Bruja

by Aileen Erin

  “Good morning.” Lucas sat down in the chair, his eyes only on me. “How are you feeling today? Altitude still getting to you?”

  Suddenly the confidence was back. A smile spread across my face. God. How did two little sentences just restore everything I wanted to feel about myself? “No, the altitude isn’t so bad today. I followed your advice and had some broth last night, and I slept—really slept—and it was great. I don’t even have a headache now.”

  Lucas answered my grin with one of his own. “Good. They pump extra oxygen into the rooms here. That’s why I booked it for you.”

  I took him in then. His hair, perfectly mussed. He wore a long-sleeved T-shirt, with the sleeves scrunched to his elbows and a pair of black athletic pants that had white stripes down the sides.

  I was staring. This was bad. I toyed with my food for a second as I looked for something to say. “You want to have some breakfast?”

  He grinned big, and my heart did a double bump. “I already ate.”

  “Excuse me, but we were having a conversation,” Matt cut in.

  Lucas raised his eyebrows, making a face at me before turning to Matt. “Looked to me like you were harassing her. That’s no way to get her attention. Clearly.” He winked at me.

  “She’s my fiancé. I’ll talk to her however I like.”

  God. Had I ever found him attractive? I would’ve sworn he wasn’t like this before. Now it seemed like every time I saw him, he got meaner.

  “Fiancé?” Lucas mouthed to me.

  I shrugged. Explaining right now would take too long. Plus, it wasn’t like Lucas really cared if I was engaged or not.

  “From the way you two were just acting, I wouldn’t bet on seeing her in a white dress any time soon.” Lucas stood, his eyes on me. “You ready?”

  The half-eaten food on my plate wasn’t worth sticking around to finish. “Sure.” I brushed my hands off on a napkin and placed a tip on the table. No one else was doing it, but that didn’t mean the staff didn’t deserve at least a little tip for their hospitality. “I’m going to go see if they have some water bottles I can take. I’ll just be a second.” I started off for the front desk, but Lucas’ voice stopped me.

  “Don’t worry about that. I’ll take care of you.”

  I whipped around. The way he said it, so seriously, it sounded like he meant that he’d take care of more than just water. But by the time I turned, he was already walking out the door.

  I sighed. Just because you have a crush on a guy, doesn’t mean he likes you too.

  “You can’t go with him.” Matt pointed at Lucas. His face contorted with anger, making him look more than a little crazy. “He’s a wolf.” Disgust was thick in his voice.

  Sure, I can. “Have a safe flight home, Matt,” I said as I started after Lucas.

  Today I was going to find a way to save my brother. That was the only thing that mattered.

  Chapter Eleven

  I hopped in the van with Lucas and buckled my belt.

  “So, we’re looking for the old mages?” Lucas asked as he started the car.

  “Yeah. Did Muraco tell you where to start?”

  “He did. I’m heading to one of the smaller villages.” He pulled into the street and started the direction we’d come from last night. “It’s closest to where the old temple was, but I’ve been all over those mountains and never seen a thing.”

  Perfect.

  “I know that’s not what you want to hear, but I want you to be realistic.”

  “Good. Realistic is good. But this is my best shot at saving my brother, breaking the oath that’s binding me to maybe one of the worst people in the world, and finding a way to stop said person from raising demons that will destroy us all. So, no pressure.”

  He muttered a string of curses. “Muraco said that it was bad, but he didn’t say it was that bad.” He gave me a long look before focusing back on the road. “Your brother?”

  “Twin brother.”

  “Somehow that makes it worse.”

  I shrugged. “It’s bad either way. But yes, he’s my twin. And the only family I really have left. Besides my cousin, Teresa.”

  “She’s Dastien’s new mate, right?”

  “Yes,” I said, a little surprised that he knew about the happenings of small town Texas.

  He rubbed his forehead. “Muraco is always tight-lipped, but I feel like he’s left out some need-to-know details this time. Fill me in. What are you up against?”

