“It’s not too late,” Tio Bruno said with authority. “If it were too late, San Buena would already be exploding with chaos. I’m in a hotel room, across the street from the fairgrounds. From my window, the place is lit like a NASA launchpad, with crews of carnies assembling the rides. It looks like they plan on working through the night. That bubble of malevolence might have sprung a small leak, but the core of evil is still building on this spot. By the way, what’s a smoke beast?” He sounded confused.
How would she describe a smoke beast to someone who had never seen one? “It’s a gust of sooty, smelly Hell that can shapeshift and grab things. Think of it like a demonic battering ram or a purse snatcher.”
“Espantoso! Terrifying.” Tio Bruno sounded alarmed. “Valentine, have you seen this smoke beast?”
“Yes, twice. It comes on strong, very intimidating, but Estele was able to chase it off.” Val glanced at Estele, pride on his face.
“Really?” Bruno had to talk loudly over the whirring sounds of an air conditioner in the background. “If the beast flees instead of confronts, it means Estele’s magic must be very strong. Perhaps we have a chance to defeat it after all.”
“Estele, what do you think?” Val gazed into her eyes. His face was filled with admiration.
She was so busy enjoying the good vibes he was sending her way that she forgot to answer.
“Estele?” Val asked a second time. “What is our plan? What do you want us to do?”
Plan? Not that again. She snapped out of her daze. “You and Tio Bruno load the truck with the most delectable items you can think of. I’ll cast a hex-vex-redirect on the food and we’ll get it into as many mouths as possible. Does that sound like a plan?”
“We’re only one food truck,” Bruno stressed. “We’re already prepped and I can handle a breakfast run, but we won’t last all day. We’ll need to restock. Valentine, maybe you should get down here and help me out?”
Val appeared leery. “I don’t feel good about that. I can’t leave Estele’s side.”
The windows started to rattle. A horrific groan rose from the pipes. The kitchen sink gurgled ominously. Black bubbles oozed through the drain and the stench of rotten eggs filled the air.
“Holy smoke beast!” Estele saw what was happening. She rushed to the sink, placed a plate over the drain, and pressed down with all her might. “Look who’s invited themselves back.”
Val tossed the phone on the counter and rushed to Estele’s side, adding his weight onto the plate. “We can press down all we want, but I bet this thing just pops up someplace else.”
A scream echoed from the bathroom. “Bonny miss, there’s something unsavory in the tub!” Captain Manx whimpered.
Not her beautiful Zen bathroom! The kitchen was bad enough, but now that stinky thing was slithering around where she stored her toothbrush and makeup. What a sickening thought. “We’ve got to stop this monster. It’s using the plumbing like those horrible pythons that travel from toilet to toilet in tropical hotels.”
Estele cautiously lifted her hand off the plate. “It’s not enough to keep chasing this thing away if it just keeps coming back like a game of whack-a-mole. I have to risk using magic—my magic—to neutralize it. Are you ready for that?”
“I’m backing away.” Val lifted his hands off the plate. “Jeez, that’s a god-awful smell.” A dense black ooze resembling tar bubbled up through the drain. “Do it!”
“I need the stone.” Her gaze searched the countertops for the Heart of Hecate. “Did I lose it? Where the hell did I put it?”
Val pointed to Estele’s hand. “You’re holding it.”
“Oh.” She’d been clutching the stone so hard for so long, she’d forgotten it was in her hand. It had become like a “lost” pair of sunglasses perched on her head. Gazing at the gem, she focused her intent. What did she need to have happen? She needed to feel safe. Surprise attacks from reeking clouds of smoke had to stop. A little alone time with Val without something horrible interrupting them would be nice. She shouted, “Relinquo!” Wow, did I just remember a bit of Latin? Miss Dahlia would be over the moon. “Get your smoky ass out of here!”
Like an octopus pulling its limbs back to center, the smoke slowly withdrew, sank into the drain, and disappeared, taking its pungent aroma with it. Ominous sounds gurgled deep in the pipes, and then nothing.
