As if!
I trudged through the thick vegetation, uncertain that I was going the right way. In all honesty, I'm more of an indoor type girl, and I hadn't paid too much attention to the landmarks of the place the last time I'd been there. I'm sure my old Girl Scout counselor would have been unsurprised to learn this.
"Elizabeth." Juan stopped me by putting a hand on my shoulder and turning me towards him. "Are you okay?"
I didn't look at him right away. The slight pressure of his palm against my skin made me feel shivery again, like a small fever coursed through me. Memories of our night together passed through my mind, mixing with images from two years ago. And along with that came feelings--deep, powerful feelings that I hadn't known, hadn't remembered, existed.
I'd fallen in love with Juan Carlos.
But the memory had been lost to me. My subconscious mind had given me clues, making me dream about him night after night, but it wasn't the same as actually feeling it. And I did. Which was why I didn't want to tell him about the Baron and what I needed to do to free him and Jean Lafitte.
Sleeping with other guys, even if they are powerful voodoo spirits, is just not acceptable with most men.
"I’m okay," I said, finally meeting his gaze. He studied me, those deep brown eyes probing for information, searching for answers. "Juan, I remember it all now."
He nodded, a slow smile creeping on his face.
"That's good." His voice was cautious. "How are you feeling?"
"Like I've finally awakened. Like the puzzle pieces are coming together."
"That's not what I mean."
"I remember how I felt," I said, slowly. "About you."
"And now? Do you feel the same?"
"Yes." The word came without hesitation. I did still love him. I did still long for him. But right then I couldn't ignore the reality of the situation. It didn't matter if I slept with some sex crazed voodoo spirit or not. Juan would still be dead. His soul might be free, but he would still be dead.
"That's good." He pulled me to him, obviously relieved by my answer. As his lips came crashing down on mine, my bewildered brain battled with a different question. Did he love me? Was he relieved because he felt the same way about me? Or was it because my love was the only thing that could save him from an eternity on the Deadman's Ferry?
You never really knew him that well, a sly little voice whispered in my head. You just gave your heart blindly.
I tried to push the thoughts away. But they kept coming back up, hindering my enjoyment of his hands running up and down my back as he kissed me in a way that normally I would have felt all the way to my toes. Juan must have sensed this because he pulled away.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
"Nothing." The lie came easily. Not a good sign. "I'm just…overwhelmed by it all."
"Everything will be alright soon." Juan tugged on my hair affectionately. "C'mon. Let's get to the treasure. I want you to tell me about the ritual that is going to take place."
I took a deep breath and let Juan take over leading the way.
He always has to do everything his way.
There was the damn voice in my head again! My subconscious was definitely doing a number on me.
"Well, basically, Euralie wants to re-create the ritual used to start the curse. Then I'm supposed to renegotiate the terms with the spirit of the crossroads. I'm going to suggest Diego as a suitable replacement for Jean Lafitte. That will be a fair trade," I said.
"Do they think that will work?"
"Sort of."
"What do you mean? Is there something else?"
"Well, there's you, of course," I said. "I’m going to have to offer this guy more to get you off the hook, too."
"Like what?"
"Um…well," I gulped. "He likes sex."
Juan stopped walking. It was a full minute before he turned to look at me. I'd never seen him angry before. It hardened his features, somehow making him sexier than ever. Except for his eyes. They glowed with this new emotion, making me uneasy.
"So you are going to sleep with him?"
"Well, I don't think there will be any sleep involved."
"You know what I mean. Sex. You're going to have sex with him."
"The thought had crossed my mind. But I thought I'd give asking for your freedom a try first."
"No."
"Look, Lafitte and Euralie both know that there is a loophole to this whole curse thing. Hell, I saw it in a vision myself. This spirit is a sucker for love. If I do this, he'll view it as a sacrifice in the name of love and let you go free," I said.
Juan didn't look any happier.
"So I'm supposed to be excited that you are going to screw some spirit just to get me off the hook?" He crossed his arms. "I don't think so, Elizabeth. There is no honor in that."
