by K M Martinez
Dark Sun Rising
by
K.M. Martinez
Copyright © 2018 K.M. Martinez
All rights reserved.
Printed in the United States of America.
No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without written permission from the author.
This is a work of fiction. Any names or characters, businesses or places, events or incidents, are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
ISBN-978-1-7338443-0-7
For my grandmothers. Both loved and both missed.
Table of Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Glossary
Author’s Note
About the Author
Chapter One
The party room in Neto’s Mexican Restaurant was spilling over with customers. Waiters and waitresses bustled in the hurried, controlled manner those in the serving industry were known for. The sounds ebbed and flowed, voices competing with the Top Forty radio station that played over the speakers.
In the center of the room, at a table crowded with people, Melanie Mendez sat uncomfortably scrunched between her brothers, trying not to let the annoyance she felt seep onto her face. She wasn’t in the best of moods, having just finished a twelve-hour shift at the hospital before rushing to meet her brothers at the gym as Victor had requested. It’s my birthday, my choice, he’d said, so Mel had done as he’d asked, despite her exhaustion. It didn’t help that her brothers kept taking her leg space. Really, Victor? she thought as her older brother bumped knees with her again.
Victor and Gabe weren’t small men. Both were six feet tall, and Victor was wide, taking up the space of almost two men. Victor had a bald head, tanned face, and shifty brown eyes that never stayed in one place for long. Gabe was thin and wiry, with wild, short brown hair and a fresh young face with thick eyebrows over laughing brown eyes.
Those eyes smiled down on her now, noticing her irritation. The youngest Mendez often took it as a challenge to annoy her, as only younger brothers can do. He bumped her leg again—on purpose this time—and Mel shot him a look. Gabe responded with his impervious smile.
Mel had intended to sit at the end of the table by her uncle, Tío Jorge, a slight man of short stature with gray hair, brown eyes, and a wrinkled face creased with a smile. She looked at him now, talking serenely to a close family friend. He looked so comfortable. So relaxed. She thought about how she could be snacking on the full bowl of chips and salsa in front of him instead of pulling crumbs out of the bowl in front of Victor. Those chips had lasted all of five seconds before her brothers devoured them, and it felt like she’d finished her tacos hours ago, they’d been sitting at the table so long.
“What’s up, buttercup?” said Gabe.
“Don’t call me buttercup,” Mel replied.
“What’s up, lady bug?”
“Shut up, Gabe,” Mel whispered angrily.
Laughter bubbled from Gabe’s throat, rising over the hubbub. His eyes sparkled like brown topaz and his mouth curved in a knowing grin. “You always get so wound up this time of year. You know we got your back. Screw the other clans.”
“What are y’all talking about?” asked Victor, turning toward them.
“The Agora,” Gabe replied. “And how Mel’s stressing about being around the other clans.”
Mel made a hissing noise at Gabe, but he continued grinning.
“It’s the blowback from not competing,” Victor said to Mel. “You know that.”
“I know.” It was Mel’s choice not to compete in the Agora, but still, she shouldn’t have to put up with descendants from other clans looking down on her because of it. Having to deal with Victor’s you get what you get attitude didn’t help.
“I’m just saying—”
“I hear you. I know what you’re saying. I understand.”
“Then why complain about it?” said Victor, and Mel had to count to ten to curb the desire to throw something at his head.
“She wasn’t complaining about it,” Gabe said. “She didn’t even bring it up. I was just telling her not to worry about it because the clan is behind her.” Gabe sounded sorry for even bringing it up.
The table had quieted down a bit, and some were looking at the three of them. Thankfully their grandmother was busy chatting with a clanswoman.
“Like we have a choice,” Victor said.
“You know what, Victor?” Mel’s voice was calm, but her insides were on fire. “I know you're pissed because your wife and kids aren’t here, but don't take it out on me.”
That was a soft spot, Mel knew. She’d noticed her brother looking at the three empty chairs at the table that spoke to the absence of his little family. His mood had grown darker and darker as the night wore on. Mel felt bad for pushing her older brother’s buttons, but it did shut him up. He gave her and Gabe one last, hard look, then turned back to another conversation.
Mel looked accusingly at her younger brother. For once he seemed to sense he was on the verge of crossing a line with her. He laid an arm across the back of her shoulders and pulled her toward him in a half hug. Mel thought about giving him a nice shot in the jaw in front of everyone in the entire restaurant, and the thought must have shown on her face, because his touch was gone as quickly as it came.
That was usually how it was with the three of them. Two of them at each other’s throats and the third trying to play peacekeeper. But their arguments were always short-lived, and were never taken too personally. Mel knew her brothers would support her, and not just because they were obligated to.
“Mel.”
She turned her attention to the grizzled man sitting kitty-corner to her. Thomas. His gray hair was mixed with brown, and his eyes were a sparkling blue.
