Balam laid his hand on Enrique’s chest. “I want the twin sacrifice.” He smiled. “The gods will be so pleased they may make me a god as well. No one has ever completed such an offering. Just the thought makes me giddy with excitement.”
Enrique reached out and grabbed the edge of Balam’s loin cloth. When it came away in his hand, he saw Balam had performed a ritual sacrifice of his own. A huge sea urchin spine was stabbed through the head of his erect penis. Enrique shuddered. Now that must have hurt. “Just kill me. One panther will make the gods happy. I’ll go willingly. Surely a willing sacrifice is more important than one you have to coerce.”
Grinning, Balam reached down and touched the swollen head of his penis. “You are a gorgeous man, I wish I had time to take you first.” He flicked the spine. “Don’t worry, I always remove the spine before engaging in sex.” He pointed to a graphic painting on the cave wall of two men facing each other their erections touching. “Men have been loving each other since the gods made us. You, I know, are a lover of men.”
Enrique had seen a lot of Mayan art but never any erotica. Looked like Balam wasn’t the only gay Mayan. “Now be still. You will not suffer. Moon Man, give him the potion of dreams.”
Moon Man lifted a tiny pottery jug stoppered with a cork. “Yes, master.”
He held the mouth to Enrique’s lips. “Drink, all of your worries will end. Your spirit will fly to Xibalba to await the arrival of your soul.”
Enrique tried to spit out the liquid, but some of the powerful elixir ran down his throat. He gagged. It tasted like flowers and rotting meat.”
“What’s in it?”
“The juice of a special flower found only in the depths of this cave. They grow without sunlight and are said to be very rare. When they die, they smell like decomposing flesh. Balam will not touch it or harvest it. He seems frightened of the very sight of the flowers and says the scent is foul to his nostrils.”
As soon as the liquid hit his stomach, Enrique’s head spun. He closed his eyes and tried to focus on staying awake. When he opened them again, the moon half-filled the hole in the ceiling, but Venus had yet to enter the second aperture.
* * * *
Targ knew right where his maker was as he left the fire and moved into the jungle. Al, Jax, Tuco and the fairy followed, taking the twisting path down the side of the cliff.
As he prepared to leap off the cliff, he prayed for his success. Did God listen to the prayers of demons? He had no idea. All he knew was he had to save Enrique. It was the only thing he could think about. He was already a dead man. When Balam took his humanity, he might as well have taken his life. He briefly thought about the elora flower; a possible cure to his vampirism. He shook his head. No, the only cure was the true death. He couldn’t go back to Pia like this and Enrique was a shifter. They could never be together. Shifters and vampires hated each other. Enrique and his brother belonged to a vampire-hunting cult. The very idea of their romance was ridiculous…impossible. He would sacrifice himself to save his lover. It was the only thing that made sense.
He leaped lightly down the cliff face landing in the clearing. He hoped his four friends were in place as Balam lurked in the shadows only a few feet away. “Balam, come out and fight me. I’m here to rescue Enrique. You won’t be able to sacrifice him until you kill me.”
Balam emerged from his hiding place. “Be gone, my child. Go feed. I am waiting for the other shifter, the twin. I know he is above us.”
“Then why don’t you go get him?”
“The cursed elf and the fairy protect him. I hate elves. The two shifters, the fae and the elf are a powerful team. I will wait until the twin comes for his brother. I know he will do this. I have but to wait.”
Targ gathered himself. His maker’s attention was on searching for his friends. He didn’t perceive Targ as a threat. Well, that was his first mistake.
Targ gathered his strength He should have fed, but the element of surprise might carry this through. With a mighty roar, Targ launched himself at Balam. In his hand, he carried a wooden stake.
Balam was surprised. He fell back beneath Targ’s attack. In the back corner of his mind, Targ felt the shifters entering the caves. He fought to stab Balam with the stake. The vampire seemed weaker. Maybe Al was right. Using the bloodstone to daywalk had sapped some of his incredible strength. Balam grabbed his shoulders and threw him off. He rebounded and was back on Balam before the ancient demon could move away.
“You’re weak. You’ve been daywalking too much,” Targ crowed. “I can kill you.”
