Voodoo Queens of New Orleans - Vol. I | ✓

Chapter 26: Alone Again

I felt like the Coterie's footsteps were chasing after me. One by one, the click of a heel right after the click of my own on the steps, half a second after my own. They were onto me, literally and figuratively.

When we reached the bottom of the staircase, we all began walking through the living room, the House members staring on as we marched towards the Undercroft. I felt a chill come through - a draft the closer I got to the door, even in the intense summer. Two male House members stood by either side of the door. They opened it silently, the portal dark on the other side, save for the occasional lantern hanging on the wall's descent to the basement.

Aza stepped ahead first, walking down the wooden staircase with a sense of pride and self-worth in her stride. She wouldn't let the Coterie see right through her and deteriorate her spirit, so I told myself I was going to do the same. They sensed my nervousness despite my efforts; my breathing was shaky. I could blame it on the morning and its events, but surprisingly, all of my anxiety was coming from the meeting I was about to have with Hezekiah Mercier in the Undercroft.

The Undercroft was dim, the air moist. The coffin where Hezekiah laid in after his unconsciousness was wide open but empty. House members standing on either side began to guide us to a corner, lit weakly by an old lightbulb dangling from the ceiling. Hezekiah sat there, still chained by silver bonds, whistling a tune with a nonchalant attitude that made us question his intentions. His arm was still badly mutilated. Healing quickly, yes, but still burnt and charred. Of course, he cared not. Or at least he was pretending to not care to put on a front to us.

Hezekiah looked up slowly and made eye contact with Aza first. He immediately stopped whistling, his eyes narrowing into two gold slits brighter than the light above him. He then looked at me briefly, oh so briefly, before looking at the crowd of women behind me. His eyes, once narrowed, relaxed as he arched a brow, annoyed. And then, he began to laugh. It wheezed out of his throat, quiet at first, then loud and boisterous. This went on for what felt like minutes.

"Boy, if my eyes could still make tears, I'd be crying laughing right now," he said, his smile wide and monstrous, showcasing his fangs.

"What's so funny?" Nene asked irately, pushing through and standing in between Aza and I. When she asked that question, his smile began to fade. Suddenly, he pushed himself off the ground and stood up. Simultaneously, we all took several steps back. Even though he was chained and nearly immobile, we were too afraid to take any chances with him.

"What's funny," he began, his tone attitudinal, "is that I told that girl right there that I only wanted to speak to them two, and she done bring the whole goddamn party down in here."

The girl who delivered Hezekiah's message looked terrified. Again, as if Hezekiah wasn't chained and powerless; as if he could have hurt her. 

"It ain't her fault, Hezekiah," Nene said. "We all came down here on our own initiative." 

"Why?" he asked. 

"Because we got a few questions to ask you." 

Hezekiah laughed again, not as loudly as before. He then pivoted and recluded himself back into the corner, extending his long legs while leaning his head on the wall, whistling to the ceiling. Aza and I looked at each other once over Nene's short (and angrily tense) figure. Nene then built up the courage to walk up to him, still standing above him to demonstrate a sense of authority and power. 

"You know you ain't getting out here 'till you tell us what we need to know." 

"I know, Nene" Hezekiah said, his voice low and teasing. "I've actually gotten quite used to it down here. Nice and dark. Quiet."