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speak the truth.”
    “Why would you sing lullabies to voodoo dolls?”
    “To put the ghosts to sleep,” he said easily, as he looked up at the moon.
    “What kind of lullabies?”
    He gave me a small smile. “Are you certain you want to suffer through my singing?”
    “I’ll take my chances. Come on.” I gave him a slight nudge.
    Lucus began to sing in a tone subtly laced with indisputable sorrow and despair.  
    Mais voilà qu'il trotte
    La lune se flotte
    La princesse aussi
    La la la la la La la la la la Mon rêve évanoui
    For whatever reason, it could have been the moonlight mixed with the smell of honeysuckle and jasmine, or the way Lucus’ voice was strangely in sync with the humming of swamp animals, I knew what I had to do. It was then, and there, I decided that I wanted more than anything to help him. I wanted him to find peace. He had suffered for far too long, and no one deserved that. How I felt or didn’t feel about him wasn’t important.   
    “Hey, have you ever tried just walking out of here? Opening the gates and leaving? I bet this whole curse is in your head. I’ve been studying. I’ve learnt that voodoo is a highly psychological type of magic. The more you believe it, the stronger it becomes.”
    Lucus roared with laughter. “Are you under the impression that I’ve never tried to leave Darkwood?”
    “Yes,” replied adamantly.
    “I assure you, the thought did cross my mind over a hundred years ago.”
    “I don’t believe you,” I sang, as I jumped up from the wired bench. “Come on, let’s give it a try. Don’t be stubborn.”
    Lucus threw his hands up in the air. “There is no point arguing with you, is there?”
    “No,” I replied. “I’m going to keep bugging you until you run to the gate with me.”
    Lucus shook his head and gave me a wide grin, as he got up from the bench. “You’re impossible. You realize that, don’t you Ms. LaRue?”
    “Yes. I’m also irrational and paranoid, but you can’t complain because you’re the one who wants me to stay here. Let’s go!”
    I flipped my hair and turned my back on him. It was the first time I had ever used Sabrina’s trademark hair flip move.
    I sprinted towards the iron gates. Despite his protests, Lucus followed.

    Chapter 4
    Sousson Pannan

    The fragrant night wind whipped through my long hair as I ran towards the gate. The cool earth beneath my bare feet was impossibly soothing. It felt better than the foot massages Sabrina’s live in masseuse gave, a small luxury I happily indulged in. The gigantic oaks trees swayed and meandered without a care in the world. I looked up at the dancing stars and gave thanks for their beauty.
      For the first time, in a long time, I felt strangely alive, not exactly carefree, but less anxious than normal. Lucus was behind me. “Come on old man!” I teased. “You can’t keep up, can you?”
    “I wasn’t aware that this was a competition,” Lucus replied.
    “It is now!” I shouted, as I picked up the pace.
    “I can outrun you any time,” he warned.
    “I won’t believe it until I see it,” I called back.
    He was right. Lucus bolted full speed ahead, passing me in exactly two microseconds. What a show off! He waited for me at the gates. Arms crossed with a smug smile on his face.
    When I finally reached the gate, I was out of breath and panting. I wasn’t one of those girls that spent hours at the gym, mostly because gym clothes scared me, and the fact that I hated to work out. Although Sabrina always offered that I could come over and work out at her home gym, I always managed to find an excuse not to.
    Lucus was amused watching me huff and puff for breath. “You don’t have to stare,” I snapped.
    “I do apologize.” Lucus turned his back on me and focused his attention on a nearby oak tree. “We’ve arrived at the gates,” he announced, as he stared at the oak.
    I regained my composure. “Okay, do you have a key—?”
    I was interrupted by a strange,