“Akil?” The name felt far too comfortable as I spoke it.
“Yes?”
“What’s going on? Who are you?”
“Is that really the question you want to ask me?”
“Yes. No. I…”
“What is it you want to know, Maya?”
I tried to swallow. “Wh—who am I?”
“Are you sure that you’re ready to know?” he said. “Once I show you, there will be no going back.”
“Is there a reason I shouldn’t want to know?”
“I only mean…once you know this, it cannot be unknown.”
Balam, give me strength. “I want to know.”
Akil stopped and faced me again. He lifted his right hand and placed two fingers on my forehead. “Close your eyes.”
I felt a sudden surge of power, and a feeling of warmth came over me. Then grief ripped through my body. Misery invaded my soul. My heart felt like it was being torn in two.
“Akina!” I screamed. I opened my eyes. “Akil.” I felt like I was drowning, like I wouldn’t survive the sadness.
“I’m here.”
I held on to him. “She’s dead.”
“Yes.”
I looked up into his beautiful eyes. They were brimming with tears.
“I’m so sorry. I should have realized the strongest emotion would come back to you first.” He pulled me close, and the memory of being held by my best friend slowly trickled into my head.
I looked around as I tried to will the fog in my brain to clear. “Where are we? Why are we here?”
“You’re here with friends.”
“Shape-shifters,” I mumbled to myself. “Matt! I have to go.” I pushed myself away from him and moved quickly in the direction of the inn. I stopped for a second. “I’ll be back.”
“I will give you some time.” Something like pain flashed across his face, then he opened his wings and took off into the night. With a start, I realized I could see them. I could see his wings! And though it was dark, his wings seemed even darker, so black that they seemed to swallow the night sky altogether. I ran back into the courtyard and found Matt sitting on the cobblestones outside our room. When he saw me coming, he stood up and walked to meet me.
“Are you okay?” I asked him.
“Am I okay? Jesus, Maya! I haven’t felt anything even close to that since…” His voice trailed off and he looked down at his feet.
“Since your dad died?”
He nodded.
“I’m so sorry, Matt.” Jeez, I sucked. Matt had felt the same grief I had. It’s not bad enough I had to feel this crappy, but Matt felt everything I did. How could I have done that? How could I possibly be a goddess and be such a total screw-up at the same time? I laid my hand on his chest, over his heart, and he put his hand on mine.
“Were you with…?”
“Akil? Yeah, I was. Matt, he’s real.”
The doors on either side of ours opened and the twins came out.
“What’s going on?” Damian asked.
“Maya saw the guy from her dream,” Matt said.
“He’s real? What happened? What did he say?”
I didn’t know what to say yet. “He just kind of helped me remember some things.”
Matt raised his head and looked at me. “You’re going to go back to him.”
“I think I need to. Just for a while. I need to know who I am, Matt. I don’t wanna go, but…”
Lyssa glanced sideways at her twin. I knew she was sharing her thoughts with him. She sure as hell wasn’t sharing her thoughts with me.
Damian nodded, then turned back to me. “You don’t know him, Maya. What if he hurts you?”
“Is that you or Lyssa talking?”
“Both.”
“He wouldn’t do that. We were friends. I remember that much.” Suddenly, I heard footsteps. I turned to see that Akil was standing just outside the courtyard, waiting for me. I wished he had given me more time.
“He’s back,” I said. “I have to go.” My eyes welled up as I touched the side of Matt’s face.
He pulled me to him and lifted me from the ground in an embrace. “In Lak’ech,” he said.
I buried my face in the side of his neck. “Ala K’in.”
We kissed for a moment, and I willed him to know how much I loved him. And then I turned and walked away.
CHAPTER FIVE
Lyssa walked through the garden at the compound, heading straight for Cesar’s room at the cabins. She went in quietly and pulled off everything but her underwear and T-shirt, then slipped under the covers on her side of the bed.
Her side. She had never been the lovey-dovey type, much less someone who would have a side. But this half of Cesar’s bed was undeniably hers and no one else’s. She hadn’t slept in her room in the main house since Christmas Eve four nights ago. And she figured she never would again. There should have been a part of her that was reeling against this, a side of her that wanted to run to the airport and get on the first plane home. But there wasn’t. The pull to be with him was just so strong. She’d never imagined anything like this ever could have existed.
“Ya es tarde, bella,” Cesar whispered in her ear before giving it a kiss.
“I know, I’m sorry. The meeting went on so long. Everyone is so effing worried about Maya.”
“You are also worried about her.”
God, he understood her so well. “Why should I be?” she asked. “It was her choice. She didn’t have to bail on us.”
“No? Tell me this, bella. You have only one chance to find out who you are. What do you do?”
They were so different from each other. At nineteen, he was so big, especially compared to her. He was all muscle and strength and beauty. But he was so compassionate and patient. It bordered on insanity! He was nothing like her. Her steel was on the inside. Hell, she’d basically been the guy in every relationship she’d ever had, if you could call them that. She just wasn’t the type to get all emotional. Yet somehow he softened her. It didn’t matter if she liked it that way or not. It just was.
