Protector (The Witches of Cleopatra Hill Book 5) Read online

  “I don’t think so,” he said. His black gaze settled on her and Alex, partly obscured by the shield that surrounded them, even as Zoe held herself still, clearly afraid that if she made a single move, Matías would strike. “You try anything, and your prima-in-waiting dies.”

  Caitlin held up her hands, showing that she wouldn’t make any attempt at rescuing Zoe. Not that she would know the first thing about how to even do that. She wondered how Miguel and Jack were faring with Jorge and Tomas, and whether they’d subdue them in time to get out here and be of any help. Goddess knows, she felt useless enough at the moment.

  To her surprise, Alex just laughed and shook his head. “Not thinking very clearly, are you, Matías? Your whole plan revolves around getting your hands on Zoe. Without her, what’re you going to do? You kind of shut the doors behind you in California when you nailed the prima’s daughter.”

  Hate glittered in Matías’ eyes. “Fuck you, pendejo.”

  “That the best you can do? It’s over, Matías. At this point, about all you can hope for is mercy from all the clans you’ve insulted — although I’d say the odds of that are pretty low, considering you’ve managed to get the McAllisters, the Wilcoxes, and the de la Pazes against you all at the same time.” Still smiling slightly, he added, “Actually, that’s quite an accomplishment. All three of the Arizona clans in one fell swoop? I’ve never heard of anyone else who managed that kind of feat.”

  Caitlin listened, aghast. Just what the hell was Alex doing? He had no idea how volatile Matías was, how he couldn’t be trusted to react like a normal person. All he had to do was stick that knife into Zoe’s side, and then where would they be? Caitlin was no healer, and she’d never heard of healers being able to treat themselves. Also, she’d seen the dark magic the warlock was able to summon. Maybe it wouldn’t work without the ritual circle, but still —

  Scowl deepening, Matías said, “You might want to shut your mouth, cabron. Unless you want me to make a hole in this little puta’s gut.”

  “Puta!” Zoe flashed, her temper obviously getting the better of her common sense. “I’ll puta you, you asshole!”

  One Doc Marten–clad foot came down squarely on his toes, and Matías swore. But Zoe had gotten him off-balance enough that she wrested her arm from his grasp and came running toward Caitlin and Alex. Now just a yard away — a couple of feet.

  Then Zoe let out a howl of pain, and Caitlin saw that Matías had reached out and grabbed a hank of the girl’s long hair as it streamed behind her. A grin of triumph pulled at his mouth as he began to drag her back toward him.

  “Alex, do something,” Caitlin pleaded. It was fine to stand here and know that Matías could do them no harm, but Zoe would be lost to them after all if they didn’t take swift action. And as much as Caitlin wanted to burst out of there and go running to the other girl’s aid, she knew even the two of them together probably wouldn’t be enough to overcome the dark warlock.

  Beside her, Alex shifted, gritted his teeth, and then raised his hands. She didn’t know what he was doing…she didn’t even know if he knew what he was doing. Not exactly. He made a pushing motion, as if he was shoving against an invisible force. Around them, the dome shivered, pulsed, and then exploded forward in a flash of light, seeming to pass harmlessly over Zoe but knocking Matías back against the Fiat, where his head slammed into one of the rear windows with a crack! Caitlin both saw and felt.

  He slid to the ground, unconscious…at least, she thought he must be, as he was limp and not moving. Zoe stopped in mid-flight, pink-glossed lips open in a round “O,” as if she still hadn’t quite processed what was happening.

  And then Alex was moving, going over to where Matías lay. Caitlin jogged along behind him, not because she thought she could do anything to help, but more because she wanted to confirm for herself that the warlock really wasn’t about to get up again any time soon.

  “Is he…?” she began, as Alex stopped and laid a couple of fingers against Matías’ throat.

  At once Alex shook his head. “He’s alive. I’m not sure whether that’s a good thing or not.” He glanced past her to his cousin. “Zoe, are you okay?”

  She put her hand up to the back of her head. “Well, I’m lucky that pendejo didn’t snatch me bald-headed, but other than that, I’m all right.”

