Time

It didn't take much effort for Imobach's legs to stretch out to step on the white lines of the pedestrian crossing. It was something he was used to doing, and there were several on the way to the Campoamor estate.

Mr. Domingo opened the door for him and kept an eye on him throughout the entire stay, although when he entered the girls' room it was more difficult for him. He only heard the teenagers. He knew that Imobach's last partner was a man, but that didn't mean he could let her guard down.

“How are you?” asked the brown-haired boy.

“A little uneasy.” Teresa's sincerity caught the boy off guard. “When you realize how slow earthly time is, nothing interests you.”

“So why haven't you visited the settlement of the wicked brothers?”  Imobach couldn't deny that playing that role, which sometimes dominated the blonde, amused him.

“Because the pink would empress had refused my entry, just like she does with onions or spiders. Or animal print, although I don't like it either”

“Would?” He sat up in bed, asking permission with his eyes, he spread his legs, his body formed an uneven rhombus, and leaned forward.

“She just spoke to me. But we just arranged a date.” 

“Yeah, better in person.” He assured, to which she nodded. “I think my work has been worthless then.”

It was a start to fixing things, and he was glad his sister had the courage to do it on her own, but if he was honest with himself, he would have liked to visit the girl first and talk.

“Don't believe it, it was a time to think for both of us and you looked after her while. We will talk again, it was just a break to think things over and try to understand each other, we didn't know how to read each other. Also, don't take into account someone who is hurt, emotions are momentary and it is difficult to control your mouth, worry if they do it in their right mind.”

“What maturity.” If he ignored the fantasies that he usually let himself get carried away by, he undoubtedly considered her a person with whom he could talk for hours. “Don't lose that common sense, even if you have acquired it for... that.”

He couldn't think fast enough to come up with a decorative simile to draw on in relation to his early years.

“I won't do it.” She winked, it was a promise.

“Um, I have to go, I don't want to bother you.”

Imobach stood up as if he had a spring in his legs or itching powder on his neck. He put the back of his hand to his mouth and walked. He breathed slowly.

“You just arrived. Would you like a black coffee? Or almonds?”

“I risk being annoying and should be watching El ministerio del tiempo for the fifth time .”

“Wait, at least I'll leave you this one,” she took a book from the huge bookshelf, disorganized and about to collapse, “have you heard of Ochate?”

Teresa glanced at the back of the book, she didn't seem to notice how much use it had had, the corners were no longer sharp and the covers had lifted. When she looked up she smiled, the boy had retraced his steps and was all ears, he came close enough to her to look over her shoulder, he was totally focused on reading the page, however, she wasn't able to read more than six lines in a row, every time she tried some embarrassing thoughts crossed her mind and she started again.

As he left, Imobach unconsciously resumed his challenge, only stepping on the white lines, while he was distracted by organizing the next day. He did not notice Adassa.

“Hey! Muscles mountain, be prepared tomorrow and bring that isotonic drink. It was delicious.”

“At your service,” he replied ironically.

“You're leaving my house” he stressed the almost obvious. The road to the farm only led to the family gardens, some of which were fallow and others already planted, it bordered on some other properties but had no exit.

“Technically, no.”

She wasn't lying, the house belonged to Teresa's family, not Adassa's, she was being taken in, but she had a strange material need for things.

“If you wanted to reconcile them, you could have asked me.”

“You didn't do it on your own.”

“I was waiting for you to offer me…” she scratched her fingers, symbolizing money.

“Yeah, that's not going to happen.”

Imobach continued walking, even though the street was not very busy, there was no point in stopping in the middle of the road. Besides, at that moment it was better to leave, he preferred not to let his "secret" be discovered, he felt more comfortable, something strange, he had not consciously sought it, this could really hurt him.

“I'm not interested in that nonsense about love. The next time you come, I'll ignore you.”

“Thank you.”

“Cheer up! Come on, get up, there's money to be made.”

The lights in Coral's room came on just seconds before the blinds went up.

Her bad mood could not resist the shyness she still suffered from her behavior days before and, especially, the intensity of Adassa, who threw the first two items of clothing she saw in the closet on her. Coral in the end preferred the clothes she had chosen the night before and had left neatly folded on the desk.

"Good morning," she yawned as she entered the living room. Breakfast was served, but Teresa's plate was the only one that was still full. "Hello," she said in a low but enthusiastic tone as he approached her. She would have liked to talk alone first, but that wasn't the case.

“Good morning” Teresa pressed her lips together and Coral noticed.

“Good,” she thought.

She decided that was enough for now, and didn't say anything else, she sat down to eat breakfast, if she didn't hurry the watermelon would disappear, she watched as the blonde placed a couple of cream puffs on her plate, she was sure she had caught her eye on them as soon as she walked in, although she didn't touch them until everyone was at the table.

The Imobach hiking stick turned out to be a good crutch, at least until they got off the 35 line, then they realized that it would be most useful for her brother to carry her while the others took care of their backpacks.

The walk began, it was long, longer than the last one, and even more so because of the whole situation, slow and silent. The trade winds pleased Yuusuke, although he knew about the existence of microclimates, he could not help but be enchanted by the total difference, while on the previous excursion, despite the heat wave, everything was dust and warmth, this one was humid, foggy and with a blue touch. Later, in a few days, he discovered the highest peak, the Teide, and all its surroundings, dry and arid but alive, he did not like it as much, it was not as easy to breathe and he would suffer the attacks of Teresa's hands smeared with sun cream.

“And what was it that you were asking for in the investigation of the dance hall?” Imobach asked, he had been lost in thought for at least sixteen minutes, staring without paying attention to the landscape. He became conscious again.

“Homework” Yusuke said.

