Punished (24 page)

“He’s the one who called on Sousson Pannan that day by the gate? I thought that was my fault!” I let out a low frustrated breath.

“Well, you’re the one who invited him in, but Louis’ the one who called on him in the first place by tempting him with your blood. Sousson Pannan loves the blood of powerful queens. He’s a nasty old spirit but is easily controlled with the right amount of rum and blood.” Gran-Ibo was so nonchalant about the whole thing. Obviously, she didn’t understand the extent of Sousson Pannan’s hideousness.

“Why would did he do that?”

“To test your powers,” she replied. “To estimate how strong to make the curse.”

 
“I don’t believe this! So you’re basically saying that I have to have patience with Louis when I find him because there is something bigger behind this whole mess? But he tried to keep me trapped in his past forever! I can’t just get over that!”

“So much teenage angst,” Sammie added his two cents.

I glared at him and for a minute felt like throwing him into the giant pot of gumbo. “You’re not helping!”

“We’re not here to make you feel good. We’re here to tell you the things you don’t want to hear, but need to understand,” he snapped, as he flew in one of the backrooms.

“That’s right honey, you’re meant to do bigger things and so are Louis and Lucus. You have to have faith in that. Deep inside, Louis knows that you’re stronger than he is, and he wouldn’t have been able to keep you prisoner forever.”

Everyone kept telling me the same thing over and over again. I had to have faith that I was meant to do something great. Why couldn’t they just tell what that was, so I could do it already and get on with my life?

“Fine, I’m going to try my best to understand all the things you’ve told me, but I can’t promise I won’t mess a few things up along the way. Where can I find Louis anyways? Is there some kind of locator spell or something?”

“Locator spell? Heavens no, the best locators you have are your senses and your intuition. If you pay attention, you’ll eventually know where to find him.”

Trusting my senses and intuition was easier said than done when I was a master at second guessing myself. “What should I do when I do find him?”

“It’ easy honey, you confront him and bind his powers until you feel that you can trust him.” Gran-Ibo examined her fingernails, as she answered. “Oh my, do I need a manicure. Sammie go get my nail file, will you?”

Was she really worried about her nails at a time like this? “Bind his powers? How can I do that?” I quickly asked, before she got distracted again.

“Sammie!” she hollered.

“Give me a second will you?” replied Sammie from a backroom. “Here you go.” He dropped a nail file on the table.

“So how can I bind his powers?” I asked again, as I tried my best to keep my cool.

“It’s easy honey,” she said, as she filed away. “You just need to whip up some Black Arts Oil, carry it with you at all times. When you finally confront Louis, you simply pass a bit of it over your lips and then give Louis a big old kiss. It will suck the energy right out of him.”

“Where do I get Black Arts Oil? How do I make it? And do I really have to kiss him?” This whole thing was getting more and more complicated. Should I even ask what was in the oil?

“Are you a prude, Arelia?” asked Sammie.

“No.” I felt like strangling that stupid bird.

“Then you shouldn’t have a problem kissing Louis.”

“Okay whatever, I’ll kiss him, how do I make some of this oil?” I said okay, but what if Louis was bound in a Mr. Dumpty type body or what if he was a frog or something?

“Sammie will whip some up for you, won’t you Sammie?” Gran-Ibo asked.

“Why should I?” He obviously didn’t like being told what to do.

Gran-Ibo gave Sammie an icy glare which prompted him to leap into action.

“Fine, get off your bum and watch carefully Arelia, since you need to learn how to do this anyways, pay attention.”

Calm, I told myself. Keep calm and don’t kill him. He’s trying to help you.

I watched Sammie, as he grabbed some ingredients off the shelf with his beak and placed them down on the table.

“What is all if this? It smells rancid!” I put my hands over my mouth and pinched my nostrils, as I attempted to shut-out the horrifying aroma.

“So dramatic, you’re so whiny for someone who’s supposed to be a powerful queen.” Sammie shook his little head. “What was Erzulie thinking when she chose to bless you?”

“Sammie,” Gran-Ibo warned.

He let out a dramatic sigh and gave me a frosty glare. “Look. This is just a little bit of dirt from the grave of a nasty criminal, some Spanish moss, black dog hair, a bit of sulfur, some powered mud dauber’s nest, mineral oil.” He listed a thousand more ingredients, and then used his beak to stir the mixture.

“You actually expect me to pass this over my lips? That’s just not going to happen.” I eyed the black oil.

“What do I have to do to get you to stop whining? Do you want to bind Louis’ powers, or don’t you?” Sammie asked.

“I do, but there has to be another way.”

“No, there’s not. Take this, rub it on your lips and give him a smack. That’s not so hard, is it?”

Arguing with this bitter bird was pretty much useless. “Okay, I get it. I’ll do it.”

Gran-Ibo took the mixture from Sammie and placed it in a vial. “I’ll make sure this is transported with you to your body. When you wake up, it’ll be in your hand. Make sure you always have it on with you. Louis can show up at any time and at any place.”

“Thank you Gran-Ibo, and you too Sammie,” I reluctantly added. “Can I go home now, please?”

