Page 16

CHAPTER 16

Carolina

Carolina swept to her abuelo’s armoire and thrust open the doors. His scent still lingered within. Leather, tobacco, and mint. She breathed in deeply. She’d come up here every day since he was slain just to feel like he was nearby. That was how she’d found the beautiful dagger with the ruby hilt she used to threaten Lalo with. The piece had been stashed away at the very rear of the dresser, hidden behind layers of dusty cloth.

She reached for a shirt and breeches, flinging them at Lalo. “Put these on.”

He blinked at her, holding her abuelo’s large clothes against his thin frame. “These won’t fit me.”

“Oh, I’m sorry. I’ll fetch the tailor. While I’m at it, I should grab the barber as well. You need a trim off the top.”

Lalo’s lips flattened. “Since we are working together, you might want to reel in that attitude of yours. Starry-eyed lovers are supposed to bat their lashes at each other and call each other cari?o.”

“Did you read that somewhere?”

“Well…yes.”

She scoffed. “We will worry about terms of endearment and my attitude later. We need to get you out of here. I think we’ve pushed our chances for long enough.”

“That would be best. Tell me, has anyone in your family mentioned your great-great-great-grandfather? I’d like to know what sort of man he was.”

“His name was Vidal. He would never do anything to harm his family. That is all you need to know.”

Lalo crossed his arms.

Her irritation spiked. “Most everything in el pueblo burned down after Alma was turned. If there is any documentation about him, it would be in a sacred location—the one building that will never burn because everyone will do whatever it takes to save it.”

“The church? The library?”

She shook her head. “La cantina.”

Lalo snickered but then recovered that uptight scowl he seemed to prefer. He stuffed his legs into the pants. He was around the same height as Abuelo, but the fit was wrong. The moment he buttoned his breeches, they slid off his hips and pooled at his feet. Carolina huffed. She dug into her abuelo’s armoire and pulled out a belt. She swept forward, yanked up his pants, and shoved the tip through the loop.

Lalo had gone perfectly still, save for the notch on his throat that bobbed up and down.

“We should talk about boundaries,” he rasped. “That is, if you don’t want me to go feral.”

She ignored the sudden quickening of her heart rate when he spoke so quietly. Her fingers cinched the belt tight. “Care to have another sparring session to test my skills against your ferociousness?”

“Lucky for you, I possess self-restraint.”

Carolina laughed. Something she had done more in the past few minutes than she’d done in the last few weeks. She turned to shut the armoire. She peeked over her shoulder as he slipped the borrowed shirt over his head. She couldn’t help but appreciate a final glimpse of his abdomen. Of those muscles taut beneath his brown skin.

“We should go before dawn breaks,” she said, needing to set her mind back to rights. “The rain has started. You will be sheltered from the sun, but we should sneak away before everyone rises.”

“Are we safe leaving the town walls?” he asked. “Do sedientos attack often?”

“ I will be fine. I can’t say for sure how you will fare.”

Lalo gave her a deadpan glare.

“We should be perfectly safe with so many of father’s guard milling about. Getting past them, undetected, worries me the most.”

They snuck out of her abuelo’s room, and Carolina shut the door with an almost imperceptible click. She halted when she heard signs of life. Her family was already beginning to wake. Even after a chaotic night, the house stirred to life before the roosters crowed. She shouldn’t be surprised.

The sizzle and pop of breakfast cooking over the fire and whispers of chisme already floated into her ears. She could hear her younger siblings arguing about who got their chilaquiles first and could smell the tortillas frying on the aged skillet. This warmth, the constant bickering, the gossip, the hushed staccato of her mamá’s and papá’s whispers, was all she ever wanted. She never wished to leave Del Oro for this very reason. She wanted the noise, the arguments, the messiness of her family always.

She gazed up at the vampiro and caught him watching her.

“What?” she whispered.

He shook his head. “Nothing. You just looked, I don’t know, sweet for a moment there.”

“I am sweet. Just not to monsters. Or most people.” She shrugged. “I’m an acquired taste.” Grabbing his hand, she tugged him forward. His skin was soft and warm. So unlike the tales of sedientos and el pueblo boys she grew up with. She wondered how his fingers might feel fluttering across her cheek.

Stop that, she scathed. Stop thinking about his hands and his lips and his damn chest. You should be focusing on finding the true original sediento. On ending them so your family can live in peace, and you can prove to your family how wrong they were to count you out.

