Unlike before the wedding, the magic left me without much effort and there seemed to be an endless supply of it. The blood-drawn veve shimmered with energy like it wanted to open just as much as I wanted it to. Something was holding it back, but I couldn’t pinpoint its source.
“What am I missing?” I whispered to myself. I was sure that brute strength wouldn’t overpower the veil and I had to somehow pick the lock without knowing how.
There was one face in the entire universe that I wanted to see more than my body needed air. His handsome dark eyes with the sparkle of happiness, held my thoughts hostage at a most inopportune time. I needed to think about the task at hand, but I just couldn’t. It’d been far too long. I longed for the feel of his rough hands on my soft skin. Casting a sideways glance at my company, my cheeks heated at the wayward and the inappropriateness of it all.
There I was, thinking about one man, my man, while standing next to the woman whose husband is my husband. How did my life become such a fucked up mess? In a way, the two of us were much more similar in our situations than we knew. Both of us wanted men who were lost to us by circumstances and we couldn’t do much to change things, yet there was one thing I could do. If I could get through the veil to Mama Yansa and Rhys, we’d have a chance at righting some of the wrongs that were being made. Marie had said that I needed to find Mama; she had answers to the questions I needed answered. She’d undoubtedly know exactly what to do.
Pushing my magic back in to the intricate veve, I thought of the partition splitting so I could step through. Mama’s clearing behind her tiny cottage was vivid in my head. Rhys was so at home there, relaxed and at ease away from the chaos of the world. My chest hurt with sadness as I thought of them and my desire to go home to them just one more time. I didn’t know what the future held. There was still the contract that bound me to the Baron that had to be dealt with. I knew he’d eventually come for me. There’d be no stopping him. I hated to think of what the world would become under his rule and depravity.
The symbol began to shimmer more brightly and the space around it almost appeared to ripple. I pushed a tiny bit harder, feeling the flood of heat from my powers leaving me.
“I…I don’t understand. What are you?”
I didn’t have time to answer her before a deafening crack shook the landscape. The air glimmered in front of me and a tiny fissure opened, the rumbling still echoed around me.
What had I done? I’d been taken through portals by Samedi a few times and I’d never once heard a sound like that. I’d done something different, yet I wasn’t sure what. Slowly, the gleam of the divide lessened and became rather transparent. I couldn’t see anything specific on the other side, but I knew what was waiting there for me and that was enough.
I made to step forward and push on through the amateur portal. First one step, then another. Just as I was about to pass through, Brigitte’s hand grasped mine and stopped me.
“You don’t know what you’re doing. I don’t know what you are, but you can’t do this alone. Samedi must be stopped. You have to promise me that no matter what awaits you on the other side, that must be your priority.” Her eyes were pleading with me and I could see how genuinely conflicted she was. The rumbling subsided, leaving only an eerie silence. I searched the foggy landscape for anything more than the large crevice that had opened in the divide.
“Why is any of this my problem? Why should I have to rush in and fix everything? Save the day, hmm?”
She had this look on her face that said my comment was the most absurd thing she’d ever heard. Like the reason should be obvious, but to me…it wasn’t. Not at all.
“Because, Maya Thibodeau, you are different. Special. And there is something within you that he doesn’t have, something so strong that you could be unstoppable. If you refuse, you not only turn your back on your destiny, but you condemn us all. I don’t believe that you could live with that.”
So, it would seem the woman knew more than she had let on. She was right and I was too stubborn to admit it. I would never be able to live with myself if something happened and I was in a position to stop it. I’d sacrificed everything to save Rhys and the rest of humanity when I had thought Drake was a threat. Samedi was an even bigger one and I couldn’t turn my back on that.
“You’d be surprised. I’ve learned to live with a lot of things. But how is one girl alone supposed to carry the weight of the world?”
She stepped forward and cupped my face in her soft palms. I could feel their warmth and an entirely different sort of magic that energized her. “You’re not alone and it does not make you weak to ask for help.” Brigitte’s eyes were soft and reassuring and slowly a peace settled over me.
Her hands dropped away from me and I didn’t know what to say, so I said nothing and just stepped back towards the opening.
“He will be here soon. Go, I’ll follow.”
I didn’t know if I could bring myself to fully accept the responsibilities that she had laid on me. It was a lot, overwhelming. Yansa would know what to do. Between her, Rhys, and myself, I was sure we could figure something out. Yansa always had a plan. It was a trait she’d passed along to her adoptive son. If I’d learned anything from my entire change in circumstances, it was that I couldn’t afford to second guess myself. My gut said to go, find Rhys and Yansa, and figure out a way not to die and let everyone go down with me. It was time to let fate take its course and hope for the best.
Stepping forward toward the widening portal, I decided then and there who I was and accepted all of the demands and responsibilities that came with it. A great woman had once told me that with great power came great responsibility. One rarely bears the brunt of such responsibility without a great deal of suffering in the process.
I watched the blood mix and intermingle with the black smoky swirls that had become my magic. It pained me to see its inky blackness, knowing that it was slowly spreading through me like a cancer, infected every crevice of my being. I blamed the rage and need for revenge I felt towards Samedi on the infection. It was another secret to add to the many things I wouldn’t ever burden Rhys with, not when he had so many bigger things troubling him.
