Authors: Penelope Fletcher
My eyes settled on the far wall. I
stepped forward, my mouth parting in wonder at the beauty of it.
With another step, I caught an odd vibration and stopped dead in my
tracks even before Tomas reached for me. He clasped my tail and
yanked it once forcing me to stumble back. He wrapped his arm
around my shoulders, and there was nothing romantic about the
gesture, it was born of fear.
A wide drum was by my side, its rim in
decorated in interesting runes. Unable to help myself I slapped my
palm onto the taut surface. The sound boomed and echoed in the tiny
shack. My hand stilled before it beat the dried skin again. I
retracted it slowly feeling rather than hearing Tomas’ snarl, and
rubbed my now sweaty palm on my thigh.
“
The Tamboulas won’t hurt
you,” Ro said after a pause and leaned round me to thump it again.
The sound seemed different. It still echoed, but was less powerful.
Crestfallen, he shrugged his big shoulders and knelt in front of
the colorful wall.
“
Ro will be a fine Houngan
one day.” Papa Obe wagged his stick of bleached bone at him, voice
accusatory in tone. “He would be already if he came home more
often.”
The shrine that covered the entire
back wall captured my attention again though I made no move toward
it this time. My nature did not like the feel of it. No matter how
pleasing it was to my eye.
“
What is that?” I asked
quietly feeling that shouting would somehow desecrate the sanctity
of it.
“
The Hounfour, my place of
worship. I miss the old days, when we had whole temples dedicated
to veneration of Bondaye, the Creator. We honored the gods in
style.” Papa Obe sighed and paused whatever he was drawing on the
floor. “But in times like these we do what we can to commune with
the spirits. I pray they understand and forgive us.” He bowed his
head then went back to his task of scratching a pattern on the
floor with his rough piece of chalk.
Lex and Ro seemed to take comfort from
bending down by the Hounfour to help him. Well, it gave me the
creeps so I steered clear of it, as did Tomas.
Papa Obe chucked the chalk into the
corner and dusted his hands off. He plucked one of the bulging bags
hanging from his neck and handed it to me with a
flourish.
I bounced it in my palm. It was
weighty for something so small. “What’s this?” I asked
curiously.
“
My blood, chicken bone,
cat spit, a shifter claw, and twice burnt wood.”
Horror-struck, I tried to hand it back
to him. “Ta, but I don’t think I need this.”
He smiled showing pink gums and
missing teeth. “I want it back. You need to hold it for the
blessing, Priestess.”
I attempted a grateful smile, but
considering the sly chuckle from Ro I don’t think I pulled it
off.
Lex stood to one side of the shrine
her head flung back, and Papa Obe motioned Ro to stand behind
me.
Tomas needed no prompting to let me go
and slide out the way. He plastered himself to the wall and
glowered at Papa Obe. I did not like seeing him so uncomfortable
but letting him roam outside so moody was not the best
idea.
The Vodoun surrounded me and I felt a
dart of apprehension. “Uh, what are you going to do?”
Papa Obe grinned and my skin crawled.
“We’re going to ask the Loa to watch over you.”
The magic in the air thickened and the
smell of the herbs became sharp, pungent. The hanging basket
exploded into flames, and dark blue smoke gathered then snaked
through the air, moving like it was alive. It twisted around Papa
Obe and caressed his skin. I waved away tendrils of sapphire smoke
licking my neck and shoulders.
“
Y’know, I’m good,” I
squeaked, and flapped my hands with an air of panic. “Don’t, ah,
bother them.”
Ro thumped the drum behind me. I
jumped and spun round. Lex beat another drum, and I spun again, my
heart pounding erratically.
Papa Obe’s eyes rolled into the back
of his head and he muttered into his cupped hands, breathing in the
smoke then blowing it toward me. A vine of smoke darted into my
mouth. Back bowing, my head filled with empty space even as all my
limbs became weighty. The smoke curled out my mouth and circled me,
sliding over every inch of my skin.
