by J. N. Colon
He wasn’t wrong. But that didn’t mean I had to trust him.
I crossed my arms against my chest. “So I’m just supposed to let it slide that not long ago, you delivered me to that psycho she-demon of a witch Liseria?” His lack of response heated my blood. “I almost died!”
Rafe shoved his hands in his pockets, all humor washing from his handsome face. “I’m sorry about that. I never wanted to follow Liseria. None of us did.” He swallowed hard, his Adam’s apple bobbing. His eyes turned hazy, and his expression hardened. Rafe seemed to be lost in dark, unwanted memories.
“What do you want then? Why are you in Carrefour?” They couldn’t have magically shown up in the nick of time to save me. They were here for a reason.
Mama CeCe gave a noncommittal shrug. “I may have placed a spell on the land to alert me when any foreign witches or voodoo casters come near.”
My hands popped on my hips. “Why? Do you want to use my conduit powers for yourself?”
“Of course not, cher.” Her wide smile didn’t give me a lot of confidence in her words.
“Then you want something from Etie.” I’d set her on fire before she had the chance to hurt my alimèt. Well, I’d try anyway.
“I would just like to spend some time with you two,” she said, tucking her long braids behind her ear. “It isn’t every day you come across a soulbind like yours.”
Rafe stepped between the voodoo caster and me, shooting her a narrowed glare. His eyes shifted from violet to deep chestnut brown as he turned back to me. “They aren’t going to stop coming for you.”
I tossed my hands in the air. “What am I supposed to do? Hide for the rest of my life?” What was the point in that? Hiding wasn’t really living at all.
“You need to learn to fight back.” Rafe’s jaw clenched. “You need to protect yourself from them.”
“I’m trying.” What was his deal? Why did he care?
Rafe took a deep, calming breath and ran his hand over his blue mohawk. “Most conduits are too afraid to learn what they’re really capable of, and their covens reinforce their weakness by making them hide their gifts at all costs. It makes you guys sitting ducks for the greedy, power-hungry bastards who want to use you.”
I chewed on my bottom lip. Ramsey had said something similar. My family didn’t want me to use my conduit powers. Was I a little afraid of what I was capable of too?
Yes.
Mama CeCe inched closer, the scent of cloves and sage wafting around her. “You’re connected to a pouvior bokor. The things you could do if you tried are unimaginable.” She tilted her head as she surveyed me, her dark eyes glittering eerily. “You could take out anyone you desire with the snap of your fingers—if you harnessed that power.”
A cold tingle slithered down my spine, leaving icicles in its wake. I didn’t want to take out anyone.
“Geez, Mama CeCe.” Rafe interrupted the awkward . “Don’t make the girl think you want to turn her into your own personal assassin.”
The voodoo caster scoffed. “I was just pointing out how amazing she could be.”
I bent and picked up my wayward flip flop, shoving my foot back in it. “I don’t think knowing how to kill someone that easily is amazing.”
Rafe sighed. “Look, Angel, forget what she said. Just think about your future. You don’t want to spend it running and hiding. I could teach you how to fight back so no one will ever come for you again.”
It sounded too good to be true. And after Fete Gede, would I even need to worry about my future? Did I have one?
Yes!
As if she read my mind, Mama CeCe cleared her throat to draw my attention. “I might be of assistance with your Baron Samedi problem.” Her smile was way too slick. “I know the decision you’re forced to make on Fete Gede.”
“Why should I trust either of you?” One had a hand in trying to kill me, and the other clearly wanted to use Etie and me.
Mama CeCe lifted one of her slender shoulders. “Trust us or not, but we do offer something you want. And of course Étienne will be accompanying you.”
My brows dipped. “If this is some twisted way to get close to him—”
Voices suddenly echoed through the cemetery, calling my name. I recognized the very frantic tenor of Lucas. The other belonged to my father.
Rafe looked past me. “If you want to do this, come to Le Revenant.” His brown eyes shifted to mine, melting into a vibrant purple. “We’ll be waiting, Angel.”
