Voodoo Queens of New Orleans - Vol. I | ✓

Chapter 18: Unprecedented Alliances

Game over.

Imani called out to Mama again, and suddenly she stopped staring so deeply at us and rushed over to the table. Esther exhaled before sobbing quietly while Kizzy finally looked at me. I didn't know what to say or how to say anything, in fact. Her eyes scanned her backpack on my shoulders. She raised her eyebrows—is it still there?

I avoided her eyes—something is wrong with it.

Kizzy frowned—what did you do?

I rolled mine—it wasn't my fault. I'm sure it's fine.

Kizzy's lips pursed—you used it, so of course, it's your fault.

"Mambos!" Mama called out, and immediately, all the priestess began to circle around Evander as everyone stood back and watched. The last priestess to join the circle was Miss Aza; she was too busy staring at me to quicken her pace. And as I locked eyes with her, I knew.

She knew.

**

The moment the Coterie successfully placed Evander in stable condition, Mama started asking questions.

Jonathan and his group were upstairs with Evander, accompanying him as he rested. Mikael and Imani were there with them; Mama didn't trust the vampire hunters, but she didn't have the heart to turn them away. I was unsure if this was selflessness or selfishness; maybe the vampire hunters were valuable to her in a way that I didn't know. That, or Mama genuinely wanted Evander to heal properly. I hated judging her character so harshly, but she was a character I knew little about, even though she was my own mother.

The four of us sat on the couch in the living room as the entire Coterie stood before us—all eight members left. Mama stepped forward and started the interrogations; Evander's blood staining her white skirt bothered her not.

"What were y'all doing out in the woods?" was her first question.

We exchanged glances with each other, the girls and I. Silently, we were conjuring our lie.

"Esther told us that she was having visions," Rocio said. "Visions of people hunting Leeches—the vampire hunters."

"Nearby?" Mother Babette asked.

"Yes," Kizzy answered quickly.

"And you thought it would be a good idea to go on and investigate?" Mama questioned.

"We only investigated because Esther said that one of them was badly hurt, Mama," I said. "That's why Kizzy brought her crossbow. As a precaution."

The Coterie began to convene about our testimony. Mama didn't believe us—she only pretended to be skeptical instead of certain that we were a lying lot.

After a moment of mumbles, the queens faced us again and began taking turns questioning their novitiates—first Mama Hepzibah questioning Rocio, then Mambo Nene with Kizzy, seeing if their stories added up. Rocio and Kizzy didn't even stutter with their confessionals, which matched perfectly: we took the SUV into the woods to see if Esther's vision was true, and found Evander wounded in the arms of the vampire hunters.

Finally, Missus Taima walked closely towards Esther, puffing out smoke from her cigarette and combing her fingers through her graying hair. Esther began to stress sweat.

"Esther," Missus Taima started, "is it true you had these visions, girl?"

Esther didn't even look Missus Taima in the eye; it was clear that Esther didn't want to be the novitiate that lied to her priestess.

"Yes ma'am," she croaked at the ceiling. Rocio held her head down and rubbed her eyes.

Please don't break, please don't break.