Strange Magic (The Witches of Cleopatra Hill Book 9)

by Christine Pope

  Shit. He’d really stuck his foot in it there. “Well, maybe not exactly manipulating. I get it that you’re a much bigger clan and have a lot more on the line. And you’re in a big city. So….” He pulled in a breath and risked a sideways glance at her. One eyebrow was tilted at an ironic angle, so clearly she wasn’t buying what he was selling. “I mean, I know the Wilcoxes do the same thing.”

  “So now you’re comparing us to the Wilcoxes?”

  Oh, great. True, the Wilcoxes had come a long way toward redeeming themselves over the past few years, but…. “That’s not what I meant — ”

  She snickered, then shifted in her seat so she could face him. “I’m teasing you. I don’t have a problem with the Wilcoxes. I mean, a few of them even came down here to see if they would be my consort.”

  Even though he knew he shouldn’t go there, the words slipped out anyway. Stupid of him to be jealous of those Wilcox candidates, since they obviously weren’t Zoe’s intended partners, either. But at least they’d had a chance to kiss her. “I guess that didn’t work out so well.”

  Her eyes narrowed. “Maybe not, but it wasn’t because they were Wilcoxes.”

  “I know. Look, sorry I mentioned it.”

  She lifted her shoulders and settled back in her seat. A few miles passed before she spoke again. “So what’s your deal, anyway?”

  “My ‘deal’?” he repeated, not sure what she meant.

  “Well, if you McAllisters are anything like us de la Pazes, you tend to marry pretty young. So why are you unattached?”

  The question made him want to wince, even though he knew it was a valid one. Also, he’d detected more than just idle curiosity in her tone. Or at least he hoped he had. “I was married,” he said, the words coming out clipped, just this side of angry. He knew he should have controlled his reaction better than that, but Zoe had managed to touch on a sore spot that didn’t want to heal. “Now I’m divorced.”

  “Oh.” Her fingers tightened on her purse. “Does that happen a lot in your clan? Just wondering, because we de la Pazes are pretty Catholic about that sort of thing. I mean, my abuela never divorced Grandfather, and he — ” She cut herself off there, mouth tight. “Well, anyway, it’s not really a thing for us.”

  “It’s not really a ‘thing’ for us, either,” Evan said, wondering what had gone on between Maya de la Paz and her husband. Didn’t sound good, whatever it was. Strange, because wasn’t the marriage of a prima and her consort supposed to be all perfect bliss and stuff? “Witches and warlocks tend to stay married. I married a civilian, though.”

  “You did?” She sounded surprised, although he knew that sort of thing had to happen in the de la Paz clan, just as it did with the other witch families. They needed to bring in new blood so they wouldn’t get inbred. “What happened?”

  Goddess. He clenched his jaw, then relaxed enough to reply, “It didn’t work out. End of story. Okay?”

  “Okay,” she responded, although she didn’t sound okay. Without looking at him, she settled against the seat and crossed her arms.

  Perfect. This trip down to Phoenix was just getting better and better. Then again, maybe it was a good thing that they were at odds right now. At least if she was annoyed with him, she would be less likely to act on the attraction that had begun to spark between them.

  They drove in silence until he got to the turnoff for the Mesquite Staging Area. He pulled off the highway and headed down the same access road that he’d traversed the night before. Today, though, he saw a couple of dirt bikes zip past, and then when he came to the place where Zoe’s Fiat was parked, he had to maneuver around a heavy-set guy in a Duck Dynasty ball cap offloading an ATV from the back of his half-ton pickup.

  “I was wondering about that,” the guy said as Evan and Zoe climbed out of the Barracuda. “Not the best place in the world to leave your car.”

  “It died on me last night,” Zoe said. “So I had to leave it here.”

  The guy at the truck looked her up and down in a way that Evan didn’t like very much. Even though it was barely noon, the man smelled of stale beer. “Well, I suppose that’s what happens when you buy that foreign crap.”

  Zoe’s dark eyes began to blaze, and Evan said hurriedly, “It just needed a fuse. So we got one at the dealership this morning and drove back out here. Pop the hood, would you, Zoe?”

