“My first wife, she told me the bitch would cheat on me. My second, she told me the bitch would steal from me. My third, she told me the bitch would try to cut me,” Poncho said.

“Whoa,” Jabber breathed, his eyes getting big. “She’s good.”

“Yeah, she’s good,” Poncho returned. “Any other questions?”

“So we sit and wait…more?” Abel asked, pure frustration naked in his tone.

Poncho’s aunt started talking again.

Then Poncho started translating again.

“For you, yes. For her, she has to get started with her protection spells. She says the gringa witches do good work, but what you’re gonna face, you need to pack a punch and she’s gonna give that to you.”

“Well, tell her to get started,” Dad stated immediately.

“Uh…does she speak English?” I asked before Poncho could give the order for her to begin.

“She understands it, doesn’t speak it. Says it fucks with the purity of her magic,” Poncho answered.

That was interesting.

“She can get started now, Poncho,” Lucien growled.

“Right,” Poncho muttered and turned to his aunt.

“Are you going to take the advice of this witch?” Gregor asked.

“Well, just to say,” I began, “Poncho’s first wife cheated on him, the second stole from him, and the third totally tried to cut him.”

“Fabulous,” Abel muttered, dropping his head to study his boots, so I found his hand with mine and held tight.

“I…” Leah started, and when I looked at her, she was shaking her head. “Well, I feel this is magic, what’s happening, what unites us, what made some of us, what gives us what we have to fight it. So, I figure, someone who knows magic, we should listen to.”

“I’m concerned about further delays, but I must say, I agree,” Sonia put in.

Everyone looked to me.

I kept my eyes on the bruja.

She had her eyes on me.

“Keep us safe,” I whispered.

She nodded and disappeared.

And again, Abel muttered, “Fabulous.”

* * * * *

Gregor

Later that night, Gregor sat in his office with Callum’s mother, Regan.

“We’re agreed?” he asked.

She held his eyes and nodded once.

“Yes, Gregor. We’re agreed.”

He grabbed his phone and hit the button, which made the call.

He put it to his ear.

The call was answered with, “Is it time?”

“It’s time. Release them.”

“It will be done,” the voice said.

He listened for the disconnect before he drew in a long breath and let it out.

“They won’t be happy,” he told the desk blotter.

“They slaughtered entire villages.”

Regan’s voice was so harsh, coming from a gentle she-wolf such as she, Gregor’s eyes cut to her in surprise.

“We have no choice,” she finished.

She was right.

They had no choice.

He just hoped, if they survived whatever was to come, The Three would agree.

* * * * *

Barb

“We’re all in?”

Barb looked around.

Flo was nodding.