The drums steadily increased in tempo.
Obe opened his hands wide and wailed something in a language I did
not understand, but his words hammered against my ears painfully,
and the increasing drumbeats had me shaking my head.
“
Stop,” I mumbled and fell
to my knees, but the pounding continued.
A gust of wind stirred my hair; blue
smoke swirled against my legs, and brushed my face.
The wooden slats of the shack rattled
and the roof squeaked and clattered against the foundations. I
glanced up and I swear the masks on the ceiling expressions had
changed, lips curving into evil smiles, and eyes becoming swirling
vortexes.
I freaked out big time, and staggered
across the shack with every intention of leaving. I was confident
the floorboards should not look like brown snakes. Swells of sand
slid in-between the writing serpents and a few grains flicked into
my eyes. It stung and I pressed my fingers into the corners by my
nose, covering my mouth. I kept moving toward the door.
Ro jumped in my path. “Don’t break the
circle,” he panted then closed his eyes and chanted with
Obe.
Lex was not saying anything. She stood
there, and stared at me with red eyes, and a blank expression
beating her drum in repetitive thumps.
My mouth dried with fear and I shot a
terrified look at Tomas whose fangs had run out and who was darting
suspicious looks between the Vodoun.
As abruptly as the ruckus had started,
it stopped, and a sudden pulse of dark energy slid across my skin.
I quivered, my limbs twitching uncontrollably before I was left
panting, eyes stinging. I shuddered, realizing I was clutching the
bag of bones and blood to my chest.
I thrust it out to Obe who took it and
retied it to his chest. “That should provide you with some
protection.” He cupped a hand to his ear. “The whispers tell me you
need it.”
I said nothing. I turned to Ro. “I’d
like to leave please. Now.”
He set his drum down and wiped sweat
beading his brow. The beads on the end of his cornrows clinked
together as he shook his head. “And go where? You need to rest up,
Rae.”
I wrapped my arms around my middle and
sent an apologetic look at Papa Obe. After all, in his own creepy
way he was being hospitable. “I can’t stay here. We can go back to
Temple tonight. Amelia, Nimah, and Runt need my help. The thought
of leaving them in that horrible prison turns my stomach to rot. My
nature does not like it here. I won’t be able to sleep. Please, I’m
fine, I just want to go.”
Ro studied me. “Them demons worth it,
eh?”
I bobbed my head. “I made a bargain
with their Alpha. We have a real shot at getting them out alive and
unseen using the tunnel if we act fast. They might not have even
found the Cleric you stashed in the dungeon in my place
yet.”
He shared a look with Papa Obe who
inclined his head. Ro knuckled his head then shrugged. “Say-so. If
going back is what you want then I’m with you.”
“
I’m sorry. I don’t mean to
put you in any more danger, but I have to do this. You guys can
stay here, safe.”
“
No. We stay with you,” Lex
said from beside me and I jumped, pressed a hand to my
heart.
“
It is decided,” Tomas said
already half way out the crooked door.
Ro hugged his mentor and murmured his
thanks. Obe clasped the back of his head and muttered a prayer
pushing his fingers into Ro’s forehead. Lex bowed her head at the
Houngan in a show of respect then left without a backward
glance.
Papa Obe slid in front of me when I
tried to leave.
Hearing my startled gasp, Tomas was
back up the steps in a blur, and grabbed the man by throat. Papa
Obe’s eyes rolled back in his head and the masks on the ceiling
rattled. Tomas’ knees gave out and he dropped like a
stone.
Infuriated, I turned on the Houngan
but he held up his palm.
“
Hear me. I have a message
from the other side for you,” he said calmly. “It is not something
that happens often so I suggest you listen.”
I jutted my chin out and nodded
stiffly, my eyes darting from his face to Tomas’ rigid
form.
“
Love your family and all
will be well,” he said. The tenor of his voice changed radically.
It became gentler and more ancient.
