Sun God Seeks...surrogate? (29 page)

“That is not all,” Guy stated. “I returned to their encampment and found another mine. There is a large vein of black jade underneath the location. And I believe,” continued Guy, “that they’ve somehow used its power to create enough of a force to allow them to remain inside the spaces.”

The gods held a frantic sidebar for several moments.

God of Eclipses spoke up. “It explains why they’ve joined forces with the Obscuros; they needed the vampires to teach them how to sift.”

I shivered. For some odd reason, an image of a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup flashed through my mind. The Maaskab were the sinister chocolate and the Obscuros were the malevolent peanut filling. Put them together, and you got a whole new treat. Except, they weren’t really treats. More like festering sores on the ass of humanity. Okay. Maybe the peanut butter cup was a stupid analogy.

I remembered this was where I was supposed to propose a Call to Action that would include rescuing my mother.

I made the motion. Verbal fights about what to do next quickly broke out among the gods…

“We attack! Head-on.”

“No, we wait until we learn more.”

“Where the hell is Cimil? She’s never present when we truly need her.”

Gabrán gently gripped my shoulder. “Lass, it is time for you to use that power inside o’ya to reign them in.”

I cleared my throat. “Ehh-hem!”

No one paid any attention to me.

“Ehh-hem!” I said a little louder. They still ignored me.

“Penelope, you will need to tap into your strength. Make them respect you. Zac was right when he said that you control my power. You can do this.”

I didn’t want to hear any pep talks from Kinich. I just wanted to make this nightmare end and rescue my mother.

I stood up and closed my eyes, taking a deep breath before I slammed both fists on the table, releasing two enormous flames. “Enough! Stop fighting like children! Because if we don’t figure this out, there’ll be nothing left to fight about!”

The gods stared with looks of astonishment. Zac smiled and tilted his head. “My apologies, Sun Goddess, it will not happen again.”

I was really starting to like Zac.

“I call an Order to Action. I start with addressing how we will rescue my mother.”

Then it hit me. “Didn’t Emma say there were more Payals, but you couldn’t find them?”

Everyone quickly came to the same conclusion; the Maaskab had to be hiding them inside this other dimension.

“So, how do we get in?” I asked.

The gods looked at each other, then Fate spoke up, “Our vampires will enter. It is why our army is meant to be led by Niccolo. It is…”

Let me guess, Fate?

“Fate,” she said.

Hey, these gods were actually pretty predictable.

Then Fate added, “If the vein of black jade enables the Maaskab to stabilize inside that dimension, then we can assume the same for the vampires.”

“Why can’t the gods go in?” I asked.

“Under normal circumstances, our energy is far too dense to pass through the spaces,” Guy replied.

“But you said you did it before?” I argued.

“Yes,” Guy replied, “And given that there is a high concentration of jade I hope I might do so again. This is why I will go inside with Niccolo if possible. We will use the vampire army to extract any prisoners and flush out the Maaskab. The Uchben will be waiting with the other gods outside of the zones where they frequently create portals.”

Well, dang. That sounded like a pretty great plan to me! “I’m going too.”

“No. You will not,”
Kinich objected.

“With all due respect, I didn’t ask you.”

“When the meeting is over, you and I will settle this argument.”

I held my breath, and then released it.

I turned toward Gabrán. “Can I do the wrap-up? Sounds like we have alignment to attack.”

“There is still one more topic to address,” Fate spoke loudly to overcome the noise in the room.

I looked down at the agenda on my deity Etch A Sketch. “Oh. Yeah. Kinich.” We were to discuss his and my predicament.

Fate stood up, and I noticed how the gold trim along her neckline and golden laces on her knee-high, white moccasins matched the color of her hair.

Snazzy.

“Penelope,” she said, “you and Kinich have performed the Prayer of Loyalty and Protection.”

Where was she going with this? “Yeah.”

“Have you yet attempted to break the bond?” she asked.

“Break the bond?” I questioned. “No. Why?”

