POV
Shawn

Avery seemed confident, but he needed me and I was trying to be there for him, I was still wrapping my head around my decision to agree to help his friends. A' mosh and I were back on the road, only an hour after meeting Michaëlle, and seeing her power first hand, we were headed to Derwin, to pick up some shit from Avery's shop.

"You agreed to help his friends? What made you change your mind?" A'mosh asked. "Avery sees them as his family, what would happen to our bond if something were to happen to them?" I rhetorically asked. "It's better to just try and help him, although I don't think they'll be able to save Amber, that woman was powerful." A'mosh said.

"Yeah, and she has friends in one of the hyena tribes. Worst case scenario, how do we handle a war, with witches and hyenas?" I asked. "We outnumber the hyenas and if we need them, the sister packs will undoubtedly lend us some help." A'mosh said. I hoped it wouldn't come to a war, but after the Mambo's display, I couldn't see a good outcome.

We talked some more, during the drive, until we pulled onto the deserted road that the shop stood on. We parked in front of the building and got out. "Your mate is a real witch." A'mosh said, like seeing the shop had somehow made it real for him. I used the key Avery gave me and I opened the door. We walked inside and turned on the lights. The inside smelled heavily of incense and candles.

It was stuffed with occult stuff, and suddenly, it all became a little real for me. Avery was into some shit, that I wasn't familiar with. How was I supposed to handle all this?

"Alpha, what are we here for again?" I asked. A'mosh turned and scanned the room. "Avery said he needed something from the backroom, a book, and some herbs. Oh, and he wanted graveyard dirt." He answered.

"What graveyard? No... I didn't agree to take my ass into anybody's graveyard. No, serio..."

"Shawn, calm the fuck down, the dirt is here, Ave said it's in the backroom." He said, and I could feel myself relax. I don't do spooky shit, sue me. We walked deeper into the shop, walking through a beaded archway. The next part of the shop was wall to wall books and jars of dried herbs. The left side was filled with fat jars filled with dried herbs, shit with the weirdest names.

Like Dove Tears, Dragons blood, powdered Cattails. Just a bunch of strange shit.

The right side was filled with books, and I hoped A'mosh knew what we were looking for. Because the wall of books went along the entire length of the building, and there were even books on the floor in front of it.

"The book he wants isn't with those, he said it's in the backroom. But come help me, he wanted six red clover buds, he said they might be able to help. Honestly, bro... I don't know if any of this is gonna help." He said, scanning the labels of the jars. "There's the clover, just take six of'em." Almost said.

I walked over the jar he was pointing to and plucked out a few of the dried buds. "They look more purple to me than red," I said, grabbing a little plastic baggie off the handle beside the herb jars.

"Bro, this book. It's about sex magic. Looks cool." A'mosh said, waving a solid black book at me. It was a leather book, it was old and worn. I didn't flip through it, simply took it and put it in the waist of my jeans. Avery and I could read it after all this was handled.

"Here, grab some of whatever the hell Devil's Claw is." A'mosh said, and I walked over to where he was pointing. Looking at the jar labeled Devil's Claw, I wondered what it was for, whatever it was Avery charged five dollars for each one.

"Come on, that's it for the herbs, now we need to find the back room, there's an altar the book should be on it, and the dirt is in a jar, he said he needs the one with rope on it. We left the front and walked back further. Now what happened next is something that plays in my memory a lot, we opened the only door and there stood a woman, she was familiar, I'd seen her less than two hours ago, she was with Michaëlle. She stood there, covered head to toe in black.

There was a crown on her braided head, she was beautiful dark brown, she wore flawless makeup, and there was a ruby on her finger that sat in a shining silver ring. Yet her eyes were what held me, they were the whitish-gray of blind eyes. She was blind.

She raised her hands, "Come to me, oh great Lwa. Marinette Bwa-Chèche." She spoke and something came over me. I couldn't move, with a gesture A' mosh and I dropped to our knees. She walked towards us, giggling in a sick way.

