Voodoo Knights

by Amanda Rose

  I pick up the book to start reading and notice a small scrap of paper with a single word written in perfect neat penmanship.

  Hazel? I take the scrap of paper and slip it into my pocket than read what little is written about this so-called harpy queen.

  “Marionette DeCheque is half-bird half-woman. You will know her as soon as you lay eyes on her there is no mistaking the blood red color of her feathers. A powerful sorceress with control over fire. She is no minor foe for she always travels with a small army of loup-garou bound to her service. The only warning of her impending approach is the piercing screech she lets out before descending on her intended prey.” A chill runs down my spine. The screech from my dream keeps playing on repeat in my mind over and over. My dream was about her and the message couldn't have been any clearer.

  “Precious?” Bastian comes into the room the soft pads of his bare feet on the floor barely make any sound at all.

  “Hey, Bas.” He pads over to me and glances at the open book but doesn't say anything.

  “Are you okay?” he says softly, his deep voice laced with worry.

  “Yeah, I just had a bad dream, is all.” I try to pass it off as no big deal but I don't think he buys it.

  “About her?” He tilts his head gently towards the book to indicate Marionette.

  I shake my head yes. I feel like if I say it out loud it makes it more than just a dream. It makes it a premonition. He wrinkles his brow slightly but then gives a small smile to reassure me. Lifting the huge tome from my arms as though is light as a feather he tucks it back on the shelf.

  “Why don't you tell me about this dream and in exchange I can tell you what I know about her.” He sits on the small couch.

  “It feels like more than a dream.” I say plopping down next to him. He nods slightly encouraging me to continue without saying a single word. I tell him about the dream every so often he stops me and asks about small details like what I was wearing, or if the moon in the sky was full but mostly he just listens. I tell him everything, every fear and worry. I've always been someone who prefers to handle problems on my own, but Bastian has this quiet wisdom and strength that makes me want to share the burden. It is nice to receive confirmation that my nightmare is more than just a dream.

  “Your dream was a warning. You are in danger.”

  “How do you know?”

  “Two details stand out to me, things you have no way of knowing. Marionette's eyes, a bright almost colorless blue. She is a powerful sorceress who often disguises herself as an innocent child and the only sign of her true form is the impossibly pale crystal blue of her eyes. The other …” He trails off with a sigh and I know I'm not going to like whatever he's about to say.

  “The Old Magnolia Cemetery.” I pinch my brow in confusion. “I was hoping Kriminal would tell you himself. Marionette killed every member of the LaCoste family who is buried there.” Now Krim's reaction when he saw the red feather makes so much more sense.

  “Um. Wow I wish someone would have told me sooner.”

  “I apologize precious. We were just trying to give you a little time to adjust.”

  “From now if there is something I should know just tell me. I can't go to school, today can I?” Before Bas can answer Cat Zandor sprints into the room and shifts back into a person. He is panting like he has been running for a while.

  “If you go to school today you will die.”

  #

  Convincing my dad I'm too sick to go to school but don't need to go to the doctor is hard. I think the only reason he let me stay was because he didn't have time to argue and arriving late to work to a relatively new job isn't an option.

  “I'll call to check on you a lunch. Try to get some sleep. I have a staff meeting that runs until seven, but I'll leave the ringer on so if you need anything call me and I'll pick up.” My dad leans down and kisses me on the forehead. “Love you.”

  “Love you too.” I mumble ignoring the look Sam is giving me from across the room. I feel incredibly bad lying to my dad when he's being so sweet, but I don't have much choice do I. Dad reaches down and lightly pats the Cat Zandor on the head then leaves flicking the light off on his way out. As soon as we hear the rumble of the car engine Zandor shifts back into a dude. He's lying next to me where Sam slept last night.

  “Your dads a nice guy and all but I would much rather be petted by you.” I playfully hit his shoulder.

  “Oh my god. You are such a perv.”

