“You’re right. I shouldn’t undervalue myself. My idea isbeyondbrilliant.” She beamed then lugged him up. “Come. If we are going to kill my great-great-great-grandfather, you are going to need to at least know the very basics of wielding a blade.”
Carolina snatched the sombrero hanging on the bedpost and shoved it on top of his head.
“Should I be afraid?” he asked in earnest.
She patted his hand and tugged him toward the door. “Onlyslightly.”
CHAPTER 28
Carolina
Carolina and Lalo found theirway into the empty coach house. Papá’s men had used the entire fleet to search for the missing sedientos. This was the perfect place to train.
“Abuelito used to teach me in this very room on days when the rain wouldn’t let up.” Carolina’s heart pinched at the thought. She hadn’t had the stomach to enter the coach house since Abuelo’s passing.
“See that?” She pointed to a dent in the wall. No one would notice it was there, but she knew. “Abuelito and I were practicing hand-to-hand combat. I dodged an oncoming blow, and he smacked his knuckles right into the wood.”
Lalo stared at the small crack. “Was he aiming to hurt you?”
She smiled wistfully. “Of course.”
She released Lalo’s hand and ran for a board lying on the floor. The cocheros would lie on it while they worked on crackedaxles. With a grunt, she lifted the wood and leaned it opposite-end-up against a beam.
A thousand slices marked the thick board. She ran her finger along one.
“I can’t tell you how many times my abuelo made me practice throwing my blades into this thing.” Her eyes pricked with tears. She sniffed. “He tormented me.”
“And now you get to torment me,” Lalo said.
A bark of a laugh burst from her lips. Her cheeks grew hot. She hated how easily he made her giggle. How easily he made her smile.
Controlling her features, Carolina walked toward the large toolbox her abuelo hid their throwing knives in. She opened the largest of the drawers and pulled out the false floor. Gleaming blades winked at her. Her heart swelled. She felt her abuelo there at that very moment, watching with a proud grin as he always did.
“I’ve missed you,” she whispered as she reached in and took the daggers.
When she turned around, she caught Lalo staring.
“Shall we begin?” she asked, throwing the blade in the air and catching it with ease.
He shucked off his coat, took off his gloves, and rolled up his sleeves. Her stomach dipped when she flashed back to the night he’d been shot in the duel. She, Nena, and Fernanda had undressed him to get rid of the evidence. Carolina had tried her best not to ogle him then. She had tried not to appreciate the muscles underneath his slender build, but there was no helping it. And she couldn’t help but wish to see them again now.
She took in a deep breath and let it out.
“First things first,” she said. “We must ensure the area is clear of people. We wouldn’t want to accidently stab anyone.”
“There’s no one around,” Lalo said simply.
“How do you know for certain?”
He pointed to himself. “Vampiro, remember?”
“How silly of me to forget.” She stepped beside him. “Now that we know we are in the clear, let’s focus on your stance. Do you write with your left or right?”
“Right.”
“Okay. You’ll lead with your left leg.”
Lalo moved his foot forward. But his body was too stiff. His hands too tense.
