She sure did, but what was that gem in her hands? With power like that at her disposal, why had the universe called him and told him she needed his help? Clearly she didn’t. Not the sort of all-consuming I’m-going-to-have-to-stay-by-your-side-24/7 protection he had expected to offer. As it was, he was sort of a redundant second stringer. His grip tightened. Estele was soft and smelled sweetly of lavender. One thing was for sure, she felt good in his arms.
Drawing away from him, she gazed into his eyes. “I’m so glad I have a witness or else no one would believe me. This is a first. I need to call Fredi and tell her the news.” She reached to the floor for her phone. “Terrific, the screen is cracked. Damn it.”
“Hold on.” He gently led her toward the couch, sat, and drew her beside him. “Estele, I’m not trying to frighten you, but we should have a plan for when that thing comes back.”
Estele shuddered. “Ooo, don’t say that. Do you really think that smoke beast is coming back? After all I just—”
Was it wrong to undermine her victory so quickly? He had to be honest even if it stung; their lives and the lives of countless others depended on it. “I do.”
She looked pale. “I’ll just send it away again.”
He reached for her hand that wasn’t clutching the glowing red ruby. It looked radioactive. Where the hell had that thing come from? He’d ask about that in a moment, but first he had to make his point. “The smoke beast attacked us at the fairgrounds, it may have been behind the weirdness at the market, and now this. I definitely believe it will be back, and we have to be ready for it when it returns.”
“How?” Her gaze traveled furtively around the apartment. “That thing just burst through a front door that has three security latches on it! We don’t even know what it is or what it wants.”
Val shook his head. “That’s not completely true. Estele, it seems to be after you.”
She pulled away from him. “Me? Am I getting the blame for that thing? Don’t forget, Mr. Del Toro, it took the shape of a bull and charged the car at the fairgrounds.”
Estele might have a point, but it seemed unlikely he was the target of that creature’s wrath. When compared to Estele, he was small potatoes. “It was confronting me to get to you.”
Her jaw dropped. “That’s weird logic. Am I the one who smacked a clown on the head with a sea bass? No, that wasn’t me. I think this creature, whatever it might be, is pissed at you.”
He had to stand his ground even if it did make him look stubborn. “I was protecting you from it, but its focus is you.”
She rolled her eyes. “I call brujo bullshit! I don’t see it that way.”
Oh God, all he’d done was put her on the defensive. What was wrong with him? Maybe he was better with handling food than people. If he wasn’t careful, he might spend the rest of his days as a crazy old brujo living alone in a mountain shack. “Estele, don’t be offended. Remain calm, and let’s look at the facts.”
She crossed her arms over her chest, unmoved by his argument. “Your facts or mine?”
Knowing he could come on strong when challenged, he made a concerted effort to soften his tone. “The facts. Our facts.” He’d better start with his own opinions and do a damn good job of making his case, because he could clearly see he was losing her attention. “I was sent here as your protector, a shield against danger, ready to sacrifice myself if I had to. By definition that implies I am a lesser player in this drama, looking after someone of greater importance.”
Her brows met and her jaw dropped. “Since when am I someone of greater importance? Seriously, are you in the right place?” Estele swallowed hard. Her gaze flicked upward. “You can’t be talking about me.”
“I’m convinced you are my power ally. I’m here to assist you, not the other way around.” He pointed to the ruby pulsing in her hand. “What is that?”
“It’s just a stone.” Estele shrugged. “That lights up. So what?”
There was an unclouded gemstone with obvious magical properties clutched in her hands, and she was trying to downplay matters with a statement like ‘It lights up’? Her feelings against brujos were even worse than he thought. They might even be insurmountable. If he failed here, he failed big and with finality. No second flight with an ally would be offered. This was his only chance. He’d be relegated to the also-ran category, and likely spend his days as an entry-level adept serving a stronger master. The situation had to be turned around. “It lights up? Is that all?” He scoffed. “Is there anything else you’d like to tell me? Please, I’m trying to help you.”
“No.” Her denial was unpersuasive.
“Estele. I’m here for you. Be honest with me. What’s the story behind the stone? I want to know what we’re dealing with.”
