Yadriel didn’t want to hurt his tío, he just wanted to make him stop.
As Tío Catriz stood over the cenote, muttering as the blood dripped and the water roiled, Yadriel looked at Julian’s body. The golden wisps of smoke were quickly fading as the dagger drained his body of its life.
If he was going to stop Bahlam from returning, if he was going to save his tío, then he needed to stop the ritual.
Yadriel ran to Julian’s body and tried to yank the dagger out of his chest, but before he could get his hands on it, Catriz grabbed Yadriel from behind and threw him to the floor. Yadriel crashed to the ground, sharp pain exploding in his head.
“Yads!” Julian’s spirit tried to drag itself to Yadriel’s side, but could hardly move.
“It’s too late to stop it,” his tío said, placing himself between Yadriel and Julian.
But there was no way he was going to give up.
Yadriel threw his entire body weight at Tío Catriz, but he sidestepped him with surprising ease, hardly bothered.
Scrambling to his feet, Yadriel tried again.
This time, Catriz turned and caught him, barely even budging. His bloody hand was an iron grip, his fingers tightening painfully around Yadriel’s upper arm.
Yadriel tried to pull away from him. He’d never seen such a look of anger, of barely contained violence, on his tío’s face before. The amulet around his neck burned bright, pulsing with power. It was doing this to him, corrupting Catriz with the poisonous, vicious magic of Bahlam.
Yadriel hissed between his teeth, cringing as his tío gave him a rough shake.
“Don’t make me hurt you, Yadriel!” his voice boomed through the cavernous crypt. His lips peeled back over his teeth. His eyes burned, their whites visible all around his dark irises.
Suddenly, the jaguar headdress was yanked from Tío Catriz’s head and sent flying.
“DON’T TOUCH HIM!”
Surprise flashed across his face before his head jerked back. Tío Catriz let out an angry shout and released Yadriel.
He stumbled back to see Maritza with a fistful of Catriz’s hair.
“I’LL KICK YOUR ASS MYSELF!” she shouted furiously, dragging him away from Yadriel.
A monstrous snarl twisted Catriz’s face. In two swift motions, he knocked Maritza’s hand away and then caught her by the throat.
Teeth bared, Maritza fought him tooth and nail, kicking wildly and clawing at his arms, swiping for his face with a frenzied look in her eyes. It wasn’t clear if Tío Catriz was holding on to her or trying to keep her away.
White-hot anger exploded in Yadriel’s head.
He charged for Catriz again, but his uncle tossed Maritza away and kneed Yadriel in the side. He collapsed to the ground, moaning and curling up against the splitting pain.
“Yads!” Maritza called to him. She tried to get to her feet, but her legs buckled under her.
Julian was sprawled on the ground next to her, barely even visible anymore.
Catriz sucked in a deep breath.
Julian cried out, his body seizing.
The golden tendrils of smoke flowed from the dagger as Catriz breathed them in. The amulet burned bright around his neck. He splayed his hands out over the cenote. The flames licked at his fingers as he continued to chant.
No longer clear blue, the cenote rippled thick and dark. A paw, bigger than Yadriel’s chest, reached out, followed by a second. Claws, thicker and longer than human fingers, hooked over the edge of the pool, clicking against the stone.
From the dark pool, the jaguar’s head emerged. Blood dripped from its fur and fangs. Its eyes were bright, smoldering orange and bulged in its skull. The jaguar’s jaw hung wide open as it breathed a low, rattling growl.
Catriz’s face split into a wicked, cruel smile. He let out a wailing laugh, the likes of which Yadriel had never heard. It made the hairs on his arms stand on end.
The smell of decay and rot made Yadriel’s eyes burn. His heartbeat thrashed in his ears as he tried to back away. His legs felt weak. A primal voice in his head told him to run, but he refused.
Even though his body seared and throbbed with pain, he forced himself onto his feet again.
Catriz rolled his hands through the air, muttering incantations as he backed up, coaxing the jaguar to drag itself out of the cenote. One paw landed with a wet thud on the ground. Its angular shoulders emerged as it slunk forward.