  Caitlin glanced past the car, saw that there were a few people at the end of the row shooting curious glances in their direction. All she could do was hope they hadn’t seen Alex’s last display, had only caught a glimpse of what looked like an altercation over a girl between a couple of guys in a parking lot. Otherwise, they’d have a lot of explaining to do.

  “Hey!” she heard Miguel shout, and she looked over her shoulder to see him and Jack Sandoval approaching, Tomas and Jorge in tow, a bewildered Danica trailing along behind them. What they’d done to subdue the two other warlocks, Caitlin had no idea, but they both looked cowed, marching along meekly in front of their captors and keeping their eyes firmly locked on the ground so they wouldn’t have to look at anyone…especially not their fallen ringleader. And Danica only stood there, hand to her mouth as she stared down at Matías’ limp form.

  “So you got him,” Jack said, gazing at them in approval. Alex straightened and nodded.

  “Yeah, I don’t think he’s going anywhere anytime soon.”

  Then Miguel glanced up the aisle, eyes narrowing. An electric cart with the words “Mall Security” on the side was moving toward them. “Alex, take Caitlin and Zoe and Danica, and get out of here. Jack and I will handle the mall cop.”

  “What’re you going to tell them?” Caitlin asked, even as Alex moved toward her and took her hand in his. She clutched his fingers gratefully, still shocked by what he had done. Well, it seemed her powers weren’t the only ones that could get amped up when under pressure.

  Smiling, Jack pulled out his wallet and flashed a Scottsdale P.D. badge at them. “No worries. I’ll handle it.”

  He turned toward the approaching mall security officer, and Alex began moving then, collecting Zoe by looping his arm through hers and dragging her back toward the entrance to the shopping center, while Caitlin reached out with her free hand and took hold of Danica. Her friend still seemed a bit bewildered, but came along without protest.

  Blinking at the sudden turn of events, and trying not to worry too much about how out of it Danica still was, Caitlin looked up at Alex and demanded, “Why the hell didn’t you tell me your cousin Jack was a cop?”

  Alex sent her a blazing smile in reply. “Well, you never asked.”

  19

  There wasn’t anything like a “witch jail,” and so Miguel and Jack volunteered to keep an eye on the three miscreants until all the parties involved could be contacted and some sort of determination made about what should be done with the warlocks. After they’d fled the mall, Alex drove Zoe to his aunt and uncle’s house in Fountain Hills, where they took in their wayward daughter while wearing expressions that seemed to indicate she was about to get read the riot act about talking with strange young men in malls. Even though he was feeling wrung out and not as relieved as he’d thought he’d be, considering that Matías and Co. had been caught, Alex had to force back a smile at the resigned look on his cousin’s face. Clearly, she was used to having her parents give her grief over something or other.

  Then it was time to backtrack to Scottsdale so he could finally meet up with his own parents at Maya’s home. It was a house in mourning, the curtains closed, the mirrors covered, even the fountain in the courtyard shut down. A cowardly part of him wished he could have gone back to Tucson and taken Caitlin with him so they could spend some healing time together, but that was not an option. For one thing, they needed to stay with Danica until her parents could get down to Scottsdale and reclaim her. Throughout the whole car ride over here, she hadn’t spoken, but only stared out the car window, and Alex couldn’t help wondering if being continually under Matías’ control for the past few days had done something to
permanently mess with her mind. God, he hoped not. That would be the final blow. Alex told himself she just needed time.

  As for Caitlin, she was looking pale but calm enough, although he knew she must be dreading what had to come next. Events had spilled over them so quickly that she hadn’t had a chance to call home and let her mother know what had happened to Roslyn, but it was a call that would have to be made soon.

  Luz came and greeted them in the foyer, then folded Alex into a fierce, brief hug. Now she seemed composed, but he’d seen the shadows under her eyes, the smudging of the eyeliner she wore, and knew she must have been weeping not too much earlier.

  “Are you okay, Mama?” he asked her.

