Page 70 of Hot Summer's Prey

“The witch is over there,” I protest.

“You want to get in the middle of that?” he scoffs.

“Then where are we—”

Arms embrace me, lips on my skin.

“Are you okay?” Pacari asks.

I nod back to him, stunned and elated to see him alive. He looks really beaten up—covered in bruises and cuts. My heart sinks, thinking of what the Witch must have done to him.

“It’s getting cramped in here,” another voice grumbles from behind me.

I squeak, turning around to see a creature with an almost-human face and torso—except not. A crown of red and white surround a pale face with blue eyes. The light from Pacari and Slugger is too dim to make out many of its features. Not much of a nose. A tentacle pushes back a surprisingly luscious head of hair off its face.

“Teresa, this is Cirro,” Pacari introduces. “Cirro, this is Teresa, my mate.”

The creatures eyes go wide for a moment. “I did not know you could have a mate.”

Pacari smiles. “Neither did I.”

“You’re… like what’s outside?” I ask, my voice trailing off as I lack the vocabulary to place these creatures.

“Son of the Abyssal Ones,” Kalixto informs, “He’s how you’re going to speak to the Lantern Witch.”

“She is not,” Pacari protests. “I was so distracted that she was here that I—How dare you bring her here?”

“She knew what she was getting into,” Kalixto counters.

“I did,” I say. “Well, mostly. I knew it was dangerous. But I told you it was too dangerous for you to go alone.”

“Well, I haven’t been alone!” he grumbles.

“Jeez, it’s a real boys’ club in here,” I notice. “I’m sure that’s gone over real well with the misandrist sea witch.”

They all look around at each other.

“Exactly,” Kalixto agrees.

“What is your plan?” Pacari asks. “You wouldn’t have threatened her life if you didn’t have a plan.”

Kalixto grins broadly at Pacari, showing off teeth that aren’t quite as sharp as Pacari’s. Pacari rolls his eyes before continuing his glare.

“I will calm the waters,” Kalixto proposes. “Cirro will pull the Abyssal Ones aside. And your mate—”

“I have a name.”

“Teresa will talk the Lantern Witch down.”

“What am I supposed to say?” I ask. “I mean, I held my ground with her before, but I don’t know what I’m supposed to tell her.”

“Part of my deal with her was to return with information about the Cliffside Lady,” Pacari says bashfully.

“The Cliffside Lady?” I ask.

“Zephyr’s grandmother,” Kalixto answers.

I narrow my eyes. “Who you don’t know.”

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