Chapter Three
From the shadows, he emerges. Tall, broad-shouldered, with dark skin and cold eyes, he confidently strides toward us. His head is shaved to the scalp, and the moonlight shines brightly off his smooth skin. I find myself wondering how I didn’t notice him before. He’s so tall and muscular, I’m sure there isn’t even a mausoleum he could hide behind.
I swallow the knot that forms in my throat and straighten, taking a step away from Liv. I withdraw my stake and hold it firmly in my hand. My stance is threatening and, hopefully, doesn’t show the immense pain I’m in after everything that just happened.
“You’re not welcome here,” I say.
He smiles. His teeth are shiny and white, with two perfect fangs protruding from his lips. When he finally speaks, his words twist around my neck like a noose.
“Is a cemetery not the resting place for the dead?” he asks. His voice is deep and firm. I’m taken aback by his wit. It’s not often a vampire is humorous. I almost feel bad for the fact that I’m replaying his death over and over again in my mind.
“Leave Darkhaven and never return,” I order. I grasp my stake tighter and move my arm upward so the weapon is showcased before me. I may be weak, but I’m still standing and armed. I’m still a witch who hunts vampires, and I did just kill his allies while he watched from the shadows.
Does this vampire have a death wish?
Better yet, do I?
He takes another step forward. Several feet still separate us, but with each passing second, the monster continues to corner us. I need to make a decision quickly. Either we fight and risk death, or I convince him to leave, and then once I’m at full strength and Liv is safely at home, I hunt him down.
“Do you often offer free passes to vampires?” he asks.
I don’t speak. He and I both know why I’m not attacking. I’m weak from blood loss, and I’m not sure I can withstand the stabbing pain from my broken ribs that shoots through my side when I move too quickly. I may not be at my full strength tonight, but I will be soon.
“Choose your words carefully, vampire.”
He smiles. “Is it not your job, little huntress, to force me out of this world—or, at the very least, out of your village?” he asks.
I don’t respond because I’m mulling over his words. This is the first time I’ve ever really spoken to a vampire. Most have no interest in talking things out, and no one has ever called me “little huntress” before.
I find myself considering his age. He could be the same age as Papá if he were alive. I’ve never seen a vampire as old as my parents.
Liv must take my silence as her cue to assist me, because she steps forward so we’re side by side and holds out her hand. A fireball forms in her palm, and it remains there, bouncing up and down, over and over again. She keeps her gaze on the vampire before us, a wicked grin spreading across her usually calm face.
“We may be weakened by your friends, but we have enough to end you,” I threaten.
With just the simple flick of her wrist and the flash of a fireball, the vampire begins to recede into the shadows. He doesn’t need to tell me this isn’t over. I can see it written across his face. He’ll return to Darkhaven, and when he does, he’ll come for me. With the help of Liv, I killed his friends and forced his retreat with his tail between his legs. His pride will get the best of him sooner or later. By then, I’ll be healed and ready for a fight.
“I’ll see you again, little huntress,” he whispers before disappearing.
I exhale slowly and collapse onto Liv. I glance over at her, our gazes meeting, and for a brief moment in time, we just smile at each other.
We did it.
We made it.
We survived, and the world is short three more vampires.
It’s not lost on us that killing one vampire creates a ripple effect. We saved lives tonight.
This is the first time Liv went on a hunt, and by the excitement in her eyes, I’m not sure it’ll be the last.
She holds me up, pulling me tight, and we trudge through the village toward my home, where Mamá is waiting for us. Over and over, I replay my apology to her. She will be furious, and I will be grounded—probably spelled to my room with no chance of escape.
Even though I know exactly what Mamá will say, I’m unsure of how Liv’s parents will react. Her coven is notorious for peaceful philosophies. I’m sure sneaking out of the house to hunt vampires with a friend is absolutely unacceptable. I pray they won’t be too hard on her. After all, she was just trying to save my life.
Liv kicks the door shut behind us, and it slams a little too loudly. We both freeze, waiting for what we’re sure is inevitable. After a few seconds pass, our shoulders settle, and I saunter over to my bed. But the moment I fall onto it and finally take a breath, my bedroom door opens and Mamá appears.
