The Seventh Sun

by Lani Forbes

  “I’m sorry for distracting you,” Metzi said. “Enjoy your time in our gardens.”

  And with that, she was gone.

  Mayana stood alone for several moments, trying to gather her thoughts before following the hall Metzi indicated. When she finally came around the last corner, her jaw dropped open. Never in her life could she have imagined a view like this.

  The rear of the palace sloped down steeply in great rocky terraces, each level overflowing with more greenery and blooms than even the jungle surrounding them. Orchards of trees sagged under the weight of their sweet-smelling fruits. Along the rocky side walls hung more plants in various pots, re-creating a feeling of the jungle canopy. Flowers arranged in boxes and planters painted the landscape with violets, reds, and whites, like her rainbows had painted the banquet hall.

  In addition to the plant life, ponds and streams interconnected and flowed into one another and small waterfalls rushed down the terraces onto rocks until the edge of the garden plunged out of sight in the distance. Mayana assumed that was the end of the plateau, recalling the cliff stretching down to the jungle floor.

  Birds twittered around her, flitting from bush to bush, and monkeys scurried around the branches of the tallest trees. Numerous bathing pools were tucked into rock-cut terraces, fed by the flowing water that wove through the garden like a shining snake. The pools were plastered and tiled with intricate masonry, and more beautifully decorated tiles created a winding path through the foliage. The pool closest to her teemed with fish and water birds.

  The garden and everything about it breathed life, renewal. She found herself thanking Ometeotl for such a beautiful creation—and that no one else was here to disturb her. Finally, a few moments alone.

  An overwhelming sense of peace overtook her as she made her way into the paradise, drawn to one of the bathing pools surrounded by rock walls hung with vines and a single waterfall cascading from a rock ledge above. How she loved the sound of water. She didn’t even realize what she had been planning to do until her toes kissed the water at the tiled edge of the pool.

  Mayana checked her surroundings and made sure she was alone before stripping off the fabric tied around her chest and shimmying out of her skirt. She yanked the feathered headdress off, hissing as a few stray tendrils of hair caught and were pulled out with the feathers. Dark strands hung in a mess over her eyes and she blew them out of her face while her feet pushed the feathered cuffs off of her ankles. Mayana’s obsidian blade from Chimalli clattered onto the tile. She pulled off every bracelet, every necklace and earring, and piled the entire collection of belongings by a rock at the pool’s edge.

  Mayana’s stomach twisted as she thought she heard a rustling sound behind her. A chirping bird escaped from a nearby bush and she relaxed.

  Her face split into a smile as wide as a crescent moon as she observed her rippling reflection in the pool’s surface. Her soul was light, free, for the first time in days. Easing into the water, she descended the stone steps that led deeper until the water lapped around her bare waist.

  Mayana let her feet fall out from underneath her, and she slipped under the water’s cool surface.

  The sounds of the birds and flowing water silenced all at once. She let her arms float out in front of her, enjoying the sensation and wishing her heart could feel as weightless as her limbs. Mayana didn’t ever want to resurface, to return to the real world of pain and princes and blood dripping from knife blades. Maybe Ometeotl would allow her to become a fish and stay in this pool forever.

  All too soon, her lungs began to sting in protest. Mayana let out the last of her breath in a great bubble. Bringing her feet back to the stone bottom of the pool, she stood so that the water lapped around her middle. She brushed her hair off her forehead and leaned her head back into the waterfall, watching the way the droplets dashed themselves to pieces against the few large rocks jutting out from the terrace wall.

  Mayana closed her eyes and let the water beat against the top of her head and shoulders, as if the water goddess herself was working the tension from her muscles with pounding fists.

  A low, distinctly male voice shattered the peace of her solitude.

  “I thought I’d find you in one of the pools.”

  Chapter

  19

  Mayana’s heart leapt into her throat and she plunged into the water up to her chin. Her arms instinctively covered her chest.

