Jimena hesitated. “This is Veto.”
“Veto?” Serena seemed alarmed. “I thought you were only teasing about Veto haunting you.”
Jimena knew it had been a big mistake not to confide in Serena, but before she could offer an explanation, Stanton spoke. “Jimena also thought Veto was dead, but voilà—there he is as solid and warm as you or me.”
Then he spoke directly to Veto, mockingly. “Everyone thought you were dead, Veto. What did you do?”
A cold knot tightened in Jimena’s stomach. Why did Stanton seem to know Veto? And why wasn’t Veto afraid of Stanton?
Stanton smiled, eyes fervent. “He’s not afraid of me, Jimena, because he’s a shade. Isn’t that right, Veto?”
“Come on, Jimena.” Veto grabbed her hand and tried to pull her away. “You want to waste the night listening to some vato loco who uses magic tricks to entertain his girl?”
Stanton laughed—a dangerous sound. It made Veto stop and look back.
“You don’t want your girlfriend discovering the truth?” Stanton said. “I don’t blame you. She probably wouldn’t want to date a shade.”
Serena looked at Stanton. “What’s a shade?”
“A shade is like a ghost—”
Jimena interrupted him with a nervous laugh. “Veto isn’t a ghost. He’s no more dead than me or Serena.”
“Of course, if he were only a shade he would feel as thin as vapor, but . . .” Stanton stared at Veto.
Veto didn’t back down and he still didn’t seem afraid. He held his head up and looked straight at Stanton in challenge.
Stanton continued. “Veto has been animated by the Atrox.”
Serena looked at Jimena, then back at Stanton. “How can you say such a thing? That’s not even funny. If he were animated by the Atrox, then he’d talk. The Atrox would know about you and me and send Regulators after us.”
A derisive grin slowly spread across Stanton’s face. He pushed back the blond hair that had fallen into his eyes. “He wouldn’t, not Veto, because he doesn’t even understand completely what has happened to him.”
Veto didn’t respond.
He’s dead. Jimena could feel Stanton tickle the words across her mind. And there’s a part of you that has known the truth since you first saw him, but you wouldn’t let yourself believe it.
Jimena felt anger surge inside her. She turned and faced Serena. “How can you trust Stanton? Don’t you know how risky it is to keep seeing him? He’s an Immortal. What evil things did he do to get that status?”
Serena touched Stanton’s arm. “He’s changed.”
“Changed? Maybe he’s telling you he has, but he’s also a master of lies and deceit. Can’t you feel right now how he’s feeding on the bad emotions between us?”
“I don’t have any bad emotions toward you.” Serena eyed Jimena curiously. “Why are you upset with me?”
“If you’d bother to get in my mind and read what I’m thinking, you’d know,” Jimena said.
Stanton gently turned Serena’s face to him. “Don’t argue with your friend. She has to believe this on her own.”
That was worse than if he had coaxed them to fight.
Stanton’s slender fingers slid down Serena’s neck and rested on her shoulder. They stared into each other’s eyes. Jimena knew they were having a mental conversation.
Ugly emotions overwhelmed her. How could she be tan celosa of her best friend? She felt the jealousy take over. “I’m tired of covering for you and lying to Vanessa and Catty about your relationship with Stanton!” she yelled, immediately regretting that she had let her anger out. But instead of apologizing, she whirled around and started walking away.
Then another premonition hit her hard.
She lost her balance and fell to her knees as a picture swirled behind her eyes and came fiercely into focus. She saw Veto standing in MacArthur Park. She couldn’t read the expression in his eyes. The earth ripped open behind him, exposing a bottomless pit, and Veto tumbled backward into the abyss. She watched helpless as he fell and the earth closed around him.
When the picture vanished, she looked up and saw Serena leaning over her.
“What did you see?” Serena asked with concern.
