by Paul Perea
Is this what love feels like? He wondered. How ridiculous! I can’t be in love. I just met the girl.
The waltz ended and without missing a beat, the musicians began to play a ballad. Effortlessly the couple changed step and continued the dance. He pulled her closer and felt the heat from her body, her bosom filling with each breath, pressing into him. He felt intoxicated but not from alcohol. Daniel felt muddled. For a moment he was someplace else—a man was talking to him. The man was whispering things in a strange tongue—it sounded wonderful! He felt he must speak or he would surely faint!
“Do you have any brothers or sisters?” he asked, his mouth dry and his eyes bleary.
“No. I’m an only child. In fact, I’m the only grandchild in the family.”
Gabriella remembered her grandmother’s jokes as they picked apples in the Henderson’s orchard. ‘Mija, it’s going to be up to you to carry on the family line because I don’t think I’m going to be blessed with any more grandchildren.’ At the time, that had made her sad and a little scared. She remembered thinking what an overwhelming responsibility it was to be tasked with carrying on the family line.
“What are you thinking about?”
His question snapped her back to the present. “Oh, I was just thinking about my grandmother.”
Daniel laughed at her honesty. Most girls he knew would be silly and flirtatious, especially being held so close, and here was this girl thinking of her grandmother!
“What’s so funny?” she asked.
Before he could answer, a large hand tapped his shoulder.
“May I cut in to have a dance with my daughter?” David asked in an unfriendly tone. He had been watching them from a distance and did not like what he saw.
Gabriella recognized the look on her father’s face and the tone of his voice. She immediately released her arms from around Daniel’s neck and stepped away from him, looking down at the ground.
“Oh, daddy, this is Daniel . . . Daniel Rios. He’s here with his family. They’re visiting his grandma, Gloria. Daniel, this is my father, David Mondragon.”
“I know who he is, Gabriella. Where is your mother and father?” David asked, his gaze drilling into Daniel, who stared back unafraid.
“Um, they’re over there, sir.” Daniel pointed across the yard.
Gabriella turned to see Helena smile and wave at her father, then retract her arm quickly, her face returning to its dour state. Her mind raced as she tried to think of something to say before her father would have the chance to be rude, but thankfully, her mother was suddenly at her side. They shared a knowing glance as Ruth winked at her.
“Daniel! I haven’t seen you since you were a baby. You know, your grandmother speaks of you often and is so very proud of you. I hope you will be sure to spend a lot of time with her.”
Daniel smiled at the thought of his high-strung and humorous grandmother. “Yes, I will. As a matter-of-fact, I’m staying with her for the summer.”
Ruth was surprised. “Oh, the whole summer! Are your parents staying as well?”
“Nah, they’ll be leaving in a couple of weeks but my mom will be coming back a lot to deal with the sale of some of our land. Between you and me, I think she just wants to keep an eye on me,” Daniel explained and smiled at his joke even though he knew he wasn’t far off the mark.
Ruth returned the smile and looked at Gabriella who remained quiet. She could see that her daughter was already enamored with the handsome young man so she decided to help the situation along.
“Well, I know your grandma couldn’t come tonight so I’ll make sure to have Gabriella bring over some birthday cake tomorrow. I would do it myself, but I will be busy with the cleanup,” Ruth said as she nudged Gabriella.
“Now if only I could find a dance partner.” Ruth let the invitation dangle in an attempt to sway her husband away.
David ignored the comment. “I’d better go say hello to your parents,” he said as he walked away.
Gabriella followed her mother’s gaze. Together they watched David as he greeted Emilio and Helena, and then watched as he led Helena to dance.
“Mom . . .” Gabriella started. Protecting and defending her mother had become second-nature.
Ruth turned to Gabriella and masked her disappointment with a smile. “What are you two waiting for? Go dance! Have fun!” She kissed her daughter and walked away, disappearing into the crowd.
