I suppose it is fair to say that nothing happened within my coven without my knowledge or consent. To say that all activities had my approval though is an entirely different matter. Antonio, in an attempt to provoke a response from Elizabeth, converted two others to our flock, which only provided him with options I expect because they were neither as beautiful nor as unattainable as our Elizabeth. Ultimately it did provoke a response, but I suspect not the one desired by Antonio. I was not surprised when Elizabeth came to me with her own proposition. She was becoming the natural leader of the females in our growing coven and was keen to make her own mark, so to speak, by making one of her own choosing. I had no way of knowing at the time that she intended her first as a gift to me.
Not all of the island's clairvoyants were opportunists, though they were in the majority, some had actual abilities to communicate with the supernatural and spirit world. These so called obeah practitioners understood how it felt to be the benefactors to abilities that came with particular burdens. Our nocturnal activities were not passing unnoticed, and for a time we were confused with our counterparts the jumbies and duennes that sought the possession and destruction of the human spirit. Jumbies and duennes though, were more similar to each other than they were to us. Jumbies were restless troubled spirits who searched for bodies to possess. They would often trick people late at night with sounds of crying babies or singing. Duennes were the actual spirits of babies who died before being protected by a holy seal, be it Christian baptism or otherwise. They were known to take young children as permanent playmates in the balance between this world and theirs. These spirits would call to young children under the guise of babies in straw hats with their feet turned backwards. We all glamour humans for our own motives, and I can certainly understand the mystification, but I just want to clear up any confusion that still persists. We are not jumbies or duennes. There is more to be said on the matter of jumbies later, but first I must return to the matter of my ‘gift.’
Kayla was a beautiful, honey-skinned native whose parents had moved to England so that their daughter could benefit from the, difficult, opportunities that existed for those considered part of the crown. She had a strong, curvy body, sensuous lips and bright brown eyes and had grown accustomed to using her considerable charms to survive. She had negotiated a strong education for herself and had returned to the islands eager to be part of the change that was sweeping the colonies. Elizabeth studied her for months before deciding that she would be her first and so Kayla had been changed for me.
It was these demonstrations of devotion to me that began to widen the divide between Antonio and myself. Kayla proved a wondrous distraction. I had lived a monk like existence for so long, denying myself the pleasures of the flesh as a measure of balance for the numerous lives I had taken. Allowing myself this pleasure added a new dimension unto my existence. Somehow I had managed to keep some part of my conscience alive and I did enjoy having a woman at my side again and playing father in a dysfunctional home.
At this time Eli became a frequent visitor once more and seemed pleased with my companionship. Still, there were the gentle reminders of a greater purpose and a higher calling but I was still unwilling to reconcile our abilities with anything inherently noble. For a time I allowed myself to be content with our grotesque and unconventional family. But this calm would not last. We are soucouyant after all and blood taints our affairs. I would soon be reminded of our collective nature.
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