by Kira Saito
As I stared at my toes, I felt a pair of very secure arms around me. I rested my head against Lucus’s solid chest and inhaled as much of him as I could.
“You don’t have to say anything; you don’t owe me an explanation,” he said, as he ran his fingers through my hair, which for once, wasn’t full of mud.
I did want to talk about it a little. “Did you ever love someone but all they did was hurt you?” I asked.
I felt Lucus’ muscles tighten. “Yes, but that was too long ago.” His voice was wistful and detached.
“What happened?” Although I didn’t want to hear Lucus gush over some girl, he had me a bit curious.
“I offered her the world, but she left anyways.”
“Why?”
“I honestly don’t know. She claimed that she loved me, but disappeared without explanation.”
I wondered if Lucus still loved that girl, whoever she was. I wasn’t going to ask because I was afraid of the answer.
There was a long pause before Lucus asked, “This Tony, did he hurt you?”
I nodded.
Lucus wrapped his arms around me even tighter but didn’t say anything else. Thankfully, he didn’t ask me if I still loved him. I suspected that maybe Lucus didn’t want to know the answer either.
I let him hold me and for a spilt-second tried to forget the strange circumstances we were under. I didn’t want to talk about spirits, curses, gris-gris, Louis Beau, Tony. “What’s your favorite ice-cream flavor?” I asked randomly.
“French vanilla,” he replied.
“That’s so boring.”
“I like to think of it as classic rather than boring.” Lucus defended his choice. “Is yours chocolate, by any chance?” he asked.
“No. I hate chocolate ice cream.”
“No? How is it possible that you basically eat chocolate instead of meals yet don’t like chocolate ice cream?
I shrugged. “I don’t know it doesn’t taste good for some reason.”
“You’re an enigma. You do realize that, don’t you?”
He had called me an enigma. That wasn’t good, was it? Did it mean he thought I was insane and overtly complicated?
“So then, what is it?” he asked.
“Strawberry cheesecake.” I let out a little giggle. God, why did I just giggle? Strawberry cheesecake ice cream and giggling were such girly things.
“Hey queen, we need you to help out that fat kid, he’s locked himself in one of the upstairs bathrooms and refuses to come out. He says he wants to talk to you.” Ivan’s voice prompted me to pull away from Lucus in embarrassment.
He stood in the doorway with an arrogant smile on his face. I felt like slapping it right off. “Yeah, I’ll be right there,” I muttered.
“Make it quick,” he said, as he headed back into the kitchen.
I looked up at Lucus and gave him shy smile. “I guess I’ll catch you later.”
He gave me a slight nod.
In reality, I could have let him hold me for hours. There was something comforting yet undeniably terrifying about his embrace. I was beginning to long for his company, and that horrified me.
“Did I interrupt your little fairytale?” asked Ivan, as I passed through the kitchen.
“Go away.” I said, but he started to follow me.
“What do you see in him?” he asked, as he stalked me down the hall and up the spiral stairs.
I turned around and faced him. His blond hair was disheveled and his grey eyes full of fire.
“It’s none of your business. Now, get the hell away from me.” I gave him a slight push and ran up the stairs.
Ivan was unyielding and continued to follow me. When we reached the top he roughly pushed me up against the wall. I could smell cigarettes and vodka on his breath.
“You ass. What the hell?!” I smacked him as hard as I could right across the face. All the rage that had built up inside of me because of his incessant torment finally manifested itself in that singular slap, and it felt so liberating.
He abruptly released me. A second of shock troubled his rugged features, but he remained composed. “Answer me, queen.” His eyes dug into mine as he scratched his bum-chin totally unfazed.
“Why do you care!?” I screamed as I realized that Ben hadn’t actually locked himself into the bathroom and for whatever reason Ivan just wanted me away from Lucus.
“He’s no good,” he said simply.