  He shifts fuzzy black cat ears and a tail. “Stroke it it's soft.” he teases flicking it back and forth. “You know you want to touch it.” He's teasing me about touching his tail, but the undertone of sexual innuendo isn't lost on anyone in the room least of all me.

  “I … uh.” I can't find words and my face is probably the color of a ripe tomato.

  “Are you thinking dirty thoughts skater girl, cause I asked you to stroke my soft tail not my hard–” I cut him off by punching him in the shoulder. His cat ears go back, and he rubs at his arm.

  “Aww man that hurt.” He has a big playful grin and his tail is slowly flicking back and forth. Krim who'd been sleeping or at least trying to this whole time sits up and glares at Zandor. His ebony hair is stuck up at odd angles.

  “Can you shut the fuck up. Some of us are trying to sleep.” he snaps.

  “And some of us are trying to flirt with the girl we like.” Zan says giving me a playful wink. Krim crankily lays back down and puts a pillow over his head.

  “If you call that flirting you ain't seen nothing yet.” Sam chimes in as he digs a pack of cigarettes from the pocket of his jacket. He pulls one out placing it between his lips and lighting it. The pale early morning sunshine is shining in the window directly on his chiseled chest highlighting the dark ink of his tattoos.

  “Outside. The last thing I need is my dad to think I'm smoking cigarettes.”

  “My mistake.” He takes a deep drag then pinches the end between his fingers to put it out. He exhales and gives me a wicked grin. The smoke drifting up and making him look just that much more sinful. Uh oh. He's about to do something I'm not going to like. “Well, I'll go take a shower and leave you to your flirting.” He drops his pants … and he isn't wearing any underwear. The half erect curve of his shaft is just there limned in early morning sunlight. And it's huge. Okay I'm no actually sure about that since I don't really have anything to compare it to, but it seems huge. I can't help but stare my mouth hanging open in shock. This is the first time I have actually seen a … penis. Bastian comes in the room and raises his eyebrows.

  “Dude, no fair you're bigger than I am.” Zandor says.

  “Don't be too jealous, Zan. I'm bigger than most.” He says turning around flashing me his ass and muscular tattooed back as he saunters over toward the bathroom. Right before he opens the bathroom door Bastian quietly speaks up.

  “Not me.” This stops Sam dead in his tracks. He glances back at Bastian and gives him a look. Before going into the bathroom and closing the door behind himself. Zandor lifts the waistband of the sweatpants he's wearing and looks at his junk.

  “Aww man, I thought I was a good size, but I have the smallest dick, don't I?”

  “Can you stop talking about the size of your cock. There is nothing I would like to hear about less right now than the size of another dudes johnson.”

  “Johnson? What are you like ninety years old.” This whole time I've been too shocked to comment on this whole stupid penis size conversation but for some reason this snaps me out of it. A small giggle escapes my throat and once I start laughing I can't stop. I laugh so hard I get tears in my eyes and my stomach starts cramping. I get both Zandor and Sebastian to laugh along with me and Krim even gives me a small smile which is unexpected considering how cranky he gets about being woken up early.

  Sam opens the door and comes out of the bathroom in a rush of steam. Holy Shit. Samuel Baron always looks hot but with nothing on, but a towel wrapped around his waist and his skin damp from the shower he
practically sets my panties on fire. I can't look away I'm like a woman possessed. He gives me a smirk.

  “What's on the agenda for today?” Sam says.

  “I was thinking I could make breakfast for everybody then the five of us can decide how to keep you safe.”

  I give Sam, Krim and Zandor an abridged version of my dream while Bastian cooks a breakfast. The five of us sit at the dining table eating the fluffiest most delicious pancakes I have ever had while we try to come up with a game plan. They do their best to include me in the conversation but most of the time they might as well be speaking Hoodoo themed gibberish. When they say things like devil’s shoe string and angelica root I have no idea what the heck they are talking about, but I go along with it. Sebastian tries to explain things to me, for instance now I know that devils shoe string is a plant used as part of protection spells. The gist is we are going to make a spell that protects me specifically against the harpy queen. The best part is the spell is easy and will be ready at dawn, so I will be able to go to school tomorrow.

