Authors: Charlotte Rose
A chill ran down Armand’s spine. He didn’t want to think of Serafine’s magic fading for good. He’d grown up watching her yield magic, and he’d been trying to deny that she was getting older. But it was becoming more and more apparent that one day, a new queen would take over, and life on the bayou would go on without the woman who had taught him how to shift.
Forcing his thoughts back to the topic at hand, Armand asked, “What are you thinkin’, Serafine? Use magic to make all the boats malfunction?”
Serafine shook her head. “That would do about as good as breakin’ the boats with our own two hands. We’d have to repeat the spell every time they ordered a new fleet. We gotta curse the entire company.”
* * * *
Nelson couldn’t help but feel nervous. He’d grown up around voodoo, of course. Serafine took it upon herself to teach the basics to everyone in the congregation when they were old enough to use the power wisely. Still, he hadn’t participated in many rituals, especially not one of this magnitude. But every gator who was able to do so was expected to participate. They needed all the power they could get.
He noticed that Narcisse had been particularly quiet while the rest of the gators were planning and preparing for the ritual. In fact, she’d kept to their quarters for much of the day.
Knocking gently on the door, he went into their room. “You okay, baby? You don’t seem very happy. What’s goin’ on?”
“It’s nothing, really.”
“Come on, now. That ain’t gonna do any of us any good. If somethin’ is botherin’ you, Armand and I need to know so we can help you work it out.”
Narcisse sighed as he sat next to her and slid an arm around her shoulders. “I’m not sure if I’m welcome on the mission tonight or not. I know everyone who’s able is supposed to go, but I’m not sure I’d be a wanted participant after the last time I joined up for one of these things.”
Nelson placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. “That was different. You weren’t as in control of your powers then. Serafine says you’re starting to have real control over your abilities. Plus, there will be more of us this time. You’ll be much safer, and probably will feel more secure. I think you’re ready. I think you should help with the ritual.”
Narcisse offered a small smile. “You really think so?”
“You can ask Serafine if you want, but yeah, I do.”
Suddenly, Nelson’s breathing was interrupted by the tight squeeze Narcisse used to embrace him.
“Thank you for believing in me.”
“Always, baby. Always. Now, let’s get a move on. We don’t have a whole lot of time. The ritual has to be performed at sunset. Not before, and not once it’s dark. We don’t have a whole lot of time.”
“Won’t it be risky, doing it at sunset? People might still be there.”
Nelson shrugged. “Of course it’s risky. But we have to do it. Saving the bayou is worth it. This is our home and our whole way of life. If this is the way it needs to be, then we don’t have no other options.”
Narcisse nodded. “Then let’s go.”
They joined a cadre of gators settling into the smaller boats, getting ready to take off to the Pomet—now Villemont—docks. Nelson started his boat up as Armand and Narcisse climbed in. She brushed a flurry of kisses along the back of his neck before settling in, Armand’s arm around her waist. When Manuel gave the signal, the boats took off, sailing through the impending bayou evening. Being out on the water always soothed Nelson’s nerves, and his hands were steady as he guided the boat through the swamp. By the time they were approaching the docks, he was completely calm, ready for whatever the night had in store.
They killed the engines while they were still a good distance away, to avoid being heard by guards or anyone else on the property. The current carried them to a landing where they could secure their vessels. Once all the boats were tied down, everyone quietly crept out, silently making their way toward the boats.
Serafine spoke in a low yet powerful tone. “Circle up, everybody, and join hands.”
She remained at the center of the group as everyone else began to create a circle around her. Nelson wrapped his left hand around Narcisse, and reached out to grab his mother with his right hand.
“Close your eyes, everyone.”
Nelson did as he was told, and took a deep breath, allowing the humid bayou air to fill his lungs. The air was growing cooler as the sun began to set. He squeezed Narcisse’s hand, and she squeezed back, giving him one last moment of comfort before the ritual began.
He heard Serafine reach into one of her many bags and sprinkle something on the ground around herself. Then, she began to chant.
I call upon the ancient ones to do my bidding.
I invoke the spirits to hear me now.
Bones of anger, fall to dust
Hear my fury, revenge is just
I scatter bones, bones of my rage
Take my enemy, make him pay
I see this man before me now
Blinded and broken, I’ve brought him down
With these bones, again I crush
Make this enemy dissolve to dust
Torment, fire, no control
With this hex I curse his soul
Nelson felt a surge of power through his body as Serafine finished the invocation. But he was shocked when the force left as quickly as it had arrived. He knew the ceremony wasn’t over yet. Serafine had outlined it all. There were still two more steps to accomplish before the curse would be complete.
The sound of a gun being cocked took Nelson out of his mind and sent a shiver down his spine.
“And just what do you people think you’re doing on my property?”
Nelson carefully opened his eyes. He knew who it was before he turned around and saw the tall, over-tanned man with a bad comb-over and a cocked revolver. Beside Villemont was the smaller, dark-haired man he recognized as Alberto Pomet, also brandishing a gun, though he seemed far less secure.
