Carnival of Bones Excerpt

Un edited excerpt ~

Eyes sparkling, he sat forward, still gently puffing on his pipe. A wisp of smoke blew into my face, smelling like cloves. It wasn’t horrible, but I knew he was doing it to mess with me. 

“What do you think I am, Moria Laveau?” he asked. “Give it a guess, and I’ll tell you everything you need to know and more.” 

I wasn’t sure I believed him. Bael had said something similar, and yet all he’d done was freak me the hell out and present even more questions. But Theodore was offering me a choice here. I could play into his silly game and find out, or I could pout like a child until he got tired of playing.

I sighed. “If this place is supposed to be the crossroads, then I’m guessing you're some kind of priest?” He was certainly dressed like a New Orleans native...although, his outfit wouldn’t have stood out too much sixty years ago either. In a way he was timeless.

Theodore chuckled, and the rumble of it tickled my insides in a way I tried to shove down deep. I couldn’t stop staring into his silver eyes. They sucked me in like a vortex of writhing energy. He was as beautiful as he was terrifying. 

“A priest, eh? I suppose you could say that.” He smiled to himself, something like amusement flashing over his dark features. He tapped his fingers on his thigh three times. “Now tell me who I really am.” 

Swallowing thickly, I didn’t want to say it. A name stuck in my throat, but getting it past my lips was a challenge all its own. Who was this man? I had a feeling I already knew, but everything inside of me ran from it—from the sheer impossibility. But what other explanation was there?

“You’re Papa Legba,” I said finally after what felt like hours of staring into his eyes.  Once it was out, his eyes flashed, the silver swirling like molten starlight once more. 

He had to be Legba. I could feel his essence all around this place. If this really was the infamous crossroads, then Legba had to be nearby. The power that radiated out of Theodore’s every pore was thick and potent and overwhelming. Whatever—whoever he was, I knew he wasn’t human. Not entirely. 

Silence stretched between us. Heavy silence. But then it broke as he threw his head back and laughed. His white teeth gleamed brightly, and something about it was a touch unhinged. My cheeks heated, and I suddenly felt like an idiot. 

Papa Legba? Had I really called him papa Legba?

My embarrassment quickly turned to irritation. “Fuck you, Theodore, I’m sick of these mind games. Stop playing with me.”

It just sort of...spilled out. But it was the wrong thing to say. 

The air around me grew cold and dark within a heartbeat, and a sudden breeze blew my long hair over my shoulders. Theodore was in front of me, as if materializing out of thin  air. Our noses were practically touching, and his eyes were once again swallowed up in blackness. My heart raced, my stomach threatening to crawl up into my throat as the moonlight and tree branches cast shadows over his dark skin, illuminating that skull again. It was gone before I could study it. 

“You’re going to wish it was only Legba that you’re dealing with, girl. You have no idea the mess you’ve found yourself in—the danger.” He cupped my cheek with a warm hand, running his thumb harshly over my skin as his eyes seemed to drink me in. “I am the true keeper of the gates, Moria. I am not here to hold your hand and show you the way. I am the one in the shadows you try so hard to hide from. I am the watcher you should fear. I’m the nightmares haunting your sleep, and the hand that will drag you into the darkness if you’re not careful the next time you speak to me.” 

Death and promises laced every word that whispered across my lips. He was utterly still, eyes pinning mine in place, holding me captive as we stared at each other. I’d known I fucked up the second the words were out, but there was no snatching them back. 

But still, I didn’t like threats. If he wasn’t Legba, then who the hell—

Oh my god. Oh God, oh God, no…

I started to shake despite myself. Despite how hard I tried to keep it together. A new kind of terror crawled over my skin, sinking into my bones. Dread, plain and simple made my head swim and my vision darken. Slowly. Theodore’s lips stretched into a knowing smile. I knew he could see it in my eyes—the understanding. The realization of exactly who I was speaking to. The fact that I wasn't a pile of bones on the swamp bed right now was a miracle.