by Kira Saito
“Thanks Henri.” I glanced at the clock on the wall which indicated that it was already five pm.
“I think it’s done.” Ben waved his mask in the air.
“You’re right. You just have to let it dry a bit.” I was relieved that the last two hours hadn’t gone to waste, and Ben was satisfied with his mask.
“Thanks Arelia. You’re the best.” Ben gave me a big hug.
“No problem Ben, I have to go and do some chores now. I’ll see you later.” I left him to head to Ms. Mae’s office where I was eager to spend some time alone reading and learning more about various spells until six. On my way there, I got distracted by music coming from the ballroom. It sounded like some kind of Waltz music, so I decided to see what was up.
“That’s perfect Mrs. Dumpty, just like that.” Lucus gently encouraged Mrs. Dumpty as she attempted to keep up with him.
“Ellen, you’re moving beautifully. Don’t you think so dear?” Mrs. Scott gleefully asked once she spotted me standing at the entrance of the room.
“Much better than I could ever move,” I honestly admitted.
“I’m dancing the, what is it called again?” Mrs. Dumpty asked.
“Viennese Waltz,” offered Lucus.
“I adore Johann Strauss.” Mrs. Scott was clearly relishing the moment. “Why don’t you give it a try dear? You need to get ready for the masked ball. A little practice never hurt anyone.”
“No, I really can’t. I have chores to do. I’m not much of a dancer.” I prayed that she would buy my excuse.
“We all know that, who can forget that ghastly scene that took place at the welcome ball.” The time Mr. Dumpty dragged me all across the dance floor like a rag doll was permanently etched into my memory.
“I’m out of breath!” Mrs. Dumpty suddenly stopped moving. “Take over Arelia, before I have a heart attack.”
“I can’t.” I started to back out of the room, but Lucus gently grabbed my hand before I could move any further.
“Come dance with me Arelia,” he coolly invited.
“You kids have fun. We ladies are going to get some refreshments.” Mrs. Scott wiped her sweat drenched brow.
“I must have lost ten pounds from that dance alone.” Mrs. Dumpty finally caught her breath and was eager to leave in search of food and drink.
They left me alone with Lucus in the ballroom. A sense of utter panic gripped me. It was the first time we had been alone since the conversation in my bedroom. Was I supposed to continue our discussion on why he said he needed me? Was I supposed to ignore that it ever happened? Besides, after last night and what he did in my nightmare, I was a little hesitant to go anywhere near him. Lucus looked as anxious as I did. He slowly drew me close to him. My heart started to rapidly race. I could smell him. His hand on the small of my back gave me unexpected shivers.
“Dancing is easy,” he said finally.
“I’m sure it is, just not for me,” I quickly replied.
“How do you know if you’ve never given it a fair chance?” He had a point. I had always convinced myself that I couldn’t dance, but had I actually really tried to dance? No. It was like most things that I was scared of; I learned to fear them before I gave them a chance. It was just easier that way I guess. If you didn’t let yourself try certain things, you’d never be disappointed if they never worked out.
“Follow my lead and I promise you will be fine.”
“I’m pretty sure Mr. Dumpty said the same thing to me.”
Lucus laughed as he started to move. “That man is quite the character. That’s it, from side to side, nice and slow,” he guided me.
“I think I’m actually doing it.” I was exceptionally delighted to find that I wasn’t tripping over my feet or stepping on his.
“Yes, you are.” Lucus smiled which encouraged me to try harder. I let myself feel the music, and in response, my body relaxed. “Right, left, twirl,” he spun me around. That was the first successful twirl I had ever done in my entire life. For the first time, I allowed myself to forget about everything that had taken place over the last few weeks. The confirmation that I was a voodoo queen, the horrid fight with Sabrina, Ivan’s incessant torment, and the swamp nightmare. I let it all go and gave in to the moment. My body felt light as whipped cream as I spun around the dance floor in pure exhilaration. If someone had told me a few weeks ago that I would be ballroom dancing with a LaPlante, I would have snickered in their face. Once the music stopped, I was more than a little disappointed.
