“Deal,” I finally say. Fuck it. It’s a three-month-a-year gig. I’ve had worse jobs. I put out my hand to shake and instead she whips a long, thin obsidian blade out of her sleeve and slashes my palm with expert precision. Before I can even blink she does the same to hers and clasps my hand tightly, our blood mixing together and dripping down our wrists.

“Goddammit, that hurts. Why is it always the hand? Why do people always think the best place to draw blood from is the hand? I have to use that thing, you know.”

“Don’t be such a fucking baby,” she says. “It’s already healed.” I look at my palm and though it’s covered in blood, the slash is nothing but a thin white scar along the palm.

“It still hurt,” I say. “Is that it? We done?”

“Yes. Think of it as renewing your vows.”

“And I’d been all set for a divorce. Shit, I don’t have black eyeballs again, do I?” I look at my reflection in the car windshield, but no, my eyes are still my eyes. The wedding ring is back on my finger, though. It’d been sitting in my pocket the last couple days.

“Only if you want them. You had a taste of Mictlantecuhtli’s power before. This isn’t quite the same, or as powerful, not up here at least, but it’s yours. No turning into a rock this time. At least I think. This is kind of new for me, too.”

“Fantastic,” I say. “Later on, when the shit hits the fan, how do I get hold of you?”

“Just think of me,” she says, except she hasn’t said anything. It’s all in my head. Just what I need. More disembodied voices in my skull. I had enough of that shit with her ex-husband bouncing around in there before I got rid of him.

“That easy, huh?” I think.

“Exactly that easy,” she says, with her voice this time.

“Can all your relatives do this?”

She cocks an eyebrow. “You mean can Quetzalcoatl do this? After all, he’s the only one left.”

“Yeah.”

“Of course. If he binds with someone, he can do that.”

“Can he bind with more than one person?”

“He’s a god, Eric, he can pretty much do what he wants.”

Interesting. That gives me an idea.

“Thanks,” I say. “That helps.”

“Call me. I’ll be there. I’ll do my part.” Of that I have no doubt.

Two down. One to go. If I walk away from this one with my head, it’ll be a miracle.

—