21
Devil
T elling Adriano that Romeo was lying in a hospital bed because a desperate father had tried to turn him into barbecue meat, with my sandpaper-like tact, was not something I wanted to do.
I assumed that Julieta had given him some hidden reasons that the child could understand, but since I hadn't talked to her, I had no idea what she told him.
I reached him, stepping down the stairs that separated us. He was wearing his Batman pajamas since it was his bedtime. Ana María had already given him dinner, and he was in his room when he must have heard my arrival.
It was clear he was waiting for me, and knowing the kid, he wouldn’t leave me alone until his curiosity was satisfied.
"Didn't your aunt tell you anything?"
"I want you to do it," he countered, not giving me time to breathe.
"Why? Whatever she told you is probably fine."
"Because Aunt Julieta didn't tell me the truth."
"How do you know that?"
"You can tell when she lies; she moves her hands a lot and avoids eye contact." I almost smiled at the observation that made me feel more than proud. "You don't lie; you say what you think, even if I don't like it," he admitted seriously. Damn kid! He was too smart for his age.
"Shall we go to your room? I'm expecting someone, and you should already be in bed."
"But are you going to tell me what's going on?"
As Adriano said, I wasn't one for half-truths, and I didn't know if he was aware of what his adoptive family did. I didn't want to mess things up too much with my honesty. However, my brain screamed that he was a Korolev, and Korolevs were raised to be proud of who they were.
"I'll tell you, but if I do, you'll tell me about your nightmares. The ones that wake you up at night screaming." He looked at me, scared. "It's only fair. Truth for truth. You decide."
He must have thought it was a good trade because, although there was some reluctance on his face, he nodded.
We went to his room in silence. Without me asking, he got into bed and covered himself with the sheet. I took the wingback chair next to the bookshelf to give him his space. For my part, I needed a bit of information before providing the explanation he was eager for.
"What do you know about Romeo, his job, and the family's business?" He looked at me strangely.
"My father is a businessman, like Grandpa. They're rich, so they always have bodyguards. There are bad people who envy what they have and might want to hurt them." Well, that wasn't a bad start. "Oh! And Aunt Julieta has a salon where she paints nails, and very posh women go there."
"That's a good summary, yes."
"Did a bad man try to hurt my dad? Is that why he's in the hospital?"
"Let's say not exactly. People like your dad, or like me, aren't usually liked by everyone. Envy is very bad, and as you said, there are many people who covet what we have. But what happened today was something else."
"Something else?"
"Yes, the man who caused your father to be in the hospital wasn't a sane person. I mean, he wasn't in his right mind. Do you know what that means?"
"That he was crazy?"
"A bit. Not because he was naturally crazy, but because something very bad happened to him that drove him mad."
"What happened?" he asked, curious.
"His only son had just died. He took a medication he shouldn't have and died."
"The same one my mom took?" I held his gaze and nodded. The little one closed his eyes, distressed.
"As you know, since Romeo married me, the company that made Mentium now also belongs to him."
"That's why that man went after my dad..." he commented with a sigh.
"Yes. The man was so hurt that he crashed his car into the bar where your dad was and set it on fire. Luckily, your dad is strong and managed to get out. The doctor said he'll spend a couple of days in the hospital to make sure his wounds don't get infected, and then he'll be back home."
"Can I go see him?" His eyes were slightly wet.
"I'll take you myself tomorrow after school. How does that sound?" Adriano nodded and bit his lower lip.
"Thank you for telling me the truth." His response made my heart clench a little inside. "Aunt Julieta told me that lightning had struck and burned the place down, but it hasn't rained a single drop today."
I bit back the smile threatening my lips. As I said, he was too smart.
"Your turn," I prompted.
The boy took the glass of water on his nightstand and drank a little. Telling me something he hadn't told anyone else must be difficult for him.
"My nightmares are because of the demon." I narrowed my eyes and looked at the little one, not understanding.
"The demon?" The boy nodded.
Many families scare children with figures like that. They tell them that if they don't behave or don't go to sleep quickly, the demon will come for them. It's a mistake, it only raises fearful children.
"My grandparents told me I couldn't talk about him because it was a secret what happened at home, and if the demon heard me mention him, he could take me."
"I understand, go on."
"The demon used to visit my mom some nights. She would scream, cry, kick, and I was very scared that he would come for me." Adriano had started shaking like a leaf.
I got up from the chair, walked slowly, and asked for permission with my eyes to let me sit on the bed. He didn't refuse, so I sat on the edge.
"Did you ever see the demon?" I wanted to know.
Children's minds are complex, as are some adults'. Maybe Adri's mother suffered from some mental illness, and his grandparents gave that explanation when she had a crisis. Or it could be something else, some Catholics believed that schizophrenics had the demon inside them, and maybe that was what Adri's grandparents thought.
