CHAPTER 35

 AT THE HOTEL, Dakota helped Yemaya undress, then get into the hot tub.

“The more the spirits involve themselves in our lives, the more confused I get,” she said. “Mari and Granny, I understand because they’re family. Arbora is just plain nice. Sarpe surprised me tonight, but Intunecat leaves me uneasy. I don’t know what to make of him.”

“I would have to agree. Whatever his agenda is, it is well beyond my comprehension. Perhaps Mari or Grandma Dakota can give us some insight into him, but not tonight. I just want to hold you close and sleep.”

“Me too, love. Speaking of which, I wonder why they didn’t help us. I can’t believe they’d just let all of this happen, not that I expect them to come to our rescue all the time.”

“I suspect Intunecat had something to do with that.”

“No doubt. Let’s get you to bed. We both could use a good night’s sleep.”

Standing, Dakota stepped from the tub and motioned for Yemaya to follow. Grabbing a towel, she quickly dried her lover and nudged her into the bedroom.

Once settled, Dakota pulled Yemaya’s head onto her chest, cradling her in her arms.

“Yemaya, did you know this was going to happen?”

“No. At least not on a conscious level, but...”

“But?”

“I can see why you ask. It was a little too coincidental, the show and this evening. Even I find it strange.”

“Yeah! Then again, the past year has been somewhat unusual, but it’s been the best year of my life.”

“For me too,” Yemaya mumbled, her words slightly slurred from exhaustion.

Before Dakota could say anything else, she heard Yemaya sigh softly, then felt her relax and snuggle closer. Within seconds, she was asleep. Kissing her lightly, Dakota rested her cheek against her lover’s head.

“Oh, Yemaya,” she whispered tenderly. “When we’re together, I’m the person I was meant to be, not the person I thought I was. You have given me everything I could have ever dreamed of and more. I love you so much.”

Closing her eyes, Dakota joined her lover in the dreamworld Mari and Maopa had created especially for them, a world free of barriers and restraints but filled with everything the mind could imagine and a few things it couldn’t. The smile on the faces of the two sleeping lovers spoke more than words or gestures.

*  *  *

After taking Lucretia home, Boudreau hurried back to his place, hoping his grandmother was still awake. The appearance of the spirits had left him shaken. Ancelin would know what to do. She had always been his mentor, even as a young boy.

Knocking on her bedroom door, he waited anxiously for an answer. When none came, he sighed heavily, unwilling to wake her. Unable to sleep, he went to the kitchen to fix a sandwich. The sun would be up shortly and his grandmother was always an early riser.

Three hours later, growing impatient, he went to check on Ancelin. Again, he knocked on her door. When she didn’t answer, he pushed it open and peeked inside. In the darkened room, he was barely able to make out her silhouette on the bed. Tiptoeing closer, he leaned down to touch her, only to discover her withered body curled in a fetal position, stiff with rigor mortis.

Falling to his knees, he pulled her gently into his arms and wept. She had been the one person he had loved unconditionally and now she was gone. Her frozen expression told him she had been in tremendous pain.

Boudreau imagined how she must have called out to him for help. How awful it must have been when he didn’t come, he thought, feeling an overwhelming guilt. She had always been there for him and yet, he had failed her in her last moments of life. She had died alone. Boudreau was a broken man.