“Of course you can, honey. Sammie, help me get Arelia home now.”

Sammie sat on top of my head and plucked out some of my hair.

“Ouch!” I hollered.

“Stop whining, you wanna go home, don’t you?” Sammie asked.

I rubbed the spot where my hair had been. “Yeah.”

“Then let me do my job.” Sammie took my hair and threw it into the pot of gumbo along with some other herbs and oils.

“Good-bye Arelia LaRue and good-luck,” said Sammie, as he threw one last ingredient into the mixture.

“Be safe honey.” Gran-Ibo gave me a tender kiss on the cheek, and I knew I was safe once again.
 

Chapter 25

Re-birth

“Arelia, Arelia,” said a familiar voice.

“I saw her eye move, she’s awake.”

“She’s needs a little lipstick, just because she’s in coma, doesn’t mean she has to look bad.”

“My sweet child, how did I ever let you get involved in this mess?” asked another voice.

“Come on, Arelia,” said another voice, as a familiar and comforting odor hit me.

 
My eyes slowly opened, and a cluster of faces came into sight. Grand-mere Bea, Aunt Mae, Henri, Sabrina, Lucus, and Tony hovered over me. All of them had their arms crossed, and miserable expressions plastered across their faces. The room was ablaze with a dozen black candles, and I could smell cinnamon and cayenne pepper in the air along with the melancholy aroma of chrysanthemums. Was this what my funeral was going to be like?

When grand-mere saw my eyes open, she freaked and almost suffocated me with her hefty frame.

“My child, you’re alright!” Salty tears slid down her cheeks as she gave me kiss after kiss.

How long had I been in a coma? “I’m okay,” I said, as I tried to distract myself from the rancid taste in my mouth.

“How long have I been asleep?”

“Arelia, oh my god, you look awful, you’ve been out for three days.” Sabrina patted my face with a wet cloth.

Three days? Really? I thought it had only been twenty-four hours.

“My sweet baby,” said Aunt Mae, as she joined Grand-mere Bea in smothering me.

Lucus, Tony, and Henri stood silently watching, but the strain had left their faces. I couldn’t help but stare at Lucus. It was lame of me, but I wanted him to remember our kiss even though I knew that was impossible.

“Guys, I’m okay. What are you doing here grand-mere?” I asked.

“Mae called, as soon as I heard I came rushing right over.” She glanced around the room. “Can you all excuse me? I need to have a word with my grand-daughter,” she ordered.

“Can’t I stay?” pouted Sabrina.

“No Sabrina, I need to speak to Arelia alone.” The only person Sabrina never messed with was grand-mere.

“Fine,” she reluctantly agreed, as she followed the others out of the room. I noticed that she sprinted after Lucus and latched on to his arm. I wanted to grab her blond pony-tail and yank it right off. In a totally sisterly-type way, of course.

“Arelia, I’ve packed all your things, we’re leaving right this instant.” Grand-mere straightened her wrinkled, yellow dress. Her usually bight eyes had circles under them, and her dark skin was covered in sweat. I realized that she probably hadn’t slept for days.

“Leaving? Why?”

“I told you to stay away from Darkwood, and now look what you’ve gone ahead and done. This clearly was a spiritual attack from Louis. I don’t want you involved in any of this. I never have, and now you know why. We need to go home, the money isn’t worth it. You could have been in a coma forever. I can only imagine what horrors Louis has put you through.”

I let out a giant sigh, as I pulled on my dirty hair. “Grand-mere, I’m tired of running. This isn’t about the money anymore; it’s about something bigger than you and I. You’ve always told me to be respectful of the spirits, right? Well, that means listening to what they have to say.”

I placed the vial of Black Arts Oil under my pillow and took her large hands into mine. I felt nervous energy course through her veins. “I saw Gran-Ibo, she told me what I need to do, and it doesn’t involve being a prisoner or always scared of who and what I am. Can you please understand that?”

“But…” She tried to interrupt.

“But nothing, you’ve always told me that we’re responsible for the choices we make, and this is my choice. If I make a mistake, it’s my mistake to make. I know for certain that I’m meant to follow this path, otherwise; I wouldn’t be here. Louis can’t hurt me; I was strong enough to fight my way back. I’m strong enough to take on whatever else he throws at me. I just have to learn more from Aunt Mae.”

Grand-mere let out a giant sigh and her eyes filled with tears. “When did you start growing up?”

I shrugged. “The day I started listening a little more.”

“Fine, my dear child, I can understand why you need to stay, but that doesn’t mean I’m not going to have several small heart attacks until you’re back home.”

“I don’t think any of this is ever going to be over regardless of where I am. Besides, you should stay and finally forgive Aunt Mae. None of this is her fault either. It is what it is,” I said, as I wiped the tears that down her cheeks.

She let out a slight giggle. “Us LaRue women are stubborn creatures, aren’t we?”

“I’ve been told that once or twice,” I said.

“Do you want to talk about it, what happened on the other side?” asked grand-mere, as she wrapped her large arms around my bony shoulders.