  “Am I doing this right?” I ask Bastian. I am sitting at the big table of the secret room trying to braid a piece of blue thread, devil’s shoestring, a piece of black leather around a few strands of my hair and the blood red feather we found at the Mouton house.

  “Let me help you.” Bas says coming up behind me pressing his bare chest against my back and looking over my shoulder. The comforting earthy scent of oak surrounds me and I get butterflies. He takes my hands gently in his large calloused ones. “Close your eyes.” He whispers softly in my ear. My heart races but I comply. “Don't worry, I'll guide you.” Slowly he begins helping me weave the first part of the protection spell. Showing me where to put my hands he guides my movements. At first my attempts are clumsy but before I know it the motions begin to get smoother and more rhythmic. “Almost there, now you're going to start to feel a pressure building in your lower belly.” His breath feathers against my neck. Releasing my hands to continue braiding the spell on my own he slides a hand down resting a searing palm on my stomach. The movement is one of the most intimate things I have ever felt. “Focus on that and when you're ready take a deep breath and blow on the braid pushing as much energy into the gris-gris braid.” he rumbles. I nod in understanding without opening my eyes and follow his instructions. I take a deep breath and push the magic into the charm once I start it's like a vacuum draining me of energy. When it's done I can barely keep my eyes open and I'm slumping in my chair. Bas pushes a small wooden bowl that has half an inch of what smells like alcohol in it.

  “Dress it in the whisky.” Sebastian nods his head at the bowl. I must have a look of confusion on my face because Krim who'd been silent this whole time explains.

  “Put it in the bowl and swish it around for a second, your majesty.” I might be tired, but I still narrow my eyes at the your majesty comment. I think Kriminal might be teasing me on purpose because I swear for a moment there I saw a ghost of a smile instead of his usual blank blasé facial expression. Here goes nothing. I drop it in the liquid and try to get the whole thing wet.

  “Am I doing this right?” I try to ask but my voice comes out as a hoarse barely audible whisper. With my voice like this I'm not going to have any trouble convincing my dad that I was sick this morning.

  “Better than great skater girl, like a total pro.” Zandor say giving me a big smile and a thumbs up. He's still sporting the cat ears and tail he shifted earlier.

  “We just need to set the talisman with smoke and moonlight and Marionette won’t be able to lay a hand on you.” Bas says focusing everyone back on the task at hand.

  “Uh, okay.” I croak. But I have no idea what he's talking about.

  Sam lights a black clove cigarette parking it between the wicked curve of his full lips. I'm too tired to tell him to go outside to smoke otherwise I would. He plucks the whisky soaked charm out of the wooden bowel and saunters around the table like he's the shit. He pulls out my chair with me still sitting on it and kneels down on the ground. The look in his gaze is pure sin and sex as he slides his hand up my right calf pushing the bottom of my pajama pants out of the way.

  “I can't set the gris-gris until you're wearing it.” He doesn't bother to remove the cigarette while he speaks instead he just talks around it. He wraps the charm around my ankle and ties the ends together in a series of intricate knots. The most impressive part about it though is he keeps his bright purple gaze locked on my face while he does it. When he's finished he takes the cigarette and holds it under my ankle letting the smoke drift ups and onto the gris-gris. Everywhere the smoke makes contact with the charm my skin tingles and I can feel the magic of the spell binding to me.

  “It that it?” I ask.

  “Until dark. The spell won’t be complete till it is set in moonlight.” Bas rumbles. I try to stand up on shaking legs and almost fall over. Sam scoops me up bride style. Being held in his strong arms is a little slice of heaven. If it feels this good to be held by him I wonder what sex with him and his big … cock would be like. I blush at the though. As though he could read my dirty thoughts his sexy smirk gets a little bigger.

