“Don’t apologize, Pagan,” I replied, reaching out to take her hand and bring it to my lips. “It’s time for you to go inside and get ready. I believe you promised your mother you’d sit down for breakfast this morning.”
She nodded and squeezed my hand before turning around and heading inside. As she reached the door she glanced back at me. “I’ll see you soon.”
“Always,” I replied.
Chapter Four
The second she stepped inside and closed the door I felt it. I closed my eyes and let my senses take over. Slowly opening them I scanned the backyard until my eyes landed on the source of Pagan’s dreams. I’d seen this spirit before. The mocking cold gleam in his eyes stared back at me, while he pulled out not one but two cigarettes that hung from his mouth.
“What do you want with Pagan?” I demanded, holding it in place with my glare. The spirit lord might be able to manipulate humans and their lives but it had no power over me. I held all the keys. Without me the voodoo spirit lord of the dead would be nothing. His powers came from those who believed in him. It ended at my hands.
“She belongs to me.” The arrogant spirit kept his focus on me. I could see the caution in his black eyes. He knew he was outranked.
“No. She doesn’t.”
The spirit lord moved backward. His movement was more of a slither than a walk as he put distance between us. The growl in my chest met my ears and I understood his sudden need for space.
“De gurl is marked as a restitution. Her mama made de deal. She know de cos.”
What? Unwilling to tear my eyes from the spirit lord and check to see if Pagan was watching us from her window, I negated the attempt at putting distance between us and glowered coldly into the eyes of what could only be considered a demon to humans. The worship and belief of those who practiced Voodoo was the place he drew his only power. Without them, he wouldn’t exist.
“Pagan Moore is mine. Leave her alone. You’ve never crossed me before but I can assure you that a voodoo spirit lord is no match for me. You know this.”
The rattle in the voodoo spirit lord’s composure was evident. He backed up. “But de restitution mus be made.”
“NOT with Pagan it doesn’t. Whatever deal you had with her mother is with her mother. Pagan had nothing to do with this.”
“You’d of never known her if I hadn’t healed her. You’d of taken her soul whilt she lay curled up dying as a child. It’s me who don lak to see chilren die. You don care who you take. She’s alive because of me. She’s meant for me purpose. I saved her for me son. He’s watched over her all dese years.”
Shaking with rage, I controlled my need to cause destruction. If I attempted to annihilate a voodoo spirit lord in Pagan’s backyard it would bring all of Hell with it. This was to be a safe place for her. Not a place of nightmares.
“Leave her or deal with me.”
“De gurl wilt have to choose or ahm taking my payment in udder forms. I got de right,” he hissed.
“Fine! Let her choose,” I roared.
Then he was gone and I stood alone.
What in the name of all the deities had Pagan’s mother done?
Pagan
“So lover boy’s on tour,” Wyatt, Miranda’s boyfriend and my childhood friend, announced as he st his tray down on the table in front of me. I picked up the roll because it was the only thing on the tray I actually recognized and pinched off a piece before peering up at him.
“Yeah,” was my only response before popping the chunk of bread into my mouth.
“Don’t talk about it. She’s all depressed,” Miranda scolded, slapping at his arm.
Wyatt continued to watch me which was slightly unnerving.
“What?” I asked, meeting his stare.
He shrugged, “Nothing, I was just thinking about something and I was going to ask you about it and well.. I forgot.” He shook his head as if to clear it and grabbed his bottle of water.
Leif. He’d been thinking about Leif. Slowly Leif was fading from everyone’s memory. Everyone but mine of course. Why was that?