Moon Shadow

4

The next morning, Lucifer's favor consumed my thoughts while I left for work. Had I officially chosen a side by accepting his offer? I wanted nothing to do with the upcoming Heavenly War II. But it seemed no matter how hard I tried staying away from it, as long as I had moon magic, I either had to choose a side willingly or I'd be forced into one.

I arrived at Samora Avenue, near the Askari Monument—a bronze statue erected by the British in 1927 in memory of African troops who fought against the German Army in East Africa during World War 1.

"Binti," Samantha called me from inside her electronic store. She was a skinny, dark-skinned woman with red box braids. "How are you?"

"I'm good. You?"

"I caught my husband with our new maid last night. Other than that, I'm good." The tears in her eyes said otherwise.

Damn. This was the third time she found her husband with a maid. She had fired the previous two after he promised to not do it again. But if I was a gambler, I'd bet he swore it wouldn't happen a fourth time.

I entered her store and hugged her over the glass counter. "Everything will be fine."

Samantha sniffled, then rubbed off the tears flowing down her face. "I know."

"Please, tell me you left him this time."

There were many women in Samantha's situation. It took a lot of strength and courage to leave. Divorce wasn't common in Tanzania, and societal pressure forced people to stay in loveless marriages.

"I did." She cleared her throat. "I'm staying with my sister right now."

"Good." I looked around the store and noticed Benard and Halima weren't at their counters. "Where are your workers?"

"They went to get food."

"Let me guess; they want you to eat your heartache away?"

Samantha smiled. "Yes."

I chuckled. "Alright. If you need me, you know where I'm at."

"Ok."

I showed her the peace sign. "Stay safe."

"You too."

I walked to my office building next door. Above the entrance were the words BINTI'S AID IN THE OCCULT: B.A.O. in short. It was a catchy phrase as "bao" was Swahili slang for "goal". And since Tanzania was a football-loving country, I couldn't pass up the opportunity for free promotion.

Upon entering the building, the AC hit me first, chasing away the heat from outside. I removed my sunglasses and hat and placed them in my handbag.

"Morning, Boss," Aisha said from behind her desk, wearing a white hijab and a red shirt. She was my secretary. "How are you feeling?" She smiled, revealing her fangs. Also, she was a nine-hundred-year-old vampire.

"Like shit," I said.

"So, a normal feeling then?"

I scoffed. "Yes." Smart ass.

"How did it go with Mama Joni?"

"Horrible. The vana had already eaten Joni's soul by the time I got there."

"That's terrible." Aisha had a soft spot for children. When she was a human, she had a lot of them. Too many to count... or care to know about. But then, one day she fetched water from a river and got bit by an unknown aquatic animal, infecting her with the virus that turned her into a vampire. When she returned home, her blood lust made her murder her entire family and tribe. Once she got herself under control, guilt made her bury herself until I dug her up a few years ago after hearing about her from a vampire hunter. "I sense there's more to the story."