Page 6

CHAPTER 6

Carolina

To hold a fiesta when her abuelo had only recently been laid to rest was utterly preposterous. He should be here. With them. But this was tradition. They mourned, then spent weeks praying to the gods of the Land of the Dead for safe passage. After, in the darkest part of the night when the veils between this world and the next were thinnest and the souls could watch from el Cielo, they drank and danced and remembered all the good their loved ones had done.

Rather than imbibe wine, she would honor him tonight by killing a sediento.

Carolina could picture it. That boy would saunter into the foyer, thinking they’d never met before and she believed him to be human. She’d sweep through the crowded hall and stab him right in the heart.

But what if he used her invitation to strike first?

He might very well tear through the room and decimate her entire family. She laughed that thought away. Nearly every man in her family was part of the guard. A sediento would stand no chance. Especially one that ran from a fight as he had last night.

“There you are,” Mamá’s voice came from down the corridor. She was a vision in a flowing gown with flowers embroidered into plum-colored skirts. One hand rested on her round belly; the other was motioning for Carolina to come.

Carolina picked up her heavy skirts and swept forward. She’d been hiding behind the arches in the corridor. The guests hadn’t even arrived and already she was tired of them. But as the only daughter of the mayor of Del Oro, she was expected to be the epitome of grace and poise. Neither of which she felt like being at that moment.

The entire hacienda had been draped in roses, poppies, and marigolds. Abuelo’s favorite things like tamales, sweet squash empanadas, cured olives, tobacco, and mezcal were set on the ofrenda. Mamá had a block of ice carted down from el pueblo to the north and sculpted in Abuelo’s likeness. Nena complained that the artist had gotten Abuelo’s nose all wrong.

“Mija,” Mamá said, grinning. “You look absolutely stunning.”

The gold adorning Carolina’s neck, wrists, and ears made her brown skin glow. Half of her dark hair had been pulled up and pinned into a tiara of wild lilies. The rest hung in long curls down her back. Her cheeks had been rouged and her lips painted the same color as her gown. She felt beautiful.

But underneath the beauty and refinement stirred a killer. And she needed to stay focused on whatever was to come. She had a mission. If this Eduardo Montéz was as foolish as she hoped, he would be in the mix of guests, soon to arrive. Which was why she had strapped two obsidian knives, a stake of birchwood, and her reata to her thighs. Uncomfortable? Yes. Necessary? Also yes.

Mamá kissed Carolina’s cheeks and squeezed her hands. “You will be the most stunning person in attendance tonight. Rafael won’t be able to take his eyes from you.”

“Rafael?” Carolina’s eyes went wide. She hadn’t heard that name in years. “Rafa is coming?”

Rafael Pico had been a pest when they were children. He was always pinching her and teasing her. He’d throw rocks at her head and call her vampiro bait anytime she scampered past his home. The day she finally had enough and popped him in the nose, Rafa cried to his madre like a baby. They were frosty to one another after that, but she always felt his gaze lingering over her when he came to play with her older brothers. He and his family moved away when he and Carolina were fifteen. She had been glad to be rid of him, but their parents remained close. Their families had once spoken of the fine match they would make once she was of age. Carolina could retch at the thought.

“Amá,” she said slowly, facing her mother. “Why is Rafael coming to Abuelo’s celebration of life? People from other pueblos don’t often venture so far during the night.”

“Well…” Mamá gulped. “Your father invited him.”

“For what purpose?”

Her mamá’s pale face grew a bit fairer. “I told your father it was too soon, but he insisted.”

“What are you talking about?”

The clip-clop of horse hooves sounded from the cobbled road that led up to their casa. The mariachi, which was situated near the entrance, began to play. The horns blared. The vocalist sang. The strum of el guitarrón matched the beat of her now racing heart.

“We’ll speak about this later.” Mamá donned her hostess’s face, one of controlled ease and poise.

“But…why is Rafael coming?”

Mamá ignored her and plastered on a smile as friends and family from their pueblo started pooling through the doors. Through her teeth she said, “Wipe that scowl off your face.”

As Carolina did what she was told, Don Salvador entered, sporting his signature white sombrero and matching charro. His wife, Do?a Laura, wore a dress so wide she had to twist to the side to fit around the gargantuan melting ice sculpture. Next came the Cho family. Then the Schuberts. The Rodríguezes.

Carolina greeted each visitor with a delicate bow, a kind word, and a promise to dance with one of their sons or daughters later in the evening. The entire time, Carolina’s eyes went to the entrance, waiting, watching. But no Montéz siblings came. Perhaps they had chickened out. Perhaps they were smarter than she thought.

Mamá elbowed her side. “Look, Carolina. It’s Rafael’s carriage.” A sleek coach drawn with two horses as black as the night sky eased to a stop.

“Are his parents coming?” Carolina whispered.

“Rafael’s papá is ill, and his mamá won’t leave his side.”

“Rafa should have stayed home too,” she grumbled.

The crowd parted ever so slowly as a strapping man with wide shoulders, golden brown skin, and the prettiest smile Carolina had ever seen walked up the stairs and toward the arching doorway.

“ That’s Rafa?” Carolina asked. This man was not the gawky boy she remembered.

“Shh, Carolina,” Mamá hissed. Her grin widened. “Rafael.” She leaned up and let him kiss her on both cheeks. “Thank you for coming on such short notice.”

Carolina’s brow furrowed. Why had her parents sent for him?

“I should be thanking you, Se?ora Fuentes.”

“Please, call me Do?a Victoria.”

Why would Mamá ask him to speak to her so informally?

“It would be my honor.” Rafa bowed low with a sweep of his massive arm.

