Darktide

by Christine Pope

  Caitlin’s lips pressed together, and she nodded. “Yes, they surrounded him and dragged him out the front door. I didn’t really see what happened after that.” She hesitated, then went on, “I thought Levi was super-powerful. How could they just grab him?”

  “Obviously, it doesn’t matter how powerful you are if there’s a null around. I guess Escobar’s talent overrides everything else. He wouldn’t care if he knocked out the abilities of the people with him, because that many people could overpower Levi physically, even if none of them were able to use their magical gifts.”

  Frowning, she went to the window and peeked out between the blinds. The sun was starting to set, but it was still plenty light out. “Wouldn’t anyone have noticed a bunch of people dragging a guy out of this apartment and down the stairs?”

  “Maybe.” Alex hurried over to stand next to her, a little irritated that she’d been so cavalier about stepping outside the shield he’d cast. Then again, Caitlin saw things that no one else could. She probably understood the threat was long gone. “If there was anyone around to see it. This all probably happened a few hours ago, before a lot of people would have gotten home from work. And also, it sounds as though Joaquin Escobar has the same power of persuasion that his son did. If there were any witnesses, he could have made them think whatever he wanted.”

  That sank in as Caitlin gave a reluctant nod. “I suppose you’re right. So now what?”

  Well, hell. Good question. Alex ran a hand through his hair, wishing that just for once, he’d have some good news to deliver. “I’ll call my mother. She’ll have to let Angela know what happened to Levi. And I suppose we’ll also need to get the word out that Escobar is in our territory, although if he has a couple hours’ head start on us, he could be getting across the California border pretty soon.”

  “If they drove. Maybe one of the Santiagos has the power to send them from place to place, like that great-great-great-whatever uncle of Danica’s that she told me about once.”

  If that was the case, then they would be well and truly screwed. Alex knew there was no one in the de la Paz clan with that particular talent — and no one in the Wilcoxes or the McAllisters, unless they were all hiding something. “Well, let’s hope not. I think it’s more likely that they’re somehow able to mask their witch-kind identities. Wasn’t Damon Wilcox able to do something like that?”

  “I think so. Since it seems as if Joaquin Escobar has managed to bundle together every talent that helps him and hurts everyone else, I wouldn’t be surprised.”

  Usually, Caitlin didn’t sound quite so thoroughly depressed. However, this latest development was the last thing any of them needed to deal with. What was Escobar’s end game, anyway? He couldn’t expect Levi to throw his lot in with the Santiagos, could he?

  Maybe…after a little bit of “persuasion” from Joaquin. Alex just didn’t know enough about Levi to even guess whether the adopted McAllister warlock had the kind of strength required to withstand an Escobar warlock’s mental manipulations.

  He pulled Caitlin close and hugged her gently, as much to reassure himself that she was still with him, and safe, as to let her know that he was here for her. Without speaking, they left the apartment, Alex pausing to lock the door behind them.

  What good that would do, he had no idea.

  The damage had already been done.

  6

  Angela

  My phone rang just as Connor and I were sitting down to eat the pizza we’d ended up ordering from Grapes. I didn’t hesitate, however, but grabbed the phone, scanned the home screen for a second, then pushed the green button with its phone icon to accept the call.

  I’d noted that it was Luz calling me, not Caitlin. I didn’t know whether that was a good or a bad thing.

  “Hi, it’s Angela.”

  “Angela.” Luz hesitated, and that small pause was enough to send icy tendrils of worry running down my spine. “I just heard from Alex.”

  “And?” I had to ask the question, even though I already knew the news probably wasn’t good.

  “Caitlin had a vision at the apartment. She saw Joaquin Escobar seizing Levi and taking him away. The vision ended after that, so I’m not sure where they were going, but — ”

  “I’m sure he was taking him back to California,” I said. Was that my voice, so calm, so cold? I might as well have been speaking of a stranger, rather than someone who’d become part of my clan over the past eighteen months. But I knew I was forcing myself to a calm I didn’t feel, because otherwise I ran the risk of losing it altogether.

