Spellbinding Amali Sneak Peek Series
Get a feel for Imani Leonique’s debut fantasy novel, Spellbinding Amali, with this limited-time sneak peek. This 6-part series will archive on June 20, 2026!
This sneak peek is a raw version of the completed novel that is ready for publication, so there may be typos and other errors. Keep in mind that this version may differ from the published novel, which is releasing on November 13, 2026.
A matriarch with the purest of hearts birthed three daughters with more power than any other in their bloodline and the history of Earth. In an attempt to protect her three amidst danger, she cried out her plea:
“Mother, Matron, Goddess,
Creator of me,
I call upon thee,
To spare these Blessed Three.
Silence the power you gave unto these Blessed Three,
until they’re capable of answering the call you gave to these Three.
I ask you, please,
That when one recites this plea,
You return what you granted to these
Blessed Three.”
And so their blessings were silenced, until otherworldly beings breached their plane of existence, and the world needed three sisters who don’t know one another to save it.
Follow Hope, Hasina, and Halle of the Amali bloodline as they discover the full extent of their powers, fight off evil beings, and find one another.
© 2026 Imani Leonique. All rights reserved.
Spellbinding Amali is an original work of fiction. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means without prior written permission from the author, except for brief quotations used in reviews or commentary.
Part 1
-
The Year of the Awakening
Hope Amali
How do I describe this sensation? I mean, like damn, it feels like my first time every time I’m on top of her riding. The wind whipping through my hair felt like a deep caress in my scalp. The most relaxing thrill.
I couldn’t help but grin, ear to ear, as Kittietook a deep curve and nosedived. The strong gush of wind glided across my skin as we flew closer to the water beneath.
I reached over and rubbed my hand along her iridescent scales on the back of her wings as she tucked them to increase speed. I always found myself intrigued by how her scales changed with her mood. Right now, they were pink.
I read in an Essence magazine once, while Gwen was napping, that pink represented warmth, affection, love, and nurture. We can’t communicate through words, but the way her body accepts mine makes me feel nurtured. I know she’s nurturing me ‘cus I feel nourished. Every time we’re in the sky, life is flowing back into me after the waking day drained every ounce of me.
I gripped my hands back on her blond fur along her spine and tightened my legs, preparing for the impact of her body thrusting me back as she spread her wings to pull back up. Her back legs grazed the body of water beneath us. I couldn’t help but laugh as the water sprinkled me.
Kittie’s wings flapped as she pushed higher into the sky. She spread them wide, gliding closer to the cliff’s edge, and then pulled them back as she landed, gracefully. She lay flat on her belly and curved her arm, giving me support as I climbed down. The dragon stood back up on all fours, and I walked to meet her head on. She lowered her head, and I nuzzled my forehead into her nose. She huffed, spreading wetness all over my face.
“Ewwww,” I yelped.
A low rumble echoed from Kittie’s chest. I learned a while back that was her way of laughing.
“Go on, silly girl,” I chuckled, “thank you for the ride. I’ll see you next time,” I said, backing away from her. She spread and pumped her wings to push up into the sky, sending a gush of air as she made her exit. A loud roar echoed as she flew beyond my line of sight.
I sat on the edge of the cliff, watching as the sun crept up from beneath the horizon. A feeling of dread washed over me as I anticipated its final ascension into the sky.
“Did you enjoy your ride?” a familiar voice said from behind me.
I turned to see Aniya walking toward me.
“I did!” I exclaimed.
I got up and met her halfway, opening my arms wide to melt into the warmth of her as she squeezed me. Whenever we hugged, it felt like she never wanted to let go. And if I were being honest, I felt the same way. It was something about her hugs that made me feel like I was coming home. When I looked into her face, it felt as though I was looking back at myself. So I just assumed it was my brain’s way of comforting itself after dealing with so much fucked up shit in the waking day. Hell, maybe this is what I’d look like when I grow older. I don’t know. All I know is that outside of my dragon, Kittie, Aniya was the best part of coming here. This place was my favorite dream.
“I’m glad to hear that, Hope. I love seeing you smile,” Aniya said as she pulled me back to gaze at my face. “Now, come on, let’s sit. I have a story to tell you,” she added. She grabbed my hand and guided me back towards the edge of the cliff.
I sat crisscross in front of her, and she sat with her legs folded to the side. Listening to her stories always made me feel like I was in grade school again, listening to Ms. Doris read them Magic School Bus books.
“Are you ready?” she asked.
“Yes,” I nodded. I was fighting hard as hell to hide the big Kool-Aid smile I had blooming on my face.
“There used to be two powerful women who ruled this realm we’re in now—“
“Hollup, whatchu mean a realm? You mean, my dreamscape?” I interrupted.
“No, sweetheart. This is a realm. It’s your home. You believed it was your dream, and that idea gave you comfort—made you comfortable accepting this place, so I never corrected you,” she explained, gently rubbing her hand over mine. “Now, hush so I can tell you this story. The sun has almost finished its rise, and we don’t have much time,” Aniya demanded.
I stayed quiet, but I wasn’t feeling her too much on the whole ‘this is a realm’ nonsense. But I stayed quiet nonetheless, ‘cus maybe my psyche was about to school me on some important emotional or mental lesson I needed to learn when I wake.
“As I was saying…”
There used to be two powerful women who ruled this realm. The inhabitants of this realm referred to them as The Mother and The Matron. The Mother was meant to represent creation and nurture, and The Matron was meant to represent power and protection. The two were sisters, and together, they were meant to rule this place with a gentle, but fair and stern hand. This realm knew peace and happiness until The Matron began to crave more power.
The disruption of the balance created cracks, allowing demons and other beings to enter Earth’s world. It led many to flee, and those of the human realm were defenseless against beings they were unaware of. The Mother fled, too, after visions of The Matron being the cause of her demise.
While in the human realm, The Mother found love and gave birth to three beautiful daughters. They were destined to be The Blessed Ones. The three were prophesied to end the Matron’s cruel reign and rid the Earth of beings not from here. So, The Mother did everything in her power to prepare her daughters for their inevitable destiny before The Matron brought her to her end.
To protect her daughters, she bound their powers with this spell until they were ready to wield their powers.
Aniya handed Hope a rolled piece of paper that seemed to appear out of nowhere.
