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We stayed like that for a few seconds, simply looking into each other’s eyes. Words felt inadequate in the face of such powerful emotion, so we contented ourselves with a silent embrace and shared meaningful glances... until something caught my eye. I leaned back and knocked something off Antonio’s desk.
“Oh, shit.”
Bending down to pick it up, I found a box inscribed with his family crest.
I tried to pick it up it, but Antonio quickly joined me on the ground to snatch it away and lock it in a drawer with an expression of unmasked panic on his face. His hands trembled.
“Don’t touch that,” he said quickly.
Just as I was opening my mouth to demand to know why, he wiped his mouth and shook his head. For a heartbeat, I gazed into Antonio's light brown eyes, searching for answers in their depths. But as the last remnants of our kiss faded away, I could see the walls surrounding his heart rebuild themselves, brick by brick.
“Go to bed, Carmen.”
I stood up. The way he spoke hurt, so I turned around and stormed from the room. On the short walk back to my room, I thought of Isaac and marriages. It would be better to marry him than be stuck in this limbo forever.
But that box…
I needed to find that box.
Chapter16
Small Cracks
The sun had barely risen over the horizon, casting a soft, golden glow through my window. I liked to imagine how that light would look across the six Isles. Some were warmer than where I had lived, and I wondered if they could appreciate the beauty as much as we did while suffering in the chilly air. There were two more days before the Blood Tournament, and an enormous festival was to be held in every town and city in the commonwealth this evening.
I was sitting in the dining room with my knees pulled up to my chest, feeling awkward about the kiss and borderline obsessive about the box.
Antonio was in the room with me. There was no grand, intense meeting in the morning light. He was soft and pliable in his demeanor, but none of the passion which had seized him the night before shone through.
His hands didn’t tremble, and he didn’t reach for me.
San Volcán, how I wished he would reach for me.
My fingers tingled, and I hugged myself tighter.
I woke up after a nightmare of my brother dying, and in the heat of the dream, I killed Antonio. My heart raced, and sweat clung to my skin like a second layer. I knew it was just a dream, but the vivid images haunted me as I tried to shake off their lingering effects.
"Are you okay?" Antonio asked, concern lacing his voice. He sat at the small table near the window, nursing a cup of coffee. His light brown eyes reflected both worry and a hint of sadness, perhaps from our shattered moment of elation the night before. The morning sun cast shadows across his pale brown skin, accentuating his chiseled features.
"Fine," I mumbled, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. "Just a nightmare."
"Let's get some breakfast in you before the festivities begin tonight," he suggested, trying to change the subject. He had been quiet all morning.
As we sat down to eat, the door opened wide, revealing Magda, my best friend. Her face held a mixture of relief and joy, making my heart swell with happiness. All thoughts of the nightmare and the silent tension between Antonio and me were forgotten when I saw her.
The last time I’d seen her, I was sure it would be our last moment together. Guilt gripped my heart when I realized I hadn’t thought of her all morning.
I was a miserable friend lately.
"Magda!" My heart lurched in my chest as I sprang up from the table and closed the short distance between Magda and me. One of her blond curls fell in my face and I cried. Through my tears, I spotted Santiago lurking in the hallway. He nodded at me, and I thought of the moments of friendliness which had passed between us the day before.
“Hola Santiago,” I said over her shoulder before pulling back. “What are you doing here?” My voice was thick with emotion.
“I just arrived from the estate,” she said, her eyes shining with tears. "There was a letter waiting for us when we arrived." Her gaze went to Antonio, and discomfort spread through me.
Magda embraced me again, holding me tightly as if she was trying to reassure herself that this moment was real. The familiarity of her closeness anchored me to the present, chasing away the lingering shadows of my nightmare.
A pang of sadness resonated in my chest. Standing here together should’ve been a sweet reunion, but all I could think about was the future and the past.