“I saw Veto.” Jimena couldn’t control the shaking in her hands. “I couldn’t save him.” Serena looked around. “Where is he?” Jimena turned her head. Veto was gone. Panic rose inside her. “I have to warn him! I don’t want to lose him again.” Serena looked up at Stanton. “Jimena needs me. I’ll see you tomorrow.” Stanton faded back into shadows and left. The perfumed breeze blew across them, bringing the night jasmine with it. Stanton whispered a warning—“Be careful”—and his voice left a chill in the air.
CHAPTER TEN
THE DAUGHTERS MET at Serena’s house. It was late and Jimena was still upset about her premonition.
Wally, Serena’s pet raccoon, sat on the kitchen table. He stood up on his hind legs when Catty and Vanessa entered through the back door with a grocery bag. They sat down and opened a quart of chocolate ice cream. Catty took a spoon and dug in, then handed the carton to Vanessa, who dripped a long string of chocolate syrup into the carton.
“What’s wrong with Jimena?” Catty asked.
“She had a premonition,” Serena said. “About Veto.” She didn’t need to add that Jimena had never been able to stop her premonitions from coming true.
Jimena slowly told them what she had seen.
When she finished, Vanessa was the first to speak. “Maybe this premonition isn’t as bad as it seems. Maybe Veto fell into a construction ditch and a rescue team pulls him out.”
“Or maybe it was water,” Catty put in. “Maybe he just falls into dark water that could look like a bottomless pit.”
Jimena shook her head.
Serena shuffled her tarot cards. “Maybe Vanessa is right. There could be another meaning. Let’s look at the cards and see if we get a clue.”
Jimena hesitated. “I don’t know.”
“Let’s try,” Catty put her hand on the deck. “We’ll all put our thoughts into it and see what comes out.”
“Yeah, let’s try.” Vanessa tapped the deck with her knuckles, then dug her spoon into the ice cream.
“Okay,” Jimena reluctantly agreed. Serena shuffled the cards and set them in front of Jimena. Jimena picked one and handed it back to Serena.
Serena gasped. “The death card.”
Vanessa dropped her spoon. It hit the table with a loud clatter.
“Yikes.” Catty looked worried.
They were silent for a long time, each lost in her own thoughts.
Finally, Vanessa spoke softly. “The death card can mean the end of a relationship, right?”
Serena nodded.
Vanessa continued. “Then I think the card is for me. It’s telling me my relationship with Michael is over.”
They looked at Vanessa.
Vanessa bit her bottom lip. “I told him tonight that we should start seeing other people.”
“But I thought you’d worked everything out?” Catty stared at her in disbelief.
“Yeah,” Jimena added. “You were so cozy at Planet Bang.”
Vanessa shrugged. “I know. I like him so much, but he’s going on tour this summer.”
“So?” Catty said.
“So . . . what kind of summer will that be for me? I mean, I like him and I know I’ll miss him, but I can’t allow myself to be defined only as Michael Saratoga’s girlfriend. Besides he’ll meet zillions of girls.”
“You’re crazy.” Catty shook her head. “Michael is perfect for you.”
Serena looked down at the table. “The death card can definitely mean the end of a relationship.” Her words were so mournful that everyone stared at her. “The card isn’t for you, Vanessa.” Serena looked up and her words trailed away.
“Go ahead and tell them,” Jimena urged. “They’ll understand. You’ve kept it a secret too long.”
“What?” Catty and
Vanessa said together.
“I have a confession to make.” It took Serena a long time to say the words. “I’ve been seeing Stanton, not just seeing him, but seeing him.”
“Seeing?” Catty’s eyes were wide with disbelief.
“As in, dating?” Vanessa couldn’t hide the shock in her voice.
Serena nodded. “For a long time now we’ve been meeting secretly and . . . I really like him but—”
“But that kind of relationship is forbidden.” Vanessa looked from Serena to Jimena. “You knew about this?”
Jimena nodded.
“And you didn’t tell us?” Catty seemed angry. “You should have told us. Serena could have been putting us all in danger.”
“It’s just that I like him so much,” Serena offered. “And he’s different with me. He treats me nice. He’s so sweet and—”
“What about the Regulators?” Vanessa asked.