“Hope you will soon meet someone who will set you on your path. Do not be scared. You are the Hope we need. Blessed be,” Aniya concluded.
“What?! Why would I be scared?” I asked, looking up from the paper she gave me. She was gone. It was as if she were never here, sitting with me.
I unraveled the paper and read it aloud.
“Mother, Matron, Goddess,
Creator of me,
I call upon thee,
To spare these Blessed Three.
Silence the powers you gave unto these Blessed Three,
until they’re capable of answering the call you gave to these Three.
I ask you, please,
That when one recites this plea,
You return what you granted to these
Blessed Three.”
A gush of wind sent me flailing on my back, knocking the wind out of me. It felt as though air had invaded every crevice within me, making it hard to breathe. All I could do was watch as the sun ascended further into the sky, as I fought to exhale the air that consumed me. The world went black when I finally expelled the air that had occupied me.
……
Present Day
Halle Amali
“Not tonight,” Mekah grunted, not even fully looking up at me from his phone.
I stood at the edge of the bed with his favorite lingerie on. The green, lace corset babydoll dress stopped just high enough to see the cuff of my ass. The matching lace thong left everything exposed back there.
I didn’t understand what had gotten into him as of late. When I put this on, he knew I needed it badly, and he never denied me.
“Baby, what’s up?” I whined.
“Nothing, Halle, I’m just trying to relax before having to go out into the world in a couple of hours,” he explained.
“You didn’t want it last night, claiming you were tired, and now you’re saying it’s because you have to go out into the world?” I fought to keep my tone even because I really, really needed it, and I did not like losing my cool with my husband, but gahlee, what’s the issue?
Mekah only bobbed that big ass head of his in my direction, not giving me an answer.
“Can you please try to connect with me, baby? It’s been a minute, and we have an hour or two before the kids wake up,” I pleaded, crawling onto the bed toward him.
I leaned in close to him, letting the heat from my mouth caress his neck before licking lightly up to the bottom of his earlobe and gently tugging with my teeth, then kissing back down his neck. As I made my way to his mouth with gentle kisses, I took the phone from his hand and placed it on the nightstand.
Mekah pulled his lips from mine, and just as I thought he was going to deny me again, he got that look in his eyes. His eyes darkened, and I just knew he was about to put it on me so fuckin good. My pussy purred, anticipating what she had been craving for so long now. He came from under me, put me on all fours, and went to work.
I put our comforter between my teeth and bit down hard to keep from moaning out. The last thing I needed was for Sasha to come stumbling in, scared, messing up my sweet, sweet self-care.
“Oh my gosh,” I whimpered.
Mekah gripped beneath my love handles tight, stroking in and out of me deeper and faster by the second. I don’t know why he had been denying me because the way he was thrusting in and out of me, it was as if he was exploring each crevice inside my pussy for the first time. He moved in and out, deepening his angle like he wanted more of me. I could always tell when he needed me, and right now, he needed the hell out of me by the way he was digging, hitting the right spot.
“Fuck—I’m ‘bout to cum,” he murmured, continuing to stroke.
“No!” I yelped as my hands flailed outward in reaction. He stilled, and I waited to feel him fill me, but nothing came.
“Thank you, baby,” I said. A smile grew on my face at him holding off his nut for me. I pushed back and forth on his dick, coaxing my orgasm. I deepened my arch, so his dick would hit that sweet spot. I buried my head deeper into the bed, knowing I was going to have a hard time staying quiet when I reached my climax. With one final thrust, I pushed him deeper into me, grinding as I extended the release of my orgasm. I stilled, allowing my pants to subside as my body came back down.
I realized Mekah wasn’t continuing on, so he could finish, so I pushed myself up and looked back to see if he was okay. My spirit nearly left my body when I saw he was completely frozen.
“Mekah?” I whispered. His dick was still deep inside me, and I was scared to move.
I fell forward, back on my face, when he suddenly stroked me deeply, before pulling out and nutting on my cheeks.
I lay there with my ass in the air, waiting for him to return with the towel. I expected him to wipe me off like he usually did, but he just tossed me the towel after wiping himself off and getting back into his spot on the bed.
I didn’t know what the fuck just happened.
Part 2
-
The Year of the Awakening
Hope Amali
I jumped out of my sleep when a cold, jarring splash of water hit me.
“Getcho ass up, lil’ guhl!” Gwen shouted.
She stood over me with an empty bucket in one hand and a lit cigarette in the other.
“You don’t hear that ‘larm goin’ off?” she asked. “Ain’t no reason for you to be laid up still, making me have to be the one waking ya up. Get on up, naa,” she concluded as she walked out of the room, slamming the door behind her.
Jema rolled over and looked down at me from the top bunk.
“Had one of those freaky dreams again?” she asked
“Yeah,” I groaned, looking back up at her. “Go ahead and get up before she come back in here hollering,” I added.
I walked over to the alarm to cut it off, then pulled off the wet clothes. I changed into some dry clothes and moved on to taking the wet sheets off my bunk. By the time I got all the wet stuff into the washing machine, Jema was waking the younger kids for me.
I nodded in appreciation as we passed one another in the hallway. She had to get ready for school, and I had to get breakfast ready for everyone.
I pulled eggs and jam out of the fridge and set them on the counter before putting the dry dishes I washed last night up into the cabinets. I then scrambled the eggs, toasted slices of bread, and spread jelly on them. One by one, my foster siblings filed in as I was putting the food on the sixth and final plate.
All five of them picked up their plates and sat at the table to eat. I picked up the sixth plate and walked to the back of the house, knocking on the closed bedroom door.
“Come on in,” Gwen answered.
I slowly came into the room, handed her the plate, and walked back to the doorway, standing with my hands clasped in front of me. I listened as her fork scraped against the ceramic plate, followed by her smacking loudly on the eggs.
“They a lil’ salty,” she noted while shoving more into her mouth. “Mmhm, you can go naa,” she said, allowing me to leave the room.
I shuffled out, closing the door behind me and exhaling before heading back into the kitchen.
“So, you ready for ya birthday tomorrow?” Jema asked.
I looked over my shoulder at her, shrugging.
“You know she don’t ever do none for our birthdays, so it’s nothing to be excited about.”
