Predestined (Existence Trilogy #2)(12)

“Leif is a... a voodoo spirit?” That couldn’t be right. Leif wasn’t evil.

“Pagan, those who don’t have souls can only belong to one place. The Creator does not create soulless creatures. He has no use for them. A soul can only be created by the Creator. Therefore, all that doesn’t contain a soul is evil. Leif is the product of one of the strongest evil spirits there is. The Voodoo lord of the dead, Ghede, is powerful because of the chants and prayers he receives from humans. Leif is his creation. His child. Leif is the prince of the dead within the Voodoo religion. Your connection to him is the reason you see souls. Before you were sick, before your mother took you to the voodoo doctor, had you ever seen a soul?”

I couldn’t remember. This was too much. Voodoo? My mother saved me with Voodoo? Oh God.

“How... how can you fix this?” I asked, needing someone to reassure me it was going to be okay. Maybe this was just another dream. Maybe I would wake up and I would be normal again.

Dank dropped his arms from around me and stood up. I didn’t like the distance. I wanted him close.

“When I’m not taking souls I will be finding a way to end this,” he paused then looked away from me, “Gee is going to come stay with you until I’ve handled this.”

What? No!

“You mean you’re leaving?” I fought the tears stinging my eyes and threatening to spill. I couldn’t do this without him here. I wanted to be strong and fearless but right now I just needed him near me.

Dank let out a sigh and closed his eyes and ran his hand over his face. I knew I was making this hard on him but I didn’t want him to go away. Even if I loved Gee, I wanted Dank.

“There is no other answer to this Pagan. I can’t exactly forego my job. I still have to take souls. All my free time will to be focused on keeping you safe.”

“But--”

“PAGAN! BREAKFAST!” my mother’s voice rang up the stairs interrupting my attempt at begging.

“Go get ready Pagan. Go to school. I won’t stay gone completely. Every chance I get I’ll be right here.”

“You promise?”

“Yes.”

“Alright Peggy Ann, where we headed first?”

I turned to look at Gee who had fallen in step beside me, I realized she didn’t look like an ethereal “transporter” but instead the Gee I’d met in the mental hospital. Her blond hair was spiky and bleached white. Her eyebrow was again pierced and it looked like she’d added another small bar beside it. The diamond in her nose was no doubt very real and, of course, she had to be wearing black lipstick. She made the wanna be goths look pathetic in their attempts to pull off the style.

“Whatcha staring at Peggy Ann? You miss me that much?”

“I’d forgotten how well you can pull off the crazy bad-ass look.”

Gee burst into a cackle of laughter. “You said ass,” Gee announced rather loudly causing me to wince a little. “My little princess is getting some bite to her.”

Rolling my eyes I glanced past Gee to see Miranda standing by her locker with Wyatt watching me with a horrified expression on her face. She’d remember Gee from the crazy house. Crap. I hadn’t thought of that.

“Um, my friend Miranda saw you... ya know before. What am I going to tell her?”

Gee followed my gaze and then waved at my friends as if they were long lost buddies of hers. “She isn’t staring at me with her mouth hung open because she remembers me Pay-gan. She’s gawking because I don’t fit the profile you normally hang with.”

I started to respond and decided not to. Gee was right. My friends didn’t have piercings on their face, or wear short miniskirts with tall black army boots. Or deck themselves out in black nail polish and lipstick. Gee was definitely going to draw attention.

“So, she doesn’t remember you from the mental house?”

Gee shook her head, “Nope, Dank took care of that.”

With a sigh of relief I made my way over to Miranda. I wasn’t up for telling more lies today. I was glad I wouldn’t have to come up with something to appease Miranda’s questions. Although, I was going to have to find a way to get Miranda to stop gaping at Gee like she had a third eyeball. Gee was really cute all dressed up like a rebel. Sure she was gorgeous when she was all transporty but she pulled this look off well too.

“Miranda, Wyatt, this is my friend Gee,” then I was stumped. I hadn’t thought that far.

Miranda’s horrified slightly confused gaze shifted from me to Gee lingering just a little longer on Gee.

“Gee?” Miranda asked

“Yep, Gee. Look your friend can already say my name. Isn’t she a bright one?” Gee teased, obviously eating up the uncomfortable gawking. I elbowed her hard in the ribs and shot a warning glare at her.

“Gee is a friend of mine from out of town. Her uh, Dad is a friend of my Mom and she’s staying with me for a few weeks,” I stumbled all over my words. If they believed me, then it would be a miracle.

“If this fascinating introduction is over, I’m going to go find a vending machine. I need a Coke and a Snickers since you rushed me out of the house before breakfast,” Gee announced then headed off in what appeared to be the direction of the Teacher’s Lounge. Surely she wouldn’t. No, she probably would and was going to.