"I heard him. He growled and yelled at her. But I couldn't do anything. When the demon visited my mom, she always had the latch on the door." I swallowed hard.
"And your grandparents didn't do anything? Romeo told me you all lived together."
"The first time it happened, I was very little, I just remember waking up to the screams. I ran to the room without understanding what was happening. I tried to open the door, but I couldn't, and I started banging on it." Tears were streaming down the boy's face. "I wanted to help her, but the door wouldn't open. I screamed, and my grandmother came out into the hallway. She picked me up and took me to my room, putting me back in bed. I screamed and kicked, telling her to help her. She told me she couldn't do that or the demon would come for me, that my mom was the only one who could calm him, and if I interrupted with my banging, cries, or screams, she couldn't do anything to save me. I was scared, very scared..." The tears turned into a broken, uncontrollable sob. All I could do was hug him and hold him close in my arms.
The boy was shaking, freezing, beyond my words that were trying to calm him. I stayed silent, just holding his convulsing body, feeling a terrible urge to tear off that grandmother's head for whatever the hell she was thinking.
"Shhh, calm down, it's okay. I'm here," I murmured when the tears began to subside, "and you know what? Do you want me to tell you a truth that no one has told you?" Adriano lifted his gaze to meet mine. "The demon doesn't exist."
"It does exist! I saw the marks it left!" he exclaimed, distressed.
"I'm not lying. It doesn't exist, although there are people who can act like a demon, that I won't deny. Tell me about those marks."
"She had them on her body," he confessed, ashamed.
"Tell me, it's okay." I wanted to understand what was happening in that house, although my mind was already working overtime to fill in the gaps.
"Once, I went to the bathroom. The day after he attacked my mom, I couldn't hold it and went in without knocking. She was turned away, in the shower. I wet myself as soon as I saw the purple bruises covering her body. I couldn't control myself. She turned around and screamed at me to get out. She didn't even notice that I had peed myself. Blood was dripping down her legs to the shower floor. I was so scared that I ran out."
I clenched my fists, feeling the urge to strangle every single member of his damn family. What the hell was wrong with people? Having children for this seemed despicable to me.
I stroked his soft hair and held his face.
"Hey, Adriano, listen to me carefully because I'm going to explain what you saw. That wasn't a demon's attack. What you saw was a victim of domestic abuse. Someone was hitting your mom, not a supernatural being, but a very real and evil person. Unfortunately, there are many of those out there who enjoy hurting women." He looked at me as if he didn't believe me.
"No, it can't be, my grandparents..."
"Your grandparents allowed it. What I don't know is who was doing that to your mother or why. What I do know is that maybe that's why she started taking Mentium. Do you remember if she had any boyfriend or was seeing someone?" The boy wiped away his tears and sniffled.
"I never saw anyone."
"Okay, that's fine. You know this isn't going to stay like this, right?"
"What do you mean?" Adriano looked at me, not understanding.
"No one harms a Korolev and gets away with it. I'll find out who did that to your mother and I'll deal with him."
"Will you... will you kill him? Like the eagle in the park?" he asked cautiously.
"Do you think that's wrong?" I wanted to know. He thought about it for a moment.
"No."
"Good, because that's what I'm going to do. Sometimes, justice doesn't measure up. We dictate our own law, and if someone harms us or causes pain to someone in our circle..."
"We kill them," he finished. I let out a laugh.
"Yes, but only in cases of extreme necessity. You can't go around killing your classmates because they steal a pencil, okay?" He gave me a conspiratorial smile. It was one of the few genuine smiles he had given me. "If that happens, we handle it differently. I'll teach you how to act and defend yourself in any threatening situation you might encounter. How does that sound?"
"Okay."
"Good boy. And now, let me tell you something to help with those nightmares." He looked at me curiously. "In the world of dreams, you are the one in control, not the other way around; you can go through doors, there are no locks. When you hear your mom's screams, go into that room, don't worry about what you'll find inside. If you see the demon, confront him, look him in the eyes and tell him to get the hell out or your Aunt Nikita will take care of him. If he doesn't listen, call me, and I'll come. I promise. We're not afraid of fear; fear is afraid of the Korolevs."
His childish smile grew even wider, and Adriano did something I didn't expect. He hugged me with all his might.
"Thank you, Aunt Nikita."
It was the first time he called me that, and my body filled with a special, strange, and enveloping warmth. My eyes stung, and I felt like crying.
God, I was getting soft! I needed to get out of that room. I returned the hug and pulled away when the doorbell saved me from so much emotion.
"Rest now, I told you I was expecting someone for dinner."
I pressed my lips to his forehead. Adriano snuggled in, and I gave him one last look before leaving and turning off the light.