Chapter 96: HCA - Bruno Cruz
Faye POV
The fucking hell... did he just swallow a fish? Without chewing?
I’m not even surprised he ate it, but the fact that he just gulped it down so easily...
Who the fuck does he think he is, some pink hair guy?
My body was still weak from the pain. It felt like I lost consciousness for a while. Every time I tried to breathe, it felt like my ribs were grinding together. My vision was blurry at the edges, flickering like a dying light bulb. But even through the haze, I was still able to witness that skinny dude swallow a whole blue fish.
Everyone went quiet. The air in the room felt heavy and stagnant, like we were all holding our breath at the same time. We were waiting for something to happen. A glow, a scream, a transformation. But nothing did. Patrick just stood there, dripping wet and looking ridiculous.
"Are we supposed to wait for a transformation, or were you just hungry for sushi?" Malo said, staring at him. Malo’s voice was the only thing breaking the silence, sharp and annoyed.
"So, the moon goddess favored you?" Princess said, folding her arms. She didn’t look impressed. She looked like she was waiting for the punchline to a joke that wasn’t funny.
"Just wait and see. In no time, I’m going to kill Peamah Frost and anyone who tries to stop me," Patrick muttered. He tried to sound threatening, but his voice cracked.
But his face... it showed confusion, like something wasn’t right. He was looking at his hands, flexing them, expecting power to surge through his veins. Instead, he just looked like a guy who’d eaten raw pet food.
"Oh, that was fun. I would have loved to see you try and kill them but it’s impossible now, you almost ate my Abuelita Rosa’s Blue Fish..." the bold unseen voice finally spoke. It didn’t sound like a monster or a god. It turned out to be some 7 year old.
"What did you do? You ruined my plan! That fish was supposed to give me the power to kill him. I knew it the moment I saw it!" Patrick screamed. He looked like he was losing his mind. All that effort, all that gross swallowing, for nothing.
"You’re boring me. Go to sleep," Bruno said.
The kid sounded like he was dismissing a servant. Immediately, Patrick dropped. No warning, no stagger. He just went limp like his strings were cut. He collapsed straight into the water with a heavy splash.
Two boys rushed to lift him up before he drowned. They grabbed his shoulders and hauled his head above the surface.
That was when everyone realized just how powerful that kid was and that he wasn’t someone to mess with. He didn’t even have to try. He just spoke, and it happened.
Still... I felt bad for Patrick.
He had every reason to be angry. His uncle was killed, and he didn’t get justice. I knew that feeling, the way bitterness sits in your gut and rots everything. But dragging everyone into danger for revenge... that wasn’t it. He was going to get us all killed for a grudge that wasn’t ours to carry.
"Okay, now that that’s solved, good thing I teleported that fish just in time you all would have been dead. So my next game will be...."
"What in the great heavens are you doing, nino?"
A voice cut through. It was loud and firm, the kind of voice that makes you stand up straighter even if you aren’t the one being yelled at.
"Abuelita Rosa, I was just.."
"Don’t tell me you are at it again. How many times have I warned you not to use your powers for mischief?"
We all just stood there, listening as the grandmother scolded him. It was surreal. A few seconds ago we were in a life or death situation, and now we were hearing a kid get grounded.
Then suddenly
The red lights disappeared. The blinding, angry glow faded away, replaced by the normal, soft lights of the hotel. The water vanished. Everything went back to normal.
We were all seated in the lobby. The air was still and quiet now, but the smell of damp clothes stayed with us. Princess wrapped a duvet around me, she was trying to take care of me. The fabric was thick and warm.
Patrick was still unconscious on one of the sofas. Peamah too. They looked pale under the lobby lights. Sasha looked half awake, still weak. She was leaning against the wall, her eyes glazed over.
Seeing them like that made me wonder... how was it possible? They were in the same pain as me but I was recovering faster. I could feel my strength coming back, my heart rate settling down. Why was I the lucky one?
Princess was kneeling in front of me, drying my legs with a towel. She was being so careful, like I was made of glass. I just stared at her. Her face... it was filled with worry. With guilt. It was in the way her eyebrows pulled together and how she wouldn’t meet my eyes.
"Hey... I’m fine, okay? You don’t need to look like that," I said, reaching for her face. My fingers were still a bit cold, but I wanted her to stop blaming herself.
"This is my fault," she said softly. Her voice was small, which wasn’t like her at all. "I shouldn’t have let you come with us. I put you in danger... I put my pups in danger..."
"That’s why I said I’m fine, Princess. Don’t blame yourself. None of us knew this would happen," I said, trying to ease her. I squeezed her hand. We were all in this together, and she couldn’t predict a magical 7 year old.
She leaned into my palm for a moment, closing her eyes. She took a deep breath, trying to steady herself. Then she opened them again, still worried. The guilt was deep in her, and I knew it wouldn’t go away that easily.
Nathaniel walked in, carrying Coach on his back. Coach looked like he was dead to the world.
Turns out the coach had been asleep the entire time in his room completely unaware of everything. Nathaniel laid him down on a chair.
"Everyone... someone has an apology to give."
We all turned.
An older woman stood there, looking exhausted. Behind her was a young red haired boy with glasses and neatly tucked clothes. He looked... innocent. He looked like the kind of kid who would help you find your lost dog. Like he hadn’t just tried to use us all as his too.
He stared at the floor as he spoke.
"I’m sorry for what I did. I promise to be a good boy and do good things... I hope you won’t sue my Abuelita’s hotel."
Hearing his real voice... it made him sound even more harmless. It was high and squeaky. Princess stood up, pulling the duvet tighter around me before she stepped forward.
"I’m sure this isn’t the first time he’s done something like this. An apology won’t stop him from doing it again. He needs to be punished so he thinks twice before putting lives in danger," she said. Her voice was back to being strong. She wasn’t going to let him off easy just because he looked cute in glasses.
The grandmother nodded. She looked sad, but she agreed.
"I understand, Miss Kings. What was done cannot be undone. That is why I’ve decided to send him to a boarding school... so he can learn to use his powers properly. My sincere apologies."
"No! Not boarding school! I hate boarding school! It’s filled with sweaty people and they don’t let you use magic!" the boy protested. He stomped his foot, the innocent act disappearing in a second.
Before he could continue, a man in a suit lifted him up like the child he was. He tucked the boy under his arm like a bag of groceries.
"Take him to his room," the grandmother ordered.
"Princess Kings!" the boy shouted as he was carried away. He was kicking his legs, his face turning bright red. "You gave me your word you wouldn’t kill me and now you’re going back on it! Don’t you dare forget my face! I will come back and make you regret this!"
His voice echoed through the lobby as he was taken into the elevator. The doors closed, but I could still hear him screaming for a few seconds. I shivered again, and this time, it wasn’t from the cold.
I kept my eyes on the elevator. I didn’t want to forget his face either. Because I had a feeling this wasn’t the last time we’d hear the name Bruno Cruz.
