I nodded. Unsure of what to say. What did they know about me? What did I tell them? Papa told me not to mention I was a null.
She waved her hand. “Different cultures I guess. You’ll catch on quick around here.”
When we finally entered an air-conditioned building, I felt like I could breathe again. It was so nice to be out of the humidity. My shoulder ached from lugging my suitcase around but I didn’t utter a peep. I didn’t want anyone to assume I was weak, especially Babette. It seemed like something she looked for.
“You’ll be meeting with the Voodoo King soon enough,” Babette sighed as she stopped in a hallway full of doors. “This will be your room until they decide what to do with you.”
What to do with me? I could have cried. I hated it here already. There was no tour. Just some weird kid and now a weirder woman that wasn’t friendly at all. There weren’t any people milling about. There weren’t kids screaming or playing. It was quiet and terrifying and absolutely nothing like what I was used to. Who were these people? I would take back the cold shower any day if I didn’t have to go through with this!
She pulled a key from the back pocket of her jeans and unlocked the door. The dark oak door swung open to a small entryway that led immediately into a little kitchen and then to a bed and a sitting area.
“They will come for you later tonight,” Her lips curled in an unfriendly smile before she closed the door behind her and I wasleft alone. I sunk down onto the corner of the bed and tried to give myself an internal pep talk. I could do this.
No one camefor me that night and so at ten p.m. I got dressed for bed. I didn’t allow myself to unpack as everything felt weird and for some reason, I knew I wouldn’t be here long. I buttoned up my silk pj top and eyed the bed. I didn’t want to stay here. It wasn’t home. It wasn’t even comfortable. I hugged my pillow to my chest and inhaled the scent of home.
A banging on the doors had me almost jumping out of my skin. It was almost eleven at night. What was wrong with this coven?
The banging came again, louder this time, like whoever was on the other side had no concept of personal boundaries—or a clock. Heart hammering in my chest, I grabbed the nearestobject for self-defense- a decorative vase shaped like a cat. Not my best weapon, but it was heavy and within reach.
“Who is it?” I called, trying to keep my voice steady.
No answer. Of course.
The banging didn’t stop, and I tiptoed to the door, clutching the cat vase. Slowly, I turned the knob and cracked the door open just enough to peek out.
A man stood in the hallway, his broad shoulders filling the frame. He was dressed in all black, from his fitted button-down shirt to his leather boots, as if he’d just walked out of a gothic fashion catalog. His sharp features were illuminated by the flickering wall sconce and his light inhuman eyes were a stark contrast to the rich, dark coloring of his skin. His long dreaded hair was pulled back away from his sharp angular face.
“Maple?” His voice was deep, almost a growl.
“Yes?” I tightened my grip on the vase. “Who’s asking?”
“Rune Benoit,” he said simply, as if that explained everything.
“Are you going to take me to the Voodoo King?”
Rune leveled me with a glare. “You’re looking at him.”
“Wait,” I held up a hand and laughed. “You arranged your own marriage?”
“Unfortunately, my father passed this morning, and the mantle has been passed to me.”
Mortification and shame blasted through me. “Oh my goodness, I am so sorry.”
He rolled his light eyes. “Yeah, okay. Follow me. We have a lot of ground to cover and the last thing I want is for you to get lost here.”
I let out a little laugh. Get lost? This place couldn’t bethatbig.
It was indeed that big.
Rune led me through the winding corridors of the coven estate with the confidence of someone who owned the place—which, apparently, he now did. His shoulders were stiff, and he didn’t bother to glance back to see if I was keeping up.
“What makes someone a Voodoo King?” I practically whispered as a shiver worked its way down my spine. “Do you practice Voodoo Magic?” I didn’t even know if there was such a thing.
He waved his hand dismissively. “Death magic, shadow work, and ancestral ties. The veil to the other side is thinner for me so I can protect my people.” I shivered again.
“I wasn’t planning on exploring tonight,” I muttered, more to myself than to him as I tried to change the direction of my thoughts. The decorative cat vase was still in my hand, an odd comfort in the unfamiliar setting.
Rune’s sharp voice cut through the silence. “You won’t need that.”