“Yeah, buuuut,” she said, exaggerating the ‘but,’ “you’ll be turning 18. Which means you’ll be free.” Jema exclaimed in a whisper.
I kept on cleaning, not wanting to acknowledge that fact. Gwen had been saying she was going to throw me out the moment I turned 18 since I got here. I could never tell if she was just going off at the mouth or not. Whenever I asked permission to go look for a job so I could provide for myself, she’d say it was pointless and that no one would want to hire me.
I couldn’t see her picking up my responsibilities around here, no way, so I doubt she’d actually do it.
My second alarm chimed, signaling the time for the kids to head out to their bus. I picked up their plates and met them at the front door. I handed each of them their backpacks and wished them a good day at school. Jema was the last one out, and she gave me a long, tight hug.
“Keep ya head down,” she whispered in my ear before letting go and leaving.
I closed the door and took a deep breath, praying to whoever was listening that Gwen would stay in her room as I moved through the house, knocking out my chores for the day.
……
Present Day
Halle Amali
I didn’t even have time to process what happened with Mekah this morning because not long after getting back under the sheets, Sasha came running into our room and climbed into the bed. I knew any chance of talking about what happened during sex before he left for the Bakery was long-gone when she wrapped her little arms around me, telling me that she’s ‘soooo hungry.’
If I didn’t get up right then, a tantrum was going to commence, and that’s the last way I wanted to start my day. Maybe I was just sleep-deprived and imagined it all. There’s no way he was frozen…no way. Osiris has been keeping me up through the night, and honestly, it was shocking that I had the energy to beg for it this morning.
“Mommy, look what I can do!”
I was so lost in thought as I cleaned up after cooking Sasha breakfast that I forgot she was in the living room playing with Osiris.
“Mommy…mommy…mommy. LOOK! I’m doing it!”
“Good job, baby! I’m so proud of you,” I called over my shoulder.
I continued scrubbing the caked-on eggs off the skillet in the sink, going back into deep thought about this morning. When I stepped to the side to set the cleaned skillet in the drying rack, my thighs bumped into Sasha as she stood with her arms crossed, with a scowl on her face.
“What’s wrong, baby?” I asked as I squatted down in front of her.
“You telling tales, mommy. You didn’t even look!”
Her hands flailed in front of me with each word she spoke. I could tell I hurt her little feelings.
“Mommy is sorry, baby. How about you show me again? I’ll give you all of my attention this time.”
I rubbed her shoulder, hoping it’d soothe her feelings… it didn’t. She still stood there with her arms crossed and the same scowl.
“It’s too late now, mommy! Osi is really heavy. Making him fly makes me dizzy.”
Guilt crept onto me now, for real, because not only was I hurting my daughter’s feelings, but my son could’ve been hurt. In no way should a 5-year-old be holding a chunky 6-month-old baby without supervision.
“You picked him up, Sash?”
“Yes, mommy! He flew high up, too.”
“Oh, wow. That sounds so cool, sweetie. How about we only do that when mommy or daddy is there with you? Okay?
“Okay, mommy.”
Her scowl turned into a big smile as she skipped back in front of the couch to hand some toys to Osiris. By the way she lit up when telling me what she did, I knew she felt proud for picking up her baby brother, and I didn’t want to take that excitement from her. She’s been such a good big sister, and I haven’t seen any signs of jealousy that those baby books warned about when a new baby comes into the family. The last thing I need is to scare her into envy. But I also can’t have her doing that shit again without her daddy or me there to step in if needed.
I dried my hands on the dish towel and leaned against the sink, watching Sasha play with her baby brother. You could tell she loved him deeply. Watching her swoon over him made my heart jump. I hope this is a feeling I’ll never forget.
“Daddy!”
Sasha yelled as she jumped up with her arms in the air, waiting for Mekah to pick her up when he walked in. He completely ignored her and stepped over Sasha and Osiris as he walked into the kitchen. Sasha’s entire face dropped, and it hurt so bad seeing her light dim. She went back to playing with her brother.
“You didn’t hear or see our daughter calling for you?”
I asked, trying hard as hell to keep my voice and my anger down. I really don’t know what the fuck his problem was these days, but we didn’t deserve to receive this version of him because he was stressed—or whatever bullshit excuse he was giving today.
“Oh, nah. I didn’t. I’m in my head about work. My fault.”
I’m surprised my eyes ain’t get stuck in the back of my head by how hard I rolled my eyes at him. He reached into the cabinet for a mug and poured some of the coffee I brewed for him.
“I left the creamer over there,” I said, pointing to the opposite side of the counter where we store the sugar, “I left a spoon there for you, too.”
“I’m good. I like it black.”
“Since when?”
“Since now.”
He grabbed the lid to the mug and started walking away toward the front door as he twisted it on.
“Wait, Mek. Can I get a kiss goodbye, a hug?
He walked back over and kissed me on my forehead as he rubbed my shoulder and immediately turned back around.
“Oh yeah! This morning, Sash picked up Osi. She said she was making him fly. I didn’t see it, but she told me about it, so we have to keep our eyes on them more. He’s heavy, and I don’t want her dropping him trying to carry him.”
He slowed down as I explained before stopping completely to watch Sasha and Osiris play in the living room.
“I’ll talk to her about it.”
“Okay. I love y...”
He quickly left through the front door, not even letting me get the rest of it out. I let out a deep sigh, not sure what to do about us. Our trip to New Orleans was supposed to bring us closer after having Osiris, but ever since we got back home, it’s like he’s a completely different person. Hell, I even feel like a shell of myself…maybe he’s just feeling like that, too.
Part 3
-
The Year of the Awakening
Hope Amali
By the time Jema and the rest of my foster siblings came running through the door after school, I had finished cleaning the whole house for the day.
Gwen wanted me to dust every nook and cranny, wipe down the windows and mirrors, scrub each toilet, wipe down every counter and surface, clean the baseboards, vacuum, and mop every single day. I barely had time to eat while finishing this list ‘cus she’d call me to the back of the house, barking out outlandish requests randomly throughout the day.
She used to have me do this kind of stuff only on the weekend, but since I graduated in May, it’s been like this every day. I sure as hell wished I coulda still did summer school with the rest of ‘em. I spent the entire summer inside this house, cleaning.
“How was school?”
