“So, then assist me by opening a portal,” I said through tightly clenched teeth.
Legba’s patience seemed to be wearing nearly as thin as my good hearted nature. “I can’t do that. I vowed to the Baron Samedi that I would keep an eye on you and that I wouldn’t let you leave.”
“Why is it so damn imperative that I be here? That I stay here?” I thundered back.
My patience had long since run out and I was done being the good girl and doing what I was told. There wasn’t a second that I could understand why I was there. I knew it wasn’t because the Baron actually loved me and wanted to marry me. I was a means to an end, one that I didn’t have any interest in taking part in, whatever his grand scheme was.
Legba’s eye twitched as I ranted about my purpose or lack thereof. I sounded much like a petulant child, but fuck if I could bring myself to care. There were tiny cracks forming in the façade Legba was wearing like armor. Although it was his eyes that were betraying his outward calm.
“This is your home now. Your duty.”
“I didn’t ask for any of this!” I shot back at the stony faced man.
He inched closer to me and leaned in, stopping with only an inch or two between our noses. I could feel his warm breath fan over my face, “That’s where you are wrong. You see, you did ask for this. Did I not warn you that the Baron would come with a price much higher than you were willing to pay? Did I not tell you that you needed to consider every possible option before agreeing? But no, you jumped in blindly and now have the audacity to bitch and complain about the consequences.”
“You’re damn right I do! I didn’t have a choice. I couldn’t let Rhys die, not without doing everything I could to spare him the fate he had waiting for him. Don’t even get me started on the fact that he made damn sure that I was trapped and couldn’t say no. So fuck you and your mightier than thou high horse!”
The anger within me kept growing, burning brighter the longer I spouted off. If he thought this was justice for not heeding his advice, then fuck him. I didn’t need him. That was what my emotionally driven heart said anyways. If I would’ve given myself long enough to calm down and think through what I was saying, I would’ve realized that I did need him. He held a great deal of information that I needed.
Legba straightened and his eyes narrowed. Stiffly, he tipped his hat to me and turned on his heels. He marched out the door before either of us said another word to the other. Ever the gentleman…seedy and vulgar gentleman, but still one all the same. The door clicked shut and I could hear his footfalls as he made his way away from there, away from me.
I was still fuming. Some fucking nerve he had acting like I brought the whole shit show down on myself. By some kind of accident of birth or prophecy, or whatever he wanted to call it, I had no say in the matter. While I admitted that my powers were a great help to me, I had lived my whole life without the knowledge of them. A good life, full of the things that really mattered. It wasn’t until the Bacalou and Drake came along that things went to shit.
The magic pooled under my skin waiting for release. I had more control now than I did before facing Drake, but with my powers being so closely tied to my emotions, they could be volatile at times. I screamed, letting out all my frustrations. With my red hot rage went my magic causing two table lamps to explode. Shards of glass and bits of porcelain rained down around the room, stopping any further outbursts from me. I hadn’t expected it to happen at all and the suddenness of it took all the fury right out of me.
My knees gave out underneath me and I crumpled onto the couch. I didn’t deserve what was happening to me, did I? The unfairness of it all was mind-boggling.
My thoughts began to drift, considering all the things that were changing and everything that lay on the line. Rhys. A war. My future, hell…even me. I had noticed small changes happening since I’d arrived, things that were such an integral part of me. Was it this place? Was it the magic? Or was it something else entirely?
My gut said it was something I needed to figure out fast. I hadn’t wanted to admit it before, but my magic was changing, too. It was growing daily, humming under my skin and making me feel unstoppable. I no longer had to give it much thought to conjure the raw power to the surface.
Looking down at my hand, I made a cup shape. Within seconds, the dark magic was pooling in the indentation of my palm like polluted water. When I had first summoned the Baron Samedi during my stay with Mama Yansa, my magic was pure, new, and a bright white mass. It had always been more liquid than solid. Sometimes it would become hot like a long, burning light. However, it wasn’t like that anymore. As it pooled in my cupped palms, it was no longer the innocent white color it had been. It had become grey and cloudy, much more smoke-like, and colder. It sat there innocently enough as it waited for direction, but if pushed, would create untold devastation. The demolished lamps were evidence of that.