“We can’t go through the kitchens or the front of the house, but there is a side entrance most people won’t use. Are you friendly with dogs?” she asked.

“Not particularly.”

“Well, let’s hope ours are partial to you. There are five of them. Big beastly things my papá uses for hunting sedientos.”

Lalo blanched. “Gods, help me.”

They had just landed on the first floor when she saw her mamá approaching.

“Shit!” Carolina turned and shoved Lalo into the room beside them with brute force. He tripped over the rug and fell backward. Carolina slammed the door shut just as Mamá caught a glimpse of her.

Mamá’s eyes went as wide as full moons.

“What are you doing up and about at this early hour?”

“I was…”

“Sneaking off into your abuelo’s rooms,” Mamá finished.

Horror overtook Carolina. She shook her head. “No…I…”

Mamá placed her hand on Carolina’s cheek. “You do not need to be ashamed of hiding away among his things, mija. We all grieve in different ways.”

Carolina’s face burned with shame. Here she was, sneaking about and allying herself with a sediento. For what? A fool’s errand? Revenge? To spite her father? The lines were starting to blur. Besides Abuelo and Nena, Lalo was the only other person who believed in her abilities. That meant something to her.

Mamá gave her a little pat before starting to walk away. “Time to get ready. I’ve sent Luz Elena to your room to help you dress.”

“What? Why?” Carolina tried to sound calm but inside she was shaking. Luz Elena, her very nosy, very snobby nanny, was on her way to her room. To the place she’d stashed Fernanda last night after the duel.

Wanting to keep Lalo’s injuries a secret, Carolina told anyone who asked about the Montézes’ whereabouts that they’d gone home last night to check on their goats to ensure they were safe. Carolina was certain they had no such goats, but it was the cleverest story she could scramble up at the time. Luz Elena would surely spot Fernanda and tell Mamá there was someone else in Carolina’s bed. And that would lead to questions about why Carolina had lied, which would only force her to lie more.

“I’ll go to her now.” Carolina gave her mamá a peck on the cheek. She skidded to a halt and asked, “Why am I getting dressed up?”

Mamá put her hands on her hips. “We are going to meet your suitor, the one who so elegantly disrupted our entire fiesta by breaking the ice sculpture of your abuelito. Surely you remember the boy you were seen tucked away with in a darkened library.”

Something crashed in the room beside her. Lalo most likely tripped over a broom. But at least he knew what Mamá’s plans were. He could run to his home and be ready for them long before they arrived.

Mamá’s brow furrowed. She started toward the source of the noise.

“Yes, um, about last night,” Carolina said, moving in front of the door concealing the sediento in question. “We didn’t mean to cause such a commotion. We are just…we…we’re so in love.”

Carolina’s stomach pinched at the mere mention of the word. She hadn’t been in love before, but she imagined her impulsiveness would kick in. She was forever running headfirst into things. Being in love might make her recklessness worse.

Mamá smiled wistfully. “I was young once,” she said. “I know what it is to lose all sense at the sight of an attractive boy. When I first saw your papá, I knew he was the one for me. He was tall and strapping, even at seventeen.”

Carolina plastered on a fake smile. She didn’t need to hear about her parents’ love story. She had to get to her room before Luz Elena did.

“He rode west for seven weeks just to visit my hometown of Presidio with the intention of marrying Cecilia Ramírez. But he fell for me instead.”

There were so many Fuenteses in Del Oro. It was nearly impossible to find someone who was unrelated to Carolina’s family within el pueblo, so going to another to find a bride or groom was common.

“We were caught as well. Did you know that?” Mamá asked.

“You were?”

“My father wanted to kill Luis. Actually, he tried.” Mamá giggled like a schoolgirl. “A fact that I reminded your padre of this morning. Do not let your head hang low, mija. You are young and beautiful and full of life. Why shouldn’t you fall for a man who is the same?”

Lalo was as alive as Carolina’s leather boot. But nevertheless, if being betrothed to him meant not having to endure the presence of Rafa or any other arranged match, she would gladly cling to this falsehood.

She eyed the door. He was surely listening. But she had to continue with the charade. “Lalo is so handsome.”

“Indeed. Though, poor Rafael came all this way. We are so close with his family.”

“A pity.”

Del Oro’s mission bells clanged. “Go get ready, Carolina. We have a few stops to make in town, but after that, we will call on your admirer. We’ve already sent over correspondence to Lalo’s home to let him know that we’d like to have drinks together later today.”

