Brooks followed my gaze to Ren’s watch and caught on. “Because that’s what we’ve done before,” she said slowly. She went over to Ren. “But for this quest, we have a secret weapon.”
Ren’s eyes met mine, then she glanced at Brooks. I saw understanding bloom in her eyes. She nodded slowly and whispered, “We’re going to stop time.”
Mission Don’t Get Devoured had officially started.
Rosie and I met up with Hondo, and I told him the plan. He hated it. Every single detail of it. But that didn’t stop him from telling me, “I’m going with you.”
“No, you’ve got to stay here. The godborns need training,” I said. “And someone has to be in charge in case Zotz and Ixkik’…” My voice trailed off, but Hondo got my meaning. He was already frowning and nodding.
Deep down, I was hoping really hard that our enemies would never make it to Xib’alb’a. That they would never reach the Tree’s roots. Yeah, I know. It was wishful thinking.
Hondo squeezed my shoulder. “If you don’t haul butt back here right after your dance with time, I will hunt you down.”
“Haul butt,” I repeated. “Got it. And you’ll be okay? You’ll…?” I hesitated, practically choking on the words. I didn’t know what else to say. You’ll keep everyone safe? Stop Zotz and Ixkik’ from invading? It was too tall an order even for a ride-or-die uncle with a magical warrior mask and a tough nawal at his side.
“I got this,” he said. He released his grip, and we continued walking toward the temple. “How will you find this Cave of Crystals?”
“We’re going to ask Saás.”
By the time we arrived at the library, Brooks, Ren, Marco, and Louie were already there. Louie was sitting cross-legged on top of a table, reading a thick book entitled Things You Didn’t Know Could Kill You but Can.
Alana and Adrik came in behind us. Alana clapped to get our attention and announced, “I have something to tell you guys.”
“As long as it isn’t more bad news,” Marco grumbled.
“Remember when I said I was seeing blurry spots?” Alana asked.
We all nodded. Rosie’s ears perked up.
“Well, I kind of walked into one of them.”
“Walked into one?” Marco snorted.
“The blurry areas are gateways!” Adrik practically shouted.
I thought about what Ik had told me back in Hell’s Kitchen. They’re all around us. I twisted my hands around Fuego. “You can see all the gateways?”
“I don’t know about all.” Alana’s eyes darted from face to face before landing back on mine. “They look like blurry pockets of air. There’s one in this room.”
“Where?” Hondo asked.
She pointed to the center of the room, near where Saás slowly revolved.
“Whoa!” Ren breathed. “That’s amazing. You’re amazing.”
Alana’s face flushed with pleasure and she said, “Shadows and time are way cooler.”
“But how do you know where the gateway goes?” I asked, more concerned with the logistics.
“Yeah,” Brooks said. “We could end up in—”
“Saigon or Turku,” Louie cut in.
Turku?
Marco traced a swirl in the table’s wood with his finger as he eyed the room suspiciously. “I don’t see anything.”
“Doesn’t mean it isn’t there.” Adrik’s words rushed out. “Tell them the rest, Alana.”
“Do I need to sit down for this?” Hondo asked.
Twisting her pinkie, Alana went on. “I sort of wasn’t paying attention, because I was mad, and, well, I walked into one of these blurry spots. I ended up”—she took a breath—“on the other side of SHIHOM, near a lake. At first, every portal I found took me somewhere here on the grounds. Then I went through one that led somewhere else.”
I thought about what Ik had told me back in Hell’s Kitchen—how you can’t just fall into a gateway. Everything has to align just right. Something about angles, rising planets, and I think it was unflossed teeth. “How?” I asked. “Where?”
“After I went through a few, I got used to it,” Alana said almost shyly. “I tried again, this time thinking of home.”
“I went with her to our house,” Adrik said. “It was wild!” He let out a controlled breath. “Wicked Witch was downstairs humming a tune like she didn’t give a lick that we were gone. I messed up her bed and tossed some of her stuff around so she’d think she was being haunted. Ha! It was sick!”
“Witch?” Louie slammed his book closed. A few snow flurries tumbled down from the open roof. “Sorry,” he said, stopping the flakes immediately.
Brooks drew closer to Alana. “But how did you guys get back here?”
“We just came back the way we went,” Alana said like she was telling us how to ride a bike.
“But gateways always close after you use them,” Ren said.
“Mine stay open, I guess,” Alana said with a shrug.
My thoughts came to a stuttering halt. “Hang on,” I said. “Are you telling me—”
“She can control gateways,” Adrik said, before turning to his sister. “See? You never believe me! I told you your gift would show up.” He held his hand out, palm up. “You owe me some dinero! Twenty bucks.”
“Define control.” Hondo looked suspicious.
Rosie wagged her nub tail and panted like she was saying Let’s go, let’s go!
Had I been wrong? Was Alana the one with the greater powers? Controlling gateways sure seemed bigger and better than dream walking…. A ball of heat expanded in my chest, making it hard to breathe.
“You’re like a walking Google Maps?” Marco scratched at his scar. “You can just tell the gateway where you want to go?”
Alana shrugged again.
It made perfect sense that she would get this gift from Ixtab, who had once escorted the dead to the afterlife and so needed lots of gateways.
Brooks’s eyes met mine, and in that second, I knew the question she was about to ask. “You said you can control gateways, but can you actually—”
“Conjure them?” Ren finished. “Because that would be so cool. We could conjure one to shove all the Maya gods through.” She threw her hands out to illustrate.
As if anything were that simple.
“Unless they’ve already been devoured,” Marco muttered, still tracing his finger across the wood table. I swear he was Brooks’s long-lost fatalistic hermano.
“Don’t even say that!” Ren warned.
“Alana is still figuring out how to use the gateways,” Adrik said, “so don’t expect too much.” He leaned toward her. “Right?”
Hondo clapped three times. “Focus, godborns. Right now, some of us need to get to K’iin.” He glanced at Alana. “You think you can open a doorway to this Cave of Crystals from Ren’s alien dream?”
“Crystal alien what?” I could tell Marco was on the verge of mad-scientist laughter. Like one more word about magic or other unexplainable events was going to make him snap.