Heart Two Heart (6 page)

The voodoo priestess claimed she could
completely cleanse my mind and my heart. She said it would feel
like I was reincarnated into the same body. I would recall living
the many years of my life but would no longer have an emotional
attachment to them.

I could start over and build new feelings and
new relationships. I wouldn't be tied to the ones that were
unhealthy for me. I could learn to be anything or anyone I wanted
to. It would take the majority of the money I’d saved over my many
years of life but it was worth it.

Money meant nothing if I didn't have my
intellect. I watched the cab pull into the circle and waited for
the bell hop to put my bag in the trunk and open the door for me to
slide in. The driver looked back and asked where I was headed. I
smiled brightly showing off my pearly teeth while hiding my
elongated fangs and said as sweetly as possible

"Haiti via the Las Vegas airport. No rush
however… my flight isn't until later today, so take the scenic
route. Thank you"

That wasn't exactly the truth but close
enough for him. I needed to feed before boarding the plane and he
was as good as anyone. I waited until we were in no man’s land
before I slipped into his mind and requested he pull over. I fed on
him until I was completely sated then had him drop me at the
airport.

As I walked towards my gate I couldn't help
but silently pray to the gods I didn’t believed in for very long
time that this would work. I needed a second chance at life. I
needed to believe that even my heart had some redeeming
qualities.

I looked at my watch yet again and looked
towards the horizon. I was completely on edge. I was pacing back
and forth like kid on Christmas Eve. I felt like my skin was too
tight and my stomach had jumping beans in it. I’d arrived far too
early and was having a hard time waiting for my eternal heart to
arrive.

It was more than a case of nerves. I wasn't
sure why she ran from me the first time, and I guess I was worried
she'd try to do it again. She had to know just like I did that we
were meant for each other. Hell she’d wanted me so badly that she'd
commit atrocities to have me when I was just a baby.

It made absolutely no sense for her to be
avoiding me now. I considered two possibilities. One, she thought
that I was going to reject her and or hurt her because of what she
did to my mum when I was baby. Or two she was threatened by members
of my family and was afraid to come near me.

Given that my eternal heart was the infamous
camazotz that supposedly preyed on skinwalkers only, I had a hard
time believing anyone or anything could frighten her. No my money
was on rejection. That made me smile since I could clear that issue
up with just a few words.

I looked up and could tell more time had gone
by then I realised. I was betting the sun would come over the
mountains in the next few minutes. I looked down at my watch and
confirmed what my eyes had surmised. Then, I turned myself in a
slow circle one more time in the hopes of seeing my eternal heart.
She was not here and was still nowhere in sight.

I felt a sinking sensation as I started to
believe that she wasn't coming. For some reason she either knew I
was here and didn't want to see me or something else prevented her
from coming. I took a deep breath and tried to steady my frantic
nerves.

I had to decide to stay and get trapped in
the sun or leave now and most likely make it back to the hotel with
minimal sun damage. Returning to the hotel was my best bet. I could
get a hold of Pau and try to find Tiana another way.

I was just about to start running back
towards Vegas when I saw the sand cloud stir. My heart stopped for
just a second as I waited to see if my eternal heart was coming. I
blinked several times to clear the sand that had stung my eyes and
was more than disappointed when I realised it was not my eternal
heart approaching.

In fact the lone figure approaching me from
the north was clearly a large male. I took a deep sniff and
identified him as skinwalker. Before I could wonder much more
several more males appeared behind him. He was moving fast and it
appeared directly towards me. I heard a noise and slowly turned and
noticed several more people approaching me from multiple
directions. I mumbled several four letter words to myself then
prepared for what I was sure was going to be a fight.

I wasn't sure why my eternal heart wasn't
here, but I would bet these skinwalkers expected her to be here.
They looked like they were itching for a fight and more than likely
they expected to find the camazotz not me. Up until that point in
time I’d been disappointed that Tiana had chosen not to show. Now,
however I was glad that it was just me here to face the
skinwalkers. I was definitely grateful that my Pau sent me
here.

