Brianna Devereaux: The Mambo (Completed)

Jeremy Moves In

Jeremy woke up not knowing where the hell he was. Not the first time that’s happened in the past year, but considering he was hard core sober it freaked him out. Checking his arms, Jeremy was amazed not even his older injection marks were there now.

Feeling lighter than ever before, Jeremy looked around surprised. The room he was in was beautiful in an abandoned with love kind of way. There were branches coming out of the ceiling and fading into the wall.

The dark navy-blue walls were still immaculate like someone had just painted. The bed he’d slept on was a comfortable king bed with black bedding. And as Jeremy looked around at the one dresser and different things lined up, he whispered, “Where the hell-.”

And then he felt something behind him, and he turned to see a young girl he’d never met before. “Who the hell are you?” Tamia looked Jeremy over, “Tamia Taylor. You must be Jeremy.”

Nodding, he waved around the room, “Where the hell are we?” Tamia smirked amused, “Welcome to the home for wayward souls. Your sister is waiting for you in the living room.”

She waved him forward and didn’t wait for him to follow. But at the mention of his sister, Jeremy followed as Tamia pointed to different rooms. “My room don’t enter unless you want to be stabbed. Your sister’s room, I’m quite sure she’d eat you,” Jeremy laughed a little since it was true, “Bathroom, and our living room.”

Walking into a room where the congregation would be to worship and praise, Jeremy found a table for breakfast. Brianna sat there eating as she read a book and Tamia joined her. “Anything?”

Brianna sighed, “Summoning spells sure, but I don’t want them wandering around and ending up here.” Tamia nodded in agreement and Jeremy slowly edged forward to joined. “Ugh what’s going on?” Brianna gestured for Jeremy to sit down, “Eat. You need the strength.”

Listening to the order, Jeremy sat down and accepted the breakfast offered. French toast, eggs, and bacon with orange juice, Jeremy ate as he kept looking around. The church was beautiful and other than being boarded up it was clean and well kept.

Smiling seeing the numerous brooms and a mop in a corner, Jeremy predicted, “Let me guess, this place was hella disgusting but then you got here.” He looked at his little sister who frowned at him, “Shut up you know I hate things being dirty.”

Laughing, Jeremy agreed, “I know, I still have the scar when you threw a heel at my back for messing up the bathroom.” Tamia laughed as Brianna rolled her fighting a smile. He watched her go back to her book and when it’s pages turned on its own his eyes widened.

But it was nothing compared to when another book came in levitating as it flipped through pages. Jeremy’s jaw dropped as Brianna told Tamia, “New York is too big and there are way too many people. I have to narrow it down or I’m fucked.”

Tamia hummed as she sat back with her orange juice, “What if you made it so they came to you when they need you?” Brianna frowned but mauled over that, “Do a spell so that if they are in danger, they’ll find me. It’s a good idea, but what if they aren’t? I’m on a deadline so to speak.”

Jeremy slowly raised a hand, “Ugh okay spell? And how the hell how are books flying around?”

Brianna looked at his brother annoyed but told him outright, “I’m a witch.” Jaw on the floor Jeremy started to say that was impossible. No way in hell was his little sister a witch.

“A witch?” He questioned unsure. But Brianna held up her hands and things began to levitate in the room. Jeremy stood wide eyed as he glanced around shocked as they all fell back to the ground.

Looking down at his little sister, Jeremy watched her casually tell him, “Witch. Or better yet, mambo.” Jeremy was sure his jaw was at his knees and he watched Tamia finish off her breakfast as she asked, “So what does that make him?”

Brianna waved a hand towards her brother, “Men of the Devereaux line are referred to as houngans. A male priest of voodoo practice, but like me, Jere-bear will have to grow and claim that title for himself.”

Waving his hand, annoyed he was being talked about like he wasn’t in the room, Jeremy asked, “Voodoo? And hold the hell on, I’m not a witch! I would know-.”