“I know.” Serena nervously clicked her tongue piercing against her teeth. “If I stop and think about the Regulators I get terrified because I know the Regulators would destroy us both. That’s why I had to keep it a secret . . . from everyone.”
“And how could the Atrox not know? Since it hasn’t sent Regulators after you, aren’t you concerned that Stanton’s relationship with you is part of a bigger plan?” Catty asked. “Like Cassandra’s plan?”
“I don’t think so,” Jimena defended her. “I’ve seen them together. I think he really cares about Serena.”
“That time he trapped me in his memories,” Vanessa started. “He didn’t seem all bad. I actually felt sorry for him.”
“Please,” Catty interrupted. “This guy has tried to destroy us, and you’re telling me you feel sorry for him?”
“I was deep in his consciousness,” Vanessa argued. “And it just felt like part of him wanted to be free from his bondage to the Atrox.”
A hush fell over them.
Finally, Jimena picked up the death card. “Maybe it’s something else. Maybe the card is warning us about Cassandra. She’s our immediate threat.”
“You’re right,” Vanessa agreed.
“First thing in the morning we should go see Maggie,” Serena added.
Jimena set the death card in the middle of the table and stared at the skeleton dressed in a knight’s armor. End, transformation, change, and loss. Those were the words most commonly associated with the death card. She had heard Serena say them enough. None of those words boded well for their futures. She looked around the table and had a sudden feeling that they were all in inexplicable danger. It wasn’t a premonition, exactly, but the odd feeling carried an inkling of foreboding that made her hands tremble.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
JIMENA PUSHED HER sleeping bag aside and waited for her eyes to adjust to the dimness in Serena’s bedroom. Serena and Catty were sleeping on the floor at odd angles. Vanessa had fallen asleep on the bed.
Jimena wondered what had awakened her. If it had been a dream, she couldn’t remember it now.
A clatter came from a distant part of the house.
“Veto,” she whispered and stared out the bedroom at the dark hallway. Had he somehow followed her here?
The same sound came again. She was confident it had come from the kitchen.
She slowly stood and reached for her robe. Serena had rolled on top of it. Jimena gently pushed her off and pulled it out from under her. Then she crept into the hallway.
She tread softly over the carpet, her ears alert to any sound. When she reached the top of the stairwell, another thought came to her. Maybe it wasn’t Veto who had made the sound, but Cassandra and Karyl. She took one slow step and then another until she was at the bottom of the staircase.
Her breathing sounded jagged and she wondered if her body had sensed some danger that her moon amulet hadn’t picked up.
As she approached the kitchen she could hear the noises more clearly. The person wasn’t trying to be quiet. Then she remembered Wally. She felt a sigh of relief. He had probably gotten into a cupboard and started digging through a bag of potato chips.
She pushed through the kitchen door.
Collin stood over the stove, bare-chested, wearing low-slung baggy sweats, his blond hair looking pale white against his darkly tanned back. He turned, and when he saw her, a broad smile crept across his lips.
“Hey, you couldn’t sleep either?” He greeted her. “I’m making hot chocolate. Want some?”
She shrugged. “Might as well.”
He pulled a bar stool from the center counter over to the stove and she climbed on top. Collin glanced at her bare legs, then quickly away. She shifted uncomfortably. She had spent the night with Serena many times and Collin had seen her in all kinds of strange pajamas, so why did she suddenly feel embarrassed now? He was like a brother to her. She pulled the robe closed more tightly.
Collin took more milk from the refrigerator and poured it into the pan.
“Did you have a bad dream?” she asked and watched his hand stir chocolate mix into the milk.
“The best dream and the worst dream.” He chuckled.
“How’s that?”
“I was surfing Jaws in Maui. The waves are so powerful you have to be towed by a Jet Ski to go fast enough to catch them.” He took two cups from the cupboard. “It was the best dream. The waves were glassy and the ride was awesome. But then I looked up and saw this five-story wave towering above me. The peak broke over me and it became the worst dream. I couldn’t breathe.” He started stirring the milk again. “That’s always when I wake up; right before I drown. I have to catch my breath just as if I’d been under the water. I don’t go back to sleep after that.”