“Fool, then you, too, will die.” Balam had his hands around the stake. They fought for control.
Targ spit an answer from between tightly clenched teeth. “That’s the plan.”
He pulled the stake free of Balam’s grasp and shoved it down as hard as he could. It penetrated Balam’s upper arm. The vampire screamed, but he didn’t die. He threw Targ off again and tore the stake out of his bicep. “This is what you would do to your maker?” He held his hand out and closed his eyes. Targ felt the vampire’s power. It hit him in the gut, sending him flying backwards fifty feet.
When he shook his head clear of the cobwebs, Balam was rushing for the cave. “Nice try,” he yelled over his shoulder as he disappeared into the gloom. “Your friends are as good as dead. I will have my twin sacrifice.” The sound of his insane laughter died as he was swallowed by the mouth of Naj Tunich. Targ opened his hand. During the struggle, he’d snagged Balam’s amulet. The golden necklace with the ruby gem twinkled in the moonlight. Targ felt the stone’s power enter him as he fastened it around his neck. If Al was right, he could now daywalk.
* * * *
Tuco saw Targ attack his maker. Lorelai hovered at his shoulder in her tiny form as he stood at the edge of the jungle, holding his huge sword; the one with the red stone in its hilt. Al knocked an arrow into his crossbow and Jax carried a sword and a pair of throwing knives strapped to his back. He also had the knife shaped like a cross in his belt. They were heavily armed, but the Mayan demon was old and powerful. His stench filled Tuco’s nostrils with the smell of ancient death.
As Targ fought with Balam, they ran for the mouth of the cave. His brother was in there. He could feel him. This would be their only chance to save him, but Balam expected them to do this. This whole thing was a giant trap to lure him to his death. Even knowing that couldn’t stop them. They had to try to save Rickie.
He’d been in Naj Tunich twice before. The stone altar revered by the local Mayans was down the left passage. The cave was dark, but all of them could see. He led them and Al was the rear guard, walking backwards with his big crossbow guarding them from behind.
There was more debris than he remembered. Big rocks had fallen from the ceiling high above, littering the smooth floor of the cave. On the walls, ancient pictographs and writing left behind by Mayans, hundreds, even thousands, of years before, stood out in his shifter-enhanced vision. One was a graphic drawing of a man performing ritual self mutilation by stabbing a sea urchin spine through the head of his penis. It was a common way Mayans tried to appease the gods. They also bled themselves, offering their life blood as a sacrifice. Mayan gods were very blood-thirsty, which was exactly why Balam wanted him and his brother to sacrifice. His belief that the gods would exalt and revere the gift of two shifters, twins, was well-founded in ancient lore. Balam was sure he would be well-rewarded.
He pushed forward when he saw the open mouth of the left fork beckoning. “This way.”
Jax followed close to his back. Lorelai was a tiny buzzing presence on his shoulder and Al kept walking backwards as he scanned the path behind with his bow. Balam suddenly erupted into the tunnel. Al fired the crossbow. The silver-tipped shaft nicked Balam who let out a roar. But he quickly removed it and threw it into the dirt. Moving too fast to see clearly, Balam attacked Al. Jax swung his sword but missed. Fear filled Tuco as he saw the open altar chamber looming ahead. When he looked back for Jax, his brother shifter ha
d changed into a panther.
Tuco fought the urge to shift as well. Lorelai whispered into his ear. “Get Rickie. Don’t shift.” She shot back into the tunnel toward Jax who fought with Balam as a panther. The sound of roaring and cat screams filled the narrow tunnel. He wanted to help Jax, but Lorelai was right. He had to save Rickie.
With the huge sword in his hand, he raced into the open chamber. Rickie lay strapped to the altar. Moonlight illuminated him from one of the holes in the ceiling. When Tuco glanced up, he saw a faint glimmer entering the second aperture. “Shift,” he yelled to his brother.
Balam’s acolyte stepped forward and snarled. He had small fangs and carried a knife with a dark fluid staining the tip. He held it low in a classic knife-fighter stance as he circled.
“I can’t shift,” Rickie screamed. “There’s a spell on me. Don’t let the knife nick you. The tip’s poisoned.”
