CHAPTER 27

 THE HOTEL WAS on the edge of the French Quarter. While checking in at the front desk, the manager informed Dakota that she had received a personal message for her and had put it in her safe. Retrieving it, she handed it to her and then escorted them to their suite.

“Please let us know if you need anything,” the manager offered. “I’m personally looking forward to seeing your show and consider it an honor you’ve chosen our hotel for your accommodations.”

“Thank you, Ms. Bosshart. I hope you won’t be disappointed.”

“I think that’s very unlikely, Ms. Lysanne. I have several friends who attended your Montréal show. They’re still talking about it. My staff is so excited you’re staying here. I’ve had to shuffle the schedules just so everyone gets a few days of work with the hope of meeting you. Please let me know if anyone becomes a nuisance.”

“I doubt it will be a problem, but if something comes up that we can’t handle, you will be the first to know.”

“Good. Now I’ll leave you to your peace and quiet. Have a good evening.”

“You too and thanks again.”

After the manager left, Dakota looked at the sealed envelope she had been given earlier. Her name was handwritten in a stylish script unlike anything she had ever seen.

“Fancy, but nice.” She showed it to Yemaya.

“Definitely!”

Opening it, Dakota glanced first at the signature. “It’s from Ekimmu.”

“I suspected as much. Does she have any more information?”

Scanning the note, Dakota handed it to Yemaya. “At least it’s a start. Apparently, she’s done her homework. If what she suspects is true, this could be dangerous. I’ll do some follow-up research and see what we can find out about this voodoo stuff. It makes sense it was some type of ritual if Ramus was killed by a poisonous snake. From what we know about him, it certainly couldn’t have been an accident, considering how long he’s been around. There’s no way he’d let a wild snake bite him.”

“I agree. We will just have to see what else turns up. Tomorrow, I meet with Suzanne and the crew. Unfortunately, I have to get this show put together quickly, so I won’t be able to help you with your research, at least not for a few days.”

“That’s okay, sweetie. It’ll mostly be library type stuff and probably pretty boring. The research part of my work usually is. You go do your thing and I’ll do mine. If I need you, I’ll let you know.”

“You had better.”

 

*  *  *

While Yemaya practiced for her upcoming performance, Dakota spent several days at the New Orleans Main Library researching voodoo practices and taking copious notes. Built in 1908, it had a complete wing devoted to voodoo and similar topics. The first thing she noticed was the large section of stories and books written about the town’s most famous resident, Marie Laveau. Dakota was intrigued by the history and influence of this particular black woman. During the time of slavery, she had risen to a position of power. Several books gave fairly detailed descriptions of her life. Of particular interest was a short excerpt in an old manuscript written in the early 1900s.

 

*  *  *

Marie Laveau was a large woman, born in the 1790s. As a hairdresser for the wealthy white women, she overheard the gossip about their personal lives. Eventually, she acquired so much information that she found she could manipulate it to her own advantage by pretending to be a witch.

Dressed in brightly colored clothes, she often paraded around with a large snake named Zombie and held secluded ceremonies in the name of Dambala. Only her initiates could participate or attend them, which added to her mystique.

*  *  *

This would be a great topic for the magazine, Dakota thought, closing the manuscript and putting it back on the shelf. I’ll have to talk to Tony about doing a whole series on this woman. Picking out another book, she sat back down and continued her research into the dark side of the New Orleans culture.

 

*  *  *

Except for a few minor mistakes, the performers managed to complete the new routine to Yemaya’s satisfaction. Suzanne had done an excellent job of coordinating the stage hands, lighting crew, and electronics technicians in just two weeks.

Several acts were from other shows, so it was only a matter of refreshing everyone’s memory, then finetuning the routines. Yemaya had told her chief assistant to select a single act from each show in case some of the audience had attended a previous performance.

She had discussed the finale in great detail with Suzanne and instructed her to make sure all performers practiced their parts until they had it right. There was no room for error.

Today was the first time they had performed a complete rehearsal. Afterward, Yemaya pulled Suzanne aside to congratulate her on her accomplishment and to discuss the mistakes.

