Cazadora

by Romina Garber

  “You sacrificed everything so I would have a chance to make my own choices one day, and that’s what I’m doing now.”

  “I can’t protect you in Kerana.” Gael’s voice is thick, and when I look at him, I’m taken aback by the emotion in his coral eyes. “You can’t make it on your own—”

  “I’m not. I have the Coven.” I try to sound more confident than I feel. “I have my friends.” Strength courses through me with that word, and I know I’m not alone. “I’m going to change things, like you said.”

  “You’re leaving this place with us, Manuela.” Ma manages to call up her old authoritative tone, the one that always made my spine stiffen and my gaze drop with guilt, even when I’d done nothing wrong. She grips my fingers so tight, hers are turning red and purple.

  I carefully unclasp her hand, then I rub it to get the circulation back to normal. “When you asked me to leave you at Doña Rosa, I did. Against everything I wanted to do in that moment. So I need you to do the same for me. I promise I’ll find you when it’s safe.”

  She stares pointedly at Gael, like he might talk some sense into me. “You can’t protect us both,” I say as I look at his defeated expression. “I get that now.”

  “No, no, no, no,” says Ma, shaking her head adamantly, and I pull her into a hug, holding her to my chest, resisting her protests. After a long while, she relaxes in my arms, and I caress her hair while she rests her face in the crook of my shoulder.

  “Do you know what you’ll say in your broadcast?” asks Gael softly.

  Instead of Cata’s speech, I think back to the party at the Coven after the Septibol match, when I accidentally called the Septimus’ wine malbec. I’ll always make mistakes like these because I was raised human. As much as I might try repressing that part of me, adopting a new culture doesn’t magically erase the old one. They get braided together.

  Ma sits up and looks at me, her face red and splotchy and wet. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry, Manu, I’ve failed you—”

  “You didn’t—”

  “I’ve always known I couldn’t give you what you needed,” she says through her cries.

  “You’re wrong.” I take her face in my hands and look into her liquid brown eyes. “Mami, you’ve given me everything.”

  * * *

  It feels like hours have passed by the time I’m standing in front of the dark mirror, taking steadying breaths, ready to begin my broadcast.

  Parting with Ma was unbearable. Gael had to practically carry her out of this room, and even as they were leaving, I debated going after them.

  I don’t know the next time we’ll be together again.

  After falling apart on the couch, I dragged myself to the vanity, where I pulled myself back together. I have no idea if I made the right decision. All I know is I can’t go back into hiding. Even if that means risking it all.

  I inhale as I hit the red button.

  PÚBLICO

  PRIVADO

  The two words appear on the dark glass, and I touch public.

  Then the mirror turns clear.

  “Hi, um, everyone.” What did I just say? “M-my name is Manu, and I’m a lobizona.”

  I clear my throat of its dryness. I should have brought a bottle of water.

  “Until last moon, I was in hiding because I’m different. My powers were repressed, and I couldn’t reach you.”

  Is this the contrite or the vulnerable part? Shit shit shit. This is probably why I’m such a bad liar. I blink at myself in the mirror, and I look as if I’m paused.

  “I-I don’t want to be on the run like this, but it’s hard to know who I can trust, aside from the friends protecting me. They’re my manada.”

  The truth of these words settles on me. The biggest change in my life since stumbling upon the Septimus hasn’t been having superpowers. It’s having a pack.

  They’re my hope at the end of it all. And they’re depending on me to sell this.

  “Last moon was the first time I remember visiting Lunaris.” I rest for a beat like Cata instructed me. “The first time I dared to exist. I couldn’t show myself to you before now because…”

  Olvido is at the tip of my tongue.

  One word, and it’s done.

  Only … only lying right now would be the same as accepting my parents’ offer. It may feel different because this cage is emotional instead of physical, but I would still be crammed into a space not large enough to fit the full me.

  Cata and Tiago are so afraid that they want me to lock myself into a cage for the rest of my life. Same as Ma and Gael. So I think of Saysa, because I know deep down she doesn’t agree.

