“Hector,” the priest called for a man loudly from the crowd to have a hefty guy who came to him, “Take the lead for the supervision. I will be in my office,” said Father Antonio.
Taking them to an empty room which was different from the one they had visited before, this one appeared to be emptier except for the glass tubes that adorned one side of the wall. Two torches of fire burnt brightly on either side of the shelf. At the center stood a round table with four chairs.
“Miss Penelope appears to be popular,” Father Antonio commented with a small smile. Penny returned the smile not knowing if this could be categorized to be called as popular when a person was intent on killing her.
The white witcher walked to one corner of the room to another, carrying things in his hand as he piled them one over another, “What happened?” he asked, giving a look at Penny as if wanting her to iterate the event as she was the one being targeted.
“I was standing in the patio looking at the sea when I felt someone push me,” before he could cross-question her, she said, “There’s a mark on my shoulder,” he nodded his head.
“Is it only there?” asked father Antonio.
“Yes, this is the second time. The last time Damien wasn’t around to see it,” she answered his question.
“Voodoo magic can be very tricky at times. It is good that it is nowhere else where the mishaps take place. The black witches who perform the spell can be very cunning and brutal. Death can occur anywhere and at any time. Every object that you pass by might turn to an invitation to death. Which is why most of them make sure to warn their children from cutting hair in the open or the nails that are clipped to throw it in the right place. Some black witches enjoy the hunt and pain, the agony of the others and therefore turn them into their own puppets,” explained the white witch, walked towards the table, he placed some items on the table while keeping the rest on the empty chair, “Voodoo magic is hard to get rid of but it is doable. Nothing that can’t be fixed.”
“Then she must be a little less lucky,” stated Damien to have Penny give him a look. Is that how a person spoke about who they liked? This man wouldn’t spare her either.
“That can be agreed. Whoever it is, the person wants to drown you. The cause wanting to be you sinking. Might you have an idea of anyone who doesn’t like you? Even if the ritual is being done by the black witch there is a possibility that there’s someone behind it.”
Damien interjected the man, “She doesn’t know who it might be. How long will it take for the voodoo link to disconnect?”
“Should be less than ten minutes,” the priest replied, spreading a chart across the table.
That was fast, thought Penny to herself.
She heard Father Antonio continue to speak, “A lot of them are not aware of things that happen around them. Not everyone is familiar with the voodoo. The elders forbid it from speaking so that the younger ones do not misuse what is learned. Which is why some just take it as misfortune and bad luck when in truth your life is a puppet being manipulated.”
“Is there no way to get rid of it? To make sure the black witches don’t make use of it,” asked Penny to see him shake his head.
“Right now none of the white witches have found a way to defy the voodoo, the most we can do is break the link. Keep in mind that once I break the link between you and the doll, the person will get to know.”
Penny nodded her head in understanding, “But they can’t put back the link. Right?”
“Yes, you are right. Used dolls are of no use. They will need to remake which will take time again,” Father Antonio’s eyes fell on Damien, “That should give you enough time to figure out who is trying to kill you.”
The words didn’t sit well with her but that was the truth. She didn’t know what she did for this person who wanted to kill her. There were inscriptions on the parchment of cloth, reminding her of the marking which the black witch had used.
“Place your hand on the table,” the man suggested and she did as requested. He placed a candle at the center of the table. Whispering something under his breath and in less than five minutes, the candle snapped and extinguished itself, “It has been done.”
Damien came to stand to her side, asking her, “How do you feel?”
“Strangely a little light,” she replied not knowing if it was because she had been worried. At the same thought, Penny wondered on what the priest said to her before. Death by drowning.
The link was broken and for now, Penny was safe but that didn’t mean whoever it was wouldn’t harm her again. When Damien’s eyes met the man’s eyes, he said,
“Can you tap into the black magic?” this had Penny’s ears perking up in confusion. White witch making use of black magic?
“Won’t that be against the law?” asked Father Antonio, his hands stopping on the table as he had begun to sort out things to put them back in their own place. This had Damien rolling his eyes,
“You should be one of the last people who should be claiming on following the law. Especially when it was only three days ago since you killed a human in the church,” on this sudden revelation she heard from Damien, Penny’s eyes slowly fell on the priest. His white clothes looking clean yet the smile that he offered her didn’t look so pure anymore.
Penny could tell that the church was no more a holy place but a shady place that would need more than a sprinkle of holy water.