And with that, he and Mama CeCe disappeared within the rows of tombstones.
Great. They dangled this offer in front of me and ran away. Was it everything they promised? Or was it a trap?
“Angel!” Lucas grabbed my arm and spun me around, his eyes wide as they searched over me. “Are you okay? Were you attacked?”
My father halted, peering through the cemetery. “I don’t see anyone, but I can feel the echo of magic.”
I shook the turmoil from my head. “How did you guys know I was in danger?”
My father’s lips thinned. “Etie sent me a message through magic. He felt your fear.”
My chest ached. He must be going crazy right now.
“Angel?” Lucas gave me a gentle shake. “What happened?”
I slipped out of his grasp before his fingers cut off my circulation. “Some witches were here, but they left when…” My voice trailed off. If I told them about Rafe and Mama CeCe, they’d never let me out of their sight.
“They left when what?” my dad asked, his brows dipping.
I cleared my throat. “They saw the toujou. I told them my alimèt was on his way, and he was a pouvior bokor.” I gave a noncommittal shrug. “They scattered.”
My father’s gaze lingered on me, an unreadable expression over his face. “Well, I’m glad you’re okay.”
Did he really believe me?
He waved Lucas and me on. “Let’s go home.”
I nodded and followed them through the cemetery. My stomach churned, knowing what I had to do. Even if I decided not to trust Mama CeCe and Rafe, I couldn’t stay in Carrefour. More witches were going to come, and I couldn’t let anyone get hurt because of me.
I had to leave. No matter what.
Chapter 10
A warm tingle radiated through my tattoo moments before my bedroom door burst open, and Etie barreled through. “Angeline!” His eyes were wild, his chest heaving. “You okay, no?”
“I’m fine.” My arms wrapped around him, and he squeezed me tight. His frantic heartbeat made me cling harder.
Etie pulled back. “Tell me what happened, cher.”
I blinked. “Didn’t my dad—”
“Tell me what really happened,” he demanded. “I don’t believe that pile of crap about the witches running away.”
A grimace crossed my lips, and my arms fell. Of course Etie would know I was lying. “You might want to sit down for this.” Dread spilled through my gut as I prepared to tell him about Mama CeCe and Rafe’s offer.
His expression hardened as he sat on the edge of my bed, his body so tense it could shatter with one tiny flick.
I licked my dry lips. “I may have had a little help.”
I told Etie exactly what went down in the cemetery. When I mentioned Rafe, his eyes took on an iridescent sheen. He wasn’t as forgiving or understanding as I was. Etie wanted to punch the other witch into the ground—a couple times over.
When I finished, Etie stared at the floor. A whirlwind of emotions radiated off him. Did he understand that I had to leave Carrefour? The coven in Virginia or Le Revenant in Monroe were my only options.
His smoldering eyes finally lifted, burning holes into me. “You cannot really be considering going to Monroe?”
I winced. “Uh, yeah.”
Etie shot to his feet, his hands clenched into tight fists. “You’re insane!”
Oh hell. Here comes the French.
Yep, I was right. A string of foreign words steamrolled from Etie as he paced my bedroom. I sighed
and climbed on my bed, pulling my legs into a ball. Sometimes, it was best to just wait.
When he switched back to English, I was so distracted by my own thoughts, it took a few seconds to catch up. “What?”
“You can’t trust either of them,” he hissed. “One tried to kill you and the other…” He shook his head. “Mama CeCe is more slippery than duckweed floating on swamp water. She’s a voodoo priestess from the old world.”
“What does that mean?” No one had ever explained the difference. “Is she more powerful than a bokor?”
Etie rubbed his fingers over the stubble coating his chin. “Not exactly. She used to lead large voodoo rituals in Haiti, praising the loa and allowing them to possess her. That made her a priestess. It also gave her a lot of power. She uses old ways with mass-energy spells and connects with loa. It makes her dangerous, cher.”
My brow arched. “How old is she?”
