“What is this place?” I whispered to Elena, but she darted away, leaving me standing awkwardly at the entrance. Energy thrummed around me, tickling the hair on my arms.
This room is full of magic, I thought, glancing around at the crowd. Are these all witches and warlocks?
Elena hurried to the back of the room where a couple huddled together at a table, whispering urgently. The woman looked up at Elena’s approach and conversed with her inaudibly. Then her gaze shifted to me. Her eyebrows rose with interest, but there was no hostility or accusation in her eyes, unlike what I noticed of some of the others. I sensed kindness in her expression, but I wasn’t sure how I could tell.
The couple who spoke with Elena approached me. The man, a buff thirty-something with a thick black mustache, lingered behind the women. His muscular arms crossed over his chest and he glared at me threateningly as if warning me not to try anything.
I swallowed down my fear and looked at the woman. She seemed like she was in her late twenties or early thirties, and her black, curly hair was tied up in a neat bun. She was tall and easily dwarfed me and Elena, but she had an air of grace that made me think she could’ve been a princess in another life.
“Are you Desi?” she asked.
I nodded.
“Elena says you need help,” the woman said. “My name is Alba. Can you tell me what happened?”
I nodded numbly as she guided me to their table, the man and Elena following behind us. As soon as I sat in the chair, my body crumpled as if it couldn’t handle anything else. I blinked exhaustion from my eyes and took a deep breath before diving into my story.
“I used the Grimoire to find a teleportation spell to get to Miami—”
Alba raised a hand to stop me. “Miami?”
I frowned. “Uh, a city in Florida? In America. Close to the coast.”
Alba’s frown remained, but she nodded, and I continued.
“I used the spell on the spring equinox of a millennial year—the year 2000. I used a picture of my destination, a house in Miami, and I somehow . . . wound up here.” I pressed my lips together, knowing the story sounded lamer than what actually transpired.
Someone scoffed behind Alba. I glanced up and found Elena leaning against the door frame of the kitchen, rolling her eyes. Irritation prickled through me. Why’s she still here if she’s just going to laugh at my story?
Alba’s brow furrowed as she gazed at the floor in contemplation. Not looking at me, she asked, “You said this spell was in the Grimoire?”
“Yes.”
“What did the spell say exactly?”
I opened my mouth but stopped and glanced around nervously.
Alba seemed to sense my thoughts. “Don’t worry. You alone don’t have enough power to transport yourself anywhere, especially with all the magic happening around us right now. It’s too chaotic to channel anything.”
Sweat trickled down the back of my neck. Lilith, there’s no air conditioning. It is so fracking hot! I tugged at the collar of my tank top, billowing it up and down to fan myself from the heat. “I can’t remember it exactly. Something about ‘time and space,’ and ‘take me to my desired place.’”
Alba nodded again. “I’ve heard of cases like this, but nothing concrete. It must be why the spell isn’t in our Grimoire yet. It likely hasn’t been fully proofed.” She raised an eyebrow at me. “Do you know what ‘Teleport’ actually means?”
“Of course. To get from one place to another.”
Alba shook her head. “Not exactly. To get from one point to another. The difference is, a point can be anywhere in time and space.”
My mouth fell open. “So Jumpers can time travel?”
Alba cocked her head. “Jumpers?”
I cleared my throat. “Sorry. Teleporters.”
Alba nodded. “There are rules, and only the strongest Teleporters can manage it, but yes.”
I fought the urge to release a shout of frustration. Stupid José and his ignorance! He probably had no idea what Jumpers were capable of. “Okay, so why did I end up here? And now?”
“My guess is that you were pulled by some powerful force of magic. Something that drew you here, locking onto your power with its own.”
“What kind of powerful magic?”
Alba raised her arms, gesturing to the room around her. “It could’ve been anything. In case you couldn’t tell, there’s a war going on.”
“Right. With Spain and the Americans.”
“No,” Alba said sharply. “With all of us, as well.”
My eyes widened. “A magical war?”
Alba nodded, her brown eyes solemn. “We suspect the demons are using the Americans’ war as a front to cover up this one. They timed their attack very carefully.”
“So you think the power that pulled me here came from them? Can I use that power to go back to my time?”
“I don’t know.”
I blinked. “Y-You don’t?” I swallowed. My eyes felt hot, and a hard lump formed in my throat. My voice faltered as I asked, “How am I supposed to get home? I can’t stay here.”
Alba shook her head. “I’m sorry. There is someone who can help you, but she . . .” Her voice trailed off, and she pressed her lips together.
“What?” I prodded, my heart racing.
“She was captured yesterday. By El Diablo.”
El Diablo? Wasn’t that Spanish? Why didn’t the translation charm translate it for me? “Doesn’t that mean ‘devil’?”
“It’s not a word. It’s his name. What his followers call him. We don’t know his real name, only that he’s a Second Tier demon.”
My brows scrunched as I tried to remember what I knew about Second Tier demons. First Tier demons were basic and easy to identify because they couldn’t cloak themselves. But if demons performed a blood ritual, they could Ascend to the Second Tier, which made them more powerful. “So he can appear human?” I asked uncertainly.
“Yes, which makes him dangerous. He could be anywhere. Or anyone.”
I swallowed and gazed around at the others in the room. Some
