic. The person would have to be demented and sick.
I’d seen cop movies when I was younger where suicide victims had hung themselves, those marks looked remarkably like Della’s. She was well covered by her servant’s dress, but I wagered she had a fair amount of markings underneath it all.
I drifted to the vanity and pulled my brush through my wayward locks. My thoughts didn’t stray from the girl’s predicament. I didn’t know how could I help someone who refused my interference on her behalf.
Thinking of the sick individual who’d hurt the servant girl made me examine my own darkness. Something was wrong with me. It had become apparent soon after my arrival. Sometimes, I felt like I wasn’t myself or in control. I’d never consider doing to someone what I’d done to Zelda, at least not without it being dire or in self-defense. I’d never been one to take power trips. My actions were distinctly out of character for me, I knew that. Although, I could feel the changes, I hoped it was just a side effect.
The question then became, in light of recent events, would I still be me when it was all over with?
Chapter Five
Venturing Out
Since my arrival, I’d been slacking in my duties. Which I admit were very minimal to begin with. Other than meeting Mateo by accident and finding the Baron, I hadn’t left the room or sought to meet anyone. It was high time I quit moping around and did something productive. I needed to find out more about Brigitte and give myself a real shot at finding her. Mateo seemed like the most logical place to start. After all, he was the prophecy keeper.
I could feel a difference in the air the moment I stepped out of the room. With the Baron gone on business, the whole palace felt lighter and a bit freer. Maids and other staff zipped around the hallways as they went about their daily routines. I hadn’t even known that there were that many people residing there; the halls had always been empty on any previous adventure from my room.
I followed the corridors as best as I could remember without my raven friend to guide my way. It took a wrong turn and a little back tracking, but eventually, I found the door I was looking for.
A part of me wanted to mark it in some way to set it apart from all other doors. That way, I’d always know exactly which one it was without any second guessing. In all honesty, I was a bit afraid that I would walk into the wrong room and see something I shouldn’t. It wouldn’t be a great way to endear these people to me.
The knob was worn and smooth as I twisted it and gave the door a shove. Would it have been so difficult to replace the blasted things? I mean, they had to have been like two hundred years old and weighed like eighty pounds. When paired with a practically ancient frame, it was no easy feat to move, especially for a woman. Well, at least as long as the woman wasn’t Zelda. She probably wouldn’t have any problem showing it who’s boss.
“Hello? Mateo?” I called out as I stepped further into the library.
Shuffling sounds came from the stacks towards the back of the library just before Mateo’s thin, aged face popped out from behind one of the bookcases. He pushed his glasses up his nose and squinted at me.
“Oh! Hello there. You’ve come back to visit with me. How absolutely wonderful!” The old man was chipper, distinctly different than he’d been the day before. He straightened and put down his stack of tomes on his way towards me. “I was hoping you’d come back soon! It’s such a pleasure, Your Majesty.” He bowed low before me with a dramatic flare.
“Majesty? Umm…no. Please, just call me Maya. No need for any formalities and I am certainly not Queen yet.”
Hopefully, I never would be, though I kept that bit to myself. I needed to get a feel for the man before I could confide in him. If Samedi were to be told that I had every intention of finding his wife and catching the first portal out of there, I doubted it would go over well.
Mateo’s brow creased, but eased after a few seconds. “Very well, Ms. Maya.” He swung his arm wide, inviting me further into his domain.
“Please, after you.”
I gave him the warmest smile I could and followed him to a pair of wing backed chairs in front of the biggest fireplace I’d ever lain eyes on. You could very likely park a small car inside of it. However, it was the only source of heat for the oversized room. A modest fire placed in the center of the hearth, cast some light over the darkened room and was beginning to keep away the damp chill that permeated the rest of the palace.
I sat down in the chair closest to the door and waited for my host to join me. He ambled to his chair and plopped down across from me.
“So, what brings you here this morning? Couldn’t resist my delightful company and dashing good looks?” He chuckled as he said it.
I knew right then that he would be so easy to become good friends with, a companion throughout my time in the land of the dead. I laughed right along with him. “Something like that…I hope I didn’t interrupt anything. I mean, I’d be more than willing to help you if you would like me to,” I said, gesturing to the stack of papers and volumes he’d left on the table towards the rear of the library.
“Nothing important, love. That stuff is just records of the things that take place here and throughout the lands. It’s nothing to worry yourself over.”
“Are you sure? I don’t mind, really…”
“No, thank you.” He gave me a small smile. I had a feeling he was the type of man that wanted everything done precisely his way and any straying from that would be upsetting.