Daniel took her hand and led her to dance, the confusion and unsteadiness returning as he touched her hand. Resistance had been replaced with something else. An enticement. While his body reacted to the music, his spirit was pulled elsewhere and he closed his eyes. Words rang in his head and a familiar twinge ran throughout his body. It took root in his mind, in his heart, and in his sex. Holding fast, it removed a vision of a summer spent with family.
Daniel opened his eyes and looked at Gabriella, and understood.
CHAPTER 21
Gabriella pressed her head against the wall and listened in on her parent’s argument. This had become her reality. Her father away for days, presumably on business, then coming home inebriated. Sometimes he was mildly drunk. Other times he could barely make it through the door. It didn’t matter which—she and her mother would deal with his wild mood swings brought on by the alcohol. Doctor Jekyll and Mister Hyde. That’s how they referred to him.
Gabriella hated it—his belittlement of her mother. She would leave her room to intercede, to protect her mother. She would argue with her drunken father even though his brain was hazy and his words senseless. She would say the most hateful words she could think of while her mother begged her to go to her room, to stay out of it, to remember that he is her father.
Gabriella ignored her mother’s pleas and argued with him even though he was sure to remember nothing the following day. But while she disobeyed her mother’s demands to stay quiet, she had obeyed the promise to not use magic against her father. That was until he started hitting her mother. After that, Gabriella would add something to his drink that would put him to sleep, and together she and her mother would drag him to the bedroom where they would pull off his boots and let him sleep it off. This was the routine.
As her parent’s marriage spun out of control, she found comfort in Daniel. Calm and serene Daniel. When it all got to be too much, she would close her eyes and send out her shade, locate him, and then physically go to the place where he would be waiting and welcoming. He never questioned how she knew. It didn’t matter. She was sure he wanted to see her as much as she needed to see him. A temporary solution, as he would be gone by summer’s end. Gabriella knew it, but that didn’t stop her from falling.
But as she fell, the rest of her life began to unravel. Her relationships had been put on hold in favor of time spent with Daniel. She rarely saw Selma, who was now officially a member of the band and traveling around the area entertaining troops home on leave. She no longer helped Grace and Sam with the farm. Even the close relationship with her grandmother, her best friend and confidant, had been neglected. Daniel was first and foremost in her heart and on her mind.
A door slamming shut indicated the fight was over. The sound of a car starting told her that this particular fight had been won by her mother and her father was now in retreat. Still, she did not leave her station. She kept her ear to the wall, listening, waiting and wondering if the next sound she would hear would be crying. That was usually the case, but not this time. Instead, she heard her mother’s footsteps approaching so she quickly sat on her bed and held her breath.
Her mother did not stop to check in on her. The footsteps echoed in the hallway, followed by the soft closing of the bathroom door. Click. Knowing her father was out and her mother was probably getting ready for bed, Gabriella sat and wrote some letters until she was yawning and succumbing to sleep. She lay in bed and didn’t think about her mother or her father. She didn’t think about
the lessons she would undertake tomorrow under her grandmother’s tutelage. As she drifted off to sleep, her only thoughts were of Daniel.
The following day Gabriella joined Mirabella and Grace, and tightly ensconced in Joseph’s truck, they headed out. They drove along the Turquoise Trail on the back side of the Sandia Mountains, carefully navigating the switchbacks until they came to the parking area at the peak. From there, they hiked along the trail that wound through the evergreen forest to the familiar mountaintop meadow, populated with wildflowers and grass, and bordered by rocky outcrops. There, alone at the top of the world and away from prying eyes, they were safe to practice freely.
Gabriella stood in front of Mirabella, her eyes to the heavens as storm clouds gathered above her, pulsing with energy. Then she thought of Daniel, and as instantly as she had called up the thunderhead, it began to disperse into feathery white streaks against the bright blue sky. Gabriella swallowed hard and looked first at Grace then at her grandmother, and then down at the ground.
“That was good, Gabriella—really—not bad at all,” Grace commented weakly. She knew Mirabella would not be as kind.
