Inside, the questions churned: the shrine, the ritual, the warnings. She hated mysteries, especially ones that involved her.
At the street the driver stepped forward and opened the SUV's rear door. Luna slid in first; Maya followed. The guards took their places in the lead vehicles. Doors clicked shut. The convoy eased away from the market; the city blurred past tinted glass. Buildings thinned, noise folded into quieter streets, the whispers receded until only a kind of charged silence remained.
For several minutes neither woman spoke. Luna watched the city slide past. Maya stared at her reflection in the window until Luna's voice finally cut the hush.
"Maya."
"Hm?"
Luna turned a fraction. Concern was plain in her eyes now. "Are you all right?"
Maya's reply was automatic. "Yes."
Luna didn't look convinced. "What happened back there wasn't normal."
Maya looked away toward the passing landscape. "No."
