Blood Awakens

by Jessaca Willis

  They kept it short, with Mara in a rush to make it out of Hope unseen.

  From her horse’s back, she gave Graciela a wave and rode north to the utorian.

  Chapter Forty-Nine

  Santiago

  A lump caught in Santiago’s throat. “She left? Just like that?”

  “Yes,” his sister said softly. “She couldn’t say goodbye and risk anyone talking her into staying longer.”

  “You mean Sean.” The name wasn’t as bitter on his tongue as he knew it sounded. He didn’t hate Sean—or maybe he did in this moment, if it was the pressure he’d placed on Mara that drove her away.

  “I meant anyone. Because of everyone, because she cared, she’d already waited so long. Longer than I can even imagine. I could never be apart from you for that long and not know how you were, if you were even—”

  When Graciela’s voice began to quiver, she stopped. The words were implied. And Santiago could imagine, on some small scale. After all, just the other day he’d spent hours wondering if his own sister was dead.

  The thought brought those two shifters to mind. He didn’t know Ryka and Meeka very well, but they seemed close, like he and Graciela. For that reason, he reasoned it was probably good they’d died together. Maybe good wasn’t the right word, and he definitely wouldn’t be caught saying it out loud, but at least they didn’t have to go on without each other. Losing Graciela would’ve been debilitating. Losing Mara—even though she wasn’t dead—was crushing enough.

  “I just…I can’t believe she’s gone,” he finally uttered. A realization hit him then. Before Mara had left, she’d found time to speak with Graciela. But not him. As if he wouldn’t understand. “I wouldn’t have kept her from going. She must have known that,” he pleaded, fighting against the sadness burning his cheeks.

  “It was something she couldn’t risk.”

  He swallowed back the sting. Graciela didn’t understand. She couldn’t. She’d never felt this way about someone, not the way Santiago felt about Mara. “I would have risked it if it meant being able to say goodbye to her.”

  Graciela held him in a quizzical gaze and then her jaw fell. “Ay, Santi. I had no idea you had grown so fond of her.”

  Santiago averted his eyes. Fondness didn’t quite express what he felt.

  “I’m so sorry. If I had known, I would have tried convincing her to come see you.”

  “It’s fine. It’s not your fault.”

  “You can pardon me, but I can’t pardon myself. I was the last to see her. I agreed to give you—oh! I almost forgot.” Graciela reached into her pocket, pulled out a tan, rectangular object, and tossed it to her younger brother, who just barely caught the thing before it passed by his head.

  “What’s this?”

  “A gift from Mara.”

  A spark, somewhere in the depths of his heart, pulsed. He opened it tentatively and with curious eyes, even though it could only be one thing. “She gave me a ulipsi?”

  “She figured you could use one to keep in contact with Sean when you are stuck at the jail. In case of emergencies. Although, I think she might’ve wanted a way to stay in contact with you. And me,” she added, pulling hers out as well. “Maybe she felt more strongly for you than you thought?”

  The dorkiest grin escaped him. “Maybe.”

  “It gets better.”

  Santiago peered up from the lackluster mirror. “How so?”

  “She named it for you too. I think she chose one that was fitting. You might not like it though, but everyone else would agree it’s perfect for you.”

  Santiago groaned, crooking an eyebrow. “What is it?”

  She giggled and let the suspense carry out a few seconds longer. “Narcissus. The son of a God who was obsessed with his appearance. It goes a little farther than obsession actually. He was in love with himself. See? Fits you perfectly.”

  Laughter echoed throughout the jail office.

  “Hey, at least now I have a way to see that my hair looks good every morning.”

  “Yes, we wouldn’t want you walking around all disheveled anymore.”

  “What do you mean ‘anymore’?” His voice raised in alarm as he frantically checked his reflection. His fauxhawk was as perfect as ever, crisped with the gel he had applied this morning.

  When he returned his focus to Graciela, her lips pursed together as she tried to stifle another burst of laughter. He threw a pencil at her, which she deflected with a swift swat before leaping out of her chair and lunging at his head. He braced his foot up to keep her at a distance, her arms flailing in the space between her and his stiff, styled hair.

  After a few minutes of horseplay, Graciela cleared her throat. “I should head back to the medic tent. It’s supposed to be my shift, but I wanted to make sure you got your gift. Mara tells me she should arrive in New York by tomorrow morning at the latest. We should be expecting a message from her then. I’ll see you tomorrow, Santi. Te amo, hermanito.”

  As he watched Graciela leave, his thoughts returned to Mara. Regret cascaded through him for the things that hadn’t happened, for the kiss they’d never share. He worried about the journey she had embarked on, any injuries that might befall her, and what may await her in Italy.

  But most of all, he felt a warmth inside of him that until a couple days ago he hadn’t had. A gift. A token of affection and one that screamed of feelings. Graciela said Mara gave it to him for Sean, but somehow he knew that wasn’t entirely true. What were the odds that the exact item Sean needed him to have would also be the only way Mara could communicate with him on the road? Somewhere along the lines, the woman of his dreams had started to grow fond of him. Maybe not as much as he was of her, but enough to give him hope.

