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I fought to hide my growing frustration. Hector was probably less than fifty feet away. We could check on him and be gone in five minutes.
"Who's this?" Emilio said, jutting his chin at me.
"He works with your father."
"Yeah, you said that." He looked at me. "I've never seen you before."
"No," I said softly. "You haven't. I work in the Pacific Northwest. I'm sorry, Emilio, but I need to speak--"
"How do you know my name?"
"He works for the company, sir," the butler said, now openly struggling with his exasperation.
Emilio looked at me. "Then it's not Emilio to you. It's Mr. Cortez."
I felt a flicker of true impatience, and maybe something more, but said, calmly, "As you wish." I turned to the butler. "Now, the office is--"
"I really don't think--" Bella began.
"I've got it, Mom," Emilio said, with a snap in his voice that, at his age, would have earned me a five-hundred-word essay on the nature of respect for one's parents.
Bella didn't reprimand him. In fact, I swear I saw her flinch.
"Go see Ramon," Emilio said to his mother. "He was looking for his gym uniform."
With that, Bella hurried off up the stairs. I felt that familiar chill down my spine as I looked back at Emilio.
"Lu--" Paige began, then stopped herself, just in case. "We really should hurry."
As she spoke, she kept her gaze down, which seemed odd--Paige never avoids eye contact. Then I realized why she'd stepped away so quickly.
"Yes, right," I said, then to Emilio, "I'm sorry. Please excuse--"
He jumped into our path so quickly it startled Paige, and she looked up. Their eyes met. His went wide in shock. Then his lip curled.
"A witch?" He turned to me. "You brought a witch into our house?"
"No, I brought my wife." The words came out before I could help myself. I took Paige's arm. "If you'll excuse--"
"No, I don't excuse you, and she is not welcome in my house."
Under other circumstances, Paige wouldn't have stood for that. But Emilio was young, and it was not the time to educate him on the follies of prejudice, so she laid her fingers on my arm and said, "I'll be in the car."
With a nod to the guards, who parted to give way, she started forward, then stumbled, feet flying out, hands going up to brace against a fall. As I scrambled to grab her, I saw Emilio's fingers raised, and knew she hadn't tripped.
"Walk faster, witch," he sneered, and lifted his hand in another knockback spell.
I wheeled on him and caught his hands so quickly he yelped.
"Don't," I said.
"You--"
Emilio froze, caught in Paige's binding spell.
"Go," she said. "I'll keep him."
Her expression was annoyance mingled with regret--this was a step she'd rather not have taken.
