Punished Arelia LaRue Book #2

by Kira Saito

“Arelia, go get the herbs.” Louis’ voice was barely audible.

  “I don’t know where they are,” I said, still refusing to let my eyes meet his back.

  “No time for games, you know where they’re hidden.”

  Hidden? Why were they hidden? The obvious hit me. Slaves weren’t allowed to practice voodoo. Lucus had told me at Darkwood they were, but it was obvious he didn’t know the extent of fear that they lived under. I figured that Louis must have hidden his herbs, oils and candles in the same place he kept his diary.

  I tried to ignore the revolting rats that nibbled on my toes and crawled up my back. The only thing I could think about was healing Louis. I dug frantically until my hands found a large, brown box. I was relieved to find that it held familiar smelling oils, herbs and candles. I thought back to how Aunt Mae had mixed them together and quickly started blending the fiery oils with the sweet smelling herbs I vaguely recognized. I found a white candle, lit it and anointed it with oil. The easy part was done. The challenge would be bringing myself to actually look and touch Louis’ back.

  “Hurry Arelia, I’m supposed to meet her tonight,” begged Louis.

  He was supposed to meet someone, which would mean that I would be alone in the cabin, and I could easily make a run for it. Who was he supposed to meet? I held my breath and made my way over to where Louis was laying.

  It took every inch of strength and determination in my body in order for me to kneel down and look at his back. As my eyes rested on the bloody mess, I knew that I needed to do more than simply pass oils and herbs on him, I wanted to sacrifice my own blood to make it go away. Because of my tragic cotton picking skills, this Louis had scarified himself to save me. As much as I despised the present day Louis, I was beginning to realize that he had once been a kind and loving soul. Over the years, circumstances had slowly changed him into the warped being he was today.

  “Everything is going to be okay.” I tried to make my voice as soothing as possible for both our sakes. Softly, I dropped the oil and herbs on his powerful back. His cries were deafening as the formula combined with his blood. I tried to stop my hands from uncontrollably shaking, but it was futile. Being brave and strong was a lot harder than most people thought it was. I wanted to pull my hair and cry. My stomach growled, and my fingers could barely move.

  “Hurry Arelia, I need to meet her. She’s waiting by the river,” he pleaded.

  “Tell me how you feel about her.” I needed to distract him while I tried to make contact with Erzulie.

  “She’s so beautiful,” he said wistfully.

  “Does she work in the fields?” I asked, as I found a crude blade within the pile of herbs and oils. I brought it to my palm and held my breath. “You haven’t told me much about her at all. Why are you keeping her a secret?”

  “Heavens no, she works in that great big house,” he said. “You’ll meet her one day,” he promised.

  I stifled a cry, as blood drizzled from my palm.

  “I love her; we’re going to be together forever. She’s promised me that already. When I’m with her, I forget all this misery, and I know redemption is close for me.”

  As Louis continued to tell me about the love of his life, I silently called on Erzulie to help close his wounds. After seven stabs of the dagger, she finally responded with a gentle whisper. “I accept your offering my child. Your blood is enough to heal these wounds, but remember I won’t be able to help you on your way back home. Are you certain you want to use this offering to help Louis?”

  “Yes,” I responded with conviction. “This Louis needs some happiness in his life.” He needed to go meet the love of his life and momentarily escape his awful existence.

  “Arelia, the spirits always favor you, don’t they?” asked Louis, as my blood slowly met his. I felt his muscles relax, and the pain evaporate from his skin. The horrific gashes gradually closed.

  I shrugged. “I guess.”

  After a few minutes, he slowly got up from the pile of rags and gave me a long kiss on the cheek. Where the hell did I know him from? I knew his smell, the way he moved and the expression behind those eyes. Watching him gave me an odd sense of deja-vu. Strangely, this Louis had me captivated. Maybe under different circumstances, we could have actually been friends.

  “Go and meet her,” I said, as I hid my palm behind my back. I needed him to go, so I could find my way to the swamp and find Gran-Ibo.

  He gave me a tight hug, and I inhaled his familiar odor and took in the temperature of his firm body. “Be careful,” I whispered.

