Chapter One Hundred And Thirty

Maxwell

Before we embark on our journey, Mama Tife pulls an angry Ryan to the side to apologize for making such an expensive joke. The two of them are in one corner of the room; hushed whispers are all we can hear, and it’s coming from Mama Tife. Ryan looks like a schoolboy who has just been scolded by his mother,, and she’s apologizing to her so,n, yet the son is still not satisfied.

This whole situation is funny as hell, but I try not to laugh because that won’t be so nice, and this is no time to laugh. David’s parents are being held hostage by a raging psychopath and no one knows if they’re still alive. But we like to have hope and Mama Tife better apologize to Ryan fast so we can save them.

No way am I going to be letting my future in-laws die, and besides they love me.

“Who makes a joke about taking one's soul anyway?” Harper asks, and she’s just as pissed as her boyfriend is, and I’m still surprised that they’re dating. Turns out Ryan’s bi and bi people exist. Yet, I always forget even though their letter is in the LGBTQ acronym.

Even though he’s bi, it’s still so strange that they’re in a relationship, and a human is going to be joining us to defeat Dura and Miguel. Of course, the word “strange” is not new, and it’s a part of my life at this point. Nothing should be strange to me anymore. If I come across some new and shocking phenomena then I’m just going to assume that I have known and seen that shit before.

“She’s Nigerian,” Christopher says answering Harper’s question. Harper looks at him confused.

“I know? What does that have to do with anything?” she asks.

“Well, I’ve met a lot of Nigerians, and they’re really funny people. They love pranks and jokes.” He says huh, that’s interesting, and by the look on Harper’s face, I can tell that she thinks that’s interesting as well. She then turns her head to look at Mama Tife talking to Ryan and Ryan looks less angry now.

I think she’s able to convince him that she’s sorry. Oh, God, this is just too funny. But I don’t find anything funny when I turn my head to see David across the room looking at the ground. He’s worried about his parents, and oh God, I hate seeing him this way, I really do.

So I amble toward him.

“Hey, David.”

“Hmm? Oh hey, Max.” he clears his throat, sitting straight and looking at Mama Tife and Ryan.

“You’re worried aren’t you?”

“My parents are being held hostage by my twin brother who wants to kill them. Yeah, I am worried.” he snaps, but not at me but at whatever has gotten him into this predicament at the moment. “Who knows? Maybe they’re already dead.”

“Hey, hey, hey,” I say, grabbing his hands and looking into his eyes. “Don’t say that. They’re not dead I’m sure they aren’t. Thinking like that isn’t going to solve anything.” I say to him and his eyes are all watery. I truly hate seeing him like this.

I like it when he’s happy and lively. That’s his true character. I hate seeing him sad and heartbroken it’s almost like I’m the one who is sad and heartbroken.

“We are going to get out of here, and Mama Tife is going to unleash the veil that Miguel’s hiding in, and we are gonna stop him and save your parents, okay? No one is dying tonight. You have my word.”

David nods, wiping the tears off his face. I help him, and I will his face to look at mine, and then I kiss him on his soft lips. I just love him so fucking much. When this is all over I am going to ask him to marry me because I want to spend the rest of my life with him. He’s my soulmate, and we are going to be in love forever until we die, which is going to be a long time from now.

“I love you David, and I’m sorry you had to see me and Miguel in that position.”

“I love you too, Max, but it wasn’t your fault you were under a spell. I’m sorry it was that easy for me to give up on you and on us. I should have been more rational.”

“I would never intentionally cheat on you, ever.”

“I know, and I should have known before.” our foreheads are pressed against each other and we just stand there. I love touching him, his warm body gives me comfort. I am so happy to call him mine and me his.

We stand there for a long time when Mama Tife calls on us; we let go of each other, and we step away from one another. We walk closer to the group.

“Alright, alright. Ryan and I have buried the hatchet.” Mama Tife announces with her hand around Ryan’s shoulders. Ryan has a smile on his face which means all is forgiven.

“Okay, let’s do this, but first, we’re going to need backup.” Mama Tife says.

“Backup?” David says. “Aren’t you the backup?”

“Well, yes, dear, but we have to be fully ready. Demons are very tricky,” she says in her Nigerian accent and there’s something about that accent that just makes everything seem possible. Her saying that makes me believe that we’re really going to find them and we’re going to save David’s parents.

She moves away from us and stands in the middle of the room. She closes her eyes and she begins to mutter something in a language, the Yoruba language which is one of the many languages from Nigeria.

She does this for a split second, and soon, the wind begins to sweep past us in a swish. We all watch as she does her spell, and then something happens. A short bald man drinking from a bottle of gin appears right in front of us.

“I hate to be that person but is this the backup she’s talking about?” Harper asks, her face in a grimace, and the man realizes that he’s not in his home drinking gin, but he’s somewhere else. He puts the gin down and he looks around.

“Hey, Tife what the fuck?”

“Doctor Antoine?” Destiny says walking forward to take a good look at him. Doctor Antoine whips his head over to him, and he looks at Destiny in a scowl. He really doesn’t look happy to be here.

“You know this guy?” I ask him.

“Yeah, we went to look for him to get answers about Dura. He’s the one who told us that Dura is a demon.”

“Doesn’t he dabble in dark magic?” Harper asks, looking at Doctor Antoine with a grimace. “And isn’t he supposed to be… taller?”

“Watch your mouth kid. And also, I don’t do dark magic; I just study the things that surround it. There’s a difference.”

“Oh, there’s always this big misconception when it comes to the two of us.” Mama Tife says, pouting her lips,

“Hey, you let people believe that you’re an evil witch who just collects people’s souls. I don’t,” he says pointedly.

Mama Tife puts on a mischievous smile.

“I know.” She says shrugging.

“So why have you summoned me here?”

“I-We need your help to look for the demons who took that poor boy’s parents.” She says pointing at David. “They’ve been taken, and the demon has hidden himself with the people he’s captured, and these people need our help to find out where they’re hiding.”

“Hmm.” Doctor Antoine says. Looking straight at David.

“Please, Doctor Antoine. I don’t want anything to happen to my parents.” David says in a saddened voice. And Doctor Antoine just looks at the ground. He’s trying to point out what to do and then he finally comes up with an answer.

He looks at Mama Tife. “let’s do it.”

Sooner, the two draw a pentagram on the floor and have lit like ten red candles and they’re in that pentagram holding hands and chanting in whispers. We all gather around them watching them in action.

It looks like the spell is working. Of course, the spell is working. They’re powerful witches. They chant in the same language, Latin and they do it in all seriousness.

I know that they’re powerful witches, but it doesn’t stop me from crossing my fingers and hoping that they find David’s parents on time. I hope they’re found alive.

I use my other hand to squeeze David’s hand, and he squeezes mine back, and we watch as the two powerful witches do their thing. We’re all hoping and praying that this works.

They chant and chant and chant until they stop chanting and they’re looking at the ceiling.

It’s like they froze but what does this mean?

“They found something,” Harper says and yes! Thank the Gods.

Their faces leave the ceiling, and they’re back to looking at each other, and they’re back to looking at us.

“Did you find them? Do you know where they are?” David asks, and he’s in worried hyperactive mode.

“Yes.” Doctor Antoine says.

“Does anyone know Sharaf's marketing firm?”

Wait, what the hell? They’re at the firm.