Ishel (The Stone Legacy Series, #1)

by Theresa Dalayne

  Ishel

  Prequel to The Stone Legacy Series

  Theresa DaLayne

  This story is in honor of love in all of its forms.

  Copyright, 2015

  All Rights Reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form without written permission of the author, except for use in any review. This is a work of fiction. The names, characters, locales, and events are either pure invention or used fictitiously, and all incidents come from the author’s imagination alone.

  Cover design by Nadica Boskovska and Elle J. Rossi

  Sign up for Theresa’s mailing list to learn about new releases.

  Table of Contents

  Copyright Page

  INTRO

  CHAPTER ONE

  CHAPTER TWO

  CHAPTER THREE

  CHAPTER FOUR

  CHAPTER FIVE

  CHAPTER SIX

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  CHAPTER NINE

  CHAPTER TEN

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  EXCERPT FROM STONE GUARDIAN

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  INTRO

  The Ancient Maya civilization is often viewed in modern society as bloodthirsty and cruel. But hidden beneath their common practices of human sacrifice and bloodletting, secret gems of love and altruism can be found.

  Ishel is just that—the tale of two middleworld (Earth) deities who give up everything for love, and for the sake of aiding the next Stone Guardian in protecting the mortal realm.

  The flower goddess, Ishel, (also known as Xochiquetzal) and the sun god, Kinich, take center stage in this prequel to The Stone Legacy Series in determining the fate of all mandkind.

  CHAPTER ONE

  I could not help but smile at the newly budded flowers scattered over the hills of the middleworld. My bare feet sank into the cool grass. Soft, green blades sprang between my toes, reminding me of the many walks my mother and I took together when I was a child.

  It had been so many years since she last strolled beside me. So many years since her soul left her body and was carried away by the breeze of the heavens.

  I paused beside a tree and lay my hand upon its bark.

  I missed my mother’s laughter. Her sparkling green eyes and her sweet voice. No longer a child, I ached for her guidance and advice in the matters of life, and especially love.

  A hummingbird buzzed past me and tore me away from my gloomy thoughts. I watched it hover over blooms and feast on the bounty of the nectar in the middleworld, what the humans called Earth. I extended my hand. The tiny bird startled.

  “I intend you no harm,” I said softly. It was not only for the mortals, but for the creatures of this realm that I tended to the greenery on which they depended on to survive. I loved them, and wished them nothing but prosperity and joy.

  Yet their happiness was a constant reminder of my sorrow, and some days, my heart did not have the will to carry on.

  The rhythm of the bird’s rapidly pumping wings soothed my disparity and brought a smile to my lips. I lowered my hand, and the creature vanished from sight.

  It was then I noticed the large cat weaving between the jungle’s trees. I smiled and stepped toward the jaguar. “Balam. How nice to see you. It’s been far too long.”

  The middleworld deity slinked toward me. One large paw lazily moved in front of the other until he was close enough to touch.

  His fur was like silk under my fingers.

  “What special occasion brings you?”

  Balam did not answer, which was typical for him. Even when in his human form, the middleworld god had never spoken a word. He simply butted his head against my leg and rubbed his body along me. His tail brushed across my belly as he headed into the thick foliage.

  I spun just in time to watch Balam vanish into the greenery. There was no use in calling him back. He would wander in the jungle until he found reason to return. When that would be, I couldn’t begin to guess.

  I turned back to tending to the middleworld flowers. Spring in the mortals’ realm was my fondest season. It was, after all, the beginning of the season in which I spent the most time with my love, Kinich.

  I gathered my hair to one side and wove it into a braid over my shoulder. I willed tiny purple flowers to blossom in my hair. They were Kinich’s favorite color.

  My father knew not of our romance, though our love could not be deemed a surprise. I was the tender of flowers and trees for the mortals, and Kinich...

  I paused beside a struggling rose bush as the sun warmed my shoulders. My smile widened, and the grass, which I had raised from seedlings, flourished into a thick, green blanket.

  A beam of light focused on the bush beside me. The branches bloomed with wild rosebuds.

  The sound of light footsteps made my lips burn with anticipation. The warmth of the sun intensified on my back. I took one last moment to admire the blooms before turning to see Kinich standing behind me—golden hair, and eyes that beamed with shades of orange and yellow. He was the keeper of the sun, and in all of his wild glory, fed my flowers and plants in this realm.

  He smiled.

  My heart jumped.

  His gaze wandered to the rose bush. “Your flowers no longer struggle for life.”

  I arched my brow and strode toward him. “And you believe you are responsible for giving them life?”

  “Perhaps.” He reached out and twisted my braid around his fingers. “Without my light and warmth, your flowers would not bloom.” He allowed my braid to slip out of his gentle grasp.

  I tiptoed around him. “And without my attention, the light which you provide would have nothing to nurture.” I walked past him and gave him my back.

  “Then I suppose we need each other.” His hands rested on my hips and then rounded my waist. Kinich pulled my back against his chest. My eyes fluttered shut.

  His lips grazed the curve of my neck, his breath hot against my skin. “I have no shame in admitting I need you.” He pressed a kiss on my shoulder.