  He gave me a small smile. “I don’t have anything to live for if I don’t meet her.”

  “Hey Louis, what do you think about Lucus?” I asked, as I remembered the story Lucus had told me.

  “Mr. LaPlante? He’s a kind enough I suppose. I’ve never spoken to him, but he’s never done any of us any harm. Why?” he eyed me suspiciously.

  “Just asking,” I replied.

  “Don’t tell me you have any thoughts of ever getting together with him. Arelia, you know as well as I do we don’t belong in that world. He’ll never give you a second glance. He belongs with someone wealthy like him. He can have any woman in New Orleans simply because of his name. You should save your energy and try talking to someone like Edward. He’s a decent man. There’s no harm in loving someone who works in the fields.”

  I nodded solemnly. Who the hell was Edward, probably another slave? “Have a good night Louis, be safe.”

  I gave him an encouraging nod, as he headed out the creaky door and disappeared into the humid night air. What a messed up world this was. I was literally a smelly peasant who ran around in cotton fields.

  I thought back to what Mrs. Dreaux had said to me last summer. She still lived in this world. To her, I would never be good enough for her precious Tony. Did I want to live my entire life trying to prove myself to her? Not really.

  I wrapped a rag around my palm and started to search the cabin for food. My stomach let out a bitter growl. I couldn’t remember the last thing I had eaten. Obviously there was no chocolate around this place.

  Luckily, I found some cornbread in one of the gourds that were slumped against the grubby wall. Even though, I was practically dying of starvation, there was only enough bread for two people. I didn’t want to steal Louis’ share, but I had to make sure I had enough bread to offer Gran-Ibo, and her canary. I was running on pure adrenaline at this point, otherwise; I would have happily dropped on the dirt floor and let the rats consume me.

  In a mad haste, I slipped out of the hideous potato sack and back into the green gown. If I got caught running away, maybe I could pretend I wasn’t a slave. I seriously doubted that the awful drivers remembered any of our names or faces. To them, we were disposable and interchangeable pieces of debris. Shame grabbed a hold of me, as I realized I was running away and leaving Louis all alone. Despite the fact, I knew this wasn’t the real Louis anymore; I couldn’t help but pity him and the life he led. It was a brutal existence, but he thrived on unwavering hope and was full of so much love. What had happened to make him so bitter and why was he after me?

  I forced myself to snap out of it and put my conscious and neurotic questions aside. I grabbed some blue-grey candles and wrapped them in a tattered rag along with the cornbread, some herbs and oils in case I needed to call on any spirits out there.

  I took a deep breath and quickly opened the creaky wooden door and step out into the hot night. If I didn’t escape now and reconnect my soul, I would be a prisoner for eternity in this plane. My life would be a never ending battle that would consist of rotten food and intolerable amounts of labor. Escape was my only option.

  Chapter 22

  Mait' Carrefour

  Outside, the stars and crescent moon bathed the slave grounds in a ghostly glow and the low hum of a coded slave song greeted me. Slaves scurried around the property gathering water and grinding corn. Their weary faces were caked in mud and sweat. I went unnoticed by them. They were too absorbed
, with their own tasks, to pay any attention to me. Luckily, I saw that the ugly driver was at the far end of the camp. He slumped in a wooden chair and sloppily slurped from a bottle of rum. He was far away, but I could see that he was half asleep.

  The slaves moved with a rhythm that was heartbreakingly wretched, gloomy, but oddly optimistic. For a split-second I second guessed my decision to run away. Why was I so indecisive? The primal part of me wanted to fight for my own well-being, but the emotional side of me didn’t want all of these people to suffer. I had toiled with them all day in the fields, yet didn’t know any of their names.

  “You’re not meant to be here,” hissed Bade. “Run Arelia, run.”

  Too tired to argue, for the first time in my life, I simply listened. My legs wobbled, and I was certain that I would collapse at any second, but I ran like hell. The muddy earth and sharp rocks scrapped the bottoms of my feet and the lack of food was catching up with me. I could feel my energy slowly draining and my willingness to fight abandoning me.