“I think it’s time we take a break. Gabriella, help me spread out the blanket. Grace, fetch the lunch basket.”
Each obeyed Mirabella’s request without a word. Gabriella glanced at her aunt, who dare not reach out with her mind. Mirabella would snatch that communication as easily as a spider catching a fly in its web. Then they would both be reprimanded, and neither wished for that.
“Gabriella, I know why you are distracted—it doesn’t take a crystal ball to figure it out,” Mirabella said as she sat down. “I’ve always been honest and straightforward with you, but I’ve been hesitant to broach this subject. I know you won’t like what I have to say.”
“But grandma, I—”
“I think I’m going to go for a walk and leave you two alone to talk,” Grace said, quickly excusing herself.
Mirabella held her tongue until Grace was out of sight. “Mija, I’m always here for you, no matter what, but you have to listen to me. From the moment you were born, I knew you would be different—special—with powers unsurpassed. You’re a young woman now, but you’re not like other women. You’re a witch and you must dedicate yourself to your birthright—to your education. You don’t have time to waste on this boy.
“Look, I’m trying to teach you some very difficult things. You will learn to control the elements, commanding storms with a fleeting thought. I will teach you to conjure fire with a wave of your arm, and to cause the ground beneath you to shake with a mere nod of your head. I will teach you to shape-shift. I will help you to acquire a familiar, if you wish. But none of these things will be easy, not even for one such as you. You cannot master any of this if you’re not going to pay attention and practice.”
“I do want to learn. I want . . . I want all of these things and more!” Gabriella said defensively. “But why can’t I have him, too? You yourself were not much older than I when you left home and traveled across the sea!”
“Times were different back then,” Mirabella said, and reached out to push back Gabriella’s hair. She let her hand linger against her cheek, lovingly, and felt the longing and loneliness there. “Gabriella, you and I, we share the same blood, the same restlessness, but you are not me. You’re not mature enough to handle what may happen if—” Mirabella struggled for the right words.
“If what? If I go too far with him, as my father seems to think. I’ve heard him talking to my mom when they think I’m asleep. He said he doesn’t want me to become a ‘puta’.”
Mirabella was shocked by Gabriella’s candor. “That’s an awful word . . . don’t ever use it in front of me again.”
“Well, it’s true—that’s what he said! How do you think I felt hearing him say that about me? You know, he never understood me, not even when I was a child. I was never good enough. I disappointed him. But to tell you the truth, I don’t care. I’ve never forgiven him for keeping me away from you all those years. Now I’m older and I can take care of myself. You don’t know what it’s like at home. Did you know he hits mom? Did you know that?”
“What?” Mirabella was stunned.
“Yeah. Well, he used to, but I put a stop to it.”
Mirabella was taken aback. “Oh my dear, I had no idea. Oh, my poor Ruth. What did you do?”
Gabriella shook her head and looked down at the ground. “Don’t worry . . . nothing bad. I simply slip something in his drink from time to time so he’ll pass out instead of hitting her. I swear, I am so sick of it . . . so sick of it all. But I don’t have to put up with him anymore. I keep telling mom to just leave him, but she won’t. Well, if she wants to stay and roll over like a trained puppy—”
“How dare you speak of your mother that way!” Mirabella scolded, unable to keep her temper in check. “Don’t tell me you can’t see how strong your mother really is. It takes more courage and strength to put up with the indignities, plus the grace and wisdom to know which battles to pick.
“Your mother is carrying a heavy burden on her shoulders—and her heart. But Ruth asked me not to interfere and I’ve honored her request, unfortunately. Had I known, well, I don’t know what I would have done to that man. No one, no man, will ever hurt my children! I’ll figure out the right course of action. But for now, young lady, have a little more respect for your mother. I won’t have you referring to her as a trained puppy!”
