priestess.”
“What price is that?” She shouldn’t have asked, but a sick sense of curiosity had her mouth moving before her brain could tell her to shut it.
The woman’s eyes met her’s and Cassie shivered at the emptiness she found there.
“Souls,” the priestess answered. “We be dealing in souls now, chile.”
Cassie wondered whose soul Tarron had bargained with in order to get help from the Voodoo lady. But that was not a question she was going to voice. She didn’t know how she would handle the answer.
“Tarron has my parents. I can’t just run and hide.”
“That not be what I’m saying. Dat elf be messing with things that ought not be messed wit. There be no benefit to my lady—da Voodoo goddess—if Tarron and Lorsan rise to power. Be no balance come from it. Triktapic must not be falling again. The contract between the Voodoo goddess and Tarron be already struck. There can’t be no going back. But dees goddesses be tricksy you know?”
“What does that mean?”
“Tarron of the dark elves tink he be bringing me an item that be belonging to you.” She pointed a bony finger at Cassie and, for some reason, it made Cassie want to duck out-of-the-way. “But that item from another. She already be heading dis way. The spell cast will be making them want each other no matter who their destiny be meant for.”
Cassie felt ice cold as the priestess’s words began to sink in. She knew what she had to ask next, but the words seemed to be lodged in her throat. It took her several tries before she was finally able to speak. “Who was the girl that the item belonged to?” Her chest tightened as she waited for the woman to confirm what she already knew to be true.
“Elora Scott, half human, half dark elf, daughter of Lisa, sister of Oakley, and Chosen of Nedhudir, da one she calls Cush.”
Cassie was pretty sure if she’d eaten anything recently she would have been tasting it a second time in that moment. Tarron had thought he was ensnaring Cassie, but it had been Elora instead. And now because he had Cassie’s parents as well, he had them both whether he wanted them or not.
“So what can we do? How do we stop him?” Even as she voiced the question, she didn’t expect an answer. But the old woman surprised her.
“You must be stopping him. Da Voodoo priestess works for the highest bidder.”
“So basically,” Cassie said slowly. “You will help us if we offer you something more than what Tarron has already?”
The priestess nodded.
“Will you undo the spell? And how do I know you will do what you say?”
“If Triktapic agree to my terms, da spell will be broken. A Voodoo priestess keeps her word—to da highest bidder.” This seemed to amuse the old woman and she threw her head back and cackled, a sound that reminded Cassie of a murder of crows all squawking at once.
After the woman finally calmed down, Cassie’s eyes narrowed. “And how do I know you won’t go back to Tarron and tell him what you’ve done in order to see if he will give you a better offer?”
“You don’t.” And she once again fell into a fit of hideous laughter.
Cassie’s eyes snapped open as she attempted to catch her breath, the laughter of the old woman still echoing in her head. She knew immediately that this was more than a dream. Whoever that woman had been, she was real, alive, and flesh and blood, somewhere close by. She felt Trik stir beside her and she turned her head to see him sound asleep with one arm slung over his face and the other resting possessively on her stomach. Apparently she hadn’t disturbed him at all. She let out a slow breath and closed her eyes as she attempted to sort through the bizarre dream.
“What’s wrong, Beautiful?” His deep voice had her eyes snapping back open.
“I thought you were asleep,” she told him as she rolled over onto her side to face him.
“I was, but I could feel your anxiety.” He patted her stomach to remind her that he was touching her
“What price is that?” She shouldn’t have asked, but a sick sense of curiosity had her mouth moving before her brain could tell her to shut it.
The woman’s eyes met her’s and Cassie shivered at the emptiness she found there.
“Souls,” the priestess answered. “We be dealing in souls now, chile.”
Cassie wondered whose soul Tarron had bargained with in order to get help from the Voodoo lady. But that was not a question she was going to voice. She didn’t know how she would handle the answer.
“Tarron has my parents. I can’t just run and hide.”
“That not be what I’m saying. Dat elf be messing with things that ought not be messed wit. There be no benefit to my lady—da Voodoo goddess—if Tarron and Lorsan rise to power. Be no balance come from it. Triktapic must not be falling again. The contract between the Voodoo goddess and Tarron be already struck. There can’t be no going back. But dees goddesses be tricksy you know?”
“What does that mean?”
“Tarron of the dark elves tink he be bringing me an item that be belonging to you.” She pointed a bony finger at Cassie and, for some reason, it made Cassie want to duck out-of-the-way. “But that item from another. She already be heading dis way. The spell cast will be making them want each other no matter who their destiny be meant for.”
Cassie felt ice cold as the priestess’s words began to sink in. She knew what she had to ask next, but the words seemed to be lodged in her throat. It took her several tries before she was finally able to speak. “Who was the girl that the item belonged to?” Her chest tightened as she waited for the woman to confirm what she already knew to be true.
“Elora Scott, half human, half dark elf, daughter of Lisa, sister of Oakley, and Chosen of Nedhudir, da one she calls Cush.”
Cassie was pretty sure if she’d eaten anything recently she would have been tasting it a second time in that moment. Tarron had thought he was ensnaring Cassie, but it had been Elora instead. And now because he had Cassie’s parents as well, he had them both whether he wanted them or not.
“So what can we do? How do we stop him?” Even as she voiced the question, she didn’t expect an answer. But the old woman surprised her.
“You must be stopping him. Da Voodoo priestess works for the highest bidder.”
“So basically,” Cassie said slowly. “You will help us if we offer you something more than what Tarron has already?”
The priestess nodded.
“Will you undo the spell? And how do I know you will do what you say?”
“If Triktapic agree to my terms, da spell will be broken. A Voodoo priestess keeps her word—to da highest bidder.” This seemed to amuse the old woman and she threw her head back and cackled, a sound that reminded Cassie of a murder of crows all squawking at once.
After the woman finally calmed down, Cassie’s eyes narrowed. “And how do I know you won’t go back to Tarron and tell him what you’ve done in order to see if he will give you a better offer?”
“You don’t.” And she once again fell into a fit of hideous laughter.
Cassie’s eyes snapped open as she attempted to catch her breath, the laughter of the old woman still echoing in her head. She knew immediately that this was more than a dream. Whoever that woman had been, she was real, alive, and flesh and blood, somewhere close by. She felt Trik stir beside her and she turned her head to see him sound asleep with one arm slung over his face and the other resting possessively on her stomach. Apparently she hadn’t disturbed him at all. She let out a slow breath and closed her eyes as she attempted to sort through the bizarre dream.
“What’s wrong, Beautiful?” His deep voice had her eyes snapping back open.
“I thought you were asleep,” she told him as she rolled over onto her side to face him.
“I was, but I could feel your anxiety.” He patted her stomach to remind her that he was touching her
Similar Books