  “As much as I can be, mijo,” she replied. Then her gaze moved to Caitlin, and she went to her, taking Caitlin’s hands in hers. “My dear, I am so sorry about your friend.” A little pause, as Caitlin nodded, and then Luz turned toward her companion. “Danica, would you like to come sit down in the living room? I can bring you something to drink — some iced tea, or lemonade?”

  Danica’s hazel eyes still looked a little blurry, but then it seemed as if she made an effort to focus. “Um…yes. Yes, please.” She glanced around her, obviously confused. “Where am I?”

  “You’re at Maya de la Paz’s house,” Caitlin said. “This is Luz, Alex’s mother. You remember Alex from the car, right?”

  “Yes.” Her brows pulled together, and she frowned. “Wasn’t there another girl?”

  “Yes, my cousin Zoe,” Alex said. “We dropped her off at her house a while ago. Remember?”

  “Oh, right.” Danica put her hand to her head. “I feel hung over. Did we go out drinking last night, Caitlin?”

  “Uh…not exactly,” Caitlin managed, and sent a beseeching look in Luz’s direction. It was clear she didn’t know the best way to handle talking about what had really happened to her friend.

  “If your head is hurting, then let’s try some iced tea,” Luz said in soothing tones. “Just come on into the living room….”

  They both went out, and Alex led Caitlin into the kitchen. “Do you want some tea, too? Or lemonade?”

  She lifted her shoulders, looking so exhausted that he went to her at once and folded her into his arms, holding her close. At first he was worried that she was about to start crying, but she was very still as he held her, and only laid her head against his chest and breathed in deeply. A minute passed, and then she said,

  “I wish I could have something stronger, but that’s just me being a coward.” She stepped away from him, gazing up into his face. Her eyes glittered, but he somehow knew the tears that swam there would never fall. “I need to call my mother. Maybe I should be calling my Aunt Lysette directly to tell her what happened, but I know I don’t have the guts for that. Besides, my mother’s her sister-in-law, and an elder. Maybe Lysette will take it better hearing it from her anyway.”

  “You’re probably right,” he said, trying to sound as comforting as he could. “It’s the sort of thing your mother should handle.”

  She nodded. “I think I’ll take that lemonade now.”

  Alex went to get it, and right afterward, his mother came into the kitchen. Her troubled gaze immediately settled on Caitlin.

  “Danica’s sitting down and seems calm enough. I can’t tell for sure, but it seems as if she remembers very little of what happened to her over the past few days.”

  “Good,” Caitlin said immediately. “I hope she forgets all of it. That would be the best for everyone.”

  Still looking worried, Luz went to the cupboard and got out a glass, then filled it with ice and poured tea from the pitcher in the refrigerator into it. “I’ll get this to her, but we need to call her parents as well. Do you have their number?”

  “I did, but the phone that had their number stored in it is gone. I’ll have to let my mother know Danica’s here and safe, and to pass the word on. I’m sure Connor must have her parents’ contact information.”

  “That will do just fine,” Alex’s mother said. “But I’ll need to get this out to her, and then I think it best you make your call as quickly as you can, so that you can come and sit with your friend. I’m a stranger to her, and she’s in a strange place. She will feel better if you are near.”

  Caitlin nodded. “I’ll call right now and be out as quickly as I can.”

  Luz offered her a reassuring smile, then took the glass of iced tea and headed back to the living room. After she was gone, Caitlin turned to Alex, her expression troubled but resolute.

  “I guess I’d better make that call now.”

  He wished more than anything that he could do it for her — hadn’t she been through enough? — but he knew this was her responsibility. “I’ll get the phone for you.” The cordless sat on a table in the hallway, so he went to fetch it, then handed it to Caitlin. She took it as reluctantly as if it were crawling with the Ebola virus or something. Seeing the way she hesitated, he asked, “Do you want me to be here with you while you call your mom, or would you rather be alone?”

  The look in her eyes told him she’d rather have his support, but she surprised him by replying, “I’d better do it alone. I’ll be fine.”

