Voodoo Knights

by Amanda Rose

  “I guess I'm just gonna have to give up on winning anything.” I say with an exaggerated sigh.

  “One more game. I really want to win you something.” Zan drags me over to the booth that has about 100 rubber alligators floating in a tub of water. The numbers 1-20 are written on the bottom five of each number. The player picks four alligators at random and sees how many matching numbers they can get. The more matches the bigger the prize. Not only are the odds stacked against us the carnie running the game looks like a con man too me.

  “This is impossible, Zan.” I say.

  “Not for me,” he says before paying the guy and picking four gators at random. He winks at me. The carnie flips the four gators over and identical number fours are written on the bottom. The guy doesn't look very happy about it. The odds are so stacked in his favor I doubt he's ever had to give away the big prize before.

  While we are waiting for the carnie to get down the massive stuffed toy Zan comes up behind me and slides his hands around my waist pulling me tight against his muscular body. It feels really freaking good to be wrapped in his arms. The hug is chaste but so intimate and familiar it almost doesn't feel that way. When the carnie hands us our prize I'm kinda sad for it to end. Everywhere Zan's heated flesh touched me now feels cold. I shiver. Zan thinking I'm cold pulls off his sweater and slips it over my shoulders.

  “There you go skater girl.” Holy shit, Zandor Red is too perfect to be real. He grabs the stuffed voodoo doll and tucks it under his arm. “This is taller than you are. If you carry it'll drag on the ground and get dirty. So, I'll just hang onto it for you.”

  “No complaint here. If you want a break just let me know and I'll take a turn.”

  “Let’s, get our fortunes read, go through the haunted house, get one of those voodoo doll shaped donuts with the jelly in the middle and then go back to your place.”

  “Sounds great except I vote donuts first.”

  “Done.”

  The fortune teller Zan chooses is probably the biggest fraud at the whole event. If she is psychic, then I'm the president of the united states. She is a middle-aged woman with too much makeup and the same coffee and cream complexion that I have. Her hair is up in a traditional tignon head wrap, but the rest of her outfit looks like the cheesy costume every fortune teller wears in every movie ever.

  “Why her?” I whisper to Zan.

  “Cause she looks like she can put on good show. This is all for fun, cutie. Remember I'm the loa of prophecy. If anyone should tell your future for real, it should be me.” He whispers back with a small chuckle.

  “Sit and Madam Zozo the Bone Seer will read your fortunes.” She offers me a purple silk bag filled with an assortment of animal bones and asks me to blow on it then dump the contents onto the table. I roll my eyes but do it. Madam Zozo makes a big show of letting her hands covered in rings hover over the bones while she reads my future. Zan glances down I see his eyes flick over the bones.

  “I see great romance in your future. A love to rival the ages. But a word of warning, you must be smart enough to recognize it for what it is and brave enough to chase after it or risk losing it.” I raise my eyebrows and look at Zan. When I meet his eyes, he covers his mouth and snorts. Madam Zozo purses her lips angrily.

  “Divination isn't a joke young man.” Madam Zozo snaps. Something about this seems to irritate Zandor. He is smiling but there is a tenseness to his back and shoulders that wasn't there before. If this were Krim or even Sam I would be scared that they might lash out at the disrespect.

  “My turn,” Zandor says scooping up the bones in his hand impossibly fast. He holds them in his palm and blows on them. They begin to lift off his palm and rise into the air like bubbles. When his golden eyes start glowing and Madam Zozo looks like she's about to have a heart attack. He drops the bones onto the black velvet of the table. They slide across the table by themselves they stop in the shape of Zandor's veve. She frantically looks between Zandor and the symbol.

  “I didn't know.” She looks on the verge of tears. He stands up tucking the stuffed voodoo doll under his left arm reaching out and taking my hand with the other. His gorgeous charming smile is back, and the moment of tenseness is gone. I must look worried because he gives me a wink.

  “Let that be a lesson to you.” Neither of us bothers to look back.

  “What was really in the bones?” I ask after about a minute. He gives me a nervous smile.

