A Princess for the Witch Doctor (Legends of Rahasia Book 3)

Chapter Seventy-Five

"No wonder he's an evil twin brother." I mutter, crushing an overripe fruit between my hands, digging my fingers into the juices. "I'd be evil too if I had a father like that one."

"Evil. Funny when you think of it in the grand scheme of things." Kaliya grimaces, staring off at the horizon of dreamscape people we'd left behind. "It's funny. Existing in and out of time like this, you start to forget what it's like to have existed at all. What can be evil about something that's just a flicker on the map of time?"

I roll my eyes. "Don't get philosophical on me, Kali."

She winks, her face shifting just as quickly. "Sorry, princess." She leans against a tree, the sun filtering against her shaved head, illuminating the tattoos against her skin. "Did you figure it out yet?"

"Figure out what?"

She laughs. "That this isn't just a fairy tale. But it's similar enough to one."

"Why?"

"Well, in most fairy tales, someone has to go evil... and be punished for it."

We stop talking as a familiar laugh echoes throughout the air.

"Is that...?"

Kaliya nods, shoving me back towards the village. The moonlight reigns onwards, and most of the homes are quiet. Only one figure shifts in the dark.

Ingatan.

He rubs his hands against his bruised face. "I'll be better than my brother." He mumbles. "I'll prove it to him, that I'm not worthless. I can be better than Wulan and Eko."

Eko must be his elder brother, the successful one with a home and a wife.

No wonder he moved away if his father's a nightmare like that. Sure, Ingatan is a bit of a pretty boy, doesn't mean he deserves a beating.

I pause when I hear it, when I see it and smell it. The scent of blood as he digs a knife into his arm. The clumsy, yet familiar hand motions as Ingatan whimpers her name.

Jengges. Gendam. Naruga. Santet. Sirep. Tenung. Susuk.

Opium, sleepless nights, murderous intent. Knives twisting your stomach, eternal sleep, disease, or seduction.

Rangda, Rangda, Rangda.

"Gods damn it all," Kaliya chuckles at my profanity from behind me, but I'm beyond caring as I repeat, "gods damn it!"

Ingatan hunches over with a squeal during the summoning ritual. A shadow woman, bone and skull and long, black hair. She materializes in front of him, holding a familiar wooden mask. "Rangda!" He cries. "I offer my soul to you for gold. For riches beyond measure to prove my worth to my father. Make me wealthier than the sultan!"

"Remember this, you're mine now, my dukun." She hisses, shoving the mask onto his face. Tiny wooden nails dig into his skin, securing it permanently to him.

Ingatan screams.

Or perhaps I should say...

The witch doctor.

***

Readers,

Well, Rahasian and Jiwanese gods damn it.

-Sophia