Ann Aguirre - Shady Lady

For Sharon Shinn,

whose words made me sigh

and wish I could ever write so well.

She has since proven herself as gracious

and charming in person as one would imagine.

Thanks for everything.

Once more, Im starting with Laura Bradford, who goes beyond the call. Thank you for the DMV, District 9, and the Toys R Us Bakugan mission. I hit the jackpot the day you said, I dont know if I can sell a science fiction novel, but I think I want the challenge.

As always, I thank Anne Sowards. Her notes make every book better and I am so lucky to work with her, along with all the other talented people at Penguin.

Next, theres Lauren Dane. She never fails to make me feel better when the chips are down, and shes first to cheer me on when I score. Lauren is so talented and so smart, and I am so lucky I can run things by her while Im working. My books wouldnt be as good if I didnt have her ear.

Heres a shout to Bree and Donna. Both of you have been there, and I appreciate it more than words can say. Id give either of you my seat in the lifeboat any day.

The incomparable Ivette takes meticulous care that everything in the book makes sense.

I also need to thank Stacia Kane. She convinced me to write what I wanted and not worry about convention. The book is better for her bravery and its daring.

Then theres Laura Bickle. She gets my work from the ground up; thanks for being a sounding board during revisions.

Additionally, thanks to the fine staff at La Finca in Catemaco, who made my research trip a fabulous vacation, and thanks to the real Ernesto, who took us out in his lancha, showed us the sights, and did not suffer a dire fate.

Thank you to Tet, a New Age expert, and Estelle, a real-life curandera, for insights that enriched this book and brought Tia to life.

Finally, I thank my family. If they werent so awesome, Id never be able to keep a schedule. My kids are fantastic, and Im so proud of them. Theyre smart, capable, kind, and a whole lot of fun. Im lucky to have them.

Then, of course, theres my husband. To give you an idea the kind of guy Andres is, when he comes home from a long day of workand a longer commuteto find Im cranky because my draft isnt going well, oh, and Ive been interrupted eleventy-four times by peddlers, he listens and then cooks dinner. Id never ask it, but how cool is that? He also has an epic ability to plot logical consequences for the messes my characters find themselves in. Without him, this book wouldnt be as good.

Many thanks to my fabulous proofreader. You know who you are.

As always, I must convey my utmost appreciation to my readers. You guys are the best. Please keep writing; thats ann.aguirre@gmail.com. I love hearing from you.

Lust sizzled through me. There were two of them, a matched pair. I knew a woman wasnt supposed to want such things, but sometimes we had desiresdark desiresthat couldnt be denied. There was no doubt about it.

That was the sexiest set of salt and pepper shakers Id ever seen.

Briefly, I imagined Chances reaction to my infatuation. Corine, hed say, why dont you make love to them? Youre making me jealous, woman. With some effort, I put him from my mind. My ex didnt deserve to be the voice inside my head.

Instead I focused on the treasures Id found outside my back door. Crafted of pure silver, they depicted lovers reaching toward each other, separated by whatever distance their owners dictated. I studied the artful lines and the graceful arches of the spines. These were classically inspired, likely a representation of Eros and Psyche. On closer inspection, I noted that the pepper flowed from holes in Psyches fingertips. I couldnt believe where the salt came from.

Wonderful. The designer had a sense of humor.

I didnt expect trouble from these two. Mentally bracing myself, I curled my left palmnow marked with a flower pentaclearound Psyche, lifting her out of the pretty white box. Heat flared, but it brought no pain. As Id thought, there was no trauma attached. Though I would have loved to keep these, my gift whispered of the fortune Id make selling them to a professor visiting from Spain. In my minds eye, I saw a flickering image of my prospective buyer. Id recognize her when she came in, and make sure to show them to her.

After the mess in Georgia, I was happy to be in Mexico. Things hadnt been the same since I found my mothers necklace; for a moment, I saw myself kneeling in that demon grove, shadows gone green from the Spanish moss, the smell of verdant decay in my nose like a damp, mildewed rag. I reached out and took the necklaceagainst Jesse Saldanas warningsand lived my mothers death. I hadnt survived it, or at least, when I came back, everything had changed. My ability was no longer the simple touch it once was; I thought Id received my mothers power, but I wasnt a trained witch. Nor did I know who to trust with the revelation. At this point, I didnt know how to discipline my new power, and that was made for a bad situation, considering the cost at which Id gained it. In time, Id move beyond the pain of all those deaths in Kilmer, and these peaceful months at home had helped.

But I was curious about these salt and pepper shakers. As a handlersomeone who could read the histories of charged objectssometimes I wanted to see the stories, even when I didnt have to, especially when there was no grief or trauma involved. I didnt read every item that came across the counter in the pawnshop, but when I thought something might have a happy story to tell, I wanted to see it for myself.

As I reached toward Eros, the bell above my door tinkled. Sunlight cut through the shadows, golden motes of dust whirling in the air and hinting at how hot it was outside. The heavy rock walls and cool plaster interior made it possible for me to stand my shop with just a simple oscillating fan. In fact, it was cooler than any un-air-conditioned building Id ever seen in the U.S.

I recognized the man standing in the doorway, though he was not either of the ones I mightve expected. Kel Ferguson stood well over six feet and he was heavily muscled. Tattoos covered his skin, even on his skull, written in angelic script. He had eyes like shadowed ice and he professed to be the Hand of God, tasked with killing those who would push the world toward the end of days. Once, in Laredo, hed claimed if he had been on the job at the time, he couldve prevented the Holocaust.

I didnt know if he was crazy, but I did know the man was damn near unkillable. In Texas, I had watched him take multiple wounds so deep they showed bone; I saw him fall. And then he rose again, ready to fight on. Whatever else he might be, I was pretty sure he wasnt entirely human. I also wasnt sure whether we were still on the same side. I froze, eyeing him across the counter.

Corine. He inclined his head toward the saltshaker. Dont touch that.

My right hand rested on the counter, mere inches away from Eros. Id intended to read him, now that Psyche had told me where they were destined to wind up. Another thirty seconds and it wouldve been too late, assuming he was right in his warning. Somehow I didnt think Kel had come all this way to mess with my head.

Why not? There was no point in remarking on his lack of niceties.

Its hexed, he told me.

Damn. Despite my uncertainty about his motives, I didnt doubt him. After what Id seen him do in Laredo, I had to take him seriously. His reactions and recovery came from something greater than insanity; that was for sure. I wasnt ready to admit he had a direct line to the divine or anything, but his presence had saved my ass once before. There could be no discounting him now.