I risked a glance at Ren—or the shadows that completely enveloped her. Apparently Ah-Puch couldn’t see her. I had to wonder, why weren’t the shadows doing anything? Like attacking Ah-Puch. Smothering his ugly face! Where the heck was Top Hat now? Then I realized the monsters only came to life when she was asleep.
Rosie reappeared next to me, baring her massive fangs as black smoke trailed from her nose and eyes. I could tell she was just itching to tear Puke Face apart.
His eyes widened in surprise. “Ixtab let you keep the hellhound? How sweet.”
Ah-Puch’s apparent weakness gave me more confidence as I patted Rosie’s neck. “Why are you here? How are you here?”
He walked a few feet toward the building and leaned against the wall. “A part of me is still spinning in that blasted inferno you trapped me in.” He shook his head and closed his eyes, like the exertion of speaking was too much. “The Empty is growing weaker, and I managed to find a tiny fissure in its slow destruction, enough to free as much of myself as I could.” He coughed a few times, then took a wheezing breath. I was relieved that the Empty wasn’t gone completely. That meant Hurakan was still alive.
Rosie was in warrior stance, her burning eyes never leaving Ah-Puch.
Feeling bolder, I said, “Well, if you came for revenge…”
“Revenge?” He let out a sputtering chuckle. “Oh, no, Zane. I came for your help.”
It took me a long second to process that. “You want my help?” Clearly, his brain had been fried to a finger-licking crisp.
I know you’re wondering about the gateway that was going to close any minute—so was I. But what was I supposed to do, tackle the god of death? Leave Ren to defend herself alone? I was in shock, and no one thinks clearly under that kind of stress.
He held up a withered hand in surrender. “Hear me out. You recently went to the Empty.”
I didn’t confirm or deny it, figuring I owed him nada.
“And I heard you and Hurakan. There are other godborns?” He shook his head. “What has the world come to? But that is not my concern. My only concern is me. You fought and beat the god of death. An impossible feat. And now, quite ironically, you are the only one who can restore me to my full strength and glory. So I’ve come for your help. To save my life.”
“Are you borracho? I’d never help you! You can rot in that inferno.”
“I can feel your father weakening. I heard him tell you that it was too late for him. Believe me, those were the words of a god on the verge of dying. Soon the Empty will be destroyed, and I will be free anyway,” he said.
My heart seized. “He’s not going to be executed, because—”I stopped myself, realizing my mistake too late.
“So the gods are making an example of him after all.”
Crap! Why had I said anything? “The gods will never let you go free, even if the Empty is destroyed.”
“You’re smart, Zane. I like that about you. You must get it from your mother’s side. Is all well with her?”
Rosie snarled. Froth dripped from her fangs.
This cordial Ah-Puch was definitely not the one I’d battled and defeated. “That’s none of your business.”
Ah-Puch squatted, then collapsed into a slumped-seated position. “If you help me, then I will help you,” he said weakly. “It’s why I called you to the Empty. But you were so busy with Hurakan, I couldn’t get your attention.”
“You called me there?”
“It appears, when you dragged me there using your little magic jade charm, a connection was created between us. It took me a while to figure it out. Sometimes, when the flames were ripping through me, I’d get a flash of your life. An island. The sea. Salsa. The girl. Ah…such emotion. Your life…that’s what’s kept me going all these months.”
I thought my head was going to explode. “You’ve been spying on me?”
“It’s not like I had anything else to do! And sadly, your pathetic human life was the only glimpse of hope I had.” He managed a trembling smile. “And then hope surged when you appeared in the underworld, my kingdom—”
“Ixtab’s kingdom.”
“Fine. How is she, by the way? Never mind, I don’t really care. She can have the burden of that wretched place.” He coughed. “The point is that I was able to call to you once you were in Xib’alb’a, and now? You made finding you even easier once you died. Figuratively speaking.”
That’s the thing about Maya magic: there are always a cause and effect you never see coming.
“Well, you can go back to the Empty and rot.”