Castle of the Cursed by Romina Garber

Author:Romina Garber
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: St. Martin's Publishing Group

* * *

I open my eyes to the sun.

There’s an earthy sweetness in the air. My back and neck are stiff, and I’m on the ground, my coat draped over me like a blanket.

I’m shivering and can barely move from weakness. Did Teo leave me in the forest overnight? What about Felipe?

At the thought of him, I force my knees to bend. My arm hurts as I lean on my elbow to sit up and survey my surroundings. The town of Oscuro sprawls below, along with the forest … and twisting my neck, I look up to see la Sombra looming over me.

Teo must have carried me back to the castle. Strange that he didn’t cross the gate, even though his sister isn’t home. Is it possible he knows about Sebastián?

There are Band-Aids on both my arms, and twin bruises are already forming where he inserted the needles. I wince with pain as I stand up, head pulsing.

Miraculously, the key to the castle is still zipped inside my hoodie’s pocket. Once indoors, I go straight to the kitchen and tear into a loaf of bread with my teeth. I drink as much water as I can, finish the gazpacho, and stack crackers with jamón serrano, cheese, and olives until I’m fit to burst.

I don’t see any signs of Beatríz being back. I should call the cops and tell them about Felipe and my uncle and urge them to locate my aunt. Instead, I call Libroscuro.

I dig out the business-turned-library card, and I go into Beatríz’s room because it has the only phone I’ve seen in the castle. I dial the number and hope someone picks up.

“Buen día, se ha comunicado con Libroscuro, ¿con qué le puedo ayudar?”

It’s Felipe’s father. “Arturo? Soy Estela.”

“Ah, Estela, how-are-you?” he asks, making each word sound like its own sentence.

“¿Dónde está Felipe?”

“Ayer se fue a Oviedo a visitar unos amigos. Vuelve en unos días.” He’s visiting friends in Oviedo.

“¿Cuándo habló con él?” I ask Arturo when he last spoke with his son.

“Tempranito esta mañana. Me llamó desde ahí.” Felipe called him early this morning.

Relief comes first, followed by confusion. After what happened last night, Felipe just took off? He didn’t bother to check on me, or tell the authorities what happened?

“¿Quieres que le pase algún mensaje?” prods Arturo after a few seconds of silence.

“No, gracias,” is all I manage to get out before hanging up. I have no message for Felipe because I have no words.

I desperately need to take a bath, but I can barely keep my eyes open. The loss of blood, the lack of energy, all the food I just scarfed down … it’s too much, and I’m overcome with sleep.

I barely make it to my bed before passing out.

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