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Dominga was standing inside a dark circle. There was a dead chicken at her feet. She had already made a circle of power. All I had to do was step into it and slaughter a human being. Over my dead body, if necessary.

Harold Gaynor sat in his electric wheelchair on the opposite side of the circle. He was outside of it, safe. Enzo and Bruno stood by him, safe. Only Dominga had risked the circle.

She said, “Where is Wanda?”

I tried to lie, to say she was safe, but truth spilled out of my mouth, “She’s down by the house on the gravel.”

“Why didn’t you bring her?”

“You can only give me one order at a time. You ordered me to come. I came.”

“Stubborn, even now, how curious,” she said. “Enzo, go fetch the girl. We need her.”

Enzo walked away over the dry, rustling grass without a word. I hoped Wanda killed him. I hoped she emptied the gun into him. No, save a few bullets for Bruno.

Dominga had a machete in her right hand. Its edge was black with blood. “Enter the circle, Anita,” she said.

I tried to fight it, tried not to do it. I stood there on the verge of the circle, almost swaying. I stepped across. The circle tingled up my spine, but it wasn’t closed. I don’t know what she’d done to it, but it wasn’t closed. The circle looked solid enough but it was still open. Still waiting for the sacrifice.

Shots echoed in the darkness. Dominga jumped. I smiled.

“What was that?”

“I think it was your bodyguard biting the big one,” I said.

“What did you do?”

“I gave Wanda a gun.”

She slapped me with her empty hand. It wouldn’t really have hurt, but she slapped the same cheek Bruno and what’s-his-name had hit. I’d been smacked three times in the same place. The bruise was going to be a beaut.

Dominga looked at something behind me and smiled. I knew what it would be before I turned and saw it.

Enzo was carrying Wanda up the hill. Dammit. I’d heard more than one shot. Had she panicked and shot too soon, wasted her ammunition? Damn.

Wanda was screaming and beating her small fists against Enzo’s broad back. If we were alive come morning, I would teach Wanda better things to do with her fists. She was crippled, not helpless.

Enzo carried her over the circle. Until it closed everyone could pass over it without breaking the magic. He dropped Wanda to the ground, holding her arms out behind her at a painful angle. She still struggled and screamed. I didn’t blame her.

“Get Bruno to hold her still. The death needs to be one blow,” I said.

Dominga nodded. “Yes, it does.” She motioned for Bruno to enter the circle. He hesitated, but Gaynor told him, “Do what she says.”

Bruno didn’t hesitate after that. Gaynor was his greenback god. Bruno grabbed one of Wanda’s arms. With a man on each arm, and her legs useless, she was still moving too much.

“Kneel and hold her head still,” I said.

Enzo dropped first, putting a big hand on the back of Wanda’s head. He held her steady. She started to cry. Bruno knelt, putting his free hand on her shoulders to help steady her. It was important for the death to be a single blow.

Dominga was smiling now. She handed me a small brown jar of ointment. It was white and smelled heavily of cloves. I used more rosemary in mine, but cloves were fine.

“How did you know what I needed?”

“I asked Manny to tell me what you used.”

“He wouldn’t tell you shit.”

“He would if I threatened his family.” Dominga laughed. “Oh, don’t look so sad. He didn’t betray you, chica. Manuel thought I was merely curious about your powers. I am, you know.”

“You’ll see soon enough, won’t you,” I said.

She gave a sort of bow from the neck. “Place the ointment on yourself in the appointed places.”

I rubbed ointment on my face. It was cool and waxy. The cloves made it smell like candy. I smeared it on over my heart, under my shirt, both hands. Last the tombstone.

Now all we needed was the sacrifice.

Dominga told me, “Do not move.”

I stayed where I was, frozen as if by magic. Was her monster still frozen in the hallway,