Chapter 25
Chapter 25
The ornate ceiling of the stained glass reflected the setting of the twilight sun. I listened to Circe Caridad's soulful voice on stage. Her dark skin illuminated beautifully under the amber lights as she sang with the band. The conga drums carried her powerful pitch. Sharp notes of the trumpet blared in harmony with the guitar, producing a smooth and sensual sound that matched the ambiance of the sophisticated night air. A resounding applause echoed as cheers and whistles erupted for the living salsa legend.
"She's the best." Cardidad's performance was a present from Thalia, celebrating Meroveo's thirtieth birthday. The party was her grand design, one she insisted on throwing, disregarding Meroveo's request to keep it simple.
Golden fixtures cast a warm, comfortable glow, cigar smoke filtered in the room, and servers passed around appetizers and champagne. The ceiling reflected shadows on the dance floor.
Despite the opulence of the occasion, it all felt artificial. I held my poise under the stares of the guests, who smiled like sharks circling around Castillo's favorite son.
"You look beautiful," Meroveo whispered above my ear. His hands slid to hold my waist as we danced.
I wore a deep emerald green, sleeveless gown with pintucks at the waist and black lace gloves. My curls were held in an elegant updo, and the emerald necklace around my neck was a gift from Meroveo.
"I've missed you," Meroveo smiled, looking at me. I cursed at the blush that heated my cheeks. He had been working more than usual."You've missed me too," he smirked, swaying us to the music. I said nothing, only giving him a smile. Refusing to ever admit it.
Roman danced near us with a giggling woman in his arms, looking as charmingly menacing as always, playfully winking at me. A flock of blushing women eagerly waited at the side for a turn with him.
Hector was also here tonight. His stony bearded face betrayed no emotion as he watched from the sidelines, disregarding anyone who tried to engage with him in conversation.
A murmur was in the crowd as an older woman in an off-shoulder maroon gown entered. People parted ways for her to walk through. She was like a queen — flawless and statuesque. Diamonds glittered on her neck, and gems dangled from her ears, contrasting against her regal gown. She was cold and untouchable, never glancing at the eyes that followed her.
"Cibeles." Meroveo greeted her with an indifferent tone.
"Meroveo." She greeted him with the same tone, looking me over from the top of my head to the bottom of my feet.
"Dove, this is my mother." he edged a little closer to me, his arm slightly grasping my elbow protectively.
Cibeles greeted me. As she looked down at me, her look was one of cold superiority.
"I finally got to meet your bride. I was shocked to hear the news and must admit, I was surprised by your choice."
"Cibeles," Meroveo warned her, his voice sending chills down my spine.
She only smiled in response, unfazed by his threat.
"It's a pleasure meeting you," I said, trying to politely ease the tension between mother and son.
"The pleasure mine. I don't want to overstay my welcome." She glanced at Meroveo. "Goodnight, Dove."
"Meroveo". She nodded her head.
Meroveo remained silent, not acknowledging her goodbye, watching her walk away.
Thalia appeared from the midst of the crowd.
"I invited her, but I didn't think she would come. The last time I heard, she was in Europe somewhere." "I have to apologize for my aunt Dove. She's not the warmest person."
"You did the right thing," Meroveo assured her. He began to walk towards our table before Hector approached us. His eyes were filled with quiet fury as Roman walked beside him, his usual smug attitude replaced with a grim frown.
Meroveo stared at his brothers for a moment, the look of surprise crossing his face before he stared at the floor.
Concerned and confused, I looked up at the glass ceiling and back down.
While everyone else did, he had no shadow on the ground and no reflection above.
T halia introduced me to many people, and I eventually lost track of names. Smiling, I never backed away from the whispering stares and scrutiny. Thalia was a social butterfly, a princess fulfilling and engaging in her role.
I excused myself, needing to escape the circus, and grabbed a glass from a passing waiter. The woman stopped, and I saw a quick moment of recognition flicker in her eyes. The server's face was familiar, and I tried to place it where I had seen her before. She nodded at me politely before moving on.
My thoughts shifted from the waitress when I felt eyes boring into my back, turning to notice the tall, striking woman in a dark red gown. Her dark hair tied in a low bun, the red lipstick striking against her olive complexion. We stared at one another. She looked at me like I was the sole cause of all her pain. I recognized her from the article about the hospital opening. She was there with Meroveo.
Kallisto Bellona.
We stared at each other, her gray eyes shimmering cold and filled with a pained wrath. My stomach dropped.
Kallisto's lips curled into a nasty, vindictive smile, betraying the beauty of her face. Her hand touched the glittering ruby necklace. The truth had been whispered to my pounding heart.
He had a mistress. I shouldn't have felt anything, and yet I felt everything. Betrayal, heartbreak. I stared back at her, unwilling to look away, biting down the rage and confusing heartbreak.