“You don’t know him! And it’s none of your goddamn business!” What was his vendetta against Lucus? He didn’t even know him. Not that I knew him that well…
“I’m just warning you. People like that don’t care about people like us. They never have and they never will.” He spoke with ferocious conviction. “He’ll take everything from you just because he can. He’ll leave you broken on the ground with your face in a pile of your own blood.”
“You and I are nothing alike Ivan. You’re pathetic and bitter. Just because your life is shitty it doesn’t mean I want mine to be the same. I’m trying to change my circumstances. Maybe you should do the same instead of blaming everyone around you for whatever drama you’ve got going on. Now, get the hell away from me or you’ll be sorry.”
“Is that a threat, queen?”
“Yes.” I meant it. If Ivan didn’t back off, I had no problem making him pay.
“I don’t respond well to threats.”
“You’ve been warned Ivan.”
“So have you,” he said, as he gave me one final look and headed down the stairs.
After he left, I took a minute to catch my breath and reflect on what had just occurred. What did he know about Lucus that I didn’t and why was he so determined to keep me away from him? My worst fear was that Lucus was another Tony. Is that what Ivan was trying to warn me about? Even so, why did he care? I shook his strange behavior off as nothing but bitterness and a relentless desire to make my life a living hell.
I went back downstairs and found Ben sipping a Coke and attempting to learn how to play the piano. I was relieved that he was safe and hadn’t run off to see the swamp or anything.
The rest of the night was a grotesque blur that consisted of Tony watching me like a hawk, Mr. Dumpty squeezing my butt multiple times, Ivan glaring at me, Sabrina shamelessly pushing her big boobs up against Lucus and Mr. and Mrs. Dreaux shooting me disapproving glances over their bowls of gumbo.
The only thing that got me through was the few times Lucus’ eyes met mine from across the room. They reminded me that whatever happened, I was somehow strong enough to take it on.
Chapter 18
Red Brick dust, Seven day Candles and a kingdom under the sea
Later that night after dinner was over; I left the circus behind and snuck up to my room to do everything Aunt Mae had instructed me to do. I placed drops of Fiery Wall of Protection oil in all corners of the room, passed a line of red brick dust at our doorway and lit a black seven day candle anointed with Van Van and Uncrossing oils.
Basically, the seven day candle was exactly what it sounded like, a candle that was supposed to burn for seven days while providing me with protection. Although seven day candles came in loads of different colors, I had to use a black one because it was the color used to deal with fending off and sending supernatural attacks. Van Van and uncrossing oil was supposedly a voodoo queen’s best friend and were used to supercharge any type of protection casting.
Lighting a seven day candle wasn’t exactly like lighting a regular candle. I had to concentrate and ask Erzulie to consecrate the candle so that its protective properties would actually work.
As the laughter of the guests echoed from downstairs, I examined the room and took in the scent of the fiery oils. The seven day candle cast an eerie shadow on the wall, and the lace curtains danced in the steamy night air. This was my life now. It was never going to be normal, but it was the path I had chosen, and I would have to get used to it.
I looked at myself in the mirror, and for a minute, I didn’t recog
nize the person who stared back at me. I was wearing an absurdly expensive dress and an antique necklace that was probably worth thousands of dollars. It wasn’t the same girl who made café au lait at Lola’s and counted every penny. Maybe I was getting too comfortable with the strange but extravagant lifestyle that Darkwood offered. I shuddered as I recalled Mrs. Dreaux’s words. Was I squeezing in somewhere I didn’t belong?
Sabrina burst through the door in complete euphoria and snapped me out of my thoughts. Her hair was a mess, clumps of mascara streamed down her face, but her blue eyes radiated with pure drunken joy. She slipped out of her dress, plopped down on the bed and stretched herself out.
“Arelia, I’m seriously in love,” she gushed, totally oblivious to the state of the room.
“With Ivan?” I asked, as I lay down beside her and stared up at the canopy.
“Eww no. You know who I’m talking about.”
I did know who she was talking about, but I didn’t feel like listening to her talk about it.
