by Lani Forbes
Mayana stumbled back and tripped over a branch. Her hands flung out behind her to break her fall and rocks and sticks instantly gouged into her palms. Before she could stop herself, she screamed. The cat’s pupils dilated, and its muscles tensed. It leaped.
Her arms flew up to cover her face as she braced for claws and teeth.
The stream exploded.
Massive amounts of water burst from the small brook and condensed, forming something like a battering ram that plowed into the jaguar, knocking it to the side. The black body skidded across the jungle floor, leaves, dirt, and water flying into the air.
The great cat flailed its limbs and clambered back onto its feet. Golden eyes found Mayana’s brown ones and it shrank back, tripping over itself to get away from her. The jaguar disappeared into the underbrush as quick and silent as a shadow.
Mayana choked out a dry sob. Her pulse pounded behind her ears. She jumped to her feet and grabbed the trunk of the nearby tree to steady herself. Had that really just happened? The jaguar almost attacked her, and the water had knocked it aside like a powerful punch from one of her brothers.
She stared down at her injured hands—at the red blood of the gods mixed with the dirt and bits of dead leaves. Never had so much of her blood been exposed before. That explained the explosion of water anyway. Mayana had no idea her power was strong enough to do something so … damaging. She leaned heavily onto the trunk, still breathing hard, and dropped her gaze to the mud splattered across her skirt. It was stupid, but tears built behind her eyes. Her aunt would kill her. Was she completely incapable of honoring her father’s instructions? The urge to cry nearly overwhelmed her, but she forced it back down.
After several steadying breaths, Mayana straightened and turned. Xol and the other servants stood shoulder to shoulder where the line of trees ended. Their eyes were wide, either from fear or awe, she couldn’t tell. Spears lay on the ground under their slack, open hands.
“Uh, there was a jaguar,” was all she could think to say. A blush rose in her cheeks again, making them burn. Mayana hastily tried to wipe her hands off on her skirt—smearing bloodstains into the mud already clinging to the fabric.
The men continued to stare at her with their mouths slightly open. None of them moved.
Mayana picked a leaf out of her feathered headdress and flicked it aside.
“Would it be alright if we left?” she asked Xol. Did they have to stare at her like that?
He shook his head as though clearing his thoughts.
“Y-yes, my lady.” He swept his arm to the side to allow her to pass. She ducked her head and rushed by him, noticing their eyes following her as she went.
Mayana took her seat on the little wooden throne and smoothed out the folds of her ruined skirt just to give her hands something to do. The servants finally followed and hoisted her back into the air.
As they resumed their trek along the path toward Tollan, Mayana ran over what happened at the stream again and again in her head. She couldn’t believe what she had done, and neither, it seemed, could anyone else.
Well, one thing was for certain. She definitely had gotten the chance to practice. Hopefully it would be enough to impress the prince.
Chapter
10
“Why is the sun setting so early?” Ahkin stood at the window of his throne room, watching the Seventh Sun dip toward the mountains and tinge the sky with shades of pink. Along the distant ridges, the red tail of the comet stood out like blood splattered across the altar.
“Is it, my lord?” Atanzah adjusted her shawl and the tiny bells tinkled into the silence. The matchmaker didn’t seem too concerned about the sun’s schedule. But then again, she was not as educated as Ahkin when it came to the heavens. Well, aside from knowing the compatibility of prospective match-day signs.
“It is not the correct time for the sun to be in that position.” Ahkin returned his gaze to the books and sheets of papers spread out across the table before him, his brow furrowed. Charts of star movements and accompanying religious instruction gazed back at him.
Studying them gave him a sense of control over the universe, that maybe he wasn’t as powerless as he sometimes felt. Maybe by studying them, he could obtain the secret knowledge the stars held. The patterns suggested an impending eclipse in the next month, and although eclipses were incredibly dangerous, they were not apocalyptically dangerous.
Unfortunately, other than a flaming red comet and the odd timing of sunset, the skies remained entirely silent. It was equally maddening and terrifying.
The comet suggested life-altering instability in the layers of the heavens. Changes in the sun’s patterns meant bad luck, but they gave no specific hints that an apocalypse was imminent. Ahkin could predict the movements of the celestial bodies down to the very moment they would appear or fade. He could complete complicated mathematical calculations using the unique number system developed by his ancestors, but he could not figure out how their world would end. How could he protect his people if he didn’t know what to protect them from?
Was the high priest right? Could it really be another impending apocalypse? The same signs Ahkin saw hinted that something was wrong, that cataclysmic danger and chaos loomed on the horizon. But world-ending chaos? They had to wait for more indications. Ahkin rubbed the back of his neck in frustration. Why couldn’t the stars be more specific?
“I’m sorry. You wanted to speak to me?” He reluctantly pulled his eyes away from his charts and focused on the matchmaker.
“Yes, my prince. The rooms are prepared, and the princesses are all on their way. The daughters of Millacatl, Ocelotl, and Pahtia have already arrived. We are still awaiting the daughters of Atl, Ehecatl, and Papatlaca.”
