Chapter 16
Revelations
“Ms. Mae?” I softly knocked on her office door before opening it.
“Come in child.” Ms. Mae gradually looked up from behind a pile of books. Her desk was cluttered with various herbs and pieces of cloth.
“What are you doing?” I questioned.
“I’m attempting a new mixture for a love gris-gris,” she answered like it was as normal as clipping her toenails. “Henri advised me that you were eager to speak to me. What can I do for you, my dear?”
I sat down, “I had a dream last night. Well, it was actually more of a nightmare, but anyways I need to know what it means.”
“Go on.” Ms. Mae focused all of her attention on me.
I recalled the nightmare in detail. As my description progressed, Ms. Mae’s grip on the beads around her neck grew firmer. By the time I was finished, it was obvious that Ms. Mae was as upset as I had been.
“Mon Dieu,” she finally spoke.
“So what does it mean?” I was anxious to hear her opinion.
“Someone wants you gone from Darkwood.”
“What else?” I pressed her for more details. “And who?”
“I’m not certain,” admitted Ms. Mae. “I need to consult the cards.” She got up and pulled a deck of tarot cards from the shelf behind her desk. As she started to read them, her expression changed from worried to downright terrified.
“What is it?” I asked again.
“Possession.”
“Umm, okay. What does that mean?”
“Louis Beau.”
“Louis Beau? You mean Mad Marie’s son?”
“Yes, that Louis Beau.” It seemed as if Ms. Mae couldn’t believe the words that were coming out of her own mouth.
“But he’s dead. Lucus told us the story of Mad Marie and how she put the spell on his great great-great grandfather. She did that so Louis Beau’s soul could leave Darkwood. It’s impossible that he’s still alive. What is he some kind of ghost?”
“No. The cards tell me that his soul left Darkwood, but it never left this plane. It never passed on to the next. The cards say that he is very close, but they do not tell me his exact location. Of course, that is why Lucus is bound here, ageless and immortal, because Louis needs him to stay that way, so he can continue to live.” Ms. Mae paused for a minute, reflecting on the revelation before continuing.
“Louis fears your powers because you’re the only one who can help Lucus. You are the only one that can break the curse and free him.” Ms. Mae stood up and came towards me. “Arelia, you need to talk to Lucus. There are things that he needs to explain to you.”
I felt my pulse quicken, as I tried to connect the dots. “Lucus is under a curse? The story he told us at the slave cabins was about him, not his great great-great grandfather?”
“He meant to tell you, Arelia. He’s been trying for weeks now.” Ms. Mae came to Lucus’s defense.
The room started to spin as my mind reviewed the facts. Mad Marie’s curse consisted of a soul for a soul. Louis Beau was still alive. Lucus’s great great-great grandfather’s soul was bound to Darkwood, so Louis Beau could escape. Lucus wasn’t like any other seventeen year-old I’d ever met. So that meant Lucus was the great great-great grandfather he told us about in the story. Lucus was bound to Darkwood and was probably centuries old. I was drooling over a very old man. He was an extremely well preserved old man, but still a very old man. It made perfect sense. Lucus knew much more about Darkwood’s history than he should have. He never spoke about his family or friends. He had told me that physically he was seventeen, but felt much older. At the time I hadn’t given it much thought, but in hindsight, it had been a hint.
Somehow, deep within me, I had known for a long time, but my head hadn’t let me accept it yet. My head had refused to acknowledge that there are certain things in this world that none of us could control. This whole realm was still very new to me, and I was beyond a little confused. I felt betrayed by Ms. Mae and by Lucus. They both made me feel like they cared for me when in reality all they wanted to do was groom me for their own purposes. I felt like an utter fool thinking that there was something special between Lucus and I. I had thought that he cared for me and that, well… In reality, he didn’t give a shit about me. He only wanted me to help break the curse, so he could finally be free from Darkwood, whatever that meant.
At that moment, the only thing that I could think of was how nice he had been to me. It made my blood boil thinking about his stupid apologies and the time I had wasted analyzing every little touch or glance that took place between us. All this time I had thought Ivan was a jerk when the real jerk was Lucus. At least Ivan didn’t hide what he was.
Ms. Mae knew what I was thinking. She knew what was racing through my mind, but what I refused to say. “You need to let him explain.”
“I’m supposed to meet him tonight.” I finally gathered the courage to say something in a calm and rational manner rather than screaming like I wanted to. “I don’t really believe...”
I was doubtful of the words that were coming out of my own mouth.
“Arelia, we’ve been over this before. You cannot control everything, and there are times when it doesn’t matter what you believe. There are things that just are. You need to talk to Lucus before it’s too late. The cards tell me that Louis Beau is strong. If you wait too long, he won’t allow you to help Lucus.”
For some inexplicable reason, at her words I felt myself fill with rage. If it hadn’t been for Ms. Mae and her stupid invitation to work at Darkwood, I wouldn’t be in this situation. Ever since I’d gotten here, she’d been the one encouraging me to explore my powers. Now I knew the real reason.
“You knew all this time didn’t you? You knew that Lucus was under Mad Marie’s curse, and that’s the reason you called me to Darkwood.”
“That’s not true, my child. Of course I knew about the curse, but that is not the only reason I wanted you to come here. You have a gift. A gift so strong, that it needs to be developed.”
“Stop calling me your child. I’m not your child!” I screamed.
Ms. Mae was taken aback by my little outburst.
“Arelia, please believe that I didn’t invite you to Darkwood just to help Lucus.”
“Sure you didn’t. Then why did you invite me? I should have listened to Grand-mere Bea. She knows too, doesn’t she? That’s why she didn’t want me to come here. She didn’t want you to manipulate me. That’s what you and Lucus have both been doing manipulating me. You’re nothing but a master manipulator. You could have just called me instead of sending Sabrina an invitation. You knew that I would come if Sabrina convinced me. This whole thing has been a sham from the beginning. What are you, in love with Lucus? I mean if you were born here that means that you’ve known him all of your life. Did he make you believe that he was interested in you too so you would help him break the curse? Well did he?” I was past the point of trying to be composed and rational. I was furious and beyond disgusted.
Ms. Mae sighed before replying. “When I was a young girl, I did have feelings for him.”
“That’s just great.” I could feel vomit threatening to find its way to the surface, as I thought about the implications of what she had just said.
“It never progressed to anything, he never shared my feelings,” she admitted. “Besides, that was well over fifty years ago. A tiny childhood crush, that’s all. Henri has always been the love of my life. Mon Dieu, have you fallen in love with Lucus?”
“No. Even if I have it’s none of your business.” I knew I was being disrespectful and condescending, but I couldn’t help myself. I was hurt and confused. How could they have lied to me so well? Ms. Mae acted as if she cared about me when really she had her own agenda. “Why do you need me to break the curse? Why can’t you do it?”
“You’re blessed by Erzulie, that makes you much stronger than me or your grand-mere.”
“I’m leaving,” I said when I finally spoke. ?
??This is bullshit. I don’t give a crap if I was blessed by all of the saints in New Orleans. I don’t like being used or lied to.”
“Leaving? You can’t! I do admit that I should have just called you from the beginning and explained everything. We all make mistakes out of fear. I’m terribly sorry,” Ms. Mae pleaded. She walked towards me and placed her hand on my shoulder.
“Don’t touch me.” I shook away her hand.
“Don’t explain, don’t apologize, don’t do anything. After tonight, I’m leaving. I’ll help with dinner, so I can see the guests one last time, but that is it. I don’t want to be a part of whatever this is.” I rushed out the door making sure I slammed it hard behind me.