She rushed to the stables and grabbed a sidesaddle from the harness room. When Tadeo had been with them, he’d often readied her horse for her. Now she had to complete this task alone.She’d lost her brother. Evil had dragged him away and might snatch her, too.
“Are you going for a ride?” Arturo asked, startling her with his question.
He stood at the doorway of the stables and peered at her curiously.
Alba adjusted the stirrups. “I want to see if the Molina girls have those new magazines that were supposed to come in sometime this month.”
“It might rain,” Arturo said, turning to look at the sky outside.
“I won’t be long,” she said, trying to seem careless and calm, even though she feared he might want to accompany her. But then again, he didn’t like to ride. He preferred the wagon, which was the closest thing they had to a carriage.
“Very well,” he said.
He helped her onto her mount. Alba thanked him, but Arturo held on to the bridle, looking at her with interest.
“You seem tired, Alba. You’re not falling ill, are you?” he asked.
“I’m fine.”
He bade her goodbye and she proceeded at a leisurely pace, but once the stable was out of sight, she spurred the horse forward.
As soon as Alba arrived at the Molinas’ estate, she sought Valentín. He walked toward her with his wide-brimmed hat on his head and a smile on his lips, but then, as he noticed something was amiss, the smile vanished and was replaced by a look of concern.
“Is something wrong?” he asked.
“Can you accompany me to Los Pinos?”
“Now? I must—”
“It was in my room,” she said, looking at the ground. “The witch came into my room and it bit me. I don’t know what to do, Valentín. I’m afraid.”
He took her hand and held it between his own. Then he nodded.
—
The path to thetown was swathed in mist and the scent of wet earth; the pleasant, fresh smell of the resinous ocote envelopedthem, soothing the senses. Soon their horses were clopping through the quiet village and they reached the house with the yellow door.
The old woman opened the door before they knocked and looked at them with grave eyes. Valentín handed her a bottle that he’d brought with him. Jovita grabbed it with a nod, although she seemed displeased.
“Come inside,” she said.
Jovita took them to the room that smelled of mint and they sat at the table. Despite the light streaming in through the windows, Alba shivered as if she’d caught a chill.
“You’ve come back quick.”
“I thought your talisman was supposed to keep me safe. I thought it would work. It hasn’t and I need another remedy.”
“It works. Of course it does. You place the pins in the body of the bird and tell the witch to stay away.”
“I’ve been bitten.”
Jovita was quiet. She looked at Alba, then at Valentín. She shook her head. “If it has caught your scent and tasted your blood then it will not let go of its prey.”
“There must be a way,” Valentín said. “There are stories, about how one can trap them. The knots—”
The old woman turned piercing eyes in the direction of the young man. “Hush. Don’t talk foolishness,” she said, and then she looked again at Alba. Her expression changed; a trace of pity appeared on her face. “There are no happy endings when you face such a creature. Run. If you run far away perhaps it will not follow. Let it find another victim.”
“It might kill someone else from my family,” Alba said. “If it got my brother and then went after me, who’s to say it will not attack my mother? Or my younger brothers and sisters?”
