After a quick but hearty meal of burgers and fries, we were finally ready to embark. Ray’s face was grim after his chat with the guide, but he stayed quiet. We all boarded the airboat, Rourke and Tyler heading for the two driver’s seats.
“Just like I said,” the taller guide called. “It’s as easy as one, two, three. This boat’s name is Betsy and she’s been suped up for speed. You can get ’er going to sixty. Find some nice flat vegetation to cross and you can go even faster. The green stuff gets the hull off the ground nice and quick like. You’ll make good time that way getting to the deep cypress.”
“Yeah, go and get dem assholes,” the other piped in. “If you do, we got plenty of moonshine to celebrate with. It’s not legal yet in Florida, but from where we come from it’s like mother’s milk, straight from the teat.” He smiled wide, and I noticed he had more than a few teeth missing.
“Don’t you worry,” Danny called, holding up the old ceramic jug they’d given him and shaking it. “We will indeed find something to celebrate along the way.” Danny popped the cork out and took a sniff. “Good gods, that’s strong enough to take the hair off my mother’s chest.” Then he waggled his eyebrows. “But that’s why I’m going to enjoy it to its fullest.”
“Best stuff in the state of Florida,” the tall guide called, “but be careful with it. That hooch’ll leave you shitfaced and groggy for two solid weeks if you imbibe too much.”
Rourke started the fan. It sounded like a jet engine readying for takeoff as the blades began to increase their speed. Very slowly he eased the throttle forward and began to glide us off the platform like he’d been operating this boat his entire life. “We go through the low grasses first to get to the main channel,” Rourke said. “After that, the start of the cypress swamp begins. The particular patch of cypress the guides are concerned about ends in the mangroves, near the coast, which is likely how the priestess entered this area.”
The fan found its rhythm, but it was irritatingly loud. None of us had to raise our voices to be heard if we didn’t feel like it, however. The boat skimmed over small swamp grasses, and as Rourke opened up the throttle even more, it gained speed. The scenery over the open water was beautiful and majestic. The sun glinted off the water and plants, making everything sparkle.
“Naomi,” I called. “Once we reach the cypress swamp, I want you to take off. I’m certain we’ll all feel the magic when we get close enough, but you have to rendezvous with my father to get us the directions to their camp.”
“Oui.” She nodded.
“Oh, and I never asked the first time, but when you were here last night did you notice any dark magic from the sky?”
“Non,” she answered. “I was too high up. I’m certain if I had come down farther, I would’ve detected something.”
Marcy shook her head. “You might not have. Black magic is tangible only when you’re right on top of it. It’s like a creepy oil slick. Those human guides back there would’ve had to come right up next to it to feel anything, but once they did, I bet the hair on their arms jumped on end and it sent them scurrying as fast as their overalls would take them.”
Rourke maneuvered the boat into a fairly wide channel littered with tall water lilies sprouting out of the water like they were trying to reach for the sky. Cypress trees were clustered in the distance, and we were closing in fast.
“Did the guide tell you which channel to take once we got there?” Tyler asked Rourke. “From here it looks like there might be a few options.”
“Yep,” Rourke answered. “We’re taking the one on the far right.”
We rode in silence, and once we reached the end of the channel, Rourke deftly turned the boat into the new lane, this one filled with trees. It was like entering a new world. Tall cypress trees jutted out into the water like gnarled fingers. The majority of their roots were exposed to the elements and their canopies were knit closely, blocking out most of the light as effectively as flipping a switch.
“Okay, Naomi.” I motioned with my hand. “You can go. Once you touch base with my father, come find us.”
“Okay, Ma Reine. I’ll be back as soon as I can.” She took to the sky immediately.
Ray turned to me. “Do you want me to go with her? I can scout around while she talks to your father. I’m curious about all this black magic hocus-pocus. I’m itching to get closer and see if I sense anything.”
“If you want to scout it out, that’s fine with me,” I said, my eyes scanning the trees as we zoomed forward, searching for anything out of the ordinary. “But stay close. We have no idea what to expect.”
Ray took off after Naomi.