At first, I had thought it was a bit duller and not quite as luminous as I had remembered, and I didn’t pay it much attention. Over the days of my captivity, it had grown darker and became a bit more tainted each time I conjured it. Drake’s black magic came to mind, but I quickly pushed it away. I couldn’t end up like him. It wasn’t possible. Drake was a demented and evil person without a single redeeming quality. I was different. I cared about people and wanted to do what was best for everyone. I was sure of it.
If it was true though, why was that happening to me? Why was my personality changing like it was?
Zelda’s mouthless face was instantly conjured in my mind. The move had been out of character for me and I knew it. Though, at the time it had seemed like a wonderful and just thing to do. The situation was something I would have to talk to Mateo about tomorrow. The changes worried me despite the tiny Baron-like devil on my shoulder shouting that it was a good thing and to embrace my dark side. I was starting to feel like Anakin Skywalker.
Setting my own personal issues aside, there was still the matter of Brigitte to settle. She was out there somewhere, likely nearby if the Baron was to blame. I had to find her; our time was running out. St. Martinville’s Ronda Beamis could hold the answers we were seeking.
Shit. Perhaps I’d shot my mouth off too soon. Legba had been digging into Brigitte’s disappearance. Unfortunately, he could’ve been useful in opening a portal. Maybe he’d dug up something useful? I’d have to bring myself to apologize to him, but not that night. Definitely not right after he’d been such an insensitive son of a bitch. However, I was meeting Mateo in the morning and hopefully setting off for St. Martinville to find Brigitte. I wasn’t sure that would be possible without his help. Could I just roll with whatever felt right and somehow make it through the opening of a portal?
As much as I hated to admit it, Rhys was going to have to wait. I hoped with everything I had that he could hold on until I had everything sorted. If only I could check in on him and make sure he was okay. That was when it hit me. After everything I’d been through, it was so easy to forget the freedom of my powers.
I settled in to the deep cushions of the sofa and relaxed as much as I could. My body thrummed as the powers bestowed upon me coursed through my veins. Something about the land made everything easier. Within seconds, my body began to feel light, and I pulled my consciousness from my physical form.
It was the first time I had felt that free since my arrival in the spirit plane. I needed to hurry and find my way to Rhys.
I focused on him with everything I had in me. We had a connection and I would bet my life that I could use it to find my way to him no matter where we were. He was forever tethered to my heart. After a few moments, I could feel him, but just barely. Rhys was so far away and clinging to life by the skin of his teeth. I had to stamp down the emotions that threatened to overwhelm me at the realization that he was in really bad shape. There wasn’t time for it; I had to move quickly.
My astral body flew over the barren plains that surrounded the palace which had become my home. I wished that I could actually
fly, that I wouldn’t have to return to this place once I’d made sure Rhys was alright, but life so far had proved to not be so kind. A bright center loomed ahead of me. The edges were difficult to make out clearly for the dense mists that shrouded it. I hoped that it was exactly what I was looking for. The swirling mass emanated power and made me want to venture closer. I was like a moth to a flame and couldn’t resist the pull. That had to be the portal; I didn’t know of anything else that could pull together such a concentration of energy. However, portals had to be opened. They didn’t just exist. I was alone. I could feel it. So, what was it?
A tiny glimmer of a memory was nagging for attention. There was something in my teachings about another entry point between the worlds.
The Gates of Guinee.
My breath caught at the realization of what I was staring at. I had found one of the fabled seven gates between worlds. Coming to a stop several feet before passing through it, I examined it closely.
There were markings on it that I’d never seen before. Crisscrossing lines and tiny stars sat between what looked like a rough hourglass. One each side of the hourglass, facing opposite directions, were snakes. Something about the snakes was familiar, but I couldn’t place them no matter how hard I tried.