They waited. Nothing more happened. She threw her arms into the air and cheered. “Did it leave? I think it’s gone! Estele—three. Smoke beast—zero. Hurray!”
Chapter 9
Estele stood stunned, looking around the apartment. The smoke beast was gone. It was too early to know, but she may have actually done something right. How great was that?
Val picked Estele up and spun her in a tight circle. “You did it. You’re amazing!”
It felt great to be held in his arms. How long had she been craving a little praise and real affection from a man? It seemed like her entire life.
She gazed into Val’s eyes. He looked back, a hint of wonder shining there, as if he’d just discovered the greatest secret in the world. He set her down and his embrace softened. It became less of a bear hug and more tender. “Estele, I want to…. I know I shouldn’t….” He stroked the side of her face. “Why fight it?”
His hand slid to her nape and cradled her head as his lips brushed hers. The kiss deepened to something more demanding and far more erotic. He pressed closer and his thigh brushed against hers, parting her legs. His solid body was a thrill to be near. Kissing his wickedly luscious lips couldn’t be completely wrong, could it? Soft and sensual, his mouth explored hers with the gentlest of nips. Damn, this brujo could really kiss. She melted against him, breathless, but he pulled away.
He stepped back. “I shouldn’t have done that.”
“It’s okay.” Her lips tingled where he’d touched her. Was it so wrong to let Val distract her from the issue at hand?
“Hello!” Tio Bruno interrupted them and ruined the mood. “Hello? I’m still on the phone. What happened? Is everyone all right?”
Val released her and reached for his phone. “Tio, everything’s okay. The smoke beast showed up again, but Estele sent it away. Everything looks like it’s under control, at least for now, but I wouldn’t dare leave Estele alone.”
“So, what do I do?” Bruno sounded miffed. “Keep my tamales in a holding pattern?”
“Stay put. Keep an eye on the fairgrounds.”
“What are you going to do?” Bruno said.
Val toyed with the phone’s case. “I’m going to stay close to Estele and do whatever she says needs to be done.” He winked at Estele, turned his back, and continued talking about food preparation on the truck to Bruno.
A giddy flutter of emotion passed through her. This hunk was spending the night, and they’d already crossed that razor-thin line between being interested in each other and showing interest in each other. Brujo or not, she was interested in Val. Maybe dating a brujo would qualify as a study in boundary-expanding experiences, the sort of stuff that was good for the soul?
Captain Manx materialized at her side. His eyes were hollow with terror, his jaw slack.
“Whoa! Why do you do that?” She started and jumped back. No matter how many times she’d seen it happen, it always startled her when the captain appeared without warning. “Captain, what’s wrong?”
With a wave of his hand, he coaxed her away from Val. “Miss, I’m as scared as a cat up the mast in a howling cyclone.” He turned to face her with his eyes bulging. “I usually don’t give in to timorousness, not like this.” He offered a trembling hand as proof of his claim. “For the most part, the after-realm keeps me numbed as frostbitten fingers on a polar-bound schooner. But that thing in the bathtub….” His lip quivered and he looked as if he might burst into tears. “That thing was….”
“Was what?” She tried to calm him, but the captain was incorporeal and hugging him was impossible. Using her softest voice, she hoped to comfort him. “Tell
me what’s wrong. You’re not alone in this. It frightened me too.”
The captain wrung his hands. “It tried to probe my mind and find out what frightened me most. At first I was cavalier, thinking, ‘I’m dead, it can’t possibly frighten me,’ but it did!”
“How?”
“The smoke beast made me remember my worst memories, or I started to remember but it was too painful, so I fought it. A terrible feeling that I’d met something like this entity before overwhelmed me. The smoke didn’t talk, but it planted the idea in my head that it had a brother that badly wanted something from me, and that I must remember it. That’s when I screamed.”
“Oh, Captain, that sounds horrible. I’m so sorry.”
The captain appeared bashful. “I have a tremendous favor to ask, miss.”
What time was it? She hadn’t even glanced at a clock in ages, but it had to be late. “Please, not another trip to the liquor store. Buying booze at this time of night looks really bad.”
