Echo Soul Seekers

thirty-one

Dace

“You know I can’t let you go any farther,” I say, seeing Xotichl standing beside me so tiny and frail she looks like she’s about to be swallowed by the heavy blue parka she wears.

We were lucky to have made it this far without being seen. Managing to slip past a horde of undead Richters too absorbed in the task of setting up some so-called job fair to take notice of us. Though that doesn’t mean our luck won’t run out. And I’d never forgive myself if Xotichl got hurt on my watch.

“Honestly, I can’t say that I want to,” she says. “Something strange is going on around here.” She tips her chin, sniffs at the air. “Stranger than normal, that is. Those people we passed earlier, the ones setting up the tables and hanging the signs?”

“Yeah?” I slant my brow and lean toward her.

“They’re undead.”

I exhale, amused to find I’m relieved by her words. Shows how much my life has changed in just a handful of weeks. “I know.” I tell her. “It’s Cade’s pet project. He reanimated a bunch of long-deceased Richters on the Day of the Dead, fueling them on bits of souls—both animal and human. Just one more reason he has to be stopped. The last thing we need is more Richters lumbering around.”

Xotichl squeezes her cane, shoulders cringing inward, as she says, “I think the job fair is bogus. I think it’s a front for something far more sinister.” She pauses, allowing me time to respond, but I have nothing to add. I don’t disagree. “Maybe I should go with you,” she offers. “You know, like a bodyguard.” She grins at her joke, but the effect is short-lived when the weight of the situation settles upon us.

“I hate leaving you here. Are you sure you can find your way back?” I glance between her and the wall that’s not really a wall. Musing at how long I remained oblivious to its presence, despite having passed it hundreds of times. How I needed a blind girl to point me toward the truth that was always right there before me.

We see what we want to see. And when we can no longer afford that luxury, we see what we must.

Now that I’m faced with the truth, I’m torn between my desire to charge it head-on, and worried about leaving her behind. Afraid she’ll get lost in this dark and cavernous space that practically reeks of evil and malevolence.

“Never make the mistake of underestimating me. I’ll be fine.” She quirks a brow in a way that leaves no room for doubt. “If anyone catches me, I’ll say I was so excited about the job opening, I got here early so I could be among the first to fill out an application. And if they deny me that right, I’ll threaten to sue them on grounds of discrimination.” She taps her cane hard against the carpeted floor for emphasis. “You have the cigarettes?”

I pat my pocket, confirm that I do. “I always thought that was a myth. You know, the whole tobacco offering for the demons thing.”

“And where do you think myths originated?” she asks. “They began as truths. They only turned to myths when we decided it was easier to live in denial of the things we don’t understand.”

“Okay, Little Wise One.” I clasp a hand to each shoulder and turn her ’til she’s facing the opposite way. “It’s time for us to part ways. You find the exit while I go explore.”

But no sooner have I started to leave than she turns back and says, “Dace—” Her face creases with worry. “What do I tell Daire? You know, if I run into her?”

I study Xotichl’s face. She looks so tiny and vulnerable in this hollow space, I have to remind myself that she’s right—underestimating her would be a mistake. Then I palm the cigarettes, squeezing my fingers around them, as I make for the greasy, pulsing veil, saying, “Not to worry. Thanks to you, I’ve got a solid head start. While Daire probably just walked in the door only to be faced with a full interrogation about how and where she spent her night. By the time she escapes, Cade will be dead. If nothing else, I’ll make sure of that.”