Yadriel clenched his jaw and ran forward.
Catriz turned sharply and grabbed the front of Yadriel’s shirt in his fist, breaking off the incantation. The jaguar slipped back into the pool, but the surface continued to bubble.
“Don’t do this, Tío, please,” Yadriel begged. His eyes stung and watered, blurring his vision as his erratic heartbeat throbbed in his temples.
Catriz held him in place and laughed. “You aren’t strong enough to stop me, Yadriel.” His smile bent into a sneer. He tightened his grip. The jaguar-head amulet burned bright around Catriz’s neck.
Yadriel did the only thing he could think of. His hand shot out, snatching at the amulet.
Catriz jerked back, trying to get out of his reach, but Yadriel’s fingers caught around the leather cord.
He tugged hard.
The cord snapped.
Catriz sucked in a breath, his eyes wide. His grip buckled, and he released Yadriel. “No!” he snarled. Catriz swung wildly to face the pool.
The flames began to shrink. Without the amulet, he wasn’t able to keep it burning.
He spun back to face Yadriel, fury burning in his eyes as he shouted, reaching to grab the amulet back.
Yadriel planted his feet and twisted away from him, shoving his shoulder hard into Catriz’s chest. The next thing Yadriel saw was Catriz stumbling and pitching backward into the cenote. Bloody water flooded over the edges.
For a moment, the blood and blue flames licked over his tío’s body. Catriz locked eyes with Yadriel for a split second, anger and shock written across his face.
“¡Tío!” Yadriel shouted, scrambling to grab for his hand.
But before Yadriel could reach him, the jaguar reared up through the surface behind Catriz.
It sank its teeth into Catriz’s shoulder, molten eyes blazing.
A scream ripped through Catriz, the whites of his eyes surrounding his dark pupils. With a lurch, the jaguar dragged him down. Catriz’s howls turned to wet gurgles as he was pulled below the surface.
Dark blood and water spilled across the floor in a wave. Yadriel scrambled back as it seeped toward him. The flames sizzled out. Slowly, the pool of water began to clear.
Panting, Yadriel stared at the empty cenote. His foggy brain trying to catch up with what had just happened. The amulet pulsed in his fist.
“Yads!” Maritza’s panicked shout broke him out of his stupor. She was crouched next to Julian.
“JULES!” Yadriel rushed to the spirit’s side.
Julian flickered in and out. Yadriel could barely see him anymore. His eyes were closed, his dark lashes barely visible against his cheeks. He was a wash of pale gray except for the streaks of crimson over his chest. Yadriel cursed, panic rising.
“What do we do?” Maritza asked, her hand held out uselessly above Julian’s form.
“I don’t know. I don’t know.” Yadriel shook his head roughly, trying to think.
In his pocket, something vibrated. At first, he thought it was his cell phone going off, but, no—
Yadriel plunged his hand into his pocket and pulled out Julian’s necklace. It shone with bright golden light. Dangling in the air, the medal shook and jolted, trembling with energy, sending off sparks of light.
“Shit,” Yadriel hissed.
He’d stopped the summoning ritual for Bahlam, but what about the one draining Julian of his life? Yadriel looked at the amulet.
How was he supposed to release Julian’s spirit if it was trapped inside?
Yadriel scrambled to his feet and ran to the slab where Julian’s body lay. His skin was gray, his lips turning blue.
The wisps continued to float through the air and into the amulet, although they were much thinner and less vibrant.
Yadriel ripped the jaguar-claw dagger out of Julian’s chest and threw it to the ground. Blood trickled weakly from the wound.
He placed the amulet on the slab and wrestled with clumsy fingers to undo the clasp of the St. Jude necklace and get it back around Julian’s neck. His skin felt cold to the touch as Yadriel redid the clasp.
“Yadriel!”
He turned at Maritza’s shout. She stared at the ground. Julian’s spirit had vanished.
