by Lani Forbes
“I missed you,” he said, his voice deep and husky.
“I guessed as much.” She planted a small kiss on the tip of his nose. “I missed you as well.”
“Can we just be married now?”
“Is that your way of asking me?”
Ahkin froze, as if he had just realized something. “I haven’t asked you yet, have I?”
Mayana was sure an entire swarm of happy bees took flight inside her stomach.
“Well, I am assuming, considering where your hands are at this very moment.” Mayana raised her eyebrows at him. Ahkin just smiled playfully and gripped her even tighter.
“Well. Then I guess I have an important announcement to make tomorrow evening. Oh! And your surprise!”
“My surprise?” Mayana cocked her head.
“Yes, I had planned … then the scorpion …” Ahkin slapped a hand against his forehead before he turned to face her again. “How are you feeling, by the way? I was so afraid for you when I left. Coatl assured me you were recovering, but I was terrified I’d never see you again.”
The bees in her stomach buzzed excitedly.
“I’m alright. I mean, I’m still sore. Coatl says most of the poison has worked itself out of my system and that the swelling just lasts for a week or two.”
Ahkin kissed her hard. “Never do that to me again.”
“Well, have a chat with the princess of Ocelotl if you wish to avoid me dying by scorpions or jag—” Mayana bit her tongue, not wanting to touch the topic of the damned jaguar.
A shadow crossed over Ahkin’s face. “What do you mean?”
“I’m fairly certain the scorpion was not in here by accident.”
“If that is the case …” He started to push himself up, but Mayana wrapped her arms around his chest and pulled him back down.
“No, deal with it later. I’ve been sitting here wondering if you’ve been captured or killed on a field and now you’re here. I’m not letting you go until I am thoroughly convinced you are alive.”
The shadow faded and was replaced by a teasing grin.
“And you are not yet convinced I am alive?” He grabbed her hand and placed it over his chest, where his heart thudded against her fingers.
Mayana laughed. “Fine. I’m convinced, but don’t go. Please.”
Ahkin lowered his body back onto hers and buried his face into her neck.
“Thank you.” A satisfied smile crossed her face as she traced her fingers through the hair on the back of his head.
Ahkin made a sound of contentment in the back of his throat and turned his head so that his nose brushed her cheek. They stayed like that for minutes, hours, days. Mayana lost track. She could easily fall asleep.
Ahkin’s breathing did eventually slow to the point that Mayana thought he was asleep, but then he jerked slightly and traced his lips from the edge of her jaw back to the corner of her mouth.
“Can I ask you something?” She wanted to distract him before they lost themselves again.
“Anything,” he breathed against her cheek.
“Do we have to sacrifice all of the other princesses?”
Did she imagine him stiffen? He was quiet for a long time, and the bees inside her stomach suddenly turned angry, swarming around and making her feel sick. She shouldn’t have asked. She must have crossed a line. Was he angry with her now?
Ahkin propped himself up on his elbows and frowned at her. He didn’t look angry, but not entirely happy either.
Mayana bit her lip and chewed it.
“Well, it’s just the only reason I’m alive right now is because of Yemania.”
“Who?”
“Yemania. The daughter of Pahtia.” Mayana tried to pretend it didn’t pierce her heart that he didn’t even know her name. “She found me and saved me, even when letting me die would have improved her own chances. I feel as though I owe her my life, and I wanted to know if there was any way we could save hers …” She let herself trail off, as she could see the answer in his eyes before he gave it.
“Mayana, it is what the rituals dictate. The princesses are to be sacrificed to bless our marriage and my reign as emperor. I’m going to need every blessing I can get. It’s hard to do as the gods command sometimes, I understand that better than anyone, but do you think it wise to test their favor? To go against …?”
“Of course not!” Mayana sensed the conversation was not going at all as she had hoped. “I … I care about honoring the codex above all else, of course.” She was a wretched, selfish person after all. The bees now repeatedly stung the inside of her stomach. Why couldn’t she just tell him the truth?
“I am not willing to risk the success of our life together.” He pressed his lips to the fingertips of her left hand.
“Me either. It was a stupid suggestion. I’m sorry for even bringing it up.” She pushed his head back against her neck and he nestled in, unable to see the tears pooling in her eyes.
That was not the answer she had been expecting. Now what was she going to do to save Yemania? Letting her die was not an option in Mayana’s mind. She would do something.
Chapter
40
Mayana knew that it was long past the city’s curfew, but she wasn’t going to send him out of her room now. Especially once he decided to send a servant to fetch them some fruit to enjoy. She savored his company after fearing she’d never see him again. “Tell me about the battle. Was it strange for you to not have your father there?”
“You know, it was. As usual, you are the only one who notices things like that.” Ahkin sank his teeth into a banana and gazed at her in wonderment.
Her cheeks burned, and she looked down at her own food, pretending to be busy selecting which berry she wanted to eat. “So, what happened?”
Ahkin considered her for a moment. Mayana could practically see the memories flitting around inside his eyes.