The gates sat before me, just waiting for me to pass through them, however I didn’t know what would happen if I did. There was no telling which gate I was looking at or where it would come out. I could come out in the middle of the swamp, one of the many necropolises, or smack dab in the middle of Canal Street. At least that’s what legend indicated. There was only one way to find out.
Rhys, hold on.
Fear of the unknown that lay in front of me was threatening to wrap its icy fingers around the miniscule amount of bravery that I still had. None of it was a good idea. I should’ve turned around and gone back to the castle, back to my body, but I didn’t. I couldn’t. Other matters required my attention, yet I knew I wouldn’t be able to focus on them without knowing how Rhys was. One way or another, I needed to know before I could focus-try to focus-on anything else. Before I could think any more about it, I walked forward towards the light swirling about the gate’s center.
When I was little, I remembered the feeling of the warm sunshine soaking into my skin on hot summer days. The humidity was warm and wrapped around me like a comfy embrace. Light breezes would blow my hair about and left it wild and unruly. That is the closest comparison that I could make to walking through the gateway. It was all of those things…warm, bright, and a bit windy. It was completely unlike my passage through the portal. Unlike the portal, the gateway made me feel safe. It was amazing how much I could experience without my actual body present.
I was waiting for something amazing to happen, though I wasn’t sure exactly what. The experience was anticlimactic to say the least. While it was pleasant, it was fast and I could only briefly experience the space between planes.
Opening my eyes, I found myself standing smack dab in the middle of Canal Street. It was dark on the palm tree lined street, but that didn’t deter anyone from their nightly pursuits. People bustled about, crossing towards the overcrowded Bourbon Street. A streetcar rolled by lazily along its tracks. I didn’t have a way of telling what time it was, though judging by the number of people, it was still earlier on in the evening. I was so thankful for my apparent invisibility. My sudden appearance would have been too hard to explain.
It needed to be a quick trip. I still had to find my way into the swamps to reach my destination. The last time I’d taken the trip out that way, it’d been a long roundabout route aimed to shake the Bacalou that had been following us. My only frame of reference was in the opposite direction. I didn’t have a choice.
With the power of the gate behind me, I was spurred me onward. I was instantly flying over the cityscape and along the muddy river below.
The journey was so much shorter as I glided along the airstreams without the obstacles that the land and trees provided. I was even more excited that I could bypass so much, traversing the swamps altogether. It wasn’t something I would ever venture to do in the dark or alone, unless my life depended on it. Even then, I’d likely come out of the ordeal with snow white hair from the stress. The whole thing seemed like it only took mere minutes whereas before, it had been measured in hours.
I landed gingerly on the dock at the front of the cottage. It looked exactly like I remembered it. The covered porch was busy with the scrawling of enchantments drawn on its surface and bundles of bones and herbs hung to ward off the negative energies. There was a faint glow shining from the window. I couldn’t dawdle any more. He was in there. I could feel it. I mounted the steps in a single leap and was through the door in a blink.
It was by far much worse than I feared. Rhys was hardly recognizable. His eyes were a dark purple and entirely swollen shut. Blood soaked pieces of gauze made his body look closer to a patchwork quilt than the handsome man he was. Crimson stains marred the cotton sheets draped over his naked waist. I was almost too afraid to approach him. He lay in his bed looking every bit like he was already gone. I would’ve thought he was if I hadn’t been able to hear the labored grunts and gasps as he struggled to draw in air. The man that had seemed unbreakable and steadfast was shattered before me.
My throat threatened to close up as overflowing emotions ravaged my frayed nerves. I was so distracted by the man in the bed that I had failed to notice Mama sitting watch in the corner of the room. Ayida, her pet snake, was curled about her shoulders.
