by Lisa Kessler
Gretchen took a step closer, her scientific curiosity boiling over. “How? How can you possibly move so fast?”
“That is not important. Now, we talk. What I tell you must never be printed in mortal textbooks. What I share with you can help the four brothers stop the Demon, but understand this”—Zafrina moved closer, her eyes looking more reptilian as her voice lowered to a whisper—“if my words are ever found in the mortal world, I will find you, and it would not be a small taste that I will steal.”
“You don’t have to threaten me.” Gretchen swallowed the lump in her throat.
“No, not a threat,” Zafrina whispered. “A promise.”
A shot of adrenaline burned through Gretchen’s veins, instinctively demanding she flee, run for her life, but she struggled to bury the urge. What good would running do? She’d never outrun a Night Walker.
Zafrina took one of the oil lanterns and lit a slender, dry stick. She set about lighting the stack of wood in her fire ring and settled beside Gretchen in the glyph-covered cavern and pointed to the ceiling directly above them. “That is where we will start.”
Gretchen peered up at the glyphs, squinting to see them in the dim light. “The first beginning?”
Zafrina nodded. “Very good. This world has many beginnings and endings. The large creatures the mortals call dinosaurs had a beginning and an ending, as do the civilizations of the Earth—the Romans, the Greeks, Atlantis—everything of this world begins and ends. The Night Walkers began before mortals started recording the passage of time.
“I do not know the beginning of the Night Walker blood or how it came to run inside the brothers’ veins. I know only that the Gods of the North, South, East, and West are immortal, and the blood of living creatures replenishes their strength. The brothers came into this world after the destruction of the second creation of man.”
Gretchen shook her head. “I’m confused. What second creation?”
“Yes,” Zafrina nodded. “You are a believer in science. Do you truly believe this world was created in only one attempt?”
“According to science,” Gretchen said, “the world’s been evolving and changing for millions of years.”
“Science believes only what it can see.” Zafrina turned and pointed to the glyphs in the northwest side of the small cavern. “Life cannot always be seen, yet it still exists, just as you do. You study the remains of species and cultures, but you still do not know why they disappeared. Is it so difficult to believe the gods created the giant reptiles, then decided man could not survive with such beasts, so they destroyed their creation in order to make way for another?”
“Is that what you believe?” Gretchen asked.
“I believe that there are many levels in this universe that most will never see or understand. I ask only that you listen to my story and hear it with your heart. Do not examine my words the way you examined the altar in the jungle. This is the story of my people, the story of the gods that I know, the world that I believe in. There is no right or wrong, Beautiful One, only the strength to believe in something.”
Gretchen nodded. In the past forty-eight hours, she’d experienced things and seen things that no amount of science could explain. The power of an atomic bomb could be measured and proven in a laboratory, but men and women who could transform their own genetic makeup to become animals, move faster than the human eye could see, live seemingly immortal lives, and read minds was impossible to prove or recreate in a lab.
Impossible to believe, and yet, it was true.
And a Demon more powerful than an atomic bomb was awake… Gretchen shivered and looked over at Zafrina.
“I’ve never been very good with blind faith,” Gretchen said. “I’ve always needed proof to believe a theory, but I’ll try to keep an open mind. So, tell me about the second creation of man.”
Zafrina tipped her head back, staring up at the glyphs she had painted centuries ago as she spoke softly. “There have been many gods of creation. The heavens were too quiet, and they longed for interaction, for glory. So the gods created this world and filled it with plants and animals. They called for songs of praise but heard none. This did not please the gods, so they created man in their own image. They took the mud of the earth, molded it, and fashioned the world of men.
“These first humans thrived and multiplied, but they could not speak. A silent world brought no glory to the gods. In their anger, they flooded the land, melting humanity until it was once again mud. So, you see, it was the end of one creation and the beginning of the next.”
