Mayan Lover

by Wendy S. Hales

  With disappointment, he realized she thought he had presented a theory that could be proved scientifically, not that he was who he said he was. He moved her hand to the tile next to his Journeyer. “That, Gwen, is you.”

  “The White Woman and the Moon Goddess Ixchel are the same person,” she justified.

  “Look at them closer. They are mother and daughter.” He balanced between being frustrated and amused at her. Maybe he should have waited till the skull was found. The skull. “Let me show you something.” He reached for the bag he’d set at his feet.

  The door to the trailer yanked open. Enrique’s eyes looked about to pop out of his head. “We found it! It was exactly where you said you buried it.”

  “What is that?” Gwen ignored Enrique completely.

  Arka met Gwen’s gaze. “What do you feel?”

  Her eye’s widened. “It feels like an earthquake. Can’t you feel it?”

  Arka slung the bag over his shoulder and scooped her up, then carried her out of the trailer. “You are being summoned, Goddess.”

  At the center of the hole, Maggie knelt with a brush, sweeping dirt from the top of the rich amethyst crystal. She looked up with excitement. “You gotta see this, Gwen.”

  Arka held her by the wrists and lowered her feet into the hole. His heart pounded with excitement. He grabbed a full-sized shovel and jumped down. “Move.”

  Maggie crab-crawled back. Gwen held up her hands. “You can’t use that! We need to take pictures, uncover the crystal slowly.”

  “Did the ground stop shaking?” He set the shovel to the ground. Gwen hesitantly shook her head. “Then we can’t wait. The Moon Goddess wants you now.” He dug the shovel in and the skull popped out, covered in hard-dried clay dirt. It rolled against the incline of gravity to Gwen’s feet. She stared at it with a look of amazement and pulled her feet away. The skull rolled to her again.

  “Gwen. Only a divine being may touch it until claimed by its god … er, goddess,” Enrique called from the edge of the pit.

  Maggie stood and stepped over. “Oh, for hell's sake,” she snapped and reached for the skull. It vanished before she could touch it and reappeared in Gwen’s lap. Maggie's hand went to her mouth and Gwen gasped.

  Arka tossed the shovel and scooped Gwen with the skull on her lap into his arms. Her arms clutched at his neck while her eyes, huge with fear, stared at the dirt-encrusted skull. He awkwardly climbed the wooden ladder. The bag with his skull caught on a step, yet the amethyst skull never dislodged.

  “Wait! Where are you going?” Maggie called to him as he headed toward the forest. Arka looked back at Enrique.

  “I got this. Go.” Enrique waved him off. “So, Maggie, I’ve got one hell of a story to tell you.” The trees swallowed the rest of what his nephew said.

  “Arka, I’m totally freaking out. This thing is vibrating,” Gwen whispered.

  Arka never slowed his step. “I know how frightening it is to face your destiny. I’m frightened too, but you must meet your mother, Goddess.”

  “What!” Gwen snapped. “How?”

  Arka kissed her forehead. “You must answer Ixchel’s summons, my love.” He gave her a reassuring smile.

  “When this is over you are going to therapy with me.”

  He had no idea what she meant by therapy but could tell it had something to do with her residual disbelief. She’d believe soon enough. “Agreed.” He placated her … for now.

  They reached the top of the waterfall, where there was an unimpeded view of the sky. Arka looked to the west where the sun dipped low in the sky. He looked east to see the moon rising. “Wash it, quickly.” She hesitated. “Please … trust me.”

  She took the skull in her hands and let out a long, exasperated sigh. He set her feet to the ground. She bent to dip the skull in the river and carried it back to him tucked under one arm. “Now what?” He’d pulled his skull from his bag and knelt on folded legs in front of it. She bent with an indrawn breath and set her hand to top of it. “It’s the biggest, clearest, most perfect quartz crystal skull I’ve ever seen.”

  Arka laughed. He didn’t mean to, but he couldn’t help it. Gwen glared at him. “Look at what you’re holding.”