“Go before it’s too late,” Brigitte urged me on.
Fear and excitement warred with each other for domination. A firm hand shoving at my back brought me within inches of the parting. I squeezed my eyes shut, remembering those lost already. Mateo deserved to get justice for his murder, as did the tiny handmaiden, Della. I could feel something coming behind me. It was still a ways away, but I was sure Brigitte was right. He was coming. Not waiting another second, I pushed forward and let the heat of the portal swallow me up whole. I didn’t look back once.
Chapter Fourteen
Long Time No See
Despite the warmth it gave off, the surface of the portal was practically frigid. Its face almost felt wet and it clung to me. I didn’t look back and I pictured Rhys’s handsome face as I kept moving. I didn’t dare stop. The between was a dangerous place that one should never tarry in, unless they wanted to remain there for the rest of eternity. I didn’t have time for that.
The portal pulled at me, trying to hold me captive within it. Lights and shadows swirled as I felt the other side beckoning me back. I pulled my power to me and pressed it forward.
The barrier was firm, not giving way as I tried to power through it. Time was running out and soon the portal would close with me in it if I didn’t do something and do it fast. I felt along the boundary, searching for a weak spot. I needed something there. Then I found it. Part of the blockade was stretched thin and if I used my magic to concentrate the raw energy on that spot, I could punch through.
The blackness oozed from my hands and into the fabric of the opening. I kept Rhys at the forefront of my thoughts, afraid that I’d become hopelessly lost if I ever let him slip away. The darkness spread, eating away at the stitching that held the veil together. It was like acid as it ate its way to freedom.
Pu
shing my nausea down, I set myself to work. I could get sick later, when I was on safer grounds.
I threw open the floodgates of power. Desperation grew as I fought for my freedom from the land between.
Another loud crack shook the space around me, which was much more terrifying when I was standing inside the shattering portal. My fingers and hands were so cold that they had lost all fine motor function, and resisted my attempts at a wiggle. My breath came out in tiny fog clouds and my muscles bunched and relaxed involuntarily as I tried not to shiver.
“Come on! Open you damn thing!” I screamed at the wall that was standing between me and freedom.
Smaller shudders began to shake me. Just as suddenly as they had begun, the veil gave way and sent me sprawling.
I landed on soft ground with a hard thud that rattled my ribs and jarred my brain. I had a face full of grass and damp earth. The smell of lush vegetation filled my nostrils. Flopping onto my back, I stared up for a second. There was a canopy of trees overhead around the edges of my vision and the clouds were thick and slightly grey. The air was warm and dewy, though not hot like summer should be.
The portal had sucked me in and spat me right back out the other side. The veil between worlds still glimmered in front of me, yet there was no sign of Brigitte. A large crack left the opening gaping wide. I wasn’t sure how to fix it, but I was so glad to see that I had managed to cross without injury that I didn’t care all that much. I’d done it. I’d managed to open it on my own…well, more like tear. The point was that it was open. Flecks of black and grey shown through the rippled surface of the portal. I stood there for a second, waiting for my accomplice to join me, but nothing was coming through. Brigitte had waited for me to pass through, guarding my back. The thought had crossed my mind that the Baron hadn’t been as far away as she’d let on. Had he caught up with her? Did she need me?
With everything I’d been through and seen, there was nothing for me in the land of the dead. The Baron would surely kill me for what I’d been witness to, and now, I knew there was so much more going on than I’d ever imagined. I just hoped and prayed that Rhys was still hanging on, waiting for me.
Sitting upright, I glanced around at my surroundings. Elation welled up within me when I realized that I recognized the clearing and the rear of the wooden home that was at my back. Bird calls filled my ears along with the buzz of insects.
It was late afternoon. The sun was making its descent toward the horizon and it would soon be dark. The Louisiana humidity clung to me like an intimate embrace. I wondered if my thoughts of my lover had steered me to that place. My worry for Brigitte’s wellbeing warred with my desire to lay eyes on Rhys for the first time since I’d been whisked away to the land of the dead. At least, the first time in person. I didn’t even know if he’d ever come out of his unconscious state.
Unable to contain my need to see him, I decided Brigitte was a Loa and was likely quite capable of taking care of herself. She was probably on her way. I glanced at the still rippling portal then back at the house.
He was in there. He had to be. I whispered a quick prayer to Damballah that I had made it in time and could help Rhys.
My feet were swift as they carried me around the side of the house and up the front steps. I didn’t bother to knock before I pushed the door open and stepped inside. It was dark and quiet except for something that was simmering away in the hearth. From the smell of it, Mama was cooking something spicy and no doubt delicious. I’d pit the old woman’s soul food against Georgio’s any day.
“Hello?” I called out.
Nothing.
There were no signs of life within the small cottage. I moved into the hallway. I wasn’t sure I was ready to see Rhys. Hell, I didn’t think I was strong enough to hold it together.
I pushed the door to his childhood bedroom open, expecting to see his limp, injured form tucked beneath the covers. However, there was nothing here. The bed was empty. I was terrified I had been too late to help him.
