Técun ran his finger over the blade and traced some of the cooling blood on her forehead. “Return to your friend who loves you so.”
She inhaled, a long, choking cry that went on and on, rising in a scream. I thought she cried out a word, but I had no idea what it meant.
“Ak-bal,” Técun whispered. His gaze met mine, his brow furrowed. “Darkness. She calls out for someone.”
I leaned down and wrapped my arms around her, my hands searching for her pulse. Rapid and frantic, she breathed, her replaced heart thundering with terror. “I’ve got you, Nat. You’re safe now.”
“I’m dead, Cass. Dead!”
“No, no,” I soothed. If she called out for someone, someone in Xibalba… I cradled her closer, rocking her in my arms. “You’re fine now, Nat. We pulled you out of the hell where Alvarado had sent you. I’m so sorry, honey.”
She jerked away from me and sat up, her hands frantic on her chest. “My heart. I remember him taking out my heart.”
Técun pointed at her, casting a glow so she could see herself. A long vertical scar ran down her chest. “We healed you, lady. Xibalba has no hold on you.”
Hunched over, she clutched the tattered remains of her shirt closed. I wrapped my arm around her back, whispering nonsense to her, trying to calm her down. “It’s going to be okay now.”
“I was dead.”
“Yes.” My throat ached and I squeezed her tighter. “Just like when I drowned.” I lightened my voice, trying to drag her back to familiar ground. “I guess we’re even now, aren’t we?”
She managed to laugh a little. “Not hardly. You got sultry dreams of Mr. Studly here. I got…” She shuddered and pulled herself tighter, clutching her knees to her chest. “Demons.”
Guilt swamped me. “If I hadn’t brought you here none of this would have happened.”
She laughed easier this time, but my heart still ached for her. “Some vacation you’ve brought me on, Cass. I need another vacation to recover. Next time I think I’ll let you sell me a timeshare in Siberia.”
An old joke of ours. She’d often said I could make any vacation sound good. “Hey, I’ve got a great deal on a cute little one-bedroom unit in Libya. Last I heard the fighting had stopped there…”
“I’ll take it. It has to better than Xibalba.”
* * *
Sweating in the heat, I shifted my hand in Técun’s and gave him an apologetic smile for the dampness of my palm.
He leaned down and whispered in my ear. “I’m going to have your entire sweaty, luscious body smashed with mine as soon as we return to the hotel.”
Great, now my face was even hotter. José snickered beneath his breath and even the stoic Rojases cracked a grin. Natalie winked at me, but I didn’t miss the way she absently touched her chest, as though making sure her heart was still there.
Our little group didn’t seem odd in the crowd of tourists waiting at the foot of El Castillo. The sun slowly moved higher in the sky, and shadows inched along the ground. After battling Alvarado and nearly losing Natalie, I wanted to see the incredible feat that had made this pyramid so famous. After all, I had no idea when I’d ever be back at Chichén Itza on the Summer Solstice.
Excited whispers drew my gaze up to the top of the pyramid. I shaded my eyes against the sun. For a moment, it blazed at the peak, just like Técun’s pyramid on the other side of the gate, although his had been shiny black glass. The sinuous stone serpent running down the steps seemed to ripple. Shadows raced down the railing, a writhing serpent that soared off the stone to stretch across the ground.
Like the glittering red dragon creature that Técun had left in my flesh last night. I touched my throat self-consciously, but no one seemed to find the glittering scales out of place. Deep inside, it wiggled at my touch, and the quetzal on my left breast gave an impatient dig with its talons. I had a feeling that soon the two would merge, just as Técun had transformed. The quetzal had protected me before, but soon I’d bear the completed Great Feathered Serpent, a sign of what my sacrifice had accomplished.
I just hope the damned tattoo picked a permanent spot and quit making my skin crawl by moving around so much.
The tourists milled about awhile longer but eventually disappeared one by one, leaving only my friends and I standing in the lengthening shadow of the pyramid. José had been unusually quiet all day, even after the wondrous sight of Kukulkan’s serpent coming to life.
I had tickets back to the States burning a hole in the dashboard of his car. In two days, I could be home, back at the daily grind of my job. Funny, when I’d come down to Guatemala, I couldn’t imagine even a week away from my life as I knew it. I didn’t know any of my cousins and didn’t care.
Now, I couldn’t imagine going back. I’d miss Nana, but I had a feeling I could easily convince her to jump on a plane and join me in Guatemala. I couldn’t see myself ever taking people on tours again, trying to sell them the perfect vacation. Not when my heart and soul were here. Not when these people had become my family.
Sure, Técun would probably be willing to go with me at least for a while, but it would be horribly wrong to drag the Guatemalan national hero away from his homeland. Even more, I didn’t want to go home. I didn’t want to leave behind these people and the incredible green I’d always associate with his magic.
“I’ve been thinking about going home,” I said casually.
José shot a silent pleading look at my warrior, as though maybe he could change my mind. Letting him think the worst, I stared up at the pyramid. Sweat trickled down my spine, but I still shivered at the memory of my sacrifice to Técun.
Técun moved behind me and wrapped his arms around me, drawing me back against his chest. I held on to him, leaning back into his strength.
“How long do you think it’ll take to make my house livable, José?” When he didn’t answer, I turned my head and smiled. “You don’t honestly think I could go on my merry way after all this fun on my vacation, do you?”
José whooped and pulled me away from Técun to dance in a wild circle on the plaza. “You mean you’ll stay? With us?”
“You’re not getting rid of me.” Laughing, I stumbled to a halt. My gaze met Técun’s and my throat tightened, my heart swelling so large in my chest that I couldn’t breathe. “I’m going on vacation. Permanently.”
He gave me that cocky warrior grin and tucked my arm around his, pulling me close. “I was hoping we could spend some quiet time alone together, but this vacation sounds like a great deal of work. We also have several demons to hunt.”
“An army to raise,” one of the Rojases said, already on his phone, probably calling reinforcements.
“A house to fix up,” José added, his eyes shining. “It’ll be a gorgeous palacio soon enough.”
A best friend to fix, I thought, watching Natalie. She smiled wanly, drooping in the heat. Her skin seemed too pale and paper thin, as though part of her still walked the underworld. “Are you going to stay awhile and let me take care of you?”
“Awhile,” she promised, still rubbing her chest. “I don’t have anything to go back to if you’re not there.”
Smiling up at Técun, I said, “Then let’s go home.”
* * * * *
Worlds within worlds await through the Mayan Bloodgate…
Don’t miss the first title in the Bloodgate series. Available now wherever ebooks are sold!
The Bloodgate Guardian
Dr. Jaid Merritt doesn’t do digs. The last time she ventured into the jungle, someone died. But when her archaeologist father goes missing, Jaid must put aside her fears and travel to Guatemala to find him. Mayan priest Ruin stands as the guardian of the bloodgates. He was unable to stop Dr. Charles Merritt from opening the gates, and now demons roam this world. The last thing he wants to do is hurt Jaid, but Ruin must do his duty. This time he won’t fail, even if it kills him. Again.
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About the Author
Joely always has her nose buried in a book, especially one with mythology, fairy tales and romance. She, her husband and their three monsters live in Missouri. By day, she’s a computer programmer with a master’s degree in mathematics. When night falls, she bespells the monsters so she can write.
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ISBN: 978-14268-9418-3
Copyright © 2012 by Joely Sue Burkhart
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