  She nodded, although her expression was still somewhat stormy. But she didn’t say anything as she unlocked the door and got into the driver’s seat, then pulled on the hood release. Evan made a show of leaning into the engine compartment, then pretended to fish something out of his pocket and fiddle with the fuse box.

  The guy with the ATV watched for a few seconds before he shrugged and went back to his truck, where he closed the tailgate. But apparently Zoe and Evan were putting on a more interesting show; the stranger propped himself up against the rear fender of the truck so he could watch further.

  Fine, then they’d continue with this little farce. Thank the Goddess that Zoe knew how to play along. “Okay, try starting it now,” Evan said.

  She pushed the ignition button. Of course the Fiat fired right up, because there hadn’t been anything wrong with it in the first place. “We’re good,” she called out the open window.

  “Great,” he told her. “I’ll follow you home.”

  He turned to go back to the Barracuda, only to find ATV Guy blocking his way. “Something I can help you with?” Evan asked. He did what he could to keep his tone as mild as possible, but seriously, right then he was thinking he had had just about enough that day.

  “Nice car,” the guy said, his gaze moving past Evan to the Plymouth. Then it flicked over to where Zoe sat in the idling Fiat, the sun catching warm sparks from her dark hair as it shone in the open window. “That one, too. Where did you find her? Because she’s one hot tamale.”

  “What?” Evan gritted. Who the hell did this guy think he was? That was the future prima of the de la Paz clan this mouth-breather was talking about.

  “Your girl. I’m not much for Mexicans, but I think I might make an exception in her case. That mouth of hers looks perfect for — ”

  Evan’s entire body went tense. If this guy didn’t quit it, he was going to find out exactly what happened to lowlifes who had no respect for women. “You know, I think you’d better shut up.”

  The guy rolled his eyes. “Come on, man, I’m paying her a compliment. She’s obviously built for it, if you know what I’m saying. Just the thought of that chica over there wrapping those lips around my — ”

  Evan’s fist came up before he could even stop to think about what he was doing. It connected with the guy’s mouth with a crack that seemed to resonate all the way up and down Evan’s arm. The guy staggered backward, slamming into the side of his Dodge pickup. Blood trickled down from his split lip.

  “Wha da fuck — ?” he began, rage blazing in his eyes as comprehension began to trickle into his pea-sized brain. “Ash-hole!”

  Well, since he was in it already — Evan swung again, this time catching the guy in the jaw just as he started to push himself away from his truck. The bastard went down this time, that stupid Duck Dynasty hat flying from his head.

  “Drive!” Evan shouted at Zoe, who’d been sitting there in her idling Fiat, eyes wide as she watched the confrontation go down.

  “But — ”

  “Get out of here!”

  He saw her jaw clench, and then she hit the gas, the car’s tires throwing out dust in every direction as she peeled away. As soon as she started to move, he ran for the Barracuda and threw open the car door, foot hitting the accelerator before he’d even closed the door behind him. The car leaped forward, tires grinding at the dusty earth and leaving a plume behind him.

  Shit. Shit. Goddammit. The members of his clan usually swore by the Goddess, but sometimes you just needed to let a good old-fashioned “goddammit” fly.

  At least there hadn’t been anyone around to see him take out Mr. Duck Dyna
sty, but Evan wasn’t terribly reassured by that fact. His car was just too damn distinctive. It wouldn’t be that hard to describe to the cops. This might be a case where Evan would have to rely on the de la Paz family’s connections with the authorities to keep his ass out of jail. He had to hope they had some people in the county sheriff’s office, too, although he wasn’t even sure which county he was in at the moment.

  Out on the access road, and moving fast down the 87 — but not too fast. He caught sight of Zoe’s Fiat a little bit ahead and let out a relieved breath. She, too, was speeding slightly, although not enough to attract the attention of anyone except the most zealous of state troopers.

  Evan scrubbed a hand over his face and then placed it back on the steering wheel. Where the hell had that come from? Yeah, the guy was being a complete ass, but Evan could have just walked away. It wasn’t as if he had a history of getting into fistfights.