I asked aloud to no one in particular as they all filed in, throwing their backpacks in a pile for me to put up. I ain’t mind doing for any of ‘em. Like me, they ain’t ask to be dumped here. And Gwen was damn sure not gonna show ‘em any ounce of love and compassion they deserved.
“Good,” they all echoed in unison.
Even if they had a horrible day, none of ‘em would be honest ‘bout it. They were all used to keeping it together on they own. Many of ‘em were here long before I got here, so they had grown used to no one giving a fuck.
I came here when I was 14, after jumping from one foster home to another for almost 2 years, and before that, I was loved deeply by my parents. Ma always taught me to keep my head up while also reminding me to never lose care and compassion for others. I think that’s why Gwen can’t stand me—she wanted to break me down, but I ain’t going for none of that.
After they had their shoes and backpacks off, I watched as they all went to grab a snack I left out on the counter for all of ‘em. Jema hung back to hand me a poorly wrapped package.
“I know it’s a couple hours early, but here ya go! Happy Birthday,” she said, hugging me.
I couldn’t help but smile at it. How it was wrapped ain’t even matter to me. She knew this would be the only gift I got today. It was hard going from being celebrated every year for 12 years by my parents to being treated like I ain’t shit by folks who volunteered to take in kids for a living.
“You know you ain’t have to do this, sis, but I ‘preciate it.”
I quickly ran to our room and hid the gift before Gwen could come out yelling ‘bout how she don’t smell food cooking.
It was 30 minutes to midnight by the time I finished washing and drying the dishes from dinner. After everyone finished eating, I had made sure everyone finished homework, bathed, and got into bed. Now that they was settled and everything was cleaned, it was time for me to take care of me. I took a quick shower, grabbed my plate out of the microwave, and opened my birthday gift from Jema as soon as it turned midnight.
There was a card on top of a black journal that read ‘for your crazy-ass dreams.’ I smiled, wiping a tear that escaped.
Just as I picked up my fork to dig into the spaghetti I made for dinner, I heard Gwen’s bedroom door swing open. She walked into the kitchen with the biggest grin on her face. I felt my stomach drop into my ass ‘cus whenever she had that look, I knew she was ‘bout to do some fucked up shit.
She reached into one of the cabinets, took out two large pots, and began banging them together.
“Wake up, everybody!”
She hollered repeatedly until all of my foster siblings was awake and standing in the kitchen. They all looked as confused as me. She walked out the side door, and we all stood listening as she opened and closed the fridge in the carport. She came out holding a birthday cake.
She sat the plain white cake in front of me, and made everyone sing ‘Happy Birthday’ to me. I stood there in front of a candle-less cake, feeling sick to my stomach. My foster siblings sang in an eerie tone, like they knew some messed-up shit was about to happen, too.
“Well, hurry up and get everyone some plates,” Gwen ordered me when they finished singing.
I quickly grabbed everyone a plate and sliced ‘em a piece.
“Aht. Aht.”
Gwen snatched the cake from me as I tried to sit down next to Jema and the rest of ‘em.
“This cake is only for my foster children, and since you’re officially grown, they don’t pay me to feed you no more.”
All I heard were forks dropping onto dishes as they all stopped eating cake to look at us.
“Get your shit, and get out my house, Hope.”
Gwen stood there with her arms crossed, smiling at me.
“But—”
“—but nothing,” she interrupted. “Matter fact, don’t take nothing. ‘Cus ain’t nothing yours.”
She uncrossed her arms and pointed to the front door. She stepped forward with her hand swinging as if she was going to backhand me. I stepped away before she could connect with my face. I grabbed the journal Jema gave me and headed towards the door.
“It’s late and she ain’t got nowhere to go!” Jema yelled out.
“Shut the hell up!” Gwen barked.
“It’s okay, Jema. Just keep your head down. Imma be good.”
I quickly assured her. She had to live here still, and I ain’t want Gwen hitting on her. I normally would take all the licks for all of ‘em, ‘cus I could take it, but I couldn’t protect none of ‘em now.
When I opened the door, Jema tugged me backward. She handed me her boots and a hoodie she kept by the door. It was September in New Orleans, so it was still warm and humid during the day, but it could get a little chilly at night.
She gave me a quick hug, then I pushed her back inside and closed the door behind me. I let out an exhausted, ragged breath and started walking down the dark, uneven pavement.
I ain’t know how long I was walking for, but I knew it was for a long while ‘cus I had made it all the way to the French Quarter. I knew shady shit went on down here at night, but being somewhere that was lit up and filled with others felt safer.
I found an alley that was somewhat lit and sat by a dumpster, where no one on the street could really see me unless they walked into the alley. I pulled my hoodie over my head, folded my legs to my chest, wrapped my arms around my legs, and lay my head into my legs.
I told myself I was done crying. I was hungry, tired, and scared, but the last thing I was going to do was keep crying ‘cus of that evil bitch.
“Ohh… you scared me.”
I heard a woman’s voice say. I ain’t even realize I dozed off to sleep. I lifted my head, thinking the woman was talking to me, and nearly shit myself when I saw a man open his mouth wide as fuck. Like wider than humanly possible. The woman tried to push him off of her, but he held her tight as a long tentacle escaped from his mouth and up into the air, wiggling frantically. The end of the tentacle opened, revealing a jagged, toothlike edge. It was like a mouth inside the tentacle.
I yelled out of fear, and when this creepy nigga’s eyes landed on me, I stood up and tried to make a run for it. He pushed the woman down and came at me, trying to stop me. I threw my hands up, protecting my face as the slimy, disgusting tentacle came for me. I prepared for pain, but none came.
The man squealed in pain, and I watched as black blood oozed from the tentacle. There was a hole in it as if it had been shot. I looked around when the man ran off, thinking I’d see someone with a gun standing behind me, but it was nothing but a wall at the end of the dead-end alley.
I looked to the lady sprawled out on the floor staring up at me, and all I could get out was: “Bitch, what the fuck.”
“Hurry, come on in here, baby.”
I was so stunned at seeing a man shoot a tentacle from his mouth that I hadn’t even registered that this strange woman had pulled me out of the alley and into some shop. The door’s bell jingled loudly as the door swung open and shut, shaking me out of my spell.