I actually believed we had gotten away with it. I mean, sure, my neck looks like a dog tore through a bag of treats, but I could hide it with clothes and makeup—but in time, in the form of a scar, it would become a daily reminder of the vampire who got away.
Correction: the vampire I let escape…
“Explain this right now, mija,” Mamá says. I can tell by her directness that lying will only land me in purgatory for an eternity, so I come clean and hope she goes easy on us.
“¡Yo tenía que hacerlo, Mamá!” She must understand that I had no choice. I had to do this! She might not take my gut instincts seriously yet, but I do. Something is coming, and it is my duty to protect Darkhaven.
“It’s my fault, Mrs. López!” Liv says, cutting in.
I appreciate her attempt to take sole responsibility for my actions tonight, but even Mamá will find a way to turn this back onto me. She’ll definitely see through Liv’s lie. I mean, she always sees through mine. I’m not quite sure why I ever believed I could get away with sneaking out. I guess it just didn’t matter enough. The only thing I cared about was finding a way to make this…feeling stop.
“It is your responsibility, mija, to protect this village—not to endanger it. You risked your friend’s life tonight. That is imperdonable.”
“But it was my idea!” Liv shouts.
“Silencio!” Mamá shouts.
Liv bows her head and falls back onto my bed. We sit side by side, both afraid to look Mamá in her eyes.
“Do your parents know where you are, niña?”
Liv shakes her head.
“Do you want to die tonight?” Mamá says, and I’m not sure if she’s asking if that was our original plan or if she’s letting us know she’s happy to commit the deed.
Liv’s parents are quiet, calm, happy people made of sunshine, flowers, and good intentions. I get my recklessness and fiery temper from Mamá. I shoot Liv a look that tells her to be quiet and let me handle this. She is inexperienced when it comes to a ruthless parent.
“Lo siento, Mamá.” I apologize because there’s nothing left to say. She won’t accept that the reason I disobeyed her and went hunting is because she refuses to believe my gut. I know something bad is going to happen, and she’s forcing me to simply sit down and shut up and wait for it to happen. I just can’t do that. Mamá did not raise a daughter who can stand down. She raised a fighter, a survivor, a defender of those who cannot protect themselves. That pretty much describes almost all the population of Darkhaven. Those who aren’t blissfully unaware humans are witches in a coven that resents violence. Darkhaven is the perfect place for vampires to feast on; it should have a twenty-four-hour patrol team.
“Hablaremos de esto más tarde,” Mamá says, and I sink a little farther into my bed. The last thing I want to do is talk about this later.
I nod, gaze still on the floor.
“¿Estás herida? Are you hurt?” Mamá repeats herself in English so Liv understands her question. She used to hate doing this, but she cannot stop herself from speaking Spanish, her first language. Now, most of our conversations are like this—some English, some Spanish. I’m not sure she even notices it a
nymore. She probably thinks she’s always speaking just one or the other.
“I’m tired,” Liv says.
“You used la magia too much,” Mamá explains. “You’re a couple of seventeen-year-old girls. Eres un novata.” I’m glad Liv doesn’t speak Spanish, because being called a novice is the last thing she needs right now, especially considering the only reason we’re alive is because she stepped up and scared away the final vampire.
My mind flashes back to the moment I let him go. I’m ashamed to have done that. For all I know, he’s out killing little kids right now while I’m safely inside my home. Well, safely could be argued. I’m not sure Liv and I are safe around Mamá tonight.
“Fui mordida,” I whisper. Admitting I was bitten is harder than I thought it’d be. I’d rather take a dagger to the gut than admit to Mamá that she was right, that I shouldn’t have patrolled alone, that I shouldn’t have brought a novice to hunt vampires. I made so many mistakes tonight, I’m not quite sure how I survived the ordeal.
Mamá covers her shock with her hand and rushes to me. “Did you drink?”
