Unfortunately, I do not have to wait for a reply.
All at once, the forest is brighter. I squeeze my eyes shut, throwing my hand up to shield myself from the fire’s bright flames. When I have finally adjusted to the drastic difference, I lower my arm and bear witness to what has halted our approach.
Malik is still silent and stiff as stone before me. Hikari is standing beside him, arms flexed, hands balled into fists at her sides. I am cowering behind them, daring a peek between the wall of vampires protecting me.
And that is when I see them. There are so many. They step forward, revealing themselves and their hiding posts. They step from behind trees and up from heaps of snow. They are dressed in white, blending into the icy forest.
Abuela steps forward, and Mamá is close behind her. They walk with an elegant grace, mouths turned up and devious glints sparkling within their eyes. I wonder how long they have been waiting here. How long have they been hunting me?
“Hola, hija,” Mamá says.
Her words twist around me, slithering their way into my soul. Just one glance from her is enough to pierce my heart and assure compliance.
I look away, shoving my face into Malik’s back. His hands are dangling at his sides, and I grab on to them.
Teetering, I whisper over and over again that I am strong, that she has no control over me, that there is no link. I say it enough times I almost convince myself these words are true.
But then she speaks again.
“Mirame, niña,” Mamá orders.
I am trembling, fighting the overwhelming urge to look at my mother. She has ordered me to, and it takes every ounce of strength I have to fight her desire.
The connection linking us is threading tighter around me, and I worry it will smother me, squeezing out my breath, my blood, my complete essence until nothing remains but an empty, dead shell.
“Fight it,” I whisper over and over again. “You are stronger than her.”
Malik begins breathing louder, so dramatically so, it calms my aching limbs. I listen to his breath, letting it match my own. Slowly, I begin to calm, but when Mamá speaks again, igniting yet another fire in my soul, I almost break. I almost look at her. I almost succumb to her will.
Slowly, Malik threads our fingers together into a makeshift chain. He radiates power, strength. Vampires are naturally alluring, and I let his scent, his natural musk, settle over me. When he begins to trace circles with his thumb against my skin, I feel more grounded than ever before. For one brief moment in time, I believe I can fight this curse. I believe I am strong enough to survive it.
But then Mamá speaks, and my world crumbles.
“¡Dije mirame!” she screams, and I shriek. Her anger erupts from within her and boils into me. I am awash with her frustration from my disobedience, and soon, everything I am is gone, leaving only what she is.
And she is evil.
I fall away from Malik, landing on the ground. I catch my fall with my hands, but my arms sink into the earth. I look at her, just as she instructed. I do not disobey her again.
Her irises are black as night. No longer the muddled brown color I remember, they are angry and hateful, and they threaten me with death.
“Por favor, Mamá,” I shout, begging for mercy, even though I know there will be none tonight.
I worry I was wrong to save Will. If he is already dead, then I stepped into the witches’ trap for nothing. Now, I have nothing to gain and everything to lose.
“We need to get out of here,” Hikari whispers. Her voice is so low, I almost do not hear her.
I glance back at Malik, but he does not look at me. He does not break his gaze, remaining ever focused on the witches. With each passing second, their numbers grow. More and more unfamiliar faces surround us, strengthening Mamá’s hold over me. She is far too powerful, and I fear the worst.
She has not released the magic.
She is one smart spell away from diving steadfast into this obscure prison.
And she has every intention of taking me with her.
“We are surrounded,” Malik says softly, simply. He remains strong before the witches, confident in his plan. Even as I falter, he never wavers.
Hikari scans the forest, spinning on her heels. Her eyes confirm Malik’s assumption. We are surrounded.
I scramble to my feet, hands frozen from the snow. When I finally stand, Mamá speaks to me.
“Sal del camino, Ava,” she says.
I shake my head, refusing to move. I will not step away from the vampires, because the moment I do, blasts of fire magic will incinerate the ground. Malik and Hikari will not die because of me.
“How did you know we would come to you?” Malik asks.
“¡Cállate, demonio!” Abuela says.
“You do not speak to us,” Mamá says, seething.
“How did you know? How did you find out we would be here?” I shout, repeating Malik’s question.
A sharp gust of wind radiates through the forest. It howls through the air, shaking branches as it assaults the hibernating trees. I shiver, lip trembling. I am not dressed warm enough for such a cold night. I squeeze my hands, my fingers falling numb. The air is bitter against my cheeks, and it burns my skin.
Mamá laughs. “No one had to tell us, mija. We are your family. We know everything about you.”
“So you knew I would come back for him,” I say softly.
Mamá nods. “You are too caring, Ava. You never could leave a friend behind.”
I grind my teeth, balling my hands into fists. I want to slam them against those who keep getting in my way. I came to protect my family, and that is what I will do. Mamá thinks she is smarter than me; she always has. But I know her just as well as she knows me, and she has not bested me yet.
I turn to the vampires and grab on to Malik’s hand. He softens under my caress.
“Malik,” I say. He breaks his gaze with the witches to meet my eyes. “You need to leave.”
He frowns and says exactly what I expect him to say. “I will not leave without you.”
His voice sounds so sincere, and for a moment, I fear he truly will not leave me behind.
“We are outnumbered,” I remind him, speaking loudly. I need the witches to hear us. They need to know the sacrifice I am making.
“We assumed you would return without being fully prepared,” Abuela says. “But as you can see, we have many allies.”
I do not look at her, but I envision the smile plastered on her face. Everything about my grandmother makes me cringe. I have never hated someone so much in my life. She is a disgrace to Papá’s name, and for once, I am thankful he is not alive to see what has become of his family.
As I ignore my grandmother, I keep my eyes on Malik. I only break his gaze to look at Hikari. She is holding back tears. I can see them pooling in the corner of her eyes. I never knew she could tap into such emotion—especially for me.
“We cannot leave you, Ava,” she whispers.
“We may not be prepared for this fight, but they are. We are surrounded,” I warn.
“It does not matter,” Hikari says. “You are family.”
My heart sinks, the pain washing over me almost too much to bear. I hate that it has come to this. I truly hoped we could silently stalk the witches, using the night to our advantage to save a fallen comrade.
“I would never forgive myself if either of you were killed because of me,” I say. “Do not be fooled. The witches are listening now, and they are waiting for your decision. Either you walk away, leaving me behind, or you face them now.”