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  Loviatar swung her leather jacket around and stormed outside, grabbing Jetta by the hand and pulling her with her.

  Chapter 73

  They were ready for battle. The entire army of the dead was prepared, waiting for Loviatar's order to begin. Jetta stood next to her mother, her heart throbbing in her chest as she wondered what Loviatar would do to her father once he got out there.

  "Are you sure he's coming out?" Jetta asked.

  "Of course he is. Just you wait and see."

  "Is it really necessary to bring this big of an army to just fight one man?"

  Loviatar chuckled. "You don't know your father."

  She was right. Jetta didn't. But she really wanted to get to know him. She didn't want them to fight anymore. She wanted them to stop. But she didn't dare to tell her mother.

  A strong wind picked up suddenly and Jetta closed her eyes and felt it on her face. It was warm. Like on a summer day back in New Orleans.

  Oya!

  Jetta smiled and looked up at the sky where dark clouds were gathering, soon covering the sun.

  She always goes before him.

  Jetta smiled as the antelope showed up in the sky and landed elegantly on the ground in front of Loviatar. Oya walked with great pride towards Loviatar. Behind them, the army rumbled as they got ready to fight.

  "He will not fight you, Loviatar," she said. "Not this time. Not anymore. There has been too much fighting. Too much sadness on the Earth."

  Loviatar gritted her teeth loudly. "Yes, he will," she said lifting her arms, spreading out a big set of wings, the skin on her face suddenly drooping, turning furrowed and old, her fingers and toes growing talons. With a loud squeal, she soared into the air, grabbed the antelope, and poked both of her eyes out.

  "OYA!"

  Jetta's heart stopped. She stared at the poor antelope, poor Oya, as the blood ran from her eyes.

  "Oya," Jetta said again, crying.

  Loviatar then soared into the air, hovering above Oya, then diving forcefully down towards her, piercing her talons into the antelope's back. Oya screamed in pain while being lifted into the air.

  "Stop it!" Jetta cried. "Stop it!"

  Loviatar dropped Oya to the ground and she landed with a loud thud, eyes bleeding, both hind legs broken, unable to get up.

  Loviatar once again hovered above her, getting ready for her next and final attack when the earth started to shake so badly that Jetta almost fell. Rain was soon falling in sheets. Thunder rumbled above her and rattled the branches of the trees. The earth started to shake rhythmically and the door to the bar slammed open. Out came Shango, tapping his drum, roaring like a lion, spewing fire from his mouth.

  Loviatar stopped what she was doing as she saw him, then landed on the ground in front of him, smiling from ear to ear.

  Shango opened his mouth and spewed a bolt of fire towards her, hitting her in the stomach, causing her to fall. Loviatar leaped back to her feet again, rushing towards him.

  "Finally," she said. "Finally, I have your attention."

  Chapter 74

  The rain was falling with violence. Shango was standing face to face with Loviatar, the heaven above them like an explosion of lightning and thunder. Oya was lying lifeless on the ground. Jetta watched, holding her breath as Loviatar lifted her arm in the air, and let it fall, signaling her army to attack. A roar sounded and shook the ground as the millions of dead rushed forward towards the village, trampling down everyone and everything, killing every living soul.

  "I should have killed you when I had the chance," Shango said, bolts of fire spewing from his mouth. "Instead of just taking your eyes. These are my people. These are my friends."

  He opened his mouth and sent a lightning bolt toward the army, causing thousands of them to fall in one stroke, their bones turning to coal as they were burned. As the rest of them marched on, he sent yet another lightning bolt toward them, roasting thousands more, pulverizing most, leaving only their dry bones on the ground.

  But even though he managed to stop many of them, the army was so massive that they soon flooded the area and attacked Shango using swords, spears, and some even guns. Shango was overpowered by the strokes he received from knives and arrows, and from gunshots, but he healed quickly. Just like Jetta had seen happen to herself, he too healed fast and could attack back at the dead using bolts of fire.

