The jolt came before the anger. The car gave a dry lurch, lost power, and died in the middle of the road, leaving only heavy silence and the smell of hot metal in the air. Luara gripped the steering wheel hard, chest rising and falling too fast, while she stared at the dashboard as if that could somehow explain what had just happened.

"Shit," she muttered, pushing the door open and getting out of the car.

The hood released a thin, insistent smoke that rose slowly, as if mocking ...