Ian saw his rage and surprise but continued to shoot. Lightning struck the devil’s right side as bullets pummeled his body. Mictlan redirected his lightning toward Ian who threw himself down and rolled out of the way of the bolt.
Another bolt struck Ian’s left shoulder. Burning pain shot through him, but he fired until the clips were empty. He pulled the third gun from his leg holster and fired again. Lightning flew across the sky, striking Mictlan hard and sending him over the side of the pyramid.
Ian ran to the edge and watched Mictlan tumble to the ground. His minions were collapsing and the people rushed down to where the Lord of the Dead had landed. Ian followed them, watching as men and women shot into his already dying body. They beat him with hammers and sticks.
By the time Ian reached the ground Mictlan had taken his last breath in their world. His corpse was a bloody, broken pulp.
Ian looked toward the other pyramid. Something was making its way down.
Nancy was beside him. “What is it?”
“Something is wrong,” Ian said and began to run down the Avenue of the Dead.
His exhaustion forgotten, he ran across the ancient city until he could clearly see Asher walking toward him. In the boy’s arms lay the limp body of Aileen Grant.
“Oh, no,” Nancy said in a small voice.
Ian willed his heart to stop but it kept on beating. His ears rang with the sound of rushing blood as it rolled down his wounded shoulder dripping on the ground beneath him. He walked forward, feeling more ghost than man. Asher’s eyes were older somehow. The boy seemed to have aged ten years in the last hour.
“She’s alive,” he said as he reached Ian.
Those two words filled Ian’s head to near bursting. He no longer heard the revelry of the people who had ultimately killed Mictlan. “She’s alive,” filled his world as he took her from Asher.
She felt thin but warm in his arms.
“Thank God,” Nancy said, still next to him.
Ian dropped to his knees. Aileen’s eyes flickered open.
“You’re alive,” she said.
He nodded and was a little surprised when he felt her wipe wetness from his cheek.
She sat up in his lap. Examining his shoulder, she said, “You’re hurt.”
“I love you,” he said touching her lips with his.
“Look,” they heard Asher say.
Immediately fearing Mictlan’s return, Ian grabbed for his gun and turned. The pilot was pointing up and smiling.
The thinning clouds revealed blue sky but it was a seagull that Asher was pointing at.
“A good sign,” Aileen said. “If there is life in the sky then perhaps we can expect things to grow down here as well. ‘As above, so below’.”
“Did you hear what I said?” Ian asked.
Aileen smiled up at him. “I already knew that you loved me, Ian.”
He grinned back. “Oh, and how did you know?”
“It’s clear in your eyes every time you look at me. But I’m still very happy to hear you say it,” she admitted blushing slightly.
He tucked her wild hair behind her ear. “Where to now?” he asked, lifting her onto her wobbly legs.
“Here is as good a place as any to start a life,” she said.
Ian gazed at the expanse of land in all directions. Civilization had thrived here for thousands of years. “This is a perfect place to begin.”
About A.S. Fenichel
A.S. Fenichel adores writing stories filled with love, passion, desire, magic and maybe a little mayhem tossed in for good measure. Books have always been her perfect escape and she still relishes diving into one and staying up all night to finish a good story. Originally from New York, she grew up in New Jersey. She now lives in the southwest with her real-life hero, her wonderful husband. When she’s not reading or writing, she enjoys cooking, travel, history and puttering in her garden.
A.S. welcomes comments from readers. You can find her website and email address on her author bio page at www.ellorascave.com.
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Mayan Afterglow
ISBN 9781419935275
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Mayan Afterglow Copyright © 2011 A.S. Fenichel
Edited by Helen Woodall
Cover art by Syneca
Electronic book publication July 2011
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