“I can’t tell you!” She leapt off the couch, darted into her bedroom, and locked the door.
Damn it. Now he’d frightened her. They were back to square one. He got off the couch, walked to the bedroom door, and knocked. He had to make her see reason. “You were at the fairgrounds. You felt what I felt. We’re playing a dicey game of beat the clock. That bubble of evil is getting ready to blow. There’s no time to fight. We need to trust each other and come up with a plan.”
“You keep saying that!” He heard her pacing on the other side of the door. “What plan? I’m not a planner. How the hell could we devise a plan against being attacked by a smoke beast, anyway? Earth to Val, the world doesn’t work that way. Smoke beasts do what they want, whether the rest of us plan for it or not. This is just more evidence that brujos are crazy.” She fell silent.
Val hung his head. That certainly didn’t go well. Why was he doing so badly with Estele? Maybe he was crazy to think he could sweep into the situation, take control, and have matters go his way. Hell, until a moment ago, he’d even been beginning to believe he might have a chance of winning her over as well. What a victory that would be. It had been so long, and his starving libido loved being close to her. Even if Estele wasn’t a witch with power, he’d still want to chase her just because she was a hot little tamale. Estele was powerful, beautiful, and so very skittish. If he wanted to win her trust and maybe more, he’d have to learn to be patient with her and read between the lines.
He spoke softly through a crack in the door. “I’m going to clean up the kitchen. If you don’t want to tell me about the stone, you don’t have to.”
It took all his willpower to pull himself away from the door. He wanted to linger there in case she decided to open it and offer a warm, conciliatory kiss.
He walked to the sink, picked up a flowered sponge, and washed the soup pot. At least she liked his pozole. It was a hit; she’d eaten two full bowls. He wished she liked him. He certainly liked her. Estele was ditzy, but she was also strong. There was no way he could push her around—not that he’d want to. He was just surprised, because his first impression of her had been that she was cute but weak. How nice to be proven wrong.
Staring at the running water, he became mesmerized. Maybe he was sent to be more than her protector? A male protector was a stodgy, old-fashioned idea. Maybe he was her catalyst? The yeast in her bread dough? The cream of tartar in her whipped egg whites? Okay, those were horrible food analogies, but he just might be onto something.
Abruptly, he turned off the water, marched away from the sink, and knocked on the bedroom door. “Estele, how long have you had that stone?”
“I got it today.” Her voice cracked.
Had she been crying? He felt like a sod. “And I showed up today too. That can’t be a coincidence.”
“Val, I can’t tell you any more than this. The stone was entrusted to me. If I fuck up, it’ll be huge.”
“I think I understand something.”
“What.” She sniffled and blew her nose.
Damn, she had been crying. “I’m not here to protect you from danger. You don’t need a shield. I’m here to help you focus. That flashing stone is a red light, an alarm siren. We’re ignoring it and we shoul
dn’t. It’s calling us to action. The bubble of evil could pop within hours. With you leading me, we’ll walk into danger together, kick its ass, and send it on its way.”
“How are we going to do that?” She blew her nose again.
He put his ego aside and pulled out all the stops. “I have no idea. Estele, I’m depending on you to step up and tell me what to do.”
“I’m supposed to figure this out and tell you what to do?” Estele groaned. “Bad news, brujo. If that’s true, we’re going to die.”
He leaned his shoulder against the door. “I don’t want to die, do you?”
“No, not really.”
“Then start focusing. What’s our next move?”
She huffed a long, exasperated breath. “You’re really going to leave me in charge of something this important?”
“Yes.” He walked back to the sink and finished cleaning up. God help them, if Estele didn’t snap out of I-don’t-know-what-I’m-doing mode, they were going to die.
Estele stared at the Heart of Hecate, wishing she knew what the hell she was doing. She rolled the stone in her hand. What had Witch Griselda told her? The Heart of Hecate would help her have clarity? Hadn’t Val said something similar about her focusing? Could it be as simple as just asking the stone?
