“Kimi?” Pedro said, his gaze still on the birds. “Is that a new nickname?”
Not quite. Quint lowered his camera. Screw it. He was too concerned about Daisy at the moment to worry about trying to hide this ghost-channeling shit from Pedro. “Daisy, are you okay?”
Pedro turned her way, doing a double-take. “Hey, what’s wrong with her eyes?” He leaned over and waved his hand in front of her face.
“I think she’s having some kind of a spell.” Her hand was stillon his arm. Cool to the touch—same as Angélica had described. “Daisy?” he said her name louder, trying to snap her out of it. Or snap somebody else out ofher.
Pedro came around the other side of Daisy, taking her by the arm to hold her steady. “Maybe we should try to sit her down?”
“When the time comes,Kimi,” Daisy rasped, freezing them both in place, “you will need their help.”
Was she talking about the vultures?
“Help with what?” Quint asked.
“Who isKimi?” Pedro stared at him over Daisy’s head, his forehead lined. “What is she talking about, Parker?”
“I’ll explain later,” he said to Pedro. Back to Daisy—or whoever—he pressed, “Help me with what?”
“That which awaits in the great darkness,” she answered.
Pedro’s eyes widened. “Is this the message the kings up on the wall are delivering from the gods?”
“I don’t know.” Quint turned to the vultures. They stared back at him, hunched, watching, waiting.
What the fuck?
Wait! Angélica’s mom. Of course! To Daisy, he said, “Marianne, is that you?”
Pedro made a choked, gargled sound, then, “Marianne?”
Daisy’s head tipped sideways, as if her neck was too weak for the load. “He must not be left alone,” she warned.
Hadn’t she said something like that to him the other day?
“You mean Juan?”
“Her knees are going,” Pedro said, grabbing Daisy around the waist to keep her from falling.
“Stay,Kimi.” She clamped harder onto Quint’s forearm, her fingernails digging into his flesh. “Stay until the ritual is complete or more will be sacrificed.”
He looked at Pedro, whose face was lined from forehead to chin.
Sacrificed?Pedro mouthed.
“Quint!” Angélica yelled, running their way.
Daisy’s grip tightened on his arm even more. Damn, she was strong! Surprisingly so for a petite woman. “Heed my words,Kimi.”
Quint turned to the king vulture standing on the pile of skulls. Messenger from the gods? “Who are you?” he whispered.
When Quint turned back to Daisy, her eyelids fluttered even faster. Her jaw was trembling now, too. “Do not descend,” she rasped. “Not until you seeIxchelin her full glory.”
Angélica slid to a stop in front of them, her focus on the vultures. “Holy shit! They really came!”
That was an odd choice of words, Quint thought. She didn’t seem happy about their visit, either. What in the hell was going …
Daisy’s knees gave out.