“That’s a nice bruise you have there,” he said. “Trained a little before dinner, did you?”
Mel put a hand to her nose. It didn’t hurt as much as it had a few hours ago.
“The birthday boy wanted to spar,” she replied with a smile that was all teeth. “Who are we to deny him his birthday wishes? Right, Gabe?”
“We do what we must,” Gabe said with a laugh, pointing at his eyebrow, where a fresh cut had crusted over.
“And we should do it again,” Mel said with a look at her older brother. “Real soon.”
“Oooh, brotha!” yelled Gabe. “Bet you wish she was sitting in front of you. At least then you could see her coming!”
“It doesn’t matter where she comes at me—or how,” Victor replied. Then with a smirk to Mel, he added, “You ain’t shit, little sister.”
“Whatever,” Mel said. “I had you on the ropes today. I would’ve finished you off if Tío Jorge hadn’t stepped in.”
Victor
sputtered, but it was their uncle who replied. “Y’all were going to tear up the Kale banner!” he shouted down the table. “I wasn’t going to let you two knuckleheads destroy it.”
“That banner has survived generations,” Mel said. “It would’ve survived Victor’s meaty head. If you’d given me five more seconds, I’d’ve had him.”
“You didn’t have anything, little girl,” Victor said.
“You keep thinking that, chump,” Mel retorted.
“You all quiet down over there,” Grandma Mari called from the other side of the table. “You’re causing too much attention.”
Victor looked like a kid who’d been scolded. Mel had to bite her lip to keep from laughing. Gabe was laughing enough for the both of them.
“Don’t talk about training in public,” Grandma Mari continued.
“Grandma, we’re in a—” Gabe started, but Grandma Mari cut him off.
“Don’t tell me that we’re in a Kale friendly restaurant. Not everyone here is a clansman. Watch what you say.”
Gabe sighed and nodded.
“Okay, Grandma,” Victor said. “We’ll behave.”
He gave Mel a look like it was all her fault, but Mel just smirked, some of her good humor restored. She glanced at her grandmother, who gave them all one more disapproving look before turning away.
“You hear that, boys?” Mel said. “She wants you to zip it.”
“You too, Mel!” Gabe said.
Mel covered her mouth to keep from laughing too loud at his outrage. She really didn’t want to attract the attention of her grandmother. Even at the age of twenty-six, Mel could still be told what to do with one look from Grandma Mari. That was the power of her grandmother, Sapienti of Clan Kale, who as Elder of the clan had decades of experience bending people to her will, family above all. And isn’t that what Sapientis are known to do? Mel thought as she picked a crumb from the desolate bowl of chips.
Grandma Mari's body was small, but she was thin and agile, and even at the age of eighty-three she could keep up with most of them. Her tanned, weathered face harbored knowing eyes—too knowing, Mel felt—under gray hair tied back neatly with a clip.
Victor was back to laughing with Thomas and a group of older men—older Kales, with stories as long as a hot summer day. Mel knew Victor was trying hard to enjoy himself despite his wife and kids being nowhere to be seen. She knew it was why he’d been so salty toward her, and she tried to keep that in mind.
She was just popping another tiny chip into her mouth, wondering when they were going to leave, when a fresh bowl was put in front of her.
“Just for you,” said the waitress with a wink and a lingering look.
“Thank you,” Mel said with surprise. She could feel herself smile—that silly smile she always managed to pull when a pretty girl gave her some attention. Although she didn’t think she was God’s gift to women, she didn’t believe she was unattractive. With dark wavy hair, bright brown eyes, bronze skin touched by the sun, and a body toned from training, she was able to grab an eye or two every now and then. But she hadn’t expected it tonight, not with her bruised face.
“Do you need anything else?” the waitress asked. She put her hand on Mel’s shoulder, and Mel couldn’t help but smile until her eyes crinkled.
Gabe snorted softly, and Mel tore her eyes away from the cute waitress. Couldn’t she even enjoy the attentions of a pretty woman without one of her brothers sticking their nose in?
“Where are my chips?” Gabe asked. He leaned back in his chair, his smile bright.
“You can share,” the waitress said.
“I don’t like to share,” said Gabe. “Especially with my sister.”
“You’re gross,” Mel said, not failing to pick up on his double entendre. She turned back to the waitress. “Don’t mind him. He doesn’t know how to act.”
“Hey!” Gabe exclaimed.
“It’s the truth,” Mel said. “You know it, I know it, everyone knows it.” To the waitress again: “He’s trouble.”
“Oh, I can see that,” said the waitress, grabbing the empty bowl. She looked down at Mel. “That’s a beautiful necklace. Look how the sun glows!”
Mel always wore a small, dainty gold chain with a pendant of a gold sun. She’d had it ever since she was a child, though usually she kept it hidden, as it always attracted attention. Now it had fallen out of her shirt, and sparkled brightly on her chest.
