She waved me off like I was being ridiculous. Hell, she probably thought I was. “Da boy will be alright. It’ll take a while for him to heal. Da magic used was old and it prevents any magic being used to help heal him. I’ve got him knocked out for now, but he’ll not stay out for long and when he does wake…boy’s gonna be hurtin’.”
“Old magic?” I didn’t know what she could mean by that. Had it been one of the Loa that had attacked him? My stress-hazed brain immediately conjured the Baron’s image. He would do something like that. “Like one of the Loas?” I asked.
Mama pulled the kettle from the hearth and turned to the large table that stood in the center of the kitchen where she set the kettle. She pulled a tea cup towards her and poured herself some tea. “No, it was older.” She picked the kettle back up and returned it to its perch over the inferno. Mama turned towards me. “It was the original.”
Despite not having my physical body, I felt my blood turn to ice within my veins. It seemed like the entire world stopped when she said it. It couldn’t be. It wasn’t possible. Was it? What good could killing Rhys possibly do for Damballah? I shook my head. “It can’t be.”
The ramifications of what she was saying horrified me. If we had attracted so much attention to warrant the original’s scrutiny, we were in deep shit. Even Mama Yansa appeared to be afraid of what she was admitting.
“Yes, the kind of power that did this only belongs to one person. It was-”
I cut her off before she could finish, even though I was only marginally listening to her. “Damballah.”
Chapter Seven
The Great Adventure
Damballah Wedo was the oldest and most powerful of all deities. The snake-god was the beginning and end of everything. It just didn’t make sense. Damballah was supposed to be benevolent and wise, a protector, not an adversary.
I couldn’t get the big bombshell out of my head, not even as I departed from the kitchen and returned to Rhys’s room to say goodbye. Perched on his bedside, I watched the rise and fall of his chest. Hope bloomed in my chest as I realized that he’d be okay, at least for now.
I could still see how ruggedly handsome he was underneath all the grit, bruising, and swelling. Leaning down, I brushed a kiss over his split and swollen lips. I wanted to curl up next to him and soak in the last few moments I had with him. My short trip to check on this glorious man had waylaid into several hours of anxious discussion with Mama. There was no way around needing to head back across the gate.
“I’ll love you forever,” I whispered into his ear before getting to my feet and making my way towards the exit.
“Maya…” he groaned.
I stopped dead in my tracks and spun, hoping to catch a glimpse of his beautiful, brown eyes.
He was still out, but even in his unconscious state, he was thinking about me. I couldn’t help the grin that cracked my lips. The small utterance made me so damn happy even though I’d made the decision to let him go. He really was fighting to get back to me too and it was precisely that reason that had cost him so dearly.
I slipped out of the room before he stirred again. If I had to face him while he was awake I was sure I’d chicken out and be unable to leave again.
“I suspect we’ll be seein’ ya again soon, Maya girl.” Mama winked at me as the serpent about her shoulders stretched across her length.
I returned her grin with one of my own. “Yes, I imagine you will.”
I hoped I was right.
The return trip seemed like it took even less time than before. The sun’s rays were beginning to peek over the horizon as I stepped through the same swirling gateway. Before I knew it, I was slipping back into my physical body.
I wasn’t sure what it was about the trip that had put me at ease, however, I was thankful for it.
“Good jaunt?”
I couldn’t help the startled squeak that escaped me. I spun towards the voice.
Papa Legba sat lazily on my sofa, smoking a stinky, stifling cigar with a drink in his other hand.
Fuck. I was in deep shit.
“Umm…I…I can explain,” I stammered. The wheels in my head turned at the speed of light, searching for any explanation that would be better than directly disobeying his and the Baron’s wishes. “I was-”
“Seeing the boy, I already know,” he cut me off. He had an air of indifference about him.
“But…how? I mean, what are you going to do? Are you planning to tell Samedi?” The idea of the Loa of the dead’s reaction made a chill run down my spine.
“Don’t be ridiculous. One could hardly blame you for finding a way around the rules already outlined. Actually, I came to apologize for the way I spoke to you last evening. It was harsh and I’m sorry.”
I couldn’t stop my jaw dropping at his admission of wrongdoing. I hadn’t expected the man of ever humbling himself in such a way, but there was something different about him. Whatever it was, was so subtle that I couldn’t quite put my finger on it.
“Oh, erm…me too. I’m sorry for the way I acted, too.”
I was genuine in the sense that I did think I’d overreacted and been a bit dramatic, but I still felt like I meant what I’d said. None of it was fair and I hadn’t asked for any of it.
“We still have business to attend to now that you’ve returned. There’s the little matter of Brigitte’s disappearance.”
I wasn’t sure why I kept my mouth shut, but something was telling me to keep the little tidbit about Ms. Ronda Beamis and St. Martinville to myself, especially what I had learned about the possibility of Damballah trying to take out Rhys. Knowledge was power and having more of it meant having the upper hand. I couldn’t afford to let any opportunity for an advantage pass me by.
“I didn’t find anything that we didn’t already know. She was collecting in Haiti, then nothing. All souls are accounted for, but no Loa.” I shut up, staying as close to the truth as I could without giving anything more away.