  I ran my tongue over my lips, unable to ignore the warmth spreading through my belly.

  I had spent countless years roaming the middleworld, watching as the mortals fell in love and embraced their carnal desires. It fascinated me, and my own desire to experience the same pleasure was overwhelming.

  I pined to be cradled against his firm body.

  I yearned to feel spikes of desire as he kissed a trail down my belly.

  Kinich spun me to face him. His gaze found mine, and the heat blazing between us sweltered my skin.

  “Kinich...” I rested my hands on his chest. His heart raced beneath my touch—nearly as quickly as mine.

  Storm clouds clustered overhead, grey and heavy with rain. I tilted my face toward the sky. A drop fell on my cheek. Then another.

  I exhaled, and the heat that wracked my body cooled and dulled. “My father calls.” I stepped away from Kinich.

  He tilted his head, watching me with those eyes I longed to be lost in. “When will you allow me to ask your father for your hand?”

  “My hand?” I blinked as more raindrops fell over us.

  A strike of lightning streaked the sky, followed by a clap of thunder. The earth trembled under my father’s call. I jumped and stared at the looming clouds. “My father searches for me, Kinich.”

  “Let him search.” He cradled my face in his hands. “I need you, Ishel. Stay with me, here in the middleworld. We do not have to return to the heavens.”

  I swallowed. “But my father is there. You know he cannot roam between realms like we can.”

  “That is exactly why we should stay. He
will never understand our love.” He pressed his lips against mine, stealing the very breath from my lungs.

  Another strike of thunder tore through the air.

  I pulled back and stepped away. My chest grew heavy. My throat ached. “My father calls.” I searched Kinich’s eyes, both of us longing for something we could not have. And as long as my father did not know of our romance, there was no hope in it ever being real. I exhaled a long, deep breath, and turned away. “I should go. My father needs me.”

  Kinich did not speak a word. I so desperately wanted to break the silence. To say something that would ease our mutual pain. But when I turned to face him, he was no longer there. The only reminiscence of him was the hope that when I told my father of Kinich, he would understand.

  CHAPTER TWO

  The cool breeze of the heavens soothed my anguished heart.

  I stared blankly at my reflection in the mirrored surface of the placid lake. I draped the veil over my face while my maidens, dressed in green robes of silk and flowers, fluffed my gown and arranged the train behind me.

  My deep frown and teary eyes made me seem more like a widow in mourning than a bride to be. It had been weeks since Father called me from the middleworld. Weeks since he told me of his agreement.

  A tear streaked down my cheek. I quickly wiped it away.

  The maidens giggled. They had no idea of my broken heart or that I would live the rest of my life in despair. I waved them away with a quick swipe of my hand. The gown fitting was over, and there was no reason I should stay in this dress a moment longer.

  The maidens morphed back into flowers and rooted into the soil where I would later care for them.

  Standing in silence, the wind drifted past me and carried the train of my gown in its wake.

  I would have given anything to be the breeze—free and playful, with nothing more to be concerned of than to weave through the heavens.

  I gazed at the rolling hills and colorful blooms of the cherry trees.

  Yes. I would have given anything to be the breeze.

  “You look...ravishing.” My father’s voice was soft, but I could not turn to face him. I didn’t want for him to see the tears in my eyes or the blush of my cheeks caused by months of trapped in sorrow.

  “Ishel, my daughter, what weighs on your soul?” The lake rippled from the worry my father held, reflected in his somber tone. “I only control the water, my love. My power does not allow me to read minds.”

  A faint smile tugged on the edges of my lips. “That would have been useful on more than one occasion, don’t you agree, father?”

  He chuckled. “I’m sure your mother would have agreed, though I would have never dared to ask her such a question at risk of being banned from our bed.”

  My smile widened, followed by another tear on my cheek.

  He rested his hand on my shoulder, and without thought, I rested my hand over his. “Do not fret, father.” I patted his hand gently. “All will be well.”

  “None will be well if my daughter is unhappy.”

  Any trace of a smile vanished from my lips. “Yet how can I be happy when you have betrothed me to one whom I do not love?”

  His hand slipped off my shoulder, leaving my skin cold. “One day you will understand. You have spent too much time watching the mortals. You have become infatuated with their ways. Their foolish ways.”

  “They may be fools, but at least they are happy.”

  A long pause lingered between us. “The heavens are no place for the weak of heart, my daughter. One day the Stone Guardian will return with the ancient stone of Muck’Ich, and when she does, we must be prepared to aid her.”

  Ishel nodded. “Is it not testament to the mortals’ beauty that the creator gods chose a mere woman to guard the stone? Out of all beings, both in the heavens and on Earth, they chose a mortal woman.” Remembering that gave me hope for the future. Hope that if a mere mortal woman could change the fate of the world, perhaps I could change my fate as well.

  “Indeed. But even the Stone Guardian is in need of our aid.” Father sighed. “Oftentimes the gift of being a middleworld goddess comes with the task of fulfilling your responsibilities.”

  I shifted my gaze to the distance. White clouds drifted through clear, blue skies, pushed by the same breeze that I wished would carry my soul away just moments ago.

