Ambriel has managed to avoid the 'curse' that has turned most of humanity into monsters. After being separated from her mother as a child, Ambriel keeps her head down by earning her keep as a scavenger. That is until one morning, she ventures too fa...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Carlo attempted a smile, but he was still trying to clear the rancid scent in his nostrils when Ambriel turned away from him. Fresh tears streaked down her dust-glazed cheeks. Without thinking about it, he reached for her. The instant his claw hovered near her face, she flinched and Carlo yanked it back as if he'd been scalded.
Forgot. They don't like to be touched by us. Though I doubt she'd wanna be touched anyway. Even if she didn't think I was...cursed.
"I know I don't have a right to ask, but can you, uh, stay here?" It took everything in him to steady his tone. The adrenaline was still buzzing under his skin, but the thumps of his heart had softened. "Please. While I check on my niece?"
Ambriel nodded her head so vigorously, had he not been experiencing an anxiety attack, Carlo would've laughed. She reminded him of the old-world bobbleheads his father liked to collect. Guilt gnawed at him even deeper when he briefly thought to himself, "Ambriel's a scavenger. She'd probably get a kick out of bobbleheads."
Carlo moved away from Ambriel and eased closer to Maria. Unlike Ambriel who was likely doing everything in her power to avoid sobbing uncontrollably, Maria's face was unapologetically scrunched up as she blubbered behind her little balled fists.
"What's wrong, niña? Are you hurt?"
Maria shook her head and hiccuped, "Why're you screaming at her?"
"Maria," he pleaded and offered his hand. She pulled away defiantly.
Damn. Both of 'em can't stand my ass right now.
"I don't like it when you're mean!"
"Guppy," he tried again. "You know I'd never hurt you, right?"
"You made her cry! It's my fault. Please. Please, don't hurt her."
The weight of his actions, panic-induced or not, hit him like a truck. Something different twisted in his chest this time — shame.
"It's not your fault. It's mine. Should've been payin' more attention. I won't hurt her. Okay?"
When Maria narrowed her eyes at him, Carlo chuckled at how suspicious she was of him. To reassure her, Carlo traced an X in the center of his chest with his finger.
Cross my heart.
A small smile finally broke through Maria's tears, and she darted into her uncle's open arms. Carlo squeezed her and kissed her hair. It was just as grounding for him as it was for her.
"Sorry, okay? Your tío is an assh—" He caught himself before finishing the second syllable.
Maria giggled. "You said a bad word."
"Don't tell yer mama."
Judging from the impish grin that reached her earlobes, Carlo knew she most definitely was going to tell his sister, in great detail. As if allowing her to venture this far without him realizing wasn't going to get him enough trouble. When they both swiveled in Ambriel's direction, they discovered that she was still there, sniffling against the tree he left her against.
