Page 60 of Sinister Hearts
I grabbed and hugged her, imagining how terrified she was. “It’s okay, sweetie. It’s okay, you’re safe now.” It was then I noticed her necklace dangling from her little dainty neck. It was a replica of my necklace, the gold swirls wrapping around the black tourmaline crystal.
As long as you’re wearing this, you will be safe.Ma’s words echoed in my head. I looked at the black tourmaline crystal in disbelief. This whole time she was protecting us. How could I miss this? How could I be so blind?
“Where is Noni?” Birdie asked, trying to look around the cave.
“Oh, honey,” I began to sob. “Noni is, well… she has to go to heaven with the angels, where she will be watching over us.” Tears swarmed my face, and I felt my heart beat in my throat.
Birdie’s face turned confused. “Is she taking a nap, Mama?” My heart sank further into an abyss I had no control over.
“Yes, sweetie, a very long long nap, just like a princess,” I replied—more riddles she just couldn’t comprehend. “I know it’s difficult for you to understand right now, but one day you will. Noni will always be with us, Birdie. Right here.”
As I pointed to her heart, Birdie jumped into my arms. I wiped my tears, trying to be strong for her, but I could feel that strength falter.
“Faye, we need to get out of here and get her back to the farm. Ryker’s just sent me some news,” Jax said from beside us.
“There’s something I have to do,” I sighed, before handing Birdie to Jax.
“Faye, I’m not letting you go anywhere alone.” His words were minced.
“I have to do this alone, Jax. My dreams, the fire, Ma’s fire, it… it’s all making sense now. I need to do this, just please, protect Birdie. I will be back before nightfall,” I told him, not taking no for an answer.
Jax gave me an unsure look. “I swear to the gods if anything happens to you…” His eyes strained.
“It won’t,” I interjected to hush his anxieties. The comfort of knowing Birdie had the Grimwood’s to protect her from any further harm eased my anxieties. I knew they would protect her with their lives.
“If you’re not back by midnight, I’m coming to find you, do you hear me,” Jax said sternly, and grabbed my face lifting me to his lips, as he kissed me sensually.
“I promise,” I reassured him. Jax led Birdie out of the deep catacombs to the truck. I watched them fade from view, knowing what I needed to do.Nobody fucks with my gente (people).
Itried dialing Rocky as my hands shook, making it difficult to dial, let alone breathe. The grief struck me like a knife through my chest, swallowing me whole. Raquel answered and fell silent, listening to my cries. “She’s gone. Ma, she’s gone!” I wept into the phone mercilessly, making my way back into the cave.
“I know, I felt it.” Rocky fell silent. “Tell me, prima, are you ready to claim what belongs to you?” she asked.
Not knowing the gravity of those words, but knowing whatever it was, for Ma, for Birdie, there was no better time than now. Everyone would pay, I swore to the gods.
“I’m ready,” I stated, wiping my tears and letting the pain turn into solid anger and vengeance.
I kissed my mother’s cold cheek. “I will avenge you, Ma, I promise,” I whispered to her.
Something crinkled as I brought her to my chest. It was folded in her poncho, coated with her blood. I unfolded the mysterious paper. It was a letter. A letter she kept right by her heart.
Dear Faye,
If you are reading this, that can only mean one thing— I am dead.
Do not grieve for me, my child, for I lived a fruitful life. Being your mother was the best gift ever bestowed upon me. While I’ve protected you endlessly, I am now terrified those actions have cost me a great deal. Meaning, I couldn't live long enough to speak the truth among all the answers you seek.
You are incredibly special, Faye. Not just because you are my daughter, because you are more than that. A gifted being. And with gifts come curses. A seer, La Sibila, taken from both light and dark magic, making your gifts a force to be reckonedwith. While my tea withheld your power for protection when you were a child, it was all I could do to aid you with your visions. Your night terrors, your gift– the true divinity of life and death. The power courses through your veins like a beast, my love.
The prophecy has been told for centuries, but didn't come true until there was you. Your very first breath gave me a reason such as my life, to protect you. You are divination and darkness wrapped in one, making you one of the most powerful spell binders of Mortis. Your DNA is the key to the evolution of the Robles bloodline and to a whole new realm. A realm they don't want to exist.
The Council is terrified of hybrids running free and claiming their gifts. It's one of the reasons your father had to leave us. Our love was sealed by hate, never to be accepted. A god and a spell binder. Two different species among the realms of Mortis. Where law overrides love. Your ancient blood made you strong, desired, and feared. Your father, El Micta, the God of the Underworld in his realm, made the ultimate sacrifice for the ones he loved most. In order to protect us, he had to go back to Mictlan to convince the Underworld that you did not live outside the womb. That you passed in your sleepin my belly. A lie that kept us protected and without the greatest love of my life. There is only one thing your father loved more than me, and that was you. His little girl.
I'm sorry that I've kept these truths from you. I'm sorry I did not have more time. But I will never be sorry for protecting you. I will always be with you, mija. While my body has passed, my soul is eternal and wrapped in love. I am wherever you are, always. Protect Birdie, and love her, for she is gifted, too. You will see.
Love,
Ma