  But the army was too large and soon they managed to knock him over, causing him to drop his drum. They held him down and he was on his back, fighting each and every one of them coming at him, but struggling to get back up. Jetta watched as her dad seemed to disappear underneath the many soldiers, only knowing he was still there because of the fire emerging every now and then.

  Soon, they had him overpowered, and Loviatar came to him, soaring into the air and as she dove towards him, the dead moved away just in time for her to pin him down using her talons, trapping him between her claws.

  Shango yelled out in pain as one of her claws pierced through his chest.

  "Shango!" Jetta screamed, knowing that Loviatar could kill him, and she would do it.

  "Jetta," Shango yelled, his breath rattling as he spoke.

  Jetta looked into his eyes, then at Oya, and finally at the village where hundreds of dead bodies were on the ground. So much death, so much fighting. Jetta was sick and tired of just watching, so she soared into the air with the help of the wind and let it carry her to the villagers, raising them all to join her. She then continued to the nearest cemetery, where she raised each and every one of the dead there, then summoned all of those that had followed her earlier, letting the wind bring them to her, creating an army of her own. Soon, hundreds of millions of dead were gathered and her army grew bigger than her mother’s because, being who she was, she could summon both whites and blacks.

  She signaled for them to attack her mother's army and soon the battle of the dead took place beneath her, the fight of the rattling bones. Jetta returned to her mother, who looked at her angrily as her army was attacked.

  With one bolt of fire, Shango managed to push Loviatar into the air. Her burning body then landed on her back, screaming as she put out the fire using her icy breath.

  Shango was back up, but Loviatar was also quick to get back on her feet. Shango touched his chest where her claw had gone through and Jetta could tell he was hurt.

  Loviatar came at him once again, spreading her wings, attacking him with her claws, and he sent a bolt of fire her way, pushing her back, but soon she was up and at him again. Shango was struggling to breathe and without breath, he couldn't spew fire, and this time he didn't manage to get her away in time. She landed on top of him, holding him down once again, Shango struggling beneath her talons.

  "Jetta," he said, fighting to breathe. "The drum."

  Jetta spotted the drum lying on the ground and picked it up. She threw it to him and he caught it, then began to drum. But Loviatar grabbed the drum with her beak and threw it away, causing it to shatter as it hit a rock on the ground. Jetta watched in terror as her mother pierced yet another claw through her father's chest. Loviatar then looked at her and said:

  "Say goodbye to your father, Jetta dearest. He has to leave now."

  Chapter 75

  Jetta held her breath. She couldn't let this happen. Her army was busy keeping Loviatar's army at bay, and even if she did use them against her mother, they were no match for Loviatar. Shango was too hurt to be able to do anything. It was all up to her now.

  But what could she possibly do? She looked at the antelope and thought about Oya.

  You are so much more than that, she heard her small still voice say in her mind.

  "It's only half of me," Jetta said out loud. "It's only one half."

  She turned on her heel and rushed inside the bar where the bartender was still hiding behind the counter, shaking. Jetta picked up the drum her father had made for her and started to drum. First slowly, then faster and faster as she grew more confident. She walked outside, drumming loud
ly and rhythmically on the drum, and soon the clouds gathered above her once again. Big black clouds, darker than the night. They covered the sun and a trail of lightning speared across the clouds. The rumble grew in its intensity and caused the earth to shake. The leaves fell from the trees, rocks split open, others danced on the bouncing earth. The drumming grew so loud that both armies of the dead were pulverized and their bones turned into dust, the dust carried away by the strong howling winds.

  Meanwhile, Loviatar, bent over Shango, felt the rhythm in her heart so forcefully it changed the rhythm of it. She looked up.

  Jetta stood in front of her, drumming her drum so loudly it would later be said it was heard and felt all the way in Finland, where her ancestors lived. The sky crackled above them as Loviatar and Jetta stood face to face.

  "If you're not with me, then you're against me," Loviatar said. "Think of all the power we could have. Together, we could rule this world. Think about it. Everyone would bow to your name. You'd be the most powerful goddess to have ever lived."