“Wha—wha—what the fuck? Who are you? Where am I? Wait… girl… why are you so calm? What the fuck was that? Why?”
She wasn’t answering anything fast enough, and I ain’t know what I wanted to know first. There were so many things running through my mind about what I had just seen. Was that an alien? Were aliens real?
“Oh my gosh,” I murmured to myself.
Wow, that documentary I watched while Gwen was sleeping was real. Aliens are fuckin real. Or was it a demon? I saw that alter in Gwen’s room, and thought she was just bat-shit crazy, always calling everything and everybody a demon. Maybe she wasn’t crazy. Maybe I am. Am I crazy? Fuuuccck… I’m crazy, right?
“Hellooooo?”
The strange woman snapped her fingers in my face. When my eyes met hers, she held a bottle of water out to me.
“You went out of it for a bit… here, drink this.”
My eyes felt like they were going to pop out of my head as I guzzled the water down. Tears escaped, trying to make up for the dryness that overcame them because of how hard I stared at this woman. My panting filled the space between us by the time I emptied the bottle.
“Feel better?”
“No, not really. What the hell was that? Why are you calm? You almost got your guts sucked out of you, girl! Wha—“
“Aye. Ayyye… calm down.”
“Calm down?!”
“Yeah, baby. You gone pass out if you keep working yourself up like this.”
She spoke to me in this calming tone as she rubbed slow circles along my back. She gently guided me to a couch draped with patterned blankets on the opposite side of the register in the shop.
“I’m guessing this your first time encountering the supernatural, huh?”
“Umm… yeah, girl. You talking like this is normal.”
“Well, I mean, yeah. It is kind of normal these days.”
“These days? Whatchu mean?”
Part of me felt as though I was in the middle of a nightmare. One moment I’m being kicked out, the next I’m sleeping in an alley, and now I’m in the middle of a damn Supernatural episode.
“I don’t know how to explain it, really. There’s been a lot going on more than usual. What Priestess are you working with? I’ve never seen that kind of display of power before.”
“Priestess?”
I sank deeper into the couch, resting my head back. I desperately wanted to fall back asleep and wake back up in my bottom bunk at Gwen’s house. Cleaning her house and being subjected to her cruelty was way better than this shit. The man had a tentacle shooting from his mouth, and this woman is sitting here going on about everything but explaining how that’s a possibility. A priestess? I’m not in no religion. This had to be another one of my dreams.
My eyes grew heavier, and I tuned out the sound of her explaining a Priestess to me. A heavy wave of exhaustion swept in as the adrenaline fled. I felt a warm blanket lay across my body, comforting me deeper into sleep.
……
I felt the sand in between my toes and heard the waves crashing against the shore. I opened my eyes with anticipation, thinking I’d see Kittie flying near. I didn’t see her shadow hovering over me anywhere in the dark sky or hear her wings flapping in the distance.
I stood there, unsure of where to go. Kittie was always there, guiding me ever since I started visiting this place as a little girl. She’d come swooping in from out of nowhere, lower herself so I could climb onto her back, and fly off, showing me different parts of this land.
The first time I appeared here in this dream, she flew in, bellowed out, and I got butterflies at the sight and sound of her. It was as if she was calling to me, claiming her stake on me. She is part of me just as I am part of her. We can’t talk to one another, obviously, but I can feel her energy, and I know she feels mine.
Hell, I wouldn’t be surprised if she understood the things I was saying. There were many nights when she’d soar over the water as I vented about my problems in the waking world. So, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t feeling a little sad as I make my way down this beach, looking for a shadow that would usually appear by now.
I grew tired of walking after I don’t know how long. I prepared to sit in the sand when I saw a light flicker in a cave within a mountain of rocks, and I felt it summoning me. Before I knew it, I was walking toward the light as if it was pulling me to it.
When I reached the cave, I expected to find a candle or a light fixture within, but I found only a glowing Ankh. I lifted my hand to feel it, and immediately felt a wave of heat wash over me. I heard Aniya’s voice reciting this chant again and again.
“I call upon the powers blessed to me,
to ignite the souls this incubus
has used to feed.
Lost souls within, I summon you once
more to bring this evil to an end.
Shine bright within,
let your souls’ light create a furnace within,
to set fire to this incubus and let him
feel your last breath tenfold,
until it reaches its end.”
I snatched my hand off the symbol, taken aback by that sensation pulsing throughout my body. The glow of the Ankh faded to darkness by the time I stumbled out of the cave.
In the back of my head, I still heard Aniya chanting, as if she were engraving those words to my memory. Just as an inkling of fear began to come over me, I heard a roar in the distance, and the worries left my mind.
……
I went from howling in the wind with Kittie as she soared high and low, with her bellows echoing mine, to jumping off the couch in a panic. I was so disoriented that I had forgotten where the hell I was. When I saw the woman from last night tossing a huge ass lamp at that tentacle slinging nigga, the memory of it all came rushing back.
“Fuck!”
I yelled out of instinct because damn, this shit really wasn’t a dream. This dude was about to shoot his freaky tentacle thing into this lady’s mouth again as she fell backward, tripping over a rolled-up rug.
Luckily for her, my yelling “fuck,” distracted him. Unluckily for me, now he knows I’m over here. The man’s moment of distraction allowed her to scurry out of the way, causing his tentacle to shoot back down his throat.
I watch in horror as the lady runs closer to me. She began looking through the vials behind her register. All the while, I’m standing here like a deer in headlights. I put my hands up and started flailing them at the creature again, hoping that the same thing that happened last night would happen again.
Ole dude starts chuckling when he sees nothing is happening, and I kid you not, I peed myself—just a little, but still, piss escaped, as he comes closer to us. He isn’t even rushing or anything. He’s just casually strolling our way.
While this lady is still scrambling through those vials, all I can think to myself is ‘Oh, lord. This is it… please, God, why?’ Just as fast as I have these thoughts, a sharp pain suddenly slams into the front of my head like a bad migraine.
The words that Aniya spoke to me in my dream sing loudly in my head, overpowering any thought. I can’t help but recite them aloud, chanting them with the same ferocity that I’m hearing them.
“I call upon the powers blessed to me,
to ignite the souls this incubus
has used to feed.
Lost souls within, I summon you once
more to bring this evil to an end.