"Honor? What other choice is there?"
"Um…well, not having sex? How about that one?"
"Then I guess you'll be stuck on the ferry forever with no hope of ever crossing over and getting peace," I pointed out. "Think about it. Sex with a spirit or an eternity of lost souls?"
His features darkened and I could feel the anger coming off of him. It frightened me.
Did you know he had this dark side? The voice in my head whispered.
"I forbid you to do this," he said. "This is too great a sacrifice. I cannot allow you to…degrade yourself like that."
I didn't know what to say. Part of me was flattered that he cared enough not to want me to do this act. Part of me wanted to be much more childish and tell him that he wasn't the boss of me. I chose to be silent and brushed past him, tears filling my eyes.
"Elizabeth!" he called after me. "This isn't finished!"
I didn't answer. Up ahead there seemed to be a little clearing, and if I had to guess, I figured we were in the center of the island. The treasure would be close. It would be best just to focus on that for the time being. I swiped at my eyes and stumbled into the clearing.
And there it was. The tall majestic cypress tree with a single letter carved deep into its trunk: L. I knew that several yards before it on the ground, concealed by time and the elements, laid a heavy wooden trapped door. Beneath it was a man-made cavern, the resting place of the cursed Lafitte treasure.
The first time I'd entered this clearing, I'd felt the power of the curse. It gave off a low vibration of energy that made the skin prickle and the head feel heavy. I recognized the same hum now.
So did Juan. He groaned. When I turned to look at him, his normally tan skin looked sallow, as if all the spirit energy was being sucked away from him.
"Juan?" I rushed to him. "Are you okay?"
"I'm weakening." He leaned against me. "I have no power here. Must be something to do with the curse."
He fell to his knees and I knelt beside him.
"Juan, hold on. We'll fix this," I said, though I had no idea what to do. "Let's get you out of here. C'mon."
The bushes rustled, announcing the approach of someone.
"Euralie, come quick," I called. "Juan needs your help."
"Does he?"
Uh-oh. That didn't sound like Euralie's voice.
Diego Martes pushed his away out of the brush, gun in hand.
"Now why would a ghost need help?" he asked. "They're already dead."
Diego looked terrible. In the hours that had passed between our last meeting, he appeared to have gotten thinner and his eyes were sunk in his head, leaving dark hollows beneath them. Sweat dotted his forehead and there were rings of perspiration all around the armpits of his shirt. A foul odor perfumed the man, reminding me of a rotting or decayed animal.
He moved towards us, and I didn't know what to do. I was torn between running and staying. I could literally see Juan fading away. It started with his lower body and crept up like a magic eraser to his torso. He looked up, grabbed my hand, and with a pleading look said, "Please remember what I said. Don't sacrifice yourself for me. There is no honor in that."
Then
Juan's fingers faded from mine and he dissolved. I could smell his essence all around me, and I closed my eyes, inhaling it, wishing it would last, and knowing that my heart was about to break into a thousand tiny pieces.
"Ah…how sad," Diego sneered. "Looks like the big, bad Montoya can't take care of his woman anymore."
"Shut up, Diego."
His narrowed his eyes. "Don't you talk to me like that. I'm the one giving orders now."
"Screw you. I’m not scared of you. You need me."
Diego raised his gun.
"Go ahead," I said. "I dare you to. Then you'll never get the curse lifted."
"I saw Euralie though she didn't see me. I can make her talk," Diego said.
"No. She's bound by her ancestry. She can't invoke the spirit."
"Bullshit."
"Ask her yourself. It's why we're here. I was going to lift the curse and free Juan Carlos." I watched Diego's eyes twitch with uncertainty. He was so nervous and jumpy that I feared any small sound would cause him to pull that trigger in self-defense.
"You are going to free me," Diego said. "Tell me the name of the spirit. I can say it. I can call it."
"Not till midnight," I said. "That's when its magic is strongest."
"Then there's no reason not to tell me the name now," he insisted.
