Chance said flatly, “I can’t. We agreed I’d come after the equinox, at the end of the full Worm Moon.” The moon was nearly full now, the Worm Moon that marked the equinox, when the earth began to thaw and the earthworms reappeared from the mud. Chance had saved his punishment for after the bridge at Chaco had opened and they’d gone home—after he’d gone home with Calliope. Like Coyote, Chance was tricking the masked men.

The one holding her spoke again in his growling voice. “Your nephew told us you were planning to flee tonight, trying to escape your fate.”

Calliope’s eyes darted toward the little girl hiding in Calliope’s sweater, stretching it out. Eunjoo looked up, as if she sensed the piercing questions Calliope was asking. How did you know? And why did you tell Nastacio? Calliope hadn’t mentioned anything to Eunjoo. She hadn’t seen her since dinner. Had she been listening at the door? Or was this another mystery of Coyote girl’s strange knowledge? Either way, the harm was done. The men knew Chance’s scheme. They were here for vengeance.

Chance said again, “Let the women go …” He sighed deeply, pushed his hair back from his face. “Let them go, and I’ll go with you tonight.”

“Now,” the masked man growled. “You’ll come with us now.”

His voice flat, defeated, Chance said, “Fine. Let her go.”

Calliope searched Chance’s face for a hint of a plan. He wouldn’t really go with the mob, would he? He wouldn’t break his promise to her.

His expression was unreadable, his eyes, stoic. No glimmer of light showing he knew what he was doing, and she should play along. He’d given up. He was accepting his punishment. She would have to go to Chaco without him.

She looked at the ground, at their feet, these masked men dressed as gods. Some wore moccasins and others, strapped and feathered sandals that revealed nearly bare feet. The growling man holding her was wearing sandals. She caught Eunjoo’s attention, motioned with her eyes to follow her lead, raised her eyebrows to indicate one, two, three …

She stomped her heavy hiker’s boot on the arch of his foot with the force of her whole body and bit his hand hard enough she tasted the salt and iron of his blood, and as she attacked him with everything inside of her, as he growled again, this time in pain, falling backward and letting his grasp on Calliope loosen, she yanked Eunjoo’s hand to follow her. She barreled into the backs of the masked figures encircling them and charged directly for Chance, the girl following.

She plunged herself and the girl under the wooden table, willing Chance to understand what she was asking him to do.

He did.