Chills of the autumn air caressed the young orphan's skin as Felicia Styng, a 14-year-old biracial girl, padded through the French Quarter. The vivacious tones of jazz music filled her soul with harmonic longing, free of the hostility from her fellow housemates. But all of her peaceful feelings abandoned her as an on-comer took a stick and jammed it through her wheel, causing the bike to stop and throwing her off it.
The hard thud of her knee slashing against the concrete forced Felicia to wince as three Chinese girls walked toward her.
"What's wrong, Felicia?" the first girl said. "Your daddy not here to kiss your boo-boo?"
"Ling Ling, don't you remember?" the second one said. "Her voodoo daddy is dead."
"Ling Ling, Mai," the third girl said. "Maybe we should leave her alone."
"Shut up, Kiko," Ling Ling said. "This monkey doesn't deserve our pity."
"Look, I don't want any trouble," Felicia pleaded as she picked herself up. "Please just let me go."
"Please just let me go," Ling Ling mocked her. "这猿猴还好意思向我们索要小事."
"我不是猿.我是你的—"
Ling Ling kicked Felicia in her stomach before she could finish her sentence.
"Don't you dare speak our language. You're not one of us, you lousy—"
"Ling Ling. Girls," an elderly Chinese woman wearing a pink dress and gray skirt shouted out to them. "I told you all to stay away from her."
"Yes, grandma," the three girls said as they ran to the woman's car.
As they ran off, the older woman walked up to Felicia and helped wrap her bruises.
"You must forgive your sisters. They inherited their father's bigotry," the woman said softly.
"Grandma, when can I leave the orphanage and live with you?" Felicia asked, her voice trembling.
"We have talked about this, Felicia. It is not safe for you right now. The family still values you as a threat. But I promise, I will keep you safe for as long as I can."
"Mrs. Li," a middle-aged Irish man dressed as a limo driver called out. "The meeting will be starting in thirty minutes."
"Thank you, Henry," Mrs. Li said. "One minute."
The driver nodded as he entered the car, and Mrs. Li helped Felicia dust herself off.
"Stay elegant like a feather," Mrs. Li said.
"But stronger than the weather," Felicia uttered.
With a kiss on the cheek from her grandmother, Felicia watched her family travel away in a limousine while she was bound to her rusted bike.
Upon climbing her bicycle, Felicia began to feel the dark presence from before calling out to her.
"You are greater than them," the voice said.
"Who's there?" Felicia asked, frantically looking around her surroundings only to find no one. All she could discover was a burning sensation on her left wrist.
"Ow. What the..."
Felicia discovered a green spade burning on her wrist, much to her concern.
"Embrace the Vodon," the voice echoed.
"What the hell?" Felicia said. As she heard the strange voice, a dark-skinned girl with black braids reached out to her.
"Hey, are you..." But before the girl finished her question, Felicia turned around and said, "Get away."
Felicia released a flurry of purple and green energy toward the girl, knocking her several feet away.
"Oh my god," Felicia said. "What have I done?"
Seconds later, pillars of smoke appeared, summoning five masked figures who surrounded her.
"She attacked Latoya," one of the figures said. "Restrain her."
Panic surged through Felicia as the masked figures closed in. She had never felt such raw power before, and now it had put her in danger. The air crackled with energy as her fear mingled with the unfamiliar magic coursing through her veins.
"Stay back!" Felicia shouted, raising her hands defensively. Her voice trembled, but there was a flicker of determination in her eyes. "I didn't mean to hurt anyone!"
The figures paused for a moment, their masked faces betraying no emotion. One of them, a tall figure with a deep, commanding voice, spoke. "We are not here to harm you, Felicia Styng. We are here to help you understand your power."
Felicia's mind raced. She didn't trust them, but she had no other options. She took a step back, her eyes darting between the figures. "Who are you?"
"We are the Keepers of the Veil," the tall figure replied. "Guardians of the balance between the mortal world and the realm of spirits. Your power is both a gift and a curse, Felicia. You must learn to control it."
