Devil's Punch by Ann Aguirre Read Free Book Online Page B

to run the air conditioner. Buses clogged the right-hand lane, stopping every four feet.
    In the evening, it looked magical here, even with the traffic. Mountains rose in the distance as we crept along. Lights sparkled from faraway houses; neon blurred into red and yellow lines from shops set along the highway. The sky above was gray, not black, so that even night felt mutable here, like shadows held no sway.
    Once we passed what used to be the
toreo
—bullfighting ring, although it had been torn down a while ago—the traffic cleared somewhat, permitting him to drive faster. He drove like he’d learned in Italy, whipping in and out, throwing the car at spaces that seemed too small. Horns sounded in our wake, but he was smiling, and so was I.
    Despite my worry over Shannon, it felt good to set out with him. This wasn’t a job he needed me for, and yet Chance was here beside me. He’d come to Texas because he wanted me. Missed me. Maybe even loved me. I entertained the possibility without suspicion whispering in my ear.
    The city stretched before us, an endless monument to human ambition. It took two hours to cross onto the
cuota
—toll road—that led toward Oaxaca. At this speed the wind whipped my hair about my face, and I rolled the glass up halfway. That was better. Out here it was darker too, a black velvet sky and stars shining down on the hulks of mountains sleeping in the distance.
    He drove halfway, and then he pulled over so I could take a turn. To the best of my recollection, he’d never done that. I smiled at him, silhouetted against the headlights of a passing car.
    â€œYou can nap if you want. I’ll wake you if I get tired.”
    â€œThanks.” He tilted his head against the window and went to sleep. That demonstrated a level of trust we hadn’t achieved before. In the past, he’d be tense the whole time, as if giving me that much control proved problematic for him. The El Camino had an old AM/FM radio in lieu of a more expensive stereo, but that was good, as it eliminated any interest in jacking it. I listened to ranchero music all the way to keep my mind off Shannon’s plight, but when I got off the highway, I wokeChance. GPS could be unreliable in the mountains, and the coordinates were remote.
    â€œI think we’re getting close.”
    He rubbed his eyes and studied our surroundings: nothing but trees and mountains and bright, indifferent stars shining down. Pretty soon we were on a dirt track that became downright impassable. When we hit a deep rut, I parked the car in what was meant as an overlook, just rocks and dusty soil. Chance climbed out and grabbed his rucksack. The night air smelled of pine resin and distant smoke, possibly from a campfire. This looked like a good place if you were trying to get back to nature. Terribly remote, in fact.
    He offered a half smile. “My backpack has plenty of room. Is yours full?”
    I shook my head.
    â€œGet the minimum of what you need and wedge it in with my stuff.”
    â€œAthame. Chalice. Grimoires.” I wished he had room for my magickal chest, but it was heavy. I had to make do with the touch and spells powered by will alone. Fortunately, the five spells I had practiced with Tia fell into that category. This meant leaving my clothes behind, but the arcane items were more critical.
    After we arranged my things, he said, “It’s pretty dark. We can set off on foot, or we can wait until light to see if it’s safe to drive on.”
    â€œI can fix that.” It was a simple charm, but Chance hadn’t seen me cast it before. Maybe I was showing off a little.
    With my athame, I etched the air with the symbol for magnesium, coiled the power within me, and then whispered, “
Fiat lux
.”
    I used Latin when possible because it
sounded
more impressive, but so long as I had the willpower to drive the desired result, I could say
Clap on, clap off
, for all it mattered. This