  There didn’t seem to be much point in arguing, so he nodded and slipped back into the hallway while she stayed in the kitchen to make the call. Even so, he wasn’t so far away that he couldn’t hear bits and pieces, heard her reassuring her mother that she was fine, and Danica was safe, too. A long pause, and then finally she passed on the news about Roslyn, following it up as quickly as she could with the information that at least the warlocks had all been caught, and so now it was a matter of clan justice.

  When Caitlin emerged from the kitchen and gave the phone back to Alex, he could tell she’d been crying. Not a lot — her makeup looked more or less intact — but her eyes were red, and she kept sniffling.

  “My mother is going to let everyone know what happened, and she’ll call Danica’s parents, too. It sounds as if Angela and Connor will be contacting your mother soon as well. They’ll — I guess they’ll have a lot to do.”

  That was an understatement. He held his breath, waiting to hear if there was more. After all, so far Caitlin hadn’t said one thing about what she planned to do next. It was Friday, the last day of her spring break. He was pretty sure she was supposed to go back to school on Monday. Only…would she, after everything that had happened this week?

  Then she said, “And they’ll be coming down to take me home.”

  His heart sank. Then again, what the hell had he expected? They were only about five years apart in terms of age, but the gap between twenty-one and twenty-six was a pretty big one in terms of living one’s life. She had school to consider, if her parents would even let her go back. He could understand the impulse to want to keep her close, keep her safe.

  He was feeling exactly the same way right about now.

  * * *

  They all ended up crashing at Maya’s house that night. Sure enough, Angela phoned only about fifteen minutes after Caitlin had called home, and spoke to Luz Trujillo for nearly an hour while Caitlin and Danica and Alex sat in the family room and pretended to watch television. At least Danica hadn’t yet asked where Roslyn was. Caitlin wasn’t sure if she could handle that right now. Eventually, her friend would have to learn something of the truth, but Danica was too fragile right now, still nowhere close to herself.

  Apparently, the McAllisters and the Wilcoxes had agreed that there probably wasn’t anyplace safer for their two girls than with the de la Paz prima, and that was why Caitlin and Danica were told to stay put, and that a contingent from Jerome would be coming down in the morning to collect them and handle the whole Matías situation.

  “Since it was already so late, and they wouldn’t be here much before ten anyway,” Luz said as she showed Caitlin and Danica to a pretty little guest room with two twin beds and plaster walls washed a warm rosy hue. “And I believe you already have all your things with you, Caitlin, and c
an share with Danica as necessary.”

  That was true enough; her luggage from the trip to California had still been in the back of Alex’s Pathfinder. He’d brought it in, looking quiet and closed-off, and not very like himself. Caitlin wished more than anything that she could find a solitary moment to speak with him, to tell him that just because she was being ferried off to Jerome the next day, it didn’t mean she wanted things between them to end. But maybe that was being too forward. Maybe he’d thought all along that this would be a short-lived relationship, something that grew up out of the intensity of the experiences they’d shared, but not anything that could possibly survive the long haul.

  No, she didn’t want to believe that. But unless she had a chance to talk to him, really talk, she didn’t know how they’d begin to straighten all this out. And quite possibly it was ridiculous for her to be worrying about such things when Roslyn’s parents had lost their daughter, and Danica kept looking around with that puzzled pull to her brows, as if she kept adding up two and two and getting five. Not to mention poor Luz, who had lost her mother that same day and had had no time to mourn.

  Caitlin realized, as she climbed into the narrow, unfamiliar bed and Danica did the same in the one across from her, that Maya had died in this very house. In a different room, of course; Caitlin knew that the people from the funeral home had to have come hours ago and taken her body away, but it was still a creepy feeling. What if some residue of the dark spell the warlocks had cast to kill her still lingered, waiting to find its next victim?

  No, that was ridiculous. Luz would have sniffed out anything like that. They were all safe here, and although it was terrible that Maya had so recently lost her life within the walls of this house, she’d still been able to pass on her powers peacefully enough. The hideous spell Matías had cast had done its evil work and dissipated. There was nothing left of it now. They could all sleep here peacefully enough, Luz and her husband David right across the hall, and Alex two doors down, on the other side of the bathroom.