“That wasn’t so bad, was it?” Lucus eagerly studied my face. His hand was still on my back, but I didn’t mind.
“It was pretty fun.” We were dangerously close now. I looked down at my worn out flats, not knowing how to bring up what I really wanted to ask without seeming overly eager. I mean, I didn’t want him to think that I was some kind of obsessive stalker or anything. I need you could have meant lots of things like I need you to take out the trash. I need you to go downstairs and help with the dishes. I need you to stop fighting with my girlfriend because she’s a blond goddess and we’re so happy together.
“Hey, have you ever seen Dancing with the Stars?” I spat out the first thing that I could think of that wasn’t related to what he had said to me last. I figured since we were dancing, and everything, I could at least pick a relevant topic.
“Is that the name of an opera?” Lucus scrunched his eyebrows.
“No! It’s a dancing show that my grand-mere loves to watch. They take a bunch of celebrities desperate for attention, pair them up, and make them compete against one another.”
“Sounds interesting?” Lucus scratched his forehead, as he tried to figure out whether he was supposed to be excited by the concept or horrified.
“Yeah, kind of. I mean they like to do crazy dances like the tango and stuff. Can you tango? Grand-mere Bea is an awesome dancer. I didn’t take after her or anything though.” I was talking too much and too fast. It was something I tended to do when I was nervous.
“You mean like this?” With a dramatic gesture, Lucus placed his cheek against mine, grabbed my hand and extended both of our arms outwards. “I’m not quite sure what we’re supposed to do next,” he admitted.
“That’s about all I know too.” I laughed hoping he wouldn’t catch on as to how nervous I actually was.
I felt safe standing so close to him, but at the same time, terrified of being unsure of what to say or do. He spoke first. “Arelia, I didn’t mean to ambush you in your room like I did. I know that I must have confused you.”
“Just a bit,” I shrugged unwilling to admit that I had been thinking about his statement every day since he had said it.
“It’s just that you’re the only person who can help me, but I don’t know if you’re willing to.”
“I can’t help you if you don’t spit it out.”
“Believe me I want to, but I just can’t find the words or the way. I’m afraid,” he admitted. “I’m afraid that…”
“Hey lovers sorry to break-up the party, but Ms. Mae needs to speak to you queen,” Ivan snapped me out of the moment. I pulled away from Lucus in embarrassment. Ivan would never let me hear the end of it.
Lucus pulled me close again and whispered in my ear. “Meet me tonight in the garden, after dinner. I’ll explain everything,” he promised.
“But Sabrina,” I wasn’t going to risk another confrontation.
“Please, trust me,” he pleaded.
“Fine,” I agreed hoping that Ivan wasn’t listening in on our conversation.
Chapter 16
Revelations
“Ms. Mae?” I softly knocked on her office door before opening it.
“Come in child.” Ms. Mae gradually looked up from behind a pile of books. Her desk was cluttered with various herbs and pieces of cloth.
“What are you doing?” I questioned.
“I’m attempting a new mixture for a love gris-gris,” she answered like it was as normal as clipping her toenails. “Henri ad
vised me that you were eager to speak to me. What can I do for you my dear?”
I sat down, “I had a dream last night. Well it was actually more of a nightmare, but anyways I need to know what it means.”
“Go on.” Ms. Mae focused all of her attention on me.
I recalled the nightmare in detail. As my description progressed, Ms. Mae’s grip on the beads around her neck grew firmer. By the time I was finished, it was obvious that Ms. Mae was as upset as I had been.
“Mon Dieu,” she finally spoke.
“So what does it mean?” I was anxious to hear her opinion.
“Someone wants you gone from Darkwood.”
“What else?” I pressed her for more details. “And who?”
“I’m not certain,” admitted Ms. Mae. “I need to consult the cards.” She got up and pulled a deck of tarot cards from the shelf behind her desk. As she started to read them, her expression changed from worried to downright terrified.
“What is it?” I asked again.
“Possession.”
“Umm, okay. What does that mean?”
“Louis Beau.”
“Louis Beau? You mean Mad Marie’s son?”
“Yes that Louis Beau.” It seemed as if Ms. Mae couldn’t believe the words that were coming out of her own mouth.
