(eng) Michael La Ronn - Galaxy Mavericks 04 by Garbage Star

Author:Garbage Star [Star, Garbage]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 14

Eddie followed his mother around the pod as she placed candles on the windowsills. Eddie lit them, one by one, and soon the pod was aglow with flickering flames, and the air tasted of wax and smoke.

“Is this really necessary?” Eddie asked.

Xiomara turned to Eddie. “Has Saint Death grabbed hold of you?”

Saint Death. La Santa Muerte. The patron saint of death. Legend had it that a long, long time ago, back on Earth, back in their mother country of Mexico, killings and drug cartels and violence were so rampant that some people, out of desperation, prayed to Saint Death instead. She was known for granting favors, little acts that saved lives. Since she was always bringing death to Mexico, it was better to pray to her so that she wouldn’t bring it to you.

At least that was how the legend went. Eddie didn’t believe it. He believed in God and Jesus, and a few patron saints, but the whole Saint Death thing—images of a cloaked saint with a smiling skull, sitting on a mantel surrounded by candles—always put him on edge.

“No,” he said. “She doesn’t have hold of me. And neither does Satan, Mamá.”

Xiomara shook her head. “Whether you know it or not, you opened your heart to demons, mijo. If only for a moment. We’ve got to fix it.”

Eddie kept following her around. They returned to the kitchen, where Xiomara opened a cupboard under the sink and pulled out several bottles of holy water. She had a big supply of them in her job as assistant pastor at the church.

She loaded them onto Eddie. The bottles had brown crosses on them and they glistened blue.

“Agua bendita?” Eddie asked. “Mamá—”

Xiomara pointed to the corners of the pod.

“Get to sprinkling,” she said. “We still have to cover the plant.”

“Am I the only one here who believes what I did wasn’t wrong?” Eddie asked.

Mama Tonia slid open the door to the pod and entered. Upon seeing the candles, she crossed herself.

“What is going on?” Mama Tonia asked.

“We are exorcising the pod,” Xiomara said.

“But why?” Mama Tonia asked. “Did my son finally admit that all that trash brings in bad spirits? I’ve said it from the very beginning.”

“Not quite Mamá,” Xiomara said.

“He didn’t do anything stupid, did he?”

“I ran into a bit of trouble, Mama Tonia,” Eddie said.

Mama Tonia’s eyes widened.

“It’ll be okay,” Eddie said.

“Of course it will,” Mama Tonia said. “My Eddie would never open the door to the devil. He grew up in the pews. Jesus stands with you, mijo.”

She took Eddie’s arm.

Xiomara handed Mama Tonia a bottle of holy water. She opened it and splashed an arc on the kitchen counter.

“Señor santo, le ruego que bendice esta casa!!”

“Mamá, not yet,” Xiomara said.

“What?” Mama Tonia said. “You handed me the water. What did you think I was going to do, eh?” She leaned in to Eddie. “What kind of trouble did you get yourself into, mijo?”

“It’s nothing, Mama Tonia.”

“It’s all right. You can tell me,” she said. “I took my blood pressure medicine today.

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