  He smirked down at his ulipsi and painstakingly counted down the hours until sunrise.

  Epilogue

  Santiago

  It had been one month.

  One month since the first rainfall of autumn.

  One month since he’d stopped going to TULIP.

  One month since his last decent night’s sleep.

  One month since they last heard from Mara.

  Santiago still checked his ulipsi—Narcissus—regularly, in hopes of finally receiving the message he had so eagerly been anticipating. Still nothing. The mirror remained motionless in his hand. No warmth radiating from it, no glow, no noise. He didn’t know why he let it get to him so much, why he couldn’t just accept the fact that she didn’t want to talk to them. To him.

  But even that was a lie. Doubt was what prevented him from moving on. Somewhere, itching the back of his thoughts, was a deep fear that Mara’s silence wasn’t personal, that instead something terrible had happened during the past month during her solo journey to Italy.

  At least she had been considerate enough to send Graciela a curt “I’m fine, don’t worry about me” message.

  But that was one month ago. Thirty days to be exact, not that he had been counting.

  Luckily, Zamira had more common courtesy than Mara and had willingly provided Sean with updates about her travels. She was the one who had informed them of Mara’s arrival to the sanctuary of Genesis, half a day’s walk from the utorian. Zamira had let them know that Mara had spent one day resting, followed by two days of meeting and deciding on travel companions. She was also the reason they knew Mara had chosen to leave with a mermaid and a dragon on the fourth day after arriving to New York.

  Those updates had ceased since then though. Once Mara had left the city, no one had heard from her.

  One month.

  A lot could happen in one month. He would know. In the short span of thirty days, Santiago had almost died, succumbing to the blackness of his Awakened ability. In one month, he had gone from a fútbol player in Guatemala to a refugee scouring the land in search of a cure for his affliction. In one month, he had found his place at Hope, settled in nicely at a new “job” he never would’ve considered before. In one month, he had gone from working tirelessly at TULIP in hope
s of becoming Unawakened again, to giving up on that goal because the program seemed to be a sham. In one month, he and Carson had even started to become friends.

  In one month, Mara could have made it to Milan. She could’ve found her family. Or maybe she found nothing but their remains. In those sluggish, thirty days, Mara could have died.

  The not knowing was driving him mad. If he wasn’t careful, he’d spend yet another day in a vicious spiral of worry and fear.

  Shaking his head as if to physically purge the thoughts from enveloping his mind, he made his way to the medic tent.

  As predicted, Graciela was already hard at work. He pushed through the flaps to find her busying herself with a patient. She turned to him with her eyes wide and mouth agape, but she slouched when recognition settled. “Oh, it’s you.”

  Santiago snorted, “Good morning to you too.”

  “Sorry, I thought you were Sean. He…he said he would be back soon.”

  Just then the man on the cot started shrieking, the kind of screams that made Santiago clutch his own body protectively. It was only then that he noticed the man and saw the extent of his injuries. At first glance, he thought the man looked like he’d been mauled by a bear.

  It was then that he noticed Trey pinning the man down and realized that if there was need for a roider, something was wrong. “Why? What’s going on?”

  As Santiago drew closer, his attention befell the sores and holes that riddled the patient’s body. Literal holes. In some places they burrowed deep enough to see down to his bones. His fingers were covered in blood and gore. Santiago gulped when he considered the agony they must be causing him.

  “It’s just not a good day,” Graciela said with a sigh.

  Still thinking about the patient’s pain, Santiago nodded at the medicine cabinet. “Can’t you sedate him?”

  His sister shook her head. “I already gave him something for the pain. Right now, I just need Sean or—”

  “Sorry I’m late.” It was like his ears had been itching. As Sean rushed in to help, he looked between Trey and Graciela and asked, “What’s the deal with this guy?”

  “I don’t know. His wounds were self-inflicted. He was speaking in random rhymes and insanities earlier. It’s possible he’s on drugs. Or maybe he’s schizophrenic?”

  As if to prove her right, the man began chanting, “Prepare for Morden’s final hour, lest all will perish to his power. Ancestral souls cast to the void, krv of krv and he’ll be destroyed.” He ended his song with a sound that was part sob part chuckle.

  Sean eyed Trey who nodded, “Yeah, I know. He’s been sayin’ some weird sh—”

  The man thrashed on the cot again, and Sean scrambled to help Trey pin him back down, though Santiago suspected that a roider didn’t need help constraining anybody, let alone someone who was ill and weak.

  Sean must’ve drawn the same conclusion because he released his hold and instead hovered his palms over the man’s stomach. The air in the room turned to static. No blood was visible, aside from the blood already oozing from the man’s various wounds. Still, the buzz in the air was a solid sign that Sean was utilizing his power. Although Santiago couldn’t figure out what exactly he was doing.

  Finally, Sean spoke. “There’s poison in his veins. I think he’s been stung by a scorpion.”

  “That’s what happens when you’re stung by a scorpion? I always hated those things.” Santiago said in disbelief.

  “Not the arachnid, the person, the Awakened. A scorpion’s sting causes hallucinations and delusions. Judging by the looks of him, he was stung about a day ago.”