The waitress lifted the small gold sun in her fingertips, and just as quickly let it go. “That’s hot,” she said.
“You bet she is!” said Gabe, and Mel smacked her brother on the arm.
“Sorry,” Mel said, putting the necklace back under her shirt. “It runs a little hot because it’s always touching the skin.”
But the waitress was staring at Mel with wide eyes. “Are you o—”
“Excuse me!” Grandma Mari called. “Can I get the check please?” Her voice brooked no argument, and the waitress left to do as she’d been told.
When the check had been paid, everyone said their goodbyes and made their way out the door. All except for Mel and her brothers. Gabe had announced that they needed to have a drink to commemorate Victor’s birthday.
But as she moved to join her brothers at the bar, her grandmother caught her arm.
“Walk me out,” the older woman said.
With a nod, Mel led her grandmother out the door and down the sidewalk toward Grandma Mari’s car, where Tío Jorge was already waiting inside with the engine running.
The full warmth of the summer night touched Mel’s skin, and the smells of freshly watered grass and flowers hung in the air. Laughter came from the restaurant behind her. A part of her yearned to go back in, to try to find some of that laughter for herself.
“I didn’t really get a chance to speak to you inside,” her grandmother said. “I wanted to see how you’re doing.”
Mel smiled. “I’m okay. No need to worry.”
“Really? This year has been difficult on you, and the next few weeks will be even more so.”
“The year has been difficult for both of us,” Mel said. “And we got through it. We’ll get through the next few weeks too.”
Grandma Mari nodded. Eyes that were the same color as Mel’s own roamed the younger woman’s face, taking Mel in with one long look. The bruise on her nose from the sparring, the weariness in her eyes—a result of the stress of the last few months—the slight annoyance that Mel was trying to hide… Mel knew her grandmother saw everything.
“That tic in your eye is back,” Grandma Mari said. “It’s been tick, ticking all night long.”
“I just need to get some sleep.” What I really need is for it to be two weeks from now, and the Agora over, she thought.
“Uh-huh.” Her grandmother sounded skeptical. “Isis tells me you’ve been working too many shifts at the hospital.”
“Ahhh.” Mel smiled. “I’m going to have a talk with Isis.”
“And tell her what? To be derelict in her duties? I think she’d take offense to that.”
Isis was a doctor at the hospital Mel worked at, but was also considered First Healer of Clan Kale. She was cut from the same cloth as her grandmother, and did not suffer fools. Mel would be considered the fool in this scenario.
“Mel,” Grandma Mari continued, “I met with the Council of Elders today. They’ve heard about your leave of absence from the clan. Does that make the tic in your eye more pronounced?”
Mel’s eyes hardened. “I don’t care what the Council of Elders thinks of me, or my leave from Clan Kale.”
Grandma Mari’s eyes flashed. “Good. I don’t give a damn either. But Sapienti Kelser of Clan Moors was especially dismayed.”
Sapienti Kelser from Clan Moors can go fuck himself, Mel thought savagely.
“It was just for three months,” she said. She heard the weariness in her voice. “It’s not like I was gone several years.”
“I know,” said Grandma Mari, “but word has spread amon
g the clans, and you need to be prepared for what you’re walking into tomorrow. You know how clanspeople judge you for not competing. Now there is talk about you not believing in The Ways.”
“I believe in The Ways,” Mel said. She felt like she’d been having this argument with her grandmother all her life.
“You believe in Supervivere,” her grandmother replied, “because even you can’t argue with the value of knowing how to survive a deadly situation. But you don’t believe in Hae. You don’t believe in our histories.”
Our legends, you mean. But Mel wasn’t going to bring up old arguments. Hae—the histories of the clans—was something Mel and her grandmother would never see eye to eye on. It was the main reason why Mel had taken a leave in the first place. But if the other clans had now heard about her break from her clan and The Ways… some of them would be insufferable.
Mel could be insufferable right back.
“One wonders how our clan business reaches other clan ears,” Mel said innocently, trying to tweak her grandmother.
“Are you implying that I said something?” Grandma Mari’s gaze hardened.
“You do have a… close relationship with Sapienti Li.” said Mel with amusement. The short man from China had always been a friend of her grandmother’s. His cool, calm personality was a nice balance to her grandmother’s raging temper.
“Clan Kale and Clan Tam have always had good working relations,” her grandmother said stiffly. “But if you think I would spread clan business, then you don’t know me.”
Mel laughed. “I’m just kidding, Grandma. I know how quickly rumors can spread, and it’s not like I’ve ever hidden who I am, or what I think about The Ways. There will always be clanspeople who judge. All they see is you being the Sapienti of Clan Kale, and me being your granddaughter. And there I go again doing what I do. Disappointing you.”
“You don’t disappoint me,” Grandma Mari said firmly.
“I know I don’t,” Mel said with a smile. “But they don’t know that.” She grabbed her grandmother’s hand. “They don’t know anything.”