Cece Rios and the Desert of Souls by Kaela Rivera (online e book reading .txt) 📕

left, leaning against Ocelot. And Ocelot’s eyes implied a deep, gentle encouragement that I could feel all the way through her soul.

“Thank you. All of you. We wouldn’t be here without you,” I said back.

“That’s for sure,” Lion mumbled. Coyote snorted and gave him a look.

Juana stared up at the four criaturas like she still wasn’t sure what to make of them.

I laughed a little and looked at my big sister. “Ready?”

Slowly, she nodded, and we approached the door together. The closer we came, the more courage built in my chest. Juana’s eyebrows were drawn, and I saw the fear there, but there was also excitement in her eyes. We held each other tightly—

And stepped forward together into our familia’s home.

Glossary

abuelo—Grandfather.

abuela—Grandmother.

adobe—A building material made by mixing sun-dried earth with organic materials like straw. Adobe is particularly well-suited to sunny, dry environments like those in northern Mexico. My abuelo told me about the time he watched his papá and tíos (uncles) build their first adobe house. It took a lot of time and work but had a beautiful result.

Amenazante—Threatening or menacing. So, in Cece’s world, it’s the Threatening Dance.

atole—A sweet, cornmeal-based beverage served hot with cinnamon. When thickened, it resembles rice pudding or porridge. Typically eaten for breakfast or as dessert, but it can be eaten for any meal. Fun fact: My familia has always prepared atole like a soup, only with rice instead of cornmeal.

Axochitl—Cece’s mamá’s name comes from Nahuatl, the ancient language of the Aztecs, which is still spoken today in parts of Mesoamerica. It’s pronounced, “Ah-shoh-cheet-tl.” The “tl” sound isn’t one that exists in English.

bruja—A female witch. In traditional folklore, brujas used dark magic to curse others by casting spells using intricate ingredients. My abuelo told me that his mother was once cursed by a bruja when the family wouldn’t sell her a goat for a cheaper price. Fortunately, he said a curandera came along a few days later and healed her.

brujería—Witchcraft or the practice of dark magic.

brujo—A male witch. In traditional folklore, stories with brujas are more common than those with brujos, which is why the fights in Cece’s world are called Bruja Fights.

buenas noches—Good night.

buñuelos—Fried tortillas covered in cinnamon and sugar and served as a delicious snack or dessert. Fun fact: I love buñuelos almost as much as Cece does.

burro—Donkey.

cantos—Songs, poetry, or stanzas of an epic poem. In Cece’s world, the Cantos de Curanderas means songs of the curanderas and contains ancient instructions about the magic and techniques they used.

coyamito agate—A type of agate native to northern Mexico, known for its gorgeous red, brown, and sometimes even purple layers of color.

charro (pantalones de)—Close-fitting pants that, together with a cropped jacket, white shirt, and high-crowned hat, were worn by Mexican horsemen (“charros”) in the seventeenth century. They’re designed to fit snugly to avoid getting caught on brush and typically feature embroidery, buttons, or another type of related decoration in a vertical line down the outside of each leg. From the 1900s on, the charro style has evolved into a way to express national pride despite its humble origins and became the colorful, classic Mariachi outfits we know today.

chica—A girl or young adult woman.

chiquita—Typically used to refer to a female that’s physically small and translates to little lady or small fry. It’s usually an affectionate term but can be condescending depending on the speaker.

La Chupacabra—The Goat Sucker. Usually called El Chupacabra. This legend surfaced in the 1990s and describes a reptilian, hairless creature that drains goats of all their blood in the middle of the night. In Cece’s world, La Chupacabra’s gender is female.

criaturas—Creatures. This term is also used to refer to babies or children. Thus, in Cece’s world, criaturas are both legendary creatures and the children of Mother Desert.

cucaracha—An insult that means cockroach.

El Cucuy—The coconut or the skull. A dark, frightening bogeyman with red eyes who hides in closets, stalking children and kidnapping the badly behaved ones under the cover of night. His origin story changes according to who’s telling it, but some say he locked his children in a closet because they were so much trouble. While he was out running errands, his house caught fire and his children died. From then on, he wandered the world in denial, searching for his children in other people’s closets and then stealing children to fill the hole his own had left behind. In Cece’s world, he is the most powerful of the dark criaturas and king of Devil’s Alley.

curandera—Spanish term for native healer, or a priestess who uses magic to heal physical and spiritual ailments using ingredients taken from nature. Also, curandero (priest).

dulce de leche—Literally translated to “sweet of milk,” this delicious food is made from heating sweetened milk slowly until it caramelizes. When I came to visit, my abuela would let me eat some right out of the container. Because I’m a good girl.

Envidia—Envy. In Cece’s world, it’s the town where Grimmer Mother and other brujas and brujos live.

Etapalli—Cece’s abuela’s name, pronounced “eh-tah-pah-yee.” The name comes from Nahuatl, but this pronunciation is based on Spanish phonetics.

familia—You might’ve already guessed this one, but it means family in Spanish.

Isla del Antiguo Amanecer—The Island of the Ancient Dawn. In the novel, this is the country Cece lives in.

Juana—Cece’s sister’s name, pronounced “hooah-na.”

limpia—Cleansing (ritual). Curanderas perform limpias on people to cleanse them spiritually or physically and protect them from evil spirits. These ceremonies often incorporate sacred items taken from nature, like basil and eggs. In Cece’s world, the limpia has a similar function, but it focuses on preparation and strength using elements of the world’s four gods instead.

La Lechuza—Screech Owl. In legend, screech owls are often supernatural beings of some sort—like witches who have transformed themselves to wreak havoc, the angered spirits of dead women, or possibly even shape-shifting vampires. In Cece’s world, La Lechuza is a dark criatura.

La Llorona—The Weeping Woman. In legend, she is always depicted wearing white. Her origin story differs depending on the region, but many stories say she’s a ghost who drowned her own