“I see. I’m afraid I didn’t find information that was much more useful. Samedi was out on collections too.”
“Where was he?” I asked.
His cool façade didn’t falter once. “West Africa as far as I can tell. I haven’t found anything that would definitively link him to Brigitte’s disappearance.”
Despite his cool demeanor, my gut said there was more to what he was telling me.
“Hmm, well, that’s nowhere near the Caribbean.” My prolonged cognizance was beginning to wear me down and my thoughts were becoming foggy.
“Do you have any other plans to go gallivanting about Guinee for the rest of the day? Or the gates for that matter?” A ghost of a grin played on his lips.
I popped my bottom lip out in a faux pout and tried to act as offended as I could muster. However, my dismal attempt only made the man chuckle.
“No, I had other plans. I must admit I am offended that you would think such things of me.”
“Your history speaks for itself, my dear Maya. What are these plans you speak of? Nothing drastic, I hope.”
He was hopeful I’d say yes. I could see it in his eyes. His hope that I was becoming more like them was tangible. I loathed to admit that I was in fact succumbing to the darkened desires of the Ghede. It was the only thing I could think of that accounted for my treatment of Zelda and the lewd thoughts I had begun to have more frequently.
I feigned a small frown. “Nothing too exciting. Actually, I was just going to visit Mateo in the library. Probably best I learn as much as I possibly can, you know. I’m not much of a fan of showing up without doing my homework, so to speak.” My rambling was going to get me in trouble if I wasn’t careful.
A rich scent teased my senses. Pulling in a large waft of whatever it was clued me in. I peeked past Legba. On my tiny dining table sat a perfectly toasted croque monsieur.
Oh Georgio, I thank my lucky stars that you care!
I could barely contain my giddy squeal at the sight of what promised to be a marvelous meal. Th
e awaiting lunch brought forth loud grumblings from my empty stomach. My mind was no longer paying a lick of attention to what Legba was saying. I only caught the tail end of what he was saying.
“Do you think you can manage to keep yourself out of trouble for a while? I’d hate to have to duct tape you to a chair,” he asked with amusement shining in his eyes.
“Huh? You’re leaving?” I pushed the thoughts of food away temporarily for the sake of being able to focus on the conversation at hand.
“Yes, thank you for being so attentive.” His eyes narrowed slightly. “I have work to resume, though it shouldn’t take much of my time. I am a bit apprehensive leaving you with your track record, but I’m afraid it cannot be avoided.”
My cheeks heated under his intense scrutiny. He’d caught me red handed fantasizing about the scrumptious morsel awaiting me. I hated that I was so obvious in my inattention.
“So, if you’ll excuse me, I’ll get going about my business so I can be back promptly.”
He bowed and a had wicked smirk, turned and left me alone once again.
If I was completely honest, I was getting real damn sick of being dismissed by people and being left. It just didn’t sit right with me.
It was a chance that I didn’t think I’d have again. I needed to find out the secrets that shrouded Brigitte’s disappearance, to do that, I needed to get to St. Martinville.
Without giving it a second thought, I grabbed the sandwich off the plate and sped towards the library to find Mateo. Knowing about the Gate of Guinee gave me the boost in confidence I needed to go for it.
No one paid me any attention as I breezed through the halls. It was the most expedient to dispense with the proper niceties that I had been bound to when in the presence of the Loas.
Putting a bit of muscle into it, I shoved the hefty library door open and slipped through the door. I gave it a bit of a magical shove to close it behind me.
“Mateo? Are you here?” I called out, not immediately seeing the man I was looking for. Nothing. Not a sound to be heard other than my own breathing and footsteps. I ventured further in to the library. “Mateo?” Still, there was no answer.
Regardless, I didn’t have long before Legba would return and it would be a wasted opportunity. Hell, it might’ve been the only opportunity I get before it was too late. I didn’t waste another second before I started scanning over the spines of the older volumes that lined the many bookshelves. I was searching for something more or less specific. It had to give me the indication that it could contain some type of information that would help me to open a portal. If all else failed, I would leave on foot and try my best to get to the Gate of Guinee on my own.
The minutes ticked by and still I wasn’t finding anything that would help me. Shit! The ancient hinges of the door squeaked loudly and I froze. I held my breath.
The door slammed shut and light shuffling footsteps made their way towards the hearth. I tried to look between the books and the shelves, but I couldn’t get a clear view with so many bookcases in the way. I stepped towards the end of my row, hoping to peer around the edge. However, once my full weight came down on the old wooden floorboards, they protested loudly against my weight.
“Who’s there?” Mateo’s familiar voice echoed in the room and put me a bit more at ease.
Relieved, I stepped out from my hiding spot.
“It’s just me.” My voice was a bit hesitant as I realized just how bad the situation looked. I was snooping and had been hiding and we both knew it.
“Oh! Maya! It’s just you. Not that I am displeased to see you, but I was a wee bit startled to not be alone,” he stammered on, hand on his chest as though he could prevent his heart from making a grand escape.
I made my way towards the man slowly and hoped he wouldn’t call me out on my already awkward invasion of his domain.
