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“Shit.”
“I think it’s a Rougarou.”
“A what?”
“Werewolf.”
“Great.” Weweretruly fucked. At least Luc was already dead. Sort of. I supposed when your soul was sucked from your body, that made you dead. And, oh shit, my brain was rambling. “What do we do?”
The Rougarou leaped around us and ran toward the other creature. Now, in my sight, I saw that the second monster on the scene was bigger and bulkier, but maybe not as fast. The other disappeared back into the woods, and then the Rougarou turned and faced us. It looked very wolfish and hairy, but as it walked toward us, it shrank and changed. The snout retreated into the face and quickly, a woman was left. A naked woman. “The Grunch won’t bother you now. You’re safe to go.” She gestured down the road.
“Th-Thank you?”
“That sounds like a question. I saved you.”
“I-I know? But what was that?”
“Grunch. I said.”
I had no idea what she was talking about, but Luc filled me in. “Oh, that’s a creature from the depths of hell sent to keep the Freakshow people safe.”
“Freakshow?”
“You know, Carneys. Sideshow. Whatever. They came here and were persecuted.”
I held my hand out. “Stop. I got it.”
The woman tilted her head to the side and looked between me and Luc. “I was about to ask why you were out here alone. Now I see. You’re not alone. For what good your spirit guide did to protect you.”
“Luc is not a guide, and we didn’t know what to do.”
The woman snorted. “I’m Cecile, by the way. You’re lucky I was out here.”
“Yes and thank you for sure. I think we’re going back to town.” I started walking, Luc beside me, and Cecile turned to walk with us. It wasn’t weird at all that a naked woman accompanied me. After finding Luc and meeting the joker man, not to mention the Grunch, I figured anything was possible.
“What are you doing out here anyway?”
“Looking for advice. Trying to figure out how to get Luc back.” I still wasn’t sure it was even possible. “You know, corporal--needs a body.”
The sun rose a little above the trees as we walked, shining down on her dark brown hair that fell around her shoulders. “You should be happy with what you have. But if you are serious, then maybe you gonna need help. You need a voodoo priestess. They know about these things.”
“Oh, no. I don’t think that’s a good idea. It was a voodoo priestess that got Luc into this situation to start with.”
“Mm…that doesn’t sound like no mambo. That sounds more like caplata. You can buy them. Well, I guess that’s what you need too. I don’t know.”
Luc sounded frustrated. “It was a mambo. Rose didn’t pay for it. No, she conned her.”
“I don’t think it matters what you call her. Voodoo is voodoo.” I didn’t want to subject Luc to that again.
Cecile grabbed my shoulder. “No, that’s not right. A caplata, they work black magic, mostly. Or it’s a con. Promising this or that and not delivering. But a true mambo, she’s the real thing and she deals with spirits and deities, not black magic. That’s probably what you be needing. Someone to set things right. That don’t mean it won’t cost you.” She let my shoulder go. “But. That’s your best bet. If you want to get your Luc back to this plane.” She walked toward the trees.
“Hey, wait.” She sounded like she knew what she was talking about. I certainly had no way of getting Luc back on my own. Ineeded more information on this. “Say we did want to go to a mambo, who would we even go to?”
Cecile stopped and turned around. “I know one. She helped me when I needed it most. Lady Geneviève. Over on Burgundy. Six-one-eight Burgundy.”
“Thank you.”
“Don’t thank me yet. But I wish you luck.” With that, fur sprouted down her back, covering her hips and legs. She bounded into the trees.
