Page 38

CHAPTER 38

Carolina

She freed the horses from the coach and tied all the supplies she knew they needed around their necks. She packed weapons. A bit of food for herself. Some boar’s blood for the brat.

Carolina cinched a knot with a grunt. Lalo was lying to her. He may believe her to be the one to wear her emotions on her face, but he should study himself in the mirror sometime.

“The toad. The wretch. The—” She couldn’t come up with anything else and growled in frustration.

He wanted to play the part of a gentleman. The part of poor martyr. Well, she wouldn’t make it easy for him. No, se?or. She knew what had to be done. She understood that traversing Devil’s Spine and killing Vidal was going to be the hardest thing she’d ever completed, but that didn’t mean they should lie to each other. Not when neither knew if they’d make it back.

“Coward,” she spat. “Selfish pile of dung.”

Dung or not, she had to find something to cover his face completely with. The sombrero would only do so much. She hadn’t brought any extra clothing with her. Carolina hadn’t thought it would be necessary. She should have known better.

Her fingers gripped the first layer of her skirts, and she ripped at the seams.

“What are you doing?” Lalo’s voice was an octave too high.

“I have nothing else to cover you with. This will have to do.”

“I…can see your underthings.”

She snorted while tearing more of her skirts. Nothing inappropriate was showing. She had on pantaloons. But the way Lalo’s mouth opened and shut like a guppy, one would think she was wearing nothing but what she was born with.

She flung the torn fabric at him. “Cover your face and put your sombrero over it to keep it in place.”

Lalo didn’t move, his eyes were glued to her figure. She held in her smile. If their kiss was such a mistake, why was he looking at her with such feverish lust in his eyes?

“Lying dog,” she whispered.

“Beg your pardon?”

“I said, are you ready?”

“Do I have any other choice?”

It wasn’t going to be a simple journey to the trees. There was nothing to shield him from the sun for at least a mile.

“I’ve tied our horses together. I’ll guide us to the woods. You simply need to keep out of the sunlight to the best of your abilities and not fall off.”

“I can promise nothing.”

He wrapped the scraps of her floral embroidered skirts around his neck and face. It was a pity to cover something so perfect, but it was better than watching him suffer as he blistered beyond recognition.

When every part of Lalo’s skin was covered, Carolina reached into the coach and grabbed the lapel of his coat. “Time to go. Hold on to the back of my bodice,” she ordered, then took one of his cloth-covered fists and brought it to her lower back. She wished she’d had time to make him a proper mask to see through, but she’d be his eyes. “I’ll lead you to your mount and then we’ll ride like pinche bandidos.”

He said nothing.

“You aren’t going to chide me for my foul language?” she asked.

“Perhaps later.” His tone was tight edged. “If there is a later tohave.”

“Don’t be so dramatic. I will get you across this valley.” She hoped.

Carolina discarded that thought, stuffed it right behind her need to punish him for pushing her away. She’d make certain Lalo survived, just so she could make him regret what he had said after. Their kiss was anything but a mistake. Something that beautiful and breathtaking should be cherished. Should be done over and over and over again. When they made it through the valley, she’d make certain to set him straight.

“I’m taking you out of this carriage. Don’t let go of me.”

His fingers dug into the thick material. In a voice as quiet as mist, he said, “Never.”

Chills rippled over her skin. Her heart fluttered painfully. Never was too hefty a promise.

Sighing, she led them out of the coach and into the blistering heat. The winds whipped about them. Pulling at her hair, at the clothing covering Lalo’s body. He hissed.

“Do we need to go back?” she called over the gusts.

“No. I’m fine. I’ve never been better,” he yelled back.

“Has anyone ever told you that you are a terrible liar?”

“Once or twice.”

She smiled into the wind. “They were right.”

Slowly, they made their way toward the horses. Fighting against gusts determined to claw off his defenses.

Carolina brought his hands to the gelding’s back. “We have no saddles; can you ride without?”

“I haven’t the slightest clue.”

