Mayan Blood

by Theresa Dalayne

  “Of course it does,” Renato replied. “But certain things should be left in the past.”

  “There isn’t any other way to find this guy, and if Marzena doesn’t find anything in my head, then we’re no worse for wear.”

  “And if she does find something?” Peter asked. “Then what? You’ll have all those memories to cope with. God knows what they’ll be.”

  ***

  Two days later, Renato called everyone back to the study. Pacing in front of his desk, he cradled a book to his chest. “We have been asking all the wrong questions. We have been trying to figure out where Sarian is hiding, while we should have been asking when he is hiding.” His pacing stopped. “He has been sheltering his whereabouts not at a secret location, but in the past, which is why neither Marzena nor Jayden have been able to track him.”

  “How did you figure that out?” Zanya asked.

  Tara cleared her throat. “I, uh, I let Marzena…” She tapped her temple. “You know…”

  “You let her dig around in your head?” Zanya's disbelief changed to uncertainty, which grew into anger. She stood up, glaring at Marzena. “I thought we agreed? How could you do this?”

  Renato stepped forward. “Zanya, it was Tara’s choice to make. She wanted to help. She insisted. They did nothing wrong. It was a brave, unselfish act. You should be very proud of her.”

  “Proud?” Zanya's turned to Renato. “But you agreed with us that it was too big of a risk.”

  “That was until Tara spoke to me in private. Nothing I could have said would have changed her mind.”

  Zanya rested back on the sofa. “Fantastic. Now you guys are plotting behind my back.”

  “I think you’re being a little unreasonable,” Arwan mumbled.

  Zanya's eyes narrowed. “You would think that.” If he was trying to get on her nerves, it was working. She looked at Tara. “Are you okay? Do you remember anything?”

  She shook her head. “I did have a gnarly migraine after she finished. Peter fixed it, and everything’s fine. There’s seriously no reason to be upset.”

  Zanya examined her friend. She seemed okay, and she was acting normal enough. Besides, Tara would tell her if something went wrong. The tension in Zanya’s muscles gave way. Of course Tara would tell her. They were best friends.

  “Very well,” Renato said. “The information Tara provided led me to examine the 1800s. The strongest indication being a symbol on a flag.” He opened the book in his hands and displayed a large flag on its pages. “It’s a royal family crest. I should have known better. I’m a fool for not realizing the possibility sooner.”

  “So what are we going to do?” Peter asked.

  “We must find a way to travel back to Victorian London.”

  “Can’t we just use the parasites again?” Jayden said.

  Renato shook his head. “I’m afraid not. Even if the parasites could withstand that length of time in the bend, it would surely kill Arwan.”

  “What if Peter heals him while we’re traveling?” Tara suggested.

  “That was a possibility I considered, but I’m afraid our abilities are disabled while in the bend.”

  “And what do you mean, we?” Zanya said. “You’re not coming. It’s too dangerous.”

  Tara crossed her arms. “Oh, I’m coming. You can’t leave me behind while you go gallivanting around the Victorian era.”

  “You’re not coming,” Zanya said again.

  “Yes—I am.”

  Peter took Tara’s hand. “I’ll stay behind with her.”

  Tara’s jaw dropped open. “Peter, I want to go.”

  “I’m sorry, but I have to agree with Zanya on this one. It’s too dangerous. You could get hurt.”

  “Actually,” Renato interrupted, “we need Peter with us in case someone gets injured.”

  Peter gestured to Zanya. “She has the healing ability now, too.”

  “Which she hasn’t learned to use accurately enough yet. And what if Zanya gets injured? What if several of us are hurt simultaneously? We cannot risk you staying behind.”

  Tara displayed a smug grin. “So it’s settled. I’m going.”

  Zanya pushed her hands down on the cushion of the couch and leaned forward. “No, you’re not.”

  “Well I’m not leaving Tara alone,” Peter said.

  He must have been crazy. Here she was trying to keep Tara safe, and Peter was ruining it. “What if she gets taken by Sarian again? It was a pure stroke of luck we got her back last time. She’s the only one of us without abilities. She’s too vulnerable.”

