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mother — and Maya de la Paz’s daughter. You might say I’m the deputy prima for Tucson.” Her gaze moved from Caitlin to Alex and back again. “Now, tell me more about these warlocks you met.”

3
    T here was such a note of command in Luz Trujillo’s voice that Caitlin didn’t quite have the courage to continue with her protests, but instead gave a quickly truncated account of what she’d already told Alex and the healer, Valentina. Like Valentina, Alex’s mother was darkly beautiful, her shining black hair pulled back into an elegant ponytail that hung halfway down her back. She was wearing a simple bright pink dress that complemented her olive complexion, and low-heeled sandals.
    Really, it looked like she’d come here from brunch with friends or maybe early drinks at the country club, and it felt somewhat incongruous to be talking to her about spells of coercion and spiked margaritas. But as Caitlin went on, and did her best to describe the circle she’d seen chalked on the floor in that empty sunroom, Luz Trujillo’s elegant arched brows kept pulling together into a deeper and deeper frown.
    Once Caitlin was done with her account, explaining how Matías had stabbed her after she’d kneed him in the groin, all was silent in the room for several seconds. Three pairs of dark eyes were fastened on her, all of them troubled, and she didn’t know quite what to do with her hands. She ended up crossing them in front of her; at least that covered up some of the bloodstains on the peasant-style blouse she wore. In a way, Alex’s concerned regard was the worst, just because she still felt awful for thinking that he could have been connected in any way with Matías and his cronies. Alex practically radiated good, and she could see how worried he was about her, even though they’d just met.
    At last Luz said, “Can you take us back to this house? Do you remember where it was?”
    The image of it was burned permanently on Caitlin’s brain. She nodded, then asked in diffident tones, “So…only the four of us will be going?” It seemed rude to come right out and say she didn’t think they would be enough to combat those three warlocks, but she had to voice her concern somehow.
    An amused smile spread over Luz Trujillo’s full mouth. “Actually, it will only be the three of us. Valentina is…not one for confrontations. But I think you’ll find you will be well protected.”
    Confused, Caitlin looked over at Alex for clarification. His expression had turned grim, and he gave a small nod at his mother before saying, “You’ll see, when the time comes.”
    Well, that was reassuring. But she didn’t want to waste any more time talking; she just wanted to get out there and pray that Roslyn and Danica were still all right. Or at least as all right as they could be, given who they were with.
    Luz appeared to sense her impatience. “Lead us there, Caitlin. Valentina will wait here for us.”
    Each step seemed to jolt the tender spot in her side, the place where Matías had slid his knife in, but Caitlin ignored the pain, instead taking Alex and his mother from the room in the back of the store, across a stretch of asphalt that appeared to be both the loading area for the business and the employee parking lot, and over to the street. At first she wondered why they hadn’t driven, but then she noted how Luz walked with her hands spread before her, as if she were sensing the psychic currents in the area.
    When they got to the corner where the main street intersected with the smaller road that led into the residential area, Luz paused. “Now, Alex. I can feel…something…but I am not sure what it is.”
    He nodded, then told Caitlin, “Come in a little closer.”
    Mystified, she did as he’d instructed, while his mother did the same thing on his other side, standing a foot or so away from him. He pulled in a breath, dark eyes somber, and then —
    — and then the air seemed to somehow shimmer around them,