“I asked a question, and one of you better have the good sense to answer it. What do you people think you’re doing on my property?”
“Everybody put your hands up!” Pomet yelled up.
“Now, let’s not get carried away,” Manuel said as he eased his arms into the air. “This is all a big misunderstanding.”
“I don’t know what’s to misunderstand,” Villemont said. “I see a large group of people trespassing on my business. And I want an explanation right now.”
Suddenly, Serafine dropped to her knees and began an incantation in a language Nelson didn’t understand. All he knew was that it wasn’t part of the intended ritual. Pomet jumped, apparently startled by her action. Villemont, however, remained stoic. He adjusted the gun and pulled the trigger. The sound of the gunshot sent birds scattering out through the trees.
Chapter Ten
Narcisse didn’t want to open her eyes. Her imagination was flooded with images of Serafine lying crumpled on the ground, her blood dripping into the water, dead with no successor to assume her position.
“It’s okay,” Armand whispered, squeezing her hand. “You can look. It ain’t bad.”
Narcisse hesitated for a few more seconds, and then she gradually lifted her lids. She had to force herself not to gasp as she began to process what she was seeing. Serafine wasn’t crumpled on the docks in a pool of blood. She was standing up, strong and proud, with one fist in the air. When Serafine relaxed her fingers, the bullet dropped to the dock.
Glancing across the dock, Narcisse saw that Alberto Pomet looked downright frightened by what he had just witnessed. The gun he held in his hands trembled, his legs looked unsteady, and there were droplets of sweat running down his face and pooling in his shirt collar. Villemont looked far more composed than his compatriot, but Narcisse could tell that even he was rattled by Serafine’s ability to catch the bullet. He didn’t break a sweat and his hands stayed steady, but he couldn’t conceal the shock in his eyes.
“I don’t know who you are or how you managed to pull off that trick, but I think it would be best if you got off my property right now. I don’t have the patience or time to deal with you people. So move along, now.”
Serafine shook her head. “That ain’t how it works. We have business here, and we aim to see it through, whether you like it or not.”
“Then maybe I should go into my office and call the police. I’m sure they’d have a thing or two to say about your trespassing.”
Serafine shrugged. “Go ahead and try. We have ways of dealin’ with you anyway.”
Narcisse had kept her eyes trained on Villemont and Pomet, and she saw Pomet’s composure weaken with each passing second. Yet she wasn’t expecting him to burst while Villemont still had control over the situation.
“What do you want from us?” he screamed. “Money? Is that why you’re here? Trying to get a payoff for some reason?” He suddenly turned his gun toward Manuel. “Our companies have coexisted for decades. Why are you trying to ruin my business now? Why are you trying to bring me down?”
“Calm down, Pomet,” Villemont said, but Pomet was undeterred.
“You’re just jealous of my newfound success, aren’t you? You’re jealous that my catch has far outsized yours this season, and I’m bringing in all the business, aren’t you? And now that I’ve sold things to Villemont and I’m becoming operational again, you’re pissed that I’m going to resume my place at the top. Well, I’m not going to stand for it. I’m not going to pay you off just because you’re angry about my success.”
Manuel snorted. “Yeah, I’m jealous of you. That’s what it is. How ’bout that you spent your time this season completely destroyin’ the fish population? How ’bout that there weren’t any fish left for anybody else? Man, you kept up at that rate, there was gonna be a total famine. Nobody would have had anything to catch, not even you.”
Armand dropped Narcisse’s hand and then walked toward Pomet and Villemont. “Of course, when you got shut down, you had to team up with someone who treats the bayou even worse than you do. You’re gonna be back in business, breakin’ the law and destroying the swamps as soon as you can.”
Villemont snorted. “You have no proof.”
Narcisse couldn’t stand it anymore. She couldn’t bear listening to this man who sought to destroy her new home. Breaking free of Nelson’s hand, she stepped forward to stand next to Armand.
“You look me in the eye and tell me that you haven’t paid somebody off,” she yelled. “You tell me that you’re not going to fish the population to death. You can’t, though. You can’t tell me that you’re going to stop trying to destroy the bayou for your own personal profit.”
She was expecting Villemont to scoff some more, to laugh off her bravery. She wasn’t expecting for Pomet to let out a shriek and fire a bullet in her direction. Her last thought was that perhaps she should have anticipated the violent outburst. But she didn’t have the chance for anything more coherent, because suddenly, she was facedown on the dock with Nelson’s body sheltering her.
“You okay, baby?” he whispered in her ear.
“Fine, though it’s a little tough to breathe at the moment.”
Nelson carefully rolled off of her. The first thing she noticed was that Armand and other gators had surrounded them as a means of protection. The second thing she noticed was that Nelson was bleeding.
“Oh, my God,” she whispered. “Nelson, you took the bullet. I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry.”
“Shhh,” he whispered. “Don’t get upset. I’m fine.”