Page 13 of Total Carnage
"Sit," she commanded, gesturing to a rickety chair.
I lowered myself onto it, the wood creaking ominously. "So, uh, how does this work? You gonna read my palm or something?"
Mama Céleste's lips quirked in what might have been amusement. "Non, child. We speak to those beyond the veil."
She began to chant, her voice low and rhythmic. The words were a mix of English and what I guessed was Creole French, flowing together in a hypnotic cadence. Despite myself, I felt drawn in, my skepticism fighting with desperate hope. As the chanting continued, the candles flickered wildly. A cold breeze seemed to sweep through the room, though the windows were shut tight. I gripped the arms of the chair, my knuckles white. I looked for hidden wires or a fan. Nothing.
"What the fuck," I whispered, watching as shadows danced and twisted on the walls. Part of me wanted to bolt, to get the hell out of this witch's den and never look back. But the other part, the part that had driven me across states and into this godforsaken swamp, kept me rooted to the spot. I'd come too far to back out now. Whatever Mama Céleste was conjuring, whatever answers lay on the other side of this ritual, I had to see it through. For Raven. For myself.
As the chanting reached a fever pitch, I closed my eyes and braced for whatever was coming next. Then the chanting stopped abruptly, and my eyes snapped open. Mama Céleste was staring at me, her amber eyes glowing in the candlelight.
"You've crossed the threshold, Vin Reed," she said, her voice deeper than before. "Death has tasted you and spit you back out."
That was reassuring. I leaned forward, heart pounding. "What the hell does that mean?"
She smiled, all teeth and mystery. "It means the spirits have marked you, chéri. You dance between worlds now, neither fully here nor there."
"Cut the cryptic bullshit," I growled. "Just tell me what I need to know. What the fuck am i supposed to do?"
Mama Céleste tsked. "Patience, boy. The answers you seek aren't simple. Your resurrection... it's tied to forces older than time. The loa have plans for you."
I ran a hand through my hair, frustration building. "Loa? What the fuck are you talking about?"
"Spirits, child. Powerful beings. They've given you a second chance but at a price."
Before I could ask what price, her eyes rolled back, and she spoke in a voice that wasn't her own. "The Raven flies north, to bluegrass and bourbon. She waits for you, bound by blood and shadow."
My heart leaped into my throat. "Raven? She's alive? Where?"
"Kentucky," Mama Céleste breathed, her eyes slowly focusing again. "Your path leads there, but tread carefully. The road ahead is treacherous, paved with bones and betrayal."
I stood, my mind reeling. Raven was alive. In Kentucky. It was more than I'd dared to hope for, but the weight of Mama Céleste's words left me uneasy. "What else?" I demanded. "What aren't you telling me?"
Mama Céleste's amber eyes locked onto mine, her gaze piercing through my soul. "Death, chéri. It will shadow your every step, hungry for what it lost. The price of your return is adance with the reaper, always one heartbeat away from his cold embrace."
My gut clenched, a chill racing down my spine. "You're saying I'm marked for death? Fuck that. I've already died once, I'm not keen on repeating the experience."
She shrugged, her bangles jangling. "The choice isn't yours to make. You breathe because the spirits will it, but they are fickle masters. Your life hangs by a thread, mon fils."
I paced the small room, my boots scuffing the worn floorboards. Hope and fear fought inside me, making my head spin. Raven was alive, waiting for me. But this death sentence... it complicated everything. "So what, I'm just supposed to accept that I could drop dead at any moment?" I growled, frustration and anger bubbling up.
Mama Céleste's laugh was like that of a child. "Accept it? Non. Fight it, chéri. Your strength, your will—that’s what keeps you tethered to this world."
I stopped pacing, meeting her gaze. "And Raven? Stansfield? What about them?"
"Your destiny is intertwined with theirs. The path ahead is dark, but not without hope."
I took a deep breath, steeling myself. "Thank you, Mama Céleste. I don't understand half of this mystical bullshit, but... you've given me a direction. A purpose."
She nodded a hint of warmth in her otherwise enigmatic expression. "You carry a heavy burden, Vin Reed. But remember, even in the darkest night, stars can guide your way."
I snorted, but there was no real heat in it. "Poetic. I'll stick to my GPS, thanks."
As I turned to leave, Mama Céleste's bony fingers gripped my arm with surprising strength. Her amber eyes bore into mine, a mix of concern and steel in her gaze. "Listen well, mon brave," she said, her voice low and urgent. "The road ahead istreacherous. Death may shadow you, but it ain't the only danger lurking."
I tensed, waiting for her to continue. She always had to be so damn cryptic.
"Your past, it follows like a hungry gator," she murmured. "Be wary of old ghosts wearing new faces. Trust your instincts, but guard your heart."
