Free Protector (The Witches of Cleopatra Hill Book 5) by Christine Pope Page B

— his wife Graciela is the actual prima . But she suffered a fall some years ago, and while they have a healer, she is not a very strong one, and was unable to make the Santiago prima whole. Graciela has been in a wheelchair for twenty years now, and Simón more or less runs the clan. I was never able to learn precisely what his particular gift is, but whatever it might be, clearly it is not well-suited to him being in charge of the Santiagos’ territory.”
    “This just gets better and better, doesn’t it?”
    A rusty chuckle. “Yes, I fear that we will not have much luck going to them for help. Perhaps we will still have to try, if that is what the kidnapped girls’ parents and your prima and primus want.” Maya went still then, her dark eyes focused on the bright colors of the flowers in the courtyard, the fountain dancing in the last light of the afternoon, completely oblivious to the turmoil within the house. “And I will admit to you, Caitlin, that is not a phone call I will enjoy making. But it is my responsibility.”
    “Just as it’s mine to keep looking for Roslyn and Danica,” Caitlin said, and was gratified to see the de la Paz prima give her an approving look.
    “Yes, I fear that task will fall to you. The Wilcoxes have a seer — ”
    “Marie Begonie,” Caitlin supplied.
    “Yes, Marie. And no doubt she will wish to help, as one of her clan’s own has been taken as well.”
    It would be a relief to have Marie involved, even if Caitlin had to admit to herself that she’d never warmed to the Wilcox seer. Apparently she was miles friendlier than she used to be, now that she’d been reunited with the love of her teenage years, but even so, the woman could be awfully prickly at times. Somehow, though, Caitlin got the feeling that Marie wasn’t going to be all that much help here. For whatever reason, the universe seemed to have decreed that this task would fall on her own woefully unprepared shoulders.
    Her expression must have shifted, because Maya said, “But you don’t think Marie will be of much assistance.”
    “I — I’m not sure. But….” Caitlin lifted her shoulders. “I’m getting a feeling.”
    “And you should trust it.” With a trembling hand, Maya took her glass of water and drained the rest of its contents. “But now, I am afraid I will have to make some phone calls. If you could go to the kitchen and send Luz to me? It’s down the hall, toward the back of the house.”
    “Sure,” Caitlin said, rising from the couch. Maya’s request had made it clear enough that their audience was over. And although Caitlin experienced a slight stab of relief at being released from this interview, she was not looking forward to the inevitable fallout of those phone calls the de la Paz prima was about to make.
    Still, she’d worry about that later. For now, it was enough to make her escape.

5
    “ T hey’ve been in there a long time,” Alex said, glancing over at the digital clock on the microwave.
    “I imagine they have a good deal to talk about,” his mother replied, her tone somehow managing to be simultaneously mild and reproving. “It does no good to sit here and fidget.”
    He knew that, but he’d never been much good at sitting around and waiting. But since there wasn’t much else to do, he drank some more of his lemonade and wished it was something a little stronger. A shot or two of Reposado might go down pretty well right now. But his abuela didn’t keep spirits in her house, and even if she did, Alex knew better than to go in search of something he hadn’t been offered.
    If this wait felt torturous to him, he could only imagine what Caitlin must be going through. Getting grilled by Maya de la Paz was not something most people would particularly enjoy. Having to do it after being attacked by a trio of strange warlocks? No, thanks.
    Even so, he hoped his grandmother was having better luck at extracting information from Caitlin than either he or his mother had. The