Gretchen nodded. Hearing the Mayan tales she’d been struggling to piece together fascinated her. Zafrina had lived the stories and outlived her own Mayan civilization. Gretchen had a million questions, but she’d given her word to listen, so she did her best to keep quiet.
“The second creation came and sunlight drenched the world. Instead of creating them from mud, the men were carved from wood. The gods breathed life into them and watched them multiply, wandering all over their Earth. Again, the gods listened for songs of praise, and again heard none. Angered by this, the gods called on Alom, the God of Destruction. And he brought forth Camalotz to destroy the world of man.”
“This Camalotz is the same one….she’s back.” Gretchen’s mouth went dry. “She’s the one killing all these people.”
Sparks flew up toward the ceiling of the cavern as Zafrina nodded and stoked the fire, poking at the embers. In spite of the renewed heat radiating from the flames, Gretchen shivered, drawing her knees in closer to her chest.
“She brought death to the second creation of man,” Zafrina said. “But out of the destruction rose the four brothers, the gods we sometimes call the Bekabs. They are the balance in our world, the four walls to our earthly house—North, South, East, and West.
“After slaughtering almost the entire human race, Alom banished Camalotz from this world, so that the final creation of mankind could begin. This creation grew from the fruits of the land. And from the corn maize rose the Maya.” Gretchen shifted, fighting the urge to give voice to all her questions. If the Demon was banished after destroying the second creation of man, how was she free now? She rested her head in her hands, taking a deep breath to collect her thoughts. Between keeping the words to her childhood lullaby running through her mind and trying to process all that Zafrina was telling her, a blinding headache was coming on.
“Hiding your thoughts will become easier, Beautiful One.”
Gretchen sighed. “I’m not doing a very good job if you already know what I’m thinking.”
“You do not need to be perfect.” Zafrina started to smile. “Why do you think otherwise?”
Gretchen slid her hands down her face as her eyes met Zafrina’s. “Because my life is on the line. I need to be able to do this.” She shook her head with a humorless chuckle. “I’m not even sure what you’re expecting me to do!”
Zafrina took her hand, and Gretchen couldn’t help noticing how warm her skin felt. Gretchen’s stomach tightened as the realization hit her. Zafrina was warm because of someone or something else’s blood.
“I expect you to deliver information to the immortal brothers.”
“What?” Gretchen pulled her hand back and stood up. “How can I do that? I don’t know where to find them, and even if I did, why would they believe me? They could kill me before I even get the words out! You should be doing this, Zafrina, not me.”
“I cannot,” Zafrina shook her head, staring into the fire.
“Give me one good reason why.”
Zafrina looked up at Gretchen, her orange eyes rimmed with red tears, her hands balled into tight fists.
“Mulac,” she whispered. “He is all the reason I need.”
Chapter Nineteen
Issa laid Colin’s unconscious body on a stone table deep within the pyramid. The torches flickered in their ancient sconces, casting battered shadows on the angled walls surrounding them. His stomach knotted watching his brother’s immortal blood str
uggling to heal his wounds. Exhaustion hung over them like a heavy blanket in the silence.
Kane slid down the far wall, resting his head against his knees. The God of the East hadn’t spoken a word since the battle ended.
Issa sighed. He had found his brothers too late. “Why did you attack her, Kane? You know we cannot defeat her in physical combat. You know this.”
He knew his frustration showed. He didn’t care.
“Because I am a fool.” Kane lifted his head, his eyes still glowing crimson. “She killed my mate, Issa.” His voice cracked with emotion. “My Rita.”
He frowned. “I thought you left her behind in Paris.”
Kane nodded. “I did. But she came to the jungle. I heard her mental call.”
“That is why you did not return last sunrise…”
Kane sighed and rose to his feet. “I wanted Camalotz to kill me, too.”
“How can you be certain Rita is gone? Did you see the Demon take her?”
