Page 59 of The Second Sight
“There’s so much more.” I said and tried to figure out where to start this story.
“This tea is sweet, but you need to call Dorothy’s and place our order for pickup. We need to bring your dad his comfort food because you had him about to crash out.”
“Right.”
I removed my cell phone from my purse. I plunged it into the car charger in Brooklyn’s car.There was no way I was going to return home to my hangry dad without his meal. I made a mental note to add some catfish to his order while I was searching in my contacts for the soul food restaurant’s number.
Chapter
Twenty-One
KASI
The food smelled like heaven in Brooklyn’s car. Fried catfish, short ribs, collard greens, mac and cheese, peach cobbler, and cornbread, the aromas mingled together in the cramped space, making my stomach growl.
My appetite was fighting a losing battle against the weight of what I’d just revealed to my best friend. Vampires. Fairies. My mother’s secret heritage. My own hidden abilities. Brooklyn’s eyes kept darting from the road to me and back again, like she was afraid I might sprout wings or fangs any second.
“So let me get this straight,” Brooklyn said, tapping her fingers against the steering wheel. “Your mama was some kind of African fairy?—”
“Yumboe,” I corrected. “They’re called yumboe. From Senegal.”
“Right. And these yumboe fairies can see the future, which explains why you’ve been having those dreams since we were kids.” She took the turn onto Maple Street. “And vampire man Seven thinks you have special powers because you’re half-fairy?”
I shifted the warm takeout bags from my lap. I twisted my body around to place them behind me on the floor of the backseat. “It’s more complicated than that.”
“I’m sure it is.”
“I know how it sounds,” I said, staring out at the empty streets. We were only a few blocks from home. The suburban neighborhood was quiet and still. Most houses were dark, just a few porch lights glowed in the distance.
“It sounds like something out of the movies.”
“But there’s something between us. Something real.”
“Yeah girl, your blood,” Brooklyn muttered. “Like human men want pussy. If I remember every vampire movie and tv show correctly, vampire men want your blood. What about these hunters you mentioned? The ones looking for your mama?”
“The Bambara Brotherhood. Seven says they’ve been hunting fae blood for centuries. They hate us for some reason. I think that’s why my mother left us. She was probably running from them.”
“Shit, Kasi, this is a lot.” Brooklyn shook her head. “I believe you, but damn, it’s a lot.”
“I was about to respond when headlights flared in my side mirror, growing rapidly brighter. A vehicle was approaching fast from behind. I could see it in the passenger side rearview mirror.
“Some asshole is riding your ass,” I said, twisting to look out the back window.
“Like go the fuck around.” Brooklyn grunted.
The vehicle sped up to our side. The windows were too dark for us to look inside. It was a black SUV, and I couldn’t make out the make and model in the darkness.
“I’m going to sow down and let them have it.” Brooklyn said. “Cause?—”
She wasn’t able to finish her sentence because they swerved suddenly. Cutting diagonally in front of us, the truck blocked our path. Brooklyn cursed, “Fuck!” slamming on the brakes.
“What the fuck?” I shouted, with my hands on the dashboard.
The SUV’s high beams blinded us, flooding the car with white light. I raised my hand to shield my eyes, squinting through my fingers. Dark silhouettes quickly moved in front of the glare as two figures approached Brooklyn’s Honda.
“Lock the doors,” I yelled, in a panic.
“It’s locked.” She yelled back putting the car in park.
