Spell For Sophia by Ariella Moon Page B

at the sepia page. An elaborate scrollwork symbol — a drawn sigil of some sort — filled the upper half of the paper.
    The pages fluttered as though blown by a nonexistent wind. New pages opened, revealing their contents just long enough for Yemaya to skim her hand above the writings and symbols before the breeze stirred again. Her lips moved as she read. Some snippets she whispered aloud in oddly accented French. I caught a word here and there, but otherwise my AP French failed me.
    The pages flipped again, exposing two sheets from the second half of the book. Yemaya gasped and clutched her cameo. The birdcalls halted. Wild-eyed, Yemaya lowered her arms and glanced over her shoulder. The grimoire slammed shut.
    I shrieked. Not because of the spell book, but because of the sudden appearance of a dripping-wet black girl levitating behind Yemaya.
     

Chapter Ten
     
    "What is it?" Evie screamed. She backed away, not waiting for an answer. I knew from her blank expression she couldn't see the apparition. Yemaya definitely saw it. She curved in on herself and ducked away from the ghost. At least I thought it was a ghost. Do ghosts drip and wear vintage seventies clothing?
    Aidan dismounted his chair and stood. Salem pushed away from the table and stood beside him. If her hands hadn't been empty, I would have sworn she was poised for a wand fight.
    "Ainslie?" Aidan's arms were raised at chest level, palms facing the floor. His hands were rigid. He appeared tensed for battle and his gaze darted from me to Yemaya as though he were gauging the energy between us. Salem clutched his arm, staying him. Neither appeared aware of the ghost.
    "Uh…" A tomb-like cold swept through me, prickling my skin. An unpleasant loamy smell wafted up my nose.
    Yemaya regained her mettle and threw the ghost a quelling look. It would have slain her if the teen hadn't been already dead.
    "Well, look who is here." The ghost bugged her eyes at Yemaya. "Gal, I thought I'd seen the last of y'all." She scanned our faces, latched onto me last, and waved.
    Without thinking, I waved back.
    "Oh, great," Yemaya muttered under her breath.
    The ghost said to Yemaya, "Far out! One of your friends can see me." She gave me a head-to-toe appraisal. "I like your threads."
    "Um, thanks."
    "What's going on?" Salem demanded.
    "She's not my friend," Yemaya said. "I just met her."
    "You two okay?" Evie asked.
    "Fine," Yemaya and I said in unison.
    "Jinx!" The ghost smiled, revealing teeth in need of braces. The word hurtled me back to a sleepover with Sophia and a memorable zombie movie.
    "Because it seems like you're both talking to air," Evie continued.
    "The spell book conjured up a ghost," I explained.
    "Don't call her a ghost," Yemaya said. "Bayou doesn't like to be reminded of her unfortunate demise. It upsets her."
    "Sorry," I said.
    "Both of you can see her?" Evie sounded awed.
    "Of course," Yemaya and I said.
    "Double jinx." Bayou smirked and toyed with her oversized peace sign necklace.
    "Just to be clear," Aidan said, "the ghost's name is Bayou?"
    "Bayou Martine. Pleased to make your acquaintance." Bayou curtsied, pulling on the hem of the gauzy paisley top she wore over hip-hugger bellbottom jeans. Then she gawked at Aidan and fanned herself. "For a white dude, he is a total fox." She lowered herself to the floor without so much as a squelch from her wet platform shoes.
    "Her last name is Martine," I informed the others.
    "Wait," Salem said. "Yemaya, if you know Bayou, then did the spell book conjure her up, or did you?"
    "Good question," Aidan said.
    "I'm not sure." Yemaya sank sideways onto Aidan's vacant chair and fingered an amethyst ring on her left hand. "Bayou first appeared to me a few years ago, but I haven't seen her since I left New Orleans." She glanced up at Bayou. "I thought you were tethered to the Orleans and Tangipahoa parishes."
    "I am." Bayou glanced about. "Why? Where am I, and how did I get here?"
    "You're in California," I said. "Yemaya,