“No touchy,” Pauli said.
“It’s okay,” I told Pauli. “He’s dating Isabelle.”
“Your body, your choice,” Pauli declared.
“Are you suggesting I abort Isabelle?” I asked.
“No way, that would be fucked up!” Pauli said. “Just you shouldn’t let him touch you like that when she isn’t the one in charge.”
“I didn’t mean anything by it,” Mikah said. “Annabelle and I are friends, too.”
Pauli huffed—an odd sound coming from a snake. I was impressed he’d managed to pull it off. With a flash of rainbow light, Pauli disappeared—probably to choose a new victim for his harassment.
“Oggie wants to meet with you as soon as possible,” Mikah said.
“What for?” I asked. “Words of wisdom about the Trials?”
“Probably more than that. It’s his responsibility to prepare you for each Trial. And the first one is scheduled to begin tomorrow. Sauron already left with Sogbo, so she’s already started preparing.”
I shrugged. “Fine with me. Don’t get me wrong. I’ll try my best—maybe I can get that blessing from Dumballah and help Pauli get his body back. But I’m not particularly enthused about becoming High Mambo or some shit.”
“Either way, I’d think you’d at least like to survive,” Mikah said, his eyes narrow and his face stern.
“What is there to worry about?” I asked. “Your girlfriend will keep me safe.”
Listen to him, Annabelle…
I sighed. “But apparently she thinks you’re right.”
“Of course I’m right. And you’re stubborn. It’s going to get you killed someday. And I’d rather not lose my girlfriend on account of your carelessness.”
“Dude, I’m not a moron. And I’m definitely not suicidal. I take this seriously enough. But when you’ve been through what I’ve been through, field days at the Academy aren’t exactly all that intimidating. It’s an inconvenience more than anything else. I mean, I could be using my spare time to hunt down Mercy and Ramon, trying to find my parents.”
“And if they’re with Kalfu, what would you do about it?”
“They aren’t with Kalfu,” I insisted. In truth, I just didn’t know. The fact that Kalfu seemed to feed on vampire blood, however, gave me reason to doubt it. It also made me all the more anxious to track them down. If he caught them, they were sure to become a meal. I couldn’t give a rat’s ass about Mercy and Ramon—but so long as my parents were with them, they were the best chance my mom and dad had to survive… if being vampires could be termed “survival.”
“Succeeding in the Trials may come with Dumballah’s blessing,” Mikah said. “If you stay alive, and you win…”
I took a deep breath. Save my parents. Get Pauli his body back. What kind of thing could I “create” with Dumballah’s blessing that would make either of those things possible, anyway? I wasn’t sure, but I had to make a choice. I could neglect the Trials. I could show up, come in last place in the first event, and be eliminated day one. That would give me time to go looking for my parents. But what would I do if I found them? I wasn’t sure what I would do with Dumballah’s blessing either, for that matter, but it might give me something… and if I could think of a way to get Pauli’s body back at the same time, all the better.
“You should look at this as an opportunity,” Mikah said.
He’s right, Isabelle added. You could make anything… a talisman that exorcises a Loa from a body… a potion that erases an aspect. The only limit to Dumballah’s blessing is your imagination. And Dumballah’s actual blessing, of course. If he doesn’t approve of your decision, it won’t work.
I took a deep breath. “But my reasons to compete aren’t about Vilokan. They’re all about me, my family, fixing my fuck-up that eventually got Pauli turned into a snake. If I do this, if I win, I’d divide the Voodoo world. They’d never accept me as High Mambo.”
Mikah shrugged. “You don’t know that.”
“It’s a pretty sure bet. When they called my name…”
Mikah laughed. “You could have heard a pin drop in there!”
I scratched my scalp. “It just doesn’t seem right.”
“Marie Laveau chose you, Annabelle. That has to mean something. If she thought you’d divide Vilokan…”
“Rulers divide people all the time. That’s kind of par for the course.”
Mikah shook his head. “Not in our world. Even the Bokors honor Queen Laveau.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Then why is Oggie so convinced that a war is coming?”
“Revering someone or something in common doesn’t unite people. Not always. There are still differences. Major differences. A figurehead isn’t enough.”
“So Erzulie is wrong? She seems to think unifying is necessary to protect us from Kalfu. She expects a High Mambo or Hougan to do it.”
Mikah shrugged. “I don’t know if she’s right or wrong. But Queen Laveau was once a woman who challenged stereotypes. Baptized a Catholic by Père Antoine, who’d have ever thought she could also be the Voodoo queen? She unites because her person is bigger than barriers, than boundaries. Perhaps what is needed it someone new, someone who challenges barriers in a different way. Someone like you and Isabelle.”
I chuckled. “I’m hardly a revolutionary. I’m a rich white girl who wears fancy clothes and drives a car she bought with daddy’s money. Who am I to challenge anything?”
“The fact that you’re aware of that sets you apart. The question is, what are you going to do with the opportunities you’ve been given? You can sit there ashamed of your privilege, you can wallow in your guilt over your mistakes, what happened to Pauli, what happened to your parents, which was never your fault. Or you can use what opportunities you have to make a difference.”
