Spell For Sophia (10 page)

Aidan dismounted his chair and stood. Salem pushed away from the table and stood beside him. If her hands hadn't been empty, I would have sworn she was poised for a wand fight.

"Ainslie?" Aidan's arms were raised at chest level, palms facing the floor. His hands were rigid. He appeared tensed for battle and his gaze darted from me to Yemaya as though he were gauging the energy between us. Salem clutched his arm, staying him. Neither appeared aware of the ghost.

"Uh…" A tomb-like cold swept through me, prickling my skin. An unpleasant loamy smell wafted up my nose.

Yemaya regained her mettle and threw the ghost a quelling look. It would have slain her if the teen hadn't been already dead.

"Well, look who is here." The ghost bugged her eyes at Yemaya. "Gal, I thought I'd seen the last of y'all." She scanned our faces, latched onto me last, and waved.

Without thinking, I waved back.

"Oh, great," Yemaya muttered under her breath.

The ghost said to Yemaya, "Far out! One of your friends can see me." She gave me a head-to-toe appraisal. "I like your threads."

"Um, thanks."

"What's going on?" Salem demanded.

"She's not my friend," Yemaya said. "I just met her."

"You two okay?" Evie asked.

"Fine," Yemaya and I said in unison.

"Jinx!" The ghost smiled, revealing teeth in need of braces. The word hurtled me back to a sleepover with Sophia and a memorable zombie movie.

"Because it seems like you're both talking to air," Evie continued.

"The spell book conjured up a ghost," I explained.

"Don't call her a ghost," Yemaya said. "Bayou doesn't like to be reminded of her unfortunate demise. It upsets her."

"Sorry," I said.

"Both of you can see her?" Evie sounded awed.

"Of course," Yemaya and I said.

"Double jinx." Bayou smirked and toyed with her oversized peace sign necklace.

"Just to be clear," Aidan said, "the ghost's name is Bayou?"

"Bayou Martine. Pleased to make your acquaintance." Bayou curtsied, pulling on the hem of the gauzy paisley top she wore over hip-hugger bellbottom jeans. Then she gawked at Aidan and fanned herself. "For a white dude, he is a total fox." She lowered herself to the floor without so much as a squelch from her wet platform shoes.

"Her last name is Martine," I informed the others.

"Wait," Salem said. "Yemaya, if you know Bayou, then did the spell book conjure her up, or did you?"

"Good question," Aidan said.

"I'm not sure." Yemaya sank sideways onto Aidan's vacant chair and fingered an amethyst ring on her left hand. "Bayou first appeared to me a few years ago, but I haven't seen her since I left New Orleans." She glanced up at Bayou. "I thought you were tethered to the Orleans and Tangipahoa parishes."

"I am." Bayou glanced about. "Why? Where am I, and how did I get here?"

"You're in California," I said. "Yemaya, something you read in the grimoire must have freed her from her tether."

"Groovy!" Bayou clapped her hands together, splattering noisome swamp water. "I've never been outside of Louisiana."

Yemaya pressed her palm to her forehead.

"Wait. Back up," Evie said. "First of all, what did you discover about the grimoire? I saw strange symbols and it sounded like you were speaking Creole or Cajun or something. So has it gone voodoo?"

Yemaya stood. "Definitely. The symbols you saw are called
veves
and each one represents a particular
loa."

"What's a
loa?"
Salem asked.

"A spirit." Yemaya arched her eyebrows at me. "You owe me a new pair of boots."

"Done." I wondered if Bayou would accompany us to the mall.

"The pages flipped too quickly," Yemaya said. "I couldn't process it all. I'm not sure what summoned Bayou and freed her from her tether."

"Chill out a sec." Bayou's eye grew huge and she sounded panicked. "I
need
my tether. Without it, I'll…"

"Fragment," Yemaya confirmed. She explained to the others. "Without the silver cord connecting a ghost to its corpse — forgive me for saying so, Bayou — the ghost will disintegrate."

"Oh, no," I said.

"We can't let our actions cause harm," Aidan insisted. "How much time does she have?"

Yemaya glanced at Bayou, who burst into tears.

"Bayou," I said. "Tell us the last thing you remember before you arrived here."

Bayou stopped mid-sob and tilted back her head. Her eyes rolled upward until only the whites showed. When she spoke, her voice dropped an octave and the words sounded as though they were being channeled. "Family trouble. Get help. The runaway and Shiloh Breaux Martine are afloat in a boat on the River of Time."