“It’s hard to describe to someone who has never been in battle.” Mayana could tell he didn’t want to talk about it.
“It’s alright. I respect your decision not to talk about it if you don’t want to.” And she meant it. She didn’t want to stir up things he’d rather forget.
Ahkin gave her an appreciative smile.
“I just … didn’t accomplish what I wanted. The Miquitz escaped back into the mountains with the captives and I’m sure they will be sacrificed.” He dropped his head into his hands. “I feel like I’ve failed.”
Mayana’s heart twisted at his words. She couldn’t imagine the pressure to prove himself and gain the confidence of the empire. She had no idea what to say to him to ease the burden.
“I believe in you,” she said softly. “I think you’ll be one of the greatest emperors the Chicome have ever had.”
Ahkin scoffed. “And how do you know that?”
“I can read people well,” Mayana said. “And you care deeply about doing what’s right, about taking care of your people. And you are strong, more than just physically. You are clever and shrewd, but not unkind. You are born under the sign of the earthquake; you have the power to move mountains if you choose.”
Ahkin stared at her with his mouth slightly open. He tackled her back onto the furs, wrapping his arms around her.
“If I will be a great emperor, it will be because of the empress by my side.”
Mayana screeched and held the berries above their heads.
“You’re going to squish my fruit.” She shoved playfully at him. But Ahkin just held her tighter and gave her a quick, wistful kiss.
“I cannot wait to marry you,” he said.
“Fine, the berries be damned.” And she dropped the bowl with a clatter onto the ground, fat, succulent berries rolling forgotten across the tile. There was nothing sweeter in this world than the taste of his lips on hers.
“You saved my life, you kno
w.” Ahkin brushed aside the hair that fell across Mayana’s face. He cupped her cheek gently in his hand.
Mayana leaned into his touch and closed her eyes. “Really? How exactly did I do that?”
Ahkin reached a hand into the wrap around his waist and withdrew a tiny bloodstained doll.
“Ack! What did you do to it?”
Ahkin chuckled as Mayana snatched the doll from his palm.
“It’s covered in blood and dirt.” Mayana clucked her tongue and gave him an exasperated look. “Leave it to a boy.” She sighed.
Ahkin held up his hands toward her. “It’s not my fault. What do you expect when you take a doll into battle?”
“You took it into battle with you?” Mayana let her eyes widen in disbelief. Why would he do such a thing?
“Well, I couldn’t take you with me, so she was the next best thing.”
Mayana pinched the doll between her thumb and forefinger and held it out away from her, her mouth puckering in disgust.
“Well thank goodness you couldn’t take me with you, if this is what you did to a beautiful little doll.”
Ahkin shrugged.
“Give me your knife,” Mayana said suddenly, holding out her hand to him.
“What? Why? I hardly think being dirty means you need to end the poor doll’s life. She has so much more to live for.”
Mayana rolled her eyes. “Just give it to me.”
“Don’t you have your own knife?”
“I do,” Mayana shook her hand impatiently, “but it’s over on the table. Let me use yours.”
Ahkin slipped the dark blade out from his waistband and flicked it into the air. The blade spun several times before he caught it by the tip and offered her the handle.
“Show-off.” Mayana snatched the dagger from him.
She gently pricked the tip of her finger. She handed the dagger back and then pointed her finger toward a water jug against the wall. The water came to her like a dog greeting its master and she forced the stream to settle into one of their empty food bowls. She reached for the little doll and carefully removed its soiled dress.
Ahkin nudged her, a playful smile spreading on his face. “Shouldn’t you ask her to marry you first? At least set up an arrangement with a matchmaker?”
Mayana smacked him on the arm. She pretended not to, but she loved the way Ahkin teased her. It was as if she was experiencing a happier, less surly side of him that others rarely got to see.
She dropped the dress into the water and began washing the dirt and blood from the fabric.
The water in the bowl clouded to a murky reddish brown while she scrubbed. Finally, the dress was relatively clean, and she set to work on the tiny woven face.
“Well, that’s going to be a bit dirty from here on out, I’m afraid.” She wrung out the excess water and used her ability to dispel the dirty water out into the garden. “But at least now it doesn’t look like a sacrifice victim.”
“Thank you.” Ahkin took the doll back and tucked it into his waistband next to his knife.
“Oh, you didn’t tell me how it saved your life.” Mayana folded her legs beneath her.
“I know she doesn’t look like much, but this little worry doll is quite skilled with a macana sword—”
Mayana clicked her tongue impatiently.
“Okay, fine. Actually, I had her tied to my sword for luck, and as I was trapped underneath the body of a fallen wolf, she distracted a death demon long enough for someone to kill him before he killed me.”
“She distracted him?” Mayana dug her nails into her palms.
“Well …” Ahkin leaned back on his elbows. “Not many warriors are accustomed to seeing a doll on the battlefield. It was a little out of place.” He gave her a crooked smile.
“I’m glad she was able to help with more than just handling your worries.”
Ahkin’s smile faltered. “I do have plenty of those.”
“Is there anything I can help with?”