  She’s just so tired of being excluded that she doesn’t want to lose this place. She’s so desperate for the Coven to live up to all her expectations that she’s refusing to ask the important questions. But we won’t know if it’s the true manada for us until we do. If Saysa’s not thinking clearly right now, I need to be strong for the both of us.

  “I’m not like you,” I watch my reflection say.

  Then for better or worse, I set myself free.

  “I’m a human hybrid.”

  PHASE III

  21

  The return trip on La Espiral is tense. I’ve been quiet since I boarded, but nobody presses me. They all act like there’s an aura around me that they don’t dare penetrate, even Tiago.

  I’m relieved for the space because I can hardly breathe, much less form sentences.

  I focus on Ma to escape the way Cata’s stare drills into my brain. I still can’t believe I was just with her. I already miss her so much.

  Her tears no longer dampen my sweater, and I press my hand to the fabric, wishing I could still smell a whiff of almonds. I wonder what it was like for my parents to see each other again after nearly eighteen years apart. It’s hard to tell how they feel from that one interaction. There was definitely a connection … I just don’t know if it’s romantic or nostalgic. Or simply strategic.

  A spike of excitement tells me when we’re getting close to the Coven. Once we enter its rocky walls, a sense of safety floods my veins, and I wonder if the place is starting to feel like a real home.

  There are more ships docked on the surface than when we took off, and by the time we walk into the common area, my legs have grown leaden. Almost a hundred rapt Coveners are staring at the largest pantaguas.

  I’m jolted to see myself standing in the office space, midway through my script. My confession must have gone online the moment I finished speaking. News stations wasted no time.

  “I don’t want to be on the run like this, but it’s hard to know who I can trust, aside from the friends protecting me. They’re my manada. Last moon was the first time I remember visiting Lunaris.”

  I swallow in sync with the me on screen, and just as Cata predicted, there are gasps at my admission.

  “The first time I dared to exist. I couldn’t show myself to you before now because…”

  I suck in a deep breath.

  “I’m not like you.”

  On my exhale, everything changes.

  “I’m a human hybrid.”

  Every face at the Coven turns to mine in such a synchronous movement that I can’t help but admire it. Cata’s eyes are bulging in utter bewilderment, and Saysa looks equal parts outraged and terrified. I feel Tiago’s fingers close around mine.

  The screen cuts to a newscaster who looks at a loss for words. “You are hearing this just moments after us, so we share your shock,” she assures viewers in Spanish. “Any moment now, we’re expecting word from the tribunal—”

  The reporter’s face flickers, and a different one appears on the waterscreen.

  Cata inhales sharply, and tonight’s twists feel never-ending.

  It’s her father, Bernardo.

  Hovering beneath him is his official position: Fiscal Alfa. Alpha Prosecutor. He’s wearing dark robes, only he’s pinned something to the neckline that looks a bit like a flag … It’s the Z emblem.

&n
bsp; “Buenas noches, Septimus,” he says, and I’m not sure if he emphasizes the word, or if I’m imagining it. “We just received a startling confession. In accordance with our laws, the tribunal is issuing an arrest warrant for the hybrid. We deputize all of you to help us capture her. Should she cross your path, all we ask is that you detain her and contact your local Cazadores. Thank you.”

  I think I’m going to be sick.

  The newscaster comes back on, but her face flickers again, and the screen goes dark as the water melts into a pool. Somebody shut it off.

  The Coveners come over, but they don’t seem to be looking for an explanation. Judging by their expressions, they’ve already made up their minds.

  The reactions range from stunned to fearful to revolted. Zaybet, Laura, and Enzo stand apart from the crowd, but also away from my friends and me. Like undecided voters.

  Zaybet stares as hard as everyone else. “You were raised … human?”

  The shock in her tone is softened by sympathy.