  Tara scoffed. “So since you have abilities and I don’t, you don’t want me around?”

  “You know that’s not what I mean. I’m trying to protect you.” Hell, she was starting to sound like Arwan.

  “I know. You’re always watching out for me…but I’m still coming.”

  Zanya dug her fingers into the cushion. “You’re so stubborn.”

  Bobbing her foot, Tara shrugged. “And you wonder why we’re best friends.”

  Zanya leaned back and folded her arms over her chest.

  “If Peter will not come with us unless Tara accompanies him, then we have no choice but to bring them both. We will all keep a close eye on her.”

  Zanya weighed their options. She hated to admit it, but Renato was right about Peter. They needed him to come. “Fine, but you have to promise to stay safe. I couldn’t stand losing you again.”

  Tara clapped her hands in delight. Zanya rolled her eyes. Of course Tara would celebrate that she was about to walk straight into a hot zone. She was fearless. Unfortunately, that quality wasn’t always smart.

  Zanya couldn’t help but noticed Arwan’s grin.

  “I’m glad you’re getting such a kick out of this,” she snapped.

  His grin widened. “I can’t help it.” He met her gaze. “You’re incredibly cute when you’re angry.”

  Zanya parted her lips. She wanted to shout at him, hit him—or better yet, zap him. How dare he go from cold to hot so quickly? Give the impression he only cared about her for one reason, and then drop the, you’re incredibly cute, line.

  “Now that we have that settled, we can move on to the means by which we will get there,” Renato said.

  They all waited for him to reveal his plan. Several horrifying possibilities traipsed through Zanya's imagination.

  Renato searched the faces in the room. “Anyone?”

  Zanya sat up straight. “What do you mean? You don’t know?”

  “I haven’t the slightest idea.”

  That was a first. Renato always knew the answer. She perked up when she remembered something she’d read in a scribe’s journal. “Wait.” She stood and walked to a bookshelf, searching for the right title.

  Renato joined her and waited while she sifted through the titles. She stole a glance at him every so often as he examined the pendant in her hand. “What do you have there?”

  She held it up. “To be honest, I’m not sure.”

  Renato gently took the necklace.

  She searched the shelves while he gave the pendant a closer look.

  “Zanya…”

  The scribe’s journal had to be there somewhere. If she could just find the right one…

  “This is the symbol of Cualli, flower goddess of the middleworld. The daughter of Ishel.”

  Zanya froze and tore her attention away from her search.

  “Where did you get this?”

  “I was led to it, by a vision. It was at the bottom of a waterfall.”

  “Amazing.” He examined the piece closer. “The Maya believe water is a portal to the underworld. Someone must have tossed this into the lake while pleading for help. It’s very old.”

  Zanya peered at it. “How old?”

  “Hundreds of years. And it hasn’t been affected by the water.” He turned it over, running his fingers along the lines. “It’s in perfect condition. This means something.”

  “Like what?”

 
“It means, Zanya, that we are no longer working alone. The middleworld deities are aware of our struggles and have joined our fight.”

  She stared at the pendant that suddenly took on a whole new meaning. “That—is from a goddess?”

  Renato nodded and handed it back to her. It was so beautiful, like artwork. And the way it made her feel was even more remarkable. It steadied her hand, gave her reassurance. Almost like her stone, but in a different way. Why, she’d had no idea—until now.

  After a few more moments of searching, she plucked the book from the shelf. “Here it is. She might be able to take us back.” Zanya flipped through the pages, then handed it to Renato.

  “She, who?” Tara asked.

  Renato rubbed his chin, studying the pages. “This would be incredibly dangerous.”

  “If you can’t come up with a solution, I’m pretty sure this is the only way.”

  Renato drew in a deep breath. “Very well.” He tossed the book on his desk and turned to the rest of the group. “Contessa.”

  Marzena gripped Renato’s arm, a grave expression hardening her tiny features.