  “Two things. Which do you want first the good or the bad?”

  “Bad.” I say with a sigh. I figure getting the bad news over with is probably for the best.

  “We need to go home right now, and the others need to meet us there.”

  “Why?” I ask starting to feel a little panicked. Last time I was told we needed to hurry I almost got murdered by werewolves and zombie monsters.

  “The bones couldn't have been any clearer. You're not going to like this.” He rubs at the back of his neck nervously.

  “Just spit it out. Before I have a heart attack.” Zan sends quick messages to Krim and Sam. I think he might be stalling.

  “Until you consummate your bond with all four guardians we have to go everywhere with you or we all risk death.” He cringes like I'm about to freak out on him. Consummate as in have … sex! I stand there dumbfounded. I think my mouth might even be hanging open in shock.

  “That's– That's fucking stupid.” I guess the five are of us are going to be together for a while because I'm not about to sleep with someone let alone four someones before I'm ready. We get to where we parked Zan's big red pickup truck. He unlocks the door and throws the giant stuffed toy in the back seat.

  “Told you were gonna hate it.” He closes the door and turns toward me. “But you haven't heard the good news yet.” he steps up close reminding me exactly how good he smells. He slides his and around my waist encouraging me to lean against him. Zan might not be as tall as Bas or Sam but he definitely clears six feet and that is a fuck of a lot taller than I am.

  “Okay fine. What's the good news.”

  “Tonight, you kiss one of your soul mates.” He says a moment before he presses his lips to mine. Fireworks explode behind my eyes. Time slows, and the universe falls away. There is nothing beyond the feel of his mouth on mine. I make a small noise of longing in my throat, close my eyes and lose myself in the euphoria of Zandor's kiss. I can't think or breathe or talk. Gently he parts my lips and caresses my tongue with his own. I wrap my arms around his neck leaning in closer. Zan tastes as good as he smells, sweet like strawberry candy. I have no idea how long we stand there slowly taking each other in but when he finally pulls back I make a small sound of disappointment. He looks at me golden eyes shimmering.

  “When we get back to your place can we do that again?”

  #

  Last time I was at a graveyard I saw zombies being raised so to say I was nervous to be here would be an understatement.

  “I still don't understand the point of ghost hunting.” Krim says with a sigh from the front seat of the impala. Sam parks next to Scotts green minivan.

  “If you are a dick to my new friends then you can kiss any hope of me ever sleeping with you goodbye.” I say from my spot in the back seat squished between Sebastian and Zandor. “I don't care what the bones said last night.” Bas reaches down and rubs the top of my hand with his thumb. How can such a small thing get my racing so fast.

  By the time Zan and I got home last night my dad was already there so my room was off limits. I made some popcorn while Zan picked out a movie. He ended up picking Aladdin something I hadn't seen since I was a kid, but it was a lot of fun especially when he started singing along to a whole new world.

  After Zandor 'left' and my dad went to bed I snuck down to the secret room with the others and made Zan read the bones like ten more times. It was the same thing every time. If we separate before I have sex with each of them all five of us will die. I climb out of the car and am immediately greeted by Hannah and Scott matching tee
shirts with SL paranormal research and investigations.

  “I brought some friends I hope you don't mind.” I say gesturing at Sam and Sebastian and Krim. I introduce them, and I see her eye the four of them with a little disbelief.

  Bas standing next to Sam and Krim shows how huge he really is. He towers over men who are considered tall by most. He is wearing a shirt for the first time since I met him, but it does nothing to hide his perfect physique. I can't help but to be attracted to him on primal level. Bas gives me one of his comforting reassuring smiles. Hannah clears her throat looking between Bas and me.

  “Scott why don't you explain how to use some of the equipment. Sera and I will finish unpacking the rest.” She says grabbing my hands and dragging me away from my guardians to the back of the minivan.

  “You said Sebastian is Zandor's best friend, but you were just checking him out. Not cool, sister. Zan is a great guy.” I know with their supernatural hearing they can all hear me an Hannah’s conversation, but I try to keep my voice down anyway.

