Voodoo Queens of New Orleans - Vol. I | ✓

Chapter 31: Ancestors

Everyone in the living room had suddenly gone quiet as the banging against the door became louder. Growling and snarling were heard on the other side as if it pained Hezekiah to be kept alone on the other side. The Coterie and everyone in the congregation stared motionlessly at the door, holding onto each other and whimpering at every bang against the door. 

 Mama looked at the six of us who ventured down there. She saw the state that we were in, saw our faces, and knew just how grave the situation was. I knew Aza's words rung in her head as she waited for Hezekiah to bust down the door. 

You should have fed him, Alize. You should have fed him. 

Suddenly, Mama grabbed my shoulders and looked me in the eyes; I was still in shock, unable to even register the hold that Mama had on me. 

"Lisa, listen to me," she said gravely. "Listen to me. What did you see?" 

I could barely talk. It was as if the words failed me - failed to come out of me. It was a chore to describe to Mama what I saw, but when I finally did, fear completely overtook her. 

"Everyone, get out of the house!" she suddenly shouted. No one questioned Mama's authority. Everyone began to scurry out of the back door, not knowing where to go but knowing that wherever would be safer than here. With a sense of urgency I had never seen in her, she rushed to the living room and underneath the rug, pulled out a map. It looked like a copy of an original. 

She pushed it into Kizzy's arms. "Here," she said. "Take everyone to Aza's. I don't care how you get there, just make sure that everyone arrives safely." 

Kizzy was nearly speechless, "Madam Dumont -" 

"Stick to the roads, stay in our territory, and you'll be fine. Just help get everyone to Aza's!" 

Kizzy looked at Mambo Nene, but Nene only urged her to listen to Mama. Without another word, Kizzy held onto her crossbow tight, with the map underneath her arm, and guided everyone out of the house and through the back door. The Coterie didn't follow; they stayed behind. But Mama didn't want them to stay behind. She didn't want me to stay behind, either. She was more than sure of herself on this decision. 

"Alize, you out your mind!" Ava exclaimed. "We not leaving you alone with him!" 

"Trust me," she said to her - to all of them. "Trust me. You need to be with them. You need to help them get to Aza's." 

"Alize -" 

"Now!" She shouted at them. Nene was reluctant, but the banging against the door was growing louder; the wood began to split. We didn't have much time, so the Coterie followed the head Queen's orders and began to follow the rest out into the woods. Despite the dread that filled me - the anxiety and horror that floated in my head upon seeing Hezekiah in that state - I refused to leave my mother's side, especially with Abraham still posing a threat. 

"Alisande," she said seriously when I refused to follow them. "Alisande, you need to go." 

"Mama, I'm not leaving you alone here." 

"I'll be fine, but you won't." I didn't know what that meant fully at the time. "You need to leave." 

Before I could argue my case further, there was yelling outside. 

"Alize!" Abraham said. "Alize, make your choice!" 

Make your choice. It was clear now, why Mama wanted everyone out of the house. Not only because of the threat of Hezekiah looming, but because she was planning on letting Abraham inside the house. Whether it was because she didn't want him to hurt us, or she didn't want the Coterie aware of her decision, I was unsure. But what I did know was that Abraham was most likely the only one who could properly tame Hezekiah in his current state; even my mother was no match for a vampire in its worst form.