She woke the next morning to the sound of Cesar in the shower. Thank God they had their own bathroom. Cesar was the head of his cabin as Selena was the head of hers, so they both had the rooms in the back that had private bathrooms and balconies. Rolling over to look at the time, she flew out of bed, ran into the bathroom, and picked up her toothbrush and toothpaste. How had she slept so late? She had known that they were all going to talk over breakfast, and here she was, still in her underwear.
“Cesar.” God help her, she loved saying his name. “Say-sar,” she said, louder, emphasizing each syllable, and adding an extra roll on the R.
He poked his head around the shower curtain. “You’re awake.”
“Yeah, I’m awake,” she growled. “And we’re late.”
By the time they got to breakfast, everyone else was already there and eating.
“Sorry,” Lyssa said. She sat down in a hurry, grabbing a piece of toast and biting off a corner.
About time! Damian’s comment rattled in her half-awake head.
She ignored her twin. It was too early for that shit.
“We haven’t really started,” Adriana said. “But I guess we’d better.”
We had started, B-T-W.
Lyssa was two seconds away from singing the worst Justin Bieber song she could think of in her head nonstop for the next hour.
“The reason we have you here is to talk to you three about something we take very seriously,” he said. Lyssa, Damian, and Matt exchanged glances.
“We need to figure out whether you should stay here with us or if we should send you home,” Adriana added.
“I’m not leaving without Maya,” Matt said. “There’s no way.”
Lyssa felt her blood go cold. Of course she didn’t want to leave without Maya. And she had her mate to think about now, too. “I’m not leaving Cesar.” She heard herself saying it totally without thinking. What did that mean? Now or ever? She looked across
the table at her mate. He seemed lost in thought. She could really use some of that emotional stuff Matt and Maya had right about now.
“We had a feeling you would feel that way,” Adriana said. “And to tell you the truth, we’re not sure it’s completely safe to send you home to your families anyway.”
“Toltec?” Damian asked.
“Exactly,” said Richard. “They obviously failed at Chichen Itza. But that doesn’t mean they’ll stop trying to find ways to stop the transition or find Maya. And if they find out that they were right about her, they’ll look for her weak spots. Which, in part, would be the people she cares about.”
“So the real issue is how we can convince our families to let us stay longer,” Damian said.
Adriana nodded. “Exactly. Christmas break will be over in a few days. Obviously, anything that’s going to make them worry is not an option.”
“What about…what about Adriana getting us into some kind of foreign exchange program?” Damian asked. “I mean we all speak Spanish. And Adriana is technically still on our school staff.”
“That’s not a bad idea,” Richard said.
“My mom wouldn’t be thrilled to have me away,” Matt said, “but she understands about shifters and mating. She’d deal with it.”
Lyssa couldn’t take her eyes off him. He didn’t look like he’d looked the last time Maya was gone. Of course, the last time she’d been kidnapped. This time she had gone willingly. And with another guy! Damn, he either really had his shit together or he was doing an amazing job of faking it.
“I don’t think our parental units would be thrilled about not seeing us,” she said aloud, “but we’re Mexican, so I think they’d be okay with it. You know. We’d be experiencing our culture and all.”
“I agree,” Damian said. As long as you let me do the talking.
Shut it.
Adriana looked relieved. “Well, this was easier than I thought it was going to be.”
“You’ll need to call Rosa,” Richard reminded her. “She’ll have to be in on this.”
“Oh, that poor woman,” Adriana said.
Richard sighed. “I know. Now the question is whether it would be safer to contrive some kind of school here at the compound or actually enroll you all in one locally.”
Lyssa rolled her eyes and took another bite of toast. There had been just the teeniest part of her that thought they might escape studying altogether.
Cesar shook his head. “It will be hard to keep them safe in a school.”
Nothin’ like your man backin’ up your cause. Go, baby! Lyssa thought.
“And, Richard,” Adriana said, “I would be concerned about their studies. There aren’t many schools close by that would have programs, if any. I also want to get to the bottom of what’s been happening with the twins’ marks.”
Richard got up from the table. “Okay, then. I’ll get to work on our little school while Adriana looks for a tutor.”
Cesar stood up and gave Lyssa a quick kiss on the forehead. “I have work to do. I will see you at lunch, bella.” He turned to Matt, who also stood up.
“Yeah,” he said, “let’s head out.”
Damian pushed in his chair. “I’ve got research waiting.”
“On our marks?” Lyssa asked.
“Yes. Don’t you want to know where they’re from?”
“Yeah, but I don’t think you’re going to find it in some book.”
They were the original Ying Yang Twins. He was book smart, that was for damn sure, but Lyssa lived on instinct. And right now her gut was telling her that their marks had something to do with Maya. And that was not something you could google.
Tossing a final glance over her shoulder at her twin, Lyssa went into the kitchen to see if Alma was ready to start prepping for lunch. Feeding a small army meant lots of prep time.
“Want some help?” Lyssa asked.
“Gracias, hija,” Alma answered.