Ahkin leaned forward and brushed his lips briefly against hers. “This is enough,” he said.
“Are you worried about the kidnapped peasants? The empress selection?”
“All of it.” Ahkin rubbed the back of his neck. “I failed to save the captives. The lord of Millacatl and who knows who else think I am too young to lead them. I have to ship off my sister to Ehecatl to appease their issues with Tollan’s leadership, when she’s the only family I have left. One of the princesses I’m hosting in my home tried to kill the girl I wish to marry. I have to sentence five girls to death just so that I can marry you. Ill omens are filling the skies. The Nemontemi starts in three days and an eclipse is set to happen next month, and that’s if the sun even lives that long anyway.”
His words came out rushed, the desperation behind them barely concealed. Mayana’s heart clenched as though a fist were squeezing it. So many burdens he held on his shoulders. It broke her to see him struggle under the weight of so many worries alone.
Leaning forward, she wrapped her arms around him, pulling him into an embrace. She didn’t know the words to say. She only knew she wanted to show him he wasn’t alone.
His arms mimicked hers, holding her close, and he buried his face into her hair.
She didn’t know how long they sat on the floor of her room, holding on to each other as if their embrace could stop the world itself from falling apart. Maybe part of her believed it could.
Something he said crept back into her mind and made her pause. He had mentioned something about the sun not lasting until the eclipse. She pulled away, keeping her hands on his shoulders, searching his eyes for answers.
“What did you mean when you said, ‘if the sun even lives that long’?”
Ahkin gritted his teeth. “Have you noticed the sun setting earlier and earlier each day?”
Mayana thought back to the orange light streaming into her room, Yemania commenting on how strange the light was shining for that time of day. Then she remembered the sun setting too early when she first arrived in Tollan. Even the first night she learned of the selection ritual had seemed to stretch on forever.
“Actually … yes. I have. What does that mean?”
“We don’t know for sure yet. The high priest tells me my blood might not be enough to raise it anymore. That maybe the blood of the sun god has become so diluted it’s no longer enough to sustain its journey across the sky. It would make sense to me. I must not be strong enough to raise the sun properly.”
Mayana’s face crumpled. Something about that didn’t feel right.
“Are your abilities affected at all?”
“What do you mean?”
“Do they seem weaker to you?”
Ahkin thought for moment before answering. “No. I can still bend light and make it obey my every command. I can bend it around myself to the point I disappear completely.”
Mayana’s eyes were as round as the moon. “I—didn’t know that.”
“Know what?”
“You can make yourself disappear?”
Ahkin shrugged and removed his knife to prick his finger. In an instant, his form shimmered and disappeared entirely.
Mayana gasped.
“I’m still here. You just can’t see me without light bouncing off my body and returning to your eyes.”
He came back into view as Mayana blinked her eyes rapidly.
“Your blood seems strong enough to me,” she said weakly. “Can you promise me something?”
“Anything.”
“Don’t ever use that to spy on me while I’m changing. Promise?”
“Once we’re married, I’m confident that won’t be necessary.”
Mayana’s toes curled at the thought, but she wouldn’t let him change the subject.
“I don’t think that’s the reason the sun is setting earli
er,” she said.
Ahkin wiped the drop of blood off his finger. His eyes were downcast. “It would make sense to me,” he said.
Mayana fixed him with eyes full of profound sadness. “You are so ready to believe you are not enough,” she whispered.
“What if I’m not?”
“No one can convince you that you are, aside from yourself.” She tapped him playfully on the nose.
Ahkin sighed heavily but didn’t argue. He stretched himself out across her bed mat and patted the furs beside him. Mayana scooted forward and then wedged her back against his chest, fitting into him perfectly as he draped his arm across her, drawing her in even closer.
It was a glorious warm sensation, like the world was safe and he would protect her from whatever came. And she believed he would, even if he didn’t think he was capable.
His breathing slowed into the rhythms of sleep as she herself drifted in the same direction. The last thought to cross her mind was that tomorrow the selection ritual would be over, and he would announce to the entire Chicome Empire that she was to become their empress.
Chapter
41
“My lord!”
Atanzah’s screech of surprise cut through the dark peace of the night. Ahkin sat up so abruptly that Mayana, who had been lying with her head on his chest, fell to the ground with a thud.
She winced as she rubbed the side of her head. He planted a quick kiss where it had hit the ground before turning to frown as his matchmaker. “Atanzah, what is the meaning of—?”
“It’s time to raise the sun! We couldn’t find you. You were not in your room …”
Ahkin was on his feet before Atanzah could finish her thought. He reached a hand down to Mayana and lifted her to her feet alongside him.
“Come with me,” he told her. He wanted her to see the most important ritual of all. With her appreciation for the ways of the gods, it would be something she’d enjoy.
“Am I allowed to?” Mayana glanced at the matchmaker as though she could give her permission.
“I don’t see why not.” Atanzah sighed and shoved them out through the doorway. “But afterward, let’s have a little chat, my prince, about what is appropriate in terms of staying the night with ladies to whom we are not bonded before the gods.”