Some of the buildings appeared to be storefronts. None of the buildings, though, were marked with words. Rather, small signs hung over the walkways with single images, or icons, depicting what I supposed the merchants inside offered. Even these signs were difficult to read. The way the light fell from the firmament, and cast shadows from the buildings, barely illuminated each storefront’s marker.
We passed through a stone archway, which opened up into a courtyard of sorts. If you could call it that. No grass grew down here, so the word yard had to be used quite loosely. It was more like a pea-gravel expanse, with benches, picnic tables, and the like. A group of students, I assumed, were huddled around one table. They were deeply focused… on something. One of them turned, and with a blank stare, his eyes followed me as I approached the front door, behind Père Antoine.
“What’s that kid’s deal?” I asked my priestly guide.
“You’ll have to ask him,” the priest replied. “Those students are a part of your class. I’m sure you’ll get to know them quite well.”
“He didn’t look particularly pleased to see me.”
“I’m sure he’s just mildly surprised to see a face he doesn’t know. Not many outsiders are accepted here.”
“Outsiders?” I asked.
“Someone not born into a Voodoo family, someone without a tradition in the arts.”
“Ahh,” I said. I supposed that made sense. It would be sort of like a Protestant girl enrolling at St. Bonaventure’s. People would want to know why.
Père Antoine gestured toward a large wooden door on the front of the building we approached. I took the cue and pushed it open. It was a heavy door—heavier than it appeared. The doorway opened up to a place that, sort of like this entire underworld, appeared much larger on the inside than anyone could have guessed from the outside. The whole place was lit with candles. Thousands of them, lining the walls, mounted to the rails on the massive staircase that spiraled upward at the rear of the room. The staircase seemed to lead to a single room.
“What’s up there?” I asked.
“That would be where Papa Legba resides, when he’s on campus.”
“Legba?” I asked. The name seemed vaguely familiar.
“The headmaster of the school,” Père Antoine explained.
The ghost-priest led me to a doorway just off the edge of one of the lower-level corridors. He gestured to the door.
Taking the hint, since the ghost apparently couldn’t interact with physical objects, I knocked on the door three times.
“Who’s there?” a deep, though familiar, voice said from within.
“I’ve got your newest initiate,” Père Antoine replied.
After a few shuffling sounds, and a distinct thud, the door swung open.
“Annabelle!” Oggie said, wrapping me in his massive arms.
I wasn’t sure if I should push myself away or return the hug. It was a bit awkward considering the fact that I’d barely met him, and under unusual circumstances, no less. Still, I didn’t want to seem rude. I gave a half-hearted squeeze in return, even while my whole body tensed up. The hug didn’t feel like an old person hug. Not at all. Not like if I’d ran into an old family friend or something. It felt like the kind of hug I might get from a guy at the end of a first date. An awkward hug… One that said I like you well enough to see you again, but not so much that I think the evening should be sealed with a kiss. But with Oggie, I hadn’t even had so much as a date with him. He was supposed to be something like a mentor, I supposed… a teacher. Hugging just felt… inappropriate. But also, mildly arousing all at once. I couldn’t deny the fact that Oggie was one hunk of a Loa.
“Apologies,” Oggie said. “I am just a bit overly excited to begin your training.”
I nodded.
“Thank you, Father,” Oggie said, dismissing my former escort.
“I wish you well on your studies, child,” the priest said as the specter of his body dissolved in front of us.
“So first things first,” Oggie said. “How are you feeling about all of this?”
“This place… it’s incredible,” I said truthfully.
Oggie smiled. “I normally have more time to visit with a recruit before she arrives. Though the circumstances of the other night… were unique. You will be required to stay here for your first year. It’s required for all first-year students, though most students continue to reside on campus. As you know, the journey down here can be a bit taxing, and you’ll be scheduled to begin your training early each day.”
“I’m going to be staying here?” I asked, mildly taken aback. I hadn’t planned on that. With Ashley heading off to the reservation, there’d be no one left to take care of my dog. I instinctively checked my phone. Of course, no signal. I don’t know why I even thought it might work.
“If you’d like, we can go back to your place and fetch anything you might need for your stay here.”
“Are pets permitted? I left my dog at home.”
Oggie smiled. “Shouldn’t be a problem.”
I was pleasantly surprised by his answer. I hadn’t ever enrolled at a college, of any sort, before… though I suspected that most had a strict no-pets policy in their dormitories. “So I have to stay here, but I presume I’m free to come and go as I please?”
“Presuming you intend to commit to our course of studies.”
“And if I don’t?” I asked. “I can’t go home?”
The Loa laughed. “Of course you can. Once we erase your memories.”
My eyes widened. Memory wiping? That’s some serious shit…
“It’s not something we take lightly,” Oggie said. “Trifling with someone’s mind is a very delicate procedure. Though it is necessary, as I’m sure you can understand, to protect our world down here. I don’t suspect the US government would respond kindly if they learned of our existence.”
“And who handles that? The mind wiping, I mean.”
“Maman Brigitte.”
“Maman Brigitte?” I asked, without a clue who she might be.
“Another Loa. She heads another one of our schools here. She’s the best there is when it comes to memory alteration.”
