as he crossed himself, he moved closer to the hole. “Xibalba.”
“That doesn’t make sense,” Natalie said. “Why would a Spanish conquistador be in the Mayan hell?”
“Don’t you think he deserved eternity in hell for the suffering he brought upon our people?” One of the Rojases butted in, civil but determined to make us understand. “He didn’t just conquer. He took great delight in torturing and slaughtering as many as possible. Even if his Christian god didn’t see fit to torment him for all eternity, ours certainly did.”
Técun shined a light down into the hole. “If Leonor used her mother’s magic to bind him to his grave, the same way Xicoténcatl bound me to her bloodline as I lay dying…” He turned his head, pinning me with the intensity of his gleaming eyes. “Then you’re the key to all of this, Cassie. You’re the only one who will be able to see what she did to bind him, and how he escaped that trap.”
“So there’s a gaping pit of hell down there?” My voice was more squeak than anything else. “And you want me to go with you?”
He did, I realized incredulously. If Luisa’s magic was involved in some way, he’d need me down there to feel it.
“Remember how you retrieved the spear when I could not.”
“Look, if you want to risk your life like a complete fucking moron, then you go right ahead.” Natalie whirled around and headed for the edge of the ruins. “I’m out of here.”
Panic tightened my throat. I didn’t want to go down there at all, especially without my best friend. “But you wanted to see the cathedral!”
“I’ve seen it. It wasn’t so great thanks to that earthquake. Now I’d really like to see the Arco de Santa Catalina. I’ll meet you back at the hotel for dinner. If you survive.”
“Wait! You can’t go alone, Nat. What if more of those zombie things are around?”
“It’ll be safer than going down into that hole with you!”
Técun gave a jerk of his head in her direction and one of the Rojases followed her. “Better?”
I nodded miserably. Better for her, but not for me.
Natalie hesitated a moment, as if she’d never expected me to call her bluff. If she left, she’d thought I’d go with her too. But how could I leave Técun if my ancestor’s magic really was the only key to defeating his enemy? If it were Alvarado waiting for him down there again… I couldn’t bear it if he died and I could have helped him. With a weary look on her face uncomfortably like betrayal, she turned her back and headed across the street with her Rojas guard in tow.
“Why don’t you wait here until I assess the situation?” Técun drew my attention back to him. “If the need for your magic arises, I’ll call you.”
Oh, sure, I’d just wait here in the dangerously crumbled ruins while he went down there and maybe died. He’d leave a man or two with me, and then he’d be even more at risk. Or maybe he’d get caught in some magical snare set by Leonor and then what would I do? Go down there alone and try to get him out, when I could have just gone along with him in the first place?
With all the bravado I could muster, I walked over to his side and stared down into the darkness. Hand-hewn steps disappeared into the ground. “Let’s do this.”
He took my hand in his and kissed the back of my knuckles. “With you at my side, not even Alvarado will dare lift his head from his unnatural slumber.”
I wasn’t so sure of that. Even if I had magic like Técun claimed, I sure didn’t know how to use it. In the midst of battle, I wouldn’t have time to whip out a Magic for Dummies book. Maybe Natalie was right and I was a moron. A fucking moron. Because—
He cupped my cheek in his free hand a moment, stilling my frantic mind. “Relax, noyollotl . All will be well. I’ll die to keep you safe from all harm.”
Somehow that didn’t make me feel any better at all.
Chapter Nine
I gripped Técun’s arm so tightly I probably left claw
“That doesn’t make sense,” Natalie said. “Why would a Spanish conquistador be in the Mayan hell?”
“Don’t you think he deserved eternity in hell for the suffering he brought upon our people?” One of the Rojases butted in, civil but determined to make us understand. “He didn’t just conquer. He took great delight in torturing and slaughtering as many as possible. Even if his Christian god didn’t see fit to torment him for all eternity, ours certainly did.”
Técun shined a light down into the hole. “If Leonor used her mother’s magic to bind him to his grave, the same way Xicoténcatl bound me to her bloodline as I lay dying…” He turned his head, pinning me with the intensity of his gleaming eyes. “Then you’re the key to all of this, Cassie. You’re the only one who will be able to see what she did to bind him, and how he escaped that trap.”
“So there’s a gaping pit of hell down there?” My voice was more squeak than anything else. “And you want me to go with you?”
He did, I realized incredulously. If Luisa’s magic was involved in some way, he’d need me down there to feel it.
“Remember how you retrieved the spear when I could not.”
“Look, if you want to risk your life like a complete fucking moron, then you go right ahead.” Natalie whirled around and headed for the edge of the ruins. “I’m out of here.”
Panic tightened my throat. I didn’t want to go down there at all, especially without my best friend. “But you wanted to see the cathedral!”
“I’ve seen it. It wasn’t so great thanks to that earthquake. Now I’d really like to see the Arco de Santa Catalina. I’ll meet you back at the hotel for dinner. If you survive.”
“Wait! You can’t go alone, Nat. What if more of those zombie things are around?”
“It’ll be safer than going down into that hole with you!”
Técun gave a jerk of his head in her direction and one of the Rojases followed her. “Better?”
I nodded miserably. Better for her, but not for me.
Natalie hesitated a moment, as if she’d never expected me to call her bluff. If she left, she’d thought I’d go with her too. But how could I leave Técun if my ancestor’s magic really was the only key to defeating his enemy? If it were Alvarado waiting for him down there again… I couldn’t bear it if he died and I could have helped him. With a weary look on her face uncomfortably like betrayal, she turned her back and headed across the street with her Rojas guard in tow.
“Why don’t you wait here until I assess the situation?” Técun drew my attention back to him. “If the need for your magic arises, I’ll call you.”
Oh, sure, I’d just wait here in the dangerously crumbled ruins while he went down there and maybe died. He’d leave a man or two with me, and then he’d be even more at risk. Or maybe he’d get caught in some magical snare set by Leonor and then what would I do? Go down there alone and try to get him out, when I could have just gone along with him in the first place?
With all the bravado I could muster, I walked over to his side and stared down into the darkness. Hand-hewn steps disappeared into the ground. “Let’s do this.”
He took my hand in his and kissed the back of my knuckles. “With you at my side, not even Alvarado will dare lift his head from his unnatural slumber.”
I wasn’t so sure of that. Even if I had magic like Técun claimed, I sure didn’t know how to use it. In the midst of battle, I wouldn’t have time to whip out a Magic for Dummies book. Maybe Natalie was right and I was a moron. A fucking moron. Because—
He cupped my cheek in his free hand a moment, stilling my frantic mind. “Relax, noyollotl . All will be well. I’ll die to keep you safe from all harm.”
Somehow that didn’t make me feel any better at all.
Chapter Nine
I gripped Técun’s arm so tightly I probably left claw
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