His mouth fell open.
Good,she thought. She hoped her words stung worse than nettle.
“Stay in here, and hold tight, because I’m hijacking this carriage.”
I sliced into my flesh and lay upon the dirt, begging for Tecuani to hear my cries. He rose from the soil in a writhing mist. I could not see his face, but I heard his rumbling voice. The sound was that of thunder, of a jaguar ready to strike.
“Who disturbs my peace?” he snarled.
I raised my hands and pleaded, “Forgive me, Lord, but I need your help.”
The great god of souls laughed. And my bones quivered from its resonance.
“I will assist you, my child, but my benevolence comes with a price.”
—Xóchitl 18:9
CHAPTER 37
Lalo
The coach lurched forward. Lalofell back, bumping into the hard wood of the wall.
Again, he found himself pressing the pad of his finger to his lips.
He brushed his hair out of his eyes, locks Carolina had moments ago tugged out of place. “What are you doing?” he whispered to himself. “Now is not the time for this.”
But if he was to face the original sediento soon and possibly die for real this time, shouldn’t he be allowed to kiss the girl he was falling for?
“Bloody hell,” he murmured. “You’ve fallen for Carolina Victoria Fuentes.” His head dropped. “And you are going to lose her before she was ever even yours.”
The clopping of the horses’ hooves on dirt and the rattling of the wooden spokes filled the infinite quiet. He shouldn’t have said their kiss was a mistake. He could never regret somethingthat was so…He felt the heat rise to his cheeks. That kiss was perfect in every way.
He should tell her that.
“No,” he said. Confessing his love would only be a distraction.
He jolted.He loved her?
“Saints above,” he groaned.
He sank into the bench. He wished he could speak to Fernanda at that moment. She was an expert at love. By his count, she’d fallen in and out of it at least a dozen times.
But what did it matter when Devil’s Spine grew closer?
“We’re entering the woods now,” Carolina yelled. “I’m taking us on a hidden path. It’s going to get bumpy.”
An hour or so went past. He couldn’t really tell. His rear was getting sore from being jostled about so wildly.
“Hang on to something!” Carolina yelled.
Before he could even attempt to stabilize himself, the entire right half of the coach dipped low. A miserable crack sounded from one of the axles before everything came to a crashing stop.
“Carolina?” he called. She said nothing. Panic tore through him. He started toward the exit. “Carolina!”
The door to the coach slowly opened and Carolina’s face peered into the darkness.
“Are you hurt?” he asked, noting the paleness of her skin.
