As soon as I crossed the bridge, the temperature hit me. Cold. I held my arms tight to my body. Even the air smelled different here. Thinner and crisper. The crisp part was fine, but the thin quality made it feel like I couldn’t take a full breath.
I inhaled deeply, trying to get in more air, and failed. I’d never been at such a high altitude. Muraco had said to be careful and take it easy, but I didn’t have time for that. I had to adjust quickly.
I stepped into the terminal and looked around for the old wolf, but Muraco was long gone. I couldn’t find a hint of him anywhere. The mass of people moving up and down the areas between gates made it hard to really find anyone. Overhead signs pointed the way to the exit—baggage claim and car services—and I started along my way. At least I’d already gone through customs in Lima.
I tried to search for Muraco in the crowd ahead, but didn’t see him anywhere as I walked forward. He must be waiting for me somewhere outside.
He’d better be waiting for me somewhere outside.
I made it to the baggage claim and grabbed my bag, hefting onto my shoulder before continuing my search for Muraco. The closer I got to the exits, the more chaotic the airport got. Tour guides held up signs trying to get their groups together. Stands advertising different tourist attractions took up space along the walls, crowding me in as workers shouted about deals.
I thought I’d made it out of the worst of the mess when someone shoved a bowl of dried leaves in my face. “Coca leaves. Take some. Gratis. Free.”
The bowl smelled of earth and something totally unfamiliar and I stepped back on instinct. The lady smiled at me, showing off a few missing teeth. She wore a beautifully embroidered full skirt. Her bright pink cardigan picked up the colors of the thread flowers. Her browned skin was thin and wrinkling, but she kept on smiling at me, holding the bowl, urging me to take what she was offering.
No witch with any common sense would accept unknown herbs from an unknown source. The lady seemed nice, and if she really was offering dried coca leaves, they weren’t harmful by themselves, but that was the problem. They could have other herbs mixed in with them or be coated in something else. And even if taking things from strangers at airports wasn’t stupid to the nth degree, I didn’t know what she wanted me to do with a bunch of dried leaves. They didn’t look particularly edible.
Yeah. I wasn’t going to go down that road. “No, thank—”