Page 28 of Total Eclipse of the Moon
He paused beside an oak tree to evaluate the entry where two police cars had pulled to block the exit, lights flashing in the dark night. On a whisper, he said, "This demon and Shane might sort of have a truce, but when they merge the aftermath is bad. I think they’re battling for who’s in charge. We have minutes to make sure this body stays the Shane we know."
Chapter Nine
Antonio veeredfor the welcome center near the entrance to the gardens. "We need a different way out." He pointed at the front gate. "Policía."
Police lights lit up the night.
Inside a small building that reeked of minty cleanser, he set Shane in a chair. "I'll take care of the docent."
"Are you going to kill her?"
He reared back with a scowl. "I am not a monster." He lowered his voice. "Stay with Shane. You run away, and I will be pissed."
"Why should I stay?"
"You want out of here or not?" He held up his hands. "Besides,hewants to speak with you. That means you stay."
"To talk about what?"
He shrugged a dramatic rise and fall of his shoulders. "Maybe that you did the maldición...the curse on him? Maybe that his dick's in a twist over el encanto you cast?" He stalked off muttering, "Brujas." Witches.
She knelt in front of Shane and squeezed his hand. "You with me? Or am I with the demon?"
He stared sightlessly at her. In an outward hiss of breath he said, "Fighting."
Antonio returned to lift Shane and led through a back room and outside. The exit avoided the front gate and the police.
Up the street, Madeline scooted into the back seat of the vampire's sedan, holding her small backpack tight to her body, while Antonio positioned Shane upright in the passenger front seat. He clicked the seatbelt across Shane with far more care than she would’ve expected for someone that couldn’t access emotion. He got into the driver’s seat and pawed around the dashboard.
What was she thinking, getting in the car? Her opportunity to commune with the dead spirit of her son would happen soon. She needed to find somewhere safe and private. That wasn’t here. Most certainly wasn't with either of these two nearby.
But she couldn't leave Shane like this, not after he helped her.
Full-body shakes hit Shane, sweat streaming down his face. She leaned between the seats to push hair out of his closed eyes, "Stay with us, Shane."
She leaned between the seats and put a hand on Shane's shoulder, not that it got her his attention. "What do we do?"
"Ayúdame a encontrar... Help me find the fucking USB plugin." Antonio ran his hands over the dashboard.
Shane muttered incoherently.
"Try the glove box." She put a hand on Shane’s cheek, feeling the fine tremors as they worsened. "His face is literally spasming." She squeezed his forearm. "Shane? Can you hear me?"
No response from him. She jerked away from him at the sound of police sirens closing in on them.
"Aquí!" Antonio slipped a white cord into the driver’s side of the center console, scrolled on his phone, and shot her a commanding glare. "This demonio has one weakness that scares it back into hiding. I discovered it in México. I know not why it works. Neither does Shane. Cantar...sing. It’s our only hope of bringing Shane back."
"Singing?"
He cranked the car and hit the gas as a heavy beat blared from the radio.
"Pop music?" she asked, slamming her hand to halt her slide into the back door as he cornered the car hard.
Antonio bellowed out the melody in tune. His body bopped in time to the beat, head rocking from side to side.
She burst out laughing at the suave, eons-old Spanish vampire singing this female empowerment anthem while weaving through traffic.
He turned up the volume and shot her a glare. Shane wasn’t twitching any more. His body had gone still. Pop music forced the demon into compliance?
