Breath of the Feathered Serpent (2 page)

“You have my silver gift to you?” he asked.

Tupac hated to see the flash of fear in Yolotli’s eyes, but his beloved nodded. “I have, and I have the gift from Quetzalcoatl. He will keep us safe.”

“Very well. Let us go.” Tupac gently pushed the temple boy ahead of him with Yolotli close behind him. His bodyguard moved last. As he exited the room, Tupac stood tall and glowered at the temple guards. “You two will lead the way.”

The men looked at one another for a moment, and Tupac was certain they’d been instructed to bring up the rear where they couldn’t be observed. “Do you dare defy your king? I will have your hearts cut out and crush them myself. Now go!”

He rarely shouted or used such threats, and the tactic made both all the more frightening to the guards. They immediately turned and started to walk ahead. As they did, Tupac leaned down to whisper in the temple boy’s ear. The youth looked at him for a few seconds and then ran quickly and silently in the opposite direction.
I can only put my faith in the gods to keep Yolotli and me safe.

As he walked into the temple, the guards stepped aside and remained at the doorway. Tupac glanced back. His own bodyguard stood facing them. Atl held his sword in his hand. If they tried to attack, Atl would be the first line of defense.

He turned to face Eztli and his wife who stood at the back of the room next to the temple altar. Tupac pressed his hand against Yolotli’s arm to indicate his lover should remain where he was. He continued forward and stared dispassionately at Eztli and Coyotl. He looked from one to the other, and when neither spoke, he glowered at Eztli. “What is so important that you dare command your king to come here?”

“Your relationship with Yolotli makes you unfit to rule,” Eztli said. “I intend to bring your rule to an end.”

“And how do you expect to accomplish this?” Tupac tightened his grip on his sword and eased his body into a fighting stance without taking his gaze from Eztli.

“You and Yolotli came to the temple to pray. Your wife and I found your bodies here, along with that of your guard. I will regrettably never uncover your killer’s identity, and your wife will rule, with my guidance, until your oldest son comes of age.” Eztli shrugged. “Very sad for your widow and sons, but inevitable. Your failure to worship Quetzalcoatl as he deserves brought down his wrath. It will take many sacrifices to make him smile upon us once more.”

“You want nothing but power for yourself by keeping my people in fear of their lives,” Tupac said, his voice dripping with scorn. “And as for you, Coyotl, I gave you all you asked for.” Tupac glanced at his wife. “And yet you would betray me.”

“You have never been as a husband to me,” Coyotl said. “You prefer to lie with that.” She pointed at Yolotli.

“And you never wanted to lie with me as a wife.” Tupac’s voice was low and angry. “You slept with me just to conceive my sons. I gave you everything you ever wanted. You never loved me any more than I loved you. You have been swayed by Eztli’s tongue, and so you will suffer the same consequences.”

He raised his sword ready. At a shout from Eztli, Tupac parried a hard blow from the priest’s sword and heard the sounds of fighting behind him. Shouts and the clash of swords told Tupac that his guard was dealing with Eztli’s men. The priest himself was also a proficient warrior, but Tupac fought just as hard, not just for his own life, but that of his beloved Yolotli.

He pressed the priest furiously with blow after blow and had succeeded in forcing Eztli to fall back when Coyotl tripped him. Tupac fell to his knees and struggled from the position to parry the priest’s next blow. He heard Yolotli scream his name and call upon Quetzalcoatl to save him. From the corner of his eye, he saw a strange blue mist travel quickly from the stone Yolotli held in his hand toward Eztli.

Coyotl screamed as the priest turned towards Yolotli, and the mist hit him in the chest. Eztli’s body glowed blue for a second or two, and then he crumpled to the floor. Tupac didn’t waste time. He twisted around and thrust his sword through Coyotl’s heart. She would be no threat to him or Yolotli again.

He rose to his feet just as more of his guards entered the temple. His bodyguard had already killed one of Eztli’s men. The other was being hacked to death by the newly arrived warriors. He hurried to take Yolotli in his arms. “It’s over, my love.”

“I heard lord Yolotli call to Quetzalcoatl. The god sent his breath to save King Tupac.”

Everyone turned to look at the temple boy who crouched at the base of one of the great pillars.