She was almost finished when her assistant unceremoniously pushed her backward, causing her to lose her balance. At the same time, something collided with Yemaya’s left cheek. Flinching at the pain, she reacted by shoving the object away and the person carrying it, sending both flying across the room.

“Jesus, Donnie,” Suzanne cursed, bending over Yemaya to see if she was okay. “What the hell’s wrong with you?”

“Gosh, Suzanne, Ms. Lysanne, I’m so sorry” He scrambled to his feet. “Are you two okay?”

Touching the bruised area with her fingertips, Yemaya nodded. “What happened?” she asked, smiling her thanks to Suzanne before turning to frown at the technician.

“I... I... got distracted,” he stammered, looking first at Suzanne, then at his employer. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

“I am fine, but I will not have this type of negligence on my set. We cannot afford distractions in this business, for obvious reasons.”

“If I might have a word with you, Ms. Lysanne...” Suzanne interrupted, helping Yemaya to her feet. “I think I should handle this. You need to get that injury checked out.”

“It really is fine, but thanks for the concern. You are right, of course. As my right hand, I will leave you to resolve this issue. Whatever you decide to do about it and him is fine with me.”

Donnie swallowed nervously. The expression on the women’s faces told him he wasn’t going to get off lightly.

Smiling at Suzanne, Yemaya winked and walked away. Behind her, she heard Suzanne admonishing Donnie for his clumsiness.

“Just what the hell were you thinking? You could have seriously hurt her.”

“I’m sorry. It was an accident. I got distracted and didn’t see you two standing there. It won’t happen again.” He looked like a little boy who had just lost his best friend.

“You better believe it... and just to make sure, I’m taking you off the lighting crew until I think you’ve learned your lesson. From now on, you’re on cleanup. Now get started. This place is a mess.”

“But ...”

“You heard me, and if I hear another word, you’ll be doing litter patrol in the parking lot.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Donnie muttered, looking around, unsure where he should begin. Sighing, he walked away and kicked at a small plastic water bottle someone had left on the floor.

“I said cleanup, Donnie! Pick it up. Don’t kick it,” Suzanne yelled after him, then turned away to hide a smile.

Yemaya liked the way her chief assistant handled the situation and made a mental note to give her a bonus. The demotion would give the young man time to reassess his priorities, at least on the job. It was obvious he was infatuated with Suzanne, but negligence wasn’t the way to impress her.

Once back in her dressing room, Yemaya grabbed her jacket and headed for the hotel, eager to see Dakota.

 

*  *  *

After spending almost a week in the library, Dakota had gathered more than enough information about the different types of voodoo and the spirits associated with them. Glancing at the clock, she decided to wander around the French Quarter for a few hours before meeting Yemaya at the hotel. As a tourist, it would give her a chance to ask questions without arousing suspicion.

Wandering the crowded narrow streets, she was intrigued by the party atmosphere of the locals and tourists. Everyone was having a good time. Although it was early afternoon, the nightclubs were noisy. Music blasted from the open doors and windows but not enough to drown out the voices of the people milling around.

Feeling thirsty and a little hungry, she decided to visit the Café du Monde. She had heard about their beignets and wanted to taste them. Lightly sprinkled with powdered sugar, the pastry reminded her of the homemade doughnuts her mom used to make when Dakota was a child.

Sitting at a small wooden table, Dakota sipped her coffee and munched on the pastry. The hustle and bustle of people moving around the veranda didn’t distract her from her concentration as she reviewed her notes.

Although born from different cultures, many of the voodoo gods resembled the ancient spirits she had met in her dreams. Followers paid homage to Bondye, the supreme spirit. Dakota couldn’t help but feel he (or she) was just another version of Intunecat. Both entities were considered by their followers as the creator of the universe. It would be intriguing to think the two might actually be the same spirit. Then there was Dambala, the serpent spirit, Sarpe’s counterpart. Although she had never met Sarpe, Dakota knew the other spirits held her in high esteem.

Perhaps the most intriguing resemblance, though, was Yemanja, the female spirit of the water. Dakota knew her lover was named after the West African goddess, Yemaya. Africans believed she was the creator of the universe and lived in the oceans. The more Dakota thought about it, the more she believed cultures worshiped the same spirits.

