Existence 02 - Predestined

playmate.
    “You feel any better after your nap?” he asked, stopping at the foot of the bed.
    No, I’d never feel better again. I didn’t even give that question a response it was so ridiculous. Leif accepted my silence without much concern. He was dealing with my attitude entirely too well. And why was he wearing a tuxedo?
    “Father would like for you to join us for dinner.”
    “No.” Not ever.
    “Pagan, you can‘t refuse Ghede. I can’t protect you from any punishment he might decide you require. Please don’t disobey him.”
    He has got to be kidding me. I’m stuck in the voodoo version of Hell and he thinks I care if I piss off his stupid daddy. “No,” I repeated.
    Leif’s cool resolve began to crack a little. I could see the frustration in his eyes and I wondered if I actually could annoy him until he was begging to get rid of me. Of course he might not send me back to earth but throw me in their fiery pit or something. Did they even have one of those?
    “Okay, listen. If you do this for me I’ll... I’ll send Wyatt’s soul to you. You’ll even be able to talk to him. His soul is different when it isn’t on the earth. Once a soul without a body leaves the earth and dwells in the afterlife it can speak. It is only on earth that it requires a body for communication. However, when he speaks to you it will be different. He won’t do so with his mouth. His voice will be in your head. His soul will speak to your soul.”
    Wyatt. I could see and talk to Wyatt. I stood up and walked around the bed toward the door. “Okay, let’s do this.”
    Leif laughed from behind me, “I must make a note of this. I just have to find the correct incentive to get you up and moving. Wish I’d thought about Wyatt earlier. And you can’t wear that to dinner. Ghede requires proper respect. You’ll need to dress according to his wishes.”
    “Well, Ghede will have to get over it because when you drove me off the freaking bridge I only had a pair of jeans, a sweater and a leather jacket. I didn’t exactly pack for this excursion.”
    Grinning, Leif gave a small hand gesture that looked more like a pathetic attempt at waving off a fly. “There, you look lovely and father will be pleased.”
    Glancing down I sucked in a breath. I had been unaware that I had any cleavage but the tight bust of the ridiculously extravagant dress had my boobs pushed up to my nose. Or so it seemed. The skirt of the dress stood out around me like a hoop. What was this the 1800s?
    “Why did you just put me in a Scarlett O’Hara dress? You all are aware that we moved past this fashion more than a hundred years ago?”
    Leif chuckled and offered me his elbow, “My father enjoys a party. Mardi Gras is his favorite time of year. Today Mardi Gras is in full swing along the streets of New Orleans so father holds his own celebrations down here. He’ll likely throw beads at everyone at the table and serve us all King Cake. You’ll like him, really. He is known for being the life of the party.”
    “Really? And here I thought he was known for being the wicked evil spirit of the dead. Silly me.”
    Leif shook his head at me, “You can’t say things like that, Pagan. He won’t approve. I can’t keep him from punishing you. Please watch what you say. If you anger him I won’t be able to bring Wyatt to you tonight.”
    That was enough to shut me up. I’d have to bite my tongue and deal with it. Glaring down at the lavender gown and dark purple beads that adorned it I wondered if I would have to endure these ridiculous dresses every night. If so, did that mean I’d get to see Wyatt?
    “Come on. Dinner awaits and you’ve got to be hungry.”
    My stomach growled in reply and Leif grinned before opening the door and allowing me to step out. This time there were no smelly streets. Instead, the wide hallway was lit with gas lanterns and ornate carvings along the walls of masks. They were the sort of masks you see in pictures of costume balls. Fancy and well... exquisite were the only ways to describe them.
    “These are all memories from Mardi Gras past. Each year father holds a costume ball on Fat Tuesday and every mask in attendance is forever remembered on these walls.”
    If I didn’t despise everything about this place I might find that interesting.

Chapter Twenty

    Dank

    Pagan’s mother was grieving. I could hear her pain from outside the house. I’d been gone for two days looking for some way to penetrate Vilokan. But Pagan