Page 39 of My Master
Esmeralda didn’t need to be a mind reader to know that something was wrong. Maria’s big brown eyes said it all.
“Good morning, sunshine,” Maria greeted her. “You’ve been asleep for a whole day.”
Ezzy looked around. “Where is everyone?”
Maria shrugged and continued sipping from her bended straw.
Esmeralda’s eyebrows rose. “Where is everyone?” she repeated, feeling annoyed.
Maria sensed her annoyance and looked up at her. “I told you, I don’t know.”
Esmeralda felt a growl rumble out of her throat and she approached the counter, snatching the juice box from her hand and tossing it to the floor. She felt her annoyance and anger grow. “Maria, do stop lying to me because I am not in the mood. Where the hell is Antonio?”
She sighed heavily. “He went back to see Agent Phillipe to tell her what he discovered about that Caesareon prick.”
Her breath caught in her throat. “What did they discover?”
“That Caesareon was controlling Isis’s mind—”
“Well, duh, that much was obvious!”
“Well they wanted to get down there and prove it and to tell them that he’s going to create an army and blah, blah, blah.” She shrugged her shoulders, clearly bored.
“How long did you say I was asleep?”
“We got here at around three a.m. yesterday, and right now it’s about nine p.m.”
Ezzy stepped back frantically. “That means that Caesareon is going to be at the Northgate mall today!”
“Wait, wait, wait, what?!” Maria hopped off the counter and gripped Ezzy by the shoulders.
“Caesareon is going to gather his armies at the mall tonight! I have to go tell Agent Phillipe! She needs to get the cops down there now!”
“How do you know this?” Maria shook her gently, but there was urgency in her voice.
“Damien told me…”
Maria made a noise of disgust in the back of her throat and pushed Ezzy away, all of her earlier gentleness gone. Tears overflowed from her big brown eyes, eyes that were much like her brothers, eyes she was sure they had inherited from their mother; Antonio had his father’s eyes.
“Don’t youdaremake jokes like that!” Maria demanded in an uneven voice, pointing a shaking finger at her. “Donottalk to me about my brother, howdare you?” Her tears burst forward and streamed down her face in large droplets.
Esmeralda was surprised. Ever since Damien had died she had been worried about no one but Antonio. Never once had she stopped to think about what it had done to Maria, or even to Mr. Santiago for that matter. Maria barely showed any emotion about the situation, so she never thought she was in pain.
“I’m not lying…” Esmeralda whispered quietly, feeling the tears fall down her cheeks as well.
Maria turned away from her, after what seemed like a long time of silence, she spoke. “They’re at the police station; he left about thirty minutes ago. You should leave now and go tell them what you found out, okay?”
Esmeralda hesitated for a fraction of a second, but she knew she couldn’t spend all night there. She went over to Maria and wrapped her arms around her stomach, pulling her into a hug. Maria tensed as she did so, but only for a moment. She relaxed and sighed.
“I’m sorry, Maria,” Esmeralda whispered into the material of her back.
“Okay,” she sighed.
And then Esmeralda left.
* * *
“I thoughtI told you that you couldn’t be a part of this investigation anymore?” Agent Phillipe didn’t bother trying to hide her annoyance. She obviously seemed busier than she had been before. There were dark shadows under her eyes and her curly hair was in tangles and knots, making Antonio wonder if she had slept at all.
