Just a little filler before things start getting more interesting.

"We'll be returning to the village for the day. I don't want anyone near here until the sun's set."

"I'm sorry, what?" Hernesto stared at the dark-skinned man in disbelief.

Santos lifted his head up slightly as he locked his gaze with the middle-aged man. He was in no mood to argue. "You heard me. We will be returning to the village."

"But why? We have her now. There's no reason to return."

Over his many years Santos had seen, and delt with, many people like Hernesto. The older man learned early on that the brunette was not only arrogant but he had a think first-ask questions later attitude. Santos, on the other hand, put logic ahead of all else.

"And make the Madrigals even more suspicious of us?" Lorenzo asked evenly. His muscular frame leaned against the cavern's wall. The white-haired man was thankful that his children caught onto his teachings. "They're smart. I'm sure they've already figured out that she's missing. They most likely began their search for her last night."

"Let them. They'll never find her here."

Lorenzo paid no attention to the man's sneer. Instead, he pushed off of the wall. Standing up straight, he crossed his arms as he fixed his pale blue eyes on the smaller man. "How long do you really think it will take them to realize it was us? The daughter has advanced hearing. While it is limited, if they come searching this way who's to say she won't hear her. Or us."

Heidi looked back and forth between the two men. At first, due to her own excitement, she agreed with Hernesto's reasoning. However, if she were being honest, she had completely forgotten about their vessel's family. Lorenzo had a good point. By now the family would be looking for her. If they all disappeared, it wouldn't take them long to notice that they were the ones responsible for their missing family member. However, if they were back at the village, they would bring less suspicion. If they played along and acted as if they knew nothing it would keep them off of their tracks. Hell, if they were lucky enough, they might even be able to divert their attention long enough to finish their work.

Her eyes widened as she realized just how prepared their leader was. Unlike the rest of them, Santos always seemed to be thinking five steps ahead. "We need to divert their attention away from here. So, they don't find us."

"Yes."

"Then let's just preform the ceremony now!"

"It takes time."

"Not that much time."

"Haven't you read up on steps needed to perform the ceremony?"

"Of course, he hasn't. He's an idiot." Zara said from beside her brother. A wicked grin spread across the girl's lips. "Let me break it down so even someone as stupid as you can understand. There are steps we have to take before the vessel will be ready. Each of those steps take time. We can't just skip over them or else it won't work. Got it? Or did I go too fast?"

To Hernesto, Zara was far more insufferable than her older brother. He wanted nothing more than to wipe the smug look off of the girl's face. Though the voice in the back of his head stopped him, just as it always did. It warned him that it wasn't a good idea to challenge the girl.

It wasn't that he would face the wrath of their leader. Hernesto was certain he could handle Santos, and even Lorenzo, in a fight. The older man had experience and his son had the muscle. However, the size of his opponent never mattered. Hernesto grew up on the streets in his home town. He'd learned from an early age how to win.

No, it was Zara herself that worried him.

He was well aware how pathetic it sounded to be afraid of a young girl. But people didn't understand. To the outside world, Zara seemed sweet and innocent. A typical seventeen-year-old girl. But Hernesto wasn't fooled by her façade. He'd witnessed first-hand the wicked personality the girl hid behind her charming smile.

Even still, he refused to be talked to in such a manner. Especially in front of the others. "Don't speak to me like you're above me child. I know the importance of the ceremony. I just fail to see the point in waiting. We should begin now."

"And the family?" Dante reminded softly.

"What about them?"

Santos understood their excitement, he really did. However, his children were right. They were lucky enough to have even acquired their vessel. Once chance. That's all they had to get the ritual right. They could not afford to skip any steps. Then there was the matter of the woman's family.

Lorenzo was right. The Madrigals were still a threat. The scarred man knew that if they'd discovered them, they wouldn't stand a chance in a fight against the family.

If they found them all their efforts would be for not.

"Lorenzo is right. By now they're sure to be looking for her. What if they find her before the ritual is finished? Do you really think you could best them in a fight, Hernesto? Can you beat the woman who can lift an entire church?" Santos questioned. Hernesto eyes narrowed before he bowed his head in defeat, finally seeming to understand the decision. "That's what I thought. One of us will stay here at all times to watch over the vessel. Dante, you'll have first watch."

Hernesto's head snapped up. "That fool? I'll do-"

"You will do no such thing. You've already proven that you cannot handle your temper around her."

"It wasn't my fault!"

"Enough. My decision has been made." Santos' tone left no room for arguments. His harden gaze traveled over his followers. "Once we leave this area, we will resume our nonverbal communications about the matter. Am I understood?"

"Yes Santos."

Alma stood at her window, watching as the sun's rays peeked started to peek out from behind the mountains.

Twelve hours.

It had been twelve hours since her daughter's storm. Twelve hours since her youngest grandchild came running to them, crying about the strangers attacking his mother. Twelve hours since her dear Pepita was stolen away from them.

Taking a deep breath, she tried to steady her nerves as the events from the night before flooded her mind.

After their meeting, the family split up. They'd spent hours searching the forest for any sign of her middle triplet. But they'd failed to turn up any new information. They were no closer to finding her. Antonio's jaguar wasn't able to trace any scents due to Pepa's storm. Dolores couldn't hear any of her mother's familiar sounds. Her son had gone as far as trying to have another vision, but the seer only managed to receive the same snippets as the previous one. Even after all they'd done, they still had nothing to show for their efforts.

Pepa was still missing.

