Under A Voodoo Moon (Darkin World Book 4)

Chapter 28

The witcher left just in time. Kalfu came back a few moments after, looked at Remi coldly, then grabbed something from a bag. Before he exited the house, he told her to "stay" as if she were some sort of pet.

It'd been difficult for Remi not to use Ayida-Weddo's borrowed power when she saw Kalfu again. Vengeance burned low in her belly. But it was best to wait. Chances were that she'd need help, even with her loa mother's magic singing through her veins.

Instead of following Kalfu and exacting her revenge, Remi picked her way over the debris on the floor. Ayida-Weddo and Gideon had helped her deal with the guilt, but later she knew so many other emotions would assault her. She had no time to deal with them presently. Instead, she concentrated on her dry mouth and throat. Surely there was something more than gunpowder laced rum in the house.

Coming to what was once a functioning kitchen, Remi went to the sink. There was likely no running water, but it was worth a try. With an unsteady hand, she reached for the tap. Its trembling was an outward manifestation of her inner turmoil. Fisting her fingers, she then unclenched them and gave them a shake.

Taking in a deep, steadying breath, Remi tried again. This time, her hand didn't tremble when she reached for the faucet handle. Sadly, her hunch had been correct. The house had no running water.

Making her way to a dirty, old fridge, Remi tried opening the door. It took some muscle, but finally, the hinges gave with a groan. Inside, she found rum on the shelves. Bottles and bottles of the stuff were stacked in neat rows.

Before Remi closed the door in defeat, she spotted a single, new container on its molded ledge. Grabbing the plastic bottle of water, Remi twisted its lid. A satisfying crack sounded in the kitchen as the seal broke. Taking a deep drink, she swallowed the much-needed liquid. It helped to soothe her parched throat and mouth. Unfortunately, she knew it'd have to be rationed. Who knew when she'd be rescued? Added to that, her continued hydration was the last thing on Kalfu's mind.

With the bottle clenched in her hand, Remi went back to the front room. A movement caught her eye, and she glanced out the filthy, cracked window. Shifting closer, she peered into the driveway. Kalfu was there with Whit.

The borrowed power from Ayida-Weddo gave Remi courage. With her nose practically pressed to the chilled window, she squinted her eyes. The werewolves were building something in the small driveway at Kaflu's direction.

Fighting the urge to clean the window with her coat's sleeve - Remi didn't want to draw unnecessary attention - her eyes narrowed further. The full moon's light washed over the driveway, but it was still hard to see. When one of the men lit a fire, the structure's details sprung to life.

With a gasp, Remi took a step back. She recognized what they were building from the ceremonies she went to with Memaw. It was a peristyle, complete with a low wall surrounding the structure. Inside the covered courtyard, she knew she'd find a square post at its center, the poteau-mitan. Spiral carvings representing Damballah and Ayida-Weddo would run its length. The fire must've been the Forge of Ogus, an eternal flame that symbolized cosmic sexual desire.

Shaking her head in denial, Remi backed away further. The completion of the peristyle meant only one thing. Kalfu was close to calling the loa to earth. More specifically, he was nearly ready to call forth Ayida-Weddo so she could enter Remi.

The racket of something being hammered into wood brought Remi back to herself. Kalfu was strongest during the full moon, but also at midnight. Hopefully, he'd wait until then to try to entrap Ayida-Weddo within her, giving her rescuers more time to find her. But she couldn't bank on an evil loa doing anything logical.