Page 46

CHAPTER 46

Carolina

As they scrambled farther up the path, the roots underfoot disappeared. Her boots crunched on something that shifted under her weight. She couldn’t see a thing with no moonlight to guide her.

“What are we stepping on?” she asked.

“You don’t want to know.”

Chills crawled up her spine like tiny spiders. “Tell me, Lalo.”

“They’re bones, Carolina. We are stepping on human bones.”

She gulped. “There must be hundreds of remains here.”

“He’s been a sediento for generations.”

“Because of my family. We are the true monsters.”

“All of us are monsters in one form or another,” Lalo said. “Perhaps the vampiros are a physical representation of that, but humans can be just as ugly on the inside. Your ancestors weren’t evil for acting on love.”

“But Alma…”

“Alma was just a woman who was grieving.”

“She ruined generations of lives, Lalo.”

“I suppose. But I don’t think I can judge her because, now that I have loved romantically, I don’t know what I’d do if I lost you.”

Tears pricked her eyes.

Carolina wished she could kiss Lalo at that moment. She wished she could hold him so tight the world would slip away, taking with it their sorrows too. But her gaze caught on blue light filtering in from the moon ahead. “We’re almost to a clearing.”

“With all the ruckus we’ve caused, Vidal must know we are coming by now,” Lalo said. “He might be waiting for us at the end of this tunnel.”

“Then we’ll be ready for him.” With shaking fingers, she held up the ruby-embellished dagger that belonged to Alma.

Lalo raised the blade that they’d found in Vidal’s grave.

They’d meet the original vampiro and end this misery for good. But what of Lalo? Carolina hadn’t had time to think of ways to save him and now it was too late.

She stopped moving.

“What is it?” he whispered.

“Blood is a powerful thing, no?” she said.

“I think we’ve already established that.”

She rolled her eyes. “Give me your palm.”

“What?”

“Just do it.”

Carolina reached out in the dark until she found his hand. She took the dagger and sliced into his skin.

Lalo hissed. “Have I not experienced enough abuse alreadytoday?”

“Hush.” She offered her hand to him. “Now you do it to me.”

“Carolina…really…”

“There is power in blood and vows,” she said. “We make a promise here and now that we will find each other again. No matter what happens, you will return to me. We have believed in each other enough to get us this far, let’s not stop now.”

Without another word spoken, Lalo sliced into her palm.

Carolina took his hand in hers. “We are meant to be, Lalo Villalobos.”

“Forever.”

She smiled and intertwined their fingers. “I like the sound of that.”

“Though, we should really talk about your bossiness.”

“Me? Bossy?”

They started for the clearing. They were beat up and tired but at least they had hope.

Lalo started to speak. “When we reach—”

The ground beneath them shifted suddenly. Lalo shoved Carolina back before plunging into a massive pit below.

She scrambled from her ass to her hands and knees and screamed his name. Her voice reverberated into the expanse. She leaned forward waiting for him to call out for her, but only an echo of her voice came back.

“Lalo!” she screamed again. “Lalo!”

She heard nothing.

Glowing torchlight bounced off the brambles behind her. Carolina spun around and gasped. Her father and his men had finally caught up.