I wanted to be happy. My dad and the godborns were all alive. We were going to get the training we needed. The gods had made a truce. But I knew deep down that the only reason for the peace between the gods and their kids was the threat of war.
“And you,” Hurakan said, “you will help train the godborns.”
I froze. Me? A trainer? Of other kids? I didn’t even like school. I mean, not in the traditional sense. I’d been taking online classes because Mom had said that even if I am a godborn I still needed an education.
“You look stunned,” Hurakan said.
“I, uh…yeah.” I pushed my shoulders back. “Why not? Sounds good.” I knew Hurakan wasn’t asking my permission, and you know what? The more I thought about it, the cooler it sounded. I mean, I did know a whole heck of a lot about the gods and their tricky ways.
“Then we’re all set.”
“What about Pacific?” I asked. “Does she get to come out of hiding now?”
“All debts have been erased, all grievances buried.” Hurakan’s mouth turned up, but I wouldn’t exactly call it a smile. “She has been reunited with her daughter, Ren.”
“I knew it!” I froze. “But wait…If Pacific’s been in hiding, how…?”
Hurakan folded his arms across his chest. “She was angry and wanted to get back at the gods, so she had an affair with a Mexica brujo. When she gave birth, she left Ren with him, knowing she couldn’t hide her in the ocean.”
“She abandoned her.”
“She protected her. Like I…” Was that a tremble I heard in his voice? “Like I tried to protect you.”
“You told me to run.” The words weren’t planned, but I’d been carrying them around for a while. “If I’d listened to you, people would have been hurt.”
Hurakan clasped his hands, hesitating. “I wanted you to be safe. It isn’t in my nature to care about the others. I’m not made that way, Zane.”
Right. I had to remember that the gods weren’t humans. They didn’t have thoughts and feelings like ours. It made me even more grateful for my mom’s big heart. I’d inherited some awesome powers from my dad, but the stuff she had taught me was just as important.
“And the gods…do they know?” I took a quick breath. “I mean, about Ren being part Mexica?”
Hurakan stared out across the garden. “She is very powerful. They may see her as a threat someday, but for now she is safe.”
“Someday? Do you mean when war breaks out?”
“We must find the twins and Ixkik’, and Zotz, and anyone else who is a traitor. We must put an end to their plans.”
“You think there are more helping them?”
“The Maya have a lot of enemies.”
My stomach turned.
He cast a side-glance my way. “You and the fire are one now. I can sense it.”
I stared down at my hands. The last few times I’d called on the fire, it had felt so natural, like breathing. Ah-Puch had been right—I just needed to surrender to it.
Hurakan stood and placed his hand on my shoulder. “Your power will continue to grow, son.”
My heart stalled, as in went kaput in the middle of the garden path. Did he just call me son? My face got all hot and buzzy. “Ah-Puch…he helped me. I mean, to understand the fire.”
Hurakan scratched his chin and nodded thoughtfully. “Enemies who become friends, friends who become enemies.”
Was the god of death my friend? “Does he want hell back?” I asked. Even though it had been part of our deal that he wouldn’t try to reclaim the underworld, you never know with Maya gods.
“He and Ixtab came to an agreement,” he said. “She will continue as goddess of the underworld, and he will get his own layer of hell, one without her fingerprints all over it.” His mouth turned up into an almost smile. “He’s also going to teach at SHIHOM.”
I almost busted up. “The god of death…a teacher?”