  After what felt like forever, I was unable to run any longer, I stopped and caught my breath behind an oak tree. I forced back the hot tears that started to slide down my cheeks. There was no way I would make it out of this mess alive. The soles of my feet had started to bleed, and my hand was in agonizing pain. The savage hunger in my belly was beyond distracting, and to top it off, I had no idea how I would get to the swamp without someone from the main house seeing me.

  I sat down and placed my hands over my eyes. I needed a moment to think and recompose. Everyone kept telling me to be strong, but where was I supposed to keep finding enough strength to go on when everything around me reeked of death and misery.

  “Where do you think you’re going?” asked a gruff voice, as a beefy hand gripped my scrawny arm.

  Like a helpless ragdoll, the red-headed driver pulled me up from the ground and shook me viciously. His green eyes were filled with utter fury and hatred, as he dug his grimy nails into my arm. I was horrified to see that he carried a whip in his right hand. There was no way I was going to let him use that thing on me.

  “Get the hell away from me!” I kicked his shin hard which momentarily shocked and prompted him to abruptly release me. At that point, all I could think of was running despite the blinding pain. I ran as fast as I could. Unfortunately, the stupid dress was too long. I was mortified when I tripped over a rock and landed flat on my face. I brought my hand to my cheek and realized that I had cut myself on the rock. Blood from my cheek slowly drizzled down to my mouth.

  As I looked up, I saw the driver standing over me, his face was twisted in a cruel snarl and he took grisly delight in my horror, as he cracked his whip in the air.

  “Nowhere to run slave,” he taunted.

  Grand-mere Bea and Aunt Mae had always taught me never to mess with unpredictable spirits unless I was willing to pay the price. As I lay on the dirt, with the horrific slave driver standing over me, I knew I was willing to pay any price to retain my dignity. There was no way I would let him take a piece of me. He didn’t deserve the satisfaction. He took pleasure in other people’s pain and now, he needed to be on the receiving end of his own cruelty.

  I needed to call on someone powerful and as dark as this guy.

  The driver kicked me in the stomach, and I let out a shriek. “You ass!” I hollered. “You don’t want to mess with a powerful voodoo queen!” I screamed at the top of my lungs. I was powerful, and now I would have to prove it.

  He let out a deep laugh, as he leaned to the ground and hovered over my face. His rum infused breath was unbelievably overpowering. The satisfaction in his eyes was infuriating. “Let me go, or you’ll be sorry. I don’t make threats that I can’t keep,” I said.

  The driver grabbed a fist full of my hair and pulled my head back, so that my eyes met his. “That blasphemy can’t save you. Nothing can!” he yelled.

  He brutally let go of my hair and clutched my arm again. Waves of utter despair and helpless crossed over me. I tried hard to think back to what spirit would be able to help me, but no one came to mind. I couldn’t call on Sousson Pannan because he was totally unstable; it had to be someone calm but powerful. It had to be… Think Arelia. Think.

  I tried to, but as I got hauled across the muddy path. The only thing I could think of was how much pain I was in. I glanced up at the driver, and wanted more than anything to make him disappear altogether. I focused on the LaRue family spell book and slowly recalled a useful name.

  “Mait' Carrefour are you near?” I whispered. I remembered that he was the spirit who controlled more demonic night spirits. He was Legba’s counterpart. While Papa Legba, gave gentle spirits and souls permission to cover over from the other side, Mait' Carrefour gave more ruthless spirits and souls permission to cross.

  He also was responsible for allowing a queen to cast vast amounts of destruction and bad luck upon another person. When I had read about Mait' Carrefour, I had found him threatening and vowed that I would never ask him from help, but now I needed him more than ever. Supposedly, he was feared because he was misunderstood. I figured if I was respectful he would help me. However, I didn’t have anything to offer him except for some cornbread and blue-grey candles. What would he ask of me?

  “Mait' Carrefour please answer me.”

  “I’m here Arelia,” responded a deep and strangely seductive voice.

  The driver stumbled on a rock and fell face down on the dirt which caused him to release me. I quickly got up and sprinted as fast as I could.

  “Come to me Arelia,” beckoned the voice.