He’s so wise…
I snorted.
“What?”
“Isabelle agrees with you,” I said.
“You two are not as different as either of you think,” Mikah said. “Your personalities. Yes, you are very different. But when it comes to your values, your principles. What motivates you. You and Isabelle…”
“Soul mates?” I jested.
“Literally!” Mikah chuckled.
“All right,” I sighed. “I’ll compete. I’ll take this seriously. I just don’t know what I’ll do if I win.”
“When you win.” Mikah smiled.
“You sure seem to have a lot of confidence in me.”
Mikah shrugged. “You have Isabelle. How could you lose?”
Chapter Eight
“The first Trial has to do with candles and oils? Are you serious?” I asked.
Oggie looked back at me with a dark and broody stare. “The Trials are derived from the various forms of the Voodoo arts. Each of your general education requirements, if you will. In each Trial you must use the skills native to the discipline associated with it.”
“I’m so screwed,” I said. “I’ve spent more time asleep in my Candles and Oils class than awake.”
“Hasn’t Isabelle been paying attention?”
“Yes, but is she allowed to give me the answers?”
Oggie shrugged. “You’re soul-fused. If you’re competing, so is she. Besides, no one else can hear her talk.”
“Not totally true. Pauli can hear her. Since he became a snake, anyway.”
“But the Loa cannot, and neither can your fellow classmates. No one will know she is speaking. Not like you should have to justify it. She is as much a part of this as you.”
“I thought these Trials were dangerous. What’s the worst that can happen with candles and oils?”
“Hot wax…”
“Sounds exciting.”
“Not like that… but if you enjoy that kind of thing…”
I smirked. “Are you flirting with me again? What would your wife think?”
Oggie shrugged. “The Loa of a thousand lovers is hardly one to judge another’s fidelity. Besides, the Loa are not monogamous.”
I smiled. “Don’t tempt me, Oggie. But I’m not inclined to be one of a thousand lovers for any Loa.”
“I don’t have a thousand. You’d be the only one. Erzulie and I have not been together for some time. Whenever love and war come together, the result is almost always a tragedy.”
“Like the Montagues and the Capulets?”
“Ever hear of Helen and Paris?”
“Helen of Troy?”
Oggie nodded. “That’s what happened the last time Erzulie and I came together.”
I looked at Oggie with a blank stare. “You mean to tell me that a little hanky-panky with your hot Loa wife caused the Trojan War?”
“To them, she was Aphrodite and I was known as Ares.”
“Gods of love and war,” I huffed. “That makes sense. I didn’t realize you Loa were a part of all that.”
“We are known by many traditions in many different ways. Our lore is varied, but love is love. War is war.”
“So you mean to tell me that the last time you got in the sack, it resulted in the fall of Troy?”
Oggie nodded. “I don’t take my trysts lightly.”
“I should think not! Forgive me if I’m a bit hesitant to reciprocate your flirtations. Not that I don’t want to… but I’d rather not be responsible for destroying an empire with a kiss.”
“It would take more than a kiss,” Oggie said, locking his eyes with mine.
“I’m sure it would,” I whispered. My breath deepened and my hands went clammy.
Stop it! Isabelle interrupted, arresting my attention. You heard what he said.
I laughed.
“Isabelle thinks we’re playing with fire.”
“We are,” Oggie said. “But fire can be fun. Almost as much fun as hot wax.”
I giggled. “Fire? Seriously? That’s a bit extreme for my taste. Remember, I’m still innocent and pure!”
Oggie smiled. “You might be a virgin, but you’re hardly pure!”
“Who told you I’m a virgin!”
Oggie shrugged. “It’s kind of obvious.”
“Obvious? How is it obvious?”
“The way you flirt. You’re hot and cold. You tease, then you pull away. You’re reluctant to give yourself to anyone because you want that first time to be special.”
I laughed out loud. “That’s not it at all. But I’ll give you a participation trophy for trying.”
“Then what is it? A girl as beautiful as you is not a virgin unless she wants to be.”
I bit my lip. “It’s a matter of respect.”
“You respect yourself too much.”
I shook my head. “Respect for Isabelle. What I feel, she feels. I could be with someone and enjoy myself, it could feel right to me. But if she doesn’t feel the same way, can you imagine how awful that would be?”
Oggie nodded. “I think I understand.”
I straightened my shirt. “No matter. We need to focus. So the first trial has to do with candles and oils. What else do we know?”
“You know how to dress a candle, correct?”
“I think… you just pour the oil you want over the candle as it burns.”
Oggie nodded. “And you understand how different oils can interact to target an individual for whom you light the candle?”
I scratched my head. “There are a lot of oils…”
“And by now you should have covered most of them. Doesn’t Mambo Hannigan teach that class?”
I shook my head. “She teaches Dollcraft now.”
“Asogwe Jim?”
I laughed. “No, he teaches Philosophy of the Arts.”
“Then who teaches Candles and Oils?”
“Scuba Steve,” I said.
“Who? You mean Hougan Steve?”
“Yeah, him.” I smirked. “Scuba Steve, same difference.”
“He’s a scuba diver, too?”
“No. Old movie reference. I guess you wouldn’t get it.”