  "I told you," Jetta growled, still drumming. "I don't want any of that."

  "You don't want power? You don't want to rule? What do you want, then?"

  Jetta looked at her mother. "I want peace."

  Loviatar hissed. "I created you for war. You can't run from that."

  "Maybe not. But that is not all that I am. I am so much more. You only got to fill half of me."

  Loviatar roared. A bolt of lightning struck from the sky and hit one of her talons. Loviatar squealed and recoiled, letting go of Shango. Loviatar soared into the air, squealing and squawking like a hurt bird, then disappeared behind the clouds. Jetta stopped drumming and ran to Shango. He was lying with his eyes closed, his body not even moving. Jetta shrieked then leaned over him.

  "Please, don't die. Please, don't be dead."

  A few devastating seconds went by and then she felt his hand touch her hair. She gasped and looked at him, their eyes meeting in a warm embrace. "Boy, what a night," he said. "Worst hangover of my life."

  He tried to get up but was in too much pain.

  "Lie back down," Jetta said. "You're hurt."

  "Oya," he said. "Where is she? Is she all right?"

  Jetta glanced in her direction. The antelope was still lifeless on the ground. Jetta shook her head, holding back tears that were suddenly piling up.

  "I don't think…"

  Shango touched her arm. "What shape is she in? Is she human or antelope? Quick, it's important."

  Jetta sniffled, not understanding why that could be so important. "Antelope," she said.

  A smile spread across Shango's face and a set of white teeth emerged. "That's good," he said. "That's very good. She’s still alive then. Now, go get me my rum, will you?"

  Chapter 76

  Jetta rushed into the bar and grabbed Shango's bottle of rum, then hurried out and handed it to him. She helped him sit up and drink.

  "Ah, that's the stuff," he said, finally breathing easier. He coughed a little, then poured rum on his wounds as well. He smiled at Jetta. "That should do it." Then he laughed, and Jetta wondered if he needed the rum to be able to spew fire from his mouth.

  Seconds later, his wounds were looking better and had stopped bleeding, but he was still in pain as Jetta helped him get up. She looked at the bruises on his chest.

  "That'll leave a scar," he said when he saw her glance. "That's what you get from fighting someone your own size."

  Jetta helped him get to Oya and he sat on his knees next to her. She got him a bowl of water from the bar, so he could wash Oya's eyes and wounds. Jetta watched as he attended her gently and caringly, talking to her along the way, telling her stories of how they met and of all the things they had done together, and especially about times when she had been mad at him for gambling or partying too much. As Jetta watched, Oya became a woman, then an antelope, and back again. It was like she wasn't really there, but kept changing shape.

  "What's happening to her?"

  "She's deciding whether to stay or leave this world," he said. "I guess I am not giving her much of a reason to stay, am I?"

  "But…" Jetta said. "She can't die. I need her too."

  Shango, looking serious (a very strange appearance for him, making him look nothing like the Shango Jetta knew) shook his head. "It's out of our hands. It's her decision."

  Jetta felt sick to her stomach. She couldn't lose Oya; she needed her to remind her who she was, so she wouldn’t make bad mistakes again.

  If only I hadn't turned my back on her. If only…

  Oya turned human and Jetta watched as life oozed out of her; as it was seeping away, leaving nothing but a grey shell behind, Jetta's heart stopped.

  "NO!"

  Shango grabbed her in his arms, tears streaming across his cheeks. Jetta hid her face in his chest, crying, and when she looked once again, Oya had turned into an antelope again.

  "Shango, look," Jetta said and poked her father. "Look."

  He opened his eyes and saw the antelope, then leaned forward.

  "Oya? Oya?"

  She blinked her eyes and opened them, but they weren't there. There was nothing but two deep holes. Oya turned so her head was facing them, then turned into her human form, her eyes suddenly returning. They were looking directly at them.

  "Oya, you can see," Jetta said.

  Shango clapped his hands together and burst into a dance. "Ha-ha, I knew it. Loviatar took your eyes in animal form, but you can still see in your human shape. You're back, Oya. You're back!"