“Ha! I won. I never thought I'd last so long without talking. Horrible!” Adassa had started the competition in his head, between the two girls who were cut and the two of them, who were not usually the life of the party, it was a challenge for him, whoever spoke first would lose. “He's a university student, he lives in La Laguna and it's not the school's job. Shut up ”

“College homework” he corrected.

“Why do you say that?” Coral seemed to have nothing strange about the request. It was like the others. Maybe even a joker.

“Re.: Maguadas. Dances to summon rain, flights and invigorating concoctions. Proof in images” Yuusuke recited from memory.

"That said..." Teresa spoke doubtfully, but if it was a joke she didn't want Coral to go through the same thing, they had to be sure. "In other requests they clarify that they have seen some apparition, noises and others, in that one, nothing. Maybe..." she was somewhat undecided, but she shook her head and spoke with conviction. "Let's go back."

"No," Coral answered immediately. "We're here to have fun. I know Imo has been reading books from that time in the early hours of the morning, and you," she still had trouble looking him in the eyes, so she kept her gaze down, "are the one who's always talking about witchcraft and powers," she paused briefly, no one interrupted her, "we want to know more."

Besides, they had already committed to the challenge, although she had to accept that it would bother her to be taken for a person who does not keep her promises, and the fact that someone had gotten her hopes up and then let her down, worse would be the thought of having lost an opportunity to strengthen ties with friends.

“It would be more fun with a plan.” Yuusuke yawned.

"I don't give a damn," Adassa replied, making Imobach let out a breath in a semi-laugh. "I did just enough to avoid hearing complaints, now move on, everything will be assessed as you go along." He gestured with his fingers for them to move. He began to walk backwards, facing the boys, which was a bit dangerous with so many dry leaves, at least they weren't pine needles, and pointed at Teresa. "Red Eye, what do you think about the oldest wizard?"

“As far as I remember… Kyteler! Around 1200s, he mastered the art of poison and had contact with demons…, but if you ask me in the Canary Islands, the Holy Office arrived in the 16th century.”

“The crossbreeding attracted a lot of culture, they also used it as a method of protection. The more hybridization, the better they hid.” said Imobach while lifting Coral.

“Shrines? What did they pray to?”  Yuusuke asked, more like an inquisition, he knew they would answer him.

“The shrine stone.” Teresa and Imobach answered at the same time.

“And… mmh, the dominatrix?” Coral had a vague memory in her memory, but she couldn't say where it came from or what, or even if it was really related.

“Saint Martha?” Teresa had not mentioned her for quite some time, there was nothing left to ask her for, although she felt bad, so much so that she used her and now she didn't even remember her to say thank you. “They asked her for protection before the court and punishments.”

“If they were such witches, they could have protected themselves,” Adassa ridiculed, to which Teresa did not know what to answer.

“The weevil dance is one of the most well-known songs. Fertility.” Imobach explained.

“Let's see…” Adassa tried to look for him with his mobile phone but the hectares of pure forest, groves and cliffs prevented the nearest antennas from doing their job. Unfortunately for him, he didn't want to take any more of his repeaters and gadgets that would have solved the problem immediately because he didn't want to carry too much. “Bah!”

“Um… I think it was something like this:

<<...the dance of the weevil, is danced crouching, bending the knees and jumping from one jump to another. Last night a cricket stung you, I thought it was a weevil... I'll come here in a little while to dance with my weevil…>>”

When he finished, Imobach turned his face away from the others, feeling a slight heat in his cheeks, coughed and slowly scratched his nose.

“What a disappointment. It's like today's reggaeton. We haven't evolved.” Adassa stuck out his tongue and made a face of nausea.

Imobach nodded without saying anything. He was still covering half of his face.

“But first it would be necessary, wouldn't it?” Coral intervened.

“Repopulation was necessary, otherwise you would die from illness , you would die in combat or from accusations. Now we are more than enough, here and there.”

“We arrived” Adassa celebrated ahead of time when she read the sign that said “Bailadero Las Brujas”.

“This is the most famous one.” Teresa snorted, taking a breath.

"How are you?" the one with piercings whispered tensely to the one in baggy Victorian pants.

At the top of the plain, Imobach was the first to arrive, and consequently his sister, surrounded by much more slender and fine trees, they differed from those that led the way, and the low stone wall that delimited an almost complete circle indicated to them that it was the place. Whether they looked to the right, the grey clouds were slowly approaching, or to the left, completely clear, they could see the beginning and end of the island and the waves, however steep they were, attracted you to take a bath. There was a calm, without a doubt, which was not there on the nights of rituals.

“Some historians link them to the monuments of the Guanches. Similar to a tagoror, but pagan rituals were held there instead of meetings.”

“And it seems that there is also a cemetery…” Coral spoke in a low tone, not so that they wouldn't hear her since they were still climbing the hill, but out of respect for seeing the cross. “Look, come closer,” she made a gesture of clicking her spurs.

Her brother set her down and she approached the flowers, which stood out among all the greenery, with small piles scattered around the area. Some looked like stars, with six rhomboid petals, starting out yellowish-white and ending in a light pinkish tone; the others were more round, their petals surrounding them in a purple tone that became lighter as they moved away from the stem.

"They look like blueberries," Adassa said, catching her breath behind him. She licked her lips but then thought, "Do you want some?" She offered it to Yuusuke before anyone else, which surprised the rest.

The boy let out a mocking smile, the brunette, who was unaware of botany, was very clever.

“There you have the evidence of witchcraft. Papaver somniferum and Amaryllis belladonna L.”

"Oh," both siblings said at the same time, partly out of surprise at the new information, but also because she was planning to pick some for a gift bouquet in the not-too-distant future, and because he remembered that more than once he forgot to eat some of the berries on long walks.

“There are probably more,” he told Teresa, “with narcotic or hallucinogenic properties.”