Cemetery Boys(56)

Yadriel sighed.

Maritza shooed him. “Go on after him. I have to go home before my mom kills me.” She gave a short wave before Donatello and Michelangelo pulled her down the street.

Yadriel raced through the headstones to catch up to Julian. Voices came from the church, and he could see through the windows that the brujx had gathered inside. Warm light spilled from the open doors of the church, washing over the steps and path lined with marigolds. A couple of stragglers made their way into the church.

He remembered what his dad had said that morning, that they were having family dinner. Had he meant a meeting? Or was this an impromptu gathering?

Either way, he needed to get Julian safely into his room before he could figure it out. At first, he thought Julian was just going to barge into the house, but he stopped at the door and waited for Yadriel to catch up.

Tentatively, he opened the door a crack and listened. No music, no voices. Everyone must’ve been at the church already. He waved Julian in and ushered him up the stairs. “I need to go to the church,” Yadriel told him as he pulled his phone out of his pocket to check his messages. “Lita is going to kill me if I…” He trailed off.

Julian hadn’t acknowledged him at all. He went right up the stairs.

“Hey,” Yadriel said, watching him from the foot of the steps.

Julian looked back over his shoulder.

Yadriel frowned at him. “Are you okay?”

Julian gave him a withering look.

It was a dumb question. He was dead—he’d been murdered—and he was worried about his friends; of course he wasn’t okay.

“Yadriel?” said a voice from the kitchen.

He froze. The floor creaked. His eyes widened in alarm, but he didn’t have to warn Julian. He disappeared up the stairs and around the corner before Catriz stepped into the living room.

“There you are,” Tío Catriz said with a sigh. “Your dad sent me looking for you.” He frowned and glanced around the empty room. “Who were you talking to?”

“Uh.” Yadriel held up his phone. “Just Maritza.”

Tío Catriz watched him for a moment, for three heartbeats longer than was comfortable, but then his mouth curled into a smile. “You two really are attached at the hip,” he said with a chuckle and a shake of his head.

Yadriel laughed along with him, maybe a little too loud.

“Come on,” he said, waving for Yadriel to follow him. “Your dad called a meeting with everyone. Even the outcasts,” Tío Catriz added with an amused grin.

“Yeah.” His attention was pulled back to Julian. “Let me just ditch my backpack real quick?” Yadriel asked, already inching toward the stairs.

Tío Catriz nodded. “The black sheep might as well show up fashionably late,” he said, smoothing down the front of his dark button-up shirt.

Yadriel hurried to his room.

Julian sat on the edge of his bed, elbows on his knees and hands fidgeting.

Yadriel tossed his backpack onto his desk. “Are you okay?” he asked again, a bit tersely.

“I’m fine,” Julian replied, not even bothering to look at him.

Crossing his arms over his chest, Yadriel considered him for a long moment. He was annoyed with Julian, but he also felt bad for him. The two emotions were at war with each other, making it difficult for Yadriel to sort through. He just wanted to help. Not only Miguel, but everyone, including Julian and his friends, but things were just getting more complicated and difficult. He wished Julian would cut him some slack.

Then again, he probably needed to cut Julian some slack, as well.

Yadriel tried putting himself in his shoes. How would he be handling this, if he was suddenly killed and woke up as a spirit? If he couldn’t speak to his friends and family? If he thought they were in danger?

Yeah, he definitely wouldn’t be handling it well. Probably about as well as Julian. Maybe worse.

Yadriel sighed. “I have to go to church. There’s some big meeting going on.”

When Julian didn’t respond, he headed for the door but then paused with his hand on the knob.

“One thing, though.”

Julian glanced up.

“If you ever throw a tantrum like that again, and I have any reason to think you’re going to hurt someone, especially Maritza…?” Yadriel pulled Julian’s necklace out from under his hoodie, letting the St. Jude medal dangle from his thumb. “I’ll throw this and you down the sewer. Got it?”

Julian’s ears burned bright red. He nodded, shoulders hunching.

“Great.” Yadriel left the room and closed the door with a snap.





TWELVE


All the brujx were gathered in the open-air courtyard behind the church. Receptions were held there, from weddings to birthdays. Archways were cut into the stone, painted the same color as the church. It was filled with long tables covered in serape runners and centerpieces made of tissue-paper carnations in clay vases. Dozens of colorful papel picado were strung up overhead along with paper lanterns.

Tables laden with food were set on the outer edges between the pillars. There was pan de muerto, rice, beans, and large aluminum platters filled with ropa vieja. The shredded beef cooked in spices and red peppers was one of Lita’s specialties.

Lita had ushered all the young brujx to a designated table and put them to work. Eight brujx from ages six to fourteen worked on crafts for Día de Muertos. Molded sugar skulls were waiting to be decorated. Crates full of freshly picked marigolds, chrysanthemums, and deep purple magenta were stacked neatly to the side, making the air smell like sweet apples.