My pulse rocketed. "Which runaway?"

Bayou paused. "The Mexican."

"Do you mean Sophia?"

Bayou hesitated as though she awaited input from the Great Beyond. "Yes."

"Do you know where they are?" I asked.

"New Orleans, but not New Orleans." A lock of Bayou's black hair detached from her head, hovered just beyond her shoulder, then disintegrated.

"What do you mean—?"

"Enough!" Yemaya cut me off. "She's deteriorating. Bayou, hail and farewell!"

"Hail and farewell!" Salem echoed, drawing a pentagram in the air. "Blessed be."

Bayou's eyes rolled within their sockets until her irises came into view. She clutched her hands together, splattering swamp water. Then with a grateful look, she vanished.

I gaped at the spot where Bayou had stood.

"Is she gone?" Evie asked.

"Yes." I scowled at Yemaya.

"Thank the goddess." Salem sank down in her chair.

Aidan's gaze flicked from Salem to me to Yemaya. "I hope she makes it back in time."

Yemaya sniffed. "She had better."

“I’m sorry I got carried away.” My gaze circled from Yemaya to Evie. “She only lost a lock of hair. I’m sure she’ll be fine.”

"Did she say anything helpful?" Aidan asked.

I repeated everything Bayou had said.

"I wonder what she meant. 'New Orleans but not New Orleans?'" Evie said.

Aidan rubbed the back of his neck. "Or 'afloat on the River of Time'?"

Yemaya shrugged.

"Maybe Sophia is between worlds," Salem said. "Maybe the River of Time took her to New Orleans, but not to
present day
New Orleans."

Yemaya drew her fingertip across her eyebrow. "Let's hope they went forward in time, not backward."

My mind played catch-up. "Because Shiloh is related to Bayou, so he's probably African-American and—"

"New Orleans was once a slave town. Cotton. Sugar cane." Yemaya rubbed her forehead.

A sick feeling twisted my gut and the panic I had held at bay roped around me.
Sophia is Mexican-American. She has some Caucasian blood, but no way could she pass as white.

"Does Bayou have a sigil? I mean a
veve?"
Salem asked. "Maybe you saw it in the spell book."

"She's never mentioned one." Yemaya fingered her cameo necklace.

My upper body rocked forward and back.
She's evading the question.
]

My Stone Age flip phone rang, startling me. I dug it out of my handbag.
Mom. The woman is psychic.
"Excuse me," I said to the group, then crossed to the small living room as I flipped the phone open. "Hi Mom."

"Ten minute warning," she said without preamble.

"Already?"

"You must be having fun." Mom sounded happy.

Hardly.
"We ran into some friends. Do you mind picking me up in front of the Lamorinda Elementary School? There was an electrical fire in the Teen Room at the library."

"Oh no! Is everyone okay?"

"Yes. The fire department got right on it. We cleared out so they could check the room." I glanced at the others. Yemaya's features had settled into a thoughtful expression while she slid the grimoire inside the tote. The book bellowed, sounding almost like a disgruntled lion. Yemaya quickly zipped the tote, muffling the sound. "We wanted some fresh air, so we walked to the school."

"Oh? Good idea. Okay. I'll see you in a few minutes. Bye." Mom hung up and I flipped the phone shut.

Evie had opened her laptop. She typed something and stared at the screen. "Well?" Salem asked.

"None." She dropped her gaze to the monitor. "Unfortunately, the only city named New Orleans in the United States is the one in Louisiana." She closed the laptop.

"One theory shot." Aidan glanced at me. "We thought Bayou might have meant another New Orleans."

"There is one way to find out what Bayou meant," Yemaya said as I approached the table.

I lifted my jacket from the seatback. "What do we have to do?"

"Not 'we,' me. I'll have to go on a shamanic journey and search for Sophia and Shiloh Breaux Martine."

"Thanks, but I know you don't want to get involved." I faced Evie. "Thor might be able to help us." I slipped one arm into my shearling-lined jacket sleeve.

"If Sophia is with someone from Bayou's bloodline, then I have a better chance of finding her than anyone. Bayou and I have worked together before." Yemaya lowered her gaze as if the memory of her last job with Bayou had left psychic scars.

"Does this mean you've changed your mind about helping us?" I asked.

Yemaya's shoulders heaved up then down. "Yes. But it will cost you. Big time."