“Lucus is the perfect guy, seriously, we’re meant to be together. I just danced with him right now, and the way he held me, it was pure magic,” she said, as her eyes got a faraway dreamy look to them. She thoughtlessly twirled a lock of her hair. “I was so close to kissing him.”
I cringed at the thought of Lucus holding her and touching her. Did he hold her the same way he held me? Was I only imagining there was something more between us?
“Arelia, why are you scowling?”
I hadn’t realized that I was openly scowling. “Oh I’m thinking about Mrs. Dreaux and Tony.” I lied.
“Do you think you’ll give Tony a second chance? It’s obvious that he’s still into you.”
“I don’t think so; it’s not worth fighting with Mrs. Dreaux. I want to stay as far away from her as possible.” The truth was I didn’t know how I really felt about Tony. The way our relationship ended had been so abrupt and unexpected. I had spent the whole year thinking about what I had done wrong and feeling totally insecure. One thing I did know for certain was that I couldn’t control the way my left eye started to frantically twitch every time Sabrina talked about Lucus even though I had no right to be jealous.
“Hey, where did you get that?” Sabrina noticed the necklace around my neck and reached out to grab it.
Crap. “Oh, Aunt Mae gave it to me. It’s a family heirloom or something.” I lied. There was no way I could actually tell her that Lucus had given me the necklace.
Lust filled her blue eyes. “It’s vintage. I wonder how much it’s worth.”
I shrugged. “I have no clue.”
Sabrina continued to talk about Lucus in graphic detail and I felt like smothering her with a pillow. She went on and on until her eyes finally got heavy. “Tell me what happened to Vanessa again,” she requested.
She always asked me to tell her the story of what happened to her sister when she was drunk and sleepy. We were six when Sabrina’s eight year old sister had drowned while they were on a family vacation in Morrocco. After that incident, her parents were overcome with so much grief and guilt that they neglected to realize that Sabrina was a bit lost and confused that her sister was abruptly no longer around.
Grand-mere Bea told us that Vanessa had gone to live in a kingdom under the sea because she met a handsome and wealthy prince. When we were kids, it sounded so romantic and somehow made everything seem better. Even though, Sabrina knew that her sister wasn’t living in a kingdom under the sea with a handsome prince, and grand-mere’s story was based on an Edgar Allen Poe poem or The Little Mermaid, it still made her feel better.
I placed her head in my lap and ran my fingers through her hair. “Vanessa’s living in a kingdom under the sea with the richest and most handsome prince in the entire ocean. When he saw Vanessa, he immediately fell in love and knew that she was destined to be his bride. He took her away because he couldn’t live another day without her by his side. He’s been meaning to apologize to you and your parents for taking her away without letting her say good-bye. He was too afraid that if he did let her say farewell she would change her mind.”
“Do you think he’s as handsome as Lucus?” she asked.
I closed my eyes and let out a small sigh. “Yeah he is, even hotter than Lucus.”
“That’s not possible.” She giggled. “Do you think he’s as rich as Lucus?”
“Even richer, he’s the richest guy in the entire sea.”
“Do you think we’ll get to visit their kingdom someday?” she asked her voice full of sleep.
“Of course we will.”
“With Lucus…” she muttered.
I bit my lower lip hard. As my teeth met flesh, I could taste the blood. “Yes, with Lucus. Sabrina?” I shook her lightly. She had already started to snore, so I placed her head on a pillow and let her sleep.
It was pretty late, but I wasn’t sleepy, so I spent an hour reading the LaRue family spell book and then couldn’t resist sneaking another look into the life of Louis Beau. I took out his journal and started to read.
August 16th 1852
The heat is unbearable. My back is scarred, and my feet ache. The hunger is constant, but the moment I caught sight of you the agony disappeared. Your lips spoke the words I love you, and I could sense redemption was near.
