“Time to fix my mistake. Your lover and sister will die knowing the monster they care for suffered a wretched—”
Her words cut off mid-sentence. Her eyes went wide before flicking down to her chest. To the wooden stake protruding from it. The sediento clutched at the blood-soaked weapon, gasping like a fish out of the sea. Hands clasped her shoulders and threw her off of Lalo.
Rafael’s face came into view. He glared at Lalo, his body shaking with indignation, as he took in Lalo’s exposed chest. “You are one of them.”
“Let me explain.”
“You brought them here?”
“No…yes…wait.”
Rafael pointed his pistol at Lalo’s head.
“I knew there was something off about you. Carolina would never choose someone else over me. You charmed her. For what purpose?”
“I came to end sedientos. She intends to help me.”
A bitter laugh came from Rafa. “You expect me to believe that, sanguijuela?”
A third sediento burst from the thicket and launched himself at Rafael. A shot went off. A spark of light flashed in the air. But Rafael had missed. The vampiro grabbed him and flung him like he was made of feathers. Rafael’s body smacked into a tree and bounced on the ground. He didn’t move. Didn’t attempt to rise.
“No!” Lalo clambered up. Clutching his chest, he raced after Rafael, but the burly sediento was faster. He reached Rafael, lifting a clawed fist to give death’s blow. Lalo saw the pistol on the ground, picked it up, and aimed.
“Saints, guide me.”
The bullet discharged with a resounding boom. Everything else was silenced by the ringing in Lalo’s ears. The smoke cleared.
The sediento clenched at the hole in his chest before slumping to the ground. Lalo dropped the pistol as if it were aflame and rushed toward Rafael. The man was out cold, but his pulse still thrummed. His head must have taken the brunt of the hit.
Branches rustled behind them. Lalo braced himself. He sighed in relief when Señor Fuentes appeared, followed by a limping Jorge being held up by Vicente.
“What happened?” Señor Fuentes said, breathless.
“We were attacked by a pair of—” Lalo jolted. His eyes snapped to where Maricela had been. She was gone.
“No,” he whispered. Had she heard what he said to Rafael? Did she know what he and Carolina were planning to do? “No. No. No.”
“What is it, mijo?”
“There were two sedientos. But only one is here.”
“Shit.” Señor Fuentes wiped a hand over his face. “I shouldn’t have left you. Carolina would have murdered me if you were hurt.”
“We need to go after the last vampiro,” Lalo urged. “Right now.”
Carolina’s and Fernanda’s lives were on the line.
“We will have to wait until tomorrow.”
“But what if she kills again?”
Señor Fuentes’s eyes met his own, and inside them, Lalo saw fear.
“I don’t know. But I can only control what is in front of me at this moment. And that is Rafa and my nephew. We get them home. And we will protect what is ours until we come up with a better plan. Daylight is coming. The sediento will have to hide away. We will be safe for a bit.”
Lalo sought out the skies. They were still shrouded in darkness, but he knew the sun would soon be up. There was nothing to be done. He himself needed to hide away.
“You did well,” Señor Fuentes said kindly. He grasped Lalo’s shoulder. “Thank you for saving Rafa.”