Looking at her watch, Dakota gathered up her notes, anxious to get back to the hotel. When she heard the name Mambo Lucretia, she hesitated. Mambo was Creole for high priestess. Her instincts told her this was important.

“A hundred grand gone just like that,” one of the voices grumbled behind her. “I told you we should have grabbed him that night, but no, you had to think it over.”

“Shut up, would you? He probably wasn’t the one anyway,” another male voice snapped angrily.

“We won’t know that now, will we? And it’s mighty strange she isn’t offering the reward anymore. Why is that, Aiden? Huh? I’ll tell you why. Someone else got to him, that’s why. They probably heard us talking at the bar. Those black eyes were a giveaway and you didn’t have the brains to realize it.”

“Damn it, man, would you shut the fuck up? I’m trying to enjoy a meal here and you keep whining. If it was him, he’s gone. If he’s gone, there’s no reward and there’s nothing I can do about it. So just shut up and drink your coffee.”

Dakota heard the other man mumble something. Picking up her bag of beignets, she hurried from the café and signaled for a cab. Perhaps the conversation had no connection to Ramus’s disappearance, but she wanted to run it past Yemaya.

At the hotel, Dakota found Yemaya curled up in a lounge chair, sound asleep. Not wanting to disturb her, she quietly slipped past and entered the bathroom for a quick shower.

She wrapped a large towel around her body, walked over to Yemaya, and knelt to give her a light kiss. Only then did she notice the slight bruise forming on Yemaya’s left cheek. Gently, she pushed several locks of hair away from the area and stroked the damaged skin with her fingertips, curious but unwilling to disturb her lover’s sleep.

Normally, Yemaya would have awakened immediately upon her arrival. The fact that Dakota was able to enter the suite, take a shower, and get this close confirmed the extent of Yemaya’s exhaustion. Pulling her hand away, she was stopped when Yemaya reached up and wrapped her own around the warm palm. Pale blue eyes opened slowly and stared groggily at Dakota.

“Hey,” Dakota whispered.

Yemaya smiled, her eyes slightly glazed. “Hey,” she whispered back, her tone low and husky from sleep. Dakota shivered, wondering if she would ever be immune to the natural seductiveness of her lover’s voice or the unspoken promises of unimaginable pleasures.

“You’re hurt.”

“A minor mishap. The bruise should be gone by tomorrow.”

“What happened?”

Tugging Dakota onto her lap, Yemaya grinned sheepishly.

“One of the techs decided he was more interested in Suzanne than me. I guess I was too distracted thinking about you to react in time.”

“I know the feeling. So...”

“So we had finished practicing the final act when he bumped into me carrying some lighting equipment.”

Touching the bruise, Dakota frowned again.

“Looks like more than a bump. He must be an idiot,” Dakota said, unable to imagine anyone choosing someone else over Yemaya. “This could have been serious, sweetie. I hope you enlightened him.”

“I left that to Suzanne. She handles this sort of thing better than I, and she did. He was relegated to the cleanup crew. In this type of work, someone can get hurt if even one person fails to do his or her job properly. Safety is in the details.”

Dakota couldn’t agree more. Several of Yemaya’s acts were extremely dangerous. Any distraction could cause serious injuries or even death. Personally, she thought, she’d have fired the guy for his negligence.

“I doubt that.” Yemaya laughed, sensing Dakota’s thoughts. “You are too much of a softie.”

“In most things, but never when it comes to protecting the people I love.”

Hugging her warmly, Yemaya had to agree. Dakota wouldn’t hesitate to sacrifice herself if it meant keeping Yemaya safe.

“I have no doubt he is quite repentant. After the final show, I might tell Suzanne to let him have his old job back. All of us make mistakes. I doubt he willl repeat it. Now enough about me. How was your day?”

“Interesting, maybe even productive,” Dakota said, launching into a detailed description of her research at the library and finishing with the conversation overheard at Café du Monde.

“Hmm. It does sound as if they were talking about Ramus. Any ideas on how we find out more about this Mambo Lucretia?”