  This wasn’t the time to be shy. I wasn’t sure why I felt comfortable spilling my guts to him, but it felt like if I left anything out, something bad would happen. I hadn’t told everyone all of it. Not ever. But I told Lucas. About my family. About how my parents left. How things got bad with Luciana and she started draining my power. And finally, how I manipulated Teresa and then left the coven. I even spilled about Matt.

  Lucas was kind as I spoke. He was a total stranger, but he was outraged at all the right parts. He stayed quiet during the hard parts, and in the end, I didn’t think he judged me as anything less.

  “You’ve been through a lot for someone so young.”

  I sighed. “I’m twenty now, but I feel older. I’m exhausted, and I feel like this fight is only just beginning. Sometimes it’s difficult to see the light at the end, you know?”

  “It’s there. I promise.”

  “Hmmm.” I wasn’t sure I believed him.

  “Thank you for being so honest with me. I know that can’t have been easy.”

  I gave him my best semblance of a smile. “Thanks for listening.” I held my breath for a moment before asking the question that was burning at the back of my mind. “So, now that you know everything, what do you think my chances are? Am I on a wild goose chase? Should I go home?”

  “I don’t think I can answer that. Just because these mages haven’t been around for a while, doesn’t mean that they’re not there. Or that something of their magic isn’t in these forests. I can guide you to places that used to have spiritual meaning—that still do, just not as much as they used to—and maybe your abilities will lead you to what you need.”

  I sighed. “That’s not very reassuring.”

  “Nothing about what you have going on is good. Let me at least try to help with the search. If we come up empty, I’ll take you to the village elders. Muraco wasn’t lying there. Wolves and witches have mixed a lot over the years, and some of ours are so old they have a unique magic all their own.” He reached over and squeezed my hand. A shiver ran through my body at the contact. His fingers were rough and calloused, and the feel of them against my skin heated me through. “Don’t give up before we’ve even started. We’ll find something.” The road started getting a bit treacherous, and he let go to hold onto the wheel with both hands.

  An hour later and I had a death grip on the “oh shit” bar in the van. My jaw was clenched so tightly that my face was starting to hurt. Relaxing would be good, but that was impossible. The “road” we were on—and I used that term loosely because this was so not a road—dropped off on my side. Straight down. The ground had to be a million miles below us. Half the tire wasn’t even on the path as we bounced over potholes so deep someone could practically live there.

  “You okay over there, princess?” Lucas’s gravely voice drew my attention away from the steep edge.

  “No. We’re going to die.” I let go of the bar for a second and we hit another bump. I reached right back up and held on for dear life.

  Lucas chuckled. “We’re not going to die.”

  He was nuts. This path clearly wasn’t meant for cars. Not that he had much to worry about regardless of the drop-off. “You might survive the fall. You’re a wolf. You heal fast. But I won’t. I’m essentially human. I’ll be worm food.”

  “Don’t worry. I’ve done this drive a million times. I’m not going over the edge.”

  I glanced down again, against my better judgment. “Looks like you already are from here,” I said softly, but he heard me anyho
w.

  “I promise. You’re not going to die. I won’t let you. Not today. Not for a long while. So you can loosen your death grip on that handle.”

  I tore my gaze away from the edge, and took him in as he concentrated on the road ahead. “I don’t like heights.”

  “I can tell. But don’t worry. I’ve lived in this part of the country off and on most of my life.” Lucas paused as he went over another hole in the ground and the van bottomed out. “Believe it or not, the road used to be much worse.”

  “Worse than this?” Not possible. Not in a million years.

  “Yup.” He nodded with certainty.

  I couldn’t imagine worse conditions. “It’s a miracle you’re still alive, then.”

  “Eh. Back then we walked.”

  “What? You didn’t have cars?”

  “There were no cars.”

  That made me pause. Man. I was so dense sometimes.

  The wolves all looked much younger than they were. He probably wasn’t anywhere near as young as I thought he was. I’d figured he was a few years older than me, but not thirty yet. “How old are you?”

  “How old do you think I am?” He asked with a wink.

  Was that flirting?

