“Ensorcelling,” Bruno gently corrected Estele. “Brujos are sorcerers. We prefer the term ‘ensorcelling’ to ‘enchanting.’ Enchantment is for witches.”
Enchantment certainly wasn’t just for witches. Was Bruno subtly trying to distance himself from witches, namely Esposito witches, by splitting hairs? “By my reckoning, enchantment is for everyone in the supernatural community. If you have reservations about working with me or any other witch, you should say so now.”
Val’s answer came lightning fast. “Estele, I have no reservations about joining forces with you.”
Bruno didn’t look so sure. “You’re so young and have no real experience as a team leader. Your family history—” He heaved a deep breath. “—does cast doubt in my mind, but I will respect you because fate has indicated you are our best hope.”
Damn. It hurt to hear it, but could she blame him? “To be honest, I feel the same way. I understand completely. I have doubts too. Ask Val how I reacted to the news that I was an ally and the one to battle whatever it is that’s threating to erupt under our feet.”
Shaking his head, Val frowned. “Tio Bruno, Estele was so humble and self-deprecating. I don’t believe she’d make a claim she couldn’t deliver on. She’s my ally in this mission and I’ve seen firsthand how powerful she is. As mere brujo food wizards, we can’t come close to what she can achieve.”
Wow, Val was really standing up for her. It felt great until she realized how shitty it would feel if she let him down.
Bruno’s pale eyes flashed. “Power and wisdom don’t always travel together. We are vulnerable precisely because she’s so powerful and so inexperienced. Evil might snatch her up as easily as a crocodile grabs a paddling dog from a pond.”
Eww. That was an ugly image. “You’re 100 percent right,” she said. “Even I don’t trust me. I have no idea why”—dare she mention the Heart of Hecate? No—“people started trusting me yesterday with valuable stuff, or why they sought me out believing I was their ally, but they did. Yesterday was a very eventful day. Today, I find myself in charge of loads of crazy stuff. Am I going to run from it and say, ‘Not me, I can’t handle this?’ No. I’m going to be a grown-up and figure this puzzle out one piece at a time.”
Estele peered out the window. The first rays of golden sunshine lit the horizon. “We know one thing for sure: the evil force welling beneath our feet is attracted to me. It followed me to the market and to my home, and I’m guessing it’ll follow me around the fairgrounds. Let’s exploit that fact. Val, watch my back.”
Val nodded solemnly. “You do not even need to ask.”
Now she was on a roll. It was as if confusion lifted and she was able to see the big picture. “Bruno, create the strongest ensorcellment you can muster on that coffee. Let’s get it into the crewmen’s hands ASAP and start slapping people if we have to. The sun is coming up and that works in our favor too. As Bruno pointed out, I have no experience battling evil, so I’m going to do the wise thing and call in others who know exactly what they are doing.” She tapped her phone’s speed dial. “I’m calling in reinforcements.”
The call went straight to voice mail. “Hello, this Frederica De la Cruz. If you are trying to reach me or Gus—”
“Estele?” Fredi’s sleep-soggy voice interrupted the message. “It’s literally the crack of dawn. Why are you calling? Is everything okay?”
She licked her lips. “Things aren’t okay. We’re all in grave danger, and for once it’s not my fault. Whatever you have planned for today, cancel it and come to the fairgrounds as fast as you can, and for Goddess’s sake bring a fully charged wand with you.”
“Estele, what is this about?” Fredi sounded wary. “Is this connected to the hex-vex-redirect spell from last night?”
“No.” Her gaze flickered between Val and Bruno, who were looking at her as if their next breaths depended on her. “Call Miss Dahlia, and Witch Griselda too. Something big is getting ready to blow, and we need all hands on deck.”
Chapter 12
ESTELE WATCHED FROM a safe distance as Tio Bruno and Val ensorcelled the contents of the coffee urn using native chants, a rattle made from a coyote’s skull, and some other odd items they’d retrieved from a medicine bundle wrapped in rustic red cloth.