“Alright. Um. So, actually, I was hoping you could maybe be of some assistance to me. Who knows, maybe the records could, too. If not, that’s okay. I totally get it…you know, if you just can’t.”
Mateo’s eyes lit up. “Of course, my dear! What might you be needing help with?” He scooched forwards in his seat, eager for my response.
“Before I say anything else, I need your assurances that you won’t breathe a word of this to anyone. It might have serious ramifications should the wrong person learn of it.”
My voice was grave and pleading as I asked. He needed to understand how precarious the situation was.
For a moment he said nothing, likely assessing his loyalties. By agreeing, he’d be a traitor. A crime punishable by death, and Samedi hadn’t seemed the merciful type.
“Good. Now, I have to ask you what do you know about Manman Brigitte’s disappearance?”
I watched Mateo closely to gauge his response. Any hesitation on his part could be re
ally bad for me. I doubted that he was Samedi’s spy, though one couldn’t be too careful.
He pursed his lips and cocked his head to the side. It looked like it might have been his own personal quirky way of thinking hard about something. Nothing set off alarms in my head about his reaction so I felt content to continue the conversation.
“Admittedly, not much.” He held up his index finger to me. “But I have the records on this issue.”
He popped up from his seat and marched towards the rear of the library, disappearing into the stacks.
I was unsure of what to do with myself. I didn’t know what he was looking for specifically. I could bypass the document altogether and never know it. So, I reasoned that staying seated and waiting for him to rejoin me once he’d found it was the better option. I didn’t want to get in his way.
Several minutes later, after my nails were thoroughly examined while I waited, Mateo popped back out of the maze of bookcases carrying a loosely bound book that was about a half an inch thick.
“Those are the records?”
He nodded. “These are everything I have specifically regarding her disappearance.”
He handed the book over to me to inspect. “Do you mind if I take a look at these?”
“Please do,” he said with an encouraging grin.
I flipped the cloth cover open and started to scan the pages. There were lists of people that she’d been out to collect. The lists were very comprehensive including the person’s age, family, place of residence, and even a physical description. Much like what Papa Legba had said, the souls were of people living in Haiti. Some were in the same city, though others were spread across the country. It was noted that all souls reached Guinee on time. Somehow, between depositing the souls in Guinee and returning home, she’d gone AWOL.
I wasn’t seeing anything Papa Legba hadn’t already told me and was beginning to get discouraged. How could I find someone when there was next to no evidence surrounding her disappearance?
“I’m not seeing anything really helpful here. Is there anything you can tell me that isn’t in here?” I was nearing the back of the book when I came across one that had been torn out. Tiny paper fragments left at the binding were the only indication there were pages missing. “Wait a minute, hold on…There’s a page missing. Do you know what was here?” I asked.
He stepped forward and peered over my shoulder at the tattered remains. Mateo adjusted his glasses to get a better look and I handed the volume over to him. After scanning the pages both, he handed the book back to me.
“The last time I reviewed the manuscript, it was intact. I haven’t a clue where it went. However, I can tell you, more or less, what the missing page contained.” His feet scuffed against the stone floors as he made his way back to his seat.
“How do you know exactly what it was?” I scurried after him. Granted, he probably wrote the document himself. Still, in school, I could barely recall the topic of papers I’d written let alone be able to regurgitate the information on demand.
He tapped the side of his head. “Eidetic memory. I remember everything.”
I wasn’t able to hide my shock. I’d heard of people with unbelievable abilities when it comes to memories, yet I never thought I’d meet one. With such a skill, I wondered if that played into his role of prophecy keeper. However, fortune telling didn’t seem like it would be too likely to fall into such a category. One day, I’d have to remember to ask him about it.
“What did the page say? Did it give any clues about who she was with?”
He scratched his chin and adjusted his jacket. “It was like the other pages. It had a list of souls collected.” Mateo went silent for a moment, pondering something intently. I knew that because his head tilted to the side; it was a move I was becoming quite familiar with. “Hold on. There was something different. There was one individual that wasn’t in Haiti. It was a different location altogether. The woman was in Louisiana… I believe it was St. Martinville. Ronda Beamis was her name. Yes, that’s right. That was it.”
A tiny glimmer of hope lit within my chest. Could Ronda Beamis be the clue I’d been searching for that whole time? If I could find her, maybe I could find out what had happened to Brigitte. It was something I wanted to think on for a day before I took any further steps.
Arlen and Rhys would probably have laughed at me. Before Drake, I hadn’t exactly been known for caution or patience and had wanted to run into situations without proper evaluation. It even surprised me that the idea had stuck.
“You’re sure?”
“Positive.”
“Do you think whoever took the page is involved?”
