whisked away with a sudden breeze. A tiny smile crossed her face – she liked her vivid imagination. She inhaled and exhaled deeply, letting her shoulders fall.
“I’m sorry this came as such a shock.”
“Me, too.”
“We need to find your mother’s jewels.”
“Uh huh.”
“We’ve been searching for years. Maybe…maybe you brought these stones into me for a reason. Maybe you can help us find the stones and restore them to good use.”
Now I get to help Mr. Perona. I’m everyone’s favorite asset. She nodded bleakly. “Me and my non-existent powers…what can I possibly do to help?”
“You can embrace your powers, for starters. Had your parents lived, your training would have begun at age 16. You are of a rare breed, like these gems.”
“Rare how?”
“Many Numina simply train for their profession. They study, they practice, they master. You not only come from generations of auguratricis and lux sanatores – sorcerers and light healers – you have natural gifts as well.”
“How do you know this?”
“Your mother consulted me. Apparently, as a child, you could sense things and see things. And you were like a tiny firefly of electricity. You’d touch things and small sparks of electricity would crackle and pop. The trauma of losing your mother may have made you shut down. I heard nothing since then from your aunt and uncle, but we were not close. And either they did not know about your mother or you or chose to ignore your gifts. They were quite protective – your aunt and uncle – it’s as if they squirreled you away, out of sight.”
Marissa stared blankly into space. How could she not remember such a thing?
“You must employ your power, mija.” He sounded insistent.
“I don’t know how to do that. Until a couple days ago, I didn’t even know it existed.”
“No inkling?”
“Only the crystal ball mind fu…mind read that my ex-boyfriend made me do.”
“And what’ s that?”
“He synchronize d breathing with me, my third eye opened up, and he asked me what I saw. Or he asked me questions that he wanted the answer to, like, will he be a powerful teacher.”
“What d id you tell him?”
“I t old him to go fuck himself.” She reddened and turned away. “I’m sorry.”
Diego laughed. “He doesn’t sound like the best boyfriend.”
“He wasn’t.”
“Tell me about this new one.”
Marissa brightened. “We’ve only gone on one date. We’re supposed to go out again tonight. He’s gorgeous, kind, intelligent, respectful. I told him that I thought he would have a million girlfriends and not one like me. He told me that he hasn’t really dated since he lost his fiancée and that he’s been waiting for me. It just sounds too good to be true.” She paused. “I’ll take a breath now.” A shy smile crept along her face.
“He sounds like a better man than this other f ellow. How did he lose his fiancée?”
Marissa’s face darkened. “ He thinks she was murdered by a sorcerer. That’s when he told me that he thinks I’m a sorceress of the light – a Light Rebel. I told him he’s nuts.”
Diego laughed. “You always spoke you r mind, mija.”
“Then he grabbed my hand. I felt like I was being electrified. He said that was my doing, not his. It went away when I focused on the forest outside my house.”
Diego’s face sobered. “This is serious, mija. Your powers may be greater than we all imagined. Did he say who the brujo was who caused his fiancée’s demise?”
“No. Only that he’s really powerful. He caused her to fall off a cliff or something. He wanted her for himself. He wanted her to fall in love with him.”
Diego nodded, picked up the lid to the box, and placed it carefully on top.
“Was she a Numen?”
“No.”
“She may have resisted then. She may have been strong enough to at least do that. That could have been her only option – killing herself, I mean.” He patted the box thoughtfully. “He may be the same one who
“I’m sorry this came as such a shock.”
“Me, too.”
“We need to find your mother’s jewels.”
“Uh huh.”
“We’ve been searching for years. Maybe…maybe you brought these stones into me for a reason. Maybe you can help us find the stones and restore them to good use.”
Now I get to help Mr. Perona. I’m everyone’s favorite asset. She nodded bleakly. “Me and my non-existent powers…what can I possibly do to help?”
“You can embrace your powers, for starters. Had your parents lived, your training would have begun at age 16. You are of a rare breed, like these gems.”
“Rare how?”
“Many Numina simply train for their profession. They study, they practice, they master. You not only come from generations of auguratricis and lux sanatores – sorcerers and light healers – you have natural gifts as well.”
“How do you know this?”
“Your mother consulted me. Apparently, as a child, you could sense things and see things. And you were like a tiny firefly of electricity. You’d touch things and small sparks of electricity would crackle and pop. The trauma of losing your mother may have made you shut down. I heard nothing since then from your aunt and uncle, but we were not close. And either they did not know about your mother or you or chose to ignore your gifts. They were quite protective – your aunt and uncle – it’s as if they squirreled you away, out of sight.”
Marissa stared blankly into space. How could she not remember such a thing?
“You must employ your power, mija.” He sounded insistent.
“I don’t know how to do that. Until a couple days ago, I didn’t even know it existed.”
“No inkling?”
“Only the crystal ball mind fu…mind read that my ex-boyfriend made me do.”
“And what’ s that?”
“He synchronize d breathing with me, my third eye opened up, and he asked me what I saw. Or he asked me questions that he wanted the answer to, like, will he be a powerful teacher.”
“What d id you tell him?”
“I t old him to go fuck himself.” She reddened and turned away. “I’m sorry.”
Diego laughed. “He doesn’t sound like the best boyfriend.”
“He wasn’t.”
“Tell me about this new one.”
Marissa brightened. “We’ve only gone on one date. We’re supposed to go out again tonight. He’s gorgeous, kind, intelligent, respectful. I told him that I thought he would have a million girlfriends and not one like me. He told me that he hasn’t really dated since he lost his fiancée and that he’s been waiting for me. It just sounds too good to be true.” She paused. “I’ll take a breath now.” A shy smile crept along her face.
“He sounds like a better man than this other f ellow. How did he lose his fiancée?”
Marissa’s face darkened. “ He thinks she was murdered by a sorcerer. That’s when he told me that he thinks I’m a sorceress of the light – a Light Rebel. I told him he’s nuts.”
Diego laughed. “You always spoke you r mind, mija.”
“Then he grabbed my hand. I felt like I was being electrified. He said that was my doing, not his. It went away when I focused on the forest outside my house.”
Diego’s face sobered. “This is serious, mija. Your powers may be greater than we all imagined. Did he say who the brujo was who caused his fiancée’s demise?”
“No. Only that he’s really powerful. He caused her to fall off a cliff or something. He wanted her for himself. He wanted her to fall in love with him.”
Diego nodded, picked up the lid to the box, and placed it carefully on top.
“Was she a Numen?”
“No.”
“She may have resisted then. She may have been strong enough to at least do that. That could have been her only option – killing herself, I mean.” He patted the box thoughtfully. “He may be the same one who
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