The Fire Keeper

by J. C. Cervantes

  “She’s at Antonia’s.”

  “Ms. Cab’s?! Why?”

  I hadn’t even decided how to help Ren yet, and already she had confided in my mom and cozied up to Ms. Cab, who was filling her head with who knew what. And I didn’t have time to chase this girl all over town.

  “Ren said she wanted to meet her,” Mom stated simply, like she always followed teenagers’ directions. Not! “But the more important thing is,” she added, trying to keep her voice calm, “why didn’t you tell me you put out a call to other godborns? What were you thinking, Zane?”

  “Why didn’t you tell me my dad was a Maya god?” I regretted the words as soon as I said them. I knew Mom had just been trying to protect me.

  “I’ve told you all I know, Zane.”

  She was right. Once we got settled on the island, Mom had spilled everything about my dad, including how much she had loved him even if it wasn’t meant to be.

  She tilted her head. “I just don’t want there to be any more secrets between us.”

  Thanks, Ren. Didn’t the girl know better after reading my story? Couldn’t she see that my mom was the biggest worrier of all time across the span of human history?

  “I…I had to warn other godborns, Mom. They deserve to know the truth. And I thought that maybe I could help them. Hang on—did Ren call her grandpa?”

  “They were on the phone for some time. And then…”

  “Then what?”

  “I invited him down. He’s on his way as we speak.”

  “Mom! He could be followed. He can’t just fly here!”

  “Well, he is.” She let out a frustrated sigh. “We’ll figure it out once he gets here. Right now, I have to get to the shop. Please, Zane, promise me you won’t do anything crazy or dangerous with Ren.”

  I felt rotten. Worse than rotten. How could I make a promise there was no way I was going to keep? “Okay,” I lied. “I won’t do anything crazy with Ren.” I mean, crazy is totally subjective, right? And not the same thing as dangerous. And Ren wasn’t coming, so…

  Mom glanced around my room. “How about picking this place up?”

  Here’s the thing about being part god. You sort of think you shouldn’t have to clean up your room and have dish duty and all the other chores that are so boring. But Mom didn’t care that I was a godborn who could shoot fire (sort of). To her, I was “still her son who needed raising.” Whatever.

  “Sure, Mom.” Better not to argue, which would only make her stick around longer.

  She tugged on my chin and was gone. As soon as she left, I shoved the piles of clothes and other junk under the bed, got ready in thirty seconds, and hurried over to Brooks’s.

  How could she sleep at a time like this?

  I pounded on the door with Fuego’s jade handle.

  Silence.

  “Brooks!” Pound. Pound. Pound.

  The door swung open.

  Brooks stood there in a pair of cotton pajama pants and a plain yellow T-shirt. Her hair was a heap of tangled curls. “Holy K, Zane! It’s nine thirty. Why didn’t you wake me?” She skip-hopped on one leg while slipping an ankle boot on the other.

  “Um…you’re putting on your boots, but you’re still in your pajamas,” I pointed out.

  “No kidding, Obispo! Who has time to get dressed when we’re supposed to be…” She stopped herself and looked around. “Where’s Ren?”

  I explained everything that had happened while she was snoring away.

  Brooks tied her unruly hair up into a sloppy ponytail and folded her arms across her chest. “She’s at Cab’s? Good. I’m sure they’ll have loads to talk about. And we’re wasting time standing around here.”

  “We have to go get her.”

  Brooks frowned. “We have a quest. And in case you forgot, it’s got an expiration date.”

  “Brooks, we can’t leave without…I mean, we don’t even know if she was followed, or what those monsters chasing her were…and now her grandpa is coming down.”

  “Great. Then she’s not alone. Now can we get going already? I have some ideas about how to get across that stupid barrier.”

  “Really?”

  “Burn it down. Rosie can do the honors.”

  My shoulders slumped. “Pretty sure fire isn’t going to destroy the shadow magic.”

  “Then how?” Brooks’s nostrils flared. “Ooh…I know,” she said sarcastically. “Why don’t you just march into hell and ask Ixtab to let you off the island?”

  “Are you coming to Ms. Cab’s or not?”

  “She doesn’t trust nawals, remember?” Brooks’s eyes searched mine. “I’ll pack the backpacks. And you have exactly thirty minutes.”