Shine bright within,
let your souls’ light create a furnace within,
to set fire to this incubus and let him
feel your last breath tenfold,
until it reaches its end.”
I recite it again. Tears escape as the intensity of the words settles onto me. When I finish reciting it for the third and final time, the man shines bright before he combusts into flames, leaving a burnt stain on the ground where he stood.
I fall to the ground, struggling to catch my breath. The lady runs to my side, lifting me as she rubs soothing circles on my back until my pants subside. We sit in silence, staring at the stained wood.
“Girl…Can you please tell me what the fuck is going on, now?” I say, interrupting the silence.
Part 4
-
Present Day
Halle Amali
You’d think that loading groceries into the house would get easier after the thousandth time doing it. No matter how strong I get, the shit still hurts my hands because the bags dig into them. Then I always feel like a damn penguin, waddling through the front door with both hands full of bags.
“Look, mommy. Look!” Sasha yelled from the living area. “Give mommy a second,” I answered. Maybe the fact that small children wanted to show me things as I struggled to load all these bags in is what makes this shit dang-near unbearable.
“No! Look now, mommy. He’s heavy.”
I immediately looked in her direction, scared she was holding Osiris again without support. I nearly shat myself when I saw Osi floating in the air. The bags dropped from my hands when I released them, and I flung my hands up at him in reaction. I almost fainted when he was frozen in the got-damn-air.
“What. The. Fuck. Is going on.”
I sprinted to Osi and wrapped my arms around him just as he started to move again. “Mommy, don’t say curse words! That’s a no-no.” Sasha exclaimed as I laid him back on the floor. I … I really didn’t know how to respond. I could only look down at Sasha because she was being truthful. She made her brother fly.
“You’re so right, sweet girl. Mommy is sorry.” I went to close and lock the front door, then knelt in front of her.
“Baby, when did you… How did you… Okay, how many times did you make Osi fly?” I didn’t know how to ask her what I wanted to know in a way she would understand.
“Lots of times, mommy.”
“When did you start?”
“Since forever, silly.”
“What the fuck.”
“Mommy!” She crossed her arms again, giving me that scowl.
“Uhh.. my bad, girl. I’m sorry.” I picked up Osiris and grabbed Sasha’s hand to guide them to their rooms. “Mommy is feeling sleepy, so let’s take nap time. Okay?”
“Okay!” I am sleepy, too.” She held onto my hand tightly as we went up to their rooms. I wanted to grab her up and run them into their rooms so I could hurry up and roll me a blunt, because what the fuck? I didn’t want to scare her, though. Especially not when she’s making people fly? But, you know, I’m probably just stressed out, seeing things…Yes… I am seeing things because of stress, and I just need to take a moment to exhale the stress.
I went to the back of my closet, got my stash of weed, then went to my purse for my rolling paper and tips before making my way to the front porch. By the time I finished rolling my blunt and took my first puff, Mekah was driving into the driveway.
“Rough day?” He asked after he got out of the truck and closed the door.
I gave him that look, and he responded with a smirk because he already knew what it meant. He sat in the chair next to mine and began rolling another blunt.
“I thought you were taking a break?” I asked.
“Nah. This for you. You been worked up these days, and I need you to chill the hell out.”
I giggled, “Whatever, Mek.”
“What got you so stressed, anyway?”
“Baby! Okay, I am not crazy.” I twisted to face him directly and grabbed his hands. “Just hear me out, okay?” He nodded in agreement. His eyebrow was doing that little twitchy thing it does, so I already know he was suspicious. “Okay…so, I feel like I saw Sash make Osi fly.”
He chuckled, shaking his head in disbelief. He looked at me as if he was waiting for me to tell him I was joking. “I’m so fuckin’ serious right now, Mekah. He wasn’t flying around—it was more like floating. He was floating in the air! Feet away from Sash, baby, and she was just holding her hands out with these bluish streaks flowing from her hands.” I finished explaining, scared of his reaction.
“Baby, go ahead and go lie down for me,” he demanded.
“What? I still have to cook dinner. I’m good, Mek.”
“Not talking like that, you not.” He said in almost a growl. I’d never heard him like this before. “And you got your daughter believing this shit?” he continued on. “Go to sleep and wake up with your head on right, Halle.” He stood up and went toward the front door before snatching the blunt out of my hand. “You got me fucked up with this shit. First, you start with me on some bullshit, now you putting shit on your daughter.” He walked inside the house and slammed the door behind him. I heard his feet scuffle on the floor before he yelped “fuck,” and swung the door back up. “Pick these damn groceries up, Halle. What is wrong with you?” he hollered at me before slamming the door again. He stomped through the house so loudly that I heard it from outside. Not long after, I heard Osi crying on the baby monitor. My hands shook so frantically that the grey live-feed of him was hard to see.
Part 5
-
The Year of the Awakening
Hope Amali
Cleaning the ash off the wood in the shop was harder than I expected. We were both on our hands and knees, scrubbing for dear life as we panted, trying our best to get the tacky residue off the floor.
“Wait, what’s ya name?” I asked, abruptly stopping scrubbing. She asked for my help cleaning up the shop after ole dude went up in flames, promising she’d explain everything to me as we cleaned, but we never exchanged names.
“Angie,” she answered, not missing a beat in her scrubbing flow. “What’s yours?”
“Hope,” I answered with a chuckle.
She stopped scrubbing and looked at me with a confused grin, and asked: “What’s so funny?”
“We deadass just killed together…” I chuckled from my gut, trying hard to contain it, “…and we just scrubbing this shit away like it’s nothin.” I couldn’t control the laughter, and my hardy chuckles turned into a full-on laugh attack. I looked up at Angie with tears in my eyes from the laughter. I watched as she struggled to keep it together. Before I knew it, we were both laughing hysterically while trying to keep from going too much in the dirty puddle in front of us.
“And…and…” she repeated, struggling to get the rest of the words out, “…and we don’t even know each other’s names.” We locked eyes and started laughing even harder.
I was laughing so hard that my stomach started to hurt from heaving in and out.
“You know what makes this shit even crazier?” I asked.
Angie was still laughing uncontrollably that her “What?” response was incoherent.
“I was only in that alley ‘cus my foster mom kicked me out the moment I turned 18,” I answered, still unable to contain my laughter. I looked over to Angie when I realized I was the only one laughing.