"I tell you the name, you kill me." I tried to sound brave, but my voice quaked. "Then Euralie won't do the ritual at all. There would be nothing in it for her. I don't think she would lift a finger to help you."
Diego thought it over. I could see a million holes in my logic but luckily for me, Diego was too tired or too messed up in the head to catch them. After a terse moment, he nodded his head.
"Sit down," he jerked his head in the direction of a nearby tree stump. "We'll wait for her to come find you."
He'd mentioned seeing Euralie, but not Eddie. I wondered if he knew his old buddy was still alive. Of course, it didn't matter. There was no way I could tell either of them they were walking into a trap.
The bushes rustled and I held my breath, unsure if I should call out a warning. Before I could make up my mind, Diego clapped a hand over my mouth, blocking off any sound I might have made. I saw Euralie freeze, raw terror creeping across her face at the sight of Diego.
"Hello, Euralie." Diego laughed softly. "You don't look happy to see me."
Her eyes darted to me and then back to Diego. Indecision mixed with the terror. I knew she was weighing the odds: run or stay.
"Get over here or I'll shoot Elizabeth," he said. "And then I'll find you and we'll have some more fun. It'll be just like old times."
Trembling, she took a step towards us. I strained to see behind her, wondering where Eddie was.
Please don't let him walk in on this, I prayed. Keep him safe in the bushes.
I closed my eyes, trying to get my head clear. That's when I heard the voice of doubt whisper in my head again.
Eddie would never desert you like Juan Carlos did, even if he does love the voodoo priestess.
Before I could examine that thought, Diego removed his hand.
"Are you okay?" I asked Euralie. She knew what I was really asking though. Where is Eddie?
"Everything is fine," she answered with a slight nod of her head.
"Have a seat, Euralie." Diego nodded to the ground next to me, keeping the gun trained on us. "We have lots to catch up on."
*****
The hours passed in a blur. There wasn't much to do. Diego either couldn't or wouldn’t explain how he'd managed to find his way back to the island, but I figured it had something to do with the curse. Something else seemed to be guiding all of these strange puzzle pieces together. Diego didn't trust Euralie or me, and despite the fatigue surrounding him, he kept a watchful eye on us. There was no chance to escape or plot together. We weren't even allowed to duck behind a tree when nature called, and by the time evening rolled around, I had to pee so badly it was practically unbearable. I finally gave into the urge and squatted in front of a tree, not caring who saw.
As I hitched my pants back up, my eyes searched the brush surrounding our clearing, wondering what Eddie was doing, what plan he might be hatching.
And then there was Juan.
I wondered what had happened to him. Would I see him again? Was it too late?
To keep myself from dwelling on this too much, I began thinking about the ritual. As I mulled over what was supposed to happen, an idea occurred to me. In the original curse, Marie Laveau had summoned the Baron and brokered the deal. In the latest ritual that was to be my job. Diego wanted to have the curse lifted from him. He didn't know about the trade I wanted to make: his soul for Jean Lafitte's and Juan's freedom. I remembered how Lafitte had been tricked into accepting the terms though he didn't know them. Could I pull a similar trick on Diego? After all, once he heard what I wanted, I doubted he would be that excited about further negotiations.
Probably not a good idea to bring that up before we got started.
Slowly the night crept in around us, and Euralie and I watched the moon rise higher in the sky as the hours slipped by. An owl hooted, and from far away came an answering call. Then silence fell and the air grew heavy with energy.
"It's time." Euralie suddenly stood. "I must begin preparing for the ritual."
Her voice was thick and something about her eyes looked off. They were glassy and bloodshot. If I hadn't seen her sitting there for the last few hours, I might have thought she was on drugs or drunk. But though I had little real experience with voodoo, even I could feel the hum of dark power in this place. Euralie, with all her skills, must have been even more tuned into it. She strode past Diego without fear and picked up her bag. Opening it, she brought out a short stick with a pointed end.
"Are you planning to pull a Buffy?" I joked nervously. "I don't think there are any vampires around here."
