Daisy turned to her, a small smile on her face. “Because I’m messing with you,Pik,” she said in a normal voice. “Come here and let me look at you.” She reached out and snagged Angélica’s wrist.
The hand on her wrist was cold. Angélica let herself be pulled nearer to the fire. She was willing to roast next to the flames if this truly was her mom’s ghost channeling through Daisy.
She cupped Angélica’s face. “Look at you. You’re so beautiful and full of life. God, I miss you and your father.”
Tears burned in Angélica’s eyes, partly from the intense citronella smell this close to the fire, but mostly from the pain visible in Daisy’s—hermom’s—gaze.
“We miss you, too, Mom,” she said huskily, swallowing the sudden lump in her throat.
Her mom’s focus lowered. “You’re still wearing our locket.”
“Of course. You told me to.”
She tweaked Angélica’s chin. “That’s my girl.”
“What are you doing here, Mom? Just visiting? Or is Quint in more trouble?” First butterflies and vultures, and now her mom’s ghost. Angélica’s pulse doubled down.
Marianne turned to face the fire again. “I’ve been here for a while, keeping an eye on you.”
“Oh.” Had her mother been watching when she was kissing Quint in the communications tent? “Like watchingallthe time?”
Her mom chuckled. “Well, I do close my eyes when things get a little too spicy around you.”
“Uhhh …”
“But when your sexy scribe runs around camp in his underwear, it’s sometimes fun to keep my eyes open.”
“Mom!” Angélica cringed. “Promise me you will stop watching Quint and me when we’re … uh … playing around.”
“Fine, but only because you need to make some babies for your father to bounce on his knee.”
She shook her head. “Babies don’t work with my job.”
“Then maybe you need to reconsider how important this ‘job’ of yours is, and keep in mind that childrearing would not be your task alone. If you’ll remember, I made room for you and my career thanks to your father’s help.”
“Yeah, but Quint travels a lot.”
Marianne shrugged. “So could you, if you chose. Where there is a will and a baby, there is a way.”
“You sound like Dad.”
Her mom nodded. “He’s a wise man. Listen to him.” She stared at Angélica, half of her face shadowed. “You must protect your father. I’m worried about him.”
“Because of his bum leg?”
“Because of why the walls were built.”
Angélica moved closer to her mom, glancing around to make sure nobody was near enough to hear them. “Is this about what you told Quint the other day?”
“I have not spoken to anyone here but you,Pik.”
“But Daisy channeled for you, and you called QuintKimi.”
“Why would I call him that? I know his name.”
“Because you and he share a spirit companion.”
“How was I to knowkimiwas by his side? I have no knowledge of his birthdate.”