  She withdrew the amethyst from under her arm and held it out with both hands facing her. Her mouth gaped open and she slowly sank to a cross-legged sitting position. “It’s beautiful.” The wonder in her eyes as she looked at the gift he’d crafted for her and her Moon Goddess mother by hand meant more to him than he could ever express. Her eyes turned deep purple, and without his prompt, she leaned her forehead to the skull. Her eyes fluttered shut and snapped back open as she yanked her head away. Awe returned to her expression.

  “Do what I do, Gwen. Don’t be afraid; just let yourself go to the stone.” Arka demonstrated—with arms extended, he touched his forehead to the stone in front of him.

  Her swallow was loud and she took a deep breath and held it, then let it out slowly. She placed the skull to the ground and tucked her legs beneath her. “You’re sure about this?” she asked, her eyes never leaving the sacred object.

  “She’s your mother, Gwen,” Arka encouraged.

  “I haven’t had the best relationship with the mother I already have,” she muttered as she leaned to the skull, squeaking adorably. Her body relaxed against it.

  Despite his reassurance, Arka hated the thought that her spirit had left her body. “Please watch over her, father,” he whispered to his skull. A ray of light shot through his skull and winked at him. He felt his head drawn back down. Gwen wasn’t the only one whose audience was being requested. He surrendered to the crystal of his father.

  Chapter Ten

  Gwen felt herself fall into a black tunnel, where stars zoomed past her with trails of light. She landed on her butt in a softly glowing room. A woman with long, snow-white, softly waved tresses shimmered into view. Her milky skin glowed softly … like the moon. Everything Gwen knew was instantly ripped to shreds. Nothing she’d ever read or studied had prepared her for this moment. Holy shit, this is not happening. Her mind struggled to accept what her eyes were seeing, chaotically groping for some kind of scientific explanation … to no avail. A quote by The Search For Lost Time novelist Marcel Poust roared through her mind: The voyage of discovery lies not in seeking new horizons, but in seeing with new eyes.

  With a blush of embarrassment, she realized she was sprawled on her ass, gaping at the goddess like an idiot. Gwen struggled to her feet. “That sucked,” she blurted, rubbing her butt cheek.

  The woman smiled tentatively. “Do you know who I am?” The woman touched her fingers under Gwen's chin, and a flush of calm, clear euphoria bloomed in her. Gwen sighed. She wasn’t afraid … at all. Part of her knew she should be, but she couldn’t conjure fear when she looked at the stunning woman.

  “You’re either Ixchel or a delusion of my nervous breakdown.” Gwen felt her natural humor roar to life. Positive energy swept sadness, insecurity, guilt, and regret away like dust in a breeze.

  Ixchel fingers dropped and she laughed. Gwen found herself spellbound by the sound. “Oh, daughter, you are my joy and my light indeed.” With the word “daughter,” intangible strings of truth and connection grew between Gwen and Ixchel.

  Gwen sucked in a breath. “You’re saying the man I love isn’t crazy.”

  “Definitely not. He was created by the Sun God to be your mate. I am pleased you've come to love him, my light. He is a handsome young man, is he not?” Ixchel whispered conspiratorially to her, “You should see his father.”

  Gwen liked her. Her eyes were midnight purple. “So … Kinich is hot?” she teased, hoping to hear Ixchel laugh again. This time she laughed with her.

  “He is quite hot.” Ixchel lifted her chin upward. “Don’t be puffing fire over that compliment either,” she shouted to the ceiling. The room rumbled.

  “If Arka was meant for me, why was he born twenty-six hundred years before me?” And I didn't meet him before John? She added ment
ally.

  “There are only certain times when that type of travel is possible in the human realm. You are my first and only child. Kinich gifted his essence to Arka at the same celestial instance. Time on earth does not coincide with time in the heavens. To us you were both created simultaneously, though in human years your physical births were years apart. Humanity sees time as a linear occurrence, when in fact it twists and turns over itself. Arka traveled to you on one of those rare intersections of space and time that enabled his human body to Journey from his time to yours.” She grinned in the face of Gwen dawning realization. “Now then. Once this nasty comet is taken care of, you and I will have plenty of time to catch up.”

