Ravish: The Awakening of Sleeping Beauty - By Cathy Yardley Page 0,69
now in the clutches of that vengeful bitch Serafina?
Despite the aftereffects of the “G,” he forced himself to get up, drink some water. Weakly, he dialed Aaron’s number.
Aaron answered on the first ring. “You’re not dead, then.”
“How’s Mahjani?”
“She was in a coma, just like you said,” Aaron responded. “She’s still not—”
Jacob heard a voice in the background. “Are you Mahjani Rafallo’s husband?”
“Yes, I am,” Aaron responded, to Jacob’s surprise. Then Aaron obviously muffled the cell phone with his hand. When he got back on the phone, Aaron sounded shocked. “She’s awake.”
“What? Mahjani’s awake?”
“They said she just seemed to take a deep breath, then all her signs went back to normal.” Aaron sounded mystified. “Jacob, what the hell’s going on?”
“I can’t explain.”
“Don’t have the time,” Aaron pressed, “don’t think I’ll believe you, or don’t really know?”
“All three.”
“They’re letting me in to see her now,” Aaron said. “So if there’s anything…”
“Can you let me talk to her?”
Aaron grumbled. There was another pause. Then the phone shifted. “Hello?” Mahjani’s voice said, sounding a little weak.
“Mahjani!” Jacob said with relief. “You’re all right? Does that mean Rory’s all right, too?”
“I don’t know.” Now she sounded concerned. “I don’t remember anything after Serafina struck me. What happened?”
Jacob relayed what he’d seen and experienced. She sounded shocked when he admitted he’d put himself in a coma. “That was very, very dangerous,” she said sharply. “You should be dead!”
“But after what we did…” Jacob paused. “Is she all right?”
“I’m awake,” Mahjani said. “I’ve been set free from that world, and Serafina’s power. That tells me that Serafina is gone.”
Jacob felt a wave of relief…until Mahjani’s next statement.
“So either Serafina was banished or Rory is dead.”
Jacob didn’t wait for an answer. He hung up the phone, then left his room, hobbling as best he could to the front desk. The manager looked at him with concern. “Are you all right, sir?”
“I need a taxi,” Jacob said, knowing he did not have the strength or focus to drive. “Right now.”
Rory stood in a vast empty space. She seemed to have no body, no voice.
Where am I?
She heard Oshun’s responding thought. You’re on the other side. In our world.
“Am I…dead?” Rory ventured.
“Not exactly,” Oshun replied. “You’re at a way station. Your offering was more than we expected. Damballah and Ayida are still off somewhere, celebrating.” She sounded amused. “Chango is snoring as we speak.”
Rory smiled—at least, she thought she smiled. It felt like smiling. “Can I go back?”
“If you like.” Oshun paused. “Serafina was right. You are blessed with amazing power. Your capacity for love makes you very, very strong. And, as you pointed out, in a way you are a child of the loas. You were created through our guidance. That means you are a part of us.”
“Serafina,” Rory remembered. “Is she…?”
“She’s dead.”
Rory felt a wash of conflicting emotions, relief and regret.
“It was her time. Long past her time, in fact,” Oshun said. “Baron Samedi is taking her to her new home. I think she’ll find she feared it for nothing, so don’t concern yourself. You have a more important decision to make.”
“I do?”
“As I said, you are part of us, and powerful. You can decide to return as a mortal…or you can choose to join us, here, in this world. You can become a loa.”
Rory felt shocked. “What does that mean?”
“You would be a spirit. You would have power. You could choose a mate, among the spirits. Even become married, like Chango and I. You would be immortal.”
“What about Jacob?”
Oshun was quiet for a second. “He was brave,” she admitted. “But he is, after all, still just a mortal.”
Rory took a deep breath. “Then I want to return.”
“It means you’ll be a human,” Oshun pointed out. “You’ll be limited by the earth and its laws. You’ll be mortal.”
“I know.”
“You’ll die.”
Rory felt a calm cover her. “I can live with that.”
Oshun smiled. At least, it felt like she did.
“I thought you’d make that decision,” Oshun said. “You’ll live with my blessing. Both of you.”
“So how do I get back?”
“It’s simple…”
Rory felt something pull at her, an awkward, strange tug. Then the world went black.
“All you have to do is wake up, Rory. Just wake up.”
Wake up…
Rory opened her eyes.
Chapter Thirteen
Jacob rung the bell at the Jacquard house repeatedly, then banged on the door. After long minutes, the housekeeper opened the door. He pushed his way past her, heading with painful determination up the stairs and down the hallway to Rory’s room.