With haste, we continued our drive for three more miles until we reached yet another dirt road. Only this dirt road was different; it was surrounded by well manicured trees and the grass around them was a vivid green even visible in the night. It was through the trees that I made out the massive white house that sat beyond them. The mansion came into full view as the trees around it became sparse and the dirt path turned to the front gate of the estate and once it opened, we drove onto a long, narrow stone driveway. The live oak trees stretched into a canopy like giant fingers over the driveway as we drove; giving the place an eerie and mystical wonder about it.
"This is the old plantation our ancestors were enslaved on before our ancestor Marie Leveau overthrew the slave masters. We've since rebuilt the place into our own safe haven for our people." Anjelica informed as we reached the house and parked.
The house sat on welcoming steps leading to red double doors, and a wraparound porch with rocking chairs placed artfully around side tables. Six white pillars held up the overcasting rooftop and atop of the roof, I could make out three protruding windows which I guess was the attic. There were eight windows facing the front of the house and the second floor had a balcony which looked to stretch around to the back as well.
I couldn't hide my shock as I stepped out the SUV. This is where my mother's family lived? Why on earth would anyone leave this place? It was a southern oasis you only ever read about in textbooks or romance novels.
"Wow." I sighed in wonder.
I was so entranced by the mystical house and all it's trimmings, that I hadn't noticed the six figures perched at the top of the porch, waiting for us. The closer we got to the front steps, the more I could make them out: Two men and four women. They were all immaculately dressed in black and looked as if they'd just left a dinner party. The two men were tall and lean. Both were dressed in well tailored tuxedos, though the tallest of the two wore a red bow tie while the other wore a all black. The man in all black was younger than the man with the red bow tie, with smooth skin the color of deep umber and short, dark curls to frame his handsome, shaved face. The older man was striking, with shock white hair and blue eyes. I've never seen a black man with blue eyes; I was mesmerized. His skin was the same complexion as the younger mans, though withered by a decade. His piercing blue eyes stared at the lot of us as if to read into our souls or something. His mystic gaze kept circling back to me.
As for the women, I was shocked by their complete differences. The two girls seated on the center of the grand staircase were draped in similar, no, identical silk slip dresses. They were twins; both so stunningly gorgeous it was otherworldly. Their skin was Egyptian sand with a golden glow. Their hair was coiled into waist length dreadlocks, decorated with gold beads and gemstones. Their dark, feline eyes looked familiar to me, though they were perfect strangers to me. They both shared a quick glance at each other as if to share a thought together.
The women standing behind the twins was short, with walnut skin and microbraids tied at the nape of her neck. The black tunic she wore made her look like a free spirit from the seventies-it didn't fit the occasion everyone else was dressed for-but it was beautiful. Her almond shaped eyes were dark, but welcoming. She wore a slight smile.
When I caught sight of the statuesque beauty standing beside the older gentleman, I recognized her. She was the crooner from the night club I saw in my dreams. And by the way she cocked her head to the side when her hazel eyes skimmed over me alerted me that she recognized me too. How was that possible? How could she recognize me when she was a figment of my dreams? There was no way. Or was there? Stranger things have happened...
"Welcome home, Mama." The younger man greets Anjelica as we reached the stairs.
"Thank you, Thierry, baby." Smiled at him. She then turned to me and held out her right arm. I walked into her warm embrace before she turned back to everyone, "Family, we've received an unexpected blessing tonight. This is Amara, Monique's daughter."
Everyone's eyes almost blew out of their sockets. I pretended not to notice as I forced a weak smile on my lips.
The short woman with walnut skin descended from the steps first, engulfing me in a quick hug, "It's so wonderful to meet you, Amara. I'm Seraph, your aunt."
"So nice to meet you." I smiled widely at her.
The twins quickly glided down the steps after Seraph to hug me. The girl on the left spoke first, "Welcome cousin. I'm Delphine."
"And I'm Desire." The girl on the right chimed in.
The younger, handsome man hugged me next, "Welcome home, niece. I'm your uncle Thierry." He turned back to the supermodel and the striking man at the top of the porch. "That's Papa Endu and your aunt Akasha." He pointed time the two of them. The lithe beauty rose her wine glass to me from the baluster she was leaning against. Papa Endu gave a brief wave.
"Amara, you're just in time. We were just about to get ready for a late dinner." Seraph informed.
"Oh, yes, you're probably famished." Anjelica grinned at me.
"Yes, actually, I am." I nodded.
"Well let's go eat. Marshala and I must inform you all of what an eventful night the three of us had this evening." Anjelica sighed as she started up the stairs.
