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The car was silent as they waited for the Yokai to fall asleep. Luckily, the boy was exhausted from the last few days, and it was only a matter of minutes before his breathing evened out in the back seat.
Baron Samedi grinned over at Catrina. “Ready, dear sister?”
“Sleep may be able to wait, but these bodies will need food before all the fun that is about to come,” Catrina said. “Besides, we must wait for the Kalsara to infect the water supply before we make our move.”
The Baron rolled his eyes. “I know how long this body lasts, Catrina, I’ve had her for longer than you’ve had your toy.”
“Just because I wasn’t in control doesn’t mean I didn’t see how you pushed her after the circus, brother. We need to sustain ourselves longer than one night if we’re to awaken the earth.”
He scoffed but started the car without further complaint. Despite the rampage from earlier, the car had survived their trip with minimal damage and started up quietly enough that the Yokai didn’t even stir. There hadn’t been any stops on the ride to the penitentiary, so they headed off in the other direction, and within ten minutes they arrived at an empty Chinese takeout restaurant.
They ordered randomly off the menu, caring less for taste than sustenance, but Catrina put a hand on Samedi's shoulder before he could pay for their meals.
"And an order of teriyaki chicken," she added, "for the boy."
He scoffed, but Catrina just paid for the food with cash she found in the car, and they left with three takeout boxes.
"What's the teriyaki for? We're not babysitting, the kid can feed himself!" the Baron said as they walked back to the car.
"He wouldn't like it, if we let the boy go hungry," Catrina replied quietly.
"Yeah? I'm pretty sure he doesn't like you taking control over his body either, but here you are," Samedi argued back.
Catrina glared over at him. "This is different. I need to do this. Yvelio's lost focus, after S-, and I'm stronger this way anyway. He will understand that I need to do this, but I don't need to make his friend go hungry." Then she got into the car before Samedi could reply.
They drove back to D 9:9 in silence, then parked along the road and began eating.
"Why are you so concerned with what your toy would want?" Samedi finally asked, breaking the silence. There was scorn in his voice but also a hint of, curiosity? Concern? “He’s just a kid. You’ve worshipped much greater warriors before, and you’ve never been concerned with their wishes, especially not war. Why now?”
Catrina took an extra bite of rice to give herself time before answering. "He's my last chance, brother. It’s not the same for you. If Talia gets killed, or somehow fights you off, you have other options. She may be your best choice, but Yvelio is my only one. The Old Man in the Sky took everyone else. I will get my revenge, but I need him to do it. If that means I buy the boy that stupid teriyaki he owes him, fine."
The Baron was quiet, angrily stabbing at his pork with his chopsticks. They sat, listening to the wind for a few minutes before he spoke up again.
"I hear their prayers, their pleas, all the time," Samedi admitted quietly, "and I haven't been able to do anything. I know it's not right, but sometimes I wonder if it would be better, for them to be gone than to be suffering like they are. For the voices to be quiet."
"It's not." Catrina took a deep breath. "The memories of their last breaths just keep echoing in my head, and it's too late to do anything. Your people still have hope, you can still help them, and we will. We will wake the earth, and we will show the Old Man in the Sky what it means to be powerful."
Before the Baron could reply, the wind whistled through the car, whispering of red dust in the penitentiary. Samedi grinned, and it was only because she'd known the Baron for lifetimes that she could see the cracks in his facade, but she didn't push. Instead, she placed the takeout carefully on the center console where the boy could see it when he woke.
"It's time, sister, can I have this dance?"
Catrina smiled back at him. "Of course, brother."