"You know, your white boy is strong... Avery right?... I'll give him that, but the Mambo... Well, now she's really pissed, and she's letting all of us... Her loyal soldiers, release our power. The Lwa I give my worship to, she's a master over your kind. And her power is in me, so I'll tell you what you two are gonna do." She said, coming closer and bending down into space between me and A'mosh.

"Dòmi, dòmi, dòmi pou mwen. Fon nan lanmè konsyan ou, mwen plante Semans sa a, ak nan mo mwen kite l 'pran rasin ak raje." She whispered and snapped her fingers. The next thing I know we're back on the road heading back to the pack. I remembered getting the dirt and the book, but at the time the memory of the woman was gone, faded like a distant far-off dream.

Then A'mosh and I were getting out of the car and heading over to the pack infirmary, we talked about small nothings, neither of us realizing we'd just been turned into sleeper agents.
________________________________________________________________________________________

POV
Avery

"What the hell are we even doing?" Athena asked, pacing the small conference room, "I should be with Amber, not in here doing whatever the fuck this is." She added. We were in the room, each of us sitting in front of a notepad, the few books we had on hand were around us. We were trying to create a spell, but we had no idea what was wrong with Amber, Michaëlle didn't offer any help.

(What of the spirit Lumen, call out to him) Whispered Alice. "We could summon Lumen," I suggested. "He's protection and light, is he strong enough to handle deities, some of whom date back to creation?" Nikki asked. "Nemul. He's older than Lumen and stronger." I said. "He's the exact opposite of Lumen, dark and filled with hate, he and the dark spirits are not an option," Marius said. "Then what do you suggest, the hours are slipping by and we all heard Michaëlle, Amber's time is almost up," I asked, my face burning as anger filled me.

"Your mate went to get the herbs and Nikki's graveyard dirt. We'll keep digging, there's gotta be someth..." Marius was cut off by Amber's screaming. "Febli, sèvi! Febli, sèvi! Febli, sèvi! Febli, sèvi! Febli, sèvi! Febli, sèvi!" Off in the distance, we could hear Amber screaming her old refrain. It was different though, she wasn't stopping. "Febli, sèvi! Febli, sèvi! Febli, sèvi! Febli, sèvi! Febli, sèvi! Febli, sèvi!" She was screaming at the top of her lungs, and I wondered how her throat was handling the strain.

"I swear I heard those words before... Febli, sèvi!... It's definitely Haitian Kreyól... I haven't spoken it since I was four or five. Ave, give me your cell phone." Marius said. I slid him my phone, as Athena threw down her notepad and ran to go be with Amber. Seconds after she walked out, A'mosh and Shawn walked in. "Has there been no change?" Shawn asked as he handed me the jar of dirt and my book of shadows from the shop. The dirt in the jar had a cork,  and wrapped around the neck of the bottle was a grassy rope.

The clumpy dirt inside the jar was from Nikki's brother's grave, he was in the army and practically raised Nikki, dirt taken from his grave would be a powerful protection. My book was what I wanted, it had spells that I wrote months prior, there were herb lore and power thoughts. There had to be something in the stone-studded leather book.

I took the herbs, dirt, and the book from Shawn and sat back down. "It's zombification. Guys, the words Amber is yelling, they mean Weaken and Serve. The pufferfish poison, that bitch Michaëlle... She's going to kill Amber's soul and force her body to... Gods she's gonna make her a slave." Marius said. Nikki and I sat up closer to the table. "How do we stop it?" I asked.

"There's not a counterspell for something like this, anything we do, it'll have to be new... We don't have a lot of time, my gran use to talk about Zonbi, it's torture beyond pain, a corpse walking without a soul. It's hell on earth." Marius explained. "We can figure this out, how about we mix it up, Marius go get Athena we're gonna need her," Nikki said.

#     #     #

There we were thirty minutes later, we were still inside the conference room, only now, Athena was back inside, A'mosh and Shawn were bringing in Amber. By this point, Amber was dead silent, her eyes were a misty dead gray, and Doctor Beaks was on hand simply to make sure she was indeed still living.

Surprisingly we had managed to create something, it was a long shot, but it was something. A mixture of different Ma'jekil (Energetic) cultures. We had everything we'd need in the room, bowls for burning herbs and poppets, water and matches, we were prepared for whatever outcome.