  Fuego and I hurried down the playa.

  Sandpipers skittered across the sand, seagulls and pelicans circled in the air, palm leaves rustled in the breeze, and the sunlight created shimmering trails across the clear blue sea. A few small fishing boats lingered past the waves. Ixtab had picked a pretty stellar hiding spot for us, but as beautiful as the “black hole” was, I guess I always knew deep down I wasn’t going to hide out there forever.

  I headed toward town, crossing the main road that led to Ms. Cab’s. A few dozen tourists and locals cruised the main road in their shorts, flip-flops, and straw hats. People sat at outdoor tables, where stray dogs relaxed in the shade. The smells of coffee, fresh-baked pan dulce, and tortillas hung in the air. My stomach grumbled.

  Ms. Cab’s casita was neon pink with a palapa roof and surrounded by a dozen leaning palm trees that, to be honest, looked like they were made of rubber and could catapult cannon balls. A green hand-painted sign hung on the rickety wooden gate: CASA DEL ESPÍRITU. House of the spirit.

  When Ms. Cab didn’t answer the door, I headed around the side to the back patio, which opened to a shadowy jungle. I stared up at the crowd of colorful birds of all sizes peering down at me from the trees like they wanted to peck out my eyes. Now that Ms. Cab’s mission to protect me was over, she’d found a new mission—to rescue hurt birds. Ever since Ixtab had turned her into a chicken for a short time, Ms. Cab could actually speak bird, which helped them trust her.

  Just then, Ms. Cab stepped out of the wide doorway, where sheer drapes fluttered in the breeze. “Zane Obispo, our next guest.”

  Why did Ms. Cab’s voice sound funny? It was like she’d been screaming to jams all night. And what was with that weird greeting? Our next guest?

  I peered behind her. “Hey, Ms. Cab. Where’s Ren?”

  “Take your place in that chair,” Ms. Cab said, pouring me a glass of iced tea (was that dirt or sand twirling in between the ice cubes?). At the center of the small circular patio table was a plate of chocolate squares. “Homemade chocolate made from fresh-roasted cacao beans. Have some,” she said, adjusting a gold cuff on her wrist.

  Her face was darker than usual. She must have done some intense sun-worshipping recently.

  I almost drooled as I snapped off a square of chocolate. “Is Ren still here?”

  “Oh, yes. The girl with tangled hair and tangled thoughts. She went to the market for me. She’ll return shortly. Sit. We need to talk.”

  I set Fuego down and planted myself in a worn equipale chair, thinking, Ren’s just gotten here and already she’s an errand girl? The chair’s leather creaked.

  Ms. Cab sat like she had a stiff back. “Would you like to hear about my vision? It’s a juicy one.”

  “Sure.”

  Ms. Cab was a nik’ wachinel, a Maya seer, and she’d been assigned the job of watching over me since I was born. She was my neighbor back in New Mexico, where she’d worked as a phone psychic. But she’d never been what you’d call a good psychic. She was pretty hit-or-miss and hadn’t even foreseen Rosie getting killed by that stupid demon runner and being sent to Xib’alb’a. But on Holbox, Cab’s seer powers had dried up completely, because she couldn’t see anything past the shadow magic that surrounded the island.

  I chose my words carefully. “But, uh…doesn’t the sh
adow magic mess with your sight?”

  “Pish to shadow magic and the gods! Their days on primetime are over, Zane. Why aren’t you eating the chocolate? I worked all day in the kitchen for you.”

  Primetime?

  I took a bite of the candy, and my mouth pretty much exploded—it was sweet, fiery, nutty, and bitter all at the same time. It slipped down my throat like velvet.

  “Yes, that’s good.” Ms. Cab smiled as she patted her forehead with a white napkin. When she set it down, it was streaked dark brown. It reminded me of that self-tanning lotion one of Hondo’s old wrestling buddies used to slather on before a match. Why was she using that stuff?

  “So, tell me, Zane.” Her tone shifted to concerned guidance counselor. “How will you ever leave?”

  My heart rolled over. She knew! How? Brooks would never tell anyone. And Ren hadn’t heard about our plan…. I had underestimated Ms. Cab’s seeing ability. But I still tried to throw her off track. “I don’t know what you’re talking about….”