Before Felicia could respond, the dark-skinned girl, Latoya, slowly stood up, rubbing her head. "She's just a kid," Latoya said, her voice softening. "She didn't know what she was doing."
The tall figure nodded. "Indeed. Felicia, you must come with us. We will teach you the ways of the Vodon and help you harness your abilities."
Felicia hesitated, fear and confusion warring within her. But as she looked at the green spade still burning on her wrist, she knew she had no choice. She needed answers, and these mysterious figures seemed to have them.
"Alright," she said, her voice steadying. "I'll go with you."
The figures stepped back, creating a path for her. Felicia took a deep breath and followed them into the swirling mist. The air grew colder, and the sounds of the bustling French Quarter faded into an eerie silence.
As they walked, the tall figure spoke again. "Your father was a powerful voodoo warlock, exiled for his abuse of the mystical arts. His actions brought about his demise and unleashed a great threat upon us all."
"My father..." Felicia whispered, her heart aching with the memories she had long buried. "What did he do?"
"He abused the power of Vodon, causing chaos and attracting the attention of corrupted lwa known as Baku. Because of his actions, all voodoo practitioners have been under attack by these malevolent spirits."
Felicia's eyes widened. "Lwa? What are they?"
Latoya stepped forward, her expression solemn. "Lwa are the equivalent of gods in voodoo. They are powerful spirits that interact with our world. But when they become corrupted, like the Baku, they bring destruction."
Felicia's mind reeled with the new information. "And who are you?"
Latoya took a deep breath. "I am your half-sister, Felicia. We share the same father. His legacy has affected us both, and now we must face the consequences."
Felicia felt a mix of shock and anger. "Why didn't anyone tell me?"
Latoya's eyes softened. "I didn't know until recently myself. Our father kept many secrets. But we must focus on the task at hand. Maman Bridgette, the lwa we serve, has called us together to come to the Sanctuary where she can prepare us to prevent a supernatural apocalypse."
They emerged from the mist into a secluded clearing, where a circle of ancient stones stood. The air was thick with the scent of incense, and strange symbols glowed faintly in the twilight.
"This is the Sanctuary," the tall figure said. "A place of learning and protection. Here, you will train and grow stronger."
Felicia looked around, her fear slowly giving way to a sense of purpose. She had been searching for answers her whole life, and now she had a chance to find them. "What do I need to do?" she asked, determination shining in her eyes.
The tall figure stepped forward, placing a hand on her shoulder. "You must embrace your heritage and the power within you. Use it wisely, and always strive to protect the balance."
Felicia nodded, her resolve solidifying. She was ready to learn, to fight, and to become the voodooist she was meant to be. The path ahead was uncertain, but she knew one thing for sure—she would not let her father's legacy define her. She would carve her own destiny, one that would change the fate of New Orleans forever.
Just as she began to feel a glimmer of hope, the air around them shifted. A chilling wind blew through the Sanctuary, and dark clouds gathered overhead. The tall figure's grip tightened on her shoulder.
"There is one more thing you need to know, Felicia," Latoya said, her voice trembling. "The Baku are not just after any voodoo practitioners. They are specifically hunting down our bloodline. Our father's actions have put a target on our backs."
Felicia's heart pounded in her chest. "Why our bloodline?"
Latoya met her gaze, fear and determination mingling in her eyes. "Because of the power we possess. And the only way to stop them is to embrace the full extent of our abilities."
A sudden crack of lightning split the sky, illuminating the fear in Felicia's eyes. The truth crashed over her like a wave—she and her half-sister were bound by a legacy of power and peril, and the fate of New Orleans hung in the balance.
The dark clouds roiled above, and Felicia knew that the journey ahead would be more dangerous than she had ever imagined. She took a deep breath, steeling herself for what was to come.
And then, with a sense of foreboding settling over her, Felicia asked, "What do we do now?"
Latoya's response was barely a whisper, carried away by the wind. "
We fight."
The words echoed in Felicia's mind as the storm closed in, leaving her to wonder if she was truly ready to face the darkness that awaited them.