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Liam gazed at the mirrors with wide eyes and a slackened jaw, similar to my first experience in this room. The frames were beautifully ornate, and on them were dozens ofvevescarved into the surface.
I approached the first mirror that Lafayette was rubbing against and gently laid my hand on the frame. I had no idea what I was doing, but something inside me just said to touch it. There was no way in hell I was touching the glass, but I felt compelled to make contact with it.
The moment my hand touched the frame, every carved symbol lit up as if with its own inner neon purple light. I backed up, staring at the gorgeous, familiar symbols with something like pride swelling in my chest.
"What are all those symbols?" Liam asked in a breathy, awed voice.
"They're calledveves. In my culture, we practice ancestral magic. Aveveis a symbol specific to any of theLwayou want to contact. They're ancestral spirits, or guides, I guess. Each one is unique and means something different than the next."
His wide eyes turned to me. "You mean voodoo? Like with the voodoo dolls and stuff?"
I laughed, shaking my head. "That's just touristy stuff. No, my dad was Haitian and my mom is French, but I chose to practice Vodou when I was younger than you. My grandmother is what we call amambo. Essentially, she's a priestess in my culture. It's not like the stuff you see on TV; there's a lot more depth and history involved.
Liam listened intently, his eyes never leaving mine. I could tell he was fascinated by what I was saying, and it made me feel proud to share a part of my culture with him.
As we were talking, Lafayette had moved on to the second mirror, repeating the same process as before—rubbing his face against the frame until I followed, touching it until everyvevelit up in response.
I turned my attention back to Liam. "Do you want me to show you how it works? ThevevesI mean, not the mirrors."
He nodded eagerly and followed me over to the third mirror, where Lafayette had already started rubbing against it. I lit those ones up too. I was stalling, but I couldn't help myself. I needed to psych myself up for what I knew had to happen.
"Okay," I began as soon as all of the mirrors were glowing. "So first thing's first: pick aLwathat resonates with you."
"A what?" Liam asked curiously.
"ALwais essentially like an ancestor or spirit guide," I explained patiently. "They each have their own personality traits and areas of influence. For example, Met Kalfou is the spirit that presides over this place. You can call it purgatory if it makes it easier."
"I don't know any..." Liam trailed off uncertainly.
"That's okay!" I assured him quickly. "Just think about something important in your life right now—a problem, maybe, or a goal or something you really want, and choose something based on that. I can fill in the rest for you."
Liam thought for a moment before nodding decisively. "I’m the swim captain at my high school. I've been training for the Olympics my whole life..." His eyes lowered, and his shoulders fell. "But I guess none of that really matters anymore now that I'm dead, does it?"
I put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "It matters, Liam. It always will." He looked up at me, grateful for the words of encouragement. "How about we go withAgwé?"
"Uh who?"
"Agwérules over the waters. If you feel a connection to water, then he would be a good choice."
"What, like to contact him?"
I shrugged. "I'm actually not sure if that's possible to do from here." I hadn't really thought this all the way through, but I was just so excited to feel in control of something for once that I almost didn't care. I just needed to feel some kind of connection again. "But it can't hurt to try. Even if he doesn't show himself, you can ask him for his blessing."
Liam sucked in a deep breath, visibly straightening his spine as if gearing up for battle. I had to stifle a chuckle. "Right, let's do this. What's the worst that could happen if I'm already dead?"
I decided not to remind him that technically, he was almost dead. His body was most likely clinging to the edges of life back in the world. But I didn't want to ruin the confidence he had.
I knelt on the floor, and Liam mimicked me hesitantly. I didn't have anything to write or draw with, so I decided to use my mind's eye and hoped it was enough. Closing my eyes, I felt Lafayette swirling around me, rubbing up against my body softly, and knew instinctively that Theodore was watching. I had a feeling that he had a way to see through Lafayette's eyes.
If he hadn't tried to stop me yet, then he wasn't going to, which meant that I wasn't breaking any rules. I took that as a sign to keep going.
In my mind's eye, I conjuredAgwe's veve. I drew it carefully, piece by piece, so that I didn't miss a thing. I could see it clearly; a boat with sails, painted shells, and oars. It came to life in seconds as I started to speak.
"Agwe, nou rele w pou tanpri beni nou ak sajès ou..." With each syllable, the room grew darker as thunder rumbled ominously outside, like applause from some otherworldly audience.
As the thunder grew louder, I felt Liam's grip on my hand tighten. He was scared, but he didn't let go. That showed me that he trusted me despite only having just met.
I continued with my incantation, calling uponAgweto bless us and provide guidance with his wisdom. I asked him to show Liam the way, and to help him through his turmoil and indecision. Suddenly, Lafayette became agitated, as if sensing something that we could not see. The room was now so dark that I could barely make out anything around us except for the glowingvevescasting a violet glow into the darkness.