Well that was helpful. I did love my
family; Conall was most dear to me.
“
Ta,” I mumbled and slipped
past him.
Tomas’ stiff body relaxed when Obe
slammed the door. Eyes flying open he sprung up and dusted himself
off, sending a hateful look at the shack then an accusing one at
me.
With a shrug I reminded him, “You did
grab him.”
He sniffed and walked away.
I followed behind biting back a
smile.
Passing the goat I paused, and chewed
my lip. He watched me with such gullibility I melted inside. I
looked left I looked right then untied the rope around his neck and
stamped my foot until he trotted off. Hopefully, he would have a
small taste of freedom before he found himself inside some hungry
slum dwells cook pot. My gaze drifted back to Papa Obe’s shack …
better the goat feed a starving family than die under a ceremonial
knife in the name of black magics.
We made it back to Temple with no
problems, and I was so excited about getting the shifters out I
barely thought about how odd that was – to make it back without
seeing any Clerics on guard. I knew they couldn’t exactly publicize
my escape lest they cause mass hysteria, but still.
Nothing?
Under cover of darkness we gathered at
tunnel opening in the compound wall that lead to the rooms beneath
the Sect Temple.
Without slowing, without a word, Tomas
ducked into the tunnel and was gone.
I pressed my back into the wall and
crossed my arms over my chest. I sank down onto my ass, and smiled
tightly. “Lex, you got this?”
She took a long look at me then
nodded. “It won’t take long. They must be in a room further down.”
She ducked down into the tunnel and her slender form was swallowed
into the gloom in moments.
Ro stepped one foot in and paused,
cocked his head at me questioningly.
I shook my head. “The iron,” I
explained, thankful there were two reasons why I could not go down
that tunnel. “The walls and doors are brushed with it. It’ll weaken
me and I’ll be more a threat than help. Get them out and come back.
I’ll keep anyone coming in here after you.”
Ro snorted then was gone.
Sitting with my back against the wall,
I kept my senses open in case of patrolling Clerics. The smell of
iron wafting out of the tunnel truly made me ill, and I scooted
further away from the opening to turn my nose into the
breeze.
Being scared of going back down into a
small cramped place was stupid. I couldn’t have such a fear, what
if Lex or Tomas hadn’t of been here? I would have had to go in
myself and deal with it. I looked up at the sky. We still had most
of the night to work with. When we got them out we could hide in
the forest until we figured out where to go. No doubt Amelia and
Nimah would want to go home, but Breandan’s location had shifted.
Whatever was holding him up before was gone for he drew closer to
me at tremendous speed.
Left alone with my thoughts the
creeping doubts returned. Things were starting to make far too much
sense to me. The more I learnt the more I began to believe I was
meant to lead these demons from the darkness. As impossible as it
was, they listened to me and respected my opinion. No matter how
many times I messed up or said something stupid they still turned
to me and trusted my word. Even more worrisome, though I could
fight for them, and be the warrior they needed me to be, I still
did not think that I was meant to be their Priestess. Being a voice
of reason when others damned the human race was one thing. Leading
an entire race for millennia was another.
A crunching noise caught my attention
and I slipped into a crouch and spread my wings. There was a soft
curse, more snapping twigs, and I relaxed.
I knew that voice. I straightened, and
crossed my arms over my chest, my unease dissipating. Ana came out
of the bushes and froze when she saw me. Her blonde hair was
plaited into an intricate braid and a few wisps framed her elfin
face. Ana was short, shorter than me and petite in frame. She had a
funny shade of blue eyes and high cheekbones.
Ana the white witch was young and
powerful, extremely powerful. She could see the possible futures of
people she looked upon or touched and was often simply referred to
by the fairies as the Seer.
Even now her eyes glazed over as she
looked at me. Ana had told me Breandan and I were overwhelming to
look at, and that we had many futures, each more dangerous than the
last. Whatever she saw when she looked at me now troubled
her.