But then, on the stone slab, Julian’s eyes flew open. He sucked in a wet, gurgling breath, and Yadriel nearly jumped out of his skin.
“Julian!” Yadriel reached for him, cupping Julian’s face in his hand. He was real, he was awake. Yadriel could feel the hard line of his jaw, the scratch of his buzzed hair against his fingers. He could feel Julian’s heartbeat, rapid and weak, in his neck.
Julian’s eyes rolled, unseeing, trying to find Yadriel. They weren’t just black, but a deep, rich brown, the color of summer soil after it rains. Through heaving breaths, Julian’s lips tried to form words, but he couldn’t manage.
He was alive, but he was dying.
“Stay with me!” Yadriel told him. He turned to Maritza. “What do I do?!” he shouted.
Maritza shook her head, eyes wide. “I don’t know— I—I—”
“Heal him, Maritza!” Yadriel begged. “Please!”
Her hand flew to her bare neck. “My portaje!” she said, feeling around her throat. “Where is it?!”
Her rosary must’ve fallen off during the scuffle.
“Hold on!” Maritza turned away and dropped to her knees, searching for her portaje.
Yadriel squeezed his eyes shut and pressed his forehead against Julian’s. It was cold and clammy, covered in sweat. Yadriel begged. He begged for help. He begged for Lady Death to hear him. He begged her to save Julian. “Please!”
“Yads.” A cold hand pressed to Yadriel’s cheek. He opened his eyes, and Julian was staring up at him, eyes heavy-lidded but intent.
Julian’s face was ashen. His lips had turned gray, save for the line of red running from the corner of his mouth. “Hey, hey, hey.” Julian tried to smile, but his dimples were lost. “Todo bien,” he murmured, chest heaving under Yadriel’s.
“Everything is not okay!” Yadriel snapped.
Julian grinned. His fingers slipped through Yadriel’s hair and traced his face, like he was trying to memorize every line, before he never saw them again. “Sí, lo está.”
He was completely losing his mind. “You’re dying, you idiot!” Yadriel yelled at him because he was angry and because he was terrified.
Julian’s chuckle was wet. “Valió … la pena.”
Yadriel let out a bitter laugh, gripping Julian’s hand that pressed against the side of his face.
With every rasping breath Julian took, the weaker the medal around his neck glowed until it was a barely pulsing golden light. “Todo bien, todo estará bien,” he repeated weakly.
Yadriel shook his shoulders roughly. “Stay awake!”
Julian reached out with his other hand and cupped Yadriel’s face. He swept his thumbs gently under Yadriel’s eyes, trying to wipe away the tears. “Todo bien, Yadriel.” Julian drew in a rattling breath.
“You have to stay here until we can get help,” Yadriel demanded. Hiccups bucked in his chest, breaking his words.
Julian nodded, but his expression was pained. His breath quickened as he tried in vain to keep his eyes open, to keep them locked onto Yadriel’s. A sob caught in Julian’s throat. His hands trembled. Tears spilled from the corners of his deep brown eyes.
“Stay!” Yadriel shouted at him, giving him another rough shake.
Julian tried to nod again, but his gaze unfocused, losing sight of Yadriel. His hands slid from Yadriel’s face. His eyes stared, unseeing.
The St. Jude medal around his neck gave one last flicker of light before dulling to tarnished silver.
One last breath sighed past Julian’s lips.
Everything that made Julian Julian—the mischievous light in his eyes, his dimpled smile—vanished.
Yadriel felt him leave, like his own heart had been torn from his chest.
A cry ripped through him, caving in his heart, his bones aching. Yadriel clutched Julian and openly sobbed into his neck. His body shook. His lungs burned. Every fiber of his being mourned.
He couldn’t hear the voice calling him at first, lost under his primal cries.
“Yadriel!” A warm hand pressed to his back.
Yadriel turned to look, his head tucked under Julian’s chin.
Maritza stood beside him, her eyes wide and frantic as they went between Julian’s body, Yadriel, the blood-covered floor. She held her rosary in her fist. “Yads—”
“Help!” Yadriel begged, balling Julian’s jacket into his fist. “Please! Save him!”