Oggie raised an eyebrow. “Nevertheless, haven’t you been listening in class?”
“Sure,” I said. “But all the oils seem the same to me.”
“Mikah should be preparing you for this trial. He’s always excelled in oils.”
“And herbs,” I said.
“Related to oils,” Oggie said. “Still, this is his forte.”
“We should be fine. Isabelle aced all our tests in that class. I mean, I filled in all the bubbles on the test. But she had the answers. I just need to practice using them.”
“That’s more of a second-year skill,” Oggie said.
“Which is another reason why it was foolish to choose me for this. I might be able to wield my aspect better than most fourth-years, but when it comes to gen eds…”
Oggie nodded. “All you have to do is avoid coming in last place. Only one student will be eliminated each round. When you get to the final trial, your aspect will be tested. That’s how the winner will ultimately be determined. All you have to do is make it past the first two trials.”
“So there are three trials in all?”
Oggie nodded. “The first will cover magic associated with candles and oils. The second will cover dollcraft—at least that’s the tentative plan. Erzulie and Agwe could change these things up, so we’d best be prepared. The final trial will allow you to utilize any Voodoo art, including the unique benefits of your aspect. If you get past the first two rounds, you should be a favorite to win the final round.”
“Okay, so the plan is to sneak into the final rung as a dark horse, and then unleash Beli on all of them?”
Oggie laughed as he nodded. “If only the Trials were held in Guinee…”
“Then I could evoke Beli in all her glory!”
Oggie smiled widely. “But no matter, your soul blade and other elemental weaponry should suffice to give you an edge over the competition.”
I snorted. “Did you do that on purpose?”
“Do what?”
“My blade will give me an edge… get it?”
Oggie stared at me blankly.
“Never mind.”
“Here’s your strategy for tomorrow,” Oggie continued. “Focus on one spell with candles and oils that is sure to eliminate one of your competitors. All you have to do is eliminate one.”
“If all anyone needs to do is eliminate one competitor, then why would anyone else keep competing after that?”
“The ultimate victor is chosen by Agwe, at the conclusion of the Trials. The key is to make a strong impression at the right moment. To win one of the first two events will give a competitor an edge if there is no clear victor in the third.”
I nodded. “So focus on eliminating one. Then, focus my energies on making a big splash in trial three.”
“That’s your best chance,” Oggie said. “I’m not saying give up after one is eliminated. If you manage to eliminate even one competitor, however, Agwe will notice. Even if you do not win the round. When Marie Laveau won the trials, in fact, she didn’t win any of the three rounds.”
“Not one? How did she win?”
“She demonstrated valor and insight. She exemplified a form of wisdom that transcended the terms of the competition itself. The winner is more than one who wins the events, strictly speaking. The winner is the one who best represents the Arts.”
“How can you do that without winning?”
Oggie smiled widely. “In matters of war, have you ever heard of a Pyrrhic victory?”
“Isn’t that when an army wins a battle but at the cost of so many lives that they end up losing the war?”
Oggie nodded. “A wise general is not the one who knows how to win every battle. Sometimes the greatest generals are those who know how to retreat. A great general keeps the whole war in sight, not the battle, not the moment.”
Chapter Nine
I snuck through the door to the second-year apartments. Unlike first-years, who were stuck in common co-ed dormitories, the second-year students who chose to reside at the Academy had private
rooms. Still, there was a second-year common room that you had to pass through to get to any of the individual apartments. There weren’t any rules against it, exactly, but it was widely known that first-years weren’t welcome in more advanced year living quarters. Still, I needed Mikah’s help. Even with Isabelle’s knowledge of candles and oils, we were at a loss to figure out a good approach to oust any of the other students.
The second-year common room was pitch black. Most rooms in the Academy were—even with windows, the blue light from the magical firmament that illuminated the Voodoo underworld wasn’t bright enough to light a room. I could have drawn on some of Isabelle’s magica—the green energies that would flood my eyes would be enough to see by. But I’d also give myself away—and I was trying not to get caught.
I tiptoed across a rug and stepped in something squishy. I shook off my foot.
Was that… pizza?
I nodded. Sure felt like it. We don’t exactly keep the tidiest dorm, but based on the foul odor that filled the room, I was reasonably sure we were much better housekeepers than the second-years.
Makes you never want to graduate first year, Isabelle said.
I smiled. I hadn’t actually planned on staying at the Academy for a second year anyway since residency is optional after the first year. If I could convince Pauli to room in with me, maybe he could just give me a rainbow ride back and forth from home to school. At least that was my tentative plan. It was a plan I was solidifying even as I tried to make my way through the clutter on the floor toward Mikah’s apartment door.
“What are you doing here, Mulledy?” a voice said.
I turned, and whoever had spoken illuminated his face with his phone light.
“Dudley?” I asked. “I was just looking for Mikah.”
“You aren’t allowed here. Even if the leech in your head is dating Mikah.” Dudley scrunched his nose, apparently disgusted by the idea.
I rolled my eyes. “Don’t be jealous.”
“You think I’m jealous? Please.”
“Well whatever it is, I need to see Mikah. It’s important.”
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