(18) Judgment
A new fear deadened my body. Suppose I heard the truth and it was the reality I feared, then what? Maybe it was better not to know your fate. Fate, huh, a day ago I had been certain of my fate. The ugly truth is you can't take anything for granted. You never know where you will end up.
"Muchacha, the company you keep is merciless. Palo is a man who enjoys torture he was born in a barn full of animals. His father tried different brands of torture on him and his brothers. Beaten, cut, sawed, burned, and if they were lucky shot. Palo is psychotic but not the one you have to worry about. Alejandro was born in Mexico City during the uprising. His father fought and died in battle. Alejandro was kicked out of his home for drinking. He gambled heavily and made a bet with this vagrant. Alejandro was so confident he'd win he didn't think about losing. He did."
I finally let a little breath. I must have been holding my breath. I didn't know what was worse having Malirosa talking to me or hearing about the horrid lives they lead. I shifted slightly wincing because my leg had fallen asleep. The little prickles traveled up and down my skin making it extremely uncomfortable.
"He was dragged to an alley and beaten. He lay there in the street dying his head crushed by a wooden pole. He saw footsteps approaching and he reached out for help. He said it was a woman who changed him and left him in the street in front of the panderia. It took him a very long time to gather allies to fight against the towns he now rules. He is considered a king in certain villages in Mexico. Nobody challenges Alejandro and lives to tell about it." Malirosa gave me a cold look. She was speaking in a monotone voice. The story was memorized as if she heard it often or repeated it to hinder people.
"Are you his wife?" I asked feeling silly using human terms for a dysfunctional relationship they had. I was curious to know however if she was betrothed to the Mexican vampire.
"No, muchacha." Malirosa grimaced and looked away. "Alejandro doesn't care for vampire women." She raised an arched eyebrow. She had just given me a clue it was written all over her statuesque face.
"Bella." I mumbled. "My name is Bella." My leg was tingling from my blood flow. I had a sharp pain behind my head that was throbbing.
"I know. I don't like to get personal with the enemy." She grunted and stared into the darkness. It was ironic that she considered me the enemy when I had no defenses.
"What about you?" I asked quietly. I knew anything above a whisper might upset Malirosa. She seemed very edgy.
"Yes what about me? Did you know I am older than Palo and Alejandro?" Pride was written on her delicate face. "I grew up in Chiapas. My family lived right by a river called, aguas azul. I would go to sleep each night hearing the waterfall gushing near us. My mom use to take my sister and me a bath in the river every night. Then she would braid our hair before we went to sleep. She hummed us to sleep while our dad fished in the banks." Malirosa almost smiled as she remembered her youth. Her face transitioned to a dark silhouette the dream like story weaving into a horrific ending.
"My sister slept beside me every night. She would curl up next to me and sometimes she would hug me. I was a pretty good sleeper but my sister had difficulty falling asleep. I woke one night when I didn't feel her presence in my bed. I walked out to the river and saw her perched by the rocks. She was very still. She wouldn't acknowledge me when I called her name." Malirosa let the memories flow. "I walked closer to her I was angry. I started yelling at her saying mean things. I moved to the other side of her and shook her. I saw something floating below. I stopped yelling at her and looked down. Both my parents were dead in the river. Their bodies were laying face up. I screamed and ran away from my sister, from my family."
"I ran through the trees tripping on branches. I didn't get very far. Something threw me against a tree. I thought it was an animal. It wasn't. A savage my mother warned us about stared at me. He was dragging my sister behind him. She was screaming. He put both of us together. He kept us that way for a long time. He paced in front of us and then he picked up my sister. I didn't understand what he was doing. He bit her while he stared at me. She squirmed her body going limp then he let go. She writhed on the floor. I went to her. He grabbed me and bit my shoulder. I screamed in pain." She abruptly stopped lost in her cautionary tale. She took a minute and cleared her throat.
"My sister was killed by the savage. She wasn't strong enough to survive. Unfortunately I did. I escaped and went to the villages near Chiapas." I felt the pain that was still fresh in her words even though it happened so long ago. I ached for the sister who died and was even sympathetic for Malirosa witnessing that tragedy.
"I'm sorry." I whispered. She ignored my apology like I knew she would.
"How is it easy for you to be near me?" I asked because she was a vampire and I knew she didn't rely on a special diet like the Cullen's did. I felt a tear through my body. I promised myself not to bring them up if I wanted to keep my sanity.
"I don't like female blood. It sickens me. I only drink male blood." She shrugged her shoulders. "I suppose you I should tell you of Alejandro's plans. He is a man who values rarities in life. He collects antiques, rare art works, antique furniture, and he especially likes young virgins." I felt my eyes grow wide with terror and a deep red blush burned my cheeks. "He puts on a show, muchacha. He puts on an elaborate show and gets deep pleasure from the ceremony and the blood."
"He wants to marry me?" I gasped and felt the fear stabbing throughout my body. I clutched my chest and felt the spinning in my head turning over and over again.
"Yes. It was decided in the shop. Of course, the fact that you were able to deflect me made him even more enamored with you." She turned her face to me. I saw her red eyes glowing in the paleness of her face. "So now you can tell me how you did it." She demanded.
I struggled for control. It was slipping away from me. I had to think for a moment. "I feel an urge to look at you. Even now I feel a tug towards your direction. But it's breakable it doesn't hold me. That's all." I panted feeling the oxygen leaving my brain. My thoughts were scattered I was confused and felt disoriented.
"Hmm." That was all she said. She moved so fast it was a blur. Suddenly she was face to face with me. "What about now?" Her eyes were burning through me. I gasped and fought to control my consciousness.
I gulped my limbs frozen in place. "Nothing." I breathed. I saw my brief life flash before me and there was a loud ringing in my ears. I struggled to hear the loud noise of the truck and the ringing grew louder.
She hissed and moved back to her place in the van. The van rocked along and the motion was upsetting my stomach. I only had breakfast and the food was turning my stomach. I started clutching and breathing slowly in and out. "I don't feel so good." I moaned I knew I was a second from passing out.
Malirosa banged on the wall of the truck. A few seconds later we lurched to a stop. I pitched forward and landed on my knees my cheek against the floor. I couldn't move I was frozen the ground felt good against my skin.
Malirosa grabbed my arm and dragged me out of the van. I vomited on the ground and started shaking. I saw two pairs of shoes standing next to my face. I looked up and Alejandro was smirking.
"You didn't enjoy Palo's driving?" He asked and shook his head. He grabbed my arm and set me on the edge of the truck bed. The last thing I remember was desperately looking around to see where I was. The blackness came fast and I remember seeing bright stars as I closed my eyes and the horrible ringing. I passed out!