“A few. As a journalist, it certainly wouldn’t be unusual for me to do a series of articles on New Orleans and its ties to voodoo and the occult, especially since those who read Magic and Mysticism know I’ve been following you around. I suspect it’s a pretty popular magazine in this area.”

“As long as you make sure you take no unnecessary chances.”

“I won’t if you won’t.”

“Touché!” Yemaya said, lifting Dakota off her lap. “How about we get something to eat and call it a night? I have to be at the theater early. I want one more rehearsal and then give everyone the day off for a much-needed break.”

“Not to mention you. Maybe we can have some downtime together and play tourist.”

Pretending to think hard about the suggestion, Yemaya didn’t immediately respond. “Well, I think I might be able to work you into my schedule, if you are a good girl.”

Dakota lightly slapped Yemaya’s arm and sauntered off. “One, I’m definitely not a good girl... and two, if you plan on getting any tomorrow, you’d better treat me real nice.”

Jumping up, Yemaya grabbed Dakota from behind and swung her into her arms. Carrying her into the bedroom, she kicked the door shut with her foot and walked to the bed.

“Who mentioned anything about waiting until tomorrow? I think I should take advantage of you tonight in case you decide to withhold your favors later.” She gave Dakota a comically haughty look.

“Oh, Lord.” Dakota sighed, placing the back of her hand against her forehead in mock dismay. “Must we again? Don’t you ever get enough sex?”

“Me thinks thou dost protest too much, my lady.”

“Who said anything about protesting?”

“Hmm. Good point.”

Lowering Dakota to the floor, Yemaya grabbed the towel and flamboyantly yanked it away from her body.

“You, young woman, are exceptionally well endowed,” she proclaimed, wiggling her eyebrows.

“And you are exceptionally horny,” Dakota declared, thoroughly enjoying this side of lover’s nature. Normally serious, it was rare that Yemaya let go enough to play such games.

“Please, mamselle,” Yemaya begged, falling to one knee. “I am beyond horny. I have not partaken of your sustenance in hours. Take pity on this poor woman, will you not, and let me have my way with you?”

Placing her hands on her bare hips, Dakota looked down at the pitiful expression.

“Well, if you must.” She sighed heavily. “But only if you agree to my terms.”

“Anything, Name it, I am yours to command.” Yemaya jumped to her feet and spread her arms wide.

“Good. Take off your clothes.” Flipping her hand up and down, she assumed a regal pose. “Slowly! If you please me, you shall have all you desire.”

Grinning, Yemaya placed an arm across her waist and bowed.

“That is my only wish,” she said as she slowly unbuttoned her blouse. “And may I ask what else mamselle wishes of me?”

“Mamselle wishes for you to get completely naked, lie down on this bed, and let her have her way with you,” Dakota whispered, stepping close to Yemaya and running her fingers down the taller woman’s left cheek. “Completely,” she murmured. “Wholely. You must endure every caress,” she continued as she stared unblinkingly into pale blue eyes, “every touch, every stroke of mamselle’s hand...”

Yemaya’s eyes flared with passion as Dakota slowly enunciated each word, each action.

“My tongue, my lips. Do you agree?” She took a step backward, knowing without a doubt her lover’s answer. Dakota was working her own brand of magic on Yemaya.

Heart pounding furiously, Yemaya nodded, finding it impossible to speak. Dakota’s seduction was both irresistible and complete.

“Good. Now off with the jeans and get in bed. Tonight, I’m the Illusionist. I’m going to make the whole world disappear. There will be only you and me... and when I’m done, I promise you’ll know the depth of my love like never before.”

Yemaya sensed the moment the mood had changed from playful to serious. Dakota was staking her claim on Yemaya’s soul and offering her own in return. Her statement was not about dominance. She was asking Yemaya to relinquish control of herself, something she had never really done in the past. Now she had to make a choice— trust completely in her lover or admit her doubts and hope Dakota would understand.

Yemaya knew in her heart that Dakota would accept her decision without question even if she didn’t fully understand. Perhaps that was the hardest part of choosing, Dakota’s total acceptance of who she was and the unconditional love she offered. Humbled, Yemaya looked deep into emerald green eyes, took a deep breath, and nodded, accepting her lover’s terms.