My inner animals starting rambling questions
at me like: What if Tiana had been here without us? How did Pau
know she was going to be here? How did the skinwalkers know she was
going to be here? Why are they after her anyway?

These were all great questions, but ones I
had no answers for. I glanced at the skinwalker tribe that was
quickly surrounding me. At least I could look on the bright side;
chances are I will survive this battle. Hell, I might even be
invincible like other nagual around the world. Even if I not
though, I am strong and I have several animals to choose from. I
can even partially mutate if I chose. Each part of my body
representing each of my totem animals; crow, jaguar and coyote.

I squinted up at the sky and again I sighed.
I felt bad since I was a healer not a killer but there would be at
least three bad things coming out of this. One, I would have to
kill skinwalkers that I had no real problem with and two when this
fight was over there was no doubt I was going to be sun sick. And
finally number three, I was going to have to call my mum and pop
and ask them to come out here and get me.

"Relax; we don't want to hurt you. We came
for the camazotz. We were told not to harm you. Can you tell us
where she is?"

I had to assume the one that was yelling
questions at me was the chief. I looked him over trying to decide
if I could talk this out with him or if it was still likely to
become a fight. I found it odd that he knew I would be here. So
much about this whole situation just didn't add up. I needed
answers and it seemed that I would get more if I appeared to be an
ally. I smiled and held my hands in front of me as a sign of peace.
I took a deep breath and calmly said

"I don't want to hurt any of you either. The
camazotz isn't here. I was expecting her too but the sun is rising
and there's no chance she's coming now. Maybe we can go somewhere
and figure out where she might be together."

The chief stomped his foot and a look of pure
terror and panic crossed his face. I didn’t been expecting that
reaction. Why would her not being here terrify him? It made no
sense. He turned and looked behind him at something then turned
back to me and said

"I have to find her and kill her. Someone
kidnapped my son. He's only four. Oh god they said they would kill
him if I didn't kill the camazotz. Please, I can tell you are a
skinwalker to help me and my boy. Please"

His words touched something deep inside of
me. I wanted to help him and his boy. I would do anything but let
him kill my eternal heart. There was no chance I was ever going to
let the chief near her. There had to be another way to save his
boy.

Then I started to wonder how they knew Taini
was supposed to be here. Who had Pau told? What would have happened
if she had arrived? Where was my eternal heart? Things just didn't
add up. I’d a big family and lots of resources. Between the chief
and me there had to be a way to save his boy and keep my eternal
heart out of the equation. I looked back at the chief and could
almost feel his fear, pain and sorrow for his child. I said in my
calmest bedside voice

"I have no idea where she is, but I will do
anything I can to help you find your son and make the kidnapper
pay. The sun has risen and I don't tolerate the light well. Can we
head to your camp and figure this out together?

The chief nodded and motioned towards the
east. They shifted into their skinwalkers and started running
across the sand. The sun rose and I too decided to shift. My
skinwalker didn't run as fast as I could in my human form but the
fur would help to protect me in the early morning light. The chief
raised his head to the sky and howled his fear and grief. His tribe
and I howled back. Then we ran in unison towards his tribe
grounds.

The heat was almost oppressive in Haiti. Not
like the dry heat from the desert. This was moist wet heat that
clung to your skin and soaked through to your clothes. I stepped
out of the taxi and looked around. This was a part of town that
even my kind became jittery and uncomfortable in. The streets were
dirty and the houses were falling down. Hungry looking children
without shoes played on the sides of the streets.

People adverted their eyes and tried not to
notice anyone or anything. I looked down at the piece of paper in
my hands and again read the name and address. Amada Laurita’s
Vodun. 342 Main Ave, Haiti.

