Nikki’s POV

He wasn’t in here with me, but the very thought of being naked with just a wall between us was enough to make me feel uncomfortable.

No not uncomfortable, embarrassed.

Not embarrassment either.

Get it together Nikki! We don’t have time for this!

I realized I left the towel outside again, darn it.

The feel of the cold air that was not from the bathroom was not the only thing that gave me chills.

I wiped down and took in my reflection. For the first time I looked healthy, strong, even happy. No bags or dark circles around my eyes, no forehead wrinkles, no involuntary lip spasms. For the first time in a long time, I was content, happy with the life I was living.

My reflection rippled and distorted, changing to the reflection of my patron god, the forever beautiful Mawu. She looked back at me unsmiling, yet there was not a crease on her beautiful black as night skin her hair was loosely twisted and banded up and away from her face with jewels and gold adorning them. She glowed, not like the sun, but like the moon, sleek and mesmerizing. She stood there, naked as I was and stared at me with her dark eyes. I wondered how I looked like to her. Probably a pushover child who let people deceive her to cut her hair, with budding breasts who still did not see herself as grown enough or powerful enough, who was always unsure of herself, until there was something to be angry about. Who always needed passion to get things done. She probably wondered why I couldn’t be happy and smell the roses and still think of all the people I could kill. Anger is good though; anger gets things done. What is happiness but complacency? Meanwhile the enemies do not sleep and plot every waking moment.

“There are no enemies” I said to her, while pouring over her thoughts. She moved her head to the side an incredulous look on her face that screamed ‘Surely you do not believe that’.

I opened my mouth to ask more questions when she just disappeared. She always did that, appearing and then leaving, saying nothing and letting me feel anything. I shivered as the cold wind blew the already evaporating water on my skin. I hurriedly put my clothes on and stepped out of the bathroom.

“She’s all yours” I called as I flashed a toothy grin. He grimaced at our inside joke as he walked into the bathroom with a towel. I tried to breathe properly as I saw Neil on Mike’s bed. I waved and before he could too, I looked away.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

“The council…” Neil began trying to fill me in on why he was here.

“I heard” I turned back and gave a teasing smile “I couldn’t not hear even if I tried”

He chuckled.

I wanted to tell him he looked good in white, that it’s contrast with his skin was mesmerizing to look at, but I looked away again, reaching for my phone.

20 missed calls.

“Who calls people 20 times!” I exclaimed.

Nkosi and Kafui.

Fuck.

I almost dreaded calling them back. I cringed as I imagined the screaming match that will ensue.

The mobile began buzzing. It was Nkosi. The anxiety I had gave me extra 10 kilograms.

“It’s better if you picked it” he whispered right beside me. I put on a brave face that made him smiled and clicked the green icon.

“Are you okay?” Nkosi’s voice breezed. I did not sense hostility, just worry.

“I am fine thank you and you?” I facepalmed, my automatic reaction to that question came out of me before I could think about it. Neil was trying very hard not to laugh and I stared daggers at him.

“I am good,” he seemed a bit taken aback by the response but then recovered quickly “Is Michael there?”

“Yes!” Mike called from the bathroom. This whole Vodun thing will take some getting used to.

“Good, Neil?”

“Sir, I am here” he called from right beside me as he casually placed a warm hand on my shoulder. I tried not to think about how it radiated throughout my entire body.

“Shango?”

A commotion stole up upon us as Shango burst into the room puffing and huffing from the exertion. The beads of sweat from his brow and his wind tossed hair told me he was running. He lived right around the corner so it must mean he got the message before us and ran all the way over here.

“Sir,” he panted and then collapsed on my bed “I am here”. I felt Neil’s hand get heavier on my shoulder.

“Good. I want you all to listen to me carefully,” his voice was getting overshadowed by the rushing of the wind so we had to strain a bit to hear him “these next few days are not going to be easy on you. You have to remain strong. The council wants to meet you today and normally I will tell you to behave but I need your help to do something very important for me. Can you do that?”

“Sure” I said nodding but still apprehensive on what he needed us to do.

“Ask the gods what they need us to do”

“I’ve tried,” Mike claimed, barging from the bathroom shirtless, water still clinging to his hair and coming over to where we all stood “they won’t talk. I haven’t heard Ifa’s voice in a long time. He just leaves clues and stares at me”

“Me too” I breathed.

“Well children” Nkosi said with urgency in his voice “unless you want your abilities stripped away from you, figure it out”

We all gasped.

“What do you mean stripped away?” Shango demanded. For someone who was born with these abilities, you just know he won’t just have it taken away “They can’t just tell the gods to not choose us anymore? Can they?”

“No, they can’t but they can suppress them so you’re no more than an Anfa. They can block your mind from your spirit, making you unable to commune with the spirits that make Vodun possible. The agreement is very illegal, but they are willing to bend the rules for you” There was a bit of a commotion at the other line before his voice came back, suddenly urgent “Get it, you have four hours”

With that, the line went dead.

I don’t even have school yet I still have deadlines.

Great.