“Sounds scary,” she agreed.
He smiled at her. His eyes dropped and moved slowly over her body, then, as if he were embarrassed that she had caught him, he turned off the burner with a snap and poured cocoa into the cups.
Jimena started to take hers.
“Wait,” he ordered.
She set her cup down.
“You have to have whipped cream and cocoa sprinkles.” He hurried to the refrigerator and came back shaking a canister of whipped cream. He turned it over and pressed his finger on the side of the nozzle, but only air came out.
“You’re doing it wrong.” Jimena took the canister. Her finger slipped and she sprayed two inches of whipped cream on Collin’s chest. She burst out laughing.
“You did that on purpose.” He didn’t look upset, though. His eyes looked—Jimena stopped—what was that look in his half-closed eyes?
She wiped off the whipped cream with the tip of her finger and glanced up. Had he moved closer to her? She could feel the warmth radiating from his body.
“Jimena—” He started to say something, but his words fell away.
His hand rested on her shoulder and then he looked at her as if waiting for permission. Had her eyes said yes? His hand glided down her back, and closed around her waist.
She drew in a quick gasp of air, surprised and intoxicated by the feel of his hand on the small of her back.
He leaned over her. Was he going to kiss her? She hadn’t realized until that moment how much she had wanted him to. Her hands lightly caressed his arms, undecided and hesitating, but only for a moment, then they slid up to his shoulders and she became aware now of how close they were standing to each other. She enjoyed the delicious feel of his breath mingling with hers and parted her lips slightly in anticipation.
Then she remembered her premonition of the passionate kiss with Collin, and just as suddenly another premonition hit her with a horrific punch. She saw Veto tumbling into the bottomless pit.
She drew away quickly.
“Jimena? Are you all right?” Collin looked concerned.
“Yes,” she snapped, and ran from the kitchen as if she were trying to run from the tumbling image of Veto.
“Jimena!” Collin called. She could hear his bare feet padding on the floor after her.
He grabbed her bef
ore she reached the stairwell. “I’m sorry—” He started to apologize, but she jerked away from him and ran up the steps.
At the top of the stairs, she turned back and pretended not to see the hurt look on his face.
CHAPTER TWELVE
LATE SATURDAY AFTERNOON, Jimena walked up to the security panel and buzzed Maggie’s apartment. Serena, Vanessa, and Catty waited impatiently behind her.
A metallic voice came over the intercom. “I’ve been expecting you.” A loud hum opened the magnetic lock and Serena swung the door open.
Jimena followed everyone into the mirrored entrance. She glanced at her reflection. She had odd bluish circles under her eyes from not sleeping and her forehead was pinched in a frown.
“Come on.” Catty held the elevator open for her.
Jimena jumped on. The metal doors closed and the elevator trundled up to the fourth floor.
“Why do you suppose Maggie said she’d been expecting us?” Vanessa asked. “Did one of you call her?”
Serena shook her head. “It means something’s going on and she thought she’d see us before now.”
“I bet it’s about Cassandra,” Catty guessed.
Vanessa sighed. “I knew we should have come to see Maggie sooner.”
The elevator doors opened.
They walked down a narrow balcony that hung over a courtyard four stories below. Jimena plucked nervously at the ivy twining around the iron railing.
Maggie waited at the door to her apartment. She was a thin, short woman with long gray hair curled in a bun on top of her head. She hugged each of the girls and hurried them inside.
“So much has happened,” Maggie murmured, as she led them down a narrow hallway to a living room and kitchen. The windows were open and curtains billowed into the room.
Simple haunting music of four notes played from stringed instruments. Jimena looked around the tidy room. She had never been able to identify the source of the music. She knew it didn’t come from a sound system because Maggie didn’t believe in electricity. She thought it destroyed the magic in the night.