“Will this affect safe food handling practices?” she blurted. “Ensorcelling food is one thing....” Her gaze fixated on the toothy skull that appeared yellowed by time. “Food contamination is another.”
Bruno stopped chanting long enough to flash her a condemning look. “Do not be concerned. I know what I’m doing.”
“Okay, fine.” Where was Fredi? She wished she were here already.
Val appeared anxious as he gathered a stack of paper cups into his arms. “How are we going to do this?”
With a dramatic wave of his hands, Bruno stopped chanting. “The sorcery has been cast.” He set the rattle down on the piece of red cloth, filled a pump thermos with fresh coffee, and handed it to Val. “Take this and try to get everyone who looks like they are under the effects of magic to drink some. We’ll just keep refilling it and making more until everyone is back to normal.”
Val handed a plastic bag full of creamer cups and sugar packets to Estele. “Come with me.” He opened the door and exited the truck.
Estele followed. The morning was cool and the horizon glowed a reassuring shade of peach. The lights that had blazed through the night were still on and the crewmen worked unabated. Heavy electrical cables lay everywhere like pythons basking on the tarmac. A man driving a forklift zipped past, forcing her to jump aside. “That was too close.”
“Did you see the look in his eyes?” Val said. “It was frozen as a snow cone. No one was home.”
“Let’s give him some brujo-style coffee.” Her strides lengthened as she sped to catch up with the man.
The forklift had come to a stop. The man waited as a coworker stacked pallets onto the lift.
“Hey, you!” She ran up to the man and dared jump aboard the forklift.
Staring straight ahead, the man ignored her. His eyes were bloodshot and his lips were cracked and dry. He looked exhausted and wired at the same moment. “How about some coffee? You look like you could use a cup.”
The man remained silent and staring and didn’t acknowledge her in the slightest.
“I’m going to pour you a cup anyway. You’ll love it. The coffee from Brujo Tacos is enchanting.” She said it loudly. The coffee was poured and she decided to give it to him black. Dipping her finger into the cup, she tested the temperature. It was too hot to pour down someone’s throat, which was what it looked like she would have to do, so she blew on it. When she was confident the coffee wouldn’t burn the man, she held the cup to his lips. “Here you are. Take a sip. You need this more than you realize.”
He stared into space, her pleas falling on deaf ears.
“Okay. Either you won’t or can’t drink on your own.” She reached over and tugged at the man’s lip, trying to pour a little coffee into his mouth, but it just trickled down his chin. “I can see I’m going to have to be proactive.” Turning toward Val, she said, “Maybe we should get a spoon and play ‘open for the coffee train.’ This guy is not cooperating at all. Foisting enchanted coffee on him is like giving a pill to an unwilling dog.”
There were dozens of crewmen on the midway. This was going to take forever. “Wait a minute. Val, do you have a baster on the truck?”
His face lit with joy. “Yep, I’ll get it.”
“Hurry, before this guy drives off with me!”
Val turned and ran back to the truck.
“What’s going on here?” a woman’s sultry voice called to her.
Estele turned. Madame Shamansky stood behind her wearing a purple bathrobe, sheepskin boots, and a frown. “Hi, Marge! Good morning. I was just—”
Marge stomped toward her. “Who the hell are you? This is my carnival. What are you up to?”
Oh dear, the look on Marge’s face wasn’t welcom
ing in the least bit. What had gone wrong? “I’m your new psychic, remember?”
“Hold on, missy! This carnival only has one psychic and she is me.”
Whoa. Did Madame really not remember her, or was this something else? “Marge. You hired me last night. I’m Estele—Seer of the Akash. Does that ring any bells? You told me to show up for work bright and early and here I am.”
“Hell no, I don’t remember, because it didn’t happen.” Marge planted her fists on her hips and scowled. “Are you crazy or just pretending to be crazy? I’ve never seen you before in my life! I have no idea what you’re trying to pull, but you need to get out of here before I call security!”
Val walked toward them, beaming, a large turkey baster held in one hand and a steaming cup of coffee in the other. “Good morning, Marge!”