  “Responsibilities,” I whispered, so faintly, like the rustle of the leaves in the distance. “Even I am not completely incapable of death.”

  “You wedding Nacon will guarantee our future. It will secure the mortal’s future as well.”

  A cherry blossom caught on my veil. I blinked and carefully picked it off and held it in the palm of my hand. Its colors brightened, and it bloomed into a cherry.

  “How can you bear to give me to him? He is of wrath and war.”

  “And does such a man not also deserve a loving wife by his side? The mortals use his nature to defend themselves in times of battle. Does that not earn him some respect?”

  The cherry shriveled and withered, as if it had sat in the unforgiving sun for days. “But must it be me?” More tears blurred my vision. Finally I turned to face my father.

  Bright blue eyes met mine—a color I inherited from him. Only now the currents of blue that churned in his irises were eerily still. His silver beard and hair shimmered in the sun. He reached out and trailed the back of his fingers along my cheek, brushing away my tears. “You will never know the woe in a father’s heart when he sees his daughter weep.”

  “Then please.” I rested my hand on his strong forearm. “Please show me mercy.” More tears slipped down my cheeks. “Do not force me—” The words caught in my throat.

  Warm sunlight pressed against my back. I spun to see Kinich walking along the hillside.

  My lips parted, and I glanced down at my gown. Suddenly the weightless material seemed as if it were made of chains and shackles instead of lace.

  My bottom lip quivered. “Now he shall see what is in our future,” I whispered.

  “Are you speaking of me?” A baritone voice scraped over my ears. I had no desire to greet my fiancé as he grew close. I swallowed and hoped his touch would not meet my skin.

  Cold fingers grazed against the back of my neck and pushed aside my auburn waves. His lips hovered beside my ear, which were adorned with pearl earrings my mother had given me before she passed. She said they would be my something borrowed one day. If she only knew how I yearned for her.

  “You are fit for a king, Ishel.”

  I resisted the urge to pull away. “Father, kindly inform Nacon it is considered ill fortune to see the bride in her gown before the day of the wedding.” It was a foolish fable I took from the mortals, yet I used it without reservation.

  “Perhaps she is right,” my father said, his tone carrying a note of caution.

  The warmth of the sun grew hot on my skin. Kinich was close, but knew well enough not to interrupt.

  I closed my eyes and imagined being cradled in his arms as the warmth of the sun washed over me.

  “Very well.” Nacon’s rough voice snapped my mind back to the moment. “Perhaps you will have found some fondness for me by our wedding night on the next lunar phase.”

  I sucked in a breath and gripped my stomach. Only thirty days? How did the time pass so quickly?

  “We shall leave you be,” my father added. “Come, Nacon. We have much to discuss.”

  Their murmurs grew faint as they strode away. When I could not hear them any longer, my will finally failed me, and I collapsed to the ground. I curled my fingers around the blades of grass, and wept.

  CHAPTER THREE

  “Why do you weep?” Kinich’s cool voice cut through my sorrow and granted me the ability to breathe.

  I turned my face away from him and gripped my gown so tightly, the delicate lace crumbled.

  Kinich clicked his tongue. “And now you have damaged your lovely gown.” He crouched beside me and hooked his finger under my chin. Hi
s skin was warm against mine. “Come now, my love. Do not waste your tears. Save them for joyous occasions.”

  I tore off my veil and cast it to the ground. “There will be no joy in my life, Kinich. For either of us.” I cupped my hands over my face and sobbed.

  Kinich gathered me in his arms and pulled me to my feet. I clung to his cloak, woven from the golden threads of the sun. He pressed his lips against my cheek.

  I exhaled, the relief so bittersweet. “What will become of us, Kinich? How will I live my life married to Nacon while my heart belongs to you?”

  Kinich cradled me against his chest. “That will not happen, my love.”

  I shook my head. “There is no hope.”

  Kinich gazed down, through the greenery under our feet, through the dusky clouds of the middleworld, and to the land below where mortals slept under the moon and stars. “There is always hope, for there is one attribute your father fails to see in the mortals. They may love foolishly, but they love fearlessly and without limitations.” He swept a lock of my hair away from my cheek. “As do I.”

  “But our love does not take priority in this realm. Didn’t you hear my father?” I dropped my head. “Instead, responsibility is what my father speaks of.”

  “Our responsibility is only to our hearts.” I lifted my face to meet Kinich’s eyes. His irises were streaked with purple and blue like the setting sun.

  How I enjoyed watching the skies morph into blends of colors that only Kinich could paint. It was like being given a gift twice a day.

  “And what of us?” Kinich asked. “Do middleworld deities not also deserve to choose, as the mortals do?” His focus intensified on the realm below.

  I pulled away from him while examining his furrowed brows. “What are you thinking?”

  My father’s voice carried through the air and over the hills. I spun toward the cherry trees in the distance. “My father grows near.” I turned back toward Kinich. “You must not be seen with me.”

  Kinich smiled and pressed his lips to mine. His hot tongue nearly set my skin ablaze.

  My belly grew warm as his hands gripped my waist, and he parted my lips. I let out a gentle moan as his tongue grazed against mine. When he pulled away, the taste of sweet nectar lingered behind.