“I’m sorry. I was just coming to visit you and see if you’d found anything on what we discussed yesterday. Ummm…have you, erm…found anything?”
The old man’s eyes twinkled. “I suppose the better question would be, have you found anything? I take it you were doing a bit of research yourself while you were hiding out in the stacks?” His tone was teasing as he made light of the predicament I had found myself in.
Damn it! He had called me out and there was no stopping the deep crimson blush that radiated from my cheeks. I wanted to make myself tiny and hide, though I knew it would do no good.
“Yeah, well, sort of. I was looking, but I’m not really sure what I’m looking for.”
“In fear of being the bearer of bad news, I doubt you’ll find any. I did a fair bit of research after you left yesterday and haven’t been able to come up with anything of use to you. I believe they either removed it from the texts or they intentionally omitted it when those manuscripts were written. My theory is they didn’t want that type of information to fall into the wrong hands if things ever went south.”
My stomach dropped at the realization that I had run out of options. If I couldn’t open a portal directly, I’d have to use the gates.
“However, even if you did somehow manage to open a portal, it’s entirely possible that you’d die in the process. I haven’t found a single instance of an unaccompanied individual crossing successfully. Not to say that you’re like the others that have tried, I’m just saying it’s a possibility.” His disappointment was almost as tangible as mine.
I knew the man would never breathe a word of what I was about to tell him to a living soul, or a dead one for that matter. We had to move, though.
“We won’t need the portals. I’ve found another way. First, though, we need to move…get out of the palace. Then I can tell you exactly what I found and we can be on our way to St. Martinville.” His eyebrows furrowed like he wasn’t necessarily okay with just going along with what I was saying, but I stopped all questions before he could ask them. “Mateo, I need you to trust me like a lot and not ask questions right now. I will tell you everything when the time is right.”
I hoped like hell I knew what I was doing and that I would be able to find the gateway again. Knowing that it would be a thousand times harder in my physical body wasn’t helping to ease my shredded nerves.
He nodded, hesitantly at first before becoming a bit more resolved in his choice to trust me and my impromptu plans.
I moved past him and headed to the door. I opened it just enough to stick my head outside of the door and see if anyone was around. The coast was clear so I left the door slightly ajar and turned to Mateo.
“We need the fastest and most concealed way out of the castle.”
Not saying a word, he pulled the door open and took the lead. I followed close behind him, hoping we didn’t get caught. Instead of going the same way I’d come to the library, we went in the opposite direction away from all the people and the majority of occupied rooms.
The route we were taking was darker and less winding than any I’d taken so far. We turned the corner and I followed my guide’s descent into a darkened stairwell.
The damp musty smell was getting thicker. My meager eyesight did nothing to penetrate the darkness more than three feet in from of me. I could only see Mateo’s faint outline and refused to give our progress away by using my magic as a lantern. Mateo didn’t light his way either.
The staircase was long and the air became damp and chillier the further we went. The last step I took brought me into a head on collision with Mateo’s bony back.
“Ooomf!” he grunted.
“Shit. Sorry! I can’t even see my hand if I wave it right in front of my face,” I whispered loudly.
His sole reply was, “Shhh.”
The clinking of metal against metal as gears turned and jiggled was all that could be heard in the small space at the end of the stairwell. A door before us swung open and we were immediately met with a near blinding light that was a stark contrast to the darkness that had engulfed us. Mateo’s hand on my lower back led me outside while my eyes slowly
acclimated to the abrupt change. I heard the door shut behind me about the same time I could fully open my eyes.
The skies were grey and the area was foggy, making it difficult to see more than fifteen feet in front of us. I needed to find out which way to travel to reach the gate as fast as I could manage. Focusing as deeply as I could, I drowned out Mateo’s questions and pulled my powers to the surface, hoping they’d feel the pull of the intense magic that was concentrated in the swirling mass of the gate.
I knew that we couldn’t see the foggy landscape from inside the palace, it was part of the magic that made that place. So, being seen wasn’t as big of an issue, but that didn’t mean we could delay. I was right. The gate pulled at me, beckoning my magic to it. Even upon opening my eyes, I could feel its pull. I let it guide us. We slipped into the mist at a brisk pace. I kept thinking about Mateo’s questions.
“Do you mind telling me where we’re going or are you going to keep that little snippet of information to yourself?” he snarked, trotting stiffly beside me.
My concentration was on following the magic until we came to the gate, but I still found myself able to answer the questions. “I found another way for us to get to St. Martinville. We won’t need a portal, but we need to hurry up. Legba left on business. This will be my only chance to get out of here and find out what happened to Brigitte.”
I glanced at the elderly gentleman. He’d gone slack jawed as I had continued on with my explanation. I stopped and turned to him. He looked like he needed a moment to process everything. His expression worried me a bit, much like he was about to have a stroke while the pieces of the puzzle clicked together for him.
“Are…goodness me…are you telling me that you’ve found it?” he croaked, sounding very much like he’d swallowed a bag full of cotton.
I briefly considered the idea that he might in fact be referring to the gateway, but there was no way of knowing definitively what it he was talking about.
A Soul's Surrender (The Voodoo Revival Series Book 2) Page 10