I and Athena both were using European and American influenced counterspells, Nikki was using Hoodoo, and Marius, for the first time since I met him was using the stuff his grandmother taught him. Shawn and A'mosh laid Amber down on the table, her body was stretched out. "Let's get started, Doc, you make sure you're ready in case she..."

"I know." Doctor Beaks said being just as invested as we all were. He moved over to where A'mosh and Shawn stood, and they watched silently as we placed seven candles around her body in various places, none of which were entirely important. "Athena you start," Nikki said, "Okay, here we go," Athena said. She stepped up to Amber and placed her hands on either side of Amber's head. "Bel, the great god, hear my prayer and intervene." Athena's head dropped forward, nothing was happening, the spirits weren't moving.

"Bel, the god of the sun and the springs, I call you forth, grant me your healing power." She kept her head down, and in her words, you could hear her desperation. A small strangled cry left her lips as she pleaded, "Please, please help me." Silence followed, all except for the sounds of our breathing and Athena's whimpering cries.

"Athena," I called out, as her hands started to shine. She opened her eyes and inhaled.  "I feel it, it's working, it's working," Athena said, excitement and hope in her voice. Nikki stepped closer, lifting a bowl she had that was filled with black salt and peppercorns. She sprinkled the mixture across Amber's body, before opening Amber's right hand. She poured a splash of water into the salt and pepper and drew the sign of the cross on Amber's right palm.

Nikki lifted her head and began to pray, a Christian prayer. One I knew because my parents made me repeat it every night.

"The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. The earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. For he hath founded it upon the seas and established it upon the floods. Lift up your heads, O ye gates; even lift them up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in. Who is this King of glory? the Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory." She finished her prayer, then redrew the symbol on Amber's palm.

"O ye gates; even lift them up, ye everlasting doors. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me." Nikki repeated parts of the prayer, and I watched in surprised awe, as Amber's body floated from the table, the cross on her palm glowing a bright white, almost blinding.

"Vini, vin jwenn mwen, Sobo," Marius called out. I jumped when I heard the thunder boom, outside of the infirmary. "Vini, vin jwenn mwen, Sobo!" Marius called out. He opened his eyes and looked around the room as if expecting something, but nothing happened, frustration grew on his face.

"Vini, vin jwenn mwen, Sobo!" He shouted, slamming his hands down on the table. His head shot backward in an instant, and his body went completely stiff and straight-backed. "Se konsa, ou sonje m '?" A powerful voice asked, from inside Marius. The voice was like thunder. "Help her, and I will bow." Marius pleaded. Marius's back arched and he was lifted from the ground.

"Se pou madichon an lave lwen!" The dark voice yelled, Amber lifted higher off from the table, taking Athena with her, then Amber sat straight up, her mouth falling open, her head on her shoulders, dark energy slowly lifting from her throat. Light poured from Athena's hands covering Amber from head to toe. The hand with the symbol of the cross continued to shine bright and it was extended away from Amber's body.

Everyone had done their part, now it was on me. Amber was still seeing nothing, she was still barely breathing. Was all of what we were doing moot? Still, I had to try, I approached the table, and took up the dark wine-colored poppet, I'd made it from corn husk.

Inside it was a few strands of Amber's hair and a few nail clippings. I put the poppet down inside a bowl, inside the bowl was ground red clovers and some of Nikki's graveyard dirt. (Alice, strengthen me) I thought, and there she was, her presence, reminding me that I was a full-fledged conjurer and powerful in my own right. Alice fed me a shot of her energy, one that felt like pure adrenaline.

"Burn," I whispered, and the poppet went up in flames. "As flame claims, this living doll; let Amber's cursed state fall." I riddled off my charm and it felt like the entire weight of everyone's spell fell on my back. It was like I was holding onto something heavy and it was both physically and mentally straining.