Tears rolled down Gabriella’s cheeks and her words were choked by sobs. “I just hate it there, grandma. I hate him. I’ve asked my mom why we can’t leave—why we can’t come live with you. All she tells me is to be patient. Well, I’m done being patient. I know she probably wants to wait until I’m older—until I’m done with school. But what does it matter when we live like we do? Always on pins and needles. Always walking on eggshells around him. And for what?
“Daniel is the only good thing I have in my life, and now you want me to give that up! I cannot. I will not!”
Mirabella’s heart sank and she pulled Gabriella to her. “Please don’t cry or else you’ll make me cry, too. And you know how much I detest that!”
Gabriella laughed through her tears and rested her head on Mirabella’s shoulder. And although she felt comforted, she no longer saw a future. In a fleeting moment, everything she had ever wanted, all she had ever dreamt about, washed away, and all she saw through her bleary eyes was a kaleidoscope of muted color quickly fading to grey.
Mirabella took her gently by the shoulders and faced her. “My sweet girl, I know you’re a young woman now and that you have adult needs. I can no longer coax a smile from you by making things dance in the air, or by conjuring a silly ghost to entertain you. I understand it takes more, like the soft kiss from the one you love. But listen to me. Remember who and what you are.
“There will come a day when I will no longer be here to take care of the family. On that day, you must be the one that will watch over them. You will be the protector. Gabriella, you are meant for great things, for if you were not, would you have been gifted with such abilities, the likes of which are rarely seen in our kind?
“That is why you must learn to balance work with play. But go on then. Have your romance, but remember what the reality is . . . and what’s at stake.”
“What do you mean? Is there something you aren’t telling me?” Gabriella asked, sniffling and drying her eyes.
“Hey, you two, is it safe to come back?” Grace called out cheerfully as she walked toward them.
“Yes, I think we’ve an understanding now,” Mirabella answered, relieved for the interruption.
“Well, I’m glad,” Grace commented as she sat down and rummaged through the picnic basket.
“Do you mind if I take a little walk on my own? I won’t be long, I promise,” Gabriella asked.
“Are you okay?” Mirabella asked.
“Yeah, I just need to think about what you said . . . and I’m sorry for the way I’ve been acting. I promise to be a better student.”
“I know you will. Don’t be long,” Mirabella said and smiled as she watched her walk away. Once Gabriella was out of earshot, she turned to Grace.
“I think it’s time I tell Gabriella everything. She needs to know what we did about Salazar. I must tell her the whole story.”
Grace was taken aback. “But why? We’ve imprisoned him—he’s of no threat to anyone. Has something happened? Did she ask about him?”
Mirabella looked solemnly at Grace. “No. I think she has all but forgotten about him. Her worries are that of most girls her age. She has a crush on that boy, but things at home have gotten worse. Gabriella is merely dealing with problems a lot of children experience.”
“So what’s the problem?” Why tell her about Salazar?”
Mirabella looked at Grace and grappled with her words. “I’ve never told anyone this, but back when I promised Gloria that I would keep Daniel safe, I worked a spell. My intent was that Daniel never return to Arroyo, no matter what. I thought that the distance would keep him out of harm’s way. But as you know, Daniel has returned to Arroyo. Somehow my spell was broken. But how? And by whom?”
Grace looked at Mirabella with a worried look on her face. “You don’t think—”
“Salazar? No. But there’s something strange about that boy. Something is not right, and I believe it’s time I get to the bottom of it.”
CHAPTER 22
Mirabella examined the saddle for a second time to ensure it was secure, then placed her left foot in the stirrup. Holding onto the horn, she pulled herself up and onto the seat. She had dressed for a long ride: denim jeans, cowboy boots, a light cotton blouse, and a wide-brimmed cowboy hat. Around her neck she had loosely tied a handkerchief, which would definitely be needed on such a hot day. She had packed a sandwich and some fruit, and her water canteen was filled. She was prepared to be out for the entire day, but the ride was not for pleasure. Mirabella felt it was time to pay a visit to the ones she had never expected to see again.