Tuco lifted the blade of his sword. The red gem in the hilt gleamed in the faint moonlight. He swung and the vampire’s acolyte danced out of the way. He was short and squat but surprisingly agile. He lunged at Tuco with the knife, never uttering a word, his black eyes locked on Tuco’s face.
Wary of the poisoned blade, Tuco lunged again. This time the tip of his sword pinked the smaller man. He never uttered a word of pain or fear but leaped out of the way at the last minute, a trickle of blood running down his naked chest.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Lorelai flutter over to his twin. She changed into her human-size form and started untying Rickie. He fought to keep the short Mayan occupied while escaping the poisoned knife. He couldn’t watch her or help her. He had to keep his attention focused on the Mayan.
Suddenly, a hand fell on his shoulder and he froze. It was Balam. “At last, I have both of you.”
The sword fell from his nerveless fingers clattering to the stone floor.
“Moon Man, lay him on the altar next to his twin. The gods are smiling today.”
The short Mayan pushed him toward Rickie. Lorelai had one of his straps off. When she saw the way things had turned, she shifted into a tiny fairy and sped from the room. Tuco struggled to turn his head, finally catching a glimpse of the tunnel leading out of the chamber. He gasped. Jax lay naked and bleeding on the stone floor, a huge gash torn in his neck and side. There was no way he could survive those horrible wounds.
Moon Man threw him on the altar next to his brother. Crushed together, Rickie whispered into his ear. “I’m so sorry. We’re going to die to satisfy this loco demon’s crazy dream.”
Tuco wanted to fight back, but he was unable to move. “I’m paralyzed. Why can’t I move?”
“Balam put a spell on you. You won’t be able to shift either.” Rickie giggled, sighed and closed his eyes. “Let him give you the elixir. Then you won’t care.”
Tuco glanced at the ceiling of the cave as Moon Man approached carrying a crude clay vial. The full moon filled the biggest hole in the ceiling and the smaller light of Venus illuminated the edge of the second aperture.
“When Venus fills the second hole, Balam will kill us,” Tuco said. He tried to turn his head to look at the tunnel leading out of the cave. Jax still lay there bleeding. Where were Al and Lorelai?
Balam loomed above them. He had adorned himself with a feathered headdress, gold armlets and white paint. A mask made from a skull covered his face with living fer de lance snakes, writhing up and around it. One hung low and hissed at Tuco whose heart raced with terror. Rickie giggled again. “Look, he’s like Medusa, snakes for hair.”
“Straighten up, brother. We have to escape.”
Rickie giggled again. “They drugged me. Good stuff. You should try it.”
High overhead, Venus began to fill the second aperture. Moonlight washed them in a bright glow. The light from Venus was bluer. It shot from the hole hitting the edge of the stone altar but missing them.
Balam held an obsidian sacrificial knife over his head. The blue light from Venus made it glow an electric blue. The vampire began chanting as the shaft of blue light inched towards the twins. Tuco screamed in terror. His life couldn’t end this way. He fought to find his inner shifter and change into a panther. He couldn’t touch the animal. It was as though his panther nature had disappeared.
“Give him the drug,” Rickie said. “Let him die happy.”
Balam glanced at the roof and nodded to Moon Man. “Give it to him.”
Moon Man bent over Tuco, held his head still and poured a few drops of evil-smelling liquid into his mouth. He tried not to swallow, but the disgusting potion seeped between his lips and onto his tongue. For a minute, the taste reminded him of Al.
Venus neared the center of the circle as the potion raced through Tuco’s veins. It erased his worry. His head dropped back onto the stone and he stared at the twin holes in the roof of the cave. They were going to die. No one could save them now.
* * * *
Targ rushed into the cave and found Al huddled over Jax, both of them engulfed inside of a blue-green fog. Jax lay on the cave floor unconscious, a severe wound in his neck bleeding sluggishly. “What’s he doing to Jax?”
Lorelai grabbed his shirt. “Saving his life—we hope. Where have you been?”
“Balam threw me so hard I blacked out. Where is he?”
She shoved him toward a tunnel leading out of the main chamber. “Preparing to sacrifice Tuco and Rickie. Do something.” She touched the necklace. “Where did you get this?”
“I took it off Balam.”