  “Your Highness,” she squeaked in alarm.

  Prince Ahkin leaned casually against the trunk of a cypress tree, watching her with his dark, calculating eyes.

  Except for the golden bands around his upper arms, he had removed the ornaments he had worn to the welcoming banquet. White cotton draped around his waist, but his chest was bare. He was now a mere mortal like the rest of them, no longer a personification of the sun god. Although—Mayana sucked in a little water and coughed—he still took her breath away.

  “I’m not exactly appropriate, my lord …” she started, squeezing her arms around herself even tighter. How could her cheeks burn so hot in the cold water?

  “Don’t worry, I didn’t look when you got in.”

  Mayana was shocked the water around her didn’t burn into steam as she flushed deeper.

  “I—thought I was alone.”

  “You were. I just got here.” He pushed himself off the tree trunk and strode over to the edge of the pool. He stepped onto the top stone stair but sat himself on the side instead of joining her in the water.

  “Metzi said you were heading toward the gardens. There is something I want to ask you.”

  Mayana pushed back against the side of the pool, forcing herself as far away from him as possible. She didn’t answer, feeling naked and exposed in more ways than one. Thoughts swirled in her mind like Itza’s flower petals caught in the whirlwind. He was going to ask about the jaguar. About the toucan. About her supposed “dedication” to the calendar rituals. And she was going to disappoint him just like—

  “What’s your name?” He tilted his head to the side.

  Mayana flinched, but then slowly relaxed. That was the last question she was expecting.

  “My name?”

  “Yes, I do assume you have one.” The corner of his mouth quirked up into a half smile. “Your rather unconventional introduction skipped over the announcement of your name.”

  “Mayana,” she whispered, her lips hovering inches above the water.

  He still waited, leaning slightly forward in anticipation. He hadn’t heard her.

  Mayana cleared her throat and tried again, slightly louder and with a little more strength.

  “I am Mayana, descendant of the goddess Atlacoya, who sacrificed herself to save us from a flood and began the age of the Second Sun.”

  “Mayana …” he mused, as if he was trying the name on his tongue.

  “I’m sorry about the fire,” she blurted out before she could stop herself.

  “Why would you apologize for honoring the calendar stone with such devotion?” He raised an eyebrow.

  Mayana dropped her eyes, refusing to meet his gaze.

  “Oh. Yes. I mean, I’m sorry I did so with such … such a scene.” She floundered in the shallows of her explanation. She knew she should tell him the truth, but the words stuck to her tongue like tree sap. The shame of her inadequacy coupled with the knowledge that she was lying to the prince made her wish she could sink below the surface and never come back up.

  “I thought your courage was admirable. I wish I had a faith as devout as yours.”

  Mayana swallowed a large gulp of water, and the future emperor gave her a glowing smile.

  “My only wish is to serve the gods, my lord.” Except when I don’t have the stomach to do what they ask of me. She hoped the Mother did not smite her on the spot.

  “I must admit, I’m amazed you can swim.” Ahkin changed t
he subject, lifting a foot and dropping it back into the water with a small splash.

  Mayana was torn between awe that he was taking the time to speak to her and horror that she was completely naked as he did so. Part of her wished he would leave so she could enjoy the water in peace, but another part of her wanted him to stay and keep talking—to give her his attention.

  “We all know how to swim in Atl, my lord.” Mayana shifted her arms slightly so that she wasn’t squeezing her chest as tight. “My mother taught me to swim when I was a little girl. With all the rivers and canals in our city, it’s safer to know how.”

  Ahkin’s face crumpled and he dropped his gaze the moment she mentioned her mother. Mayana sucked in a breath through her teeth. She forgot that he would have lost his mother not even days before.

  “Do you miss them?” Mayana’s voice was quiet, and she wished she could reach out a hand and touch him.

  Ahkin’s eyes shot back to her face.

  “No one has asked me that.” The calculating expression was back, as if she was a complicated star chart he was struggling to understand. His voice sounded full of restrained emotion.

