Fated

candles, decapitated marigold heads, a plate piled high with ornately decorated sugar skull candies, a crystal carafe filled with something resembling red wine but that could just as easily be blood, and at least a hundred black-and-white photos of blank smiling faces strewn along the top. His back turned, arms embracing a glowing metal container that floods the room with a brilliant spectrum of light.
    “So you made it,” he says, not bothering to face me. Taking a moment to shush Coyote when he adds, “And just in time too. I knew you’d see the beauty of my plan. And now, because of it, the victory is ours to share.”
    The undead Richters make horrible yipping sounds, as Cade turns, his eyes red and glowing behind his own gruesome skull mask that looks a lot like the demon face I know from the dream.
    “Smell that?” He tosses his head back, makes a show of inhaling deeply. “It’s the sweet scent of insecticide. Had to spray the whole place. Seems a cockroach managed to sneak his way in just the other day.” His gaze levels on mine, flaring in amusement when he adds, “Wasn’t you, was it?”
    I don’t reply. Don’t so much as flinch. I just secure the bat from his view and tighten my grip. Determined to at least give the appearance of holding my own, even though deep down inside, I’m quaking all the way to my toes.
    “I can’t tell you how happy I am that you’ve come. That you’ve decided to join me in a moment so great.” He hugs the container close to his chest. “The second it’s over, we’ll go straight to my father—though don’t be surprised if Leandro doesn’t accept you at first. He may even move in to kill you—but I’ll be right by your side and I won’t let that happen. Besides, once we’ve had a chance to explain it, once he sees for himself just how much we can accomplish by working together, I know he’ll see the brilliance of my plan.” He lifts his shoulders in a way that causes the orb to lift, surging so precariously toward the lip, it’s all I can do to remain rooted in place, to not rush forward and snatch it away. “This is the perfect ending to a ridiculous, primitive feud. It’s also a wonderful beginning to a partnership that’s long overdue. You see, Leandro had it all wrong. Not only did he fail by accidentally conjuring my aberration of a brother—but he failed to understand that the reason we’ve been unable to penetrate the Lowerworld for so long is because our souls have become too dark for admittance. And mine, as I’m sure you know, is the darkest of all.” His eyes flare with pride. “Then again, it’s the pure blackness of my soul that led me to them—the solution.”
    He nods toward the gathering of undead Richters—the entire lot of them yipping and yelping with excitement over the meal to come. Their enthusiasm causing Cade to shout, “Silence! Can’t you see that I’m talking? Sheesh!” Shaking his head and returning to me as he says, “So anyway, where were we?”
    “Your dark and desolate soul.” I tap the bat against the back of my calf, prepared to use it at the first sign of trouble.
    He nods again. “Little does Leandro know, but during last year’s Día de los Muertos, I brought them all back. And not just their essence. I actually raised them. They’re all Richters—resurrected Richters! I started by feeding them bits of animal souls. I’m telling you, there’s no shortage of worthless pets in this town.” He shakes his head, as though he can hardly believe the nuisance, the folly. “But then, over the last year, I’ve started feeding them human souls. Sometimes taking entire souls—sometimes just prying off little bits. It’s amazing how easy they are to obtain. Some people just hand ’em right over, they have no regard for their lives. Though most have no clue they’ve been taken, and even when they do suspect, they’re usually quick to convince themselves it was merely a nightmare.” His eyes fix on mine, and I can’t help but wonder if he’s referring to my own dream-turned-nightmare. “Anyway, for the record, I learned how to do it all on my own. Leandro refused to teach me the fine art of soul stealing—claimed I wasn’t ready, but I think I’ve proved otherwise.” He pauses as though awaiting my praise, and when it fails to appear, he says, “Oh, don’t look so sorry. It’s not like any of those people were using their souls for anything truly worthy or good. Our cause is much