August 18th 1852
The moon hung high, and the stars shone bright. I waited for you down by the river, but you never came. I waited on my weary feet. I waited and waited until the first light of day almost broke. I dare not sleep for fear of missing you. Out in the fields I toiled with a heavy heart, I cannot live another day without your sweet embrace.
August 19th 1852
I stared and stared at the big house hoping I would see you through a window. Why are you so fickle, just a day or two ago you whispered the words I love you and now you’ve gone away. My back and hands bleed, but nothing compares to the pain of not having you near.
August 20th 1852
The sight of you made the pain of 50 lashes feel like none. You came back to me today and held me in your arms. Only in your hold do I find a glimpse of the peace I’ve been searching for. Follow the drinking gourd with me so that we both can be free.
I closed the diary with a loud thud. I tried desperately to forget about the horrors that he must have faced, as I fell into a deep sleep.
Chapter 19
A day in the Life…
I woke up to the violent scream of a man. My eyes opened, and the smell of damp earth filled my nostrils. Frantically, I took in my surroundings and found that I was lying on a pile of old rags in a grungy slave cabin. It was pitch dark aside from the single flame of a white candle. Next to me, on another pile of rags was Louis. He screamed and screamed.
Panic flooded every nerve within my body, as I tried to understand what was happening. Was this a dream? It felt so life-like and real. I bent over Louis and shook him until he woke up. His caramel skin was drenched in sweat, and his deep brown eyes were wild. As his gaze fell on my face, he gave me a small smile.
“Time to wake up,” he said simply.
I couldn’t put my finger on it, but his features had a peculiar sense of familiarity about them. His eyes had a shape that I had seen somewhere before, and his cheekbones were beautifully sculpted. His exquisite beauty was rare, but somehow I was accustomed to it.
“Where’d you get that fancy dress from? You didn’t steal it from the Mrs., did you?” he asked, as he eyed my dress. “You sure look pretty in it.”
I looked down at my body and immediately saw that I was still dressed in the green Elie Saab dress. I reached for my neck and felt the necklace Lucus had given me was there, and I wore my gris-gris charm around my right wrist. “Steal? No. This is my dress.”
I had no idea why I was explaining my outfit to Louis in my dream. If he was trying to tell me something, he should hurry up and do it already rather than wasting time discussing my outfit.
He let out a deep laugh. “There’s no way that dre
ss can ever be yours, your clothes are over there.” He pointed to the corner of the cabin where a lopsided wooden table held a pile of scruffy clothes. They appeared to be made out of some kind of rough, ugly brown material.
“Wherever you got that dress from, you’d better get out of it unless you want a lashing or two.”
“A lashing or two? What the hell are you talking about?” A sound of a distant horn interrupted me.
“Only an hour till sunrise, no time for games Arelia. Go on and get dressed now. I’m going to go fill up the gourd with water,” he said, as he got up from the pile of rags.
He walked over to the wooden table and picked out a ratty shirt that had multiple holes in it. I winched at the sight of his muscular torso. His back was covered in scars; they were obviously from a whip. A giant rat scurried over my foot, and I let out a violent scream. I closed my eyes and tried desperately to wake up from whatever nightmare I was immersed in, but it was futile.
“Have you lost your mind?” asked Louis, as he watched me repeatedly open and close my eyes.
“I’m trying to wake up from this nightmare!” I hollered.
He gave me a wide smile. I knew that smile. I knew those lips. Louis came close to me and gave me a soft kiss on the cheek. I knew that smell. “Stubborn Arelia, our lives are one big nightmare. You should know that by now. The only chance we have of waking up is sweet death. Go on and get dressed now. The sun will be coming up soon, and we need to be in those fields before then.”
He left and I stood alone in the dark, rat infested cabin.
“Erzulie,” I called. “Please, I need you now more than ever.” I wrapped my sweaty hand around my gris-gris charm and secretly pleaded with Erzulie for guidance. I had done everything Aunt Mae had instructed me to do and yet I was still trapped in this nightmare.