  “I'm … uh … polyamorous.” I panic and blurt out the first thing I can think of. Seriously that's the best lie you can think of!?I try to play it cool though.

  Hannah blinks big brown eyes at me.

  “Like … and open relationship sort of a thing?” She tilts her head to one side, shiny dark hair sliding over her shoulder. I struggle to come up with a better explanation, but it’s too late; the words are already out there. Besides, after that prophecy, isn’t it kind of true? I’m supposed to … err, have sex with all of them?!

  Fuck, I'm screwing this up so bad. I do my best not to groan in frustration and embarrassment. Hannah grabs a couple of flashlights out of the van handing one too me.

  “More like a committed relationship between the five of us,” I explain, and even though that’s not true at all—I barely know these guys!—I can see Sam smirking. Perv.

  “All four of them are dating you … or dating each other, too?” Hannah continues, and I seriously want to kick myself. She’s way too inquisitive for her own good. But that’s probably why I like her, too.

  “Uh,” I fumble, glancing between the four guys and their varied facial expressions. Bas looks contemplative; Sam is intrigued; Krim is pissed (not unusual); Zandor is holding back a laugh. I grasp onto the first plausible excuse I can think of. “Zandor and Krim are into each other!” The words tumble from my lips before I have a chance to take them back. Mouth, say hello to foot.

  Instead of continuing with her confused and skeptical look, those brown eyes begin to sparkle.

  “Like … a yaoi?” she asks tentatively, referencing the Japanese anime and manga genre that’s all about dude on dude love. “Because I love a good yaoi.” Her attention flicks over Zandor and Krim as Scott groans.

  “No!” he moans, putting his face into his hands. “Why did you have to tell her that? Now she won’t give me the time of day. Hannah’s addicted to yaoi.”

  “I am not,” Hannah says, but then she’s licking her licks and zoning in on Zandor and Krim. And of course, Zandor takes advantage of the situation, throwing his arm around the other boy’s shoulders and pressing a sloppy kiss to his cheek.

  “We are soooo into each other,” Zandor says as Krim scowls and tosses an elbow into his gut. “Can’t get enough of this guy.”

  “And you two are cool with this?” Hannah continues, biting her lip to hold back a grin. “Because … it’s like an episode of Love Stage or something. I am so down for this.” her eyes are shimmering and I can tell she's having a major fangirl moment thinking about all the X rated male/male scenes she's read and watched.

  “I’ll do anything … so long as it lets me date this beautiful woman,” Sam purrs, stepping over to me and placing his hands on either side of my face. I bat him away, even though I like the warm feel of his palms against my skin. “Now we don't have to hide our intense physical attraction for one another.” His debonair voice caresses its way down my body. Goose bumps rise across my flesh as I shove him back. He gives me one of the most self-assured grins I have ever seen in my life. The cocky bastard.

  “If there’s consent and respect, all love is valid,” Bas says with a shrug of his wide shoulders. The sound such sweet words in the deep velvety rumble of Sebastian masculine voice causes my lower belly to squeeze appreciatively.

  Hannah laughs and grabs Zandor’s arm on one side, Scott’s on the other.

  “Let's head towards the oldest part of the cemetery and start there.” She flashes her light to the left. “That's where the most sightings are. Then maybe we can split up to cover more ground.” Everyone moves to follow Hannah including myself. Krim stomps up to me and grabs my arm roughly.

  “We need to talk.” Krim snarls running his hand through his inky hair. His grip on my arm I so tight it hurts just a little. I don't want to have a screaming fight in front of my new friends but there is no way in hell I'm going to let him get away with acting like an asshole. We wait for the others to get half a dozen yards away.

  “Get your fucking hands off me.” I whisper just loud enough for Kriminal to hear.

