Page 206 of The Broken Aztec Princesses

“She’s been in my room this whole time!” I squeaked, hoping the ground would swallow me whole.

“And?”

“She’s not a bunny, Chris!”

“I can see that.”

“She could hear us! Every time we...” I couldn’t say the words, but I didn’t have to, because a blush matching the one I could feel on my face, bloomed on Chris’ face.

Vesta laughed, cranking both of our blushes up a notch.

“Don’t worry, Violet. I went into my little sleeping hut and did my best to sing in my head to give you privacy.”

“Tragame, Tierra,” (Swallow me, Earth) I whimpered with embarrassment.

“So, you’ve been on this plane, stuck as a bunny because Violet tried to help you?” Chris asked, trying to change the subject that was making all of us uncomfortable.

“Correct,” Vesta answered.

“Sorry,” I replied weakly, burying my head in Chris’ arm, more out of continued embarrassment from the previous subject, than regret.

“Don’t be. If you hadn’t saved me, I would have died. I’m not as fast as a bunny.”

“Wait, so the portal is still open?” I asked, suddenly wondering if anything else had come through.

Chris seemed to have the same thought, because he pulled me behind him again.

“Yes, but no one’s been through it. As a guardian, I can sense when one of my charges leaves the plane. Not even the magic block would have stopped me from knowing that. The ability isn’t magic, it’s... it’s hard to explain. It’s a knowing, something that is there, from the moment I took my position.”

“So, we’re safe?” I asked.

“No. That’s what I’m telling you. There’s really powerful blood magic around your property that stops every other magic from being performed within its circle.”

“But, there’s no one here anymore except us and Hugh,” I answered. I didn’t know the man well, but he didn’t seem capable of doing what Vesta was saying.

“I don’t know who that is, but the magic user doesn’t have to be here at all times for that type of magic to remain. It’s a spell around the property, so it would remain even if they weren’t within it anymore.”

My phone began to ring, and I silenced it without looking at it.

“Can you tell us anything else?” I asked.

“Thank you. For everything you did for me. The likelihood of us ever meeting again is almost non-existent, so I can’t give you a boon as I wish I could, but I want to express to you how much your kindness has meant to me.” She turned to leave then stopped. “I know who you are. What’s coming and who hunts your family. I wish all of you well. I’ll do my best to keep the prisoners of my plane away from the fight, but you should know Tezcatlipoca doesn’t fight fair, and whispers of his plan to free anyone who follows him are already circling my plane.”

With that, she turned and walked away.

“We should tell Bells,” Chris said, looking down at me when Vesta was gone.

“Yeah.” I pulled out my phone as we headed back and I saw the missing call was from Bells and along with four other missed ones from her. I dialed her and she answered immediately. “What’s wrong?” I asked.

“I can’t find Adam. I think he ran away.”

Chapter Thirty-Eight

Bellarose

“It’s a wild animal, buddy. It needs to be free. Imagine if you couldn’t ever leave the pack house? That would make you very sad, wouldn’t it?” I tried to soothe my inconsolable child.

“Everyone is leaving!”

---