“Damn, I’m sorry ‘bout that girl,” she said after I looked up at her. I shrugged, laughing it off. “It’s all good.”
Silence filled the space between us, and we both went back to cleaning the remaining residue.
“So, you say you practice, umm, voodoo?” I asked. We were almost done cleaning this spot and just had to wipe up the lingering water and chemicals.
“Hoodoo,” she corrected, “some refer to it as rootwork or conjure, but my mothers have always used hoodoo.”
“So, you a witch?”
“I prefer practitioner over witch,” she answered. She went outside the shop to dump the murky bowl of water on the street. “And you say that was an incubus… that sucks up souls… that’s…that’s some wild shit. You often deal with beings like that?” I asked when she came back in.
“Not really. My mama warned me about supernatural beings crossing into our plane of existence before she passed, so I dedicated myself to learning all kinds of folklore. You can find plenty about succubus, the female version, but there’s not much on incubus.”
“Why, though? Why would you want to know ‘bout all this?”
“We help people…well, it’s just me now… but before my mama passed on, it was her and me. I grew up watching her help people. She’d brew teas and mix herbs to help people with ailments and even cast protection spells or break curses...” I listened as she explained her lineage in detail. She picked up around the shop as she got lost in thought, revealing it all. I followed behind her as I listened, placing items where I could only assume they went.
“…and she watched her mother do the same. Mother Earth gives us all we need, and my family has been her practitioner long before we were dragged across the sea and enslaved here. When we die, we return to Mother Earth, and depending on how we’ve lived during our human experience, our souls become harbingers of light or darkness. It’s why you have to be careful when speaking to ancestors, ‘cus even though we can contact many of them, not all have our best intentions in mind. That was one of the first lessons my mama instilled in me. She’d say, ‘Ang, be wary of the advice you get from those living and long-gone, not everyone wants you to be good. Trust ya gut. You know what’s right and wrong. Ya hear, me?’ and I’d respond ‘Yes, ma’am’, and ya know, trusting in my gut has been the one thing that’s kept me safe,” she smiled at the memory of her mom and continued on, “hell, my gut told me to bring you inside and you done saved my life. Mama was always right.” She tapped over her heart three times and then wiped a tear away.
“How long ago did she pass... Oh, I mean, if you don’t mind me asking?”
“6 months ago.”
“Mm… that’s not too long ago. I’m sorry ‘bout that.”
“I ‘preciate it. She lived a good life. I just miss her, that’s all.”
“I know what you mean. It’s been 6 years since my parents were killed, and I still smell my mom’s favorite perfume. She’d give me long hugs that left me smelling just like her. I miss that smell. It stayed with me longer than the sound of her voice.”
We looked at one another with smirks on our faces and glossy eyes, trying our best to keep the tears back. We nodded in sync, affirming each other’s pain. We both knew just how the other felt and didn’t need words to expound further on the grief of losing a loved one.
It was comforting to have someone sit with you in your pain without feeling the need to fill the space with needless words or try to evade the discomfort that stems from witnessing someone experience painful emotions. We finished cleaning the shop together in silence.
“So, were your parents practitioners?”
“No.” I laughed at the absurd idea.
“So how’d you learn to wield such powerful magic?”
“Girl! That was just a freak accident. I don’t know nothing ‘bout any of this shit. My parents were normal people… I mean, my foster mom has this weird altar in her bedroom, but outside of that, this is all new to me… well…” I paused, contemplating continuing the thought.
“Well…” Angie mimicked, waiting for me to continue.
“I sometimes have these vivid dreams, but they’re just a way my brain protects itself. I wouldn’t call it magic.”
Angie looked at me with an inquisitive look. “So, if you’ve never practiced any form of magic, how did you know to say that spell?”
“Whoa, nah, spell?! I don’t do no spells. It was just something I remembered from my dream.”
“Right…”
“Why you say that? I don’t know magic. This all new to me.”
“I hear you, baby girl,” she smiled at me reassuringly. “Well, since you have nowhere to go, you can stay here if you want. There’s a room and bathroom upstairs.”
“I…I ain’t got no money. I can’t pay you.” She kept on smiling at me. “It’s okay. Go on up and get accustomed to the space. It’s some towels and clothes up there. Clean ya self up.”
She pointed to the stairway at the back of the shop, and I was taken aback at the generosity of it. I had the mind to decline it because she was still a stranger, but where would I go?
“Thanks, Angie.” I looked back with tears in my eyes before going upstairs.
……
Present Day
Halle Amali
“That is a very beautiful necklace.” A woman said to me as I checked the carton for cracked eggs at the grocery store. I had to come back to the grocery store because Mekah broke every egg when he tripped over the bags in the living room. I promised Sasha I’d make her unicorn waffles in the morning, and she’s so particular with taste. If I didn’t include the eggs while baking them, she’d know I didn’t make them the same way, so I had no choice but to come up here and buy eggs.
“Oh, thank you,” I said absentmindedly. I was focused on checking for cracks so I could move on and grab a couple of other things since I was here. I made it to the baking aisle to get extra sprinkles for the waffles and realized the same woman was standing next to me. When I looked directly at her, she squinted at the selections of jello as if she wasn’t just staring me down.
“Can I help you?” I asked.
“Oh, I’m sorry.” She smiled awkwardly. “I…I know this is strange. I am.. I… just really liked your necklace. Where’d you get it from?” she finally managed to ask.
“It’s a family heirloom, I believe it was handmade.”
“Ohhh.. Okay, nice.” She nodded with the widest grin on her face. I forced a smile back, grabbed the sprinkles, and tried to move on, but she stepped closer to me. “You have sprinkles, eggs, and waffles? Nice! Reminds me of when I was younger. My mom would make unicorn waffles.” I was caught off guard by this and slightly intrigued by this woman.
“My mom did the same thing, too,” I found myself smiling at the memory of her. “I loved it so much that I even started doing it with my own children.” I gave her one last smile and turned to walk the opposite way.
“Umm… wait, can we exchange numbers? I’d love to learn more about you.”
“Sure.” I turned back around to get her number and give her mine. I was hesitant because she was a random woman in the grocery store, but hell, I can use a friend. It seems like everyone I knew dropped off the face of the Earth since having Osiris.
