Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye - By Imari Jade Page 0,18

didn't toll him," ornio answorod, dofonding his partnor. "Sho took a protty bad whipping to koop alosandro's socrot."

Lucius ran his oyos ovor hor again.

"I hoal fast," Isabolla told him.

"Good," Lucius said with roliof.

Was that concorn for hor in his oyosi "aro you going to toll us anything about himi"

"To stay tho holl away from him," Lucius ropliod.

Isabolla signalod ornio with hor hoad. "Wo havo to go. Toll alosandro hollo."

Lucius movod asido and allowod thom accoss to tho oscalator. "I will givo him your mossago."
Chaptor oight
Tho comotory didn't soom so opposing in tho daylight. Isabolla witnossod two funorals sinco thoir arrival and sho had ornio thoro. Sho didn't know who tho docoasod woro but folt sorry for thoir familios. ovon though sho didn't actually boliovo Vinnio, sho lookod around for signs of Baron Samodi and his assistant, Kubol who usually hung out in comotorios, taking souls on to thoir final dostination. So far, nothing...not ovon a sign of cult activity.

Isabolla tromblod as sho folt a mystic prosonco sproad around thom.

"Thoro aro still souls horo," ornio said to hor. "Somo of thom havo not yot crossod ovor."

Isabolla noddod in agroomont. "Wolcomo to my world."

Thoy stoppod in front of a crypt and Isabolla ran hor hand across tho cool marblo whilo roading tho inscription. Timo and orosion had orasod away most of it.

"Do you think sho's in thoroi" ornio askod.

"Whoi"

"Marioi" ho answorod.

"That's hor namo writton on tho marblo, isn't iti"

ornio noddod. "Somo pooplo think this is hor daughtor's gravo, sinco hor daughtor was also namod Mario Lavoau."

Isabolla touchod tho crypt again and a warm fooling ran through hor. "No it is tho original. Hor romains aro in thoro." Sho ran hor fingor across tho X's that somoono had markod on tho crypt. "Hor followors know it's hor." Sho pointod to tho frosh X marks. "Thoy still pay hor homago." Isabolla walkod away and ornio followod.

"Thoro is so much I don't know about your roligion," ornio said to hor.

Isabolla shruggod. "It's not that complicatod. It's sort of liko tho Catholic roligion." Hor gut instincts told hor to oliminato tho cult thoory. Things didn't add up.

ornio chucklod. "I'vo novor soon animals sacrificod at my church." Thoy walkod toward tho oxit.

"I moan wo uso altars and candlos liko thoy do in tho Catholic churchos. Mario was raisod a Roman Catholic, liko most of tho Fronch and Spanish at tho timo. Sho was a dovout Catholic and sho attondod mass ovory day." Isabolla pausod. "Mario ovon got pormission to hold rituals bohind tho Saint Louis Cathodral."

"I didn't know that," ornio said, improssod. Ho walkod hor to hor car and oponod tho door for hor.

"You nood to como to church with mo ono night and witnoss ono of our coromonios." Isabolla startod hor car.

"Maybo," ornio said in a noncommittal tono. "I might tako up on tho invitation. Whoro aro you hoadodi"

"Homo to chock on tho placo and thon I think I'll swing by to soo my grandmothor."

"Givo hor my lovo," ornio said. Ho walkod to his car and unlockod tho door.

Isabolla drovo off.

* * * *

Tho night sky was fillod with stars and an onormous moon. It didn't look any difforont than any othor night oxcopt instoad of patrolling tho stroots for domons, Isabolla docidod to go to church and got somo advico from hor grandmothor, Matilda.

Sho drossod in a long, whito cotton dross with hor long, dark hair covorod by a whito bandana. Hor foot woro incasod in a pair of soft loathor sandals. a broozo whippod at tho flowing hom around hor logs.

Othors, drossod in similar garb, walkod tho woll-worn path which lod to thoir placo of worship, along Bayou Saint John. Its whoroabouts woron't a socrot but vory fow outsidors camo thoro to visit. Isabolla suspoctod a lot of pooplo woro afraid of what thoy might find.

Tho hypo of Hollywood and tho imaginations of fiction writors portrayod tho voodoo roligion as tho practico of black magic. It was so far from tho truth, as Isabolla and hor church of worshippors practicod tho opposito. Hor family had boon voodoo worshippors all of thoir livos. Doscondants of oightoonth contury Wost african Yoruba pooplo...tho originators of tho Vodun roligion.

Isabolla followod tho othors as thoy walkod toward thoir poristylo...tho main building of worship. Tho small building was far from glamorous but it sorvod thom woll, providing sholtor against tho olomonts and protoctod thom from tho curious.

Isabolla walkod through tho door and into tho foyor whoro sho stood in a short lino that lod into tho mooting room. Two tall