Voodoo Queens of New Orleans - Vol. I | ✓

Chapter 15: Sajida The Shunned

**

Sajida the Shunned was beautiful.

From her body to her dress to her desk and even to her entire room, her energy had this allure that was inexplicable. And intimidating. 

At the time, my breath was caught in my throat because her study indeed amazed me. Every inanimate object was full of life. The dolls she had danced, the brown and decayed plants swayed, and the charms and dream catchers twisted when her fingers moved the same way. Nothing about Sajida's study was bare; there was some spell, parchment, charm, locket or potion scattered around the room. You could even hear everything; there was a magically-induced sound to the entire room.

Sajida sat on a large throne covered in spikes and horns. She watched the four of us come in, smiling at the fact that none of us wanted to sit down on the couch across from her desk.

"Come on, now," Sajida said. "I don't bite."

She snapped her teeth at us, making us jump. Her laugh was maniacal; chilling. Kizzy walked through first, excusing herself past the animated dolls that stood on the carpet, looking up at us. The dolls followed us to the couch and sat by the legs of the furniture once we squeezed ourselves in. I forced myself not to look at the rag dolls, fearing for my sanity.

Sajida didn't say anything to us yet. She just looked at us, studying our faces like she could read our intentions. The darkness emanated from her, from the subtle face paint on her skin to the tattered rags and beads she wore. Her arms were covered in bracelets. Her fingers, covered with rings. In her hair were weaved pieces of yarn, feathers, and gold clasps tightened around her thick locs that resembled a water fountain draping down to her shoulders. I wondered how she could have been related to Rashida - Sajida's skin was close to obsidian; the richest, darkest shade of brown that made her hazel eyes hypnotic; her onyx lips an abyss. I wanted to stop staring, but I couldn't; we stared at each other.

"Y'all gonna sit and stare at me all night, now?" she asked us. The four of us stammered nervously before she laughed again. It was clear it was all a game to her. And since it was, how we played made all the difference.

I felt something brush up against my leg the moment Kizzy built up the courage to speak. It was one of the dolls - the eyeless, mouthless dolls that only had symbols on their clothed stomachs. The one doll touching my ankle had a pentagram on their belly, drawn in red. Aside from yarned hair on their head, everything else was bare. If they had stories to tell, they wouldn't be able to tell them.

At first, I moved my leg away from the thing (as would anyone, being touched by a walking rag doll), but it was a gentle creature, using the little nub-arms to feel my skin against theirs. All four of us stared at the thing in disbelief. Its spirit was more alive than we initially believed.

Sajida suddenly hissed at it, startling everyone. "Chat! Go on, stop bothering her! Go on, get!"

The dolls - Pentagram, Triple Moon and Triquetra - scurried away silently and hid in a corner. I saw Pentagram continue to peak out of the shadows at me. I was terrified yet entranced by it; I didn't know what it was.

"Sorry about that," Sajida said to us. "Those things can be quite the intrusive bunch."

Kizzy, nervous, skipped right over Sajida's apology and went straight to the matter at hand.

"We understand that you're a busy woman," Kizzy began. "We wouldn't be coming to you if it weren't serious."

Sajida nodded, her eyes intrigued in a cynical way. Her eyes jumped on every single one of us until they finally stayed on me. And they didn't leave. Sajida kept staring at me, smiling a little like I was of any importance. Kizzy spoke, making her case before coming out with the golden question, but Sajida didn't pay her any mind. Suddenly, Sajida silenced Kizzy with the rise of her accessorized hand.