  “Yes, but I’ve been in hiding most of my life.” My voice carries, thanks to the wolves’ whispers. “I was never really part of that world. It’s only since discovering you all that my powers manifested. I transformed for the first time last moon.”

  There are gasps and hisses and more questions as my words travel, and Laura blurts, “How is this possible?”

  “How is any of this possible?” is all I can think to respond. “You told me you believe el Mar Oscuro is literally the space between worlds—is one truth any wilder than the other?”

  Zaybet’s metallic eyes glint with amusement. “What a strange world this must seem to you,” she muses. Then she turns to face the mass of Coveners, arms crossed in defiance; and when Enzo copies her posture, I realize what they’re doing.

  They’re supporting me.

  Laura joins them after a moment’s hesitation. There’s a break in the wall of Septimus, and Tinta y Fideo step forward through the crowd. Their coppery brown eyes reflect twin indignation.

  “You should have told us!” Tinta snaps at me. “You’ve just set us back centuries!”

  Zaybet jumps in to defend me. “You don’t know that—”

  “I know she just gave credibility to the conservative party!” he roars over her objections. “Septimus are going to start listening to those nutjobs that have been railing on about la ladrona. She just cost all three of our candidates their fucking elections!”

  “We need to do damage control,” says Fideo, his long fingers closing around his brother’s shoulder. “If it comes to a vote, reach us on our horarios,” he tells Zaybet, his mournful eyes sliding to me. “I’m sorry, Manu. Good luck.”

  They’re not the only ones who leave.

  About a third of the Septimus march out in protest. Most won’t meet my gaze as they pass, except for one pair of peachy pink eyes.

  Rocío looks at me like I could attack her at any moment. As though I grew horns between this morning and now.

  She hastens to get away, and I can’t fathom how she went from admiring to despising me, all over the circumstances of my birth. It’s so outrageous that I’m not sure which of us is more affronted.

  “Manu has done nothing wrong.”

  Cata steps forward like she’s found her voice. “None of us can control who our parents are. She’s only trying to find where she belongs. Until now, you were admiring her for helping defend the Coven against piratas while you were away. You should be thanking her instead of worrying about some old, sexist prejudice!”

  “Cata’s right,” says Zaybet as my cousin joins her ranks, crossing her arms over her ribcage. “I can’t believe anyone here could possibly think it’s okay to punish someone for being born a certain way.”

  There’s a rumbling in the throng, and some voices shout back.

  “She’s not a Septimus!”

  “The Coven isn’t for humans!”

  “We don’t know what she is!”

  I try to tune out the barrage of retorts, but my body curves inward, devastated to learn the friendships I made weren’t real. This isn’t my pack after all.

  A Septima crosses the divide and stands next to Zaybet. Her name is Ana, and she was one of Zaybet’s crew who rescued us from La Isla Malvada. “If Manu was led to us, Lunaris must want us to help her.”

  Her friends Rox and Uma also come over. So does Ezequiel. He’s soon joined by Horacio, Ximena, Angelina, Yónatan, and Oscar.

  When Saysa steps up to join them, it feels like the room quiets down for her.

  “I always believed the Coven was real. That’s why the world out there has never had the power to hurt me—because I knew I belonged here. But if you don’t accept Manu, then there is no true Coven. If we don’t stand for everyone’s rights, we don’t stand for any.”

  The brujas who’ve been following Saysa around make their way to the front of the throng. The redhead squeezes into the first row of Coveners, as does the green-eyed Jardinera and the bruja with the shy smile. She’s not smiling now.

  “We care for brujas’ rights,” says the redhead. “Period.”

  “I thought we were Septimas,” says Saysa.

  “We are.” Her narrowed eyes flash to mine. “That isn’t.”

  “It’s la ladrona!” says the Jardinera. “Pretending to be one of us is part of her plan.”

  “She probably wants to make an army of others just like her!” shouts someone else.

  “How can we trust her?” asks the redhead, staring at Saysa in open defiance.