“A Loa?” I asked. “How many Loa teach here?”
“The Loa head each of the five schools. Another, Papa Legba, oversees the whole Academy. Hougans and Mambos teach most of the general education courses.”
I nodded, trying not to betray the alarm I felt internally. I knew that Loa were not supposed to be, strictly speaking, evil… but most of my past encounters with them had been anything but positive. So far, Oggie was the sole exception, and I was still reserving judgment about him.
“So you’ll let me go back and get my dog, and maybe some changes of clothes?”
“I don’t see the harm in it,” Oggie said. “Once I secure your commitment to seeing your studies through.”
“Well I’m no quitter,” I said. “You can take my word for it.”
“Unfortunately that isn’t how it works,” Oggie said. “Your commitment needs to be sealed.”
“Sealed?” I asked. “Like with a ceremony of some kind?”
“I have to mount you,” Oggie said.
I almost chocked on my own saliva. “Excuse me?”
Don’t get me wrong, I was undoubtedly hot for teacher… but being mounted by him? That’s some kind of student orientation. Suddenly, the whole premature hugging thing seemed like child’s play.
“I’m sorry, I forget that our terminology—”
“First of all, no disrespect intended, but I’m not that kind of girl. And besides that, I’m not some kind of animal who can be mounted.” I had my hands on my hips in defiance. I am woman. Hear me roar. Besides, I have a Twitter account, and hashtagging this place with #MeToo probably wasn’t something that would be great for this place’s ongoing secrecy.
Oggie started laughing. “I’m not propositioning you.”
“Look, I’m not just some piece of ass who you can—”
> “Mounting has nothing to do with sleeping together,” Oggie interrupted.
“Wait… what?” I asked.
“It’s something like a possession… that’s what some people call it. But nothing like demon possession. More like a communion in spirits. I’ll vest you with my aspect. It will mark you as part of the school, and more than that, a part of my clan.”
“Oh,” I said, blushing a little. “I thought…”
“I should have been more careful with my phrasing. In traditional Voodoo, it’s called mounting, and the person possessed is referred to as the horse.”
“As the what?” I said, feeling a little more justified about my prior indignation.
“It’s not an insult,” Oggie explained. “Just a metaphor. A horse is still an independent creature, but when a rider has its reins, it becomes disciplined, it moves in a certain direction.”
“By force of a bit and bridle,” I said.
“It’s not a perfect metaphor… in fact, it’s a pretty awful one now that I think about it. Still, it’s just the language that is typically used in Voodoo to describe a possession by a Loa.”
I cocked my head sideways. “You said that you needed to do this to give me your aspect? What’s the purpose of that?”
“I’m giving you the potential for new power. During the mounting, I will not access your memories. I won’t invade your privacy, if that’s what you’re worried about.”
“Potential for new power?” I asked, chewing my bottom lip. “What kind of power?”
“Every new student here will begin two courses of study. Each new class consists of five initiates, each sponsored by their respective Loa. You’ll be in a class with four others, each granted their Loa’s aspect. With your class you’ll complete all of your general education requirements.”
Oggie reached toward his desk, retrieved a manila envelope, and handed it to me.
“This is your first semester’s schedule,” Oggie explained. “Philosophy of the Arts, Beginning Candles and Oils, Introduction to Dollcraft, Summoning 101, and History of the Loa.”
“Only five courses?” I asked. “That doesn’t seem too bad.”
Oggie smiled before clearing a chair of what looked to be half-folded laundry and sitting down. He gestured toward a spot, just barely wide enough for my ass, on his couch. I took his lead and sat down, crossing my legs.
“That is only one-half of your studies,” Oggie continued. “The other half consists of training specific to your aspect.”
“By that, you mean your aspect, right?” I asked.
Oggie nodded. “Think of it like your specialty. When normals go to college, they pick a major.”
“And what, precisely, am I majoring in? ‘Normals,’ as you call them, get to choose their majors.”
“I am the Loa of war,” Oggie said. “You’ll be trained as an elite fighter, second to none on any battlefield. With my aspect you will quickly master a number of fighting techniques, not to mention magical weaponcraft.”
I raised my eyebrows. “Magical weaponcraft?”
“You’ll learn to call weapons from the ether.”
“Like guns?” I asked.
Oggie laughed. “I suppose it’s possible with practice. Though I’m partial to more traditional weapons. Blades, arrows, and darts. The simpler weapons are easier to maintain in form, and with the unique magic these weapons possess, they’ll more than rival any firearm.”
“The other night, you mentioned a war is coming. I assume this training is meant to prepare me for that?”
Oggie nodded. “We’ll cover those details in due time. However, suffice it to say that our method, here at the school, is not exactly traditional. It used to be that in order to acquire the aspect of a Loa, it took many years’ training as a Hougan or Mambo. And only then, very few ever attained a single aspect.”
“But you’re giving me yours on day one?”
“It is a necessity. Not all Loa have humanity’s best interests at heart. Some of them seek their own power. Ever since the gatekeepers disappeared…”
“The gatekeepers?” I asked.