“I believe that when the Maaskab released the jar into the pool—a jar meant to immobilize him so they could get to you—Kinich’s light separated from his humanlike body, leaving behind a mortal shell. But his immortal essence did not return to the cenote, as one might expect. Instead, it was drawn into you. Perhaps because he recited the prayer at the exact moment his light abandoned his body. Perhaps the Maaskab bespelled the jar in some way. Who knows? But nevertheless, the solution is clear. You must sever the bond.”

Why did I think that this absolutely made sense and was so darn simple that someone, even I, should have come up with this answer before?

She added, “This will free his immortal essence and divine light to travel on—perhaps back to his humanlike body. Or perhaps to the cenote.”

Guy glared at Fate. “And if you are wrong? We know nothing of the Maaskab’s magic that created this mess. Dark energy is erratic; it has a mind of its own.”

She shrugged. “I’m a Fate. I’m never wrong. And if I am wrong, it is meant to be. Ergo, not wrong.”

Resist rolling eyes. Resist rolling eyes.

“Hey, here’s a question,” I said dryly. “Why not mention this earlier?”

Again she shrugged. “Because Fate was not ready to speak.”

Going to smack her. Going to smack her.

“Kinich, what do you think? I mean, breaking the bond sounds dangerous,” I said.

Several moments passed.
“Yes. Whatever the Maaskab did to me and to my human form is a magic unlike any other. But I have no choice. We cannot exist like this—two souls in one body—and I am prepared to accept whatever the outcome is. You will break the bond.”

CHAPTER 32

An hour after the meeting, unable to make the jagged pieces of my emotional puzzle fit together, I found myself staring at Kinich’s sleeping form. I stroked the tendrils of his golden brown locks. They seemed to glow, as if soaking up the midday sun pouring through the window.

I was furious for what he’d said about Payals, but I was heartbroken that he’d chosen his role over my feelings. The fact that he’d said he couldn’t help it, did nothing for me. It still hurt. I guess a part of me had erroneously believed his feelings for me—whatever those were—would be stronger than his divine instincts or his seventy thousand years of deity baggage, which included the belief that he and I could never work out.

But his feelings for me weren’t enough. I wasn’t…enough. In fact, he wanted to risk it all simply to separate himself from me. And the truth was, I felt terrified I’d end up alone again. I wasn’t strong enough to survive in this new world I’d been dragged into.

I slipped off my red headband and ran my hands through my now shorter hair. Oddly enough, I missed it. I missed my mother, my life, and my stupid hair. And now I would miss Kinich being so close; he was part of me and I liked it. Way too much.

My eyes gravitated toward the large glass doors with a view of the patio and never-ending stretch of desert beyond. “You must really hate being stuck inside a lowly Payal,” I mumbled under my breath.

“No, Penelope. How can you say such a thing after all that has passed between us?”

“How can I not?” I whispered.

“I’ve told you before, my feelings for you are…complicated
.
”

“Ugh! What does that even mean, Kinich?”

“It is as I’ve said before; I am incapable of the commitment you deserve and need because my personal desires will always play second to protecting the human race—a race that includes you.”

For some reason, an image of the orphans from his album flashed in my mind. We’d never spoken about them—after all, I’d been snooping through his things (oopsies)—but a person didn’t devote themselves to such acts of kindness unless they held a deep sense of commitment, a commitment he claimed he was incapable of giving.

No, there was no one in this world more committed than Kinich. So what was the real problem?

“Exactly what kind of commitment do you think I need?”

“The kind a man gives a woman. The kind where he promises to love her above all others.”

But I didn’t need that, did I?

Okay. Christ. Maybe I did. Or, maybe I just needed to know he loved me and that would be good enough. I really didn’t know anymore.

I sighed. We both kept moving in impossible circles. “Well, then, let’s get you on your way.”

“Penelope, I want you to know…”
—he paused—
“being so close to you has been a gift. It has allowed me to see into your heart and discover what a beautiful creature you truly are. You have a sense of purpose much greater my own, which humbles me. But understand, I have a destiny to fulfill, as do you.”