  “Denial is an ugly thing. But I’m here to help.” She tilted her head and nodded sympathetically. “Sometimes people don’t know where else to turn.” Her left eye twitched like a gnat had flown into it.

  I wasn’t about to confide in Ms. Cab. She wasn’t my protector anymore. “Like I said, I wasn’t planning on doing…” My brain stumbled on the next word, and I felt suddenly lost, like I couldn’t remember what I was trying to say. Wait, what had Ms. Cab just told me?

  Ms. Cab took a swig of tea and banged her glass down on the wooden table. My hands began to tremble uncontrollably. What was wrong with me? Focus, Zane. Focus.

  “And they said you were smart, that you’d be difficult.” Ms. Cab leaned closer. “But you’re like all the others.”

  Others? “Ms. Cab, you’re not making sense.” Had she been drinking? My tongue felt suddenly thick and numb, like I’d been sucking on ice cubes all morning. Why were words so hard to form? I looked down at the plate of chocolate squares, wondering what she’d put in them.

  Ms. Cab’s mouth parted into a barely there smile. “I know things, Zane. Big things. Are you calling me stupid?”

  “What? No…I just…” The words lodged in the back of my throat, and a sudden brain freeze gripped me. I squeezed my eyes closed and swallowed a few times, waiting for it to pass.

  “Are you all right, Zane?”

  I nodded automatically, but I definitely wasn’t all right.

  Ms. Cab removed a piece of paper from her pocket. Her hands were so dried and cracked it looked like she hadn’t used moisturizer in a thousand years. “I wrote it down so I would not forget anything important.”

  “I…I really gotta go.”

  “Go?” Ms. Cab snorted. “Don’t you see, Zane? You can never leave.”

  “Never leave,” a parrot echoed. “Never leave.”

  My stomach clenched. I suddenly felt light-headed and weighed down at the same time.

  “Now, let me try and read this.” She held up the paper, and her face twisted, her eyes shifted, and her jaw clenched. “Why don’t you read it to me?” She pushed the sheet across the table.

  I looked down and began reading the words silently.

  “Out loud,” she demanded.

  The words blurred in and out of focus. “‘Ixtab didn’t want to save you,’” I read. “‘She wanted to hide you, to keep you from realizing your true potential and power.’” I looked up at Ms. Cab.

  “Go on,” she chirped. “You’re doing fine. A definite C-plus for effort.”

  “This doesn’t make sense,” I said.

  “Just finish.”

  I didn’t want to read more, but the words came out of my mouth anyway. “‘She crafted this whole illusion. Zane, you must know she’s the queen of trickery. It’s all been a trap. Ha. Ha.’”

  “A round of applause, ladies and gentlemen!” Ms. Cab whooped and loosened the belt of her yellow dress. That’s when I noticed streaks of mud across the tie. “Two big blows,” she said. “Ixtab betrayed you, and we have something you want. And the most delicious part? You have no way of getting it, no way off this island. Where is the justice in this world?”

  Anger raced through my veins, and just as suddenly, I felt a sharp pain in my back, like I’d been stabbed with an ice dagger. I gasped and with a single thought, I changed Fuego into spear status.

  “No need for violence,” Ms. Cab said.

  I wanted to launch Fuego at this version of Ms. Cab, but my legs buckled. Actually, just my human leg buckled. I stood on my shorter, storm runner leg, wondering if it was strong enough to hop me out of there.

  Ms. Cab laughed.

  “Who are you?” I demanded. “Where’s the real Ms. Cab?” She had to be some supernatural in disguise.

  Cold sweat dripped down my face, and my insides felt like a giant fist was wringing them out. Uncontrollable shivers gripped me as my mind stumbled over all my memories of Ixtab and everything she’d ever told me. How she had once pretended to be my enemy and had sent an alux and demon runners after me to trick the gods into thinking she was on their side. How she’d made the gods believe I was dead, and how she’d given me the truth paper to write my story on.

  A rush of cold snaked through me. I looked down at my hands. Ropy black veins bulged beneath my skin. I could feel the freezing sludge pushing through my veins, forcing my heart to work overtime. I panted, still clutching my gut in agony as I collapsed to the ground.

  “Almost there,” Ms. Cab said softly. “Just let it come, Zane.”

