Voodoo and Fate

by Tamsin Baker

Around his neck lay an Ouanga. “Dammit.”

  She grabbed for the poisonous amulet, her hands burning as she tugged and pulled.

  “Get me some scissors, a knife. Anything. This needs to get off him.”

  An Ouanga was a mix of bone, holy water, holy bread, and most importantly, the toxic roots of the figuier maudit tree. To make the charm one had to invoke the help of Jesus Christ and the Gods.

  Tania’s parents must have really wanted him to suffer.

  “Here.” Marty’s uncle handed her a knife and she gently put it to Marty’s throat, twisting and pulling the amulet away, tossing it to the dirt.

  He needed a poison cleansing, massive healing, and perhaps a magic she did not possess.

  “Well, first I need water. Lots of it. We need to bathe his skin. Rid his body of all pollutants. And then I need to make an herbal drink.”

  “And then?” His mother asked, gripping Marty’s hand.

  “And then we pray.”

  “Pray? To whom?”

  Chanti put her hands in a prayer position. Palms together. “To everyone who may help us. Jehovah, Loa, Fate herself, if need be.”

  His mother nodded and walked out of the room, presumably for the water Chanti needed.

  She turned to Kody, who looked ready for action, his eyes bright and fixated on her.

  “What do you need from me?”

  “I need to go and gather some herbs from the woods. Do you have a doctor or healer that I can consult with?”

  He nodded. “Yes, I can get him for you. His name is Daniel. Is there anything else?”

  “Yes, I need you to undress your brother completely while I go get what I need, then we need to treat him.”

  “I’ll find Daniel for you and then we’ll get started.”

  Chanti gave him what smile she could muster with all her energy being drawn to Marty and he pressed a quick kiss to her lips.

  When he pulled away, a cool breeze blew renewed air into her lungs. She sighed, grateful for his presence.

  “I’ll go get Daniel.”

  ****

  Kody found Daniel in his small home that he used as a small clinic.

  “Just give Chanti anything she needs. We need to help my brother.”

  “Kody, I can help. You know I can.”

  “This is Voodoo magic, Daniel. Black magic. We need her help, so please.”

  He delivered Daniel to Chanti and together they went back to Daniel’s house, obviously in search of something.

  He was proud that his mate would be the one to save his brother. That she was so intelligent and kind, courageous and strong.

  But he wished it wasn’t needed at all.

  He let out a long sigh and stepped into the house Time to get his brother ready for his cleansing.

  Tania was sitting next to his bed and Kody stared at her for a minute. Why would fate do this to them? Give both Marty and he mates not of the pack. But instead, of a people who hated them?

  There had to be a reason for it. There had to be.

  “Should we keep him lying down or sit him up do you think?”

  Tania swallowed hard, pain etched into her pretty features. “Ah, I think lying down would be best, but the bed is going to be drenched if he’s washed properly.”

  He shrugged. Nothing mattered past his brother being better.

  “Perhaps we could put him in the bath then?”

  Tania’s brows furrowed, but then she nodded. “That may work. Can you lift him?”

  Kody grinned at the woman who would be his sister-in-law. “I caught him as he fell out a two storey window. Pulling him into the next room should be fine.”

  He moved over to his brother and surveyed the man he needed to move. As he’d lost most his clothes after shifting, Marty only wore a pair of jeans and the shirt Chanti had opened.

  “Help me pull his jeans off if you can.”

  Tania and he lifted Marty up, undoing and pulling down his jeans, then sitting him up to tug off the shirt.

  “He looks so terrible.” Tania’s eyes had filled with tears and her hands had dropped to cup her huge belly.

  “Damn, you’re getting big fast.” Even faster than their normal wolf mothers.

  She looked down at her bulge, her hands cupping the swell and making circles on the flesh.

  “I know. I don’t understand this at all.”

  “A normal wolf gestation is only two lunar months.”

