Mimi's Demons

Chapter 86: Demons Kept by Skin

There was a voodoo man in the piano room.

When he spread apart his lips, Mimi was in awe of his ultra white teeth. Or, perhaps, it was the contrast with his dark skin that made the teeth look so white.

But she shook herself out of that to take another look around the room for her papa. She took a slow step back and went to close the door.

"Your Papa will be here soon, Miss Mimi. No need to be afraid, I won't bite."

Mimi narrowed her eyes. She hadn't even considered biting. But now that he brought it up, that would be a very good use of such big white teeth. His accent tickled her ears, though, like a nice smell in the air; smooth and butter cream.

Even as she hesitated, she saw a rustling around his shoulders. Spider legs. Claws. A tip of a tail.

But even as she watched, not one demon materialized fully.

The voodoo man's smile widened.

"Sense them, don't you?"

Mimi flinched.

He beckoned her. The insides of his hands were paler compared to the rest of his dark skin. Pink palms.

"Come, cherie. I won't hurt you. I won't let them hurt you either."

Tummy clenched, hairs raised, Mimi took a brave step in. Then another. She put up her chin and fixed her stare on him. This was her house, after all. She was buff. She was strong.

But oh, the voodoo man was tall. His silk purple button up shirt seemed to shimmer depending on which way you looked at it. He wore a weird wood and feather amulet on a black string and his fingers glimmered with rings.

A horn appeared and disappeared behind his hip so quickly, Mimi almost thought it had just been a weird jutting out of his black slacks.

When Mimi considered herself 'in' the room, she stopped and gave him a hard stare.

"Who are you and why are you in my house?" Good. Her voice didn't shake.

The man bowed like a prince, an arm behind his back and a hand to his heart.

"Louis Herbert Bonneville, at your service." He straightened, but still held something of an air of a gentleman. "Your Papa allowed me the honor of meeting you this morning before your piano lessons. He seemed to think I could be of help to you."

She frowned. "Do you do voodoo?"

He looked startled. Then threw back his head in a barking laugh that came all the way from his toes.

"Children," he wheezed, wiping a tear from his eye. "Do you even know what voodoo is?"

Mimi said nothing, because she was pretty sure her idea of voodoo was far from his idea. Disney wasn't exactly a reliable source for anything.

"Come here, cher. Come sit."

"I like it right here."

"Aw, 'excuse moi for telling you what to do. I only wished to make you more comfortable."

"I'm not."

He had that smile again, the kind that showed his teeth. Maybe he was a biter.

"As you are quite right not to be, if you can see what I think you can."

And then they popped out, like the frills of a peacock's tail. Demons of all shapes and sizes, even demons she'd never seen before, clinging to his figure as though gravity had no hold of them.