Voodoo Queens of New Orleans - Vol. I | ✓

Chapter 11: Master of Manipulation

**

My kidnapping, in Mama's mind, was a declaration of war.

Mama was in hysterics when we got back to the shop. Every House was there; the place was packed to the roof. The Coterie ordered everyone to pack what was needed and get ready to travel to the "safe house" at the first moment of sunrise.

"That bloodsucking son of a bitch!" she exclaimed in her study. In a large box, she was packing everything—charms, books, time logs, documents. Mama's shop housed every important asset to the Coterie, so they made sure that they left nothing behind for Abraham to use against us again.

I sat in the chair across from the desk and watched her run around like a beheaded chicken, eyes as angry as a cruel sea. Mambo Nene, Mother Babette and Ava Claudette were helping her pack everything in the study, too. Footsteps were trudging around in the house, things banging against each other like we were being evicted and had only hours to get the hell out.

"We should have killed Abraham when we had the chance," Ava said, a sheathed knife in her hand. "We had the perfect opportunity when we cursed him into the ground—"

"The last thing we needed was a war with the Terah clan," Nene replied.

"Well, now we got one. But now it's Abraham leading those vermin." Mama sat at her desk, rubbing her temples. "The moment Abraham took my baby girl was the moment he wanted a war with us. He's been planning this shit for decades. Decades."

I felt like the spark that ignited this. If I hadn't ventured off into his territory, we wouldn't be scrambling to leave the shop with a vampire threat looming over our heads. I looked down at my hands, still covered in dirt and cuts; I was still in the attire I wore to the Jubilee.

"Lisa." Mama got up from her chair and sat on the arm of mine. "Look at me."

I couldn't. I felt too guilty. I had put everyone's lives in danger; we weren't even being given time to mourn Tia's House's deaths. How could I build up the courage to look Mama in the eye?

"This isn't your fault," she said.

"It is, Mama. I shouldn't have gone off alone like that. I put Imani in danger, and now I...I..."

I felt the warm tears pooling in my eyes. Ava and Nene decided to leave me and Mama alone the moment I started crying. Mama gently took my head and held it by her chest. I took my glasses off so I could deepen my forehead into her a little more, sobbing like a baby.

"I shouldn't have come here in the first place," I mumbled ruefully.

"Hey, don't go on speaking like that. It's my fault, Alisande," Mama confessed into my hair. "I should have been honest with you from the beginning."

Mama parted from me, got up and went to her desk. She dragged the chair from behind and brought it towards me. When she sat down, she wondered on for a moment before speaking again.

"Voodoo Houses and Vampire clans have never gotten along too well in New Orleans," she began. "Ever since Marie Laveau began claiming more territory for herself and our faction, Vampires haven't taken too kind to our presence. Her death made the discord worse. Terah's clan was the reason for her death; some bloodsucker killed her and threw her body on the doorstep of a House as a message. Shortly after that, the Coterie was formed, and from that day, both groups bickered on against each other. It wasn't until the 1980's that we finally found a compromise. We signed some agreements, keeping everybody in their places so no more problems rose up. But Abraham didn't like that. He thought it made the bloodsuckers look weak, like they were bowing down to the Coterie and any other Voodoo practitioners in the parish.