Chapter 57

After several turns in every street corner lined with wall-to-wall houses, we finally stopped in a small building with a wooden door that had a black circular handle for knocking. There was no doorknob.
“This is it,” Ella breathed out. I watched as she held on to the handle and slowly began hitting it against the wooden door in some kind of rhythm. After a few moments, I could her a few locks click before it slowly opened. Ella turned to me and gave me a reassuring smile before stepping inside and I hesitantly followed.
I looked around the dimly lit place. A candle-lit chandelier similar to the ones back in hell hung above the ceiling, giving off a dim yellow glow but it was enough to illuminate the whole room. The room was lined with decks of statues, stones, candles, and other things used in witchcraft and the tiles underneath us were a weird pattern of red, black, and white. I followed Ella further down the room and I realized at how big it actually was inside compared to what it looked like from outside.
We were then greeted by empty halls still illuminated by candles and oil lamps and each door was painted in black. I followed Ella to the very last door by the end of the hallway.
“This is where our head sleeps.” Ella told me. “She’ll want to meet you.”
She knocked on the door in the same rhythm she did from outside and in a matter of seconds the door opened, revealing a beautiful African woman with a turban wrapped around her head. She looked surprised to see Ella and me.
“Ella!” The woman exclaimed. “Nou tap tann ou!”
She then engulfed Ella in a hug while I stood there awkwardly, but I couldn’t help but go over the witch’s appearance. She had large, colorful earrings dangling in both of her ears, her neck was adorned with beads coming in assorted colors and sizes, and she wore a white off-shoulder with a blue long skirt that stopped below her ankles.
“We must wake up our sisters. They will be happy to know that you have returned!” The woman exclaimed in a thick, Haitian accent.
“Later, metrès.” Ella told her. She then faced me. “I would like you to meet Lilly first.”
I looked up at her and gave her an awkward wave, but her stare at me told me that she was shocked. She then pulled Ella and I inside her room before shutting the door behind her and locked it.
“O bonte mwen! Why did you bring the child of Lucifer in our home??” She demanded as she faced Ella with an angry look. I could only stand there quietly, my heart beginning to pace once again worried that this witch might kick me out or hurt me for being lucifer’s daughter.
“Marie, let me explain,” Ella told her softly. How could Ella be so calm and soft all the time?? “She was in need of help. The werewolves and vampires and even the witches are out for her because of this silly race the host made them play in exchange for power.”
“I know that child! Bringing her here can put our coven at risk!” Marie exclaimed. She then began pacing back and forth in the room. “Wake your sisters. Tell them to cast an extra protection spell around our home. We cannot risk having those creatures sense her here.”
Ella quickly nodded as she ran outside the room and I fought the urge to call for her and run, not wanting to be left alone in the same room as this witch who was furious that I was in their home.
My lip trembled as she stopped her pacing and stared at me. “How did you and Ella meet?”
I swallowed the huge lump in my throat. “She healed me, ma’am. The vampires who took me brought me to a cabin in the woods where Ella was, waiting for them. After she healed me, werewolves found out that I was there, and a fight was about to break out between the vampires and werewolves. But Ella found the chance to escape when we were left unguarded.”
She kept on staring at me, unconvinced. “I’m not evil, I swear! It’s a long story about how I met Lucifer, but trust me, I am not like him. I am not here to cause trouble or hurt anyone, please. I just want to go back home.”
Marie’s face softened as she looked away. “So, you are really Lucifer’s daughter?”
I nodded. I held in my breath as she stared at me again, studying my face. Her eyes squinted as her eyes roamed my face and I fought the urge to look away. Instead, I stared back at her, wanting her to believe me that I was telling the truth.
“You look so much like…” she began. Her eyes widened.
“Lilith…”