Lyssa busied herself with prepping to make tortillas. At least she could take some frustration out on the dough. Then she covered it with a warm cloth to let it rest. She opened the cupboard and grabbed the comal skillet. She was no genius in the kitchen like Maya. But when it came to Mexican food, she knew every traditional dish inside and out. Lyssa had been helping her mother in the kitchen since she was a little girl, and Mexican was hands-down her favorite food.
“Need help with the salad?”
“No, hija, let the dough set. I will finish this.”
Lyssa was just heading out the back door when she ran into Adriana.
“Oh, Lyssa, have you got a sec?”
“Sure.”
“I’ve got some good news. I think I’ve got a lead on a tutor. If I can work this out, you, Damian, and Matt will be starting classes tomorrow. I’m scheduling you just for mornings. Would you tell Damian for me?”
“No problem.” Lyssa turned and walked back through the kitchen. She could have just told him telepathically, but she really didn’t have anywhere she needed to be. She’d let her bro know, then she’d bounce. She knocked on his door and poked her head in.
Her twin looked up from his laptop. “Hey, Lyss.”
“Hey. Looks like we start with the tutor tomorrow morning. Adriana wanted me to share the good news.”
“That was quick.”
She nodded. “Hella fast.”
He smiled. “Viva la Reina is on in a few minutes. Do you want to stay and watch?”
She was about to say no, when she saw an odd look in her twin’s eyes. He seemed lonely. She had hardly been at the main house since Cesar, and Damian had been spending a lot of time alone. He wasn’t used to it, and it showed.
“Could you hog a little more of the bed, Lyss? What are you up to ten pounds now?”
“Shut it.”
***
Lyssa lay in bed next to her mate, listening to the sound of his breathing. She looked at the clock. It was after midnight. She rolled over onto her side. She was sore all over, but it was a welcome ache. That night, they had all played a rough game of soccer. She had needed it. They all had. It felt good to blow off some steam. She hadn’t realized how much she missed it. She and Damian weren’t allowed to play on the same team for obvious reasons, but playing with Cesar had been just as much fun. She could tell he appreciated how good she was. Later on in their room, he had shown her just how much.
Their room. She looked at Cesar’s profile and wondered how it was possible for anyone to have a face that perfect. She ran her finger down his forehead, over his nose, and along his lips and chin. Cesar had opened up to her so easily. It was so much harder for her. It’s not that she didn’t want to. It just wasn’t in her nature. There were times when she looked at him across the room or even just smelled him when he was close, and she knew she’d do anything for him. It scared the hell out of her.
“Awake again?” he startled her out of her thoughts.
“Yeah, I can’t sleep.”
“Come here, bella.” He sat up, leaned over and lifted her so that her entire body was on top of his. He held her there gently and she buried her head against his hair.
“Sleep, now,” he whispered softly. He stroked her back lightly, and in moments she was asleep.
***
The next morning, she stood in the shower and let the hot water soothe her sore muscles. Man, she was getting out of shape. If she were home right now, she’d be playing in two indoor soccer leagues for the winter. They had all agreed that they should make their games a daily habit if they could, and that would definitely help. She wondered briefly if Damian felt so crappy.
Cesar had left early for guard duty, so she was on her own walking to breakfast. She was grateful to be alone because she was moving like an old woman, and she didn’t want to ruin the image of how well she had played. On the other hand, if Cesar were there, maybe he could carry her to breakfast. Had she really just thought that? God. The next thing you know, she’d be watching The frigging Notebook.
The first person to speak to her was Adrianna. “Good morning, Lyssa.”
“Morning.” As she sat down next to Damian, his voice popped into her head.
Sore?
And you’re not, Beckham? She took a bite of her breakfast burrito.
Are you kidding? I took two showers this morning.
Ha! I only needed one.
And Betty White could out walk you right now.
She gave him a sideways glance.
“All right, everyone,” said Adriana, “let’s get this place cleaned up. Richard should be back at nine, and you’ll need this area to work.”
Lyssa rolled her eyes and started cleaning up. You’d think there was some kind of prince coming to visit instead of someone who was going to torture her with trig and history. Anything would be better than history. And compared to everything they were dealing with, classes seemed like bullshit, anyway.
The kitchen door slammed and Lyssa looked up from wiping off the table.
Richard had arrived. “Okay, everyone. I’d like to introduce Nathan Fletcher. He’ll be tutoring you in the mornings.”
Their new tutor stepped forward. “You can call me Nate.”
CHAPTER SIX
Walking alongside Akil, I tried not to think about what I had just done. I could feel Matt inside me, but all I could really make out was a feeling of resignation. Not the worst thing I would have expected. But that didn’t change the fact that I had just walked out on everyone. God, I felt like such a waste of space. To think other life forms on the planet were, like, deprived of oxygen because of my existence.
As we moved further and further away from the inn, I couldn’t help feeling that I was leaving behind everything I knew and everyone who cared about me. And the unknown future ahead of me was sooo not comforting. I suddenly realized that I had forgotten to call my dad on Christmas. It just completely slipped my mind. I felt a nasty pang of regret.
“Wait.” I stopped walking.
Akil turned. “Maya?”
“The pain from yesterday. It’s back. Oh, God. What’s happening?”
Jaguar Moon (Jaguar Sun Series Book 2) Page 4