“Thank you, Atanzah. Please make sure they are comfortable for the duration of their stay.”
“Of course, my lord.” Atanzah inclined her head respectfully.
Ahkin cleared his throat, his cheeks warming. “What are they like? The ones who have arrived?” Suddenly the ornaments around his neck felt tight and he wanted to rip them off.
“They are beautiful, from what I can tell. Well,” she paused, scratching under her chin. “Most of them are beautiful, anyway. I do not think the lord of Pahtia sent his most gracious offering.”
Ahkin frowned and busied himself with putting away the charts. “Beauty eventually fades for everyone. The spirit is what lasts forever.”
The matchmaker did not seem fazed in the slightest by the reprimand. “Of course, I know this better than anyone. The tasks will help us determine which of the girls’ spirits is most compatible with your own. But a little beauty in this world never hurts.” She winked at the prince with a heavily kohled eye.
Ahkin’s neck grew warm again. Coatl, the palace healer and his friend, was always the one who impressed women, not him. Ahkin himself was too sullen and quiet to hold their interest for long. “Speaking of the tasks, what does the codex require?”
“Usually, the ritual begins with a ceremony to demonstrate that each daughter is a true descendant of her city’s patron god or goddess. Then the codex suggests you and I together decide what tasks to assign that will allow the daughters to demonstrate their resourcefulness, their ability to influence, and, of course, their dedication to the rituals. These also help us to assess their personalities. Once you have a daughter selected, I will hopefully give my approval and notify the bride’s parents. There will be a luxurious four-day marriage feast followed immediately by the coronation. The event culminates in the sacrifice of the daughters not chosen.”
“And we have to complete all of this before the Nemontemi?” Only two weeks to make such an important decision? Ahkin fidgeted with his chestpiece and breathed deeply.
“We do not have to select an empress before the last days of the calendar, but I cannot pretend it would not be … risky to enter such an unlucky time without
a crowned emperor. The people are usually so fearful during that time. The city-states will appreciate going into the inauspicious days with the knowledge that their leadership is secure.”
“I just—” Ahkin swallowed hard. “Atanzah, may I ask you something personal?”
“Of course, my lord. I live to serve you however I can.”
The heat from his neck spread to his cheeks. He needed to voice his concerns to someone, and who better than the old woman who made arranging and planning marriages her purpose in life?
“How will I know which girl’s spirit is most compatible with my own? What if she isn’t impressed with me?”
Atanzah chuckled and flourished a wrinkled hand, as though dismissing Ahkin’s worries as childish. “From what I have seen, my dear, you take everything so seriously. I would love to see you choose someone who can lift the weight of the world off your shoulders with only a smile. Someone who can show you that there is more to life than rules and responsibilities.”
Ahkin narrowed his eyes. “I don’t understand what you mean.”
Atanzah threw her arms in the air in mock frustration.
“Good gods, Ahkin. I helped your mother birth you into this world, and from the moment you opened your eyes you have always been such a sour little thing. Find someone who brings you joy. Someone who can bring color and light into your rigid black-and-white world.”
“That sounds unrealistic to me. Shouldn’t I find someone who is the most sensible, who will best fulfill the duties required of her?”
“Of course. But these are all daughters of the noble families. I am sure any one of them would make an excellent empress to the Chicome people. I want to see you happy. I want to find the daughter that makes your soul sing. One who completes the other half of your duality.” Atanzah grinned and poked a withered finger at the golden symbol of the sun hanging on Ahkin’s chest. “You are the descendant of the god of the sun. Don’t be so dark and dour.”
Ahkin frowned even deeper, convinced Atanzah was much too romantic for her own good.
The matchmaker sighed in a motherly sort of way.
“Just listen to your heart, dear boy. You will know which girl is right for you when you see her.”
Chapter
11
The sky faded to a dull orange glow as the sun set behind the mountains ahead. Mayana’s chin, which she had been resting on her fist, slipped, jerking her out of a half-awake state. Heart pounding from the sudden shock, she shook out her arms in an attempt to stay alert. Gnats buzzed around her face. She flinched and pawed at the side of her head as one entered her ear canal. She was definitely ready to be out of the jungle.
“Almost there, my lady.” Xol pointed ahead to where the path curved sharply to the left. Mayana sat straighter and her muscles tensed. As much as she wanted this journey to end, she dreaded what would happen when it finally did.
“I thought we would arrive before sunset,” Mayana said.
“So did I, my lady. We must have traveled more slowly than I thought.” He frowned up at the setting sun.
They rounded the curve and the City of the Sun came into view. Mayana sucked in a sharp breath. It was like nothing she ever imagined.
Tollan sat high upon a volcanic plateau. Numerous waterfalls cascaded down the cliff faces into the dense green jungle below. Golden pyramids reflected the light of the sunset in such brilliance that she held up her hand to shield her eyes. Tollan dwarfed her own city-state not only in size but in splendor. Mayana immediately understood Xol’s smile when she told him she had never visited before.