Marge squinted. “Hello, handsome! Do I know you?” She wasn’t nearly as surly with Val. “Have we met?”
Val offered his most devastating smile. “We met last night.”
A smile tickled Marge’s lips. “Why can’t I remember that? I’m certain I’d want to remember someone like you.”
“You invited me into your trailer.” Val looked at her sideways, showing his thick black lashes.
“We must have had too much fun.” Pawing the air with kittenish gestures, Marge grinned. “I sure wish I could remember.”
Val walked toward Estele. He dipped the baster into the coffee and sucked a good amount up. “Would you like to remember what we did last night?”
Marge giggled. “I’ll bet it was naughty and involved lots of tequila, because I can’t remember a damn thing.”
While Marge’s mouth was open and laughing, Val squirted coffee past her lips. “This coffee’s ensorcelled.”
Marge looked surprised, gurgled and swallowed, and wiped her mouth on her sleeve. “What the hell was that about!” Her eyes went wide. “Holy fuck. What’s going on? I remember everything now. We were talking last night and chewing gum. I told you my life story. We didn’t do anything wrong.” She winked at Val. “Damn you for being decent. Then Luther called me over to his trailer. I don’t remember how I even got back to my trailer. Come to think of it, that happens all the time.”
Glancing around to make sure no one was near, she whispered to Marge, “Do you trust Luther?”
Marge appeared unsettled. “Does it matter? There’s no sense asking if the air is good to breathe. A few weeks ago, the guy shows up out of nowhere, pays off my debts, which were considerable, takes charge, bullies me.... When we talk, I have to meet him in a darkened, fart-filled trailer. He won’t turn on the lights or even pay me the courtesy of eye contact. I can’t tell him anything and I wish he’d just go away. Maybe the dude’s in the witness protection program? Something’s not right.” She reached for the cup in Val’s hand, blew on the surface, and downed the contents in a single gulp. “Good coffee. Do you have any more of this stuff?” Her eyes cleared. “Wow, now I feel wide awake, like I can see everything for the first time in a long time. Holy crap, I’ve been a fool. It’s embarrassing to admit this, but Luther’s been keeping me in some sort of fog. I can’t think or act in my best interest when that guy’s around.”
The forklift started to reverse, and Estele jumped off and allowed the glassy-eyed operator to drive away. Damn, she never had a chance to get any coffee into him. “Did you see that?” She hoped to get Marge’s attention refocused. “Does that look like normal behavior to you? You’re not the only one Luther has a negative effect on. We were talking in front of that guy and he didn’t react in the slightest. We might as well have been standing on the moon.”
Marge held up the empty cup. “Any chance of a refill, handsome?”
Val’s tone was earnest. “I must inform you, the coffee carries a powerful ensorcellment.”
Licking her lips, Marge stepped closer. “And so do your eyes, gorgeous, but I’m still willing to risk a second cup.”
Estele reached for the pump thermos and refilled Marge’s cup. “We’re fighting fire with fire. The coffee has a spell cast on it and we’re using it to break a spell that you and the rest of the carnival seem to be under.”
Marge looked surprised. “You think I’ve been under some sort of spell?”
When someone was oblivious, what could be done for them? Would the next revelation be a good or bad thing? People didn’t always take kindly to the truth. Estele slapped Marge’s cheek to add to the coffee’s sobering effect. “Marge, I think that evil forces are at work and you’ve been exploited by someone or something using dark magic.”
“What the fu—” Marge flinched. “What was the slap for? I’m listening. You didn’t have to do it. You think I’ve been exploited by Luther? Yeah, I can see that.” She downed the second cup of coffee in two drafts.
Val retrieved the empty cup from Marge’s hand. “What do you know about Luther?”