“So soon?” Carolina asked.

“Do not fret. If you love this boy, I’m sure we will too. But we must know if his intentions are pure before we speak about this engagement.”

Carolina gave a quick bob of her head. “Thank you, Amá. I will go to Luz Elena at once.” She could only hope Lalo would find the means to sneak away.

She took off at a meandering pace, but as soon as her mother was out of sight, Carolina bolted. Her arms pumped as she raced down the corridor toward her room.

She sped forward. From the corner of her eyes, she saw Luz Elena shuffling through the corridor on the other side of the courtyard. Carolina stopped and tugged off one of her slippers. She chucked it as hard as she could just behind Luz Elena. When the woman went to investigate the noise, Carolina pushed ahead.

Finally, her hand grabbed the handle to her room. She pulled the lever and dashed in, trying her best not to slam the door behind her.

Her eyes widened when she noted her bed was empty. The sheets hadn’t even been ruffled.

Two heads shot up from the blankets on Nena’s mattress. Nena’s and Fernanda’s.

Nena’s curls were a tangled nest. Fernanda’s light brown hair jutted out from her chignon. The same shade of rosebud lip paint stained their faces.

“Happy for you!” Carolina whisper-yelled. “But also, hide!”

When the girls did little but blink with bewilderment, Carolina waved her arms frantically. “Fernanda, get under the bed!” There was nowhere else large enough to conceal a body. “Our nanny is coming. She cannot know you are here.”

“Did you not tell them you were taking on guests?” Fernanda asked, confused.

Carolina shook her head. “I didn’t want anyone thinking your brother left you here unattended. Nor would I tell a soul he was healing in my abuelo’s room. How could I explain his condition?” Plus, that would mean others would learn he had, in fact, been shot and lost the duel.

The door handle wiggled. It opened slightly. Carolina pressed her entire weight against the wood and slammed it shut.

“Carolina?” Luz Elena called. “What’s the meaning of this?” Luz Elena shoved against the door, jolting Carolina. Saints, la vieja was strong.

“One second, Luz. Nena isn’t proper.”

“I’ve been bathing and clothing you two girls since before you could walk,” Luz Elena said, jiggling the handle.

“Hurry,” Carolina snapped to Fernanda.

Fernanda scrambled out of the sheets in nothing but her undergarments and slid under the bed. Her head popped out, her hair fanning around her face. “This is the most fun I’ve had in ages.”

Nena grinned. “Me too.”

“Just hide and stay quiet,” Carolina whispered.

“Carolina? What is happening in there?” Luz Elena pushed harder against the door. Carolina couldn’t hold the woman back any longer. She was petite, but she was as mighty as the bull that struck Rafa.

Carolina tripped forward as the door burst open. Luz Elena surveyed the room. She was shrewd as ever. If Mamá knew the comings and goings of the hacienda, Luz was the one who’d whispered into her ear.

Her nanny pursed her lips. The wrinkles on her face tripling. “What is that?”

She jerked her chin toward a gown draped over Carolina’s vanity bench. Fernanda’s gown. She would throttle Nena for being so careless later.

“A dress,” Carolina said, very thankful that Luz Elena could not attend last night’s fiesta due to gout and therefore wouldn’t recognize the elaborate gown. “I just bought it from a tailor in el pueblo.”

Luz Elena’s sharp eyes turned to Carolina. “Which tailor? We have two.”

“Smith,” Nena shouted. “He did a fine job, no?”

There were actually three tailors within el pueblo, but Luz Elena never went to Mr. Smith after they had a dispute over silk prices twenty years ago—a fact her cousin knew well. Perhaps she wouldn’t be throttled, after all.

Luz Elena scoffed. “You went to that thief?”

“He’s no thief,” Carolina interjected.

“Have you seen what he charges his customers? Thievery, I tell you.” Luz Elena sniffed. “Do you smell that?”

“No,” the cousins said in unison. What could Luz Elena possibly smell? Aside from Carolina’s lies?

“Neither of you wear perfume like this. This one is much more floral in nature.” She sniffed again, rather dramatically. “You don’t smell it?” She shuffled dangerously close to Nena’s bed.

“Oh, that! My dear soon-to-be sister-in-law let me try her perfume,” Carolina said, laughing and putting her arm around the nanny’s shoulders. “I think it is time I get dressed, no? I need to look my very best if I want to impress my new fiancé.”