When she stepped through the front door, I was shocked by the way her clothes melted away into a black, deep v-neck dress. Marshala stepped through the front door and her clothes did the same, leaving her in an elegant black, lamé wrap dress. When I stepped through the front door my clothing had morphed into a shock white, off-the-shoulder, silk column dress.
I gawked down at myself as we all emerged into the grandeur of the dining room. The room was lit with three crystal chandeliers and candelabras mounted to the walls around the dark room. I was shocked to find the walls, the long, sleek table and chairs all painted black. There were silver platters of steaming food arranged decoratively around the table and felt as though I'd stumbled into an Austen novel.
"Is this often for dinner around here?" I whispered to Marshala.
Before she could answer, Anjelica spoke, "Every night. We all dress up and dine together. Like the royalty we are."
"That's right." Delphine and Desire said in unison behind me.
"Oh. How...nice." I said.
We all sat down at the feast; Anjelica sat at the head of the table in an ornate chair, more throne-like than all the other chairs. Marshala, Seraph and Papa Endu sat on my side, while Thierry, Akasha and the twins sat opposite us. After a quick prayer, we dug into the food.
"Who exactly do we pray to?" I spoke my thought aloud as soon as it came to me.
"Bondye, of course." Delphine snorted, speaking in a tone that suggested I should've already known that.
A series of glares met her for her condescending remark and she shrugged apologetically.
"Supreme being named Bondye, an unknowable and uninvolved creator god. We worship many Loa. Each responsible for a certain part of life."
"Loa?" I frowned at the word in question.
"Think of them as Gods as the Greeks think of their Gods. Where they have Aphrodite and Neptune, we have Erzulie and Agwé. The only difference is they aren't deities. They are mediators for Bondye." Desire said graciously with a smile.
"Oh, okay. I think I've got it." I nodded.
"Ignorant people will only say it's devil worship because the religion of Voudon is complex. There are layers to the understanding of it. But it's all about the understanding of the spirits and the ways of the world." Seraph said next to me.
The rest of dinner was very informative and I was thankful that most everyone made me feel welcome. Akasha watched me carefully with her reptilian green eyes and it freaked me out a little. By the end of dinner I decided Thierry and Seraph were my favorites of everyone for their open knowledge they readily gave to me of our heritage and our people. Delphine and Desire were very mysterious girls. Beautiful-very beautiful in fact-but mysterious all the same. They seemed to look at you as if they knew a secret.
Papa Endu was Angelica's Uncle and though he looked to be fifty, I was shocked to find that he was actually one hundred and two years old.
"We age very well in this family as you can tell." Anjelica joked, when we were all seated in the great room, which was just a giant library with floor to ceiling windows and pearl grey furniture that looked preserved from the rococo era.
"That is if we survive to see our golden years." Akasha spoke the first time all night and everyone looked to find her holding a glass of white wine at the window.
"How morbid." Seraph muttered.
"No, she's right." Anjelica said lightly. "Our family has been targeted by Shadow Walkers for generations. It's only right that we inform you for what's to come since you're one of us."
"And what's to come exactly?" I asked and frowned when everyone's eyebrows knitted together.
"A war." Anjelica said.
"At first it was about territory. But since they ended slavery, they've only got one goal now: obliteration. They've loathed us for decades-loathed our power. And it's only deepened since the first war." Papa Endu's raspy voice informed.
"There was a first war?" I rose my brows.
"Yes. While there was the historical Civil War. Directly after was the war against The Cunning and The Shadow Walkers. The Cunning being us and the Shadow Walkers being the DiLioncourts. Another family of the south built upon the blood of our people and treachery." Papa Endu continued.
"Which brings the reason of why I had to get you here." Marshala said as she walked over to me with two glasses of white wine; handing one to me. "We have to seel your powers to you so that they can't be compromised by the DiLioncourts."
"What do you mean 'seel my powers'?" I gasped.
"You have much to learn, Amara. But for right now we have to make sure to pretext you as best as we can. The seeling will make it so that your powers are your own." Marshala continued.
"Oh...okay. What do I have to do?"
***
We waited for midnight, when the moon was at its peak. We all had changed into white as we gathered at the lake behind the house in preparation for the ritual. The way Marshala explained the ritual to me was that I had to bathe in the moonlight in oils to seel my powers. I asked her if it would hurt before she started coating my skin in the lavender, tea tree and patchouly oil mixture. She said it would tingle more than anything else.
"Just relax. You'll feel no pain. It's more of a baptism than anything." Anjelica said, brushing the wrinkles out of the white silk slip I donned.
"Okay." I breathed.
My family circled around me and the chanting in a tongue I'd never heard began. I closed my eyes and rose my chin to the moon. I could feel my skin warming and the tingling sensation Marshala had mentioned had started slowly. I grew lightheaded five minutes later and suddenly everything went black.