  “But why?”

  “Levi’s gifts are very valuable. Joaquin wants Levi working for him, not against him.” Across the table, Connor was watching me, his narrowed eyes telling me he’d been able to guess at the parts of the conversation he couldn’t hear. I cleared my throat. “Luz, is it okay if I put you on speaker?”

  “Of course.”

  My husband shot me a grateful look. Leaning close to the phone, he asked, “Caitlin is absolutely sure it was Escobar?”

  “Yes. She recognized him immediately.”

  “So Joaquin Escobar’s null talent is able to override Levi’s gifts.”

  “It looks that way.”

  Silence as Connor and I stared at each other across our neglected pizza. All sorts of terrible thoughts were running through my head, but the one that rose to the surface was, What in the world am I going to tell Hayley?

  The truth, of course. Terrible as this was, we couldn’t keep the news from her.

  “You said ‘they’ earlier,” Connor put in. “So Escobar wasn’t acting alone?”

  “No. He had a group of one witch and several warlocks with him. Alex says he assumes that was so they would still be able to physically control Levi even if Joaquin’s null talent was blocking everyone’s powers.”

  Which made sense. I didn’t bother to ask how this gang of warlocks and one witch had managed to drag Levi out of the apartment with no one apparently noticing what was going on. Joaquin Escobar had already proved that he was able to manipulate a situation to his own satisfaction.

  But…. “And none of the de la Pazes in Tucson were able to detect this incursion into their territory?”

  Luz didn’t answer right away. When she spoke, it was with a hint of defensiveness in her voice, although at least she did reply rather than trying to avoid the question. “No, apparently not. I didn’t feel anything. I could try to explain this away by saying that I was in Scottsdale at the time, and therefore miles from the scene of the crime, but the truth of it is, I don’t think I would have felt their presence even if I’d still been down in Tucson. Another of Joaquin Escobar’s tricks, I am certain.”

  Although Connor was being the supportive husband and only had water set out on the table by his place setting, right then he looked like he could use a drink. I couldn’t blame him — I felt the same way. When this was all over, I’d tell him to have a drink for the both of us, since I wouldn’t be able to indulge for at least another six months.

  “Did they leave any trace of their activities in the apartment?” Connor asked.

  “Not that Alex and Caitlin were able to find. Everything looked completely undisturbed. Alex took some pictures, just to be safe, but I don’t think a close inspection of them is going to reveal anything.”

  Like me, Luz was doing her best to be calm, but the brittle quality of her tone told me how on edge she really was. I couldn’t blame her — after all, she’d just sent her son to investigate a place that Joaquin Escobar had invaded only a few hours earlier. What if Alex and Caitlin had gone there while Escobar and his gang were still present? They would have been captured, too. Both of them had talents that could be useful. Did the Santiagos have a seer? I couldn’t remember, but I knew I could ask Lucinda and find out for sure.

  First things first, though. We had to let Hayley know what had happened to Levi.

  “Okay,” I said. “I doubt that Escobar hung around — he’d want to get ba
ck to California with his prize. So I don’t think there’s any point in trying to find him, or catch up with him. We just need to figure out how to get Levi back.”

  “Yes,” Luz replied, although her tone sounded skeptical.

  I wasn’t feeling very hopeful myself. Yes, we’d been able to mount a rescue right from the house where Joaquin Escobar was living, but only because we’d had Levi’s assistance. I didn’t think there was any way to do such a thing without his help, but we’d have to try.

  “We’ll think of something,” I said, my tone firm. “In the meantime, I guess…stay vigilant, and let us know if you see or hear anything.”

  “Because vigilance served us so well in this instance.” A pause, and Luz went on, “But yes, I don’t see what else we can do. Take care, Angela, Connor.”

  “You, too,” Connor and I said together, and I pushed the button to end the call. For a moment, the two of us just sat there and stared at each other, neither one of us sure what we should say or do next.