“Between our world and the eternal realm. In Voodoo we call it Guinee… in the Judeo-Christian tradition it is the place once known as the Garden of Eden. For the Celts, it’s Annwn.”
I know this place… I’ve been there. It’s where my power comes from.
I turned my head over my right shoulder and coughed twice, letting Isabelle know I heard her.
“There used to be gatekeepers who guarded the veil between realms,” Oggie said. “Though some time ago they mysteriously disappeared. None of us are sure why. But when they left, it became possible for us to project across the veil.”
“Like astral projection?”
“Precisely,” Oggie said. “For the first time, we Loa could send our spirits here… initiate contact with humans. It used to be that the only way we could engage humans was through a Hougan or Mambo… or some other kind of priest. But not all Loa are wholly benevolent. Most are not purely evil, either. We aren’t like angels or demons, whose loyalties are easy to decipher. Nonetheless, when the gatekeepers disappeared, many of us simply refused to cross over. We were intent to follow the old rules in spite of the fact that the gatekeepers no longer guarded the veil.”
“But others of you…”
“There were some who saw an opportunity… a chance to inhabit humans, to claim hosts and spread their aspects to many. They saw it as a chance to claim power.”
“So you said that the body you inhabit…”
“He was dying of cancer,” Oggie said. “Those of us who embrace the old ways would only inhabit those who were willing, whose lives were already on the brink of death. We would not inhabit a human form by deceit, only if it would benefit them in some way.”
“But the other Loa… the ones you’re trying to stop…”
“They will acquire a host by any means possible. Usually through a bargain, which almost always has a catch.”
“Like Kalfu, the other night at the crossroads.”
Oggie cringed. “Exactly.”
“So he doesn’t have a host.”
“Not yet. He seeks one. Though so far we’ve been able to prevent it. Mikah was not his first target. Kalfu has nearly succeeded, more than once.”
“He said something the other night about how he was imprisoned somehow. He wanted the power I have.”
“Because the spirit with whom you are bound wields the very power that once bound him,” Oggie said. “There are a handful of Loa whose transgressions long preceded the disappearance of the gatekeepers. They’ve been bound by Dryad magic.”
That makes sense, Isabelle said.
All I knew about the Dryad was that in Annwn—or Guinee, as Oggie called it—they were the protectors of the sacred trees and wellsprings. Though, in truth, I knew little else. Whatever I knew I’d been told by Isabelle. She was apparently on the path to become a Dryad before our souls were fused. As she’d explained it, not all “ghosts” have powers like she does…
“That’s why he wanted me,” I said.
“Because you hold the spirit of a Dryad,” Oggie said, as if he already knew it.
“My soul is fused to another’s spirit,” I said. “Though I don’t think she ever became a Dryad… not completely.”
Oggie nodded. “Still, the power she grants you… it could be used, again, to bind the mischievous Loa we need to stop.”
“Which is why you were so quick to recruit me,” I said.
Oggie nodded. “Though your secret is safe with me, I should ask you not share it with anyone else.”
“Not even the other Loa?” I asked.
“Especially not the other Loa,” Oggie said. “While I am reasonably confident that Legba would not recruit any of us to his Academy whom he does not trust, it is not beyond the realm of possibility that he might be deceived.”
I shrugged.
“Suffice it to say, this is a secret you should keep
between us. The power you possess, which could be used to bind the Loa we pursue, could also be used to free those who are already bound.”
“So you recruited me… and my spirit-partner Isabelle… to both use us and keep an eye on us?”
“Well if you put it that way…” Oggie said.
I laughed. “No worries. I get it.”
Oggie’s face was serious. “I don’t think you do. There is a war coming. Our enemies, they bestow their aspects on anyone… willy-nilly.”
“Willy-nilly?” I asked, raising an eyebrow. “Or is it Milli Vanilli?”
“They aren’t just pretending,” Oggie said, trying to stifle his grin. In truth, I was somewhat surprised he got my late-80s reference.
I allowed a shit-eating grin to split my face. “I guess we can’t blame it on the rain…”
“Girl, you know it’s true…”
I busted a gut, unable to contain my laughter. “I’m surprised you get the reference.”
“You’re surprised? I’m more shocked that someone of your age has any clue.”
“The biggest hoax in pop-music history,” I said, grinning. “And I’m partial to music that’s older than I am.”
“If I were to say that,” Oggie said, “you wouldn’t want to know the kind of caveman crap I’d have to listen to.”
I laughed. “How old are you, exactly?”
Oggie shrugged. “Almost as old as dirt. Literally.”
My eyes widened slightly. Unlike most people, I was sure he was using the word literally, well… literally. “That’s crazy! You don’t look a day older than twenty-three.”
“Thanks to my host’s good looks,” Oggie said.
“You can say that again,” I said without thinking. I quickly covered my mouth with my left hand… as if I were trying to stuff those words back in my mouth.
Oggie raised an eyebrow.
“Sorry…” I was half surprised that I’d blurted it out like that. Meanwhile, Isabelle was giggling uncontrollably in my mind. She found nothing more amusing than my own embarrassment.
“Well, I’m sure Isabelle can relate. Her host isn’t hard on the eyes, either.”
Voodoo Academy Page 5