  Sebastian stops dead in his tracks turning to look at us. When he sees the way Krim is aggressively squeezing my arm his face shifts and anger flashes across his face. Bas looks downright dangerous. If I wasn't worried about a full-scale fight breaking out between the two of them Sebastian's protectiveness would be kind of romantic. His emerald eyes watch our exchange with a quiet menace. Bas doesn't move or speak but his body feels tense, poised to strike. I try to jerk my arm from Krim's steel grip, but it doesn't budge. Bas growls under his breath taking a silent step towards us. Not good, Bas looks like he's about to kill Krim right now. I jerk my arm and this time Krim releases me.

  “You guys go on ahead. Krim and I will catch up with you in a second.” I call out to no one in particular but I make eye contact with Sebastian. “We'll call if we need anything.” Bas clenches his jaw working the generous muscles in his neck. Bas is slow to anger and very few things can get him riled up but the power radiating off him right now is freaking intense. I would not want to see what he would do to someone who was actually trying to hurt me. I give him a reassuring smile letting him know I can handle this.

  “If you're sure.” He says but he never stops glaring at Krim. This is one of the things that makes Sebastian so amazing. He will go all protective alpha male, but he backs off when I ask him too.

  “I'm sure. The two of us need to have a talk about him acting like a prick all the time.” I snap. Bas follows after the group. I turn and start walking in the opposite direction. Krim stomps after me.

  “Why would you tell those people that I'm dating him.” He growls out. I whirl around letting my grey-blue eyes meet the cold grey of his.

  “It's really not that big of a deal, so I don't know why the fuck you're freaking out.”

  “I hate Zandor.” He crosses his arms over his broad chest. Which irritates me, and I find myself doing the same.

  “It kinda seems like you hate everybody. But that doesn't give you an excuse to lay your hands on me, and I swear if you ever do it again we are done. As friends, as partners, as anything. Honestly, right now I like every single person over there more than I like you.” I throw my hand out and point towards where the others are gathered then point at him for emphasis. The sun was just going down when we pulled into the parking lot, but it is almost true dark already.

  “I don't care if you like me. I'm just trying to keep you are safe. If I have to be the bad guy to do that, so fucking be it.” He snaps aggressively. I shake my head and give him a look that I hope shows him how stupid I think he's being.

  “Keep me safe? From what? Having friends?”

  “How do we even know we can trust these 'friends' of yours?” He puts air quotes around the word friend. I am about a half second from yelling at him in the middle of a deserted cemetery. I put my hand out palm out in the universal stop motion. I close my eyes and breathe in an attempt to cal
m down. The stupid ass keeps talking. “You just met them. They could be dangerous. Hell, they could be working for the person who is trying to kill you. Whoever that is unbelievably powerful, Sera. If they can control Papa Legba then controlling two stupid teenagers would be well within their abilities.”

  “I don't. That's why it’s called trust. Besides, I've only known you a day longer than them, so you need to get off your high horse. How do I know you're not working for him?” I ask snidely more to make a point than anything. Krim might be rude and condescending but I believe in my heart of hearts that he thinks he's protecting me.

  “You don't, not really and I'm bound to you through powerful magic.” He glares down at me. And I roll my eyes. He is so stubborn it's like trying to argue with a brick wall. “And even if they can be trusted now what happens if a loa offers them something too good to refuse. What then?” I throw my arms up in the air in frustration.

  “What is your point, Krim. Huh? What's really pissing you off.”

  “You! Taking unnecessary risks.” He yells angrily running his hand through his perfect haircut.

  “Having friends isn't taking unnecessary risks. It's living.” If Krim doesn't understand this, then there is no point in having this conversation.

  “Sometimes people aren't who they say they are.” He whispers but all the fight is gone, and his voice sounds almost hollow. Too caught up in the frustration of the fight I ignore his shift in attitude.

  “And sometimes they are. You might be willing to live a lonely miserable existence, but I'd rather die.” I snap of the last word. He doesn't respond just stands there in silence. A second ago I would have given almost anything to make him shut up but now it's scaring me. Krim is lost in thought eyes locked onto something on the ground a few feet behind me. I glance behind me afraid there is going to be some new horror intent on killing me. But there is nothing but grass and graves for as far as I can see in the dim light. Doesn’t mean something isn't out there.