“I’m unconcerned with intoxicating libations, miss. At the moment, I find myself in dire need of being close to the living. In plain speak, I wish to sleep in your bed.”
“My bed?” she answered breathlessly. “Where will I sleep?”
“Ideally, beside me.”
She was hoping for something a little more exciting involving Val. “Captain, no! That won’t work.”
“There’s nothing improper about it. In the strictest sense, I’m a ghost and I don’t even sleep.”
“That’s part of the problem. What are you going to do, just lie beside me, propped on your elbow, staring? That’s just too creepy.”
“Please, miss. I cannot bear to be alone now. You’re perfectly safe with me. In the vernacular of the day, it won’t get weird. You have my word as a ward of the sea.”
She shook her head. “Captain, your shirt’s unbuttoned and you smell like seaweed. It’s already weird.”
Clicking off his phone, Val thrust it into his back pocket. “Estele!” He walked toward his duffel bag, unzipped it, and took out a sleeping roll. “It’s after midnight. I have to meet Tio Bruno at 5:00 a.m. We’d better get some sleep.”
Her mood sank. “Meet your uncle at 5:00 a.m.? But I go jogging at six.”
“Where do you jog?”
“Along the sea cliffs and around Cemetery Park.”
A defiant expression lit his eyes. “With demonic forces tracking your every movement? That doesn’t sound very safe. Considering the situation, I insist you skip tomorrow’s run.”
No jogging? Her morning run wasn’t just exercise, it was a decompression device. “Why skip it? It clears my head, and believe me, my head needs clearing.”
Val rubbed his chin. “If I walk around the fairgrounds at 5:00 a.m. by myself, I’ll be alerting the smoke beast that you’re up here alone or waiting to be pushed over the side of a cliff or something awful. You’ll be safer if you come with me.”
She glanced at the captain’s shadow drifting across the room. “Technically speaking, I’m never completely alone.”
Within a shimmering mist, Captain Manx materialized beside Val. “Don’t leave me here by myself! Let’s keep the crew together. In the morning, I’ll go with you and help protect our wee lass.”
“Guys, hold on a minute!” She lifted her hands in a signal for silence. “So far, I’ve been doing a damn fine job of protecting myself! I ran the smoke beast off twice. Do I get credit for that? No.”
Val looked her in the eye. “I’ll give you credit. Estele, you’re doing a great job, but recreational jogging along the sea cliffs and the cemetery is too big a risk. I can’t allow you to place yourself in excessive danger. I wouldn’t be much of a protector if I did.” He pushed the bedroom door open, entered, and unfurled a sleeping bag. Laying the bag on the floor at the foot of her bed, he unzipped the side. “I’ll sleep here, between you and the door.”
He was going to sleep at the foot of her bed? Yum! He was like a territorial tiger in heat, and he’d looked all worked-up and fiery-eyed when he’d spoken.
The captain pulled the sheets down on the bed. “And I’ll slip between the linens.”
Val’s mouth gaped in shock. “What? No. Captain, you’re not sleeping here with us.”
The captain leaped beneath the covers. “I am. I’ve already discussed matters with Miss Estele.”
The look on Val’s face was priceless. “Is that true? When did this happen? I thought it was clear that I was your protector? Tell me what’s going on.”
Tugging the bedcovers over his head, the captain rolled onto his side. “I asked first, lad. Best not to be a sore loser. I’ll take second watch. Until then, tie off the helm and steer toward the morning star. May you have fair weather and clear skies in dreamland!”
“Estele.” Val addressed her with a stern tone. “For God’s sake, kick that guy out of your bed.”
She glanced at the captain, who was pretending to doze and looked peaceful. “He’s scared. Let him stay.” She motioned for Val to follow her into the living room and pointed at a long L-shaped couch. “I’ll get some blankets and we can sleep out here.”
He looked hopeful. “Just you and me?”
“Of course.” Even if they did have to be out the door at 5:00 a.m., it might be fun to spend a little time cuddling on the couch and kissing away the brooding pout from his gorgeous lips. “I’ll get us some bedding.”
