Still thinking about my fashion sense, I shrug. “It’s entirely possible.”
Lucio clearly isn’t thinking about clothes as he continues. “Giving up your powers doesn’t make you feel normal. It hurts. It’s like splitting in two.”
“Splitting in two?” I echo, remembering that Victoria said Aidan required her to give up her powers in order to place Anna into our house back in Ridgemont, like what she gave up created some sort of power surge.
“Anyway,” Lucio adds, “if the work Aidan’s doing in there turns out to be right, we’re not going to be helping spirits move on for that much longer.”
“But then what would our job be? Isn’t that pretty much the point of being a luiseach—how else do we maintain the balance?” I imagine all the luiseach in the world finding themselves suddenly unemployed, forced to apply for normal jobs like normal people, trying to figure out how to put “exorcising demons” on the special skills section of their résumés.
“What our job would be is kind of beside the point.”
“Then what is the point?”
“Aidan thinks we’re going extinct.” Lucio sounds almost matter-of-fact about it.
Before I can ask What do you mean, extinct?!, the music around us gets suddenly louder. The kids playing around the fountain run to their parents, who are lining the sides of the street.
“A parade!” Lucio grabs my hand and hops up, pulling me along beside him.
There’s plenty of space by the side of the road to see the parade—if that’s what you want to call it. It’s more like a traveling party. A few dozen people dressed in bright clothing slowly walk down the street. Some dance, while others just walk and wave. A band composed of mostly trumpets and a large drum follow the group, providing the marching theme.
“I knew this was coming up, but I didn’t know it was tonight,” Lucio shouts over the music and shouting spectators. Almost everyone in the parade has a brightly colored mask like the ones I’ve seen in pictures of Day of the Dead celebrations in Latin American history class. Traditionally Day of the Dead is a chance for family and friends to pray for and remember people who have died. I’m pretty sure it usually falls around Halloween. But I guess no one around here is going to let the time of year stop them.
“What’s going on?” I ask.
“A local celebration,” Lucio answers. I smile, suddenly so happy he brought me here. I shift my weight toward him, leaning comfortably on his arm.
“There’s something else you should know about the darkness.” Lucio looks at me seriously.
“What?” I shout back over the band.
“It’s changing. Growing.” He pauses, taking a second to think. “Something has changed. I don’t think it’s just spirits fighting to stay on Earth and eventually turning dark. I think there’s something else going on.” As Lucio continues, the music of the parade fades into the background, and it feels like I can’t hear anything but the words coming out of Lucio’s mouth. “It’s organized somehow.”
“Organized?” I echo. Then I realize the music actually has stopped. But the night doesn’t remain quiet for long. Before Lucio can tell me anything else about the darkness, a scream breaks through the silence. We both look over to see one of the trumpet players collapsed onto the street, clutching his chest. A few of the local women rush to try to help him.
That’s when I see a dark, shadowy figure on the other side of the street, crouching on all fours. Its face lights up as a horrifying smile spreads across its face, revealing row after row of sharp white teeth. Whatever it is, it’s happy. I grab Lucio’s arm.
“Look!” I point. Lucio squints.
“What?”
“Can’t you see it?”
“See what?”
“I think it’s a demon!” It must be a demon. Only a demon would look that pleased at the sight of someone else suffering.
“A demon?” Lucio echoes incredulously. “You can see it?” The commotion in the street grows as the man on the ground writhes in pain. A woman, probably his wife, wails in agony. But I force myself to look away because I don’t want to lose sight of the demon. I can see it more clearly now, as though my eyes had to adjust, the way they get used to seeing in a dark room. Suddenly it takes off, running toward a back alley.
“Come on!” I grab Lucio’s arm and give chase.
“I can’t see anything!” Lucio shouts as we cross the street, pushing our way through the crowd. As we pass the dying man, his spirit is released from his body. The demon may have killed this poor man, but he didn’t possess him, so at least I can help his spirit move on. I reach out and send it on its way.
Instantly the body it left behind bursts into flames. The people around the fire run away in horror. Smoke fills the air so that it’s difficult to see even a few inches in front of me, but I don’t slow down.
I saw where the demon was headed, and I’m determined to follow.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
The Hunt