Infinity Reaper (Infinity Cycle #2) - Adam Silvera Page 0,119

her do to get him to listen. “We’ll fly Maribelle somewhere safe. Anywhere in particular we should meet you?”

Sera is rocking baby Maribelle back and forth while brushing the full head of hair I was born with. She tearfully looks up at Mama and Papa and even though I can’t sense their emotions I trust they know what’s coming as clear as a vision. “This is my and Bautista’s last fight. I’ve seen our corpses in the very near future, and the only way you can help us is by taking care of our daughter.”

Papa is shaking his head. “Sera, you’re not going anywhere. Maybe you’re reading the vision wrong. Don’t play into it.”

Mama is crying, and whenever she cried in life, it was always hard for me to watch. This time I won’t turn away. “I know it’s hard, Lestor, but her visions have never been wrong. The last time we didn’t trust her power, it only broke our hearts even more. . . .” She places one hand on her stomach and rubs Papa’s arm, soothing him as he fights back his own tears.

I’m confused until I realize that Mama must’ve had a miscarriage—a loss that Sera would’ve foreseen. I don’t know how painful that must’ve been for them, and if they ever planned on telling me, but I want to hug Mama and Papa so much.

The desperation and devastation is building within Sera. “I wish more than anything to have seen our girls grow up together. . . . I’m heartbroken I won’t even get to see my little sunflower blossom. But you two can. I need you to raise Maribelle as your own. Do not let anyone, especially the Blood Casters, know that she’s mine. I can’t have my mother using her the way she’s used me my entire life.”

Mama nods immediately, so ready to welcome me as her daughter, and Papa is still in shock. “We’ll love her as we already have,” she says. “It will never feel like a charade, but what do we do if her powers take after Bautista? There is no fire in our bloodlines.”

“Then bind them,” Sera says as she hands Papa the journal. “Bautista tested my potion on Price, and it worked. When she’s older and safe, you decide what she knows or doesn’t. But her life is more important to me than the truth. Understood?”

“Yes,” Mama says.

“Lestor?”

“You and Bautista saved our lives. We’ll do anything for you,” Papa says.

Sera stares into her daughter’s eyes. “Be strong and be loved, Maribelle Córdova de León. Your father and I have constellations of love for you.” She kisses baby Maribelle’s forehead and squeezes her against her chest before passing her over to Mama.

There’s something about this handoff that makes me feel like I’m watching myself being born.

“Be well,” Sera whispers to everyone.

Papa opens the window and he’s the first to fly out. Mama makes sure the blanket is secured around the baby before pausing to give Sera one last look. Then Mama smoothly flies outside, and Sera and I watch them soaring into the distance.

This is the first time my family took to the skies together. And the last time my birth mother ever saw me.

Forty-Six

Bautista De León

EMIL

In every great time-travel story, the person returning to the past brings spoilers with them.

Even though I know Luna is ultimately the one who kills Bautista, I’m still not sure how this battle is going to play out between the original Spell Walker and this basilisk Blood Caster. I so badly wish I could take over so Bautista can catch up with Sera and Maribelle and say his goodbyes, but I’m powerless in this space.

Green acid flies toward Bautista and he shoulder rolls into a room with shelves of colorful gem-grenades. He’s calculating something as he ducks behind one of the dozen barrels in here. I almost hide with him, but the Blood Caster can’t see me when he comes in.

“Who was that precious baby?” he asks.

Back at Gleam Care, when Stanton attacked, he was able to track us quickly. I don’t know if this Blood Caster has the same abilities, but he’s moving fast in the direction of Bautista. I can sense that Bautista is nervous. I don’t know if it’s because he’s in a room of explosives or because an adversary might figure out that Maribelle is his daughter.

The Blood Caster stops in his tracks, sniffing the air, and Bautista hops from behind the barrel and jumps into this unbelievable swing kick