I looked side to side and saw the numbers 342
written in a deep red on the door. I sniffed and knew that blood
not paint had been used to write the numbers. I’d known many
powerful voodoo priestesses in my time on earth. It was said that
none were as powerful as Amada. I knocked and the door creaked
open. I heard a female voice say

"Come in quickly Taini. The moon is high and
the time for the spell is now. Close the door and take a seat at
the table"

I closed the door and immediately realised
the room was very dark. I moved carefully through the room and sat
down in the first chair I came across. Even with my excellent
chupacabra vision it was difficult to make out the details in the
room. I saw the shape of a petite female move towards the table and
sit down across from me. She made an odd noise in the back of her
throat then said

"Did you bring the money?"

I lifted the black canvas bag I brought in
with me and said

"It's all in here." Then I placed the bag on
the table and slid it towards Amada

I watched her open the bag and I heard her
chair scrape along the floor as she moved her chair closer to the
table. She peered inside and seemed to move the money around a
little. I could hear her heart beating strong and steadily. Then I
felt her hands reach across the table and pull mine into hers. Then
she said in a raspy voice

"Excellent, now we can begin. Close your
eyes. Keep them closed the entire time. No matter what you hear or
think you smell or feel. Whoever you were before tonight you will
not be anymore. Tonight the old you dies and the new you is born.
You will save the memories but they will no longer hold your heart.
Even your cold ugly heart will be reborn."

She released my hands and reached out for a
box of wooden matches. I watched her pull one of the wooden matches
from the box. She closed the box and struck the match against the
side. Despite her warning of keeping my eyes closed I found myself
peeking.

I watched the flame light up and illuminate
her face. With the light from the match I finally caught a glimpse
of the Amada the voodoo priestess face. It was chocolate brown and
was horrifically scarred. It appeared that some kind of animal had
tried to feed from the flesh on her face.

I squeezed my eyes tightly closed and tried
to put it from my mind. It mattered not to me what the priestess
looked like. My only concern is that she honored the bargain we had
struck. She must have lit several candles since I could smell wax
burning and I could feel the light behind my eyelids.

The priestess stood up from the table and
started to move around the room. She was chanting in a language
that I thought had died many thousands of years ago. I had an eerie
sense of dread when I realised the language was that of the Aztecs.
The biggest believers in human sacrificing rituals and more often
than not babies...

I felt a blast of cold air slap my face. A
chill moved down my spine and caused me to shiver in what I would
almost all fear. Then I heard a small baby cry and grew anxious
with fear that the child was so near to us. The crying stopped and
I smelled fresh blood. My heart sank at the knowledge that she had
harmed the child. I wanted to stop her but my head was swimming and
I started to think I imagined everything.

Her words were bouncing around inside of my
mind. They didn't make sense at first. It was a mismatch of words.
Things that were impossible. They spoke of times that had long
since passed. Then just when I felt like I would pass out her words
started to make sense. It was at that moment that I knew Amada was
no voodoo priestess she was one of the Vaettir.

Vaettir were considered mythological
creatures in most human folklore. They were however very real. The
Vaettir race were thought to have come from outer space. Thousands
of years ago, they helped the human race to become educated and
powerful. Races like the Mayans, Incas, Aztecs, Egyptians, Romans
and even the Greeks. They taught them engineering, math, science,
healing and even the art of war. Then the humans turned on them.
They hunted them like animals until they were nearly driven
extinct.

How a Vaettir was alive and well in Haiti was
beyond me. This one that called herself Amada Laurita was most
likely a Sjövættir. Sjövættir are often mistaken as water life
force essences in human legends and folklore. I’d thought all
Vaettir including the Sjövættir died at the turn of the last
century. Those that had been hanging on, living in the shadows were
outed by the Nazi’s and experimented on until they all died. Why
this one was living in Haiti pretending to be a human voodoo
priestess was beyond me. How she had managed to stay alive for so
many years alone and without protection was a mystery in
itself.