"Burn away the links that bind, grant Amber peace of mind." At my words, it felt as if we were all connected, but at the same time, we were all so far apart, each of us caught in our own spell. Spells that even though different were somehow all the same. The weight grew heavier and it felt like I was going to lose focus, but just like that, I was enveloped in the spell. I was pulled into it wholly, mind, body, and soul. It was like a dream, in the way it seems to be over the shoulder viewing sometimes.

I watched Michaëlle and her tribe, they were in a grand basement, it was made into a ceremonial room. An altar, filled with pictures of Saints, and Lwa. On the concrete floor, there were symbols on the ground made from thin grains of some kind of powder. Michaëlle looked up, her eyes searing into mine. The conjurers around her were dancing passionately, others were trance-like while playing drums. "We have company! Èske w defye m 'yo, Cunt? (Are you challenging me, Cunt?)" She asked.

I understood her, "Nila, begin." Michaëlle said, addressing the woman to the right of her. The dark-skinned woman was dressed in all black, there was blood on her hands from two black chickens they lay dead at her feet. She looked up at me as well, then stretched her hands out towards me. "Two wolves are with you. They are pets for Marinette Bwa-Chèche. Atak!" She screeched and I was confused.

"Jericho, begin," Michaëlle said, and the guys with dead eyes released a sound like thunder, and we were pushed out of whatever space we were in. We were all back in the conference room, Amber was still glowing, but the darkness that was slowly ebbing its way from her throat, slowly it was trying to push back in.

What happened next was unbelievable, inside the small room, clouds poured over the ceiling and a storm brewed right before our eyes. Lighting crisscrossed across the ceiling, a strange wind blew and thunder boomed. The weight of the struggle grew, and I knew Michaëlle was fighting against me. She and her tribe of Vodouisants.

From beside me, I watched Shawn and A'mosh growl, their bodies bent and broke, reshaping as their wolves emerged, clothes tattered. Gore and Meeko prowled around the room, and just began to run rampant, Meeko went for Marius and I knew we needed to break the spell. But I also knew something bad would happen to Amber if we stopped before helping her. (Alice, help me) I thought.

At the thought, Alice appeared fully, Marius's link to the spell shattered when Meeko leaped and landed on him. "Be bound," Alice called out, Meeko was thrown away from Marius, the wolf crashed into the wall denting it, his frame sticking to the surface, he growled and snarled unable to move. A'mosh leaped up onto the table and charged towards Athena. She screamed and threw herself away from the table, her link snapping, which sent me and Nikki flying into different surfaces around the room.

Luckily, I landed in a chair beside Beaks, Nikki crashed through the door. Alice lifted a hand and sent Gore flying into the stormy ceiling. It started to rain, thunder clapping, everything was going haywire. My eyes were bouncing all around, I couldn't focus. Amber was still floating, only now the darkness that had been leaving was now covering her, and a thin gray mist was leaving her throat. Her soul.

Athena was up and muttering her spell again, trying to get her hands to glow, she whimpered and cried when nothin happened. Marius shook off his attack and went out to go help Nikki, me? Well, I was starting to have a panic attack. My back against the chair, my chest heaving. "Avery, I have used a great amount of my energy, I need to... Is it recharge?" She asked, and I couldn't even answer her.

"Breathe." She demanded, but I couldn't. Dammit, I was trying. She started to fade, but her power was still carrying, being as though Gore and Meeko were still trapped. Doctor Beaks was over near the door helping Marius with Nikki, Athena was weeping and chanting. I was hyperventilating. I should have just given Michaëlle the damn shop.

No one was noticing me, and I swear I was dying, the edges of my vision started to go in and out. And I thought of Lumen, but I knew he couldn't handle the much older African deities. (Call my name) Said a voice in my head. It was razor-sharp and dark, it sent a deep shiver down my spine and I instantly could breathe. (Call my name, and I will move through you, fill you with my knowledge, more than enough to stop your enemy and heal the girrrrrrrrl) The voice carried on.

Rain poured down harder, little lighting strikes started small fires around the room.

Looking around, I wondered how He knew to come, how He knew I'd want to call him. I wish I'd had clarity, looking back though, what could I have changed. All that must happen, can and will happen. Nevertheless, I knew who the voice belonged to, I knew the name, and so I said it...

