“I don’t know!” A distinct red welt had already formed on Val’s temple. It had to sting. That was her fault. Damn. She was too flustered to think. “I suppose I don’t want it to hurt anyone.”
“Then say so.”
Talk to the spoon? Why did he have to look so smug when he said it? What a day she was having. “Spoon, be careful. Don’t be a jerk, and watch where you’re going.”
The spoon’s erratic movements stopped. It bobbed above the sink midair in a holding pattern.
Val looked pleased. “It’s waiting for your next command.”
Okay, this wasn’t so bad. The situation had started to get out of control, but Val had forced her to focus and reel it back in. A first. “What should I tell it to do?”
“It’s up to you. What do spoons do best?”
She laughed. “They go to the freezer, open the door, flip the lid off a pint of chocolate-ripple ice cream, and they bring a scoopful back to the table.”
The spoon did exactly as Estele commanded and returned to the table laden with ice cream.
Estele eyed the floating treat with caution. “Who goes first? We should be careful. What if it just lashes out and chips a tooth?”
“It won’t.” Val opened his mouth. “I’ll go first.”
The spoon floated close and allowed him to take the ice cream without incident. He squinted and winced.
“Are you all right?” She held her breath in suspense.
“Don’t worry, I’m fine.” He swallowed. “I took too big a bite and gave myself brain freeze. The spoon was perfectly behaved because that was your intention.”
“Oh my God!” She was so happy with her achievement that she clapped. “Spoon, go and get seconds. I want some too!”
The spoon went to the freezer, scooped up more ice cream, and returned to Estele. She ate slowly. “I love this stuff. I could have had a pint for dinner—and sometimes I do.” She licked a drip from the side of her lips. “How did you do that, Val? How did you get my wayward magic under control? You’re like a witch whisperer.”
His grin was a mile wide. “It worked because we did it together. Doesn’t anyone ever sit down with you and talk you through a new form of spellcasting?”
She thought about the many ways magic had been taught to her. “Boy, that’s hard to answer. There is a curriculum at the Master Mage Magic Academy, but it’s more of an adult independent study program. We check in with the headmistress and show the final results, but so often I get off track at the very beginning of a new spell and blow it.”
“How do you blow it?”
“I don’t know. The enchantment seems to grow a mind of its own and just gets away from me.”
“How can that be if you created the enchantment in the first place?”
“I don’t know! It didn’t used to happen—as much. When I was little, I was pretty good with magic. My teachers even put me in an advanced class with older girls. That’s where I met my best friend, Fredi. Now there’s a talented witch. Totally grounded. Fredi’s going to marry a hot-ass lycan.”
“That’s interesting.”
“A witch marrying a lycan?”
“No, that you used to be good with magic. What happened to your confidence?”
“I made so many scary magical mishaps that I guess I lost it.”
“But when and why?”
She stared at the open freezer and the pint of chocolate ripple longingly. Talk of the past was painful and sure to push all her buttons. “Do we have to talk about this stuff now?”
He rose and walked toward the freezer. “Will there be a better time to stop feeling like a failure in life?”
“I suppose not.” She stared at the ice cream. “Wait. Let me see what I can do on my own.”
He stopped and leaned against the countertop, arms crossed. “Do it.”
She crooked her finger. “Chocolate ripple, come to mama.”
The pint rose from the freezer, floated to the makeshift kitchen table, and landed softly. She could hardly believe her eyes. “Look! I did it and nothing went wrong along the way.”
“Why do you think that is?”
“Because it was a simple spell. Levitation, A to B. How could I screw it up?”
“Estele, you didn’t screw up because your intentions were clear. You wanted ice cream on the table and it came at your command. I have to say, I’m impressed. I wish I had kinematic sovereignty over physical objects.”
“What?”
“I wish I had the magical power to lift things with my intentions.”
“Yeah, but you make a killer quesadilla.”
“Still, I couldn’t do anything like what you just did. You’re amazing.”
“Really?”
“Really?” He flashed that megawatt smile again. “Why do you look so surprised that I’m impressed? Don’t people tell you you’re amazing all the time?”
“Um... no. Never. Most of the time they just want me to undo whatever it was that I did to them by accident.”
A look of awe flooded his face. “I predict that’s going to change.”
Holy guacamole, he was looking at her like she was something wonderful. “I hope you’re right about that. I’ve never thought of myself as anything particularly special, except for someone’s special problem type of special. It’s hard to stand out around here. San Buena’s got a lot of talented witches, wizards, and Fae, and just about everything else.”
His posture straightened. “You know that the enchantment community of San Buena is well-respected all over the world, don’t you? The core community of witches and warlocks who went west and settled here are living the magical version of the American dream minus the Early American witch persecutions. I’ve always wanted to come here and check it out.”
“Seriously? I didn’t know that, but I don’t travel much. What am I saying, I haven’t traveled at all.”
“I heard stories about San Buena during my apprenticeship in Oaxaca. It made me homesick. I was so amped when Tio Bruno told me this morning that we’d been called into action and were driving to San Buena.”