She snorted and helped him up. It was an awkward, embarrassing affair where he accidentally smacked her in the face with his boot, but he got up, nonetheless.

Quickly, she ran over to her mount, which was tethered to his, and clambered onto the beauty’s back. “Hold on, Lalo.”

Carolina clicked her tongue, and the horses began to move. Sluggishly at first, building speed when she knew he wouldn’t fall. Before they gained ground, she needed to ensure his coverings would hold when they took off at full force.

They started to trot, and a corner of the cloth loosened, revealing the warm brown skin on his neck. He let out a shocked yell.

“Should we stop?” she hollered.

“No! Keep going. The faster we enter the woods, the better.”

He held on to the horse’s mane with one hand and shakily tried to conceal himself with the other, but the fabric loosened even more. He let out a string of curses. Words even Carolina had never used.

Her eyes went to the horizon, to the forest slowly edging closer to them.

“Do you smell that?” Lalo asked. “Is that sulfur?”

Carolina’s eyes snapped to either side of them. A cloud of dust bloomed to her left where the canyon blocked them in. Rocks tumbled down the granite wall from high above. She searched the spot from which they had come. Her stomach pinched with horror, and she gasped.

“Shit.” She flicked the reins. “We must go faster!” she called out. “Hang on!”

Carolina dug her heels into the horse’s side, and they raced ahead. Her gaze kept flicking to the canyon walls, and her heart thundered inside her. At least six wolves clambered down the rocks. Six! But when she squinted, she could see there was something different about them. Something otherworldly. Monstrous.

And they were making quick work of descending the cliff face.

Lalo cursed again. His covering was truly coming undone. Even with the horses’ hooves pounding over the dirt and the wind biting at their faces, she could hear the disturbing hiss of his flesh burning.

But they couldn’t stop now. The wolves would easily pin them here. At least in the woods, she wouldn’t have to worry about Lalo’s skin melting away.

A sharp howl coming from one of the beasts broke through her thoughts. It was louder than any wolf she’d heard before and so deep she felt it in her bones.

She jerked her head back. The monsters were catching up. Her horses were going at a full sprint but couldn’t outrun them.

“Come on,” she urged her mount. “Just a little bit farther.”

Lalo chanced a look back and gasped. “Chupasangres!”

“What in the hells are those?” she shouted.

She snapped the leads harder, praying the carriage horses could move faster.

“Whenever the veil between the Land of the Dead and the Land of the Living is breached, these creatures sneak through. This is great news!”

“Your idea of great news and mine are vastly different.”

Lalo grunted in pain. “It means we are on the right track. Chupasangres hunt for whatever doesn’t belong in this realm.”

“Like a sediento?”

“Yes,” he wheezed.

“Like you?”

He cursed.

The trees were ahead. They might make it. They had to.

Lalo’s horse whinnied as a dark mass surged beside it. The creature’s body was long and hunched. Where fur should have been lay thick black scales, like crocodile skin.

“Carolina!” Lalo let out a horrified yelp when the chupasangre swiped at him and his steed. “Help!”

She dug her hands into the bag she’d strapped to her horse and pulled out three gleaming obsidian daggers. She threw the first one. It bounced off the chupasangre’s reptilian hide.

“Come on,” she growled.

Taking a deep breath as her abuelo always taught her, she let the second dagger fly. It somersaulted into the air just as the monster shoved off its hindlegs and launched itself toward Lalo. The blade sank deep into the beast’s exposed chest. The chupasangre crashed into the dirt and exploded into a plume of dark smoke.

“Carolina!” Lalo cried. Half his face was exposed. Boils were festering and popping on his cheeks and neck. “Behind you!”

She whirled around. Flung the dagger. Watched as the blade found its mark and another beast exploded into the ether. But there was no cause to celebrate, more monsters were coming.

“We’ll never make it!” she screamed. “They’re too fast.”

“Stop the horses!” Lalo yelled.

“What? Have you lost all sense?”

“Stop the horses, now!”