Voodoo Love (And the Curse of Jean Lafitte’s Treasure) (21 page)

             
"We have business to attend to," he said, reaching out to touch my hair. "We're gonna have a little fun now."

             
I couldn't tear my gaze away from his eyes. They were mesmerizing. I was positive that he could hear and see my innermost thoughts. Against my will, I felt myself move closer to him, an action that made him laugh.

             
"You are gonna be so sweet," he whispered. "I'll make you forget about your man trapped on the other side."

             
A thought of Juan flashed in my head, breaking the odd sway the Baron had on me.

             
"About that," I said. "I would like to help set everything right, maybe end the curse placed on the treasure and Diego."

             
"Now why would you want to do that, Cherie?" Samedi glanced at Diego who rolled on the ground in pain. "I've been having so much fun tormenting him, showing all the terrible sins of his past. Why would you want to take such pleasures away?"

             
"I believe it might be worth your while as I'm prepared to offer you a deal."

             
I saw his lips twitch in amusement at the word deal and a greedy expression grew on his face.

             
"I'm listening," he said.

             
"I want to suggest a trade." I lowered my voice and leaned closer to the Baron. "Diego for the freedom of Jean Lafitte and one member of his crew."

             
"Which member?"

             
"Juan Montoya."

             
"Hmm…" the Baron rubbed his chin thoughtfully and looked at Diego. “Do you really think he's worth two of them?"

             
"He truly belongs on the Deadman's Ferry. It's for dark and lost souls, right?" I pointed to Diego. "They don't get much darker or lost than that guy right there."

             
"He would have to agree to the terms," the Baron said.

             
My heart sank a little, but I'd been expecting this. I nodded.

             
"And you'd have to give me a little something in exchange," he added. "Something to…sweeten the deal."

             
I didn't need an interpreter to understand the lustful look he shot me as he allowed his eyes to roam up and down my body.

             
"Fine," I said. I knew Juan wouldn't approve, but I had his freedom in my hands. I had to do everything I could to save the man I loved, even if that meant bargaining sexual favors with a voodoo spirit. Though I would probably never see Juan again, at least his soul would be free.

             
"Excellent!" Baron Samedi rubbed his hands together expectantly. "I love a good deal!"

             
I walked to Diego and squatted down next to him.

             
"Diego," I said, putting a hand on his shoulder. "I'm afraid I can't remove the curse. It's too late."

             
"No!" he cried out, anguish in every pore of his wretched being.

             
"What the Baron wants is too much for any person to take. I don't think you can accept his terms," I said.

             
Diego looked at me, his eyes rimmed with red.

             
"I will do anything to put this curse behind me, to be whole again."

             
Behind me the Baron laughed. He clapped his hands and shouted, "Done! He accepts the terms and so do you,
Elizabeth
.”

             
Immediately, Diego stopped moaning. I could see the pain fading away and along with it went the terrible haunted expression that had surrounded him. He slowly got to his feet, looking very much like the man I'd feared two years ago. The slow grin he gave me was full of pure evil.

             
"Um, Baron, when do the terms take affect?" I asked, nervously backing away.

             
"Soon enough." The Baron muttered something under his breath and flung out his arm. Diego was tossed outside the ring of fire.

             
I could see the outlines of Eddie, Euralie, and Diego outside the circle, but wasn't sure what was going on. Baron Samedi obliged my curiosity by creating a small opening in the fire that allowed me to hear the conversation.

             
"What happened?" Eddie asked, picking up the gun. "Where is
Elizabeth
?"

             
"She removed the curse." Diego smiled. "I'm a free man."

             
"But what about her? Is she okay?"

             
"Who cares?" Diego gestured at the fire. "She caused me enough trouble. I hope she dies."

             
"What were the terms of the agreement?" Euralie asked. "Did you bother to find out or just accept them blindly?"

             
"I agreed to do whatever it takes to be rid of these visions, to stop seeing the horrors that have tormented me."