“Quetzalcoatl answered the prayer of the man who has devoted his life to me,” Tupac said loudly, taking advantage of the boy’s words. He watched with growing elation as his warriors dropped to one knee before him, their eyes filled with awe. “He has given our relationship his blessing. Take the bodies and burn them, then scatter the ashes beyond the city. They will have no place of rest. When the emissary has left, there will be a ceremony to confirm Yolotli, who has Quetzalcoatl’s favor, as my royal consort.”

“It shall be done, my King,” Atl said. “What of the other priests?”

“Round them all up. They may face me and Yolotli. Those who remain loyal to Eztli will be sacrificed to our god. Those who offer their loyalty and serve me will live.”

“It shall be done, my King.” Atl bowed low and ordered several warriors to start rounding up the priests.

Tupac gazed at Yolotli, expecting an objection that didn’t come. Instead, Yolotli’s soft hands framed his face, and Tupac leaned into the caress.

“If only my life had been threatened, I would plead for clemency. But they tried to kill you. No one can do that and live.” Yolotli rested his head on Tupac’s shoulder.

“If you had been hurt, I would have torn out their hearts with my bare hands,” Tupac said. “My finest goldsmiths will craft a suitable receptacle for the Breath of Quetzalcoatl. You and I will have matching necklaces inset with the smaller stones. They will be passed on to my successors to guarantee Quetzalcoatl’s favor, and from this day on, they will be free to choose a queen or a consort at their side, as may any man in this kingdom.”

Tupac claimed Yolotli’s lips, eager for the familiar feel and taste of his beloved.

“Once again you show yourself to be a wise and benevolent ruler, Tupac,” Yolotli whispered against Tupac’s lips.

“The love Eztli tried to kill will live on long after his hatred has been destroyed,” Tupac murmured as he eased back from his love’s sweet mouth. “From this day forth, my kingdom will be under the protection of Quetzalcoatl and the Breath of the Feathered Serpent.”

Chapter Two

Adam ambled down the wooden-floored corridor. His polished copper spurs jingled with every step. They didn’t look out of place on his heeled boots, which in turn kept with his well-worn denim pants. He’d selected a smart black and silver shirt rather than one of his more conservative shirts.

He’d noticed more than the just the occasional disapproving glance that he was used to receiving from the few suited city slickers he passed, but he didn’t care. He dressed to suit himself, not them. You could take the man out of the cowboy and stick him in a suit, but you couldn’t take the cowboy out of the man.

And he was a cowboy through and through, even if he was employed by a government agency. As a Federal Marshal, results counted for more than mere appearances.

As he approached the room, he adjusted his gun belt. It had been especially made to his specifications, wider and a little thicker than normal with several copper studs either side of the belt buckle. He fingered them out of habit and then tapped on the solid oak door, opening it as a disembodied voice reached his ears.

He grinned at the man sitting on his side of the huge desk. “Madison, good to see you,” he drawled.

“You too, Adam.”

The man rose, and they hugged hard, slapping each other on the back. Adam took a step back to look at Madison closely. They were as tight as brothers from a different mother and as different as chalk and cheese. Madison’s lean silhouette cut quite a figure in his brown suit. His blond hair was cut short, and his blue eyes glinted with pleasure and anticipation. If they’d been cold and flat, Adam would have known there’d be hell to pay for someone.

“Good afternoon, Adam.” The other man in the room spoke.

At the deep baritone, Adam turned his attention to the man behind the desk. He nodded, pulling off his Stetson and throwing it expertly onto a nearby hat stand. “Afternoon, William.”

“Show off,” Madison muttered with a chuckle, and Adam laughed with him.

Almost three weeks had passed since their last assignment, and Adam was ready for action. He and Madison had an excellent partnership. Madison might be lean, but he was all muscle, quick on his feet, and knew some of that strange Chinese fighting. It’d proven useful more than once. Despite being nearly eight years Adam’s junior, Madison would be Adam’s first choice for a partner every time.

Adam knew that he tended to attract more attention. Tall and powerful, he relied on his boxing skills and the speed by which he could draw. Madison was a fast trigger, but he was faster still. They’d been partners for approaching two years and had the reputation of being the best team in the department.