  Saysa looks crestfallen. She doesn’t bother answering because there’s no point; she’s already over this clique. I know it’s not losing them that devastates her—it’s losing her faith in the Coven.

  I feel the same way.

  As more crews arrive, everyone demands answers, and soon we’re in the middle of what feels like a mob. I surf through the muddle of voices, and I hear labels lobbed at me from every direction, pelting me like rotted food.

  Ladrona.

  Unnatural.

  Abomination.

  Mutation.

  Freak.

  “I bet she’s a spy for the humans!”

  Sergio’s voice thunders through the space, drowning many others. “They fucking know about us, don’t they?” he demands, fighting his way toward me.

  Tiago positions himself in front of me, while Zaybet and the others close ranks, forming a buffer.

  “She’s not a spy!” Zaybet shouts to match his volume. “She’s a misfit, just like the rest of us. She’s has nowhere to go. She’s not dangerous, she’s in danger—”

  “We don’t know she’s not dangerous!” someone calls out.

  “She could have powers we don’t know about!”

  “We have to turn her in!”

  “No!” growls Sergio. “We’re not snitches. And besides, she knows too much. We can deal with her ourselves.”

  The way he’s looking at me sends a shiver of fear down my neck.

  “Look, we’re not getting anywhere,” announces Zaybet. “Manu told us her situation, now we need to deliberate, and obviously her presence here isn’t helping.” Turning to me and my friends, she says in a lower register, “Grab some food and rest. There’s nothing you can say tonight that they’ll hear.”

  We skip the kitchen—for my part, I’ve never been less hungry—and the four of us retreat upstairs. Cata follows Tiago and me to our room, but Saysa won’t even look my way. She goes straight to her room and slams the door.

  Once we’re inside, Cata leans against the dresser, head slung down and hair draped over her face. I expected her to be upset with me, but it’s worse than that. She looks defeated.

  Tiago paces, and since the room is tiny, he seems to be spinning.

  “What happened in Juramento?” asks Cata in a deadened voice.

  “I saw my mom.”

  She looks up, and Tiago stops pacing. So I describe everything that happened, from the moment I entered the mountain up until my confession
. “I’m sorry. I fucked up.” I feel tears burning the corners of my eyes, so I dig my fingers into my palms until red crescents mark my skin.

  For one ridiculous moment, I thought I was doing the right thing.

  I should have known beliefs are harder to change than laws.

  After Cata leaves, I climb under the covers fully clothed and roll onto my side, staring at the agate wall. The lights dim, and I feel Tiago’s weight settle on the mattress. His arms wrap around my waist, and I let silent tears drip down my cheeks.

  The last thing I hear is his whisper. It sounds like a song lyric, but I’m too tired to make out the words.

  I showed my true face to everyone tonight.

  And they rejected me.

  Just like everyone who’s ever seen me expected.

  * * *

  “Let’s go.”

  I open my eyes as I feel Tiago’s arms pull away. “What is it?” I mumble, shielding my face from the room’s brightness.

  “Get your things,” whispers Zaybet. “We’re leaving. Now.”

  Tiago is already on his feet and stuffing all the clothes from the drawers into a satchel. He dashes into the bathroom for the toiletries, then we soundlessly follow Zaybet down the dark, vampiro-laced balcony.

  Enzo marches out of Cata and Saysa’s room, lugging a satchel brimming with clothes and candles and other supplies. I smell lavender lotion.

  Cata comes out a moment later, hair messy and eyes mere slits. We all stand around for a few moments, like we’re waiting for someone to lead the way, and I get the sinking suspicion Saysa’s not coming with us.

  Then she shuffles out of the room, marching past us toward the stairs, like we’re not even there. I exhale in relief to see her, and we follow her to La Espiral. Laura must already be waiting on the ship.

  The door is open, so we file inside and stride down the tongue-like path to the shell-ship’s core. Laura is by the helm, but there’s a strange black collar around her neck that looks like a bicycle lock. And she’s not alone.