“Destiny? Me?” The only thing in my destiny was finding my mother then having a long, hot bath, eating a box of doughnut holes, and having a chick flick marathon.

“Yes. You. And nothing else matters.”

“Sounds pretty heavy. Mind sharing what this mysterious destiny of mine is?”

“I do not know.”

Great.
“Do you at least know yours?”

Several moments passed before he answered.
“I believe so
.
”

“You’re not going to tell me, are you?”

“No
.
”

Shocker.

“But do we have to break the bond? It feels so risky?” What if he didn’t come out of this alive?

“I’m afraid so.”

“Maybe they’ll capture a Maaskab and we can find out how to undo this”—
oh heck, what do I call it without sounding like a cornball? Hex? Spell…Ugh! Who cares
—“thingamabob”—
jeez. Nice one, Pen
—“they’ve done to us.”

“We cannot wait. If there’s a chance I will gain back my form, I must take it. I suspect the Great War is coming sooner than anyone anticipates and my help will be needed to win. And win we must. I could not bear to watch the world fall into its descent and you along with it
.
”
He paused for a moment.
“I cannot stomach the thought of anything happening to you.”

The walls crumbled just then. His confession only deepened my love for him.

Well, dammit! Dammit, dammit, dammit, dammit!
“You had to go and say that, didn’t you? Right when I was getting ready to hate you forever.”

He chuckled.
“Ahhh. There she is. My sweet Penelope. Ready to create levity in the face of any situation—even something as difficult as this.”

“That’s how I roll.”

Yes, I was making light, but only because I felt terrified and didn’t want him to know. Then I realized something: I needed to put my faith in this love—regardless of how complicated, bizarre, or irrational it seemed—and I had to put my faith in him.

With time, maybe we’d find the answers to the real reason I walked this earth. Perhaps that reason would resolve his inner conflict. In any case, there was no other choice for us but to move forward. To follow our destinies. Doughnut holes included.

“Say it, Penelope. Say it before we lose our nerve.”

I balled my fists.
You can do this. Don’t be afraid. Have faith. Have faith. Have…
“Are you sure?”

“You must,”
he replied.

“I know,” I whispered and then wiped the tears from my eyes. “I love you.” I knew he wouldn’t say it back, but that didn’t seem to matter.

I kissed his cold lips, rested my head on his chest, and then recited the phrase Fate had written down for me right after the meeting. “Catcha lum tumben caah.”

As the room seemed to suddenly turn into a vacuum, devoid of all light and sound, the air exited from my lungs. My head swirled and my body shook violently.

Then I shut my eyes.

It was over.

***

Had it worked?

Terrified, I held my breath and covered my face with both hands. What if I opened my eyes and found Kinich’s cold body lying there dead?

Well, then he
could
already be back at the cenote getting a new body.

But it could take days to find out if that had happened.

I felt like my entire world balanced on the fine tip of an enormous stickpin, where standing still was just as painful as falling off.

I peeked through a tiny crack between my fingers. Slowly, my eyes focused on the form in front of me. “Yes! Yes!” I jumped up and started screaming. His chest was heaving and his color was back. It had worked!

I leaned over him and kissed his full lips. They were warm! “Kinich! Can you hear me? Oh my God. It worked. Kinich!”

Nothing happened. I froze.

“Kinich?” I shook him by the shoulders.

Nothing.

Oh no. Oh no. Oh no!
Something was wrong, terribly wrong. His appearance was normal: incredibly gorgeous, and strong, and irresistibly gorgeous, and really, really gorg—
Stop ogling him, you idiot!
—but he wasn’t waking.

I needed to get help.
Yes, help!
The other gods might know what happened.

I sprang from the bed and rushed for the door.

“Penelope?”

I froze.

“Where are you going?” the deep voice said clear as day.

I swiveled on my heel, and to my heart’s utter delight found a set of the most breathtakingly gorgeous aquamarine eyes staring back at me. “Kinich! It worked! You’re back inside your body!!”

I ran so fast that I tripped and flew right on top of him.