Dinner was awkward once more. It seemed like Isabela’s proposal all over again. Thankfully, with all the townspeople in Casita seeking shelter Dolores hadn’t had a chance to tell everyone what she had overheard. At dinner, however, she sat there awkwardly as if she was going to break at any second, even with Mariano and Señora Guzman there.
Camilo kept glancing at his sister, casting a warning look at her. Mirabel stared at her from across the table. Sofía wouldn’t even look at anyone. She bit her lip anticipating what would occur.
“Water?” Isabela offered Mirabel from across the table.
Pepa worriedly glanced at her anxious children, a cloud forming over her head.
“Miraboo? Are you okay?” Agustín asked his daughter.
“Oh, yeah, I’m fine,” she said, though her facial expression led the others to think otherwise.
Abuela chuckled awkwardly before discussing the situation they were in. “If the invaders are returning, we need to prepare for the worst. Dolores, any new information?”
Dolores squeaked but shook her head.
Mirabel quickly said, “Nothing new… it’s just so loud for her,”
She squeaked again but… she broke, again. Dolores leaned over and whispered in Félix’s ear, causing him to choke on his water. Thankfully he learned from last time, therefore he didn’t spit his water all over anyone.
He then proceeded to spread the information to his wife, whose cloud grew rapidly, thundering heavily.
“Clear skies, clear skies,” Pepa murmured to herself, running her fingers through her auburn hair.
“What is going on?” Abuela demanded.
“It’s like the proposal all over again,” Camilo murmured, trying to hide his fear that the secret had been leaked.
“Sofía had a dream about the invaders. One of them was targeting her because of her ancestry!” Dolores blurted out.
“Ancestry?” Julieta questioned.
“She’s a demigod! The invaders want immortality! And now we’re all doomed!”
“A what?” Abuela asked, wondering if she heard her granddaughter correctly.
“Is this true, Sofía?” Julieta asked.
“I… yeah…” she replied, refusing to look at anyone, continuing to stare down at her untouched food.
“What’s a demigod?” Antonio asked.
“Someone who’s got one parent who’s a god and one who’s human,” Sofía answered him.
“That’s so cool!” he exclaimed. “Who are your parents?”
“My dad’s the Greek god of the forge, Hephaestus. My mom was a mortal,”
“I’m sorry, what?” Mariano spoke up. “How is that even possible?”
“It just… happens,” Sofía shrugged.
“I wish I was a demigod!” Antonio piped up.
“No, Toñito. Your mommy and daddy love you so much,” she said. Then she added in a playful tone, “Plus, there’s monsters!”
Antonio giggled. “What kind of monsters?”
“Greek monsters that try to kill you. And you have to kill them to survive with a celestial bronze weapon. They’ll disintegrate into dust and go to Tartarus before they reform on Earth years later. They’ll follow demigods everywhere,”
Antonio stared at her in awe. “Wow!”
“Is that why your camp is so dangerous?” Julieta asked.
Sofía nodded. “We have ambrosia and nectar to heal us… but if you eat too much, you’ll disintegrate. And only demigods can consume it. We train a lot. Capture the flag is one of the best camp games we have. We fight with swords there too,”
Señora Guzman opened her mouth and closed it multiple times before saying, “Um, if monsters follow you, is that why the invaders are attacking?”
Everyone turned to look at her. “No, Señora. The invaders are not Greek monsters. However, they do seem to know the mythology. They’re interested in immortality. And they think they can get to it by attacking me,”
“How would they even reach immortality?” Camilo asked.
“Well… the gods have to give it to them. My friend Percy was once offered immortality. He denied it though,”
“Why wouldn’t you want immortality?”
“Because, Señor Estúpido, would you want to watch everyone that you care about to die right in front of your eyes and you live forever and ever? It sounds like Hades sent you to the Fields of Punishment for eternal damnation if you ask me,”
Camilo sat there awkwardly once he realized Sofía had made a valid point.
“But what does this mean for us?” Señora Guzman asked. “Why do they want immortality?”
“Because,” Sofía said. “They want revenge. And they want it to last for all eternity,”
YOU ARE READING
Abre Los Ojos || Camilo Madrigal
RomanceSofía Valdez and her twin brother Leo have been through a lot. Their mother died in a fire when they were young and have been on the run since, traveling from orphanage to orphanage. But after returning from the war ending in Gaea's defeat, Sofía le...
