Dark Moon - Michael Langdon

Part 32 - Fire

As Marie Laveau stands in front of me in her full glory, a chuckle escapes my throat as I send her a smile. "I knew you would figure out a way to come back." I motion to Cordelia's body, trying my best to keep my energy casual (you know, for just in case she killed Cordelia and I have to keep her guard down). "Please don't tell me that Cordelia was a casualty of your deal with Papa Legba."

Marie scoffs as if I just suggested that she ask that LaLaurie bitch out on a date. "She wasn't. She came running in here when she knew that she wasn't supposed to leave that witchy mansion, and Satan got to her before I could." She motions to Cordelia in somewhat disbelief. "I don't know what the hell got into her."

"How exactly were you brought back from the dead?" I ask.

Marie sends me a strange look, clearly questioning me, but explains her story regardless. "I was stuck in hell for god-knows-how-long, but one day Papa Legba shows up and says that the witches have convinced him to make me a deal: I kill the current Voodoo Queen, Dinah Stevens, and give him her soul, then he returns me to earth and our immortality deal is back on. He thought that immortal racist causing my demise was bad for the voodoo industry, so he was quite willing to strike up a deal."

"I always thought you were much better than that Dinah Stevens. All that she cares about is the money," I scoff.

She chuckles as she walks over to me. "You were always my favorite one of those witches; always treated me with respect and were curious to learn more about voodoo."  She turns to Michael.  "Hell, you even got the Antichrist to defy his fate!" she chuckles to herself.

I return her smile as I motion to Cordelia, trying to get this story sooner rather than later. "Tell me what happened with her."

"I was just finishing my protection spell over this salon when I heard that the attacks had spread to Florida and Texas and that they were bound to hit New Orleans next-"

"Attacks?" I question.

"Did you hit your head or something?" she asks, looking me up and down.

"Just answer the question, we don't have much time," I rush.

She looks at me as if I have two heads, but eventually pushes her skepticism aside. "Fine," she sighs. "The attacks that started off on the other side of the world; all in other continents and countries. They were all the same as this attack; the cities being destroyed by fire and explosions. Eventually, the attacks got closer and closer until they closed in on New Orleans. We're the last city left; everyone else is gone, completely wiped out and destroyed."

"How long did it take for them to reach New Orleans after they started on the other side of the world?" Michael asks.

"Exactly 24 hours ago."

"And how did Cordelia get herself killed?" I ask.

"You know that forcefield I put around the academy a few days ago, right after Satan attacked it." I send Michael a glance upon the news of Satan's attack on the academy, but I turn back to Marie. "Well, I felt a disturbance to the forcefield, so I left to go check on it. While I was checking on it, I felt Cordelia's entry into my salon, then Satan's entry not long after it. I came here as soon as I could, but it looks like he already got to her."

I sigh as I return my attention to Cordelia, kneeling beside her as I assess the damage, praying that Satan left her soul. I furrow a brow upon realizing that her soul is here, within her body. "Why the hell didn't he destroy her soul?" I mutter, waving a hand over her as I absentmindedly perform Vitalum Vitalis.

I hear a gasp behind me as I finish the spell, and I whip my head around to see Marie clutching her chest. Her eyes go wide as her legs falter, and she soon collapses to the ground. Left standing behind her is a smug Devan/Satan, her heart in hand. "I needed some way to lure you into the future," he states as he drops the heart.