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Her mouth opened, but instead of a sound, thorn-covered branches burst out, winding toward Luis. He slashed at them with his knife. The iron cut through the vines easily, but more came, splitting and curling like tentacles, grabbing for him.
Corny yelled, pulling his legs up onto the couch. Kaye stared in horror. Lala's mother's cries had become one long teakettle scream.
One branch wrapped around Luis's wrist, while others crawled toward his waist and writhed along the floor. The long thorns sank into his skin. Lala's eyes rolled back in her head, and her body convulsed. Her lips shone with blood.
Luis dropped the knife and wrapped his hands around the stems, ripping the brambles even as they coiled around his hands.
Corny lunged forward, grabbing the knife and cutting at the thorns.
"No, you idiot," Luis yelled. A knot of branches suddenly ripped free of Lala's mouth, wormlike white roots sliding out of her throat, glistening with saliva. The great vine blackened and shriveled.
Lala started to cough. The woman knelt by her, weeping and smoothing back the girl's hair.
Luis's arms were striped with scratches. He stood up and looked away as if dazed.
Lala's mother helped the girl to her feet and began to lead her toward the door. "Gracias, gracias," she muttered.
"Wait," Luis said. "I need to talk to your daughter for a minute. Without you.”
"I don't want to," Lala said.
The woman nodded. "Just quick. She's very tired now." She closed the door separating the hall from the room.
Luis looked at Lala. The girl swayed a little and caught herself by bracing her hand against the wall.
"What you told your mother," he asked, "that's not exactly what happened, is it?”
She hesitated, then shook her head.
"One of those boys gave you something to eat—maybe you just ate a little bit? Maybe just one seed?”
She nodded again, not meeting his eyes.
"But now you know better, right?" Luis asked her.
"Yes," she whispered, then fled to join her mother. Luis watched her go. Corny watched him watch her.
"Your pixie talked to my brother, didn't she?" he demanded, nodding to Kaye.
"What do you think?" Corny replied.
Luis yawned. "I think we're out of here as soon as possible. I'll show you where to sleep."
Corny arranged himself on the floor of mattresses spread out over what might have once been a dining room. Dave had already rolled himself into a shroud of blankets against the far wall, beneath what was left of a chair rail. Kaye staggered in from the parlor, curled herself around a throw pillow, and fell immediately into sleep. Luis lay down nearby.
Flexing his fingers, Corny watched the rubber tighten over his knuckles. Already the sheen had gone off the gloves. They might be brittle by morning. Carefully, he slid out one hand and touched the edge of Luis's duvet. The thin fabric tore, threads fraying, bleeding feathers. He watched them blow in the slight draft from the window, dusting everything like snow.
Luis turned in his sleep and feathers caught in his braids. One settled at the very corner of Luis's mouth, fluttering with each breath. It seemed like it would tickle. Corny wanted to brush it out of the way. His fingers twitched.
Luis's eyes slitted. "What are you looking at?”
"You drooling," Corny lied quickly. "It's disgusting.”
Luis grunted and rolled over.
Corny pulled his glove back on, heart beating so hard that he felt light-headed.
I like him, he thought in horror, the unfairness of that on top of everything else filling him with unfocused rage. Shit. I like him.