Luz Elena harrumphed. “This is all very scandalous if you ask me. Sneaking away and speaking to a man without an escort. You’re a lady, se?orita. Next thing we know, you two will be slipping lovers into your rooms.” She made a sign of protection over her chest.

“Dios forbid,” Nena said.

Carolina cleared her throat. “Yes, well, now we will set it to rights.” She swept over to her bureau and thrust open the doors. “What shall I wear? Something bright to accentuate my skin tone? Something modest?”

Luz Elena grabbed the dress on the bench. Her callused fingers brushed the fabric. She harrumphed once more, but with a tone that said she was not so unpleased.

“Mr. Smith made this?”

“I believe he sent for it from the ciudad.”

A knowing smile appeared on Luz Elena’s face. “That makes more sense. That old rat couldn’t make something so lovely. I’d know.” She lifted it up.

There was absolutely no way Carolina could fit into such a thing. That is, if she wanted to breathe.

Luz Elena smiled. “This will do just fine. The green will be lovely on you. I don’t believe you have anything of this color.” She placed it on the bed and tapped her lips. She snapped her fingers. “Your mother’s emerald earrings. They will look exquisite with this.” She turned around. “I’ll be back in two minutes, se?orita.”

The door opened and shut. Carolina ran toward her cousin’s bed. Together, she and Nena grasped Fernanda’s hand and heaved her up.

Fernanda was disheveled but had humor in her eyes. “That was brilliant.”

“Thank you.” She grabbed Fernanda’s gown and shoved it into the girl’s chest. “Put this on and fast. We have a dilemma. My family and I are getting ready to head to your house.”

Fernanda’s jaw dropped. “My house?”

“Sí. My family will be making a visit there this afternoon. Your brother should know. He was in the room beside me when I ran into my mamá. Today’s storm will keep him protected from the sun, at least.”

Fernanda slipped into her gown, making jokes while Nena tied the laces tight. They grinned and giggled at each other. The heat of their flirtation was palpable.

“You are so vastly different from you brother,” Carolina blurted out.

“Because I’m fun and funny, and he is a stick in the mud?”

Precisely, but in an engaging sort of way that Carolina found she quite liked. She knew she should stop herself from liking anything about him. She shouldn’t let whatever feelings stirred inside her take shape because their predicament would never end well. Even if they somehow reversed the vampiro’s curse, they could never be together. They were so unalike. And she was certain he had no intention of continuing this charade of an engagement anyway.

“Can you climb?” Carolina asked, pointing toward the window.

Fernanda smirked. “I’ve been sneaking out of my home since I was fourteen.”

Carolina was further impressed.

She walked toward the shutters and thrust them open, blinking against the rain smattering her face.

“You can scale down the trellises,” she said. “The stables are not far off. The mare you came on is in the second stall to the right. There is a stable boy, Ramón. He will assist you. He’s very discreet, I assure you. We will meet you and your brother at your home in a few hours.”

Fernanda nodded, then pulled on one of Nena’s riding cloaks. She made to leave but stopped when Carolina asked, “Why have you stuck by his side? He’s…”

“A sediento?” Fernanda glanced over her shoulder at Carolina. “What would you do if the only family you had left in the world came home one day cursed and absolutely destroyed?”

Carolina felt like she’d been pierced with a knife in the gut at the mere thought. Her gaze flicked to her cousin. Nena was so silly and wild. What would she do if she’d been turned like Lalo?

The door to Carolina’s room flew open and in swept Luz Elena. “Here they are. They were in the vault, so I had to walk down all those blasted steps. But I was right, they will be lovely with this gown.”

Carolina snuck a glance at the window, but Fernanda was gone.

“Se?orita?” Luz Elena’s white brows raised in question. “Where is the gown?”

“I noticed a tear in the seams,” Nena interjected. “I took it to Yolanda to be mended, but it will not be ready in time.” She clicked her tongue. “Such a pity, cousin.”

“I’ll wear one of my other dresses. I like them better anyway.”

While Luz picked through her wardrobe, Carolina glared at the rain. Fernanda’s question continued to play in her mind. She supposed she should’ve asked what wouldn’t you do if the only family you had left in the world came home one day cursed and absolutely destroyed? Since Abuelo’s death all she could think of was ensuring no one had to make such a decision again. And now, possibly, she’d be able to do that.