“He’s definitely not crazy.” Alex gritted his teeth, still not quite able to believe Vicente’s theory. “Maybe Joanna went willingly?”
Vicente’s head spun with a glare that made Alex afraid he’d crash the car. “Without telling us?”
“I just mean, they were talking like old, best friends right before the show. That’s how I found out about Zugarramurdi. That’s where Jago’s business took him, though to be honest, he seemed annoyed when Joanna mentioned it.”
“Ahah, see?There.Right there, Alex. He seemed annoyed because he didn’t want us finding out, perhaps? Free will? I don’t think so. And even if she did, why didn’t they tell us where they were going? No, man. Willing or not, this is way beyond fishy.”
“Okay, okay! We’ll find them, Vis. I promise. Next?”
“What?”
“Next question?”
“I don’t know. Maybe…” They exchanged worried glances as the car’s headlights lapped up the endless trail of road markings, catching the odd reflector as they went. “What are we going to do when we get there?”
“How long do we have to work that out?” Alex asked.
“I don’t know. Without stops, five hours? Maybe six?”
“That gives us five or six hours to come up with a plan,” Alex said, hoping to whatever god of fate would listen that the best course of action would be to do nothing at all.
***
No plan emerged.
Any trace of an idea that might have yielded a plan remained as obscured as the trail beyond their headlights as they swung into the spot where a few rusty signs promised they’d find the Zugarramurdi Witch Caves.
“Did you bring a flashlight?” Alex asked.
“No. Weirdly enough, this is my first time driving halfway across the country in the dead of night to stop an abduction. There may be one or two details I forgot.”
“We don’t know that it’s an—”
“Whatever it is, Alex!” Vicente sighed, looking sheepish. “Sorry, I’m exhausted.”
“It’s four in the morning and you’ve been driving.” Alex put a hand on his wrist. “Vis, they’re going to be okay and so are we.”
“They?” Vicente shook his head. “I’m sorry, Alex, but your new boyfriend isn’t the one I’m worried about.” They got out of the car and began following the trail downhill. Vicente cried out from in front as he stumbled. “Watch yourself. It’s steep here.”
“Thanks. Can you not break an ankle?”
“Mine or someone else’s? Forget I said that, sorry.”
Alex didn’t bite. He knew Joanna’s safety was Vicente’s only concern, and if Jago had hurt her in any way, it would be his as well. But damn it, they’d shared minds—perhaps more. Surely if Jago had meant them harm…
“Over there.” Vicente pulled Alex close behind a bush and pointed to the flickering fire that illuminated a far corner of the immense cave.
Alex couldn’t see Jago, but he could make out Joanna clearly enough, sitting cross-legged in her white stage dress, staring into the flames, hair hanging low over her shoulders. “We need to get closer.”
“No shit. How do we do that without being seen?”
“Vis?” Alex didn’t know how he knew. He couldn’t see Joanna’s expression, nor the smile that he was sure had crossed her lips. It was perhaps fairest to say he felther beckoning them, in the same way he’d felt her during the rehearsal and the performance. “She’s calling us.”
“She?”
Alex held out his hand. “Trust me?”
With plain scepticism, Vicente accepted Alex’s hand. Together, they followed the rest of the trail, which widened into the enormous mouth of the cave. Now, Alex could see Joanna, sitting opposite an equally bare Jago. Except Jago lay supine on the other side of the fire, still as a corpse except for a steady intake and outgoing of breath.
