Lalo blinked with confusion.
“Myfamily is the reason sedientos even exist. If it wasn’t for my ancestors, you would have never endured such heartbreak. The fact that my family ruined such an amazing man’s life makes me want to scream.”
“You think I’m amazing?”
“Now isn’t the time to jest, Lalo.”
A grin pulled at his lips. “I believe that is my line.”
Carolina rolled her eyes. “This isn’t funny.”
“No,” he said in earnest. “None of this is funny, like none of this is your fault. Sometimes we carry the weight of our ancestors’ actions on our shoulders, and there is nothing to be done about it. But you and me, we can ease that burden. We can fix this. There isn’t any more time though. We must find the blade that created Vidal. If Rafael wakes up…”
“If he what?”
“Rafael saved me, but he also saw what I am.”
Carolina’s eyes widened. “What did you do to him?”
“Nothing. Another sediento threw him into a tree, and he hit his head. I’m sure he’ll be all right, but…”
“He knows everything,” she said, finishing his sentence.
“Yes.”
“He will kill you.” She knew it in her marrow. Rafa had been waiting for some reason to get rid of Lalo. There it was, gifted to him on a sediento-shaped platter.
“I have no doubt,” he said. “We should go to your father. Explain to him what we know and—”
“My father will strike you down the second we tell him what you are. He will execute you and ask questions later.”
Lalo jolted. “But he knows me. He’s spoken to me.”
“So had I. And perhaps, if I had been a better hunter, I might have struck you down that first night.”
His eyes widened.
She touched his arm. “But I’m glad I didn’t. I am forever grateful that I got to know you, Lalo. Because you have shown me something I would have never seen on my own.”
“What is that?”
“The truth. My family swept all knowledge of what Alma did under the rug probably because they were afraid her actions would tarnish their name. They likely didn’t try to figure out how to end the monsters, how to find Vidal, how to save their own bloodline, because they were too prideful.”
Pride had stirred her forward in life. Arrogance. The need to be the best in all things. It was why she pushed Abuelo to train her, why she went against everything her parents wanted so she could prove her point. She didn’t regret her time with Abuelo,but she did regret the way she had gone about things. The way she never compromised. She simply barreled through life until she got what she wanted. Her pride had been a shield in many ways, but it had also held her back from letting others in. She didn’t want to do things on her own anymore; she didn’t want to be as all the Fuenteses thought they should be.
“I found the blade Alma used,” she confessed. “I am not afraid to face Vidal, but I need your help tracking him down.”
“You found Alma’s blade?” Lalo rushed to his trunk. Pulling out a leather-bound book, he stepped to her side. He placed it on the desk and opened the ledger to the end.
“This is in my father’s hand,” she said.
“Yes. And I’m certain every person who logged entries inside are the patriarchs of your family. This book gives detailed accounts of the attacks in or around Del Oro. The dates go back hundreds of years.” He pointed to the most recent victims’ names and their locations of death. “There are no patterns within the slayings. Mostly, the bodies of the victims are left to rot. Occasionally, the victims disappear altogether. But one detail caught my eye—several witnesses stated that some of the victims were either dragged toward, or heard murmuring upon their deaths, Devil’s Spine.”
“Lorenzo was believed to have gone missing after venturing to the mountains.”
“Then that is where Vidal must be. All the vampiros who come to Del Oro and take your people do so for their maker. To feed the beast.”
Lalo grabbed another book, splayed it open, and pointed at a sketch of Basilio’s Point. The mountain range as a whole was nondescript. It looked like any other formation, with the exception of five jagged spikes jutting from the ground around Devil’sSpine. The sight always made Carolina shiver. Not with fright but with a curiosity that felt deliciously dangerous.