“Santa Muerte,” Maritza hissed, quickly searching for Julian’s pulse.
“Please, you have to save him, please,” Yadriel sobbed uncontrollably.
Maritza’s hand fell back to her side. “Yads,” she said softly, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. “I’m so sorry, Yads—”
Yadriel shoved her away. “I know—I know it goes against your beliefs—”
“It’s not that, Yadriel—”
“But you have to save him! Please, Maritza!”
Maritza swallowed. “I can’t, Yadriel.” Her eyes welled. “I can’t bring him back. He’s gone.”
Yadriel’s tears trickled down Julian’s neck. “Please, please, please.” He repeated the word over and over. It echoed uselessly, hollow and empty.
Maritza squeezed Yadriel’s shoulder tight.
Yadriel buried his face against Julian, letting his smell linger. The sobs slowly subsided until Yadriel was left weak and sniffling.
Then he noticed something thrumming, pressed against his side. Gingerly, Yadriel pushed himself up. The jaguar amulet lay on the stone slab. It trembled and sparked with light, wafting heat and energy.
The ritual was complete. The amulet still held the spirits of Miguel, the two others. Julian’s spirit. They were trapped inside and would remain there, unable to cross over to the afterlife.
He wouldn’t allow it.
He needed help. He needed Lady Death, but how could he summon a god? Yadriel’s mind raced. He remembered how Tío Catriz stood at the cenote, the gateway that connected this world to Xibalba. He remembered how his tío had sliced open his own hand, had used his own blood. Only something as powerful as brujx blood could call upon a death god.
Yadriel quickly pulled out his dagger, gripping where Lady Death had been painted onto the hilt. Their portajes connected them to her.
“Yads?” Maritza said tentatively.
With a quick slice, Yadriel cut open his palm with his dagger.
“Yadriel!” Maritza shouted.
This was the only way he could think to get Lady Death’s attention. He needed this favor. He squeezed his hand into a fist. Blood spilled through his fingers. “Lady Death!” he called out. “I need you!”
A bright light exploded in the crypt. Maritza stumbled back. Yadriel threw his arm up to shield his eyes.
Marigold petals showered down around him. They twisted and sparked, tickling his face as they cascaded to the floor. The sweet smell of apples filled his nose.
The light faded. Tall and glowing with a warm light, Lady Death stared down at them, her expression calm. Her skin was smooth as stone, milky white and translucent. Through it, Yadriel could see her golden skeleton.
Parts of her ghostly flesh were missing from the left side of her face. An uneven line curved around her eye and down the side of her jaw, revealing some of her golden skull, teeth, and neck.
Lady Death’s hands pressed together, as if in prayer. The left one was only bone. Her white dress billowed out gently around her, like she was underwater. The hem swept along the tops of her bare feet.
Yadriel caught a glimpse of thick, black hair under her gilded lace mantle. A crown of marigolds rested upon her head, their petals gently falling around her. Bright and undulating, her right eye looked as if it had been filled with molten gold, while the other was just an empty, gleaming socket.
Yadriel openly gaped at her, barely even registering the throbbing pain in his hand.
“Mi hijo, Yadriel Vélez Flores,” she said, watching him carefully. Her voice was beautiful and melodic, like a song but with the echoing weight of stone. She spoke with an accent that Yadriel couldn’t place, like each syllable hit his ear with a ring from every Spanish voice he’d ever heard.
“Holy shit,” Maritza breathed, open-mouthed and staring.
Lady Death’s golden eyes slid to her. Her black-painted lips curled into a small smile. “Mi hija, Maritza Selena Escabas Santima.”
Her eyes bulged. “Holy shit.”
Yadriel was in shock. He couldn’t believe it had worked.
Lady Death looked around the crypt. Her gaze landed on the cenote, the blood on the floor. “You stopped a terrible thing from happening here,” she said, slowly shaking her head and sending more marigold petals cascading to the floor. “Without you, Bahlam would’ve escaped his prison.”