  Well, except for one notable occasion, not too long after Kelly had walked out, when Evan’s cousin Dean had taken him out drinking. Some crappy dive bar down in Dewey, which was technically McAllister territory, although no actual members of the clan lived there. Maybe that was why Dean had taken him to the place to begin with. Anyway, a couple of drunk cowboys had started hassling one of the waitresses, and Evan had just exploded. Yeah, part of his rage was probably fueled by the waitress looking just a little too much like Kelly for comfort, blonde and pretty and with the kind of figure that any straight guy would want to stare at. But the cowboys wouldn’t leave her alone, and Evan had punched one right in the face before Dean dragged him out of there, casting a spell in his wake that made everyone conveniently forget what either of the two McAllister warlocks actually looked like.

  Dean’s magic had saved his ass that time. Evan worried he might not be so lucky on this go-round.

  11

  Zoe felt herself relax slightly when Evan’s big black car appeared behind her on the highway and then settled in at a comfortably safe distance. Even so, she still couldn’t quite believe what she’d just seen.

  Obviously, that jerk had said something to set off the McAllister warlock, but she’d been just far enough away — and had the Fiat’s motor running — that she hadn’t really been able to hear the exchange. She could guess, though. She might not have been able to hear his words, but she’d seen the leer on his fat face as he stared at her. Besides, even though she’d led a pretty sheltered life, it wasn’t so sheltered that she hadn’t been on the receiving end of comments that ranged from racist to sexist to a particularly vile combination of both.

  Clearly, Evan had been defending her honor, and she didn’t know quite what to do about that. He wouldn’t have done something like that if he didn’t feel something for her…would he? She didn’t know. He seemed like an honorable person. She had a feeling that he would have punched that guy regardless of his relationship with her, even if they were strangers to one another, because decent guys didn’t let jerks get away with crap like that.

  Either way, it had been like watching something out of a movie, Evan’s fist coming up so fast and hitting that guy right in the mouth, and then in the jaw a few seconds later. It had been so…physical. She wasn’t used to that sort of thing.

  Her breathing steadied the farther away they got from the ATV staging area. She kept flickering her gaze toward the rearview mirror, certain that she’d see flashing blue and red lights pulling up behind her and Evan. But no cops appeared. True, she’d taken a few measures of her own before driving away, subtle spells that would help to keep Evan safe and make sure he didn’t suffer any consequences from his outburst. However, she’d been so panicked that she now worried she hadn’t cast the spells correctly.

  Eventually, though, they got to the turnoff from the 87 that would lead them back to her house. Zoe eased off the accelerator and drove carefully, making sure that Evan was always behind her. It seemed as if he’d started to figure out his way around, but even so, she didn’t want to lose him because of going through a yellow light at the last minute, or whatever.

  A few minutes later, they had pulled up to the house. She went ahead and parked in the garage, since she knew they’d be taking Evan’s car to her aunt’s house. He waited for her at the curb, engine idling in a low, throaty growl. She had no idea that a car’s engine could sound so sexy.

  Then she climbed into the passenger seat and closed the door behind her. Almost immediately, he had the car moving away from the house, going back the way they’d just come.

  For a few seconds, neither of them said anything. Since Evan looked tense and unsmiling, his fingers wrapped tightly around the steering wheel, Zoe figured she’d have to be the one to speak first.

  “You want to tell me what happened back there?”

  His shoulders lifted slightly, but he didn’t relax his death grip on the steering wheel. “The guy was being an asshole, and he wouldn’t shut up. I lost my temper. That’s all.”

  “So I guess it’s true what they say about redheads,” she quipped, although she had a feeling he wouldn’t much appreciate the joke.

  Another shrug. “Maybe. I really don’t make it a habit to go around slugging random people.” One side of his mouth quirked the tiniest bit. “It’s kind of hard to do that whole witchy ‘fly under the radar’ thing if you keep getting in fistfights.”