“What are we facing, Chief?” Adam asked the portly man behind the desk as he sat in the chair next to Madison. William had been an operative once, but now he was bound to his desk. That experience made him a good man to work for. He understood what it was like to be out in the field.

“You’ve got something for us?” Madison’s voice sounded as eager as Adam felt, and he leaned forward.

William sat back in his chair and looked from Madison to Adam. “Have either of you heard of an artifact called The Breath of Quetzalcoatl?”

Adam shook his head and glanced over at Madison when his friend cleared his throat. A sure sign he knew something and was gathering his thoughts.

“It’s some kind of symbol of power that belongs to one of the minor Aztec kings?” Madison said. “It’s also known as the Breath of the Feathered Serpent and dates back to the late fourteen hundreds and a king called Tupac.”

William nodded. “Very good. King Xipil is the current ruler of Chimalli province and a direct descendent of Tupac. The artifact has been in his family for four hundred years now. The legend is that the god Quetzalcoatl himself sent down the blue stone now set in a solid gold statue of the feathered serpent. The story is that the stone saved the lives of King Tupac and his royal consort, Yolotli, when they were ambushed by the high priest and Tupac’s disaffected wife. Each generation, whether a king with his queen or a king and his male consort, have venerated the statue and the stone it contains. They believe it’s the key to their region’s prosperity. It’s also missing. Stolen.”

“And we have to find it?” Adam asked. He wasn’t too enthused at the idea of locating a stolen treasure.

“King Xipil’s people don’t know it’s missing. He fears his people would turn against him if they think he’s lost the favor of Quetzalcoatl. He was trying to create a copy, but in three weeks, the emperor is visiting. He has to produce the statue for that visit.” William ran a hand through his hair and then rubbed at his chin.

The gesture was one Adam recognized. It reflected William’s frustration.

“He won’t have a copy in time?” Madison asked.

William shook his head. “Not when it will be so closely examined. The emperor would insist upon it. If he just needed something to be seen from a distance, he’d get away with it.”

“Do we have any suspects?” Adam asked and leaned forward, excitement thrumming through his veins.

“We suspect that King Numa is behind the theft,” William said, his voice somber. “He’s Xipil’s nearest neighbor and a warmonger. Xipil and Numa’s regions are on our border. Numa has already stated that on the day of the emperor’s visit, he will show that the feathered serpent has abandoned Xipil and given favor to him. Word is that he’s ready to step in and take over Xipil’s state as its ruler. Once he has both provinces under his rule, he’ll whip the people into a frenzy, and then we face the prospect of war. We need to find the statue and return it to Xipil in time for the visit.”

War
. Suddenly, the statue had far more value than some kind of a mere symbol. Adam rubbed his chin. “Do we have any leads?”

William moved from his desk and pulled down a screen holding a map of the southern part of the state of Texas. It showed mountains, a river, three ranches, and a town. William picked up a stick and pointed at the ranches in turn.

“This one is the Lazy E. It’s owned by a brother and sister and currently managed by their uncle. The twins don’t come into their inheritance for another couple of months, when the boy reaches twenty-five. This ranch here...” William tapped the second ranch on the map. “Is the Big A and owned by the wealthiest man in the area. Goes by the name of Carter, and as I hear tell, he blows his own trumpet long and loud. This third one is currently unoccupied. Our lead took us here, and then nothing. It’s all we’ve got. I need you two in there, mixing, looking, and hopefully turning something up.”

“Why is this ranch unoccupied? This land looks good.” Adam peered at the map. “Ideal grazing for cattle or horses.”

“The rancher died. Bad water, or so it’s reported.” William sat back, his gaze leveling with Adam’s.

“Basically bullshit, then,” Adam said. “So no one’s made any attempt to snap it up?”

“Actually Abel Carter, the rancher here, has made several high bids for it. So far no sale.” William rubbed at his chin. “Apparently the deceased rancher has family out East. It’s theirs now. They probably have an overinflated view of its size and worth.”

“But Carter is still offering high dollar?” Madison pointed at the other ranch. “This one, with the twins, they’re not interested in buying it then?”

“If they’ve made any approaches, they haven’t done it openly,” William said. “Which doesn’t mean they haven’t. We’re interested only if it sells, or if someone takes up sudden, illegal residence. It’s the pinnacle of the triangle.”