“My tío, is he…?” Yadriel trailed off.
Lady Death nodded somberly. “Bahlam has taken him to Xibalba.”
Guilt ripped Yadriel in half.
“It is not your fault,” she said gently. “Greed and hurt drive people to do horrible things.” Lady Death turned to the bodies lying on their sacrificial slabs. “My children were taken from this world before they were meant to go.”
“Can’t you bring them back?” Yadriel asked, desperation leaping in his chest. Miguel. Julian. The other two whom Yadriel didn’t even know.
But Lady Death was already shaking her head. “I am sorry, but I cannot bring them back,” she said gently.
“Please,” Yadriel begged, panic clawing up his throat once again. “Please, they didn’t deserve this! Like you said, they weren’t meant to die! They shouldn’t have lost their lives like this—just to be sacrificed for this!” He grabbed the jaguar amulet in his fist.
Lady Death sighed and bowed her head. “It is not my place to interfere.”
Anger and betrayal boiled in Yadriel’s gut. “Then why did you even come?” he spat.
“Yadriel,” Maritza hissed, staring at him with wide-eyed shock.
“If you can’t help me, then why even bother to appear?” Yadriel raged, ignoring Maritza.
Lady Death remained impassive. “I can’t undo what has been done.”
Yadriel seethed. “Then why—”
“But you have the power in your hands to right many wrongs.” Her golden eyes drifted to his hand.
Yadriel stared down at the amulet in his fist.
“But it will come at the greatest cost, mijo,” Lady Death said.
Brow furrowed, Yadriel tried to understand what that meant. The amulet continued to glow. He could feel the tingling on the back of his neck, sense the trapped spirits swarming in the amulet. The two strangers’. Miguel’s. Julian’s.
Tío Catriz said the power of the amulet, when fueled by the spirits of those who had been sacrificed, would help him gain the strength the brujx hadn’t had flowing through their blood in millennia.
Could he use that stolen power to release their spirits? Could he set them free?
Could he bring them back?
He thought of Miguel, his gentle cousin who was a great man and a doting son. He thought of Julian’s wild energy, his undying loyalty to his loved ones, and his determination to do anything to take care of them.
He thought of his mom and her kindness, how all she wanted was to heal and help others. He knew exactly what his mom would do if she were here. The same thing he was going to do.
Yadriel would let himself die, gladly, if it meant saving the four who had been so viciously and carelessly sacrificed. He refused to let them die for his uncle’s selfish gains.
He would do it for them. He would do it for Julian.
When he looked up at Lady Death, she smiled.
“Yadriel,” Maritza said at his side, as if just realizing what she meant. “Yadriel, don’t do it!”
But his mind was made up.
Holding it with both hands, Yadriel pressed the amulet to his chest.
Golden light ignited his skin. He sucked in a breath as electricity surged through his veins. He felt light-headed as the power swelled. Yadriel squeezed his eyes shut.
Let them go. Let them be free. Let them live.
“YADRIEL!”
The amulet exploded in his hands, throwing him onto his back. Yadriel groaned. His head swam. He tried to sit up, but every ounce of energy quickly bled out of him. He was too tired to move, too tired to breathe.
He could feel his mind slipping. His vision blurred and darkened.
Yadriel pushed through the fog, searching for something to hold on to, for somewhere to go.
He thought about Julian. The reckless glint in his eyes as he hung out the window of the Stingray, speeding down the highway. The low tenor of his voice as they whispered in the middle of the night, sprawled out on Yadriel’s bed and listening to music. The punch-drunk curl of his lips. The way he touched Yadriel’s cheek. The light brush of Julian’s lips. The way they made Yadriel’s heart thud in his chest.
He clung to them, even though they made him weak with grief and loss. Tears rolled down his cheeks as he tried to hold on to the memory, to hold on to Julian.
Stay with me. Stay with me.
Yadriel’s heartbeat slowed. His vision went dark. The sweet scent of apples tickled his nose.
He held on to the thought of Julian as tightly as he could.
Stay with me.