“But he’s dead. Lucus told us the story of Mad Marie and how she put the spell on his great great-great grandfather. She did that so Louis Beau’s soul could leave Darkwood. It’s impossible that he’s still alive. What is he some kind of ghost?”
“No. The cards tell me that his soul left Darkwood, but it never left this plane. It never passed on to the next. The cards say that he is very close, but they do not tell me his exact location. Of course, that is why Lucus is bound here ageless and immortal because Louis needs him to stay that way, so he can continue to live.” Ms. Mae paused for a minute reflecting on the revelation before continuing. “Louis fears your powers because you’re the only one who can help Lucus. You are the only one that can break the curse and free him.” Ms. Mae stood up and came towards me. “Arelia you need to talk to Lucus. There are things that he needs to explain to you.”
I felt my pulse quicken, as I tried to connect the dots. “Lucus is under a curse? The story he told us at the slave cabins was about him, not his great great-great grandfather?”
“He meant to tell you Arelia. He’s been trying for weeks now.” Ms. Mae came to Lucus’s defense.
The room started to spin as my mind reviewed the facts. Mad Marie’s curse consisted of a soul for a soul. Louis Beau was still alive. Lucus’s great great-great grandfather’s soul was bound to Darkwood, so Louis Beau could escape. Lucus wasn’t like any other seventeen year old I’d ever met. So that meant Lucus was the great great-great grandfather he told us about in the story. Lucus was bound to Darkwood and was probably centuries old. I was drooling over a very old man. He was an extremely well preserved old man, but still a very old man. It made perfect sense. Lucus knew much more about Darkwood’s history than he should have. He never spoke about his family or friends. He had told me that physically he was seventeen, but felt much older. At the time, I hadn’t given it much thought, but in hindsight, it had been a hint.
Somehow, deep within me, I had known for a long time, but my head hadn’t let me accept it yet. My head had refused to acknowledge that there are certain things in this world that none of us could control. This whole realm was still very new to me, and I was beyond a little confused. I felt betrayed by Ms. Mae and by Lucus. They both made me feel like they cared for me when in reality all they wanted to do was groom me for their own purposes. I felt like an utter fool thinking that there was something special between Lucus and I. I had thought that he cared for me and that well… In reality, he didn’t give a shit about me. He only wanted me to help break the curse, so he could finally be free from Darkwood whatever that meant.
At that moment, the only thing that I could think of was how nice he had been to me. It made my blood boil thinking about his stupid apologies and the time I had wasted analyzing every little touch or glance that took place between us. All this time I had thought Ivan was a jerk when the real jerk was Lucus. At least, Ivan didn’t hide what he was.
Ms. Mae knew what I was thinking. She knew what was racing through my mind, but what I refused to say. “You need to let him explain.”
“I’m supposed to meet him tonight.” I finally gathered the courage to say something in a calm and rational manner rather than screaming like I wanted to. “I don’t really believe...” I was doubtful of the words that were coming out of my own mouth.
“Arelia, we’ve been over this before. You cannot control everything, and there are times when it doesn’t matter what you believe. There are things that just are. You need to talk to Lucus before it’s too late. The cards tell me that Louis Beau is strong. If you wait too long, he won’t allow you to help Lucus.”
For some inexplicable reason, at her words I felt myself fill with rage. If it hadn’t been for Ms. Mae and her stupid invitation to work at Darkwood, I wouldn’t be in this situation. Ever since, I’d gotten here, she’d been the one encouraging me to explore my powers. Now I knew the real reason. “You knew all this time didn’t you? You knew that Lucus was under Mad Marie’s curse, and that’s the reason you called me to Darkwood.”
“That’s not true my child. Of course, I knew about the curse, but that is not the only reason I wanted you to come here. You have a gift. A gift so strong, that it needs to be developed.”
“Stop calling me your child. I’m not your child!” I screamed.
Ms. Mae was taken aback by my little outburst.
“Arelia, please believe that I didn’t invite you to Darkwood just to help Lucus.”