The dragon, which had been so quiet I had forgotten it was present, nudged my shoulder. I glanced at Aidan. His expression reminded me of Thor's. I was sure he was gauging Yemaya's energy. He glanced at me and nodded.

"What's your price?" I asked.

"It's confidential." Yemaya edged closer and dropped her voice. "Only you and Aidan can know about it."

"Hey!" Salem protested.

Aidan cast Salem a trust-me look. "Could you and Evie hang out here while I walk Ainslie and Yemaya down to the school? I'll be right back."

"Fine." Salem crossed her arms over her chest.

"Sure," Evie agreed.

"Thanks."

I slipped into my jacket and slid the strap to my crossbody handbag over my head.

"Wait." Evie stood and slid the black tote toward me. "Take the spell book. It might help Yemaya connect with Bayou again."

"Thanks." I shouldered the tote. The spell book pressed against the black material separating us. A chill penetrated my hip. A small, muffled roar trailed off into a quiet splash.

Salem's eyebrows elevated. "I think it likes you."

Great. First I attract a dragon, and now an alligator-like spell book.
I retrieved my gloves from the table and fell into step behind Aidan and Yemaya. Aidan held open the front door and gestured for me to precede him on the stairs. "You first," I said, pretending to search for something in my purse.

"Okay."

I recounted the steps, calibrating which foot had to lead so my right foot would hit the ground first.
Left foot, right, left, right…
I sensed the dragon behind me, bending low to snuffle the tote as I descended. Once I reached the pavement —
right foot —
the dragon energy faded away. I caught up with Aidan and Yemaya. The wind had picked up and grey clouds threatened rain. I spotted the Mercedes waiting at the light.

"My mom is here. We have to hustle."

"So what's the secret price?" Aidan asked as we jogged to the corner.

"On top of the boots you owe me—"

"Yes," I said.

"I need you to go with me tomorrow to find and then pay for a new door for Bugsy."

"Bugsy?" I said.

"My vintage VW Beetle. And by vintage, I mean embarrassingly ancient and decrepit, so I don't want anyone to know about it."

"Aren't classic car parts super expensive and difficult to find?" Aidan asked.

"We'll avoid the corporate yards. I did a shamanic journey and it directed me to a small, private junkyard. But I don't want to go alone."

Ahead, Mom waved behind the windshield. The light changed and she maneuvered the Mercedes into the school parking lot. The traffic Walk sign came on, indicating we could cross the street. While we strode to the car, Mom twisted in the front seat and watched us.

"Can't it wait?" I muttered. "Sophia is in danger."

"The junkyard owner is leaving town on Monday. We have to go tomorrow."

"What if we can't find a door?" I asked.

"Then you'll know I'm not as good a shaman as I think I am, and you'll find another way to find your friend."

Mom stepped out of the car and gave me a warning look.

"Okay, I'm in if you are," I said to Aidan.

"I'm in." Aidan jammed his hands into his jeans pocket.

Relief and excitement brightened Yemaya's expression. "Great. Let's meet here at ten tomorrow morning."

"Can you drive us, or should I ask my parents to give us a lift?"

Yemaya's cheeks flushed to a warm bronze. "I can drive. But no laughing, no photographs, and no posting about it on social media."

"Works for me." Aidan glanced up at the sky. "Hope it doesn't rain."

"Awesome," Yemaya said. "It'll be muddy, so dress accordingly."

"Won't we need tools?" Aidan asked.

"A friend is going to loan me his." Yemaya extracted a pen from her hippie purse. "Ainslie, bring cash. Now give me your hand."

"Why?"

"So I can give you my number in case anything comes up."

"I'll just plug it into my phone."

"You better hustle. Your mom looks like she's going to lose it," Yemaya warned.

I could practically feel Mom tapping her fingers against the car door. The mounting pressure rose like steam building in a teapot. I yearned for my parents to stay together and not divorce. If we didn't blast out of here, Mom would have to cancel her date with Dad.

The leather from my glove caught in the handbag latch, jamming it.
Not now!
I unsheathed my hands and worked the leather loose from the turn clasp. It finally yielded and I stuffed my gloves into my jacket pocket. "Hang on a sec."

"For Pete's sake! I won't bite." Yemaya grabbed my hand. My obsessive-compulsive disorder screamed,
No!
But Yemaya inked her phone number across my palm. I angled my head away and cringed. "Call me if you can't make it," she said.