  “I know.” Renato patted her hand, as if trying to reassure her. “But Zanya is right. It is quite likely our only option.”

  “Do you know Contessa?” Zanya asked. Marzena’s eyes darted to her, narrow and dark. It was disturbing to see the face of a small child so cold and fierce.

  “Contessa was once Sarian’s lover,” Renato explained. “He manipulated her, and eventually convinced her to kill his mother. When she did, his mother’s darkness was woven into Contessa’s soul. He soon grew tired of her and attempted to kill her by stabbing her through the heart. She survived, but only by black magic, and now lives on borrowed time.”

  “How do you borrow time?” Hawa said.

  “By stealing the souls of others, and using them to fuel her own existence.”

  Zanya slowly sat back down on the couch. “I, uh…I didn’t know that.”

  “And she does not work for free. If we are going to ask for her patronage, we must offer her payment. It is usually a heavy price.”

  “I mean, we aren’t poor,” Hawa said. “We could sell some shares in the stocks we’re invested in and just pay her off.”

  Renato frowned. “Unlikely.”

  Zanya swallowed, her hands iced over. This lady was a lot worse than she’d originally thought. Maybe it was a bad idea. Jayden took her hand. “Don’t worry; it’ll be fine.”

  “How do we find her?” Peter asked.

  “She currently resides in Moscow. It is where she has lived for centuries. We will travel there and begin our search. I have an feeling that once we land in her town, she will come for us.”

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Zanya found her window seat on the commercial jet and settled in. The chair was plush and comfortable with a touch screen television in the seat back in front of her. She had never flown before.

  So far, so good.

  Jayden walked down the narrow aisle and paused beside her while inspecting his ticket. He frowned and then continued toward the back of the plane.

  Marzena took her seat beside Renato. The stewardess crouched and handed Marzena a captain’s wing pin, fussing over how cute Marzena’s freckles were, and what a big girl she was for flying in first class with her daddy.

  Zanya stifled a laugh. If that stewardess didn’t back off soon, she may end up with an unexplained migraine for the rest of the flight.

  Tara stopped beside Zanya's seat. “This is so awesome.” Her elated squeak made the child passing behind her giggle. “Can you believe we’re going to Russia? I’ve never flown first class before.”

  “Tara, you’ve never flown before.”

  She paused, her lips parted while she took a moment to think. “Well, maybe that’s true, but this is still awesome.”

  Zanya laughed. “Yeah, it’s pretty great.” And it was—for the most part. She scanned the plane for Arwan, but he wasn’t anywhere in sight.

  A man of reasonable girth standing behind Tara cleared his throat. Tara rolled her eyes. “Don’t have a heart attack. I’m going.” She smiled at Zanya. “I’ll see you in Moscow!” She trotted to her seat.

  Zanya's chest tightened when she spotted Arwan walking down the aisle. A group of girls giggled and whispered as he passed. She couldn’t blame them for seeing exactly what she did—muscles packed under a fitted shirt and smoky eyes. Still, that didn’t stop her from wanting to slap them upside the head.

  He double checked his seat number, slid his bag under the seat beside Zanya and plopped down. He smiled softly, then leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes.

  The pilot made an announcement, the Fasten Seat Belt sign pinged on, and Zanya gripped the armrest as if she were riding a roller coaster. The engines roared and she watched the ground move out the window. The acceleration pinned her against her seat, and as the plane’s tires lifted off the ground. Her stomach dropped. Suddenly she didn’t appreciate the idea of riding thirty thousand feet in the air with no control over going up or down. The plane bobbed and shook.

  She drew in a deep breath, groping inside her pocket for the pendant Cualli had given her. She’d gotten accustomed to carrying it around everywhere, especially since it helped her stay calm. She pulled in another deep breath and closed her eyes, humming a few notes to herself, and finding comfort in the melody. The pendant seemed to grow warm in her palm. She curled her fingers around it and continued humming.

  “You really like that thing, don’t you?”