"This is from a sacred tree of the bayou, blessed by Damballa Wedo, the father of all things," Euralie said. "It is ancient and used for only the most important rituals."
She drew a circle with the stick in front of the tall Cypress tree with the L engraved in its bark. The ring stretched around the trapdoor that led to the cursed treasure. Then she threw the sacred stick into the center and lit a fire in the center of the circle, though how it stayed burning is a mystery to me. There was no kindling for it to spark to. Yet, the flames licked up fast, dancing and billowing in a wicked little dance.
"We pay respect to Ayida Wedo, the mate of Damballa and giver of life," Euralie intoned. From her bag she produced a bottle of rum which she proceeded to pour over the flames. They rose higher, turning a pale green. "Guide us tonight. Protect us from those that seek to harm our spirits."
I glanced at Diego who was mesmerized by the fire. Could I get the gun away from him? Too risky, I decided. Instead, I watched Euralie place candles around the circle. One by one they lit up without her touching them. She reached into a bag of herbs and then blew whatever was in the bag at the fire. They swirled in the blaze, creating shadows and the scent of jasmine floated around us.
"And now we summon the spirit who guards the dark and desperate path of the crossroads." Euralie looked at me. "It's time, Elizabeth. You must call forth his name."
"Now?" I gulped. "Ok. Let me get my purse."
"What?" Euralie's face darkened with confusion. "Don't you know the name?"
"Not exactly," I admitted.
"But you had the paper. I saw you look at it."
"Yeah, but I didn't really read it. And then Juan took it from me before I had a chance to examine it."
Diego and Euralie both looked pissed.
"You guys just assumed I knew the name. What's the big deal, Euralie? I told you it was in the beacon which I have it in my purse. Just give me a second." I turned to where my bag had been laying all afternoon. "Oh, shit."
It was gone.
"Um…did either of you move it?" I looked around. Where had it gone? The only time I'd really moved from the spot
was to pee and when Euralie had begun the ritual.
Eddie. He had to have taken it. But why? What could he be thinking?
"What are you two trying to pull?" Diego snarled. He moved forward, the gun's barrel flashing in the light cast out by the flames.
"Nothing," I stammered.
"Call the spirit!" Diego yelled. "Don't fuck with me!"
He fired the gun. Luckily, the shot went wild and embedded itself above the L in the Cypress tree. Euralie and I both screamed.
"Okay, okay," I said. "Just calm down."
"Do it now or I'll shoot her." Diego leveled the gun at Euralie. "I don't need her anymore now that she has done the ritual."
Helpless, I stared at Euralie. What the hell was I going to do? Where was my purse?
"Baron," I called, hoping that the title would be enough. "Please come to me."
Nothing happened, and Diego cocked the trigger.
"Wait!"
Eddie stepped out from the brush, the locator beacon dangling in his hand.
"She doesn't know the name, Diego."
Diego's eye widened at the sight of Eddie. "I killed you."
"You thought you did. I know you, Diego, and I know better than to take chances." He smiled at Diego, but there was no real mirth in it. "I have the name you want right here. Montoya put it in this little wrist beacon, thinking that his girlfriend would keep it safe."
"Give it to me," Diego demanded. "Or else I'll kill your voodoo whore."
Anger flashed in his eyes, but Eddie stayed where he was.
"Let's do an exchange. You take the name and call the spirit yourself. I get Euralie. That's what the original deal was for two years ago anyway. Only you got greedy and had to touch the treasure." Eddie shook his head. "You always were overeager."
"Why should I trust you?" Diego asked. "How do I know the name is even in that beacon?"
"You don't."
"Give it to Elizabeth," Diego said. "She can open it and if the name is there, then I'll call the spirit myself."
"Fine." Eddie motioned for me to come over to him. I took the wrist watch, my hands shaking. Turning it over, I tried twisting the backside of it. It popped out, revealing a piece of paper tucked inside.
Voodoo Love (And the Curse of Jean Lafitte’s Treasure) Page 10