"Nemul, leader of darkness. I summon the Great Shadow! Dwell in ... Dwell in me!" I finished the words. And there's no true way to explain the feeling, it was strong like Lumen's energy, only it was more. People who use heroin describe a feeling of warmth, relaxation, and detachment, with a lessening sense of anxiety. It is a powerful sedative, and due to its analgesic qualities, physical and emotional aches and pains can also be diminished.

That's what it was like, only much worse. It felt good, euphoric. (Search all my knowledge, all the spirits of darkness, their power is yours to wield) Nemul promised.

I stood up on wobbly legs. "With darkness, I free you... From the darkness, you pull through. Oris nemis, Nemis oris. (Binds broken, Broken binds " The words came to me, it was like having a spellbook inside me, and through my mind, an infinite number of possibilities ran around in my head.

At my words, a jolt went through me, the thundery ceiling grew darker, rain poured harder. I was in control, and angry... So much anger, you'd think it'd be exhausting, but no, I loved the anger. Everything I felt, all the small little resentments in my life, I could feel them all. At the moment I wasn't very concerned with Amber. I wanted Michaëlle and her group of shits to suffer.

My head fell back and my arms went up, darkness poured from my hands, it hit the stormy ceiling and corrupted it, it broke apart. The darkness pouring off of me swallowed the storm, I lifted my head watching my friends, and the Doctor, stand and watch me. Gore and Meeko snarling from their separate prisons.

Amber started to convulse while at the same time I latched back into the link Michaëlle had with Amber. This time was different, I wasn't hanging like some shadow, I was in the room, present amongst the conjurers as they worked their spell. "Michaëlle was dancing in a circle, her eyes rolled back as she muttered in Haitian Kreyòl. Looking around I got the feeling she was close to taking Amber, but I knew I could win. I wanted to hurt them.

They were all mounted and in the throes of powerful trances, even the drummers were lost in the hysterical rhythm. " Nemul, hear my rhyme... Like the hottest star may their minds burn, as rotted waters may their bodies churn. Hear my will, bring suffering, from here till then, let them retain this unknowable pain." I finished the off the cuff spell and watched as it hit each of them.

They screamed unbearable screams and I could faintly hear Nemul laughing, he and a whole host of dark spirits were laughing and I was with them, I was high and their pain sounded good to me, revenge sounded good to me, it looked better.

Watching them on their knees, on their backs, crying, screaming in agony. The spell filling them with pain, agony. I was pulled back into the conference room, watching my friends horrified faces. I must have looked crazy laughing at something they couldn't see. I looked at Amber and she was no longer covered in darkness, she was laying peacefully, she seemed almost asleep.

I approached her, "Wake up!" I demanded, pushing the rest of the dark energy inside her, using it to pull out whatever evil was left in her. Taking it back into myself, back into Nemul. Amber after a moment, coughed three times, she blinked and looked up at a weeping Athena. I smiled happily for them, yet I was really apathetic. She was alive, my friends were safe for the time being, but was it enough would Michaëlle stop, probably not.

Lib lonux! ( Hex awash)" I said, reaching out a hand to Meeko and Gore who were instantly shifted back to Shawn and A'mosh. They got up, naked, horror etched on Shawn's face... He looked around, spotting Marius, who was checking Nikki's wrist. He looked at Amber who was being held and rocked by Athena. Then his eyes found mine. "Sunshine, I'm... I'm so sorry." He said, walked towards me.

At arms reach he stopped, the look in his eyes, it was like he was looking at a stranger; as if I frightened him. "Baby, your eyes." He said, taking a step back from me. In confusion, I walked over to the wall to my right, "Sile, un'Nosko. ( Show, by Nosko)." I said, the words of the spell foreign yet so familiar. A shadowy substance poured through the wall and covered it, then hardened and shone like black glass.

My eyes were red like the whites were badly bloodshot, there were dark veins under my eyes. Honestly, though, I didn't care. Dark Ma'jek was coursing through me and I wasn't sure it was a bad thing. I liked being bad, I liked vengeance. Revenge.