Page 17

CHAPTER 17

Lalo

The ruffian had shoved him into a room that smelled like feet. Lalo covered his nose and took in his surroundings. He was in a mudroom of sorts. Boots lined one wall. Full of muck.

Lalo’s parents had always instilled in him the importance of cleanliness. His mother made sure their clothes were pressed, their shoes shined. People respected a man who cared for his appearance. And Lalo made certain he and his sister continued to live that way. His sister did not complete her finishing school courses with a hair out of place. Even though everything else in his life was crumbling, he took pride in his image.

Random tools and buckets hung from the walls. Dusty coats lay strewn on top of discarded saddles. A single arched window ahead opened to a gloomy scene. Rain poured out of the clouds with unrelenting force.

But there was a door leading out of the casa, and the clouds covered the sun, which meant he wouldn’t be trapped in another tight space for hours. Perhaps his luck was shifting.

Slowly, Lalo pried open the door and stuck his head into the downpour. He breathed in deep, taking in the familiar scents of mud and fresh air. Wet stucco and crisp grass. Dog. He sniffed again, brought his eyes to the ground, and found a giant beast glaring at him. Its upper lip quivered over its lengthy teeth.

“Nice puppy,” he said quietly.

If he made the wrong move, the dog might alert the world of his presence. But he couldn’t just stand here, staring at some mutt who seemed to have mange.

Lalo smiled. He didn’t know why. Maybe the dog would find him friendly.

“Easy boy,” he said as sweetly as he knew how. “I just need to…” He took a step and both of the dog’s ears went back. A low growl rumbled from its belly. Four more perros trotted through the rain. Their thick brown coats bristled at the hackles. Lalo reversed, reentering the mudroom. “Easy,” he said. “I’m not an intruder. I was invited. I’m just trying to leave.” Why was he talking to these hounds like they understood him?

“What are you doing?” a child’s voice asked.

Lalo yelped and whirled around. A little boy stood in the hall doorway donning a pirate’s cap and holding a cloth full of bones.

“Why are you in the garden room?” The boy, who couldn’t be more than six, raised a single brow. Clearly, this was one of Carolina’s brothers. He had that same irritatingly charming smirk.

“I…I came to see your sister, but I’ve been told she will be joining my sister and me for tea later today. I will just meet her there instead.”

The boy observed him, unimpressed. He walked into the room, toward the monster dogs.

“Be careful,” Lalo said, but regretted it the moment the words came from his mouth.

“Sit,” the boy ordered.

The beasts obeyed.

“You have to show them you are in charge,” the boy said over his shoulder.

Lalo narrowed his gaze. “I see.”

The boy chucked the bones into the air. The dogs caught them, then chomped them to shreds in seconds.

“You’re the man who Carolina was caught kissing?”

Lalo’s eyes widened. “We were not…” He cleared his throat. They had a deal. She was going to help him so long as he helped her. “I am to be her fiancé.” He stepped closer to the boy, and the dogs growled at him. Lalo held out his hand. “Eduardo Montéz.”

“I’m Adrián.” The boy put his sticky palm in Lalo’s and gave a hearty shake. “My cousin says you’re a dead man. My father is mad. And when he gets mad…” The boy whistled and shook his head. “Watch out.”

Lalo chuckled, but quickly covered it up when he saw the anger in the boy’s eyes. Lalo’s heart softened a bit. He liked a person who stood up for his family.

“Let us hope, for my sake, your cousin is incorrect.”

Adrián nodded somberly.

“I shall take my leave then,” Lalo said.

The boy scrutinized Lalo. “Do you love her?”

“Erm…yes…I do.”

“Then don’t let Papá send her away. Rafa will take her to the ciudad, and we’ll never see her again.”

Lalo’s stomach dropped to his knees. He also knew the love of a good sister.

“I will try my best” was what he offered as a reply.