Brianna suddenly grabbed his hand, and a blue fire conquered her hand and spread to his. Jeremy hollered waving his hand thinking it would burn. But in a matter of seconds he realized he was perfectly fine.

And the fire he held in his hand felt like a heartbeat, and the power of it coursed them him. And it felt so much better than any drug he’d tried in his life.

“This is the feeling I kept looking for.” He whispered as the flame died in his grasp. Brianna exhaled as she opened her red book and the pages landed on a diagram. Showing it to Jeremy he looked at the detailed page, “Mama and pops had you bound, which basically means they stopped all magic from pouring out. They got to you young, but you had already started showing signs. You knew the euphoria and release of magic coursing through your body. So, when you grew up you craved for it, couldn’t find it in yourself and turned to drugs.”

Jeremy breathed out shocked at his sister’s words. He had long since blamed his father for his drug problems. But he didn’t think it would go this far.

“So, they kept me from doing magic? Why? Especially after I started using, they could have helped me then!?” He asked heated. Brianna met her brother’s eyes, “I don’t know Jeremy. They died taking a lot of s**t to the grave with them. You’re going to have to just deal with the facts like me.”

Blowing out an aggravated breath, Jeremy wondered, “And the facts are?”

Brianna stood and handed her brother two books, “We are witches of a powerful voodoo line. Ma was a witch, and she hid things from us, things we deserved to know. She bound your magic to keep you from doing magic, so you fell on drugs to make up for it.”

Jeremy frowned as he observed the books in his hands, “And you? Why didn’t she bind you?” Brianna’s chin went up proudly, “She did. But I’m a Devereaux witch, and I have destiny to fix what is broken. She couldn’t keep me bound and when I needed my magic the most, I had it.”

Watching Brianna pick up her own books, Jeremy asked, “Devereaux? Like grand-mere?” Brianna exhaled rubbing a hand over the red book, “All of our great ancestors dating back to the very first were powerful voodoo priestess. Ma renounced her power, and she wasn’t the first to do it.”

Looking at the first pages of her book, Brianna whispered devastated, “Something happened that caused the last three to four generations of our bloodline to waver from course. They all married outside the loa and lost their power. But I was given the power to correct it. To fix what they broke.”

Mouth opening and closing stupidly at the determination in his siter’s gaze, Jeremy glanced at Tamia. But the young girl just smiled cheekily at him making him ask, “And what are you?”

Tamia held up a finger as she finished chewing her French toast, “A fortune teller so it would appear.” Brianna giggled nudging her gently, “Don’t be coy T,” Tamia just winked at Brianna making Jeremy shake his head bewildered, “And what am I supposed to do?”

That was an excellent question, but for now Brianna didn’t have an answer. Shrugging she admitted honestly, “I don’t know yet, but as long as your clean and on my side you’re staying here. And you might as well be of some use, so start practicing. I have work to do.”

Leaving him with Tamia and the books she’d given him, Brianna suddenly came back. Slapping him upside the head, Jeremy jumped shocked, “Ow!” Meeting his sister’s more hurt than angry eyes, Brianna hissed, “That’s for making me worry about you. f*****g idiot.”

And then she stormed out which left Jeremy to feel even more guilty. She wouldn’t trust him for a while. And while he understood it, knew it was his fault in some ways, Jeremy still hated it.

Tamia didn’t want to overstep, but seeing Jeremy down, she whispered, “Just prove to her you’re not going to hurt her again. She’ll soften up soon enough.”

And when she left him alone too, Jeremy inhaled as the sun suddenly shined down on him. The sun on the beautiful stained-glass window glowed a bright orange as the morning sun sent a beautiful hue through the room.

It filled Jeremy with a familiar energy, and had his resolve settling. He knew then he had to prove he could do this. Not just for himself, but for the little sister he had hurt.

Opening the book, Jeremy saw the first page was blank. He tried to turn it, but it cut his finger and his blood fell on the page. And from it, words started to form.

Deveraux Houngans Book of Shadows