“Why don’t you finish this off?” She handed the melting ice cream to him. After the luscious pozole there was no need to overdo the sweets. “You’ve had a long day. You must be exhausted.”
“Yes and no. This is what I trained for all these years, and I was pretty damn excited to meet my power ally.”
Estele pushed away from the table. “You must be so disappointed to get paired with a dud witch like me. You should see what my friend Fredi can do. Nothing is too complicated for her. She can put any situation right.”
“Fredi sounds great, but I’m still glad I got paired with you.” Val looked at her like she was the only person in the world who mattered. He dipped the spoon into the ice cream and took a bite, leaving a smidge of chocolate on his lip.
She reached out to wipe it away, then leaned close and kissed his lips instead. His mouth was soft and responsive. Breathless, he closed his eyes. She flicked her tongue and stole the bit of chocolate from his lips before pulling away. “For a brujo, you’re a pretty nice guy.”
“Just nice?”
“I’m trying to give you a chance. I don’t have many guys in my life.”
His gaze skimmed over her. He smiled with approval. “I find that very hard to believe.”
“Believe it.” She huffed. “Guys don’t stick around. Once they see me do something wacko, they get scared and slink off.”
The look on his face was as earnest as an apologetic preacher. “Do you think you might be scaring them away on purpose?”
She blinked nervously. “Why would I do that?”
“Because you don’t trust them to hang around. It’s easier to chase them away than be surprised or hurt when you get dumped, isn’t it?”
“Whoa, you sound like my mother. I like being in control. If that means I’m alone some of the time—strike that, most of the time—so be it.”
He scooped up the last bit
of ice cream from the bottom of the carton and licked the spoon. “You’re lying.”
Why were brujos so infuriatingly stubborn? Crossing her arms over her chest, she squeezed them together so tightly her fingertips tingled from impeded blood flow. “What would you know about it?”
“I’m intuitive.”
“I’m psychic, so I knew you were going to say that.”
“I already know you don’t have a relationship with your brujo father, but what about your mother? You just mentioned her in an antagonizing way. Do you get along with her?”
Meddling mystic, why was he dredging this up? Her personal life was a sticky mess. “My mother, Mara, and I barely talk. From the age of thirteen, my grandmother raised me. At puberty came that magical day when my powers came on hot and hard. My mom said I was starting to act like my dad and she didn’t like it. Things got pretty emotional and crazy, fast. My mother couldn’t handle it, so she dropped me off on my grandmother’s doorstep with a suitcase and hit the gas. I suppose no single mother wants to raise a teenage witch who’s out of control. Tell me, why do you want to know this crap?”
“Because you’re my ally in power, at least for as long as you need me, and you have so much potential.”
“I don’t know about that. I’m a remedial student at the Master Mage Magic Academy and I’m on academic probation.”
Val leaned closer and brushed his hand against hers with gentle, rhythmic strokes. “You’re on probation but you haven’t been kicked out, because I’ll bet there’s someone there who sees your potential too.”
Witch Griselda’s name hovered on her lips, but she stopped herself from saying it. Why drag the poor old gal into this? What did she really know about Val? Sure, he was a nice guy and made scrumptious food, but what if this was a setup? For Circe’s sake, she had an enchanted ruby the size of a baby’s fist in her purse. She owed it to the old gal to watch her ass. “We’re in my community and my home, and I’m doing all the talking. Why is that? You’re the unknown commodity, my caballero friend. I’d rather hear about you. What’s your family like?”
“All right. I’m happy to share. My mother is a schoolteacher of American-Irish descent. She’s from New Jersey. My father is of Mexican descent, born in Los Angeles. I’m the oldest of three children. I have a sister who is an RN and lives in Colorado. My baby brother is still in college. He’ll be proudly joining my father’s cosmetic dentistry practice when he graduates with flying colors, because he was born to be a dentist. He loves it in a way I certainly never could. What else do you want to know?”
“Girlfriends?”
“You already asked about that earlier, remember? There are none, and no one recently.”
“First love?”
“Really, you want to know that? I was eighteen. It couldn’t possibly be of interest to you.”
“Wrong.” Maybe Mr. Perfect would say something unflattering and she could let go of the crazy idea that was creeping up on her that Val was some sort of ideal boyfriend material. “I would love to hear about it.”
“My first love was named Darla. She was the lead guitarist in her own Goth band and went by the name ‘Darkla.’ Yes, I know it’s corny, and she knew it too. She was three years older than me. We met at the Coachella Festival and I followed her around like a puppy. She opened up a whole new world to me of music and art. We got inked together. That was when I began to seriously question if I belonged in my father’s dentistry practice or not. Until that spring, that’s where I’d been headed. I always knew there was something more, and Darla gave me the confidence to be who I needed to be. We both moved on for the right reasons, but I’ll always love her for shaking me up and showing me a different path.”
Had she ever been in love so much that her life had changed because of it? No. Was there something missing in her that prevented such a miracle from taking place? Maybe. “What happened to Darla?”
He arched a brow. “Something shocking.”
She braced for drama with bated breath. “What?”