She held the ruby against her lips and whispered, “Is Val telling the truth about the bubble of malevolence?” Their evening flashed before her eyes. She’d seen and felt the weirdness at the fairgrounds. As a lifelong resident of San Buena, she could attest that nothing like that had ever surfaced before. Something strange was afoot. Of course Val was telling the truth; why was she wasting time asking something so obvious?
Rubbing the stone with her thumb, she asked another question. “Is Val trustworthy?” Images of him stepping between her and trouble flooded her thoughts. He had beaten down an aggressive clown for her. Made her favorite homemade soup, and listened to her stories with real interest. Was anyone that good an actor? The stone’s steady crimson glow was reassuring.
So Val was trustworthy. Was she? The stone pulsed a little quicker in her hand. Loving thoughts of Grandma Lena poured through her. “Really? I’m trustworthy? Me? Are you sure?” Damn, now she was talking to a rock. “This is serious, don’t just say things to be nice.” The stone pulsed an even richer shade of red, and for a fleeting moment resembled a beating heart.
Okay, so the ruby was answering questions like a Magic 8 Ball. How cool was that. “So, you want me to trust myself and trust Val, so we can unite to fight evil?”
The gemstone glowed so brightly it lit the room a rosy pink.
“Wow!” Val called from the kitchen. “What’s going on in there? Is everything okay? What’s the colored light show about?”
Clutching the gem, she bit her lip. Dear Goddess, there was so much on the line! How could she trust herself and trust a brujo? Did the universe know how difficult that task would be? She could sooner trust that water could run uphill than the prospect that she might be a force for good in a real emergency and a brujo could be dependable. Still, the Heart of Hecate wouldn’t lie, would it? She rose from the bed and opened the door.
Val stood at the sink, wiping the counters down. He turned and a wavy lock of dark hair slid provocatively over one eye. Something about him reminded her of a big, sleek cat stalking around her kitchen. When his gaze met hers, his lips parted as if he wanted to say something, but he remained silent.
“We need to talk.”
He appeared leery. “I’m listening.”
“Look at us. A dunce of a witch and a slippery brujo.”
His mouth twitched as if he’d taken offense. “I’m not slippery.”
Uh. She was making a mess of this. “I meant brujos in general.”
Setting the sponge on the countertop, he placed his fist on his hip. “I’m not all brujos in general. I’m just me, and you’re certainly not a dunce.”
“I don’t know if fate is enjoying a joke at our expense or if this is some sort of test, but we’ve been paired together and charged with protecting innocent people. Look at me, look at who I am! In which dimension is that not an insane request? Val, I’m so scared that I can’t meet this challenge. The Esposito witches have a pretty lousy rep—”
“Stop.” He moved closer and took Estele’s hand. His big warm hands were callused and felt so sturdy, as if they were strong enough to hold up the world. Rolling up his sleeve, he pointed to his pinup tattoo. “Estele, you were chosen for this task. So many signs point to you. Stop asking why you were chosen to lead the charge and start focusing on our battle strategy.”
Her lips parted in stunned silence. “I’m in charge of a battle strategy? I think we should put you in charge of that.”
He shook his head. “Estele, I’m here to serve you. What is it you need me to do?”
She puffed her cheeks out and gripped the Heart of Hecate in her palm. Looking down at the ruby, she addressed it directly. “What do we do first?”
The ruby pulsed and a purr-like hum followed.
Estele tilted her head, listening. “Did you hear something? Did the gemstone say, ‘Call Tio Bruno and have the truck ready to roll at dawn?’”
Val shook his head. “I didn’t hear anything.”
“I did.” Holding the gem to her ear, she was certain words had been communicated; perhaps not spoken aloud, but telepathically and clear nonetheless. Wow, she couldn’t believe it. The gem was talking to her. “Call Tio Bruno. The Brujo Tacos food truck is our Trojan Horse.”
His gaze sharpened. “Did the gemstone just tell you that?”
Could it be possible that her powers were becoming more focused? “Maybe? It was like a complete plan just popped into my head. It felt great!”
“And you’re sure?”
Looking at the gem, a sense of calm came over her. “Yes, I’m absolutely sure. Wow, this must be what it feels like to be decisive like Fredi.”
