“We have fought these witches countless times now, and we are still here,” Malik says.
I soften my grip on him, and his eyes lower to my hand as it slips away. Slowly, I walk backward, putting distance between the vampires and me. The pain in his eyes is like a knife to the heart, and each step I take digs that blade deeper and deeper into me. By the time I have put enough distance between us, it has cut clean through.
“Ava…” Malik whispers. He tries to reach for me, but I pull away from him. I cross my arms over my chest, both providing necessary warmth on this frigid evening and to firmly sever myself from the vampires.
“Let me do this for you,” I whisper. “If this is all I can do to save you, then let me do this.”
“Ava,” Hikari calls, tears glistening down her cheeks. Her voice cracks, and it radiates off the chill that is settling in my bones. I want to run to them. Seeing their reactions is too real, too raw. I do not like this, but I understand what I must do.
And it is too late for me to return. Already, I am spinning on my heels, turning my back to the vampires. I take only a few steps before I stop completely and look at the witches. It is time I make myself clear once and for all.
“Let them go,” I order. “Let them live, and I will come with you.”
I stare at Abuela, our gazes becoming almost painful as we each wait for the other to blink first. After an agonizing amount of time, my vision blurs from the crisp air, and I see the faintest nod from her.
I watch the witches part, carving a hole in the circle to release the vampires. Time is of the essence, for I know the witches will not be kind for long. If the vampires want to make it home tonight, they need to leave. Now.
“Go,” I order, nodding at the opening with my head. My teeth clank from the bleak breeze working its way through the forest, and I sniffle, nose running.
Hikari takes a step forward, but Malik does not move.
“Leave. Now,” I say more firmly. I am beginning to shiver so obnoxiously, it is affecting my speech. My words sound rattled and jarring, and I am losing my authoritative tone.
I clear my throat, ready to scream at the vampires to just leave already. Unfortunately, I can fake strength with my voice, but not my eyes. I know Malik can sense my fear, my pain, but if sacrificing myself means saving them, I will leap into that fire over and over again. I have always been self-sacrificing for those I love. I know how to be nothing else.
Hikari loops her arm through Malik’s and attempts to drag him away, but he remains rooted. Only after I beg him, pleading with my eyes to save himself and Hikari, does he shuffle forward.
Together, the vampires leave, putting greater distance between us than the space between the witches and me. Without their strength to lean on, I feel even weaker. The vampires granted me protection, and I yearn for that safety now.
I do not move until the vampires disappear into the distance. But before the trees engulf them in darkness, I catch one last farewell glance from Hikari.
And then they are gone, swallowed by the night.
“Mírame,” Mamá says.
I close my eyes as I turn to face her, exhaling slowly. When I open them, she has closed the space between us. She reaches for me, pulling me into a tight embrace. I stiffen at the contact. When she wraps her arms around me, squeezing me firmly, I feel ill. My insides churn, my heart stops, and my lungs clench tightly.
“I knew you would come home,” Mamá says softly against my hair. Her breath makes the loose, frizzy strands flutter.
Bile rises in my chest, and I push it down. The thought of the vampires retreating and Mamá taking me to her home makes me sick, but I cannot show weakness. I need her to believe she has won.
After all, this was all part of the plan.
Chapter Seven
The forest is dark, the night silent. The witches welcome me back with open arms, as if I returned to them willingly. They act as though all is forgiven, but how can I ignore my flesh being ripped apart by those I literally died to protect?
I barely remember the girl I used to be—the one who pleaded with a vampire to save her soul because she was terrified of witnessing the destruction of her coven. I never imagined my world would fall apart at the hands of those same witches.
I worry the gaping wound in my chest, where the vampire once resided, will never close. The void, the midnight abyss in my heart that I yearn to fill, is a constant reminder of what I have lost. And I lost everything at the hands of my mother. She was supposed to protect me, to shield me from the evil in this world. Instead, she broke the laws of nature. The spell she cast is eating away at her insides, and I wonder if I should warn her. We are linked now, forever bonded and eternally inseparable. Her fate is my doom as well.
I glance at her, and she smiles at me. She shows no signs, but I know that energy is there, inside of her, stealing her sanity bit by bit. I imagine she does not have much left to give.
“Come, mija,” Mamá says. “Let’s go home.”
Her words wash over me, ensuring compliance. The link formed between us controls me. An invisible force, it twines around my independence like a spring, tightening firmly and smothering any chance I have at freedom. I do not even bother fighting it anymore.
With my head down, I trudge forward, my legs heavy, navigating heaping mounds of snow blanketing our small village. I sink into its depths, desperate to escape my life—the very one I was frightened to lose many moons ago.
I am in captivity…yet again. I have to remind myself that this is different. Malik knew we needed more time, but I knew Will had none to give. This was our compromise. Imprisonment.
The witches are talking to each other, everyone ignoring me—alarmingly so. Am I not their prisoner? I imagine running away, escaping and hiding behind a tree. They are all so focused on celebrating their supposed win, they are not even watching me. I glance at the women who dared challenge the vampires. They are all so…confident. I envy them. There once was a time I would face even the most formidable opponents. Now, I can barely navigate the woods at night without losing my breath.
The witches are not watching me, but I feel eyes on my back. When I glance over my shoulder, I see nothing but darkness. I squint, noticing only the dark shadow of a distant silhouette. Maybe Malik is there, watching, protecting. Or maybe it is just my imagination. The witches are not the only ones who can play cruel tricks.
I hear his voice in my mind, reminding me to remain calm, to stay compliant. We have a plan. Everything will work out, and I will be okay. This time tomorrow, I will be home again. I hope.
When I look at the sky, snow swirls in circles in the air. It overtakes my vision, making it almost impossible to see those who surround me. I pretend I am alone. I am walking through the woods, patrolling the town. I am strong and safe.
The flakes seem endless as they flutter about. I hate the cold, but the snow is beautiful. It clings to the trees, wrapping the bare branches. The moon makes it sparkle and glisten, and for a moment, the darkness is pretty, the unknown is welcome. But the serenity washing over me is brief, and reality sinks in like a dagger to the gut.
When we emerge from the woods, Mamá’s house looms overhead. Papá built this home decades ago, and since his death, it has fallen into disarray. The cedar planks he painstakingly used to form our shelter have turned dark gray from years of elemental abuse. They bear the truth of the many battles fought on this land. Parts are charred from fireball lashings, and Mamá simply never cared enough to cover them.