Look What the Wind Blew In Read Free Page B

it empty.
    She focused back on her father. “No, I do not find it odd. Just because they were working in a temple named after the god of wind does not mean their sudden illness has anything to do with some kind of superstitious jinx.”
    He sipped from his cup, frowning at her over the rim. “A destructive wind did blow after you read that curse.”
    “It’s not a curse, Dad.” She pinched the bridge of her nose. How many times did she have to say it for crissake?
    Lowering his cup to the table, he shrugged. “Okay.” He didn’t sound convinced though. “So you’re going to stick with the notion that the Temple of the Crow caving in on Fernando and Alonso was just an accident, too?”
    “Of course.”
    “They could have been killed.”
    Angélica held up her hand, counting off on her fingers. “First of all, only a small section of the ceiling crumbled. Second, they merely suffered a few scratches and bruises. Third, you yourself told me at the end of last year’s dig that we might need to shore up the ceiling in that part of the temple.”
    “No, the chamber to which I was referring is not the same one that came down on them.”
    She stood and stretched her arms upward, thanking this whole curse sham for several new knots in her back. “It’s an old structure, Dad. Don’t you think it’s inevitable something that ancient would periodically succumb to the effects of gravity?”
    Juan brushed crumbs from the table as he rose. “Sure. But how do you explain Diego being shoved into the cenote this morning while collecting water for María?”
    “He slipped.”
    “Your crew happens to think he was pushed by Xtabay .”
    Her crew also believed in malevolent gods and the evil eye. It was no surprise they blamed Xtabay rather than something rational.
    “And what do you think?” she asked.
    “I don’t know. Diego swears he felt her hands on his back, and he’s not usually one for tall tales.” Juan carried their plates to the counter that divided the kitchen from the eating area. “I know you think this is all a bunch of delusory nonsense, and maybe you’re right, but you have to admit that ever since we found that curse, things keep happening that are hard to explain.”
    “Not that hard.” She joined him at the counter.
    “Maybe not in your logical left brain, but your men don’t always think like scientists.” His brow wrinkled, his brown eyes serious. “You need to keep that in mind when calming them down after the next incident.”
    “There isn’t going to be another incident.”
    “You can’t control everything, Angélica.”
    María slid through a side tent flap at that moment, putting an end to the curse debate. She nodded at Angélica and her father. Angélica waved back, complimenting her in Mayan on the beautiful, handmade white huilpil dress she was wearing. With her round face looking more flushed than usual, María thanked her and then gathered up their dishes and waddled into the kitchen.
    Angélica stared after her, realizing she hadn’t seen Teodoro at all during lunch, and María’s husband made it a priority to make it to every meal.
    “I like how María still wears traditional Maya clothing,” Juan said. “It makes her cooking taste more authentic.”
    She turned back to her father. “Have you seen Teodoro?”
    Juan looked all around, avoiding her gaze. “No, nope, I … I sure haven’t. Not for a while. He must be busy doing uh … something else.” He nodded as if agreeing with himself and then made a beeline for the exit.
    Please, she wasn’t born yesterday.
    “Dad.” She caught up with him out in the hot sunshine, grabbing his sleeve. “Where’s Teodoro?”
    “He’s probably out gathering more herbs to make another one of his foul potions. You should really rein him in on using those horrible tasting, eye-watering pastes on poor, injured men.” He was still avoiding her.
    A pair of jays chased each other across the sunburned landscape, flying from the