  “I just know how I felt after I lost my mother. No matter how many people told me to celebrate the beginning of her journey, it still tore my heart to shreds.”

  Ahkin pursed his lips. “You lost your mother? Doesn’t Atl have a healer?”

  “She … she fell. Down some stone stairs. By the time we found her, it was too late.” The pain of the memory washed over her again, as though her father had come into her room to tell her only yesterday. It had been a full cycle of the calendar since her mother had died, but some wounds ran too deep to heal in the course of a single year.

  “Too late …” Ahkin’s voice trailed off as he contemplated her words, his gaze distant and unfocused. “I guess even the holy power given to us by our ancestors cannot protect us from everything.”

  “No. I guess it can’t.” Mayana sighed.

  “I’m sorry.” Ahkin suddenly rose to his feet as though a lightning fish had shocked him. “I imagine you’d like to finish your bath. I should probably get back.” He ran a hand nervously across the back of his neck, careful not to meet her eyes. “Mayana, daughter of water. It has certainly been a pleasure to meet you.”

  “And you, prince of light.”

  Ahkin stumbled out of the water and back onto the stone path. He took a moment to straighten himself and inclined his head toward her.

  “I will see you this evening at dinner.”

  Mayana inclined her head, her heart aching for the obvious pain he worked so hard to hide.

  The moment he disappeared around the edge of the rock outcropping, Mayana let out a large sigh and sank beneath the water. Prince Ahkin was not what she had expected at all. He radiated power and a quiet, stoic strength. At times he almost seemed to border on grumpy. Yet, beneath his prickly exterior, she sensed he craved more. Like a cactus hiding luscious fruit. She didn’t want to admit it to herself, but she liked him. It warmed her heart to reach beneath his rough shell and see the core that waited just below, like a secret he was sharing only with her.

  Ometeotl, why do you have to make this so hard? It’s one thing to fear for my life, it’s another to fear for my heart now too.

  Chapter

  20

  “This task will test both your resourcefulness and insight.” Atanzah held out a basket full of small bundles tied with cords. “You will be given a bag of cacao beans to buy a wedding gift for Prince Ahkin. He will judge his favorite.”

  Mayana exhaled with relief. She hadn’t been sure what to expect for their next task, but it didn’t seem too difficult. Buy the prince a present? At least no blood would be involved … any blood that she knew of, anyway.

  The noble daughters and Atanzah stood in the large courtyard beside a massive blazing firepit. Mayana had survived the evening and morning meals with grace, making more of an effort to hide her distaste for the ritual sacrifice that blessed the meals than she had the first morning. Back home, animal sacrifices were saved for feasts. Here, however, they performed them at every meal. The thought of so many animals losing their lives churned her stomach.

  Zorrah had watched her with hawklike attention throughout the blessing rituals at both meals, and Mayana tried to be careful to give her nothing to notice.

  “How are you feeling this morning, daughter of water? You looked a little unwell after this morning’s meal blessing,” Zorrah had said. Mayana didn’t believe the look of concern on her face for a moment.

  “I’m surprised to see anyone from Ocelotl feeling compassion,” Yoli cut across, saving Mayana the necessity of responding. “Don’t you host regular gladiatorial games to weed out the weak members of your society? I thought all your people cared about was proving who is superior.”

  “All life has value in the eyes of the gods. Thank you, Quetzalcoatl, for your gift of life,” Itza chanted, her voice flat and emotionless. The other princesses stared at her in silence for several seconds, unsure if she was actually speaking to them or just to herself.

  “Even beasts feel and can sense when others are in pain, daughter of fire,” Zorrah finally purred, turning her attention back to Yoli.

  The princess of Papatlaca threw her head back with a husky laugh. “Yes, I’m sure your concern for the princess of Atl is entirely genuine.”

