“I’m sure you’re about to tell me.”
“That you, of all people, could fall so deeply in love with someone so vastly different than yourself. You are so…”
She glared at Rafa, waiting for him to finish.
“You’re so picky,” he offered.
“It is fate, I suppose.”
“You don’t find it odd that he would swoop in and propose after mere minutes of knowing you? Or that he has managed to snake his way into your family’s trust?”
“And what of you? You show up out of nowhere and make an offer for my hand, even though we haven’t spoken in ages.”
“Wehaven’t spoken. But your father and I have. He is my godfather, after all. How selfish of you to go against him for a boy whose head is in books. Together, we could build an empire.”
Her hands went to her hips. “Sounds like you need a business partner, not a wife.”
He smirked. “Why can’t I have both?”
“I’m certain you’ll find one. Elsewhere. I will only marry someone I consider attractive and interesting. Someone I love.”
He laughed haughtily. “I am thrice as attractive as that reed of a man.”
“No, your ego is thrice the size.” She clicked her tongue, urging her horse on.
Rafa reached out and grabbed Guapo’s reins, holding the stallion in place. “Mark my words, Carolina, I don’t trust him. And I will find out why. I have already sent a courier falcon to a friend in Puerto Blanco. And when I find out who Eduardo Montéz truly is, your engagement will be broken, and you will be mine. We will leave this pit of a pueblo, and we will never return.”
When he didn’t laugh maniacally like a madman from one of her gothic stories, she leaned forward, glaring at the boy who once ate cockroaches just to make the girls in town scream. “If the skies fell to earth and civilization hinged on my marrying you, I wouldn’t do it. I’d let the world crumble.” She jerked the straps out of his grasp. “I wish you good day, Rafael.”
“I’d be a bit nicer to me, señorita. There are several hours between now and the fiesta tonight, and I’m certain I’ll learn everything there is to know about this Eduardo Montéz.”
Carolina’s stomach clenched. She’d forgotten about the party. Traders from the Greater North were coming to purchase cattle. She winced. Her mamá was most likely already up, frantically readying the barn for their arrival. She flicked her hair over her shoulder and raised her chin. “I cannot wait.”
She took off at a dangerous pace. She needed to ride. She wished for the wind to take away her troubles too.
Rafa was so irritating. He was going to ruin everything. He might expose who Lalo truly was. And then what? She’d have to explain to her family that she’d lured un vampiro into their home and instead of killing him, she’d forced him to be her fiancé. Worse still, she’d grown fond of his quirks! Her family simply couldn’t find out what Lalo was. She couldn’t lose him.Especially not when she and Lalo were on a path to ridding the world of sedientos. In one fell swoop, she could protect her loved ones and assure her parents that she was safe in Del Oro.
She gritted her teeth against the warm morning sun. She took the shortest route home, cutting through the barren lands that had yet to be turned into orchards of citrus, like her father intended. As their hacienda came into view, she saw a black coach kicking up dust on the road. A few trunks were strapped to the top and rear. The curtains were drawn so she couldn’t see who was inside.
“Faster, boy!” she ordered Guapo.
As soon as he was in his stall and given water and grain, Carolina snuck to the side of the casa, scaled the trellis leading to the second floor, and climbed through the window to her rooms.
Nena was draped across her bed. Her legs kicking merrily behind her as she flipped through an old fashion magazine. She didn’t even spare a glance when Carolina silently hopped into their shared bedroom.
“Have a nice night?” Nena asked.
Carolina swept over to the broken floorboard and started storing her weapons away. “Why aren’t you out searching for me like everyone else?”
Nena turned another page. “Because I know you can handle yourself.”
“Aren’t you going to ask where I’ve been?”
Nena grinned, finally eyeing Carolina’s harried appearance. “Looks like you’ve been having fun.”
“If you count desecrating a grave as a good time, then yes, it was a hoot.”
“How scandalous.” Nena shut the magazine and clambered off her bed. “What’s it like to kiss a vampiro?”