  At last he reached over and closed the pizza box, then laid his hand on top of mine. “We need to go talk to Hayley. We can heat this up when we get back.”

  “Like I’ll feel like eating anything after giving her this news.”

  “I know, but you need to eat. You need to keep your strength up.” His fingers brushed against my skin, gentle, reassuring. Somehow with Connor there, I felt as if we could find a way to work this out, even though I couldn’t think of one right at the moment.

  “I love you,” I said simply, and he smiled, green eyes shining into mine.

  “I love you, too.” He lifted my hand to his lips and kissed it gently. “Now let’s go and talk to Hayley.”

  Yes, this conversation wasn’t something that could be avoided. At least I knew Hayley would be at the apartment she shared with Levi, and that she would have Lucinda with her. Good. She wouldn’t be receiving this news alone. Also, since Lucinda would be there, I could ask her some questions about the Santiago clan, could try to get as much information to help our cause as possible.

  I really didn’t know what else to do.

  The sun had gone down behind the mountain, but the air was still pleasantly warm. It must have been baking down in Tucson today. I wondered how Levi had dealt with the heat, since he’d never been back to the southern part of the state after he’d come here to live. Had it weakened him somehow, made it more difficult for him to fight back?

  No, the heat couldn’t have had anything to do with it. Joaquin was just too strong for him.

  That thought scared me more than anything else, because Levi’s powers were really kind of staggering, when you stopped to think about it. He wasn’t limited to the one or two magical gifts that most witches and warlocks possessed. As far as I could tell, he was able to do just about anything, whether he was dispelling demons or soothing a fever.

  But Joaquin’s null power was like a black hole, extinguishing anything that came near, even something as bright and as beautiful as Levi.

  No, he wasn’t extinguished. Escobar would want him alive. Levi might not be able to fight for himself right now, but he wasn’t dead.

  Connor’s hand sought mine as we walked down the hill, and I wrapped my fingers around his, needing to feel him there, to know he was with me in this. We’d been in tight spots before and had always prevailed. This felt worse, but I knew we would find a way out.

  I had to believe that.

  Even so, my heart began to beat a little faster as we approached the building where Levi’s flat was located. As prima, I knew that part of the job was delivering bad news…but this news was so very bad.

  Nevertheless, I didn’t allow my footsteps to falter as Connor and I climbed the two flights of stairs that led us to the building’s third floor, where Levi’s and Brandon’s flats faced one another across a small landing outlined by a wrought-iron railing. And I made myself let go of Connor’s hand so I could reach up and knock on the door.

  Only a moment later, it opened, and Hayley looked out at us. As soon as she saw who was standing there, her face fell. “What’s happened?”

  “Can we come in?” Connor asked.

  “Oh, sure.” She stepped out of the way so Connor and I could enter the apartment. As we came inside, Lucinda picked up the remote for the TV and shut off the show the two of them had been watching. I didn’t watch much television, so I couldn’t identify what it was. Not that it really mattered. “It’s bad, right?”

  “Yes,” I said, knowing that I couldn’t dance around the issue, or delay in telling her the terrible news. “We just had a call from Luz. My cousin Caitlin — Luz’s daughter-in-law — had a vision in the apartment. She saw Joaquin Escobar and some of the Santiagos taking Levi away.”

  Hayley’s eyes widened, and she put her hand to her mouth, as if she needed that physical barrier to prevent a gasp — or a scream — from coming out. A long pause while she stared at us, and then she lowered her hand and said, “You’re sure? I mean, it was just a vision — ”

  “Caitlin’s visions are never wrong,” Connor broke in gently. “They don’t always come when you need them, but when they do, what she sees is always accurate.”

  I hadn’t been sure exactly how Hayley would react to the news, but I was heartened by what I saw next. She went very still for a long moment, her jaw set. The glitter I saw in her eyes wasn’t tears, but anger. Pure, unbridled rage.

  Good. We were going to need that rage to get us through this ordeal. Anger could be a very powerful motivator.

