“Ah, Zane. The son of fire.” She stretched the word fire. “How strong and bold you’ve become. Is that good or bad? Only time will tell. For now, my offspring are none of your business beyond your personal guarantee that they get to the World Tree safely. Because if even a hair on their heads is touched…”
“Let me guess: you’ll throw me into Blood River.”
She’s the goddess! I thought. Couldn’t she protect them much better than I ever could? And how was this my problem? I had fulfilled my end of the bargain. I’d spent three months in demon purgatory, found all the godborns, and blown their minds with the truth. Wasn’t that enough to earn me a free cruise or something?
“I see you still have no imagination,” she said. “I can think of exponentially worse punishments.”
Crap! I could barely keep my own butt out of trouble. Now I had to be responsible for two godborn thieves who carried secrets in their pockets?
“But you’ll come to the claiming ceremony, right?” My eyes flicked to the television, where black streaks zoomed around the track, and all I could think was Rosie would smoke them all.
“Of course. Do you really believe I would leave my heirs without their full powers just when they might need them the most? Really, Zane. What do you think I am, a monster?”
Sort of? “What do you mean, ‘might need them the most’?”
The goddess’s eyes ignited into blue flames. “My reputation has been sullied, which puts them in danger. Imagine anyone thinking I would assist the enemy! As if I would ever team up with that ghastly Camazotz or Ixkik’.”
A girl’s voice sounded in the room: “Escorts to Pus River’s pier thirty-six. It’s backed up with clueless souls who keep asking if they can have fries with that.”
Ixtab pressed a button on her bracelet and spoke into it. “And you’re bothering me with this because…?”
“Oh…uh…many pardons, my queen.” The girl’s voice trembled. “Wrong extension. Oops. ’Kay. Bye.”
“I’m surrounded by imbeciles,” Ixtab muttered, rubbing her brow. It made me think briefly of Scar from The Lion King, but I was pretty sure he’d said idiots.
“Can’t you just tell the other Maya gods that you’re innocent?” I asked.
“If only it were that simple. The Council of Gods is looking at all the details.”
Knowing Ixtab, she had her own spy crew working on it, too.
“Good,” I said. “Make sure they know Zotz and Ixkik’ want whatever it is the twins stole.”
Ixtab flashed a terrifying scowl. “Are you calling my children thieves?”
Well, it was a closed antiques shop, and they were dressed like burglars, and I’m sure they lifted something. “Er…no, not thieves,” I said nervously, followed by an even more nervous chuckle. “I’m sure they were just browsing.”
She went on. “Right now, we need to be observant, diligent, intentional, and, above all, you need to report any and all odd incidents to me directly.”
“Sure, but, uh…why would Ik join the baddies? She must think that Zotz will win, but how?” The demon’s confidence had me a little freaked. It told me we didn’t know everything, and whatever pieces were missing, they were big. I didn’t want to be around when the truth exploded in the gods’ faces.
“Iktan will be dealt with, as will the bat god and his pathetic sidekicks.”
Right. Jordan, Bird, and their mom, Ixkik’, aka Blood Moon. Yeah, if that nickname doesn’t spike fear in you, I don’t know what would. “But when?” I asked. “How? Like, who’s going to do it, and can they do it soon?”
Ixtab clenched her jaw and looked like she might incinerate the entire room. Okay, bad question. Bad silence. Bad moment that I really wanted to exit pronto.
But I’ve never been good at keeping my mouth zipped. I stepped closer. “What aren’t you telling me?”
She studied me carefully, like she wasn’t sure she could trust me to handle her answer. “Let’s just say that the day we were hoping wouldn’t come might be near.”
“You mean the war that Zotz and his pathetic sidekicks want.”
Her expression was deadpan.
“But no one fights a war without an army,” I added. “And they already failed at raising the Mexica gods.”
“There are other types of war, Zane. Wars that bring about worse things than dying.”
“You…you think they’ve found a way to beat the Maya gods?”
Frowning, she said, “This is a game of war, and no one is better at that than the Maya gods. We will not be defeated.”
Game?
“And whatever our enemies are after, it isn’t going to be obvious. It is going to be cunning, shrewd, and so unexpected it will have your head spinning. Remember that.”
Blood Moon’s last words to me on that day at the Pyramid of the Magician rushed into my already panicky brain: Someday, when you least expect it, you’ll pay with your blood for this. My sons will show no mercy. Nor will I.
That didn’t sound like a game to me—more like a real live threat. I knew Ixkik’ would try to make good on her promise, which made me want to throw up in the nearest trash can.
“Go home,” Ixtab said. “Get ready for SHIHOM tomorrow.” Her eyes glazed over like she was somewhere else, then they flicked back to me. “And, Zane?”
“Yeah?”
“Do not mention any of this conversation to anyone. No one is to know you were here. I have eyes everywhere and will know if even a syllable is breathed. Do you understand?”
I hesitated, wondering why everything always had to be a secret where Ixtab was concerned. But then I realized I wouldn’t leave here with my head unless I gave my word. “I promise.”
I was glad to get out of the underworld alive and grateful that Ixtab hadn’t taken me back to Blood River for our private chat.
But as I headed home in the driverless Mercedes, all I kept thinking was what Ixtab’s words had really meant: Get ready for the games.
By the time I got home, I was fuming. Like literally, my head was smoking worse than a tortilla burning on the comal.
If the gods thought they were going to make me (or any godborn) a pawn again, they had another think coming. I was tired of being played and used. Tired of being given morsels of madness that added up to nada. And even though Ixtab never said that the godborns would be used in this twisted war games scheme, she didn’t have to. I knew we had a role—I just didn’t know what it was yet.
That day, I couldn’t help but watch Adrik and Alana closely, looking for similarities to the goddess of death or a clue as to their godborn gifts. It was pretty mind-blowing to think about all their possible powers. Like maybe one glance and—bam!—instant death for their victim. Or one fist bump and—pow!—total mind control. I mean, their mom is the queen of manipulation.
Whenever they’d catch me staring, Adrik would give me what’s-your-deal-stalker? looks while Alana hid behind her shades, smirking. Then they would start talking telepathically, which was super annoying and only reminded me of their mom and all her secrets.