I shake my head so hard it makes me dizzy. I cringe at the relief that washes over Mamá’s face. If I did drink the vampire’s blood, I would begin my transition, and then what? What would she do? What does her relief mean? Would she kill me, her only child, just because I’ve become what she hates? I wouldn’t want to become a bloodsucking monster, but I certainly don’t want to die tonight either.
“Déjame ver,” she says.
I tilt my head to the side to expose my neck. I’m not sure what it looks like, and Mamá’s face doesn’t exactly give away how serious my injury truly is. As she assesses the damage, I wonder how many times she’s been on the other side of one of these wounds. I haven’t heard many stories of witches being bitten by vampires, so I’m not sure what the protocol is. If I were to have ingested the vampire’s blood, would she wait until after my transition to kill me? Or would she kill me before I change in a halfhearted attempt to save my soul?
She inspects my wound with her hands. Her fingers are warm and welcoming, unlike her steely glare and harsh words. After a few seconds, she steps back and nods at me. She can create a potion to heal my wound quickly. I may not even scar this time.
I glance down at my hands. They’re covered with tiny battle wounds. I remember how I got each one, and I can feel them too. I think it’s a weird survivor’s curse. When I close my eyes, I know where they all are. I can even sense the shape of them, like the long, thick one on my left calf; it has a small part that sticks out from the center. I got that one when I tried to scale a fence and only succeeded in catching my leg at the pointed tip. I feel like I have at least a hundred war wounds all over my body, but I’m sure that’s not the real number.
“Very smart to use your fire magic,” Mamá says to Liv.
“Thank you,” she responds.
“How many vampires have you slain before?” Mamá asks, and my stomach sinks. The silence seems to stretch on for hours as she waits for Liv to respond. I don’t need to be a mind reader to know what’s happening here. Liv is scared to be honest, but she doesn’t want to lie either. Mamá is patient, like a shark that swims ’round and ’round a fallen diving tank, just waiting for the right moment to strike. Liv will be the first to break, so she may as well get it over with. I give her a look that tells her to be honest.
“This was my first time,” Liv says, shame evident in her downward lashes.
Mamá exhales sharply, and fear strikes through me like a bullet through flesh. It stings, and the pain permeates far and wide. I’m not sure I’ll ever recover from her anger. Like my many scars, her disappointment from this night will be something I’ll remember forever.
“¿Cómo pudiste ser tan estúpida?” She doesn’t wait for me to respond before returning her attention to Liv. “Have you been bitten, child?”
Liv shakes her head.
“Good. Come now.”
We stand in unison and follow closely behind Mamá until we reach our altar room. The room is large and encompasses much of the second floor of our home. Large bay windows help to flood the room in moonlight, but during the day, the sun bathes the many rows of plants with much-needed sunlight. There’s even a large walk-in closet full of plants that can’t handle all the light.
Every herb imaginable is found in this place. I remember the first time I came in here and wasn’t treated like a child. Every time prior to that moment, Mamá would swat me from the room. She told me the altar room was no place for a child. Eventually, I was old enough to study herb magic, and Mamá explained all the magical properties of each plant she nurtures. Even now, as she walks to her altar and begins placing various herbs in a mortar, I know she’s reaching for herbs like rosemary, thyme, amaranth, Angelica leaves, barley grass, bay leaves, lemon balm, and others.
She crushes the mixture while I bring a vial of a light amber-colored liquid to Liv. I hold it out to her, and she takes it from me, eyeing it curiously.
“Peppermint tea. We brew it regularly,” I say.
She nods like she knows what it is, but she doesn’t. Her mother doesn’t train her to wield her magic the way Mamá teaches me. I’ve been training to avenge Papá since he was killed by a vampire. Liv got lucky tonight, but I’m not sure she’ll be that lucky next time. In a village crawling with supernaturals, Liv really should learn how to be a witch.
“It’s a powerful base for a healing elixir,” I confirm. I don’t have to face Mamá to know she’s smiling while eavesdropping. She’s been training me to harness my spirit magic for a long time. Our powers are not physical, like a fire witch’s. We’re natural healers and psychics with minimal control over the elements.