  Oya sat up and brushed the dust off her skirt. "Well, I better be. You need me to keep you out of trouble. Especially now with the little ones coming."

  Shango stopped dancing. He was standing on one leg and almost fell while he went over the information in his mind, his eyes growing wide as the realization sunk in.

  "The what?"

  Oya smiled. "I am expecting your children."

  Shango's smile froze. He stared at her.

  "Children?" Jetta asked.

  Oya laughed and held her stomach. "Deities rarely just have one child."

  Shango and Oya's eyes met. A big smile spread across Shango's lips. His eyes accidentally looked up at the sky above. His smile froze.

  "We might have to talk about this a little later."

  He rose to his feet, still staring at an object coming at them. He spoke with urgency, "Because right now, we have something else to worry about." He looked at Jetta. "Your mother is back."

  Chapter 77

  As Loviatar plunged toward the ground, toward them, it didn't take Jetta long to realize something was off.

  "What's that between her talons?" she asked.

  Seconds later, she had her answer. An answer so terrifying it almost made her cry.

  Tyler!

  Loviatar squealed and landed on the ground. She turned back into the woman Jetta had known. Tyler was in front of her. She had placed her hand on his neck, holding it with an expression so fierce it gave Jetta no doubt that her mother could snap his neck in a second if she wanted to.

  Tyler looked at Jetta with terrified eyes. He had a scar over his left eye that she wondered if he had gotten from the night in Chicago. Jetta pulled back, worried he would hate her for what she had done. But there was no hate in his eyes.

  "Tyler," she said, her voice hoarse.

  He was bleeding from his nose, and scratches on his body and face showed her that he had fought Loviatar.

  "Jetta," he said, his voice almost a whisper. "Where have you been? I’ve looked everywhere for you. I feared you had been killed."

  Loviatar laughed. "Listen to them. A couple of turtledoves. This mere mortal actually thinks he can be a match for a real deity." She squeezed his neck and Tyler winced in pain.

  "Don't hurt him," Jetta said and stepped forward. "Please."

  "Okay," Loviatar said and leaned closer, close enough for Jetta to smell the rain on her breath and feel the deep cold coming from inside of her. "If you come
with me."

  Oya stepped forward too. Shango was right behind her, his hands on her shoulders. Loviatar turned her head in their direction, stretching out her long neck, then sniffed the air, reminding Jetta that she couldn't actually see, but used all her other senses instead.

  "You're still alive," she said, sounding very disappointed. "Both of you."

  "Don't do it," Oya said addressed to Jetta.

  "Don't do it," Shango repeated.

  Loviatar grunted, dissatisfied. "Yes, do it," she said. "Come with me. Be with your family and rule the Earth. Be who you were created to be."

  Jetta shook her head. "I don't want to."

  Loviatar wailed, then hissed. "You must come with me, or the boy will die." Loviatar squeezed harder on Tyler's neck.

  Jetta felt scared.

  "Please, don't. Please, don't hurt him."

  She couldn't bear that he was going to suffer because of her, because of who she was. She would rather do as her mother said than have that happen again. It was time she took responsibility.

  "I'll go with you," she said. "Just let him go."

  "Don't," Tyler said.

  "No, Jetta," Oya said.

  "You don't have to," Shango said.

  Jetta turned to face them and spoke through tears. "Yes, I do. She's my mother. I have to be the one to deal with her."

  Loviatar shrieked happily and Jetta stepped up. "Let him go and I will leave with you."

  Loviatar pushed Tyler away, then leaned forward to grab Jetta in her arms. She turned into the bird once again and lifted them both off the ground. Jetta looked beneath her at all of them. Tyler called her name.

  Loviatar signaled the wind and Jetta saw it carry thousands of soldiers towards the ground. She screamed, trying to get out of Loviatar's grip as the army plunged towards the ones below.

  Tyler was knocked to the ground and soon a flock of them were on top of him and she could hardly see him.