His lips pursed. “No one really knows.”
That was unsettling, but it didn’t change things. It just meant we had to be even more cautious where the priestess was concerned.
I stood and grabbed his hand, running my fingers over his wrist. “I know they aren’t the best people to go to for help, but there aren’t a lot of other options.” I blinked back the sudden flood of unshed tears. “I can’t stay here. If it’s not Lana and Riley getting hurt, it’ll be someone else. Maybe it’ll be my mom, maybe someone from school, or hell, even Ms. Unrue.” I swallowed thickly. “I can’t have that on my shoulders.”
“Then we’ll go to the coven.” Even as he said it, his cheeks paled.
“Neither of us want that.” I could see it now. My father would try to divide us and force Lucas and me together. Going to the coven might hurt us more than anything.
“Mama CeCe just wants to be close to power.” He dragged his free hand through his already unruly strands. “And Rafe? I don’t know what he wants.”
“He doesn’t want to kill me.” I stepped closer, breathing in his familiar scent. “If he can teach me to fight back, then I have to take the chance. I don’t want to spend the rest of my life—our life—running from others.”
Etie’s gaze lingered on me for a long time. The coven would want to keep me hidden. I’d be forced to live in a small town and never venture out—like I’d spent most of my life already. At least if we went to Mama CeCe’s club, I’d have a chance at life. And maybe Mama CeCe could help us with Baron Samedi.
A long sigh spilled from Etie’s tight lips. “All right, cher.” He swallowed hard. “Let’s go to Le Revenant.”
Lucas answered the guest bedroom door, his brow furrowing at my unexpected visit. “Angel?” He peered down both sides of the hall. “I thought Etie was here.”
“He is.” I wiped my sweaty palms on my jean shorts. “I wanted to talk to you about something.” He wasn’t going to like this any more than Etie did.
His lips pulled into a weary smile. “He’s not hiding somewhere about to ambush me, is he? I know you told him about the arrangement too.”
“He’s in my room. That’s not why I’m here.” I stepped closer, forcing him to move out of my way to allow me in. “I need a favor.”
“Okay…” Sensing the clandestine nature of my visit, he closed the door behind me. “What is it?”
“I wasn’t exactly honest about what happened when you and my dad showed up in the cemetery.” My eyes darted around his room, falling on the closet. I’d sat inside, haphazardly going through his belongings when Etie disappeared not long ago. I was desperate to find anything that would help me locate him.
“I kind of figured that,” Lucas said.
I shook the bad memories off and spun around, focusing on the brujo again. “I can’t stay in Carrefour anymore. It’s too dangerous and not just for me. More witches will come—maybe even voodoo casters too—and people are going to get hurt if I stay.”
Lucas released a deep sigh of relief. “I’m glad you realize the best place for you is the coven.”
I winced. “I said I was leaving. I didn’t say anything about going to the coven.”
He blinked and shook his head as if trying to clear his ears. “Of course you meant the coven house. Where else would you go? We can protect you there.”
“I don’t need protection.” Why didn’t anyone ever think to teach me to take care of myself except Rafe?
“Yes, you do.” Lucas reached for me, but I shifted out of his grasp.
“No.” They needed to realize hiding like a scared little girl while others kept the bad witches away, putting themselves in danger, was no way to live. “I’m going to find a way to keep myself safe from those who want to use my conduit powers, and I’m also going to stop Baron Samedi.”
Lines creased Lucas’s forehead. “I don’t understand. What are you talking about?”
I took a deep breath and told Lucas what really happened in the cemetery. The more I talked, the more his expression darkened. Like my father, Lucas expected me to comply and return to the coven house.
Maybe if I’d never made that deal with Baron Samedi when I was a kid and gotten involved in voodoo, I would have done just that. My entire life was so sheltered up until a few months ago, I wouldn’t have known a difference.
Etie showed me there was more to life than being afraid. I was stronger than that, and I wanted more. I wasn’t the same shy, timid girl I started out the summer as. She was long gone.