“Are you going to drink it?” Liv asks.
I nod. “You should too.”
“But I wasn’t bitten. I’m fine.”
“You don’t know that for sure. I don’t remember taking a hit to the side, but I’m certain I’ve broken a rib. In the heat of the battle, adrenaline overpowers your feelings. It’s better to drink the potion and not need it than to skip it and have regrets.”
Liv shrugs. “I guess.”
“We’ll add Mamá’s herb mixture to it, let it rest for a minute while we infuse it with spirit magic, and then we can drink it. We should feel much better in just a few hours.”
I take the vial from Liv’s hand and walk over to Mamá. She sets down her pestle while I unscrew the top from the vial. She places her hand over my own, and together, we hold the tiny glass jar above the mortar. Closing our eyes, we chant, fueling the elixir with spirit magic to aid its ability to heal wounds quickly. When done, we open our eyes to see the amber-colored liquid glowing ever so slightly. We don’t have much time now. In one small splash, the peppermint tea mixes with the crushed herbs. Mamá swirls it together before emptying it into two small chalices. I take one and hand the other to Liv.
“Shall we?” I say, offering mine to clink.
Before Liv can place glass to glass, Mamá says, “Éste no es el momento, mija.” Always the buzzkill.
I pull back, a bit ashamed I was trying to make light of the situation, and swallow down the elixir. Liv follows suit, scrunching her nose as soon as the liquid hits her tongue. Even though the base is peppermint tea, by the time Mamá mixes in the crushed herbs, the taste changes. The flavor is definitely not something one enjoys or would drink regularly.
Already, the solution is working its way through my body. The magic seeps into my core and fans out, threading with each fiber of me. It works its way to my side, where the ache of broken ribs dulls. I reach for my neck, and the burned flesh feels smoother under my fingertips.
“You must sleep now,” Mamá says as I yawn.
“What about Liv?” I ask. My eyelids are heavy. Mamá must have added another herb to help us sleep.
“Come, niñas,” she says, guiding us to my room.
The moment my head hits the pillow, I’m overwhelmed by the magic tha
t’s eagerly working its way through me. It reaches even the darkest parts of me, where lingering thoughts of doubt and dreams of future dread reside.
Chapter Four
The sunlight is warm against my skin. I’m sitting in a field of wildflowers, and I’m young—somewhere between four and five years old. I don’t know the day or even the year, but I do know that I’m safe.
The only reason I know it’s not real is because Papá is here. He’s alive, happy.
It always begins this way.
He smiles at me. His jaw is strong, sharp. A dusting of hair covers his chin—some of it black, some gray. His eyes are soft with lines edging each as he smiles down at me.
“Te amo, mija.” His voice is deep but gentle as he tells me he loves me.
In this moment, I believe we’ll be safe forever. I don’t know about the demons of the world or understand the growing sensation within me that’s screaming at me to leave this place. I now know spirit was warning me about the vampires, about Papá’s demise, but I was too young to understand it then. I was too young to help him.
I open my tired eyes, and I’m back in my room. I often dream of the night Papá died. It’s part of the spirit witch curse. My affinity isn’t for control over the elements—it’s for the mind, the soul, and the memories and instincts that make living the definition of hell.
There’s a soft bustling noise coming from downstairs. I’m sure my house is swarming with people as my coven prepares for tonight’s full moon ritual. Soon, Mamá will come looking for me, and if I’m not ready when our high priestess arrives, there will be hell to pay.
I groan and sit on the edge of my bed. I sink my face into the palms of my hands, rest my elbows on my thighs, and run my fingers through my matted hair.
“I can do this,” I say aloud.
My voice is soft, unsure. I have been mentally preparing myself for this moment ever since I decided to sneak out. Of course, I was hoping I wouldn’t get caught…
With one last, quick exhalation, I rise and walk into my bathroom. My muscles are stiff from last night’s fight, but breathing no longer causes extreme agony. Mamá’s elixir certainly worked its magic on me while I slept.
Dark Secret Page 3