  Tania nodded. “And as it’s been a month and the next full moon is next week…” Her voice trailed off as her throat worked hard. “I didn’t know this would happen.”

  “Hey. It’s going to be okay. Fate chose you for Marty, and for this pack. We will protect you. Have faith.”

  That seemed to have some effect, as Tania tossed back her hair and stood straighter. “All right. Shall we move him now?”

  His brother’s head was lolling around, his skin now streaked with black and green lines.

  “Yes. Let’s go.”

  Marty was lighter than he remembered, which was not a good sign.

  Kody carried him into the bathroom naked and laid him down carefully into the porcelain tub.

  “Should we start washing him?” He asked Tania, wishing Chanti was here to help.

  “Yes.”

  Tania knelt down next to the bath, reaching over and turned on the taps.

  Marty groaned as the water, obviously cold, splashed on his pale legs. Kody’s heart lifted. His brother wasn’t dead yet.

  Tania turned the hot and cold, checking the temperature until Marty seemed to relax into the tub.

  Black water swirled around him as the water began to fill the bath.

  “Pull out the plug, just keep washing it away. I’ll get some more cloths.”

  Kody grabbed some face washers from the closet and came back in, watching Tania gently washing Marty’s pale face, the dark circles beneath his eyes getting blacker as the day wore on.

  “Is there anything else you know to do that we should be doing?”

  She shook her head. “No… I don’t think so. I’d rather wait for Chanti.”

  Kody noted her colour and went out to the kitchen, fetching her more ice cream and bringing it back in.

  “Here. Eat some more. You’re still not looking good.”

  She accepted the bowl and sat back on the closed toilet lid.

  “Thank you, Kody. For everything.”

  He shrugged and used the cloth to wash his brother’s shoulders and arms. The water rolling off his skin was still a murky green. The poison still quite obviously in his body.

  “I’d do anything for my brother, Tania.”

  “And Chanti?” Tania asked, a small smile lighting up her face.

  He chuckled. “Well… you noticed that huh?”

  “Hard to miss.”

  “She’s my mate. My perfect half. After all this I’m looking forward to getting to know her better.”

  Tania smiled again. “Chanti’s awesome. I’ve always respected her stand on her Voodoo practices.”

  “How’s that?”

  “Through the ages Voodoo has been used to cure ailments, grant desires, and confound or destroy one’s enemies. But Chanti has always refused to hurt others. Even when prominent, wealthy New Orleans citizens have asked her. No matter the payment, Chanti has always used her skills to heal people.”

  “Unlike your parents.”

  Tania looked down and away, scarlet heat flushing her cheeks. “Yes. They… they’re not like Chanti.”

  Kody went back to focusing on his brother, the angry swirl of hate moving through his gut.

  If his brother died there would be hell to pay. And New Orleans would not be safe from their pack anymore.

  “You know we aren’t the animals your parents say we are.”

  “I know.”

  He wanted to say so much more, but left it at that. No matter what now, Tania would bare a half werewolf babe. And she was the mate to their Alpha. Her life was inextricably link
ed to their pack.

  “Kody?” Chanti’s voice called through the house.

  “In here. The bathroom.” He answered.

  The door opened and his beautiful mate walked in, her long hair now down in dark rivulets around her shoulders.

  “This was a great idea. Keep doing what you’re doing and I’ll mix up the drink.”

  Her hands were full of herbs and twigs and even a small bottle of what he assumed was holy water.

  “All right.”

  Chanti disappeared again, and Kody kept the water running. His mother came into the room with some food for both of them, laying plates of sandwiches down on the sink.

  “This is not the way I expected to see my first grandchild born. My son leaving us, and a grandson to replace him.” His mother’s voice was harsh as she stared at Tania.

  Kody made a loud disapproving noise in his throat as Tania shrunk back against the wall. Her arms going protectively around her belly.

  “Don’t talk like that mum. Tania is Marty’s mate.”

  “What? He didn’t tell us that.”