  No. Impossible. No way would he be flirting with me. He was far too good looking, and a wolf to boot. “I don’t know. I thought you were maybe twenty-seven, but I have a feeling I’m way off if you were around before cars made it to Peru.” He was grinning big time. It felt like the joke was on me. “Yeah. I’m definitely wrong. You’re way older than that. So how off am I?”

  He laughed.

  “Seriously. How old are you?”

  “Old enough, princess. Old enough.”

  I sighed. “I wish you’d stop calling me that.”

  “What? Princess?”

  “Yeah. It’s demeaning.” I turned away from him, taking in the horizon. “I’ve had enough of that in my life.”

  “Hey,” he said as he gripped my hand for a second.

  That one touch and I felt his aura, warming me to the core. It was so clear and bright. So strong. I could see a supernatural’s aura all the time, but feeling it, that was something infinitely more personal and unique. It didn’t happen that often. Only when the person was being very open with me and letting me in.

  Almost as soon as the touch was there, it was gone.

  And I missed it.

  What was going on with my feelings for him? I was attracted to him, sure. But then I spilled my guts to him, and now…

  “I’m not using the word to be demeaning,” he said, bringing me back to the conversation. Hopefully I hadn’t zoned out too much. “I was using it in a very literal way. But if you don’t like it, I’ll stop.”

  Literal way? Someone had grossly misinformed him. “Me? Princess? Of what? The coven?” I nearly laughed. It was a completely ludicrous notion. “That couldn’t be further from the truth and there’s no way I’m going back there. Even once this whole mess is done with. I can’t. So, yeah. No.”

  He frowned. “That wasn’t what I was referring to.”

  What was he talking about? “Then…” I was so confused. Or he was confused.

  “Don’t worry about it. I won’t call you that anymore if you don’t like it.”

  “Okay.” I laughed, feeling like I was missing something.

  We turned a corner and the cutest little village spread out before us. A church stood off to the left, with little shops and restaurants dotting the road. Homes were practically carved into the side of the mountain. “We’re here?”

  “You got it. We walk the rest of the way. The streets in the village are too small for cars.” He grinned at me, and my heart did an embarrassing little flip-flop. “This way. We’ll hit the market first. A lot of people who’ve been indigenous to this area bring their goods to sell. Luckily, you’re here on market day.”

  My first thought was that I wished Raphael were here. He loved markets. He would so get a kick out of this. I pushed all the scary thoughts of what might happen away, and thought only of good things. It was hard, but I had to do it. One day, if this market was cool, I’d come back with him.

  “You okay?” Lucas asked.

  I hopped out of the car and started to follow him. “No. But I’m hoping I will be soon.”

  “You will be.” We turned a corner and a wide-open field spread in front of us. People in traditional Peruvian dress stood behind tables filled with all kinds of things. Some had fruits and vegetables. Some had clothes. Others had baked goods. But what hit me the most were all of the colors. Everything was so vibrant and alive.

  “Do you see any auras here?”

  I scanned the people standing around, looking deeper than just with my normal eyesight, but all I picked up were the energies of normal humans. Nothing supernatural or at all magical. “No.” I couldn’t keep the disappointment from my voice.

  “Come on. Let’s take a closer look. Maybe it’s faint.”

  I nodded. “Okay.” We’d come all this way. Might as well really look at these people.

  As we moved from stall to stall, I thought it odd how Lucas paid each person special attention. One lady was selling cheese. Her colorful skirt and blouse were hand embroidered. A pristine white hat with a small brim sat atop her head. She grinned as Lucas approached and waved him over.

  She had her baby playing in a box next to her. Lucas leaned down and gave the baby a kiss. “How are you doing today?” He asked her in Spanish.

  “We’re doing same as always. You don’t have to stop by every time.”

  “Would I miss a chance to see this little one?”

  The lady’s cheeks heated, and she swatted him away before Lucas went on to the next stand. A lady with coca leaves. He negotiated for a bag, and took out a handful. “Here you go,” he said as he held out a bunch for me. “Your breathing is a little tight.”

  “You can hear my breathing?” I hadn’t even realized I wasn’t breathing right.