  “Now let’s go to bed.” Sam says letting his eyelids droop in an obvious come on. Man, this guy can make anything about sex. He takes me up to my room with the other three guys trail behind us. The magic must have made me even more tired than I thought because less than a minute after Sam lays me on the bed and climbs in next to me I drift into a dreamless sleep.

  #

  I wake to the twilight zone theme song. An unusual ringtone I know but nothing else seems to suit Hannah better than the creepy little jingle. Samuel is sleeping on my right and Zandor on my left. I put a hand on Zan's shoulder and give him a little shake.

  “Hand me my phone. Hannah's trying to call me.” I mumble happy to hear my voice is starting to come back already. And even though I was still tired the few hours of sleep seem to have done wonders for me. Zan sleepily grabs the phone off my nightstand handing to me before standing up and stretching his hands above his head with a yawn. The motion flashes me a bit of his perfect tummy. Tearing my eyes away I hit the answer button. When Hannah's face pops up on my screen I realize she was Skype calling me. Oh no. She can see that I'm not alone in bed. Shirtless, Sam rolls over and hugs me placing a kiss on my temple. Hannah's eyes get wide as saucers and I'm sure mine are just as shocked. Sam taking full advantage of the situation nuzzles my neck I move to push him away but before I can make him stop he rolls out of my bed with a masculine chuckle.

  “I'll let you talk to your friend while I have a smoke.” He's doing it on purpose making Hannah think we fucked, the ass.

  “We didn't have sex or anything” I blurt. Now she's defiantly gonna think we banged. I see her trying really hard not to laugh at my sudden outburst.

  “Sure. Whatever you say. You and Sam were just sleeping” She makes exaggerated wink then giggles. She’s sitting on her front porch swing. And I can clearly make out the empty street behind her and I can even see George Washington High in the background.

  “My dad let me stay home cause I was feeling sick.” I try to explain.

  “Did you know neither Zandor or Krim were at school today.” She says simply. I'm a terrible liar and before I can come up with a way to respond.

  “They're there with you, aren't they?” She squeals. I can't help but laugh. Hannah really is the best friend I've always wanted. I always had plenty of friends but none I felt close to like I do her. We might have only known each other for just over a month but it feels like we are childhood friends. I'm going to make her and Scott and my dad protection charms as soon as I get a chance. I need to find a way to get more Laveau training before something really bad happens to people I care about. I owe it to them to do what I can to keep them safe.

  “Yeah.” I say with an embarrassed chuckle. I glance at Zan and he shifts off the ears and tail before hopping on the bed next to me with a big smile. I'm super sad to see them go but I figure I
can always ask him to shift them back after Hannah hangs up.

  “Hey Han. What's up?”

  “Not much? Scott and I were totally lonely without you guys to keep us company.”

  “We missed you too. But we all thought Sera could use the company until her dad gets home.” Zan snuggles up next to me resting an arm over my body and closing his eyes. He isn't picking on me like Sam was a second ago.

  “Are you guys coming to school tomorrow?” She asks but I don't answer. Walking down the street by herself is a little girl about the age of seven with deep auburn hair and skin like a drizzle of honey. The loose pale nightgown she is wearing blows in a breeze that doesn't seem to touch anything but the white fabric. She isn't wearing any shoes or socks. Any of these things would seem out of the ordinary. But none of it is the cause of the deep pit of fear suddenly in my stomach. It's the tiny girl's eyes, an impossibly light bright shade of crystal blue and they are locked on Hannah.

  “Marionette” I whisper, my voice barely more than a breath. All four men hear me though. The air in the room is suddenly cold. An I fight back the urge to panic. Zandor who I thought had been sleeping sits up. Sebastian stands up from where he lounged on the window seat. Sam climbs back in the window. But the strongest reaction comes from Kriminal LaCoste. He goes ramrod straight and he clenches his fists at his sides. Before Krim may have looked emotionless but it was an act. Right now, his face is truly blank there is nothing but cold fury and it's scary as fuck. His words ring in in my ears.