“No.” Kane shook his head, pacing as he went on. “But Camalotz took her form. Even her scent, her taste. She was my Rita.” He met Issa’s eyes. The pain in his gaze lay raw and open. “The moment I found her, I held her close, and the beast blinded me with passion. I let her sweep me away even though I sensed something was wrong. When I realized it was the Demon in my arms, I knew what she had done.” He stopped pacing and stared at the ground, his voice barely a whisper. “It wasn’t enough for the Demon to take her life. She also tricked me into betraying the only woman I have ever loved.”
Issa’s brow creased. “I do not understand why Camalotz would seduce you.”
“Because she is the embodiment of evil,” Kane roared. “Because taking Rita from me was not enough. She wanted me to loathe myself, to hate myself as much as I hate her.” His voice dropped to a low growl. “And I do.”
“You will have your revenge, brother. We will silence her again.”
Colin groaned, drawing Issa’s attention. Blood matted his red hair, some of it his own, some belonging to the Demon and Kane. Issa grimaced, looking over what remained of his brother’s arms. They were mutilated, his bones broken and exposed. Blood still oozed from the deeper wounds.
Issa made a meticulous inspection of Colin’s wounds, his heart sinking when he found pieces of Colin’s immortal flesh missing, consumed by Camalotz. He closed his eyes, and shook his head slowly.
They should have stayed together.
“Perhaps now you understand the depths of her power, my brothers.” Mulac’s voice echoed off of the ancient walls. “Do you see the futility in your efforts to stop the Demon? The time has come…”
“For what?” Kane bellowed, stalking toward his white-haired brother. “What is coming, Mulac? Death?” His eyes glowed crimson as he stepped even closer, forcing Mulac to back away. “Camalotz will bring about the destruction of us all. If you are so wise, surely you understand that she will not allow you to live, either.”
Mulac’s dark eyes lit with anger. “Do not mock me, dear brother,” he growled.
“Do not call me your brother.” Kane spat and turned away, pacing, his body wound tightly like a cat ready to pounce on his prey. He spun around, his eyes boring into his brother’s gaze. “She attacked me, and then Colin when he came to my aid. Issa finished the battle at our side.” His voice lowered to a dangerous snarl. “Where were you, Mulac?”
“Are you accusing me?” Mulac answered with a cold, venomous glare.
Issa stepped away from Colin’s side, standing between the two of them, his eyes moving from one brother to the other. “Enough. She is dividing us. Can you two not see that? With Colin wounded and both of you bickering, we cannot possibly perform the ritual to cage her again.”
Mulac scoffed, his eyes shining wildly in the firelight. “We have no sacrifice, dear brother, or have you forgotten the rites of the ceremony? Without Ch’en there will be no ritual. Camalotz will only follow the Goddess of the Moon into banishment.”
“The fate of the world rests on our shoulders. We will find her.” Issa’s hands clenched into fists as he crossed his arms over his chest. “Or we will perish trying.”
“And when did we put our lives in your hands?” Mulac’s eyes flashed with rage.
“The moment you forgot your place as a protector of this world,” Issa growled.
“I know my place.” Mulac waved his arm toward the jungle. “It is this world that has forgotten!”
In a blur, Mulac was gone.
Issa shook his head with a groan. “We need Mulac to stand with us.”
Kane nodded, clasping Issa’s shoulder. “And we will have him, if I have to drag his dead body to the altar.”
Kane walked over to the table where his brother still laid motionless.
“Colin will survive this night,” Issa said quietly. “He cannot regenerate the flesh and bone the Demon devoured. And he may never fly again. But he will live.”
“And what of my Rita?” Kane turned toward Issa. The pain shadowed his bright blue eyes, as if his wounds pierced through to his soul. Kane whispered through gritted teeth. “I will see Camalotz rot in oblivion for all eternity for taking her from me.”
Zafrina put another piece of wood onto the fire, warming the cavern until Gretchen found herself wiping her brow. “So, who let the Demon out after she was banished?”
“Ch’en,” Zafrina answered without looking up. “The Goddess of the Moon. That is why they had to sacrifice her life to trap the demon in the earth. That altar you found is where the sacrifice took place.”