  “He told me. In New Orleans. He was the idiot that waited a month to go in and find her. This isn’t her fault. So back off from all the doomsday speak and focus on getting this family back on it’s feet.”

  His mothers dark eyes shone with unshed tears as she reached a hand out to Tania.

  “I didn’t realise. I’m sorry. Come, I have some better clothes you can wear.”

  Tania’s long cotton dress was covered in blood and dirt, her belly bulging against the fabric.

  Tania got to her feet and lifted her chin. “Thank you.”

  She didn’t take his mother’s hand, but she walked out of the room, leaving him and his brother alone.

  Marty’s breathing was stilted, his skin sallow and lax on his bones.

  “Don’t you dare give up, you bloody idiot. I’m not taking over the pack on my own. You can fucking forget about that!”

  A strange noise puffed out of Marty’s mouth, almost like a laugh.

  “You’re still in there, aren’t you? Don’t give up. Your baby will be born next week, probably with the full moon since it’ll be an Alpha. Chanti’s making you some medicine now, so start fighting, brother.”

  “I’m here.” Chanti’s voice made him jump as she stepped closer, kneeling and moving to the head of the bath.

  “Drink this.” She lifted a glass to Marty’s lips and tipped some of the brown liquid into his mouth.

  It dribbled down the side of his face, but she kept tipping, massaging his throat when he gargled and gasped.

  “You need as much as you can, Marty. Please just drink.”

  She kept on encouraging him to drink, the liquid disappearing from the glass before his eyes.

  When it was empty, Chanti filled the glass with water and began chanting as she poured the contents over his skin, the green water bubbling and hissing as it hit Marty’s body.

  She took off a necklace she wore and then leaned forward, tying the leather around his brother’s neck, the metal pendant settling on his chest.

  She kept singing softly through out, words he didn’t understand.

  “He needs more water. Let’s fill this tub up and start praying.”

  She grabbed the plug, put it behind his brother’s back and the water began to rise.

  “Get Tania. I need her.”

  Kody got up and walked out of the room, following the female voices that led him to his mother’s sewing room.

  Tania stood in front of the mirror in a beautiful rose pink dress that tied beneath her breasts to accentuate her shape.

  “Tania. Chanti needs you.”

  The smile froze on her face and she followed him out of the room and back to the bathroom.

  The bath was full of water now and Marty’s eyelids were flickering.

  “His colour is improving, but he won’t wake up. So we need to pray. Tania. Get in the bath with him, sit behind him and wrap your arms around him.”

  Tania didn’t hesitate and got in the bath, pushing Marty’s naked body up to sit while she shoved her bulky frame in behind him.

  He moaned as he lay his head against her shoulder.

  “Tania, pray with me.”

  “We pray to Ezulia for help. Goddess of love and creation. She who heals with cold water, where she resides. Please help us.”

  The women combined hands, lowered their heads and chanted. Over and over again, their eyes flickering as the water began to roll and weave. Waves being created by their words and their bodies. Washing over Marty, over and over again until finally there was a huge crescendo of sound.

  And then there was silence.

  Kody waited, his heart thundering in his chest as he waited to see what would happen next.

  Marty began to moan and thrash in the water and Tania held him tight, Chanti leaning over to grab hold of his arms.

  “What’s happening to him?” His mother’s scared voice sounded behind him.

  He had no idea.

  Suddenly Marty lurched up and Chanti jumped up, directing his head forward with her hands.

  He began to vomit. Black, thick, bug invested spew.

  Kody looked away, not sure what to do.

  “Pull the plug out, Tania.” Chanti was saying, so Kody sucked in some air and turned back around.

  “How can I help?” He asked as his brother continued to empty his body of its contents.

  Hopefully there would be some of Marty left after this.

  “Run the water. Flush everything away.”

  The bath had a shower head attached at the top as well, so Kody reached up for it, flicking on the water and using the detachable hose to wash away the stink.