It wasn't until the sun has set that Alma recalled her family back to their home. Félix was adamant about continuing his search. Alma reminded him that he wouldn't be able to do anything in the dark. As much as she hated to say it, it would be best for everyone if they rested for the night. They would continue their search in the morning, rested and ready. Her son-in-law wanted to hear none of her reasonings. Which only led to a heated argument between the pair.

In the end, it was the tears of his children that kept him inside the walls of their Casita. Félix gathered them up and the four disappeared into Dolores' room.

Straightening her black shawl, Alma stepped out of her room.

An uncomfortable silence filled Casita as the Madrigals each took their spot at the table. The vice grip around Alma's heart tightened as she stared at the empty seat to her right. Sighing to herself, she let her eyes travel over her broken family.

From the exhausted looks on their faces, it was clear that none of them had managed to get any rest. Though she couldn't blame them. She, herself, hadn't slept but more than an hour or two.

"Shouldn't we tell the villagers? Maybe they can help." Mirabel asked, breaking the silence, as she used her fork to move around the rice on her plate. She, just like the rest of her family, had no interest in the food that sat scattered across the table.

Luisa perked up beside her sister. "Yeah. Maybe someone knows something we don't."

"Maybe that's not such a good idea." Isabela muttered as she sank back away from the plate in front of her.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean." Her oldest grandchild began. "Right now, we have no idea who took Tía."

"I'm not following."

Thankfully, Dolores seemed to pick up on what her cousin was insinuating. "What Isa means is what if it was one of the villagers?"

"There's no way." Luisa said with certainty. Alma watched as the metal fork in her grip bent slightly.

Agustín adjusted his glasses nervously. "I have to agree with Luisa on this one. They wouldn't do something like that."

"We don't know that." Isa snapped angrily. The dark-haired girl inhaled slowly, taking a moment to recenter herself before she continued. "How else do you explain it?"

Surprisingly, it was Bruno who spoke next. He didn't lift his eyes up, finding his untouched plate of food more interesting. "She's right. Pepa's a powerhouse. Even without her powers, she's more than capable of defending herself. Dios knows she protected me enough when we were younger."

"I still don't believe it."

Isa scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Whether you do or not doesn't change the fact I might be right."

"But you're not! They're our friends!"

"We don't know that!"

"Abuela? What do you think?" Antonio asked softly.

All eyes turned to her. Alma closed her eyes. She knew that everyone was tired and worried. The last thing she wanted was to suspect someone in their home. But the oldest made a good point. There was no way that an outsider would have been able to get the upper hand in a fight with the redhead. Even without her power Pepa was a spitfire, always had been. And when she was truly angry, she was able to harness her power. To have total control of the weather.

"Right now, I think we need to be cautious. Isabela does have a valid argument. Whoever's taken Pepa has to have thorough knowledge of our miracle and gifts."

"So, we're just supposed to interrogate our friends?"

"No. That's not what she said."

"That's what it sounds like to me!"

"What else are we supposed to do? Do you have any other leads?"

"Wait. There was a girl." At Camilo's words his cousins stopped their argument. The curly haired boy seemed lost in thought, trying to remember what his friends had told him about the girl. He stared at his Abuela. "It was the girl that came in with Andre and the merchants. She kept staring at Mami."

Alma furrowed her brows. "The young girl with them?"

"Yeah. I think her name's Zara." The shapeshifter nodded.

"I've seen Pepa take down grown men. Do you really think a child could get the upper hand in a fight?" Agustín wasn't trying to be dismissive, but the thought of the redhead getting bested by a child didn't sit well with him.

"Hey, it's better than nothing."

Félix stood from the table so quickly the chair behind him fell to the floor. Turning on his heels, he began walking away.

"Félix? Where are you going?" Julieta called out hesitantly.

"To look for my wife. Standing here arguing amongst ourselves isn't going to solve anything." Félix muttered. He needed to do something. He couldn't just sit by and eat breakfast like everything was fine. Like half of his heart wasn't missing. "I need to find her."

"Félix is right." Alma said. The pair might not have been on speaking terms at the moment, but he was correct. Bickering amongst themselves wouldn't help anything. "Right now, we need to figure out who took Pepa. We need to gather as much information as we can. Julieta, I want you to return to your stand today."

Julieta clenched her fists as she stared at the matriarch. "You can't be serious, Mama. I need to be out there helping to look for Pepa. I can't just-"

Alma held up her hand, silencing her eldest triplet. "Please trust me. Surely, whoever has taken your sister hasn't got off without some form of injury."

"And they'll come to me to heal them."

"Yes."

"Bruno, Félix and Camilo will go back to searching around the area she was taken. Agustin and Luisa, you two will take the opposite side of the forest."

"What about me and Toñito?"

Alma smiled softly. If it had been a year ago Alma would have dismissed the giftless Madrigal, and told her to stay out of the way, just as she had so many times before. This wasn't the past, though. Mirabel had proven her dedication. She'd shown Alma determination that she hadn't witnessed since her dear Pedro.

Still, they had no idea what these people wanted or who else could be in danger. Alma knew that the easiest target of their family would be Mirabel. At the end of the day, other than herself, Mirabel was the only one without a gift to protect her. Keeping her with Antonio would at least lessen her worry.

"I would say that I don't want either of you leaving Casita. Somehow, I know that neither of you will listen. So, your duty will be to find out what the animals know. I don't want either of you leaving the village without one of us. Am I clear?"

"Yes Abuela."

"Dolores and Isabel, you will accompany me."

"Where are we going Abuela?" Dolores asked before letting out a squeak.

"I have a few questions for the travelers."