Adrián nodded. “Tell the dogs get back and they won’t mess with you. Remember, you’ve got to show them who is el patrón.” He hit his chest, a show of dominance, Lalo presumed. Adrián backed out of the room. He started to walk away. Over his shoulder, he yelled, “Good luck with mi papá. You’re gonna need it, se?or.”

Lalo straightened his shoulders. He thought of how confident Adrián was, of how powerful and intimidating his sister was too. Lalo had been frightened of people and messes and awkward situations for most of his existence. He’d let those fears win. He didn’t want to feel helpless anymore. He wanted to be the one in command of his life for a change.

He stepped into the rain, and the dogs began to growl.

“Back,” he ordered, flashing his fangs. And to his surprise, the beasts obeyed.

He found his way out of the hacienda and ran in the direction of his new home. The Fuentes rancho was on the completely opposite side of the valley, close to the town center. Lalo’s was tucked in the piney woods, away from civilization. Kind of poetic really. Carolina Fuentes being this self-proclaimed protector of her people, him being some devious fiend. Opposites attracting.

With Tecuani’s power in his marrow, the world was as sharp as ever. To the west were rolling hills, with well-kept orchards and tiny adobe homes dotted about. Even from such a great distance, he could see a chubby raccoon scavenging through the compost in front of someone’s house. To the northeast loomed the edge of the forest and the small mountain range it surrounded.

A pulse of sharp pain shot through his belly.

He gritted his teeth. Normally, these cramps only lasted for moments, a quick nudge that he needed to feed. But this one would not let up. He staggered forward and forced his legs to move. He had to get home to drink the pig’s blood Fernanda had purchased from the butcher.

He slowed his gait as he entered the main square. El pueblo was empty. The citizens of Del Oro were most likely asleep or shielding themselves from the rain. He trudged past a large church, its stuccoed walls gleaming in the downpour. The building beside it appeared to be the schoolhouse, with a strangely patterned fence made for keeping small children in and cute paintings hanging from the inside of the windowpanes. Upon further inspection, Lalo realized the fence appeared to be made from tree roots. A clever bit of woodworking if one were trying to keep away wayward vampiros. A barbershop sign swung from a squat building to his right. He had not stopped to notice before, but it seemed everything a person would need was there—a small apothecary, the butcher, a general store.

The cantina doors opened and shut as laughing people burst out and in, carrying with them the merry tune of the piano. By his estimations, the time was nearing seven o’clock in the morning. Either these people started early or had yet to finish their fun from last night.

Lalo paused, ignoring the rain thumping against his hair and shoulders. Memories flooded his mind from the last time he’d been in such a place. He had sunk his teeth into so many throats. The lives he’d stolen in Maricela’s cantina still played inside his mind. Their memories, their dreams, their sorrows tortured him even now.

He’d slayed a person his age that night. As Lalo drank the boy’s life force, he saw the young man’s memories flash through his mind. Lalo saw his deepest secrets, his disgusting desires. The boy had killed before, too. For pleasure. Lalo had tasted the glee tainting his blood as the young man dug his blade into a person’s stomach.

Lalo had tried to purge the foul aftertaste and memories from both his tongue and mind. But they remained. They remained still. Every devilish act that young man committed was singed into Lalo’s memories like a brand. All the lives he’d taken that night had a foul bitterness to them. Their souls were vile and vicious.

Humans and sedientos weren’t so unalike as Carolina wished to believe. They were all monsters in their own right. But that didn’t mean Lalo wished to remain a killer.

He caught sight of someone standing frozen in the rain. His brow furrowed. It wasn’t the way they stood that snagged his attention but the lack of sound from a beating heart.

“Hello, love.” The voice was whisper soft, but Lalo heard it clear as day. Chills rippled down his skin. He knew it wasn’t Maricela—the tone was wrong—but he had heard this person the night he was turned. She was one of Maricela’s children. The woman who had grabbed him by the shirt when he was walking through the cantina. She’d run away when his bloodlust overtook him.

“We’ve been looking for you,” she said in a singsong way.