“Oh boy.” Marge rubbed her arms like she’d felt a chill. “Not much. He just showed up one night when the carnival was set up in Bakersfield and told me that, like it or not, he was my new partner. I didn’t want a partner, but Mr. Shamansky, died last year and left me with some heavy-duty medical bills to pay off. Another season of touring and good management would have taken care of that. Instead Luther tells me the bills are paid and he’s my new silent partner, and then things get weirder. I’m still in charge, you see, I’m still the majority owner, but everyone immediately starts doing everything Luther’s way. Like all of a sudden, he’s the boss, even though most of them have never set eyes on the guy. Luther hates sunlight. He’s got some weird condition and he avoids it at all costs. That means night travel, night setups, etc. When I get called to Luther’s trailer for business meetings, it’s always at night and the lights are out.”
Estele knew she was fishing but asked anyway. “Did he ever sign anything? What bank paid off the debts? Maybe we can run a background search?”
“Luther paid me with cash from a suitcase.” Marge bit down on her lip. “I know it looks bad. Don’t judge me, I was desperate. I just wanted to stay on the road and pay my guys and gals the salaries they were owed. We’re a family.”
“Marge, I’m not judging you.” Estele placed her hand on the lady’s shoulder. “I’m asking you to trust me and Val. We’re here to help.”
Confusion clouded Marge’s face. “Who are you people anyway? Law enforcement?”
Where should she start? “More like laws of nature enforcement. We’re members of the enchantment community—you know, humans and supernatural beings with magical powers? We’re here to restore balance. I’m a witch and Val is a practicing brujo.”
“What’s a brujo?” Marge’s lip curled.
“It’s like a wizard,” Estele said, “with a slightly different set of personal issues.”
Val frowned. “Hey, I thought we got past that.”
Looking distracted, Marge blurted, “So, you’re magical beings. Why are you interested in my carnival?”
This wasn’t going to be easy. Everything about Marge’s body language was shouting shutout. “I have to tell you something disturbing and I don’t have time to fully explain it. We’re sitting on top of a bubble of malevolence that’s getting ready to go nuclear, and your carnival is definitely involved.”
Marge scrunched her nose. “A bubble of what? What are we sitting on top of?”
“Evil,” Val said. “Pure evil, and lots of it. It’s been steadily brewing beneath the fairgrounds for years and it’s getting ready to surface.”
“Evil? Don’t look at me. If it’s been ‘brewing’ for years beneath the fairground, it’s a preexisting condition and therefore not my fault. I run an honest enterprise. It’s not like I tracked evil into your town on the bottom of my shoe and spread it around.” A nervous-sounding little chuckle burst from Marge.
“Actually, we think you did.” Estele cringed. It wasn’t easy being the messenger. What could she say that would make the situation clearer to Marge? “We took some sample rea
dings last night—”
“Readings? Like psychic readings? I’m the pro in that department.” Marge planted her fists on her hips. “Was that why you were snooping around?”
“Yes, but let me finish. We took divination readings. Aside from observing strong evidence that your crew was under some sort of thrall, we got an off-the-charts reading of evil emanating from Luther’s trailer. We think Luther is up to no good. If he joins forces with whatever evil forces are building beneath our feet, we’re all going to have a really bad day.”
A stricken expression collapsed Marge’s face. “Oh my God! You’re right. The San Buena fair has been Luther’s goal all along. He’s been mentioning it for weeks and double-checked to make sure we were still booked for August. Last night, he even alluded to me that I wouldn’t have to put up with his company much longer.”
“Where’s Luther now?” Estele cast her gaze around the fairgrounds. The sun was up but the crews were still hard at work.
Marge didn’t look so good right then. Guilt or nausea had added a greenish cast to her complexion. “My guess is Luther’s locked in his trailer, where he always is during daylight hours.”
“Does he ever come out during the day?” Estele asked, but she already knew the answer.
Marge shook her head. “Never.”
“Good.” Val nodded. “That means we are free to investigate this situation without his interference. Marge, we need to get enchanted coffee into every member of your crew. It’s got to be obvious that Luther has kept you and the workmen under some sort of thrall that needs to broken ASAP. Those guys were working this hard ten hours ago. They must be ready to drop from exhaustion.”
Looking like she was ready to faint as well, Marge nodded. “Just tell me what to do. I’ll help you get coffee into everybody. Once the spell is broken, what do we tell everyone?”
Alchemy With Benefits Page 20