  This demon version of Ms. Cab reached into her dress pocket and pulled out a small red bird. Was it stuffed? All I could do was lie there frozen, staring up at her with eyes I could barely move. Using a small knife from the table, she split the bird’s chest open, and a flurry of tiny winged beetles escaped.

  Their shells sparkled green like they had emeralds growing on their backs.

  The bedazzled beetles swarmed me, climbing all over my body, their teeny feet stepping across every inch of my skin, up my cheeks and across my scalp. I used to think snakes were the most repulsive creatures in the world. I was so wrong.

  I wanted to scream. The freezing cold was pulling me under, to a place I didn’t think I’d ever escape. For half a second, I imagined jumping to the Empty. The jade tooth was always tied around my neck, but what good would that do? My spirit would be safe while my body would still be here fossilizing at Monster Cab’s feet.

  “Map him well, little friends,” she practically sang to the beetles.

  Map…?

  Monster Cab drew closer, stooping to watch her insects stomp all over me, flutter their glittering wings near my eyes, and poke their spindly legs inside my ears.

  Ms. Cab said, “Almost done.”

  I only needed her to come a few inches closer. Come on. That’s it.

  The second she was within striking distance, I swept my storm runner leg across the intruder’s ankles, bringing her to the ground with a loud thud. The beetles on my leg startled and buzzed into the air. Good first move, but what now? I couldn’t exactly fight her off while I was lying there like a corpse. Stiffly, she got back to her feet and popped her spine with a loud craccckkk.

  “Tsk, tsk, tsk,” she uttered, waving her finger. “I’m not the enemy, Zane.”

  Right. Because friends feed friends to bugs!

  The beetles swarmed all around her before settling back on my storm runner leg. Then, out of nowhere, a hazy image floated in front of me, but it was like I was in a train and the scenery was humming by too fast for me to catch all the details: rolling gray-green hills with outcroppings of deep red rocks. A stream rushing through a deep canyon. Flecks of floating cotton. Then the images slowed long enough for me to see a plot of dirt. Written on it were the words Help us. Before it’s too late. Cold sweat dripped into my eyes and the pictures vanished.

  My muscles hardened, my blood slowed. I was turning into a human Popsicle. I needed heat, but the sun was tucked behind the thi
cket of trees. I managed to close my eyes, and with single-minded concentration, I channeled my energies from my godborn leg, drawing on its power. Then I felt it. A heat source was nearby.

  Rosie.

  Yes!

  Fake Cab looked around wildly like she could sense Rosie, too.

  “Now!” she screamed to the insects.

  A second later, Rosie stalked around the corner, smoke curling from her nose as she grunted wildly. Right behind my hellhound was Brooks, her eyes ablaze. “Where’s Zane?”

  If she’d only looked down, she would have seen me frozen like a wax statue on the ground.

  The winged beetles lifted in a frenzy, and I could feel pinpricks in my hands like I was thawing out. But it wasn’t happening fast enough. In a flurry of arm gestures, Monster Cab directed the insects back into the stuffed bird’s chest.

  “¡Ándale!” she cried as she closed up the bird’s chest with a single tap of her bracelet. Then she tossed the bird into the air, and the thing flew away.

  “Tell me!” Brooks hollered. “Or I release the hellhound.”

  Cab inched back and began to pant. She swayed, clutched her stomach. Her eyes grew three sizes too big. “What’s happening? Where am I?” She rubbed her forehead nervously. Was she turning back into the real Ms. Cab?

  I heard footsteps. Clipped and confident. Mr. O appeared, carrying a paper sack. “I brought mangoes,” he announced cheerily.

  “Get back, Mr. Ortiz!” Brooks ordered.

  “Zane?” Ms. Cab rushed over to me. “When did you get here? Are you all right?”

  My words finally came. “No! You just tried to freeze me and feed me to your bugs!”

  Ms. Cab shook her head. “What are you talking about? Why would I do such a thing?”

  Brooks noticed me for the first time. “Zane! You okay?”

  I managed a small nod as Brooks’s eyes flew back to Ms. Cab.

  Mr. O asked, “Por qué you are on the floor?”

  With an epic roar, Rosie lunged twenty feet and landed within a foot of me and Ms. Cab.

  “Rosie?” Ms. Cab said softly.