Page 98 of Fortune's Kiss
“I suppose we have more in common than you thought.”She stroked his cheek.He flinched.“I thought this was a game to you.Is it no longer fun?Now will you take me more seriously, Miguel?”
“Is this what you really want?”he whispered.
“Yes.”She lifted her chin.“Why are you even questioning me, Señor Gamemaker?You have whatyouwant, don’t you?”
“No,” he croaked.
“What exactly happened with your precious little Ana Lùcia?Tell me.”
His face pinched.“She … became a Gamemaker …” He spat out the words as if they burned his mouth.They stopped in front of a door.“Please, you don’t want to do this!”
“Wait a moment.”Lo giggled.“Your beloved became a Gamemaker?Oh!I understand.She must be the one in charge here.You don’t want me to destroy her.”
“Lorena—”
“Well, that’s just too bad.”She pushed past him and flung the door open, revealing a suite fit for a king.Hundreds—no, thousands of candles illuminated the room.Golden flames clashed with the silver moonlight leaking through the floor-to-ceiling windows.Everything looked as if it had been dipped in gold and sprinkled with crushed diamonds.The glittery glass floor, the plush furniture, the fur rugs, and the velvet curtains.The back wall was pure gold with different gems poking out.Bloodred rubies, fiery amber, tearstained aquamarine, along with glittering opals and diamonds.Sitting in the center of the shining extravagance was a woman sipping wine.
It wasn’t Ana Lùcia.
Bouncy brown curls framed her beautiful bronze face.Inquisitive eyes stared at Lo.Familiar ones.
“Lorena,” she sighed.
The room’s glittering opulence became dizzying.Lo’s legs almost gave out on her.This was another trick of the house, or her broken mind had finally turned against her.
It was Mamá.
She wore a tailored suit, a marigold at her lapel.
“Hija.”Mamá set aside the wine and slowly stood.
Dios, this was real.It reallywasMamá.
“You’re … alive!”Lo choked.The joy coursing through her was almost too much to handle.Sheknewit.Everyone else hadbeen wrong.She rushed to Mamá to hug her, but her mind caught up with her heart.
Mamá was safe.She wasn’t tied up or hurt.Her eyes weren’t bloodshot after endlessly crying.There was no villain holding her captive.In fact, it looked like she had been living like a queen.
Lo stopped in front of her.Strange—they were the same height.Lo no longer had to look up to meet her eyes.
Just like the illusion created by La Dama, Mamá hadn’t aged a day since she left, but there was something different about her.
Her eyes lacked their warm sparkle.No matter how terrible her father was, no matter how loudly he screamed at her or how vile his threats, Mamá could always pull herself together with a playful wink and sweet smile for her daughters.But now she stared blankly, calm and cool.
“I thought you were dead … La Dama—”
“I know,” Mamá said.“Everyone else was convinced of my demise.You have a much stronger will.While it’s admirable, some things are better kept secret.”She sat back down.“Now, please, sit.Your feet must be hurting.”
She remembered.As a child, Lo had complained of her achy feet whenever she had to walk for a long time.Her father would snarl at her to stop complaining, but Mamá would pick her up and carry her the rest of the way.
Lo shook her head.“No, thank you.I’ll stand.”
Mamá’s eyebrows twisted, but she looked more amused than hurt.
“What happened to you?”
“I could ask you the same, Lorena.I see you’ve found your way to the heart of Fortune’s Kiss.”
Lo stared.How did she—