  Tania was trying to get up, her pretty pink dress now covered in the vile stuff.

  “Here.” He reached out for Tania’s hand and helped her up. She stood, her eyes glued to his brother, still in the bath.

  “Did it work Chanti? Did it work?”

  He was wondering the same thing.

  He let Tania go and focused back on his brother, using the hose to rinse his chest, his legs.

  Marty had begun to gag, but nothing was coming out now.

  Chanti rubbed his back and reached for the hose.

  He gave it to her and watched as she washed Marty’s hair back from his face and the black water away.

  “Let’s get him out and walking around.”

  Excuse me?

  “You want him walking around?”

  He was barely conscious and she wanted him to do what?

  “Yes. I want him to get rid of every bit of poison, if he can. But he may keep throwing up, so make sure you take him somewhere where that is possible.”

  Kody nodded and grabbed for the black towelling robe his mum was handing him.

  “Come on, Marty. Stand up.”

  He grabbed his brother under the arm pits and hauled him up.

  Marty’s eyes were half open now and the black smudges beneath, gone.

  Damn, he looks better. Half dead, but still… better.

  Marty jerked and Kody pushed his head towards the bath, were he threw up even more of the blackness.

  “Is he going to stop soon?”

  Chanti’s eyes were half closed herself as she rested against the basin. “Yes, I hope so. It’ll be a close call, but I think we’ve done enough.”

  Did performing such a ritual take something out of Chanti? She looked exhausted.

  “Are you okay?”

  “Yes. Don’t worry about me. Just go. Get him out into the fresh air.”

  Kody didn’t argue with her. Doing so, both now and he could see in the future, was going to be futile.

  He wrapped the bathrobe around his brother and half carried him outside.

  The moment they got through the door, Marty lurched to the side, throwing up on the grass outside their parents’ house.

  “Take him into the forest.” His mother yelled and Kody grimaced. His mum loved her
garden. If Marty lived to hear about it, he’d pay for that later.

  “Come on.”

  They staggered a few more feet and Kody patted his brother on the back, the cool northerly breeze making his hair prickle on his skin.

  Perfect.

  “Breathe, Marty. Come on. You wanna shift again?”

  He hadn’t thought to ask Chanti about that, but he hoped it would be fine.

  “Just give… me… a... minute.” His brother got out, his voice croaky and weak, but there.

  He was back. Chanti had saved him!

  Relief and gratitude filled his soul, and Kody sent up a prayer of thanks.

  “No problem. We’ve got time.”

  He bashed Marty on the back again and his brother coughed and hacked, but little more came out.

  Then his brother took a deep breath and threw back his head, his spine straightening to his full height.

  “Yes. I think shifting would be a good idea.”

  His brother dropped to the ground and began to change. Kody followed suit. He wasn’t letting Marty out of his sight for even a minute.

  They ran off into the woods together, his brother getting faster with each step they took. Kody threw back his head and howled in celebration. His brother was back, and their pack would stay strong.

  ****

  “Where do you think they’ll go?” Chanti asked Kody’s mum, whose name was Sharon she’d learned.

  She was still staring out the window, watching the two wolves bound off into the dark.

  “Just into the bayou, probably. It is safe there and the boys know it very well. Chantelle, come, sit. You’re still not looking very well.”

  She followed the woman’s instructions with gratitude.

  She felt like shit.

  Quite literally.

  “Thank you.” She sunk into the chair, her legs still unsteady and her head pounding like someone was playing football with her skull.

  That had been the most intense experience of her life. She’d never sensed evil like it before.

  “Was it really terrible for you, Chanti? I’m so sorry I couldn’t help you more.”

  She reached for Tania’s hand. The poor girl had helped all she could. When they’d both stepped into that dark place, she’d felt Tania withdraw.

  “You were protecting your baby, and so you should.”

  “But I could feel… that…”

  “Darkness. I know. And it was somewhere I’ve never been, and don’t really want to go again.”