  “Where are you?” I screamed as I looked over my shoulder and saw that the driver had gotten up and was fast on my heels.

  “Here,” advised the voice. “Come to me.”

  Up ahead, I saw an uncommonly tall, muscular and embarrassingly handsome man. Moonlight bounced of his high cheekbones. His large bare torso was perfectly sculpted, and his full lips held a hint of arrogance. He leaned carelessly against an oak tree and smoked a large pipe.

  “Mait' Carrefour?”

  “Yes.” He casually blew a cloud of smoke right on my face.

  I choked as it hit me. Be respectful. Be respectful. I reminded myself. “I need your help, please,” I pleaded. The driver was getting seriously close.

  “You need to escape from that ugly man?” he questioned.

  “Yes, I can’t outrun him. Please help me get rid of him. I’ll do whatever you want.”

  “Do you want me to take him to the other side?” he innocently asked.

  “The other side?”

  “Yes, where he can roam around with other ugly souls.”

  I glanced at the driver as he approached. I thought about how he had whipped Louis and how he took pleasure in others humiliation.

  “But isn’t this the other side?”

  “No silly girl, there are many other sides. Where do you want him to go? I can take him there. What nightmare do you want him to experience? I can call up on all sorts of demons and ghouls that would love to play with this little man.”

  “I want him to feel the same pain he inflicts on others.”

  Mait’ Carrefour leaned closer to me and blew some more smoke into my face. “An eternity of lashes?”

  God. An eternity of lashes seemed atrociously cruel even for this guy.

  A hand grabbed me and thrust me to the ground. I felt a boot against my ribs and let out a bitter scream. The hollow cry of distant birds filled my ears. As the driver’s boot dug into my ribs, I saw a snake slithering towards me.

  “Squeeze the snake Arelia. Squeeze the snake like you want to squeeze this little man, and I’ll take care of the rest,” urged Mait’ Carrefour.

  I looked up at the driver’s face and then back down at the snake. It was either me or the snake.

  “Make your choice Arelia. Sacrifice the snake in my name or be an eternal prisoner here.” Mait’ Carrefour bent over and lightly stroked my forehead.

  I saw the driver pull out his
whip, and I knew what I had to do. I took a deep breath and grabbed a hold of the snake. I closed my eyes and focused all of my rage into squeezing as hard as I possibly could.

  A lash of a whip crackled in the night air, and my eyes snapped open. The driver fell to the ground as Mait’ Carrefour stood over him, whip in hand.

  “Keep on squeezing Arelia, and I’ll keep on whipping,” he said, as he dished out another lash. “If you kill that snake in my name, I’ll take him with me.”

  I squeezed harder. The driver’s screams grew louder. He blindly searched for the offender. Mait’ Carrefour calmly smoked his pipe and continued to whip.

  The driver’s screams were deafening, as blood oozed from his wounds.

  I stopped squeezing and let go of the snake. It slithered away at a sluggish pace. I caught my breath and lifted myself up from the ground.

  Mait’ Carrefour stopped whipping, and the driver lay still and silent. I went to where he was and saw that he was still alive.

  “Not strong enough to make the sacrifice?” asked Mait’ Carrefour.

  I examined his handsome face. “Thank you for your help Mait’ Carrefour, but I don’t want to be as ugly as him.”

  Then, I ran like hell.

  Chapter 23

  Beautiful Spirit

  As I got closer to the main house, I was out of breath and cursed myself for not working out. I was trembling from what had just occurred, and my cheek ached like hell. I tried to wipe away the blood, but it kept flowing in a seemingly never ending stream. My hands were stained, and I felt like a monster for almost strangling a poor snake to save myself. I wanted to cry some more, but I was too tired and the numbness was gradually taking over. Deep within, I knew that the nasty slave driver deserved everything he got, but he was still a human, and I couldn’t help but feel a little remorse for what I had done.

  When I finally regained my composure, I saw that the magnificent house was fully lit and the drunken chatter of people radiated from the front porch. As I peered out from behind a gigantic oak, I could see a cluster of colorful ball gowns and expensive tuxedoes. Obviously there was some kind of ball.