“The stone will give you more power.” She closed her eyes. “Go. He’ll be absorbed in his ridiculous ritual.”
“I need a weapon.”
“Take Tuco’s sword.” She handed him a broadsword. He noticed the gem in the hilt immediately. “This feels like another one of those magic stones.”
She turned the sword over and examined it. “You’re right. It’s small and of poor quality but I can feel the power. You should be almost as strong as Balam with both stones. Hurry.”
Targ sped down the tunnel emerging into a small chamber with a huge stone altar at its center. Rickie lay bound on the altar next to his twin. Balam, dressed as a Mayan priest, stood over them holding an obsidian knife while he chanted in ancient Mayan. Thin, bluish light streaming into the chamber from a hole in the roof surrounded the twins. The room was filled with an odor that reminded Targ of Al.
Without hesitating, he threw himself on his maker swinging the sword wildly. It struck Balam’s crazy headdress which writhed with living snakes and knocked it askew. A skull was at the headdress’s center. It fell over Balam’s eyes and Targ swung again, aiming for the vampire’s neck. Balam launched himself into the air and flew screaming with rage.
Targ glanced at the altar as he readied himself for another attack and froze. A stream of white moonlight had blended with an eerie blue light. Both bands of light streamed into the chamber through two separate holes in the ceiling. The twins were encompassed in a shimmering glow. Balam saw it too and crowed. “The gods are taking them.”
For a moment, Targ feared Balam was actually right. The twins shimmered and their bodies began changing shape. Balam figured out what was going on first and screamed. “No! They can’t change. I forbid it.”
The Mayan vampire leaped onto the altar, entering the strange light. As soon as it hit him, he started to smoke, his skin crisping and turning black. Moon Man rushed forward and pulled his master to safety.
Targ laughed as the twins tore through their bonds and their clothes, shifting into huge black panthers. The two paused on the top of the altar looking around the chamber. Rickie glanced at Targ quickly and then they both leaped into the tunnel and disappeared.
With one backward glance at Balam, Targ headed for the exit. Balam flew over him and stopped him. Targ lifted the sword and struck at his maker. The ancient vampire was furious and his anger filled him with power. His skin was sloughing off in chunks but he threw up his arm and caught the blade. It dug deeply into Balam�
��s forearm. Targ pulled it out and hammered at Balam again. “If I die, you die, too,” Balam yelled.
“I don’t care.” Targ said and slashed at Balam again. The vampire was cut, bleeding and burned from the strange light. He turned and ran from Targ. The last sword slash cut into the vampire’s back. When it hit him, Targ felt a strange weakness wash over him. Balam fell to the floor of the tunnel as Targ’s head spun. They were both going to die.
But Balam regained his feet and stumbled down the corridor toward the exit. Targ’s head swam. He lifted the sword and ran after Balam, weaving and banging into the walls. The sound of a bullhorn cut into the silence of the cave. There were people outside.
Chapter 24
Al touched Jax one last time and struggled to his feet. A loud voice echoed through a bullhorn from outside the cave. The voice spoke in Spanish telling them to exit the cave and surrender to the authorities.
“We’re in the shit now,” he said. “Federales.”
Two black panthers leaped out of the tunnel to the altar, hissing and snarling. Lorelai ran to them, touching them on their heads softly. “Run, my darling,” she whispered to one Al assumed was Tuco. Apparently, the fairy could tell them apart. “Race into the jungle. Be free but watch out for guns.”
The panthers slipped through the exit into the dark outside. Lorelai touched Al’s arm lightly. “We better get out of here.”
At that moment, Balam erupted from the tunnel and flew into the huge chamber. He was bleeding and very pale. The vampire hissed at them as Al cocked the crossbow. “Your bolt will never hit me.”
The vampire landed. His headdress was askew and a crazy glint filled his eyes. His fangs popped into view and Al fired. Balam was right. He easily dodged the shot leaping on Jax who was just beginning to stir. He picked Jax up as though he weighed nothing and threw him over his shoulder. “I will sacrifice a panther shifter tonight or go to the true death in the effort.”
He launched himself into the air flying to the top of the chamber where he landed on a ledge. He stood there for a moment gazing down at them.
The Virgin Vampire Page 14