It seemed obvious to me, but maybe that was just me. Maybe the Baron had taken it to aid in his search, though I doubted he was capable of feeling for anyone enough to invest time and energy in searching for them.
“This old man thinks many things. I think it’s entirely likely that the person who took the page is exactly the one that took the Mistress. Maya, you must understand that I don’t leave this place.” He looked around at the rows of books I assumed had been his only companions for likely well longer than the average man’s life. What a lonely existence. “Aside from you and His Majesty, Baron Samedi La Croix, no one comes in here. I never saw him so much as make a sideways glance at that book. I don’t see how anyone could’ve slipped by me to take it.” The aged librarian gestured to the book cradled in my lap, guilt and regrets etched in the deep lines around his eyes.
“This isn’t your fault. You can’t take Brigitte’s disappearance on yourself. Whoever took the page knew what they were looking for. They knew how to get around this place and you without being detected.”
“Still, it is my job to be the keeper of the books and prophecies. I am responsible for them and anything that happens to them.”
Mateo was a man who clearly took his role very seriously and I had hoped that the vandalism didn’t make him question his abilities or dedication to his position.
“Maybe if you help me find Brigitte and the missing page, it’ll ease a bit of that guilt you’re drowning in. What do you say? Will you help me?” I gave the man a small encouraging smile, hoping to charm the pants off him. Not literally though. That’d be weird, and kind of gross.
He wasn’t saying anything as his head once again tipped to the side. Mateo was really starting to remind me of a Beagle. His eyes were large and brown, soft and inquisitive, and when he tilted his head it could almost perfectly match a confused pup.
“Please?” My voice was almost sickly sweet as I asked. “You’d be helping me out big time!”
He huffed out an amused breath and relented. “Alright.”
“Great!” I clapped my hands together and tried to think of our next move. It was nice to no longer feel like I was completely alone. “Now, we just need to find a way out of here…” I was so deep in my thoughts that I didn’t notice that Mateo was trying to talk to me. After a few seconds, I caught on. “I’m sorry. I was thinking. What did you say?”
He blinked a few times, not saying anything before he continued. “Where do you plan on going and how do you plan on getting there?”
It was my turn to look dumbfounded. “Erm, I sort of thought you might have some insight on that. Maybe you know of some books that might help us…erm, open a portal?”
Mateo’s face was a mix of disbelief and what the fuck before he could manage to compose himself again. “I will see what I can find, but I make no promises. Opening a portal isn’t child’s play and if something were to go wrong, we could end up stuck in the between.”
I wasn’t completely clear on what the between was, however, it didn’t sound good in the least. Pondering it wouldn’t do me any good. My mind would just run wild and imagine the most horrifying possibilities, so I pushed it away for later consideration.
“Thank you, Mateo. I really appreciate your help and discretion.” I reached out and placed my hand on his. He clutched the book tightly to his chest and
gave it a little squeeze.
He peeked up at me. His eyes glistened with knowledge and experiences I could only fathom. We’d each made a dear friend that day. Hopefully, the sage old man would find information that wouldn’t get either of us killed.
There were so many things that I needed to ask him, yet something made me want to hold back. I was sure there were plenty of spies and I wouldn’t have been surprised if the walls listened in on every conversation either. Everything would be reported to the Baron.
I coughed, breaking the exchange that was beginning to border on awkward, and dropped my hand from his. “I’ll meet you here early tomorrow. Then, I don’t know, we can figure it all out and go from there.”
The prophecy keeper bowed before me. “As you wish, Ms. Maya.”
With that, we parted ways. He likely began his extensive search of his archives to find out how to open a portal and I left to explore a little more.
Without normal day and night cycles like I was used to, I couldn’t gauge the time, but I figured it was likely near lunch. My belly protested loudly, agreeing with the notion. So, I set out in search of the kitchen. I hadn’t cooked anything in what seemed like ages. There wasn’t a hope that I could hold a candle to Angie’s abilities in a kitchen, though I could hold my own. It was also the deciding factor for me. I wouldn’t ever be able to stay there in the palace permanently. Having staff to wait on me hand and foot was stifling. It felt more like a gilded cage than any kind of luxury.
My hunger was getting the better of me. I would’ve killed for a ridiculously large café au lait, my favorite. The last time I’d had one was when I’d first met Rhys, before my life had gone to shit, the memory bittersweet as I reflected on it. What did they do with my apartment that I’d begrudgingly abandoned? Were there missing person posters plastered throughout the city? I doubted it. There was no one left to care about where I was. Angie was a wreck. Rhys knew where I was. My parents were dead and my boss had been outraged when I’d abandoned my new job after a single day.
A Soul's Surrender (The Voodoo Revival Series Book 2) Page 7
