Free Double Booked by CJ Anaya Page A

within this letter?”
    “ Spelled into the letter would be a more accurate statement.”
    I let out a frustrated grunt. “Why not simply tell me where you hid the talisman?”
    “It is in constant motion, never remaining in one place longer than a few days at a time. A safeguard I invoked to avoid being forced to give up its location, even under torture. That’s why you need the spelled artifacts. They can help guide you to the talisman’s exact location.”
    I considered the ramifications of actually uncovering something powerful enough to change the outcome of a war, a war that by all accounts, should have been won by the British.
    “Why not leave this thing alone and be done with it? I think allowing it to remain hidden is a wiser course of action.”
    He forcefully shook his head. “The Akelarre coven has discovered what I’ve done. They’ve scoured the earth, looking for this letter with little success. They were waiting for a spirit medium like yourself to aid them in their search, but your parents broke away from them and gave you up so you couldn’t be used against us. You’re the last spirit medium of your kind, you know.”
    My heart nearly beat out of my chest at the mention of my birth parents. “Are you saying my parents were witches?”
    “Sí, sí. They sacrificed everything, even their lives to keep you hidden and safe.”
    Several things occurred to me at that moment.
    One: Miguel had totally played me. He was no doubt responsible for my arrival here on Galveston Island and definitely the one to blame for booking us both in the same room, probably so he could keep an eye on me. This letter, and the spelled artifacts needed to locate the talisman, were probably the prized pieces he’d been searching the United States for.
    His ulterior motives stung a little, considering how connected I’d felt to him, and how, on some subconscious level, I’d allowed myself to think that he cared for me.
    Two: I’d just stumbled into a huge, witchy turf war that intertwined with my own heritage.
    Three: my birth parents were dead. A terrible sadness gripped me with the certainty of that knowledge.
    Four: I was in some crazy trouble here. Any fool who dabbled in the supernatural world knew better than to get themselves mixed up with witches.
    And I was no fool.
    It didn’t matter that I descended from witches. This kind of thing never ended well for the spirit medium involved.
    Five: leaving Galveston Island as soon as possible and going underground for a while would be the first thing I did the moment I awoke.
    I felt an unwelcome pang in my heart at the thought of leaving Miguel, but shook it off as quickly as it hit. He’d been too good to be true. I’d known it from the beginning, but a hopeless romantic’s heart is always susceptible to believing in the damn near impossible.
    I’d never stand on a pedestal and dub myself a romantic, but plenty of my life decisions would lead the most witless observer to that unfortunate conclusion.
    So where did that leave Miguel and me?
    Nowhere.
    Typical.
    Definitely time to move on.
    “Señorita? Young lady? Are you listening to me?”
    I shook myself out of my own troubled thoughts. “Yes. Sorry. I’m just trying to process all of this information. You’ve basically told me more about my birth parents in the last few seconds than I’ve ever managed to find out in my entire life.”
    He gave me a sympathetic smile. “It wasn’t safe for you to know beforehand, but now that the Akelarre coven is closing in on your whereabouts, you will need protecting as you and Miguel accomplish your quest.”
    Missions...quests...wait...did he just insinuate that Miguel and I would be working together on this?
    “To be clear, all I need to do is let Miguel know where the letter is, right? Then I’ll be on my merry way?”
    Galvez rolled his eyes heavenward and let out an irritated snort. “Be on your merry way? Young lady, you cannot abandon your husband!”

Chapter