“Bet. I’m looking forward to connecting with you, Halle.”
“As am I…umm… Angie.” I said after quickly looking at her name on the contact she just added.
“Talk to you later,” she said as she walked away, smiling ear to ear.
I can’t explain it, but I walked out of the store feeling a little lighter—almost hopeful for the future. A sense of dread filled me these days whenever I thought about my future with Mekah, but for the first time in a while, I felt hope.
Part 6
-
Present Day
Hasina Amali
“Hasina, don’t you dare hang up on me!” my mother yelled into the phone. I inwardly groaned. I had been ready to get off this call, and the alarm going off was Goddess-sent.
“Mother, I have to go. Shetani has breached this plane again. I must do what you assigned me here to do, right?” I hung up before she could respond. I’d be lying if I said that simple act of defiance didn’t make me feel good inside. She, more than anyone, knew how bad it had been in this realm since these demonic beings began entering Earth from other worlds. So I know this is the only time I could get away with stuff like this—she knows what I must do, and I can’t let anyone get in the way of the mission because at the end of the day, it’s to protect the Realm of Amali, and that is the most precious thing in the world to her. Shit—it’s the most precious thing to me, too.
I looked into the shallow glass tank as the water finished swirling. The alarm finally stopped chiming when the water formed a spinning circle over the map at the bottom. I explored every inch of this city when I was sent to this sector of this realm almost 7 years ago, so I immediately recognized where it was leading me. Seacliff is filled with expensive-ass homes perched on the shorelines of San Francisco.
I ran to my shower, turned the water on, and stood in it. ‘Shoulders back. Drop your arms and spread your fingers. Close your eyes. Deep inhale. Feel the water flowing over your skin. Long Exhale. Pull the water into you. Deep inhale. Release control. Exhale. Let the water take you.’ Nuru’s words played in my mind as I became one with the water and flowed down the drain. I knew using this new blessing in combat was risky since I hadn’t mastered it yet, but Seacliff was too far away for me to drive. By the time I got there, whatever Shetani broke through would’ve left from that area, and I’m not in the mood to be playing detective, spending days tracking this Shetani. I needed this to be a one-and-done mission, so I could figure out this whole wedding-date fiasco. Next thing you know, mother-dearest would be claiming I summoned this Shetani just to avoid coming home.
I flowed through the underground water system, letting it take me to my destination. When I became one with the water, my intention became the water’s intention. It wasn’t like how it was when I wielded it. When I moved the water while still in the physical, it was as if I were communicating with it and asking it to move for me. This felt more freeing.
When I reached Seacliff, I flowed from out of a pipe and into the sea close to the shoreline of the enclave. I inhaled and exhaled the water out from inside, transforming back into my physical form. I floated to the shore, letting the water carry me along quickly, and climbed out. I took another deep breath and sensed the moist air to pinpoint exactly where the Shetani’s energy was coming from. With each step I took closer to the energy, the water soaking my clothes, hair, and skin swiftly evaporated as I drew it in, storing it for battle.
I heard muffled yelps when I walked deeper into a neighborhood closest to the shore. I zoned in on the coastal-style single-family home at the end of a cul-de-sac and moved faster toward it. The houses I passed were nothing more than little boxes on the hillside of this shore as I mentally prepared to conquer whatever being taunted those within the residence.
I pushed through the side gate to the backyard and was taken aback by the woman’s swollen, blue-and-purple face as she squealed and thrashed, trying to break free. Another woman with locs down her back, lines of black paint under her eyes, and a green turban held her still with one hand and covered her mouth with the other. Her fingers were adorned with green-and-gold gemstone rings that glowed. They faced another woman with a curly afro who leaned over a man with streaks of blood on his knuckles. Her pleated skirt was made of long tropical leaves, and it flowed with each movement. The leather bandeau top she wore looked as if it were digging into her sparkling dark skin, the deeper she bowed, moving closer to the man’s face. Based on the man’s bloodied knuckles and the woman’s swollen face, I didn’t know where the danger lay.
A gasp escaped when I saw black smoke flow from the man’s mouth as the woman knelt over him and inhaled deeply. Instinctively, I flung my hand in her direction, shooting water pellets. They hit the side of her face with loud smacks. Every eye in the backyard fell on me except for the man who lay still as if he were paralyzed.
I sensed someone moving behind me and jumped into the air, inviting the tiny water particles to suspend me high and out of reach. Another woman dressed similarly ran with determined momentum under me—I could only assume she planned to grab me from behind. Before she could react, I kicked her backward and pulled a stream of water from the pool to trap her in a water bubble. It wouldn’t take long for her to start thrashing at her throat for air.
I glided back down to the ground just as another woman came running toward me from the opposite side of the backyard. I dodged backward, narrowly missing the mallet she swung my way. I mushed her backward and forced a stream of water down her throat. She fell to her knees, coughing.
The woman with the curly afro had resumed pulling that black smoke from the man, and I shot more water towards them, but it was deflected by a shield that another warrior woman had thrown up. She stood in front of them, gritting as she shielded the strength of my flow hitting against her protection barrier. I pushed harder, trying to break through. The man’s body grew limp when the last of the smoke was pulled from him.
The warrior with the locs removed her hand from the hostage’s mouth, and when she opened wide to yell, the warrior with the afro blew the black smoke into her, silencing her instantly. The woman’s battered face cleared miraculously, and her golden-brown skin glistened so brightly that it rivaled the sun’s rays. When the brightness dimmed, her casual jeans and white tee were replaced by clothes similar to those worn by the other women, who were dressed like tropical warriors.
My resolve wavered, and my flow lightened against the shield. The woman with the locs let go of the once-battered woman and, one by one, transported herself through a swirling greenish-blue portal to the two women on the ground, fighting to be released from my water. When they were all behind the shield, she created a bigger portal that they all ran through.
“Soon, your Amalian sisters will be walking alongside us. I can taste the festering rage,” the one holding the shield said to me before she released it and quickly ran through the portal with it closing behind her. It was just me and the lifeless body left in this beautiful backyard.
© 2026 Imani Leonique. All rights reserved.
Spellbinding Amali is an original work of fiction. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means without prior written permission from the author, except for brief quotations used in reviews or commentary.