Page 42 of Lourdes & the Mafia
“What are you talking about?” I feel even more confused than ever.
“I’m talking about the magic of the seer and the decision our family made a long time ago.”
The words steal my breath away and make me lean back. A noise of disbelief leaves my throat, and it draws everyone’s attention towards us. The TV pauses or shuts off, I can’t be sure as I'm not looking at it, but I feel eyes turn our way. Now that I feel safe enough to say that my family is not behind my attack, I don’t care that they listen in. Besides it seems like she wants them to hear it anyway.
A family secret.
Whatkindof secret?
“Lourdes, your magic is extremely rare.”
“I know this.”
“You don’t know the full extent. Be quiet and let me speak.”
I clamp my lips closed at the order, feeling appropriately chastised.
“Seers are rare, it’s true,” she continues once silence descends, “but those in our family are the rarest of all. It’s our bloodline,” she explains. “Not only do we descend from witches, but we descend from other creatures as well. Our blood has mixed in with several different types of supernaturals that enhance the magic of visions.”
I’m not overly surprised about this. No one’s blood is ever 100% pure. Things get mixed up all the time. Species intermingle, people marry, have kids, have affairs and secret kids… I’m sure we can never know the full extent of our family tree.
“Not just any creature,” she goes on to say. “But something known to be a very powerful being. Your abuela never told me exactly what it was. I’m sure she didn’t know herself, all she knew was that it was powerful. Visions aren’t the only thing you inherited, mija. There’s a whole well of power deep inside you that you just haven’t tapped into yet.”
Great. It’s not like I wanted the visions in the first place, and now she’s telling me that there’s a whole bunch more I didn’t know about myself? Am I a ticking time bomb? I mean, not that I’m ungrateful. I love my magic, or at least I love that it makes me special even if I don’t like the pain that comes with it. And that pain was a whole bitch to deal with. Now I have to deal with the fact that there’s more. More that I haven’t even tapped into yet. How does one even tap into magic? You’d think I would have noticed something by now. Maybe I’m just a late bloomer.
“Your abuela didn’t tap into it either, but she said she could feel it in her veins like an animal that’s caged. Like someone shoved it down and pushed it away so that you could never reach it in the first place.”
“Why wouldn’t someone want us to tap into it?” I can’t help but ask.
“Because of the decision our family made to hide that part of the magic. Because they feared that what happened to you today wouldn’t stop. It was something they wanted to avoid.”
“Whatdid they want to avoid?”
“Death,” she whispers.
A chill runs down my spine, and I feel a cold draft sweep along the back of my neck. I immediately think of the Underworld, where death goes to settle.
“She told me that our line used to predict the future for very bad creatures. That our family tapped into that well of unknown magic and used it, and it created travesties across the world. Our ancestors were prisoners, trapped within magic they could scarcely control. It was too much, and so they made the decision to lock it up for good. We’ve been hiding ever since.”
“Pero, ¿que coño?” my uncle bellows from his seat. “Why weren’t we told about this?”
I’m thinking the exact same thing, but with a lot less nice words. Maybetheydidn’t need to know about it, but Idid,seeing as howI’mthe seer for the family and the one who got stabbed earlier today.
“Our ancestors didn’t want the magic awakening. They didn’t want to risk creatures discovering it and finding us.”
“Well, something already did,” I say standing up. “They came after me. Why didn’t her journals have anything on this? I’ve combed through every single one and nothing mentions creatures or untapped magic.”
Her face saddens and I know the news isn’t going to be good. “She burned them before she died.”
Because that’s a fucking logical thing to do.
A curse leaves my lips. “Why? That doesn’t make any sense! Why would she burn something that’s meant to protect me?”
Unless…
“Did she accidentally tip the enemy off or something?”
Some people, especially in my family, will do whatever it takes to cover up their own fuck-up’s. Even if they have to toss others under the bus to do it.