“Hello?” I called out, anguish filling my voice. I searched the room and the rest of the house, but it was vacant. “No, no, no, no!” I cried as I ran back into his room and crumpled by his bedside.
The tears streamed freely down my cheeks as I sobbed uncontrollably. He was gone and I hadn’t been there. I hadn’t been there to save him or to tell him I loved him one last time.
My head dropped against his mattress that still smelled of him. The wooden floorboards behind me creaked loudly.
Rhys stood in the doorway, leaning heavily against it. His face was still covered in mottled bruises and one eye was swollen shut, but he was there. I couldn’t believe it. He was really there. Or was I hallucinating?
I scrambled to my unsteady feet and faced the man that had haunted my dreams since our abrupt separation. His eyes were dark beneath his short cropped hair. He didn’t say a word or move towards me.
I took a tentative step towards him and his eyes came up to meet mine. Without thinking, I closed the distance between us and threw myself in to his solid form, wrapping my arms around him.
He was real. I could feel the cuts and ridges of his muscles under his shirt. He hissed through his teeth and I immediately released him, backing up a few feet.
“Oh my god! I’m so sorry! Are you okay?”
I checked him over. His shoulder looked thick and I noticed the ridges of bandaging beneath his grey shirt. The thigh of his jeans was dampened and dark with his blood.
“What are you doing here?” His voice was rough and dry.
I grabbed the glass of water from his bedside table and handed it to him.
“You should let me take a look at that leg. It looks pretty bad and its bleeding.”
I lay my hand on his arm and tried to guide him to his bed. We had taken only a single step before he shrugged me off and stepped out of my reach.
“I asked you a question. What are you doing here, Maya?”
I couldn’t believe the anger that filled his voice. Wasn’t he happy to see me? Wasn’t he glad I came? The answer appeared to be a big fat no. I wasn’t sure what to say.
“You were hurt. I came to see you… to make sure you were okay and not dead.”
I felt broken inside. This was not the warm, heartfelt reunion I had pictured for us. He was cold and distant. His face had a stubborn set to it. I needed to leave. I couldn’t stand there and let him see me crumble at his rejection. Don’t cry. It was futile. I could feel the moisture gathering in my eyes.
“Well, I’m fine. You should run along back to where you belong.”
It felt like I’d been slapped. I hadn’t expected any of this. Not from Rhys. What about everything we had? Everything we had shared? Had it all meant nothing to him? Had he moved on?
“Fine. You clearly don’t want me here.”
I set the glass back down and turned back towards him. I glared at him one last time, letting all the anger and disappointment shine through my eyes. His dark eyes stayed on the floor as he waited for me to leave.
I stepped towards the door and made to move past him. I wasn’t sure where I’d go, but I knew it would be far from this place. Maybe I’d go back to New Orleans and start my life over. I stepped around Rhys and started past him through the door when his arm shot out to the other side of the jamb, blocking my path further.
“Why are you here, really?”
His heated eyes searched my face for the truth. It was a truth I wasn’t sure I could give him. Not now. Not after his rejection. I knew I couldn’t take it again if I made myself more vulnerable and he didn’t reciprocate. But my damn traitorous mouth had different ideas.
“I missed you. I needed to know that you were okay. I had to see it for myself and I…I couldn’t stay away.”
“Why aren’t you with the Baron Samedi? Does he know that you’re here? With me?”
The air between us crackled with growing tension. The heat in his expression was building.
“No, but I’m sure he will soon
and then he’ll come for me.”
My eyes dipped to his lips and back to his eyes. They were hungry and almost animalistic. He had the upper hand despite his injuries.
“Then you’ll go back…with him.” He sounded strange, tired. His arm dropped from in front of me and he stepped to the side to allow me to pass.
I took a step forward through the door and I was unsure of what to do. He needed to know that I’d never choose that monster over him.
“I’ll never go back to him again.”
I turned to leave and I’d made it two steps before his firm hand latched on to my arm, ceasing any further progression.
“Maya, stop.” His voice was strangled and he turned me around to face him. The expression on his face was unreadable. I hated not knowing where I stood with him. It was tearing me up. “Do you mean it?”
He limped forward, closing the short distance between us and pushing me back against the wall.
How could he not know that I meant it? Had I not shown him how much I loved him?
“Every word.”
His hand came up and brushed a piece of hair from my face and his thumb brushed along my jaw. He seemed tortured as he touched me and I didn’t think either of us could stand it if he stopped.
“I can’t do it again. I can’t watch you walk away. I’m not strong enough. So when you tell me you’re not going back I need you to mean it because I won’t let go again.”
Every word was so full of emotion I was afraid I would tear up. He leaned forward and rested his forehead against mine, pinning me against the wooden boards of the wall. Rhys’s strong frame pressed against me. His touch felt like home. His lips were so close that I could almost taste them. “Please, baby?”
I closed the distance between us and pressed my lips to his. My tongue caressed his as I urged him on. He responded instantly, tipping my face towards his for better access.
“Never again, I promise,” I said in between heated kisses.
A Soul's Surrender (The Voodoo Revival Series Book 2) Page 22