Moonbeam, like the good girl she was, lay beside Rhys as she kept watch over him. As if sensing my presence, her ears perked up and her feline eyes cracked open. They focused on me and widened in recognition. Moonbeam, my fur-baby, slowly rose to her feet and stretched thoroughly before hopping down from her perch and sauntering towards me. She could actually see me. Just like before everything had happened, she looked at me like I was the best thing since sliced bread.
Falling to my knees, I greeted her, and to my own surprise, I could almost feel her. Moonbeam had been my cat and familiar long before the Bacalou had come for me. There was far more to her than any mere kitty. We connected on a level that most humans could never dream of and I’d missed her just as much as I missed Angie.
“I knew ya’d be by soon enough,” a familiar voice croaked from the darkened corner, taking me by surprise.
“Can…can you actually see me?” I asked, glancing over at Rhys to make sure he was still breathing.
She chuckled deeply. “Of course I can. Ya standin’ here plain as day. Though, I imagine ya don’t have long before someone finds ya body back wherever ya left it.”
It was so easy to forget that she was no ordinary woman. I didn’t know the full story and I doubted I ever would, but I couldn’t help wondering why the Loa lived out in the swamp completely cut off from civilization and having no interaction with the other Loas. Something had driven her into her life of seclusion and forced her reluctance to interfere in the affairs of the other spirit gods.
I approached the bed, wanting to be as close to him as I could get. His hair fell across his forehead where it stuck, crusted to his skin just below the gash near his hairline. I wanted to brush it away, though I was useless without my physical body. Regardless, I brushed my hand over the scruff on his cheek.
“Will he make it?” My voice was just above a whisper.
I didn’t know if he could hear me, but I hoped so. Maybe it would be a comfort for him as much as it was for me by just being near him.
She didn’t answer my question. Not right away, anyways. “He was askin’ for ya. Boy hasn’t been quite da same since ya left.” She sounded sad as she climbed to her feet and shuffled towards me.
Her words tore at my heartstrings, yet it didn’t explain what I’d seen in my dreams of him. He’d been drinking and not doing anything. If he cared so much, he’d have done something, right? At least try to find a way for us to be together. I was a hopeless romantic and knew
my expectations were unrealistic, however, I couldn’t help hoping he’d have been as committed as I was.
“What happened to him?”
Mama eyed me speculatively. She stepped around me, and moved closer to Rhys. Mama pulled the sheets back to expose his belly and plopped herself down on the edge of the bed. Her hands hovered over his bare flesh and her eyes rolled shut like she was searching for the hidden damage buried within him.
“He had a meeting wit’ da big city witch doctor. Thought he might have some useful information. The rest of da story, I heard from Tyrique when he showed up carrying him,” she said motioning towards Rhys’s supine form.
Yansa gave a heavy sigh and stood, gesturing for me to follow her. She turned and ambled out of the room without glancing back to see if I was following.
I peeked at Rhys, who was still unconscious, and strode after the woman. Mama was moving about the kitchen and setting a kettle over the fire in the hearth.
“I’d offer you some tea, but I don’t think you’d be able to partake,” Mama said, sounding exhausted.
I gave her a small smile and waited for her to finish what she was doing.
“He was trying to come after you. Someone had heard that he was asking questions and poking around about getting an entrance to Guinee. They caught up with him on his way out of his meeting with Tyrique and stunned him before he could put up a fight. Tyrique found him and vanquished the Bacalou before they could finish him off. Whoever had conjured them disappeared before he could see who it was. When Tyrique brought him to me, he was just barely clinging to life.” The old woman was visibly upset. He was, for all intents and purposes, her son and she’d seen him broken and near death.
“I’m so sorry, Mama. I should’ve been there with him. If I was, then he never would’ve been there for that meeting and he’d be alright.” I kept my voice down in case Rhys came to, but it broke as tears threatened to overtake my outward calm. It didn’t quash the guilt that was wracking me. It was my fault. Everything that had happened so far could be put on my shoulders.
A Soul's Surrender (The Voodoo Revival Series Book 2) Page 9