The moment she turned to get blankets from the bedroom, she bumped into Captain Manx.
The captain’s arms were heaped high with sheets and comforters. “So, the slumber party is moving out here? Very well. Shall we partake of a little talky-box for amusement?”
Disappointment flooded Val’s face. “Talky-box? I’m afraid to ask.”
“Manxie means television.” Estele took hold of the blankets. How did the captain lift things in an incorporeal state? Sometimes he seemed to have way more influence over the physical world than he should, and defied the physics of metaphysics.
“To be specific, I crave amusement from Mr. Jimmy Kimmel.” The captain chuckled as he sat on the couch and waited for Estele to turn on the TV with the same intense interest with which a cat waits by the can opener when a can of tuna is removed from the cupboard. “I just adore late-night talky-box. Especially those obsessive programs, where people go on and on about some clever gadget. What are those called?”
“Infomercials.” She filled in the blank for the captain.
“Infomercials! That’s right. I love those. Why purchase just one of something you don’t really need when you can have two and pay shipping twice! By the way, miss, I meant to ask for your credit card number. I’d like to—”
“No, Captain. Absolutely not.” She wrapped a blanket around herself.
“But, miss, I saw a plastic contraption that goes from freezer to microwave and you can use it to hard-boil eggs and slice them into juliennes strips or spirals and dump them on top of your children’s breakfast cereal to create fast, inexpensive, high-protein breakfasts.”
“Captain, you don’t eat eggs—you can’t eat anything. I don’t have any children. We don’t need it.”
“Very well, miss. I say the EggMeister was tempting. It looked like it could turn our lives around. Did I mention you could use it to make plain hard-boiled eggs into a brunch-crowd-pleasing decorative tulip bouquet? With the handy EggMeister attachment, plain hard-boiled eggs can be transformed into lifelike flowers. Everyone will gather round and marvel—”
“Enough! Stop the sales pitch. I wish you’d quit watching those infomercials, you’re far too suggestible.” She crossed the room. “I’m going to get ready for bed and pretend that I have a chance of getting a couple hours of sleep tonight.”
“I agree.” Val turned off the television and the lights. “We have a battle on the horizon, and any rest we can get is essential.” He spread a blanket on the longest section of the couch, kicked off his boots, unbuttoned his shirt, and stripped down to a white tank. Moonlight wash
ed his coppery skin. “I’m going to sleep.” He patted the couch, indicating she should join him. “Estele, stay close so I can protect you.”
Estele looked Val over. He was such a nice guy, and his broad shoulders and lean abs were easy on the eyes. She was tempted to jump straight into his arms, but best to give herself a moment to cool off and think. “I’m not trying to be a tease, but I actually do need to change into something more comfortable.” She pointed to her high heels. “I’ll be right back.”
She slipped into the bedroom and unfastened her dress. It seemed like ages since she had put it on and gone to the Voodoo Hoodoo cocktail lounge. She unbuckled the cherry-topped high heels. Once her feet were released, she sighed with relief.
Tomorrow she would have to wear sensible shoes to make up for the hours in toe-pinching heels. After putting everything where it needed to be, she searched through a dresser drawer and found a lightweight velour pullover and jogging pants she used as pajamas. She often slept in her jogging clothes and went straight out the door in the morning.
Looking at her empty bed, the thought occurred that she could just climb in alone and hope the captain didn’t surprise her with his presence in the predawn hours, but what about Val? He’d offered to “protect” her, but did he expect her to curl up on the short end of the sectional or at his side? Was flirting with a brujo playing with fire? Maybe it was, but stoking the flames was proving impossible to resist.
She exited the bedroom. The living room was dark except for a slice of moonlight that bisected the floor. Val lay stretched on the couch. He had made a cozy bed for himself by folding blankets and using them as pillows, an extra blanket on top. His eyes glistened and he had a slight smile on his lips as he lifted the edge of the blanket and beckoned her to join him. “Come here. I want to talk for a minute.”
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