Jack in the Green — Charles de Lint

Jack in the Green is an original novella, set in the fictional Southwestern desert city of Santo del Vado Viejo, and is available here for the first time in any format.

Best friends Maria and Luz grew up in the barrio and were inseparable until Luz left town to fight against social injustice. They lose track of one another until one day, while at her job cleaning rich people's homes, Maria spots Luz among a gang robbing the house next door. Luz later tells Maria that her gang robs from the rich and gives to the poor, like a modern day Robin Hood. Luz says she brought the leader and his men to their city by magic.

Maria isn't sure if she believes that, but she does know that she feels an undeniable romantic connection to their handsome leader, the mysterious Jack Green, and the feeling is mutual. Between her rekindled friendship with Luz and her attraction to Jack, she gets drawn into a life that's 180 degrees opposite to how she's been living. But when things go awry, it's Maria who must pay the final price.