CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
"Cut to the chase, Juana. I need your help with some errands. Do you drive?" Cherry asked, pacing around the room.
Juana nodded her eyes locking on Cherry's. "¡Si! (Yes!), I do, but..."
Her voice trailed off and her face showed hesitation.
Cherry stopped pacing with her hands on her hips. "But what?"
Juana's shoulders rose in a cautious shrug. "You were pretty clear about not overstepping boundaries. Driving is Carlos' turf, and being your PA is mine."
"I call the shots here, don't I?" Cherry asked. She didn't know where the boldness to instruct came from.
Juana nodded slowly.
"Get the keys from Carlos. I need you to run some errands for me," Cherry instructed.
But Juana remained rooted.
She recalled Amy's stern warning: "Never touch the keys, no matter what I say or anyone. It might be a test of your obedience."
The memory of their near-accident still lingered, making Amy give the rule.
The first time Juana handled the steering with Amy sitting at the back they almost got into a brutal accident due to the alcohol she took.
Juana's resolve crumbled, replaced by a rebellious spark.
"What's the point of this job, anyway?" she thought. "If Amy gets upset, it's the perfect exit strategy. I'm just doing this for Madam Yo,"
Her expression transformed with a mask of obedience slipping into place.
"Okay, I'll get right on it," Juana said with false enthusiasm.
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Juana pounded on Carlos' door like a drumbeat.
Carlos opened up with curiosity and annoyance.
"What's the rush?" he asked, eyeing Juana's outstretched hand.
"The key!" Juana snapped, avoiding eye contact.
Carlos raised an eyebrow. "What key?"
Juana's voice rose. "Amy said I should get the keys from you!"
Carlos' expression turned skeptical. "Since when?"
Juana's patience snapped. "Since just now! Stop stalling and hand it over!"
Carlos scoffed with a smirk spreading across his face.
"You think I'm just going to hand over the keys because Amy allegedly said so?"
He leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed.
"Juana, you know the rules."
Juana's eyes flashed, her jaw clenched.
"Fine. Play dumb. But I have a job to do."
"Why are you acting all proud? By the way I can't give it to you till I have confirmed."
Juana tapped her foot impatiently. "Verify quickly, I'm on a tight schedule."
Carlos raised an eyebrow but dialed a number.
"Miss Amy, did you instruct Juana to get the keys?"
He listened briefly, nodding. "Okay."
He handed Juana the keys with a serious expression.
"Be careful with her this time, Juana. Amy won't tolerate another mishap."
Juana snatched the keys with her eyes flashing.
"I've always been careful! It was the alcohol" Juana rolled her eyes.
But Carlos' words cut through like a sharp knife:
"Alcohol or not, you deliberately wanted to harm her, Juana! You took a reckless chance!"
She could feel Carlos' accusation piercing her skin.
Still, she didn't look back and didn't dignify his words with a response.
She kept walking with the keys clutched tightly in her fist, until Carlos' voice faded into the distance.
Juana entered Amy's room and was enveloped in darkness.
"Ma'am?" Juana called out, fumbling for her phone's flashlight.
A faint glow from the corner caught her attention, only to vanish as Cherry swiftly covered the spell book.
"Are you still there, ma'am?" Juana asked with her phone light casting in the shadows.
Cherry's response came from the darkness, "Yes, I am."
Suddenly, footsteps echoed, and the lights flickered back to life.
Cherry stood by the switch with a composed face, but her eyes betrayed her nervousness.
Juana fake smiled "Any particular reason for the sudden blackout, ma'am?"
Cherry's laughter sounded forced. "No, no... just testing the new smart bulbs."
Juana's eyes narrowed slightly, her gaze lingering on Cherry's.
"Dark light globes, huh?" Juana repeated with slight doubt.
"Oh okay I've got the keys, what I'm I going to get for you?"
Cherry stretched out a list and gave it to her.
"These are the items I need."
Cherry had reopened the spell book to write the list of items.
"Oh, okay," Juana said, taking the list Cherry handed her.
"Are you coming with me, or..." Juana trailed off.
"No, you're going alone," Cherry replied.
Juana's gaze stayed on the list with arched eyebrows.
"Ummm..." Juana began.
Cherry's voice cut her off.
"No questions, Juana. Just get them. It's crucial."
Juana was curious but she bit back her words.
"It's about the clear quartz..." she ventured, despite Cherry's warning.
Cherry's eyes flashed.
"I said no questions, Juana."
"Okay..." Juana replied, her voice barely above a whisper.
She folded the list then with a swift turn, she left Amy's room in search of the materials.
"What's gotten into her?" Juana muttered to herself, shaking her head.
"Clear quartz, rosemary, sunflowers, white clothes...it's like she's preparing for some sort of ritual. She's really lost it!"
Juana's brow furrowed and pushed open Amy's room door outside.
Some hours later, Juana burst in, her usually impeccable attire disheveled.
"Ah, 4 pm already," Cherry said, eyes widening as she took in Juana's frazzled state.
The crisp gray suit was now rumpled, with faint green stains.
Hair once neatly coiffed, now framed Juana's face in tangled locks, adorned with tiny twigs.
Cherry's gaze traveled from Juana's harried expression to her scuffed shoes.
"What... happened to you?" Cherry asked with concern.
Juana handed over the bag of items with an irritated voice.
"I had to trek into the fields for those sunflowers."
Cherry's eyes sparkled with apology.
"Thank you, Juana. Sorry about that. Did you get hurt?"
She gently brushed dirt from Juana's shoulder.
Juana froze, her response delayed by Amy's uncharacteristic concern.
"No, I didn't, just a few scratches. The sunflowers put up quite a fight." she said finally.
Her gaze lingered on Cherry, who continued to dust off dirt from Juana's shirt with an unusual tenderness.
"You can go now. Get some rest, take a shower. And return the keys to Carlos."
Juana nodded, turning to leave.
"Alright," she said, her mind already racing with questions.
What had sparked Cherry's sudden kindness?
Was it genuine or just a facade?
Cherry's eyes sparkled as she verified the items.
"I'll have myself back soon!" she exclaimed, her voice barely contained.
Rushing to close the still-open door, she enveloped herself in darkness.
The book's pages rustled as she sought the next instruction.
"Full moonlight... open field... cool breeze."
Frustration crept into Cherry's voice.
"Another field? Where can I find one around here?"
She checked the moon phase on her phone.
"Please be full moon today."
Cherry opened the door and approached a passing worker.
"Excuse me, is there a field nearby?"
The worker's puzzled expression mirrored Cherry's growing impatience.
"A field?" the worker repeated, scanning with her eyes.
"Ah, yes! Head straight from the mansion, you'll find one."
Cherry's eyes lit up.
"Thank you!"
The maid's curious gaze followed Cherry as she disappeared into the mansion.
"Miss Amy knows every inch of this estate," the maid pondered. "What's behind this sudden interest in a field?"
Meanwhile, Cherry's room transformed into a preparation zone.
She gazed out the window, watching darkness descend.
As the moon ascended with its silvery light bathing the landscape, Cherry's face lit up.
Her pearly whites gleamed in the moon's soft glow.
"Yes!" she silently exclaimed, fist clenched in triumph. "It's a full moon!"
Cherry assembled the items ready to sneak out without anyone noticing.