“Well? Was I right?” Xol sounded breathless.
Mayana nodded her head in silence, eyes wide. She was supposed to impress the prince who lived there? In a city of gold set high in the sky with the prince who could raise the sun itself every morning with the power of his blood? Her hope set along with the sun as darkness fell over them. She was probably going to die in that shining, glittering place.
Mayana didn’t think she would have been able to force herself to take another step forward, so she was grateful the servants carried her. As it was, she leaned as far back against the wooden chair as she possibly could, pushing herself away from her impending fate.
She pressed a hand against her heretical heart as it fluttered in panic beneath her fingers. Would they cut it from her chest and burn it on an altar? Would they throw her down the side of the temple, her divine blood painting the steps? She contemplated for a moment whether or not the servants would stop her if she leapt from the chair and bolted for the jungle.
The caravan marched up the carved path along the plateau, snaking around one of the sloping cliff faces toward their destination. Darkness continued to gather, so by the time they reached the gates inlaid with hieroglyphs, night had completely fallen. Despite the darkness, giant flaming torches reflecting from the golden buildings kept the streets as bright as day. Mayana couldn’t even see the stars, only the misshapen moon rising into the sky like a deadly smile. How did people sleep here?
Apparently they didn’t, because hundreds of people had gathered along the avenue that connected the main city gates to the massive palace looming over the rest of Tollan. Beside the palace stood the Pyramid of the Sun, the temple where the Mother goddess supposedly gave life to the first people. That must be where the prince did his morning rituals to awaken the sun. If Mayana was exhausted just hiking up and down the steep steps of the temple in Atl, she would die before reaching the top of the temple of Tollan. She wondered if Emperor Acatl had suffered heart failure from trying to climb that monstrosity.
Like Xol, most of the common people of Tollan wore white cotton embroidered with golden thread. Men and women sported golden necklaces, bracelets, and earrings. Many of the women held the hands of small children as they balanced baskets on their heads or hips. Mayana pretended not to notice the children gawking and pointing at her or the women raking her over with their judgmental eyes before turning to whisper in the ear of a neighbor. She assumed she was not the first princess to arrive, and she worried they were comparing her to the competition.
One young woman about her own age blatantly shook her head and laughed with her fellows, as though to say, Oh, surely not her. Mayana’s gaze fell to her scraped hands and muddy skirt. Her throat constricted. She could almost hear her father’s disappointed sigh.
Snippets of conversations floated back to her ears: “Blue and jade”; “She must be from City of Water”; “A daughter of the goddess Atlacoya.” She blocked the voices out before she heard something she didn’t want to and turned her attention to her traveling companions.
Xol reveled in the attention. He puffed out his chest, looking more like a cockatoo than ever as he strutted along the avenue ahead of them. The servants carrying her belongings trailed him slowly, turning in every direction with mouths agape.
Their march toward the palace through a great sprawling plaza felt as though it took several cycles of the calendar, but they finally reached the entrance and passed beyond a hanging curtain. Mayana’s heart beat like a drum at the bloodletting festival. The servants lowered her to the ground.
She had just gotten shakily to her feet when another glittering servant, tinkling with many tiny bells dangling from her shawl as she walked, came into the room.
“Whom do we have the pleasure of welcoming this evening?” The plump older woman folded her hands neatly in front of her chest and gave Mayana a warm smile.
“I bring you Lady Mayana, daughter of the lord of Atl,” Xol replied. “My lady, this is Atanzah. She is the royal matchmaker.”
Mayana tried to keep her eyes from going wide at the almost indigo shade of the old woman’s hair and the vibrantly colored feathers hanging from her shawl. If Xol resembled a cockatoo, the matchmaker was a brilliant macaw. This was the woman who must approve her match to the prince? Her stomach twisted as she forced herself to me
et Atanzah’s curious eyes.
“Was there a problem on the journey?” Atanzah asked, appraising her appearance with deep-red lips puckered in concern.
“The Lady Mayana was attacked by a jaguar,” Xol said.
Atanzah gasped and fanned herself. “You poor dear. How did you ever escape?” she whispered dramatically.
Mayana didn’t know what to say. She looked to Xol for some kind of direction, panic flooding her veins. Was she supposed to tell the truth?
“We managed to scare it away before any lasting damage was done. Lady Mayana fell, but other than receiving some scrapes, she is perfectly well,” Xol said.
Mayana mouthed Thank you to him, and he gave her a small nod in return.
“If she has been injured, you should take her to see Coatl.”
“I certainly agree. Lady Mayana is a rarity, and I want her to look her best,” Xol said.
Mayana’s cheeks warmed and she reached out a hand to Xol to thank him. He grabbed it momentarily in his own and gave it a small squeeze.
Atanzah looked her up and down several more times with a look of obvious concern before waving them on. Mayana began to tremble.
Xol guided her out of the room and through multiple curtains, down more brightly lit hallways, and across a large, beautiful courtyard. Mayana was glad he knew where he was going, because she would have wandered through this palace for days before ever finding a way out.