Love Me for Eternity || Bruno Madrigal

Chapter 57: Mirabel's Door

TW: Mild Descriptions of Panic Attacks

—

It was quiet in Bruno's tower. Too quiet.

The scuttles of rats that scampered across rock were absent, the usual howling of wind was dull and muted, and the creaks and cracks that would snake through wood and stone had ceased their musings for the late night hours.

The only sound one might hear as they marvel at this grand tower was the curtain of sand that fell from the hourglass arch of the beat up stairway, the whine of old hinges of a glowing wooden door, and the pitter patter of tiny feet and hooves accompanied with mischievous giggles.

"Shh! You're gonna wake everyone up!" Angelina chided. Ignacio scowled at her and blew a sliver of a flame towards her direction as he slowly closed the door behind him.

"How about you try to open the door? This was your idea in the first place!" Ignacio huffed and stuck his tongue out, a few strings of smoke coming out of his mouth. "You said we were going to sleep with Mira tonight!"

"It's not my fault that she's not in the nursery , " Angelina butted her head against Ignacio's own, a glare setting itself firmly on her eyes. "How was I supposed to know that she's not there?"

"You woke me up in the middle of the night!"

"Well, duh. Mira needed our support."

"But she wasn't there, pendejo! "

"You just said a bad word!"

"No I didn't!"

"Yeah you did!"

"Baa!"

"Stay out of this, Chica!"

"Um, guys," Javier started, his eyes teary and his fingers wrung together. "Please don't fight. We came here to sleep with mami and papá, right? And Mira must've slept with Tia Julieta again, that's why she's not in the nursery."

Angelina and Igancio stared at their youngest brother, their foreheads still butted against each other. They simultaneously let out a sigh and opened their arms to hug their darling Javier tightly.

"Sorry Javi." They both apologized. But before they could separate from their hug, Ignacio spoke in a pouted whisper.

"It was her fault."

"It was not!"

"I told you, no fighting! "

"Baa!"

After Javi had somehow made his two siblings make amends, they tiptoed their way towards the center of the spiraling staircase of their father's tower, craning their necks as far back as they could go. Moonlight spilled from somewhere up top; a mysterious source from the magical candle, they guessed. Contrary from the other times that they visited their parents' room, it was chilly now—the crisp night air nipping at their exposed skins. Ignacio gulped and shivered as he stared at the steep climb up the stone stairs.

"...are we really going to climb that? " He asked his siblings. Angelina and Javier gave him a curious tilt of their heads.

"What do you mean?" Angelina started. "We can just fly our way up—oh. " She stopped mid sentence when Ignacio regarded her with a deadpan look. Javier guiltily looked away at the realization as well.

"Did you—did you really forget that I can't fly?!"

Angelina paused before answering. "...maybe?"

"Angi, we're literally together everyday. How can you forget something like that?!" Ignacio exclaimed. Javier took this chance to grab Ignacio's hand and tugged his sleeve with the other.