  Graciela’s tone was nothing but empathetic. “He’s done that much damage in only a day?”

  “Yup. And he’s lucky we found him when we did. He wouldn’t have lasted longer than a few more hours. The venom is already coursing through his heart and brain. Scorpion venom entices fear in the brain. It causes the person to experience extreme paranoia, and eventually, they kill themselves. I’ve heard of people plucking out their own eyes because they thought they were bombs. Scorpions are brutal.”

  Finding himself surprisingly interested, Santiago asked, “How do you fix him? Does it just wear off?”

  “No, but fortunately there is a cure. Porcupine needles tend to do the trick. Luckily, we have a bunch in stock because we have a couple porcupines here at Hope.” He looked to both of them, analyzing their understanding. “Again, I mean the Awakened, not the animal. The jar is on that counter over there. Just grab a few and place one on either temple and one in the center of the forehead.” He studied the man again. “Let’s put one above his heart too, for good measure.”

  Graciela did just that, seemingly eager to bring the man’s suffering to an end. It wasn’t an instant cure, but the man’s muscles began to relax almost instantly, his eyes fluttering closed within seconds.

  “Well, that was interesting,” Santiago said blinking.

  “Sorry about that,” Sean grimaced, turning to Graciela. “Darach should’ve informed you of this procedure beforehand, especially if he was leaving you alone here.”

  Graciela shrugged. “It’s okay. Everything worked out, and now I know for next time.”

  “So,” Santiago cut in, realizing how close Sean was standing to his sister. “Interested in breakfast?”

  “I can’t. With Dr. Gallagher gone, I’ll need to tend to this man. I need to make sure he is stabilized. I’ll need to stay nearby in case.”

  “Nonsense.” Sean was waving like a fly buzzed around him. “You go ahead. I’ll stay here with him in case he wakes up. Everyone needs to eat sometimes.”

  Graciela flashed Sean a smile in thanks before walking out of the tent with her brother.

  They were only two steps out of the tent before Graciela stopped dead in her tracks. “Santi, look!”

  Santiago turned around to face her, hesitant to have any more excitement this morning. “What is—”

  Finger outstretched, she was pointing at his pocket, barely breathing.

  Santiago looked down and saw the dull blue light shining from inside. Hastily, he fumbled for the ulipsi, almost dropping it multiple times before it settled in his palm. It illuminated a half-meter-wide radius around them.

  He opened Narcissus without hesitation. “BEFANA REPORTS,” it began in the mirror’s programmed choppy tone.

  This was the moment he had been waiting for.

  How long had this message been waiting for him? Had it been there all morning, him too reticent to check in fear of again hearing nothing more than crickets?

  Through the ulipsi’s reflection, they saw nothing but an elegant vaulted ceiling. Mara must not have been facing the screen when she’d readied the message. Santiago would be lying if he said he wasn’t slightly annoyed at the fact that he wasn’t able to see her face, to lose himself in those emerald-green eyes.

  Her tone sounded panicked, despondent. “Oh Motherless world, what have I done?”

  Then came a loud crash, followed by the deafening silence of the call ending

  

  To be continued

  in book two of The Awakened Quartet:

  PUPPETS DREAM

  Coming soon

  

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  SPANISH GLOSSARY

  Ay caramba (ay cahr-ahm-bah) – An expression used to denote surprise (often positive).

  ¡Ay no! (ay noh) – Oh no!

  Barrio (bahr-ree-oh) – A neighborhood.

  Calma (cahl-mah) – Calm down.

  Cómo (coh-moh) – What/Come again?

  De tal palo, tal astillo (day tahl pahl-oh, tahl ah-stee-yoh) – Literal translation is “From the stick, such is the splinter”. Figurative translation is similar to “Like father, like son”.

  Del dicho al hecho hay un buen trecho (del dee-choh ahl hey-choh, ay oon bwen trey-choh) – Literal translation is “Between the saying and the deed, there is a great stretch”. Figurative translation is similar to “Easier said than done”.

  El diablo (el dee-ahb-loh)– The devil.

  Fútbol (foo-t-bohl) – The sport soccer.

  Hermanito (ayr-mahn-ee-toh) – Little brother.

  Hoy no (oy noh)– Not today.

  La Liga Nacional de Fútbol de Guatemala (la lee-gha na-see-o-nahl day foo-t-bohl) – The Guatemala National League of Soccer.

  Lo siento (loh see-en-toh)– I’m sorry.

  Muy sexy (moo-ee sek-see)– Very sexy.

  No problema (noh pro-blay-mah) – No problem.

  Polígrafo (pohl-ee-ghra-foh)– Polygraph.

  Taberna de Oaxaca (tah-ber-nah day wah-haak-kah) – Oaxaca Tavern

  Te amo (tay ahm-oh) – I love you.

  ¿Que pasa? (kay pah-sah) – What’s wrong?

  ITALIAN GLOSSARY

  Allora (ahl-loh-rah) – Therefore/so.

  Anche sei _____? (ahn-kay say)– Are you from ____?