Kallisto looked away first, plastering back on her beauty queen smile, and turned her attention towards a group of women discreetly eyeing me up and down.
"What did you hope to get from this marriage? Did you wish for love?" It was Cibeles who stood behind me. Surprisingly, there was no malice coming from."Did you expect fidelity and love in a marriage with a man like my son?" There was pity in her voice. I turned to face her. Her eyes were sad, the mask of cold dignity disappearing and replaced by a dazed pain.
"I was you, Dove," she said quietly. "I was forced into something I didn't want, given away by my father, who cared more for money than his only daughter," she scoffed bitterly. I invited Kallisto tonight," she said unapologetically.
"Why?" I asked, confused, feeling like I had awakened from an illusion. His kisses and warm smiles were a lie.
"I wanted to spare you, to show you the truth. It was mercy." She sounded pleased with herself."My sons are not fond of me, and I'm sure you've realized that," she laughed."Their father took them from me and morphed them into those heartless monsters they are today. Evil runs in their blood." I listened to what sounded like the confessions of a lonely woman."I had to learn quickly how to accept what my husband did, the unforgiving violence and cruelty he taught. He exposed them to horrors no child should ever know." She moved closer to me, touching my hand in a motherly way. Her kindness was stark compared to the years of pain and hatred in her eyes. "I did my duty, played my part. We cannot escape fate, no matter how cruel," she whispered.
" D on't follow me," I commanded one of Meroveo's men, who followed close behind me, about to protest but took another look at me and nodded, walking away, leaving me alone on the terrace balcony away from the party with an unparalleled view of the city.
I was desperate to breathe in the night breeze, cooling the anger I felt pulsing in my veins.Why did it hurt so much? When did I start believing that we could grow into something more? I let my guard down and became swallowed up by him. I was lost under his spell. I clutched my hands and refused to cry.
"My sister-in-law can be very cruel. I hope you don't hold that against her. She's a victim like the rest of us."It was a woman's voice emerging from the shadows of the trees. Dressed in black, with a red head wrap. Dark liner rimmed her black eyes. A snake coiled around her neck, with coal black scales and a red underbelly. It lifted its head, slithering around her, before resting on her shoulders and watching me.
A presence came with her arrival—disrupting the air. Something hovered with her aura while moving in the shadows. I heard stories at Monteverde about how the family had made deals with spirits who could control them.
She was like Meroveo.
"My name is Zoraida. I am Thalia's mother." She smiled, introducing herself. Like every other De Los Santos, she was smoking a large cigar. The golden bracelets twinkled with her movements, and I noticed the beads that hung from her waist, signifying her status—she was a priestess.
"I'm not fond of those parties. The people make me sick." she blew from her cigar.There was something ominous yet comforting about her.
"I wanted to go to the wedding, but I am guilty of being a recluse," she smiled, laughing to a private joke, her long fingernails touching the beading on her waist."Those spirits," she said, her sharp eyes moving along with the sudden sway of the trees. "Those little Zemi, your momo as you call them, are very protective of you." She gestured to the air, and their invisible footsteps sounded like rustling leaves to an untrained ear.
"I think they just like guava jam," I answered.
She laughed, revealing a single gold tooth. "I understand now," she nodded, looking me over. "Your mother is a mighty woman, as are you." "Not just any woman can capture a man's soul with a look. Especially Meroveo, who is as vile as they come in this world and any other."
The snake lifted its head, slithering behind her ear, watching me. Its tongue flickered in and out as she offered her hand, and it moved to wrap around her wrist."You have his soul."She looked at me, but her gaze was elsewhere, seeing something I couldn't. Her mood became more solemn."It's impossible to break the tie that binds you together." The hushed words were a warning."The light of the moon and the unknown dark, giving breath, the two merging in creation. The ancient hymn has always told it so."
I stared at Zoraida.
"The choice will be yours." She smiled, but her words remained cryptic.
The sound of loud, sudden explosions interrupted us. The blast was forceful, sending powerful shockwaves through the air, the intensity so powerful it shook the ground like an earthquake. Several blasts imploded in the air, one after the other. The sound of more explosives going off in the distance.The bright orange flames and thick plumes of dark smoke rose into the night sky. I heard the screams, watching in horror as people scattered in every direction.
"Missus De Los Santos," a man rushed to my side and pulled me to safety. I turned around, ready to protest that Zoraida needed protection as well.
But she had disappeared.
"Where did she go?" I insisted, shouting above the emergency sirens, blaring and piercing the building's alarm.
He looked around, confused, bewildered, growing impatient, eager to get me away.
"Senora, there is no one there."
In the shroud of horrified shock, I realized there was only one way in and out through the arched door.
Zoraida was never here.