“Then let’s do it.” Val reached for his phone and tapped the number. “Tio.” He paused and looked apologetic. “I’m sorry, I know it’s late. I’ve made contact and I’m with my ally.” A big grin lit his face. “Yes, she’s a cutie. Her name is Estele Esposito and she’s a witch.” He frowned. “Yes, she is one of the Esposito witches. No, I didn’t hear about the explosion at the Naval yard.” Worry crossed his brow. “An Esposito witch did that? Well, how was I supposed to have known? Yes, I am aware there might be a problem with that. We’re at her apartment now. No, I won’t get distracted. Listen, we’ve already been confronted by an evil force at the fairgrounds. Yes, I know the county fair takes place there this week. Listen, we have a plan….” He looked at Estele with trusting expectation on his face, then tapped the screen of his phone. “I’ve got the phone on speaker. Estele, what do you want Tio Bruno to do first?”
Licking her lips, she launched into her plan. “You’re going to load the taco truck up with contra-hexed food and drive it onto the fairgrounds.”
Tio Bruno grumbled, “What does contra-hexed mean, exactly?”
Estele’s confidence faltered. “I’m not sure.”
A moment of silence followed.
“Wait!” A crystal-clear thought burst into her mind. “You and Val are both food wizards, right? What did you call yourselves, alquimistas de sabor?” Hot damn, she’d even remembered a difficult foreign name. This focusing business worked wonders. “You’re both really good cooks, awesome actually, but let’s be honest, you’re enchanting the food. It’s just too good. The tamales made people who don’t even like each other want to dance! Explain that, will ya? To my line of thinking, if you can enchant the food for positive benefit, you can place a hex-vex-redirect on food to protect people from negative enchantments, right?”
“I’m not following her. Does she think I normally hex the food?” Tio Bruno’s words fell into a void of silence.
Val looked bewildered as well. “Estele, we aren’t using magic to trick anyone into thinking we serve good food. We really do serv
e good food. It’s called using fresh ingredients.”
She threw her hands up. “Well, you must be doing something extra. You’re brujos, couldn’t you just cast a teeny-weeny protective spell on some salsa or churros?”
“Hold on, I think I know what you want. You mean cast a hex-vex-redirect like the one you placed on the mint patties to counteract that weird Fae’s candor spell?”
“Yes! Exactly.”
Val exhaled a deep breath. “Okay, I think I know what you’re getting at. You want me and Tio Bruno to cast a protective enchantment on the food we serve from the taco truck?”
She nodded. “Yep, and I want you to drive right onto the midway and serve that enchanted food to as many fairgoers and carnies as possible. If they don’t buy food from you, offer them a free sample. You saw that strange stupor everyone was in. There’s some sort of bad juju hanging over the fairgrounds. Maybe we can use enchanted food to inoculate people from some of the effects of whatever it is that’s welling up from beneath the ground.”
Tio Bruno finally spoke. “What do we say to everyone? ‘Come and get your contra-hexed food here or risk being consumed by evil?’ We don’t want to frighten everyone or provoke a lawsuit. Wording is so important, so what do we tell people? Getting the public to eat something unfamiliar isn’t always as easy as it sounds.”
Val’s expression became somber. “Tricking people into consuming enchantment isn’t ethical. As an alquimista de sabor and licensed food truck operator, I’ve sworn not to do it.”
Estele balked. “And you’re looking at me with that probing expression because you suspect I’m unethical enough to slip the public a hex-vex-redirect, even if it is what the doctor ordered?”
The two men remained silent.
What the hell. The Esposito witches already had a terrible reputation for unintended folly; so what if the bad rep got a little worse? “Okay, so I have slipped spells into unwary people’s drinks and onto gum in the past. Yes, I did it, but I always meant well.”
She picked at her nail polish. It was clear to her that some sort of protective spell had to be cast. An evil force was on the rise and thousands of people would attend opening day of the county fair. “You’re right. I would do it. I don’t see a more efficient way to protect the public, do you? We can’t go the traditional route and close the fair. Even if we did, that evil force will just escape the fairgrounds and run loose in the city. Hell, it’s already been to the market, and a smoke beast visited my apartment. It might already be too late!”
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