  Mayana had just ignored them both. She ate her atolli and maize and pretended not to see how Ahkin’s gaze continually lingered upon her. She had also pretended that it did not make her skin flush or butterflies flutter around in her stomach every time she caught his eye. Perhaps this task might give her an indication of his feelings toward her.

  “Is this all we have to get the prince a worthy wedding gift?” The light and airy voice of Teniza of Millacatl turned slightly panicked. She held the bag of beans in front of her with a look of indignation etched upon her features. Mayana figured that since her family could literally grow cacao beans with a slice of their skin, she was used to having as many as she pleased.

  She opened the small bag and dull black beans spilled onto her palm. They smelled like sun and earth. Teniza was right. There were only ten beans. That would hardly be enough to buy a single eagle feather, let alone a gift worthy for the prince.

  “Ah, you have noticed,” Atanzah said, positively beaming with mischief. “This is where the challenge comes in. You are being given very little to work with, so you must be creative in how you obtain this gift. A true empress can do much with only a little, and she can take what she is given and multiply it. Be resourceful, look at the city around you. Sometimes the true worth of a gift is in its significance instead of its value.”

  Mayana frowned at her hand. Significance instead of value? What was that supposed to mean? Her eyes flitted around the circle, and she was relieved to see the other girls furrowing their brows in confusion as well. A twinge of jealousy shot through her as she looked at Teniza. The princess of Millacatl could multiply as many as she wanted. But then again, that would be too easy, and surely Teniza wasn’t foolish enough to use such a simple solution. Mayana relaxed slightly.

  “Tonight at dinner you will present your gifts to the prince, so I pray you choose wisely.”

  Zorrah narrowed her eyes at Atanzah, but the animal princess did not question her. She might be as wild as a jungle cat, but Mayana had seen her pupils contract in fear. Perhaps she was not as fierce as she pretended to be.

  “Off you go, ladies.” Atanzah shooed them out of the courtyard and toward the main gate of the palace. “I recommend trying the shops and booths along the main plaza, though you are of course welcome to explore beyond that if you wish. We only request that you do not leave the confines of Tollan itself.”

  “Like we’d want to anyway,” mumbled Yoli from Papatlaca, again twirling her long shard of obsidian between her fingers and looking b
ored.

  Mayana inched slowly away from her and toward Yemania.

  “Scared, daughter of water?” Yoli chewed the ring of obsidian protruding from her lower lip and lifted her eyebrows up and down tauntingly.

  “No.” Mayana’s tone was as cold as the water in the river back home. “I would think that fire should be the one to fear water anyway.”

  Yoli’s face broke into that same smile from yesterday that made the hairs on Mayana’s arms stand on end.

  After a moment, Yoli tipped her head to the side. “You are stronger than you look.”

  Mayana didn’t respond. Why did everyone here have to tease her and play with her, as if she was a monkey performing for their entertainment?

  “Good luck,” said Atanzah. “I look forward to seeing what you can come up with.”

  Yemania rushed to Mayana’s side the moment they were through the main palace entrance. Mayana slowed for her to keep up.

  “Any ideas?” Yemania’s eyes were wide and full of concern.

  “Not yet.” Mayana’s thoughts buzzed around her head like bees, still frazzled and irritated from her interaction with Yoli.

  They turned a corner that led them to the main cobblestoned avenue of Tollan. Yoli herself materialized out of the shadows and walked right behind them.

  Mayana jumped, trying not the spill the precious beans onto the gold and stone tiles under their feet. “What are you doing?”

  “Following you.” Yoli shrugged. The fire princess had a resonant, almost husky voice. “You two seem more fun than the plant princess or the crazy one wearing dead animals. I can’t even find the wind princess, she disappeared so fast. Probably rushing off to pray or something.”

  Yemania squeaked, but Mayana grinned. She appraised Yoli, taking in her sharp, severe hairstyle and dark, intimidating clothes, and couldn’t decide what to make of her. Frankly, Yoli had terrified her at the welcoming feast, but now she wasn’t so sure.