Page 125 of Cemetery Boys

“Don’t!” Yadriel shouted, but it was too late.

Catriz hissed between his teeth and squeezed his fist. The blood dropped into the water. The flames burned bright, casting glowing lights of green and blue across the walls.

Yadriel watched as a huge jaguar paw moved beneath the water. Its back rose from the cenote, a curve of iridescent black fur. Its spots shimmered in shades of venomous green and quetzal blue. The large head of a jaguar broke through the surface, revealing huge, bone-white teeth and a bloodred tongue.

Frenzied panic shot through Yadriel, a choked shout lodging in his throat. He scrambled back, placing himself between Julian and the cenote. He couldn’t believe what he was seeing.

The jaguar’s mouth yawned open, large enough to swallow a man whole, before it sank back into the water.

Yadriel had no plan, but if he didn’t do something, he would lose everything. His mom and the rest of his relatives would all become trapped in Xibalba, and he would never see them again. His father, Lita, Diego, and all the other brujx would be in grave danger. Julian, his body bleeding out on the stone table, would die and his spirit would be trapped in the amulet, just like Miguel and the others. No one would find peace. No one would be safe.

Yadriel had to keep Bahlam from rising.

TWENTY-THREE

Yadriel didn’t want to hurt his tío, he just wanted to make him stop.

As Tío Catriz stood over the cenote, muttering as the blood dripped and the water roiled, Yadriel looked at Julian’s body. The golden wisps of smoke were quickly fading as the dagger drained his body of its life.

If he was going to stop Bahlam from returning, if he was going to save his tío, then he needed to stop the ritual.

Yadriel ran to Julian’s body and tried to yank the dagger out of his chest, but before he could get his hands on it, Catriz grabbed Yadriel from behind and threw him to the floor. Yadriel crashed to the ground, sharp pain exploding in his head.

“Yads!” Julian’s spirit tried to drag itself to Yadriel’s side, but could hardly move.

“It’s too late to stop it,” his tío said, placing himself between Yadriel and Julian.

But there was no way he was going to give up.

Yadriel threw his entire body weight at Tío Catriz, but he sidestepped him with surprising ease, hardly bothered.

Scrambling to his feet, Yadriel tried again.

This time, Catriz turned and caught him, barely even budging. His bloody hand was an iron grip, his fingers tightening painfully around Yadriel’s upper arm.

Yadriel tried to pull away from him. He’d never seen such a look of anger, of barely contained violence, on his tío’s face before. The amulet around his neck burned bright, pulsing with power. It was doing this to him, corrupting Catriz with the poisonous, vicious magic of Bahlam.

Yadriel hissed between his teeth, cringing as his tío gave him a rough shake.

“Don’t make me hurt you, Yadriel!” his voice boomed through the cavernous crypt. His lips peeled back over his teeth. His eyes burned, their whites visible all around his dark irises.

Suddenly, the jaguar headdress was yanked from Tío Catriz’s head and sent flying.

“DON’T TOUCH HIM!”

Surprise flashed across his face before his head jerked back. Tío Catriz let out an angry shout and released Yadriel.

He stumbled back to see Maritza with a fistful of Catriz’s hair.

“I’LL KICK YOUR ASS MYSELF!” she shouted furiously, dragging him away from Yadriel.

A monstrous snarl twisted Catriz’s face. In two swift motions, he knocked Maritza’s hand away and then caught her by the throat.

Teeth bared, Maritza fought him tooth and nail, kicking wildly and clawing at his arms, swiping for his face with a frenzied look in her eyes. It wasn’t clear if Tío Catriz was holding on to her or trying to keep her away.

White-hot anger exploded in Yadriel’s head.

He charged for Catriz again, but his uncle tossed Maritza away and kneed Yadriel in the side. He collapsed to the ground, moaning and curling up against the splitting pain.