  “I’m a were. I can hear a lot of things. Just try them.”

  Flustered, I grabbed a few and put them in my mouth. They didn’t taste great, but I’d drunk down my mother’s wellness potions for the early part of my life. I was well used to earthy flavors.

  A few stalls down, I found little flat sugar cookies decorated with chocolate and rainbow sprinkles. It was the first time I engaged with one of the people manning the stalls, but the woman there looked behind me and nodded to Lucas before talking to me.

  What was with that? Why were they treating him like he was special?

  Maybe he spent a lot of time at this market?

  The portly woman reached into her jar, grabbing out three cookies for me as I reached into my coin purse for change. I noticed the crystal hanging between her collarbones. It was small and white, but it had a tiny glow of power.

  Interesting.

  “Thank you,” I said as I handed her the change for the cookies. Just as our skin touched I saw a flicker. Barely there, but enough. It was white and pure.

  The lady smiled, and I felt like weight had been lifted.

  She handed me the cookies, and the contact was gone. I couldn’t see it anymore.

  “Lucas!” I shouted before I could stop myself.

  “What? What is it?”

  I spun around, grabbing Lucas’s arms with my hands, nearly dropping my bag of cookies. “I saw it. I saw it. Her aura. It was white. So pure. I’ve never seen an aura so white. And I don’t usually see anything at all from humans. You know what that means?” I jumped up and down before rambling on. “She has to be a descendant of the mages. Which means they’re here. Muraco was right.” I squealed like a mad person.

  He laughed, and a stupid grin spread across my face. Being here—laughing with him—filled my heart in an indescribable way. He reached up and ran his thumb down my cheek, and I stilled. His eyes were bright and clear. I could see the joy in them, and something else that I couldn’t identify. “That’s so good, Claudia.”


  “It’s not a lot, but it’s something. It means that this isn’t a lost cause.” Hope filled me to the point of bursting. “I really can save him.”

  “Of course you can.”

  I let out the biggest sigh. “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome.” He turned toward the aisle, and grasped my hand in his. “Come on. Let’s see what more you can see. I bet we can find a lead before lunch.”

  Tears started to fill my eyes, but I held them open. I’d already made one scene, so I wasn’t going to let myself cry in the middle of the market. “That would be really good.”

  I stumbled to keep up with Lucas. His hand felt hot in mine as he twined our fingers together. This was going so much better than I’d expected.

  When he stopped to talk to the butcher at the next stall, Lucas didn’t let go of my hand. He spoke, and I wasn’t paying attention to the words, but the deep rumble of his voice gave me goose bumps.

  He glanced my way with a grin, not pausing in his conversation, and all of a sudden I could see it.

  Holy moly. I liked him. More than liked him, I was attracted to him. This guy was drawing me in. Both Cosette and Teresa had mentioned me finding someone...

  Suddenly nervous, I tugged my hand away and busied myself getting out a cookie.

  I didn’t have time for a romance. Not now. But maybe I could come back once this was over and see if Lucas wanted to go out on a date. It was the twenty-first century. I could ask him. Couldn’t I?

  It would be the light at the end of the very long tunnel that my life had been so far. He would be my light.

  Chapter Twelve

  “I think we should go for a hike after this,” Lucas said.

  We’d stopped for lunch at a cafe next to the market. The food was fresh and delicious. I ordered grilled trout with vegetable quinoa and I’d practically been shoveling it in since I took the first bite. “A hike? I was hoping to talk to more people.”

  “Were you getting anywhere?”

  “No.” That was the problem and we both knew it. The locals all flared with a bit of aura when I touched them, but when asked about mages, they had no idea what we were talking about. A few of them wore glowing crystals, but other than being handed down for many generations to keep away evil spirits, they knew nothing about where they came from. Some of them were afraid of me after I asked about the mages—which was disheartening—and it made me wonder if all humans in this region flared a little. Maybe all humans did. I’d only ever been around witches and supernaturals, and now that seemed like a terrible gap in my knowledge of the world. I was second-guessing myself that much. “But how is a hike going to solve anything?”