  “You’re probably right,” Zoe said, relieved that he seemed to be relaxing just a little. She shifted her purse on her lap and added, “And I don’t think you need to worry about Mr. Duck Dynasty making any kind of a report. I sort of took care of that.”

  Now Evan swiveled his head so he could send a quick glance in her direction before returning his attention to the road. “What do you mean?”

  “Just a little illusion. Luz is really good at that sort of thing, so she’s been showing me how to do it. If that guy was even thinking straight enough to remember our license plates — which I kind of doubt — he would have seen plate numbers that were wrong. Also, I made your car red instead of black, and this one brown instead of blue. So I don’t think anyone’s going to be able to track us down.”

  He let out a breath, and a certain tension appeared to leave his shoulders. “Thanks, Zoe.”

  “No problem,” she replied, a little thrill going through her at the appreciation she saw in his expression. Finally she’d managed to do something right. Maybe covering up assault and battery wasn’t the best use of her talents, but Evan had only been trying to protect her. He certainly didn’t strike her as a violent person in general. Anyway, she thought it was probably a good idea to change the subject. “Do you remember how to get back to my aunt’s house?”

  “Onto Shea Boulevard from here, right?”

  “Right. And then a right onto 120th Street when you get into Scottsdale.”

  He nodded, and drove in quiet again for a few more miles. Traffic was pretty thick, with people from Fountain Hills heading down into the greater Phoenix area to shop or eat or go to the movies. Right then, Zoe wished she could be indulging in some of those ordinary activities with Evan — maybe a movie, where they could sit next to each other, and maybe she could reach over and take his hand.

  Yeah, right. Like that would ever happen in a million years. She supposed she should be glad that they were having such a hard time dealing with the creature she’d summoned. At least this way, continued failure meant continuing to spend time with Evan McAllister, and she sure wasn’t going to complain about that.

  They’d been so occupied with other matters this morning that she really hadn’t stopped to think about it, but she realized she hadn’t gotten any sense of the creature today. Even though Evan had intimated the stones couldn’t be trusted, she’d still put the lump of black tourmaline in her jeans pocket this morning, just in case. But she hadn’t gotten any twinges from it, no sense of where the monster might be.

  “Have you felt it?” she asked abruptly.

  Evan didn’t bother to ask her what she meant by “it.” “No,” he
said. “Nothing. This morning when I first got up and had some coffee, I tried sitting by the window for a while, reaching out to see if I could sense it anywhere, but I got nothing. I’m not sure what to think about that.”

  “Maybe Jack’s banishing spell really did work,” she suggested, hoping with all her heart that might be true. But then, if the monster actually had been sent back to its own plane of existence, then Evan would have no reason to be here. So maybe she should only hope for its disappearance with half a heart.

  “I don’t think so,” he said. “I mean, yeah, the spell worked in terms of getting it away from you. But the only way to get rid of it permanently is to reverse the original spell you cast. Otherwise, it’s just going to keep coming back.” He stopped then and lifted his right hand from the steering wheel to flex it, as if it pained him.

  “Did you hurt yourself when you hit that guy?” she asked, unable to keep the worry out of her voice. If he was hurt, he should really see Alba…but then, that would only invite a whole round of questions as to why he’d injured his hand in the first place.

  “No, I’m okay,” he responded immediately. “It’s just a little stiff. It’s not going to keep me from doing anything I need to in terms of helping you out, though.”

  “Good,” she said. “I mean, I’m glad you’re not hurt.” She paused for a second or two, wondering if she should say anything else. But she thought she should really let him know how much what he’d done had impressed her. “That was pretty amazing back there,” she added. “I’ve never had anyone do something like that for me before.”

  He gave a grim shake of his head. “It was a pretty Neanderthal thing to do, really. It just pissed me off so much when I heard that crap coming from his mouth. Sexist pig.”

  Her estimation of Evan McAllister went up a whole bunch of notches, even as curiosity spurred her to ask, “What did he say?”

  “I’m not going to repeat it. But — you know how it is with witch-kind. We have women in charge of our clans. We respect women’s strength. We don’t act like women are objects.”