             
"So you're going to be Captain of the Deadman's Ferry?" Euralie crossed her arms and frowned. "That means you ferry lost souls to the other side when you die."

             
"I don't know what you are talking about. The curse has been lifted." Diego pulled out the gold coin from his pocket and tossed it into the fire. It landed inside the circle at the Baron's feet.

             
"Has it?" The question was asked by a voice I didn't recognize. It was female, and as I watched, I saw a young woman enter the clearing. A bullet wound in her temple dripped blood. "Do you remember me, Diego?"

             
So this was another one of his victims. Maybe the curse hadn't been lifted after all.

             
"Michelle," Eddie whispered. "Is that you?"

             
"What's left of me, my brother," she said. "I've come for Diego."

             
"No." Diego backed away. "No. How do you know her?"

             
"That's my sister." Eddie's voice was hollow. "She's the reason I hate you, the reason I've spent all these years trying to kill you."

             
"You killed me Diego," the woman said. "You shot me down in a fit of rage though you claimed to love me. I've come for you."

             
"Shoot him," Euralie said. "She can't collect his soul for the ferry if he's still alive."

             
Without a second thought, Eddie fired the gun.

             
Diego reeled back and fell to the ground dead.

             
"Thank you, brother," Michelle said. "I'm at peace now. You should be, too."

             
Without another word she faded away and the fiery curtain I'd been peeking through closed.

             
"
Elizabeth
." Baron Samedi said my name and I turned to face him. "We must seal the bargain now. He's crossed over to the ship, but there is still one last piece of business to finish."

             
"Alright." I stared, uncertain of what to do next and stunned by what had just occurred. Did I wait for him to attack me? Did I go to him willing? What was the protocol for sex with a spirit? How long would it take?

             
He moved towards me, but paused as I sucked in my breath, frightened.

             
"Perhaps a more appealing form is in order," he said.

             
I watched his features change until he had morphed into the form of Juan. He held out his arms and I stepped into them. I took a deep breath and felt his hands touch my hair, his lips slide to my neck. I could feel his breath whispering across my skin as he moved up to my mouth. Looking deep into my eyes, this creature that looked like Juan kissed me.

             
It was a strange sensation. I was expecting heat, but instead felt only coolness. It rushed through me, feeding a new desire that wasn't based on emotional feeling but pure lust. My hands had a mind of their own and began exploring the body I knew so intimately. Pleasure surged in my body, but it wasn't the hotly charged passion I'd experienced in the past. This was cold, almost detached, and yet, consuming.

             
The Baron began to slip his hands beneath my shirt, sending little ripples of sensation through me. I shivered and I heard him laugh in satisfaction. I opened my eyes and stared into his. Once again, I heard that strange little voice in my head that I'd heard off and on all day.

             
See how easy it is to just give in? Love could never be stronger than the bonds of lust
.

             
I pulled away from the Baron. He narrowed his eyes and looked down at me.

             
"It's you. You're the voice who's been trying to sway me all day. You've been trying to put bad thoughts in my head, haven't you? You've been trying to sway the deal all day in your favor," I said.

             
The Baron shrugged. "It's all how fate would have it."

             
"I can't do this," I whispered.

             
"Why not?" The Baron's voice was curious. He shifted from Juan's features back to his own.

             
"He asked me not to. He said there's no honor in this. I love him," I said, feeling a stab of pain. "I can't go against his wishes."

             
"Shit!" The Baron cursed and stomped away, his back towards me. "There's the damn loophole."

             
"What do you mean? I thought the sex was supposed to be that part. I thought I was sacrificing love and that was what would make the bargain complete."

             
"No. Not sacrificing love is better." The Baron turned to me. "You won't give in, even though it means you might not see each other again. That's real love. That's what breaks the curse."

             
The fire died down. When I looked at the Baron, he'd disappeared. Only Euralie and Eddie remained in the clearing. But something was coming. I could feel it. The energy was shifting again, but the darkness I'd felt earlier was gone.