“Sure you didn’t. Then why did you invite me? I should have listened to Grand-mere Bea. She knows too, doesn’t she? That’s why she didn’t want me to come here. She didn’t want you to manipulate me. That’s what you and Lucus have both been doing manipulating me. You’re nothing but a master manipulator. You could have just called me instead of sending Sabrina an invitation. You knew that I would come if Sabrina convinced me. This whole thing has been a sham from the beginning. What are you in love with Lucus? I mean if you were born here that means that you’ve known him all of your life. Did he make you believe that he was interested in you too so you would help him break the curse? Well did he?” I was past the point of trying to be composed and rational. I was furious and beyond disgusted.
Ms. Mae sighed before replying. “When I was a young girl, I did have feelings for him.”
“That’s just great.” I could feel vomit threatening to find its way to the surface, as I thought about the implications of what she had just said.
“It never progressed to anything, he never shared my feelings,” she admitted. “Besides that was well over fifty years ago. A tiny childhood crush that’s all. Henri has always been the love of my life. Mon Dieu, have you fallen in love with Lucus?”
“No. Even if, I have it’s none of your business.” I knew I was being disrespectful and condescending, but I couldn’t help myself. I was hurt and confused. How could they have lied to me so well? Ms. Mae acted as if she cared about me when really she had her own agenda. “Why do you need me to break the curse? Why can’t you do it?”
“You’re blessed by Erzulie that makes you much stronger than me or your grand-mere.”
“I’m leaving,” I said when I finally spoke. “This is bullshit. I don’t give a crap if I was blessed by all of the saints in New Orleans. I don’t like been used or lied to.”
“Leaving? You can’t. I do admit that I should have just called you from the beginning and explained everything. We all make mistakes out of fear. I’m terribly sorry,” Ms. Mae pleaded. She walked towards me and placed her hand on my shoulder.
“Don’t touch me.” I shook away her hand. “Don’t explain, don’t apologize, don’t do anything. After tonight, I’m leaving. I’ll help with dinne
r, so I can see the guests one last time, but that is it. I don’t want to be a part of whatever this is.” I rushed out the door making sure I slammed it hard behind me.
Chapter 17
You won’t tell, will you?
I ran upstairs to my room just wanting to be alone before dinner. The smell of cigarette smoke greeted me outside the door which I found strange since neither Sabrina nor I were smokers. “What the hell?” I opened the door, and Sabrina rushed to cover herself with the duvet. In bed, beside her was Ivan.
“Arelia, hi,” her voice unwillingly quivered.
“Hey queen.” Ivan gave me a wink and took a drag from his cigarette.
I shot him an evil glance. This is not what I needed right now. I wanted to be alone.
“Ivan, can you excuse us?” Sabrina practically pushed him out of the bed. He scrambled to collect his clothes from the ground.
“I’ll catch you later.” He gave me a wicked glance before exiting.
“You’re unbelievable.” I was livid. All this time she had been going on and on about how much she loved Lucus, and here she was in bed with Ivan. She was such a hypocrite. She always wanted to be the center of the universe and didn’t care who she hurt. What was wrong with all the people around me? Why was everyone so messed up, so self-absorbed?
“Arelia, please don’t tell Lucus.” She jumped out of bed and came towards me. “Look I’m sorry for all the nasty things I said about you, I was just jealous.” Tears started rapidly running down her cheeks streaking them with globs of mascara. “I should have never accused you of trying to steal Lucus. You’re my best friend and what I said to you was so bitchy. I don’t know what I’d do if you weren’t in my life.”
I wanted to stay mad, but I couldn’t. Her apology melted the anger off my bones. This was Sabrina. We had been born one day apart, and from that moment on we had been inseparable. She could have refused to play with the nanny’s grand kid, but she hadn’t. When we were younger, and I was constantly teased for having parents that were MIA, Sabrina had always been the first one to my defense. She was my sister, we had an inexplicable bond. I had no one else at Darkwood. Ms. Mae and Lucus were both liars who only cared about themselves. What good would it do if I kept on fighting with Sabrina over Lucus? I would never speak to him again. I hesitated and chose my words carefully. “I don’t get it, if you’re crazy about Lucus why are you here with Ivan?”