“Now, instead of looking down when you open your eyes, look out. Okay?”

“Okay.”

“Remember. I’m right here. I’m not going to let you fall.”

“Okay.”

“Open your eyes.”

I followed his command. This time, when I looked out, I felt a sense of calm and peace. I could enjoy the beauty of the area. There was so much green. The peaks of the Andes touched the clouds as far as I could see.

“When you’re ready, look down. Maybe you can sense something no one else can.” Lucas’ deep voice rumbled against my back.

I prepared myself to lose it before I looked down, but when I did, I was surprisingly okay. I could see a long, winding road that cut down the side of the mountain we were on. Other roads intersected in the valley below. The village we’d been in this morning was just down the way.

My sight wasn’t something that I had to turn on. It was always there. I chose to ignore it sometimes, but it never went away. I focused on the hints of color around me. This land was so spiritual. Full of life. It was like everything had an aura, but none of the white notes I spotted were as pure as what I’d expect from the mages. The energies weren’t even shadows of the flashes I’d gotten from the villagers.

I turned to say as much, but a flare of white aura caught the corner of my eye and I froze. It was far away and dim, but it was there. I stepped out of Lucas’ arms, and he let me go. It was pure and white, just like the flash I’d gotten from the villagers. I took a couple steps before he grabbed the back of my fleece.

“Whoa. Watch your step.”

I looked down and my vision swam. Before I could faint, Lucas pulled me back against his chest and covered my eyes with his hand. “You got a little ahead of yourself there, huh?”

“Yeah,” I said as my breathing stabilized once again. “But I feel… There was an aura. It was faint but it was there.” I pushed his hand down, and turned to look at him. “Can we go? Now?”

He frowned. “Where exactly did you see it?”

I pointed at the spot, just around the side of the mountain. It was barely visible from where we were standing, but if he knew the area as well as he said he did, then he should be able to get us there.

“Are you sure?”

I nodded. “Absolutely.”

He looked back over where I pointed, and sucked in a sharp breath. “It’s impossible. Not there. I just…”

“What’s impossible? Why is it impossible?”

He closed his eyes for a second, and when he opened them again, his dark eyes had warmed to a glowing chocolate color. “A sect of brujos is based in that area. They live like monks—”

“That’s them! Those are the ones we’re looking for.” Hope filled my heart. The answer to all of my problems was right there. So close.