She’d been in this hot, humid rainforest for months trying to unravel the mystery she and Lukas had found in that ancient Mayan altar, and now she sat with someone who could give her the answers they’d been searching for. Lukas should be here. The realization that they were no longer a team settled like a rock in her stomach.
“Ch’en worried for her people. Her gift was dreams. Dreams of the future. She thought she could control the Demon and use her to protect the people from the white men coming from the sea.”
Without warning, a spark popped in the center of the fire. Gretchen’s heart leapt into her throat as the noise echoed off the stone walls surrounding them.
Zafrina poked the fire back into submission. “Ch’en was loved and respected by our people, and she cared for them in return. When she told the immortal brothers of her visions, warning them of the destruction she had seen, the gods did not see the future as she did.” Zafrina turned to look at Gretchen, almost as though she anticipated Gretchen’s questions. “Ch’en kept searching for solutions to save her people, and one night she found the ancient writings telling the story of the destruction of the second creation of man.”
“She found Camalotz.”
Zafrina nodded slowly and turned back toward the fire. “She studied the writings, and her animal spirit, the wolf, counseled with the moon for many nights before she finally made the decision to summon the Demon.”
“Your animal spirit is an alligator, right? Can you change into anything else?”
“No, only the alligator,” Zafrina said. “There is a link between all living things in this world. Inside of every human soul there is an animal that each spirit can reach on a higher level. Our immortal blood enhances that connection with the animal spirit inside and allows us to become that animal.”
Gretchen nodded slowly, her chest tightening with emotion as the memory of Lukas flying away from her filled her mind. A great horned owl seemed like a perfect animal spirit for him. He was a thinker, a man always yearning to learn. Wise, like the owl. It made perfect sense.
Lukas had only been gone a couple of nights, but it felt like months. Her heart ached to hear his voice, to see his smile. She missed him and couldn’t stop herself from replaying his leaving, telling her to forget him. Gretchen gnawed gently at her lower lip, pushing the feelings back so she could concentrate.
“For some of our kind, it can be a painful union, but as we age, it becomes easier to open
ourselves and allow the animal to come into our bodies, shaping us in their image. As the years pass, we also gain a better ability to maintain our human mind while in our animal form. It is sometimes tempting to surrender completely—body and mind—to the beast.”
“Okay…but why did she and the wolf think that bringing back the destroyer of mankind could save anyone? It doesn’t make sense.” Gretchen leaned forward, closer to the fire.
“Because Ch’en believed that the one who summoned the Demon could also control it. Alom, the god who first brought Camalotz into this world, called her to destroy the humans. Ch’en called her into the world to destroy the white men who came from the sea. She thought the Demon could be controlled and save her people. But she was wrong.”
“So how did they kill the Demon before?”
“The Demon cannot be killed, only caged. She is not of this world, so her existence will never end in this world. A thousand years before this one, Camalotz was welcomed back here by Ch’en to protect the Mayan people, but she nearly destroyed us all. Five hundred years later, the Spanish finished what Camalotz had begun.
“The brothers tried to help Ch’en calm the Demon and control her, even creating a mate for the Demon, a Guardian, but nothing quenched her thirst for death. When they discovered she could not be destroyed, the only way to cage her again was through an ancient ritual of sacrifice.”
“Why did they have to sacrifice the Goddess, too, though?”
“Only the life of the one who summoned Camalotz could bind her spirit and keep her from entering this world. There was no other choice.”
Gretchen nodded slowly, pondering all she’d been told, when something occurred to her. “If Ch’en was sacrificed, then who called the Demon back this time?”
“I do not know. The spell cast by the immortal brothers tied the Demon to Ch’en’s soul. It would keep the Demon from entering this world until the immortal goddess walked the earth again. The moment she walked among us again, the Demon would awaken from her sleep, but only Ch’en could summon Camalotz to free her.”