  “So what do we do?” she asked after a long pause, during which I could almost see her gather herself, bank that anger down to a point where she could manage it, draw on it when necessary.

  “We’re not sure yet,” I said. “We just got the news a few minutes ago.” I glanced over at Lucinda, who rose from the couch and faced me, her entire body practically radiating tension. However, her eyes met mine without flinching.

  “What can I do?”

  A rush of relief went over me. It wasn’t that I’d expected her to outright refuse to help, but, despite the events of the past few weeks, the Santiagos were still her clan. I wouldn’t have been surprised to find she was reluctant to provide any details that might have been too damning.

  “Some information would help,” I told her. “We really don’t know that much about the Santiagos. I mean, I know your clan is a big one, but what exactly are we facing here? Whose talents is Joaquin Escobar most likely to exploit?”

  Hayley glanced at Lucinda, whose mouth pursed, then tightened. It was obvious that she didn’t like to think of her fellow clan members as only tools of Escobar’s, but unfortunately, that was how we had to look at them. Any witch or warlock in the Santiago family was now nothing more than a resource to him, something that could be useful…or not.

  “Well,” she said at last, “one strike against them is that they’re in the same boat as the McAllisters — they don’t have a healer anymore, with Matías’ mother dead these past few years. I’ve heard of a girl down in the San Diego branch of the family who’s starting to show signs of possessing the gift, but her talent won’t really manifest for a few more years. Anyway, without a healer, if they get hurt, they stay hurt.”

  Her voice was cool, calm, and I wondered how much of an effort it was taking for her to speak so dispassionately of fellow clan members. I knew better than to comment on that, however, and only said, “Well, that’s something, I guess, although there are always civilian doctors.”

  “True,” Connor commented, “but if too many members of the same family start showing up in hospital emergency rooms, people might start asking questions. And even Joaquin Escobar probably doesn’t want the civilian authorities looking at his activities too closely.”

  No, probably not. Even that arch-villain most likely didn’t want the Pasadena P.D. snooping around his property. I nodded, then said, “What else?”

  “My cousins Arturo and Elena — they’re twins. Fraternal, but they still
both possess the same talent. They’re pretty powerful telekinetics.”

  Great. I had a sudden mental image of a brother and sister picking up identical cars and throwing them at some hapless de la Paz or McAllister witch. “How powerful?”

  “Well, I don’t know if they’ve ever really tested the limits of their strength, but one time at a clan picnic we held in a park, they picked up my cousin Sam’s SUV and set it on the roof of the building where the restrooms were located.”

  So my fears about them hurling Volkswagens weren’t entirely misplaced. “I’m surprised they’d do something like that in public.”

  Lucinda shrugged. “We were the only ones in the park. We’d made sure we’d have it to ourselves. There wasn’t much risk involved. Of course, that didn’t stop my father from giving them hell about the episode.”

  “Okay, so we have Arturo and Elena to worry about,” Connor said. “Who else?”

  “I have another cousin, Amelia, who can control fire. And I mean really control it — summon it to her, throw fireballs, create walls of flame…that kind of thing. I’m sure Escobar could figure out a few uses for her. We don’t have any seers, so we don’t have to worry about having someone like Caitlin around to tell him what’s currently happening with the McAllisters, or about to happen.” Lucinda fiddled with one of the long, near-black strands of hair that fell over her shoulders. “We have weather-workers and mediums, people who can make nearly anything grow, but obviously their gifts aren’t going to be of much use to Joaquin Escobar — except maybe my Uncle César. Technically, he’s a weather-worker, but what he’s really good at is calling down lightning. Of course, he tends to practice that gift out in the desert where it can’t hurt anyone, and also because lightning storms aren’t something you see much of in the L.A. basin.”

  People who could hurl balls of fire, or call the lightning. Or throw cars, or lord knows what else. And yet Joaquin Escobar hadn’t been satisfied with all that, and wanted to make sure to get his hands on Levi so he could exploit his talents. Just what the hell did Escobar want with him?