“You silly girl.” Eloxo’s face softened, tilting gently to one side, she looked at me as if looking at a dying bird. “You can’t escape from the Emperor. You can’t escape from Tenochtitlán.”
“Sure we can—“
“This is the will of our gods, Kyla,” said Acol. “It is the will of Huitzilopochtli.” He pronounced the long name as Weetz-ee-loh-POCHT-lee. “Any choice has been taken from us long ago.”
“Our choice was taking you in,” said Eloxo, her anger returning. “I treated you as a daughter. You ate like a queen with us. You were given the best clothes I could make.”
“Itzel,” I said, trying to peer through the cell shadows for her. “Are you there?”
I heard a soft voice in the darkness. “Yes, Kyla.”
“You believe me, don’t you? You know I couldn’t mastermind this.”
I heard the gentle tap of bare feet stepping on wet stones. Itzel then appeared in the light of the torch. I shuttered when I saw her face. The left side of her mouth was puffy and bruised. Her left eye nearly swollen shut. The eye brow was dark and bulbous like a small eggplant. Instead of being white and vibrant, the sclera of her eye was maroon and oozy from shattered blood vessels. Dried blood was smeared along her cheek and across her jawline.
“Itzel! What happened?”
“She tried to run,” said her mother. “This is what happens when you try to escape this place.”
“But what happened?” I asked again.
“We had a hearing in the court yesterday,” said Itzel, sounding like she had cotton stuffed under her tongue. “When it was over we were moved from one cell to another. I think we’ve been to at least three since we arrived. When we were being moved to this one, I saw an opportunity to escape.” She paused for a moment to swallow, wincing as she did. “We were in a long line with other prisoners. The rope on my neck was loose and I knew I could slip out of it if I wanted. We passed through the marketplace where some of the other prisoners were taken for sale. When the guards weren’t looking, I slipped out of the noose and ran off. I did my best to mix in with the crowds, not drawing any attention to myself. Trying to just look like another citizen. Hoping they wouldn’t notice I was gone.”
She leaned in closer to the bars, staring at me from under her puffy brow. “The people in the market saw me. They snitched. Women yelled for the guards to come get me. I ran through the crowds, pushing my way past the sellers and animals and food stands. But no one would help me. I felt like the entire city was against me. They tried to slow me down while making way for the guards. I clawed my way as far as I could go, nearly making it past the walls south of the palace. But the people just stared at me as the guards moved in closer. I begged for help, but…it’s hopeless, Kyla.”
“And they hit you?” I asked, my voice barely a whisper.
“I fought with the guards. My family will accept their fate, Kyla, but I will not.”
“Accept it or not, your fate is what will happen,” said Eloxo, turning to her daughter. “The gods do not care what you accept. It will change nothing.”
“What do you mean, Itzel? What is your fate?” I asked.
Itzel winced again as she swallowed and licked her lips. “Sacrifice.”
“No. You can’t die! That’s not fair!”
“It is nothing but fair, you silly girl,” said Eloxo. “Why don’t you just leave us be.”
“I don’t understand,” I said. “Why would they sacrifice all of you for that offense? That can’t be the correct punishment.”
“It’s not punishment, Kyla,” said Acol, finally speaking up again. “Our punishment will be the selling of our home to Cipactli.”
“Then why are you being killed?”
“We don’t know—“ said Acol.
“They say the Emperor has been seeing visions,” said Itzel, interrupting her grandfather. “Frightening visions of death from outsiders.”
“Outsiders like you,” said Eloxo, pointing her accusatory finger.
“Why are you so mad at me?” I was getting fed up with Eloxo’s bitterness. “If all of this is really predestined by the gods then why do you blame me? Why not blame them?”
“Because you are their instrument!” Eloxo nearly lunged at me through the bars. “I couldn’t see it before, but it’s all so clear now. You are their servant, their vessel. You are part of their plan.”
“That’s crazy talk, Eloxo!” I wanted to grab her by the hair and shake her head. “You were so nice to me before! Why have you turned on me like this?” This woman’s worse than Noxo, I thought.
I was so wrapped up in what Eloxo was telling me that I hadn’t even noticed the prison guard standing next to us. He was whispering something to Yolo behind me.
“More guards will be here soon, Kyla,” said Yolo. “We have to go.”
“Not without them,” I said, tears beginning to dampen my cheeks. I wasn’t sure if they were tears of anger or tears of sorrow. “Itzel, Yao. Come with me!”
“No!” said Eloxo, pushing her daughter back with her arm. “None of us will go with you, you witch.”
“But we’ll die here if we stay!” said Itzel. The shadows cast from the torch splashed a creepy copper mask across her distended face.
“Anyone who goes with her will die!” said Eloxo, pointing at me. “She is a witch!”
Itzel looked at me, tears streaming down her face. Yoatl and Acol stood like statues, avoiding eye contact, seemingly beaten down by Eloxo, completely resigned to their destiny.
“You cannot take them, Kyla,” said Yolo. “We must leave now.”
“Leave us to our fate,” said Eloxo. “You have done enough as it is. I pray that our lives will cover the blood-debt you have cursed us with.”
She reached out through the bars and grabbed me by the huipilli. Her eyes looked wide and crazed like a street woman begging for a midday fix.
“I will be in the afterlife soon, Kyla. I will be on my way to Mictlan. And from there, my spirit will haunt your dreams. I will stalk you for the rest of your days until you die. Then you will also return to Mictlan where you belong. And I will be waiting for you.”
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