“This is a bad idea.” Lucas folded down on the end of his bed. “In so many ways.”
I rolled my eyes. This was one thing he and Etie agreed on. “Tell me something I don’t know.”
“And Etie is okay with this?” His tone was skeptical.
“Not really, but he knows when I’ve made up my mind.”
A long, heavy silence stretched between us. Lucas stared at the plush beige rug beneath our feet, his soft brown eyes pensive. “I get it,” he said, finally interrupting the quiet. “I understand why you want to do this.”
Lucas and I may be on rocky footing, but we were once friends. I wanted him to know I wasn’t doing this simply to go against my father. This had nothing to do with him and everything to do with how I wanted to live my life.
Lucas dragged his hands over his face and let out a tired sigh. “What’s the favor?”
I flashed a tight smile. “I need you to keep this a secret from my family. You can’t tell any of them where we are, especially my dad.”
The brujo’s jaw dropped. “You know your father isn’t going to be okay with this. He’s not going to simply let you go. He’ll ask me where you are and—”
I stepped toward him, laying my hand on his shoulder. “I know I’m asking a lot to keep this from the man who raised you after your father was gone, but I need you, Lucas.” I’d known going in here how hard this would be for him. He idolized my dad, looked up to him like he was a saint. Lying to Cristóbal was going against everything Lucas believed in.
He stared up at me, lines of agony stretching across his face. He swallowed hard, his cheeks pale. “All right, Angel. I’ll do this for you.”
A two-ton weight lifted off my chest. “Thank you.” I gave his shoulder a squeeze before dropping my hand. “I need you to convince my father to take the family back to the coven and unbind Marisol’s powers.”
His lips thinned. “That’s going to be tough without you accompanying us.”
“I know.” I sank down on the bed next to him, a few inches separating us. “Marisol needs to learn to use her magic. She needs to protect herself in case Baron Samedi or his spirits come for her before Fete Gede.” My muscles tightened thinking of the dark loa. “It would be just like him to take her early. I’m not sure the coven can keep a deity away, especially not when he has a hold on her soul.”
“You’re right about that.” Lucas rubbed the light dusting of stubble across his chin.
I twisted a lock of long dark hair around my finger, trying to form the words for my next request. “I need one more
favor.”
His brow arched. “Seriously? There’s more?”
I playfully nudged him. “I want you to train her.”
His head snapped back. “Me? There are plenty of other witches who—”
I cut him off. “I don’t know those other witches. I know you. You’ll be patient with her and keep a grip on her waywardness. You’re probably the best teacher for Marisol.” It was funny that my parents believed Lucas would complement me so much when I thought Marisol was the one who needed him. My powers may have been wild and untamable, but my sister’s entire existence was that way. She needed someone to diffuse her craziness.
“Okay.” Lucas leaned back on his hands, his gaze on the ceiling. “I’m going to have one hell of a few rough months.”
I bumped his shoulder. “My dad will forgive you.”
He shot me a look. “I was talking about Marisol.”
“Oh.” I snorted, and then we both burst into laughter.
He was right. Training Marisol was going to be eventful to say the least. I wouldn’t be surprised if she turned him into a slimy amphibian a couple times a week.
Two gray pit bulls guarded either side of the doors to the abandoned building that held Le Revenant. Magic lingered around the area, something no ordinary human could detect. The club was well hidden.
Etie shifted our bags on his shoulders. He insisted on carrying mine. “You sure about this, cher?”
I swallowed the nerves down and tried to ignore the swarm of angry butterflies in my stomach. “Yep.” No time like the present to risk my life with a witch who betrayed me and a voodoo caster who clearly wanted to experience my power.
Etie and I had successfully snuck out of my house. I told Marisol we were leaving, but not where we were going. The less she knew, the better. My father couldn’t prod her for information. I stopped by Lana’s house and then Riley’s. I told them Etie and I were going to visit some of my relatives in Virginia for the rest of the summer.