“Darla stopped being Darkla. She went back to college to become an investment banker.” He shook his head. “I warned you it was shocking. That was at the same time I had committed to apprenticing with my uncle. Darla the banker couldn’t see a future with a brujo in training, and that, ladies and gentlemen, is the sound of the other shoe dropping.”
“I’m sorry. Was Darla the one?”
“She won’t be the last, trust me on that. So far, I’ve been willing to wait for the real thing. Plus, Tio Bruno forbade me to get involved with anyone during my apprenticeship. He reasoned it would not have been fair to my training or the girlfriend. I believe he had a valid point.”
“So there haven’t been that many women in your life?”
His smile crooked to the side. “A few. I’m not a monk.”
“Yes, but you look like a hunk. It really proves first impressions might be wrong.”
“How so?”
“You look like a heartbreaker.”
“So do you.”
“Uh, not really. Nobody falls in love with me, and I’m not the sort who falls in love.”
“Don’t say that.” He reached across the table and smoothed her hair. The gesture seemed so endearing and natural. In that moment, it was easy to believe that he might actually care for her. “You never know what’s going to happen. When you woke up this morning, did you know you’d be asked to fight a malevolent bubble of evil?”
Estele laughed. “No, I didn’t. I shouldn’t be laughing at something like that, should I? I was thinking, if the threat to San Buena is so serious, why aren’t we sounding the alarm? Shouldn’t we be giving our best local witches and warlocks a heads-up about incoming?”
“We will.” Val nodded. “But I want to devise a battle plan first. Tio Bruno told me today was the day to meet my power ally. That was you, of course, a huge step in my life.” He placed his hand on his heart. “As I’m talking to you, I’m getting a better idea of our strengths and weaknesses as a team.”
“I understand that we are a team, but what about everyone else?”
“San Buena’s enchantment community is ready to go. We’re the team leaders. Tio Bruno told me that my ally and I would lead the charge. I’m going to act on that.”
“Good grief.” Her stomach knotted. “What if your uncle’s wrong? I am not team leader material. We gotta call Fredi or Miss Dahlia, anybody, and tell them what’s happening so they can prepare.”
His eyes turned liquid with emotion. “Estele, I’m your protector. You can trust me to have your back.”
“I want to trust you.” She leaned closer. “But I can’t even trust myself. This plan with me as a damn team leader seems outrageously risky. Yes, you have my back, but is it safe to have me at the front?”
By candlelight Val’s face was lit dramatically in a way that showed off his steep cheekbones and lush lashes. “The brujos of Oaxaca have been steady, dependable members of the enchantment community for hundreds of years. With innocent lives at risk, why would they send me here to fail? Estele, there must be something very special about you. This is not an accident. You’re in the right place at the right time, and you’re being called upon to step up and bring your A game. Let me help you accomplish that.”
Wow. She gazed into Val’s beautiful eyes. He almost made sense. Would she be an unprofessional ally if she kissed him again? His mouth looked like cushioned temptation. Seriously, would it do any harm to wrap her arms around his neck and really kiss him just for the hell of it? She pressed closer, a whisper away from his beautiful mouth. “Is this allowed?”
Val’s hand settled on her nape, cradling the back of her head. His eyes glistened. “Come closer and I’ll show you.”
Breathless, she brushed her lips against his.
Captain Manx materialized at Estele’s side screaming a frantic warning. “Bonny miss, something wicked has followed me home! We’re under attack! I can’t hold it off. Batten the portholes and drop below dec
k!”
The room shook. The candles guttered. A tremendous gust of wind blasted the front door open with a deafening slam! An ominous black tornado blew into the apartment, knocking furniture aside, and took the shape of a giant grasping hand. The hand reached for her purse, and in the tumult the purse toppled to the floor and opened. The ruby pulsed inside, casting crimson light against the wall.
Estele jumped in terror. Holy frijoles! Whatever it was, it wanted the Heart of Hecate. There was no way she would allow failure on her watch. Without thought for her safety, she bolted toward danger, shouting at the smoke beast, “Oh no, you don’t, you stinky rotten-egg thing! Get away from my purse!”
The hand turned and reached for Estele’s throat, poised to throttle her.
“Oh shit!” She stood frozen to the spot.
“Estele!” Val leaped in front of her. “Get behind me. I’ll protect you.”
She clung to Val’s waist. “What can a food alchemist do? Make it a snack? We need hardcore magic to fight an enchantment this strong.”
He flung his arms wide and stared the smoke beast down, like he was staring down a grizzly bear. “I’m you’re shield. I won’t let it near you.” Baring his teeth, he snarled, and the beast retreated.
The smoke beast floated into a corner. For a moment it hovered in place, looking like little more than a swirling cloud of sooty particles.
Estele peered from behind Val. “Uh! I’ve been inside overflowing porta-potties that smelled fresher than that thing’s breath. Open a window and shoo that stink bomb out of here.”
The smoke beast coiled itself into the shape of a giant snake. Its swirling body circled them, filling the room. The hood of a king cobra appeared, and its forked tongue flicked the air.
“Move!” Estele darted forward, throwing herself in front of Val. “It’s getting ready to strike.”
Val jumped between Estele and the beast. “Let it! I’m not intimidated.”
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