“Shit.” Lalo’s pulse thundered in his chest. His adrenaline roared. “Shit. Shit. Shit.”

The woman bent her knees and shot toward him. She landed with a thud near his feet, bits of mud smattering his pants. Lalo stumbled back as she straightened to her full height. Her dark hair clung to her face, and her gown was soaked to the bone. Her lips pulled back, exposing her fangs.

“Mother is angry,” she hissed.

“M-Maricela?” Lalo stuttered. “Is here?” But how? How had she found him?

“You will come with me,” the vampiro ordered.

If Maricela got her claws on Lalo, there was no telling what sort of tortures she’d inflict on him. Going with this wretch wasn’t an option.

What would Carolina do?

He chuckled inwardly because the answer was clear.

Lalo struck. Full force, he slammed his fist, knuckles first, into the vampiro’s nose. Her head knocked back at an impossible angle. But just as quickly, it popped up. Her lips stretched into a wicked smile. Black gore flooded out of her nostrils and stained her fangs.

“Good gods,” he gasped.

She shrieked and lunged, trying to tackle Lalo, but he held his ground. Her mouth snapped open and shut as she went for his neck, but Lalo clamped his palm over her face just before she found her mark.

Fight dirty, Carolina had said. Do whatever it takes to survive.

Lalo scanned the desolate pueblo until inspiration struck. He shoved her back, and she tripped into an overflowing horse trough.

He ran for the schoolhouse with what strength he had left.

Just as he made it to the fence surrounding the school, claws scraped down his shoulders. Lalo gritted his teeth and flung out his arms. Something snapped, and he roared as he tumbled into the mud. Lalo rolled onto his back just as the vampiro pounced.

Her glowing eyes widened when she landed on top of him. Her pale face grew ashen. Shakily, she reached for her heart where a sizable splinter of wood had pierced it through. Lalo had broken it off the schoolhouse fence.

The vampiro coughed and black spittle ran down her chin.

“You will pay dearly for this,” she whispered.

Lightning struck as she crumpled to the ground.

Lalo lay there for a moment, letting the rain wash over his skin. He wished the downpour could wipe away his sins. Could sweep away the dirt and grime covering his body and the wretched guilt that plagued his soul. He’d killed again. Even though she’d wanted to harm him, it felt terribly wrong. But what was he to do? It was her life or his. He had to fight back, didn’t he? There was no way he’d simply back down when he and Carolina might be able to end the death curse.

The sound of a heartbeat snapped Lalo out of his musings. He shot up.

A bear of a man stood just outside the cantina doors with a shotgun clutched in his hands.

“Did you kill it?” he shouted.

Lalo eyed the corpse. “I think so.”

“Are you hurt?”

Lalo shook his head as he dragged himself to his feet. He had a few scrapes, but they were already mending. His borrowed clothes were a lost cause though. Other than knowing Maricela might very well be somewhere nearby, he was fine.

“I’ll send for the guard to come fetch the body,” the man hollered. “Good job, kid.”

“Thanks. I guess?”

“Care for a drink?” the man asked.

Lalo wiped the rain from his eyes. “It’s only seven in the morning, se?or.”

The man laughed. “If you add a splash of juice inside the glass, it no longer counts as drinking.”

Lalo’s brow furrowed. That hardly made sense.

“I really should be on my way.” He had his fake fiancé and her family to meet. And if she was going to be of any help to him, he had to keep up this charade.

But Carolina had mentioned la cantina held most of el pueblo’s records. If there was anything new to learn about Vidal and Alma Fuentes, he’d find answers inside. Maricela was here, meaning the number of days he thought he had left were long gone. He had to find a way to reverse the curse before she hurt him or anyone else. And it was still early. Carolina’s family wouldn’t be arriving to his rented home just yet.

The man started for the door.

“Wait!” Lalo shouted. He jogged closer to the entrance. A cramp pinched at his side. He stopped and rested his hands on his knees. “I think I could use a drink,” he panted.

Smiling, the man said, “You’ve come to the right place.”