Mamá blushed, most irritatingly.

“You remember my daughter, Carolina.” Both sets of eyes turned on Carolina. She was almost too stupefied by Rafa’s size and chiseled chin to remember what she was supposed to do. But she saw the glint in his gaze. Clearly, he knew what a striking figure he was. That annoyed her beyond measure.

“Wonderful to see you again, Carolina. You have blossomed into quite a woman.”

What a strange thing to say to a person. She crossed her arms, noticing his eyes traveling up and down her figure. “I hardly remember what you looked like back then so I cannot gauge whether you’ve improved or not. My apologies.”

His smug smile faded a fraction. Carolina smirked. She had been around powerful men all her life. Thus, she understood they hated nothing more than a confident, sharp-tongued woman, which was exactly who she was. She wouldn’t change that for anyone.

“How have you been, Rafael? I heard you have just returned from Los Campos,” Mamá said, trying to lighten the conversation. “Will you be staying in these parts for long?”

“I have been well, Do?a Victoria. I will be returning to the ciudad once father is back on his feet. You and your family should visit sometime. The ciudad, I mean. You would love to see such a splendid place, I’m certain of it.”

“Oh yes,” Mamá said. “And so would Carolina. Wouldn’t you, Carolina?”

Carolina nodded numbly, though she really couldn’t care less. Her attention was focused on the door. That sediento was like nothing she’d seen before. Every monster to attack el pueblo, at least while she had been alive, was inhuman. They had claws and piercing fangs; their eyes glowed blood-red. Thirst controlled their every move. Eduardo Montéz had seemed—

Her mamá’s heel dug into her toes. Carolina hissed.

Mamá glared at her before quickly masking her irritation with a polite laugh.

“The clothing boutiques in the capital city are divine,” Rafa continued, oblivious to the silent argument between mother and daughter. “I am welcome at the finest places. There isn’t a single retailer that would turn me away.” He chuckled. “Or should I say, they wouldn’t turn my pocketbook away?”

“Now you have piqued my interest,” Nena said, scooting her way between Rafa and Carolina. She wore beautiful poppy-colored skirts and a lacy bodice cut low in the front. Her mass of curls hung in tight tendrils around her shoulders with a single sunset-orange rose tucked behind her ear.

Her rump bumped Carolina farther from Rafa. Nena glanced over her shoulder and winked. Carolina mouthed her thanks.

Rafa’s eyes flicked to Nena’s cleavage before snapping up to meet Carolina’s gaze. He had the nerve to appear as unabashed as ever.

“When Carolina and I are…” He stopped when her mamá shook her head. “ If we become more acquainted, I shall take you and your cousin here to see whatever you like. I have been told I am a generous host.”

Wait, Carolina thought. What did he mean by “when Carolina and I”? When we what?

Did her parents call upon him with an ulterior motive? Rafa’s family owned one of the largest tanneries in Abundancia. A union between the two families would make for a profitable business opportunity. She’d heard such a thing said before growing up but paid the notion little mind. Carolina assumed everyone knew she’d never marry for anything other than love.

She turned toward her mamá, sneering.

“There are my girls,” Papá’s voice boomed. He gave Mamá a kiss on the cheek. He shook Rafa’s hand. “Rafael.”

“Se?or Fuentes,” Rafa said stiffly, as any caller would do to a potential father-in-law.

That had better not be the case. There would be hell to pay, if so.

“Mija, I have found your esteemed guest,” Papá said to Carolina.

She balked.

He came.

And at the exactly right moment. Everyone was still milling about, drinking and gossiping. The true festivities had yet to begin. She wanted to let out a villainous laugh.

The absolute fool had fallen for her trap.

Her fingers inched toward her daggers. Her heart began to race. This was it. Time to show everyone how brilliant she was with a blade. Time to show them what Abuelo had trained her to do. Papá would get to see her in action. He wouldn’t be able to deny her skill.

She beamed with glee.

Papá swept to the side.

Carolina’s jaw dropped.

Fernanda stood smiling in an emerald gown. She bowed her head and dipped into a well-practiced curtsy. “Good evening.”

Carolina peered around her. The young man with the devilishly handsome face wasn’t with her.

“Where is your brother?” Carolina snapped. When everyone’s eyes flicked toward her, she splashed on her sweetest smile. “I mean, Fernanda, how wonderful of you to join us,” she said, trying to seem gracious rather than disappointed.

Where was the sediento?

“Thank you for inviting my brother and me to your beautiful casa,” Fernanda said. “We were both so flattered that you would personally request our company, Carolina.”

Something nibbled at the back of Carolina’s mind. The way Fernanda had framed her sentences gave her pause. Fernanda had made sure to mention the summons to the Fuentes home. She had made sure to add that Carolina, in particular, had been the one to invite them in. Vampiros could only cross the threshold of a person’s home if given permission. If anything went awry, was Fernanda letting everyone know Carolina would be to blame?

“A pleasure to see you again,” Nena all but purred. She was too busy trying to flirt with the vampiro’s sister to care about Carolina’s hands balling into fists at her sides.

“Again?” Papá questioned.

Carolina jolted. Papá could not know anything about last night. Or their journey back to the Alicante estate to bring the invitation this afternoon.

“We met in passing when Fernanda came into town the other day,” Nena said.

Fernanda’s smile did not waver. “Ah sí. And what a lovely meeting indeed.”

“Did you come to the fiesta by yourself?” Carolina blurted.

“I did. I hope that is not too improper, but my brother…he…he was rather tired after his trip yesterday.” Her gaze flicked from Carolina to Nena.

Carolina pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes. Fernanda clearly knew it was them who had tried to kill her brother. So why exactly had she come?