Juni’s secrets consisted only of kissing a few young men and occasionally avoiding their mistress by hiding in a tall bureau; still a friend was a friend. Eventually Juni gave in and brought Maria to the meeting. On the night of the ritual, they held hands and watched from behind the tallest mango trees. The singing was beautiful, as if the angels had gathered in the clearing, with high, clear voices that echoed through the gleaming blue evening. The clients came one by one, many distraught and in tears—grieving parents, women in love, men who needed to escape from a bad situation. When the hour grew late, the group dispersed. Maria and Juni were bleary-eyed, yet they had made a pact, and they now crept into the circle of sand that had been cast, so that they might examine the amulets that had been left behind, for both the living and the dead. Seashells, stones, packets of seeds, small white bones. They were so intent on the discovery of these magical objects they didn’t notice they weren’t alone. Juni’s great-aunt, Adrie, came from beyond the hedges. Adrie had the sight, and one of these two young ladies was about to find herself in trouble. Juni’s great-aunt signaled for them to come forward. She was very old, known to be a curioso, a healer, famous for her teas. She was well aware that in this world it was best not to trust anyone who wasn’t a blood relation. It was one thing for her great-niece to be here, quite another for a stranger to spy on them.

“Why did you bring her here?” she asked Juni, her eyes on Maria. She saw a young indentured girl who owned nothing of her own. But there was something more to her. Adrie saw the mark inside the girl’s elbow.

“She’s my friend, Auntie,” Juni explained. “We were only watching.”

The old woman shook her head and clucked her tongue, sure of herself. “She’s a witch. Stay away from her.”

Juni laughed, equally sure of herself. “Would she clean the Jansens’ house if she were a witch? Would she see to their laundry and draw their baths? No witch would do that.”

“Of course she would. Didn’t I do the same?” Adrie turned to Maria and looked directly into the girl’s silver eyes. “Don’t come back here.”

“I honor what you do,” Maria said.

“Do you?”

“Yes, I admire your skills, and I’m good at keeping secrets.”

“I’d better not see you here again,” Adrie said, which held a very different meaning than her first response. It wasn’t an outright no, merely a warning not to be caught. “And don’t let me hear you talking about this to anyone.”