  She opened her eyes to find Arwan examining the necklace in her hand. “So you’re talking to me now?” She didn’t make any effort to mask the sarcasm in her tone. The plane pitched again. She sucked in a breath and held it, rubbing her fingers over the wicker pendant. When the plane stabilized, she continued to hum. The melody was muffled in her ears from the altitude change. “Is it going to be like this the whole flight?”

  “Do you want me to get Peter?”

  “No, it’s fine.” She glanced at him. “Thanks.”

  He pulled a bottle of water out of his carryon and dampened a napkin. “Here.” He pressed it over her forehead and along her temples. The cool water soothed the heat flushing her face. She slid her fingers up his forearm. She missed his touch so much, it was almost unbearable.

  He pulled away, causing a streak of pain to spike in her chest. “I have something for you.”

  Please don’t let it be Dramamine and an airsick bag.

  He reached in his back pocket and took out a small, teal box with a silver heart charm dangling off the top.

  Her breath hitched. “What’s this?”

  “It’s a birthday gift. I got it at the airport.” He extended it to her. “There’s not much in the way of gifts in the jungle.”

  She touched the tiny silver charm. There was no way she would be able to set things straight if she opened this box first, so folded down the tray table and placed it in front of her. “I think need to talk.”

  “I know. Just, let me say something first.”

  Of course. He was going to give her the whole “it’s not you, it’s me” speech, and whatever was waiting for her in that box was his way of softening the blow.

  Arwan turned toward her in his seat, his shoulders rigid. He seemed nervous, which made sense. Her hands began to shake. She couldn’t stand it anymore. “Just do it. Just get it over with.”

  “If that’s what you want.” It was. Like a bandage—the faster, the better. He cleared his throat. “I admire you, Zanya.” He touched her cheek. “I am fascinated by you. I’m entranced by you.” Every word came out softer than the next. He dropped his hand from her cheek. “You’re so many things I’m not, and I know I shouldn’t care about you. Not the way I do.”

  She blinked. “What?”

  “I refuse to lose you. I know I deserve to, but please don’t give up on me. We can take it slow.”

  The genuine warmth behind his gaze was affirmation enough. S
he swallowed. “Slow is good.”

  His chest jumped. She saw it, felt it in the flinch of his fingers entwined in hers. “Is that a yes?”

  She wanted nothing more than to just say yes and kiss him. God, she had wanted to taste his lips for so long—more than just a soft, sweet kiss. But if they were going to work, he had to understand. “Under two conditions. No more questions about my friendship with Jayden. We’re just friends. That’s it. No more. Not ever.”

  “And the second one?”

  She stared down at the pendant. “I’m not your responsibility. I don’t ever want you to treat me like that again.”

  Arwan responded by picking up the tiny box and holding it out to her. “Deal. Now open your gift.”

  And just like that, everything was in place. Tara was home, her and Arwan were back to normal—whatever that was—and Jayden…well, he was still Jayden, sitting a few rows back, strumming an air guitar. However crazy and insane her life was, it wouldn’t be the same without him, or the other people she’d gotten to know. Her family.

  She snatched the box and tilted open the lid. Her breath caught in her throat, and she hooked the short chain around her fingers, pulling out the butterfly bracelet. Colored gemstones glittered inside the wings that ended in a scroll tip.

  “It’s beautiful.” Nobody had ever given her a birthday gift before. Sure, her friends did what they could; fresh-picked wildflowers, an extra portion of dessert in the cafeteria, but nothing like this. “It’s so thoughtful.” Arwan took the bracelet and clasped it around her wrist.

  “Why butterflies?”

  The edges of his mouth pulled into a grin. “I remembered the butterfly field.”

  Her cheeks flushed with heat. It wasn’t exactly the best memory they had together. She’d pushed him away and run off, leaving him in the middle of the jungle. “So…you’re a glutton for punishment?”

  He smiled. It was the first wide, brilliant smile she’d ever seen. “I guess you could say that.”

  ***

  The next day, the group stood in the lobby of their hotel, waiting for Renato to finish checking in.