  “Ewww. Please don’t tell me Arka is my soul brother.” Slowly the full impact of what Ixchel said sunk in. “Wait … did you say comet?”

  “The essence of gods can never intermingle. Kinich and I could never have children together in that manner. Gods and goddess spirits are created from the energy of a single entity.” Like cell division meiosis, Gwen deduced. It didn’t sound very romantic, but at least she wasn’t in an incestuous relationship. “Kinich and I couple on an astral plane … similar to your dreams with Arka, though far more intense.” Oh, man. TMI—way too much information—to have about your supposed goddess mother and sex.

  “Good. You mentioned a … comet?” She stifled the theme from The Twilight Zone in her mind and changed the subject.

  “Yes. You see, Kinich Ahau is immovable in the universe. My orbit is with the earth. You and your mate Arka are our anchors to the earth herself until you ascend. You embody the power of our light.”

  “That weirdly makes sense.” It didn’t make any sense, really. Gwen tried to keep an open mind, though she was starting to doubt that everyone else was crazy, and that she had snapped. Light illuminated. It had no real power unto itself ...

  “You’re not crazy and I'll have you know light is one of the greatest powers that exist in the universe. Stop thinking like a human.” She lifted her hands to her hips. “You are the Goddess of Moonlight … my light. Accept that and everything else will be simple.” Gwen felt Ixchel’s disappointment in her cells. Unlike the disappointment she always felt from Carol, Ixchel’s disappointment was laced with love and understanding.

  Ixchel sighed. “Extend your left hand.” Gwen lifted her arm straight out from her body. “Now look.” Gwen looked down her arm. Rays of light shot out from each of her fingers. She wiggled them and the light bent to her bidding. “Do you believe now?”

  “That is so cool,” she said on a soft release of breath. It felt like a cool breeze coursed in her bloodstream.

  “Now concentrate. Envision the light condensing, folding into itself, becoming a single powerful stream,” Ixchel coached.

  Gwen closed her eyes. Her arms shook with tension. The cool breeze did not alleviate the beads of sweat coating her forehead. The breeze within her raged to a gale, funneling down her arm like a coned tornado stretching toward the first digit of her hand. Gwen opened her eyes to see a formidable, laser-like beam. The power of lasers was a relatively knew branch of science but the capabilities were vast. The image of chamber walls disappeared and the beam of moonlight at her command shot into the darkness of the universe.

  Ixchel’s hand lifted to her forehead from behind, enabling Gwen to see farther down the path of the beam. A large, boulder type of rock crossed the laser, absorbed the light, and exploded into tiny pebbles. Gwen fisted her hand and the light cut off instantly. A weapon … she was a weapon. She hated weapons.

  Ixchel's hand lifted from her head. “Ascension will raise you and Arka to guardians of the solar system. Power when used for good is never a weapon, daughter. It is your cautious appreciation of your power that will make you a perfect Goddess of Moonlight. Unfortunately, you are needed now.” He voice held a measure of sadness.

  Gwen pivoted to face her goddess mother. “I get the feeling I may not like where this is going.”

  She held up a single finger and cocked her head like she was listening to something. “Typical men,” she muttered and rolled her eyes. “Seems your mate has left the decision to you.”

  “Decision for what?”

  “The comet targeting the earth requires the light power that currently lies dormant in your mortal bodies.”

  Gwen cut her off. “You call that dormant?” She pointed in the direction the beam had taken.

  “Being a god in human form is a far cry from being an ascended god. Your spirit is merely astral in the heavens right now, child. You can only remain in this place if you fully ascend. Ascension happens when your human body ceases function. Then you will take on the powers and abilities of your goddess birthright.” Ixchel linked her fingers at her waist while she spoke.

  “So to destroy the comet, Arka and I will have to die?” No wonder he'd passed the decision to her. Gwen might have rolled her eyes like Ixchel if the prospect of making the call to end Arka's life wasn't involved. To save her friend’s, the people she cared for, Gwen would agree without hesitation in her own behalf. But Arka … loving, amazing Arka? How could she possibly condemn him to die with her? Her knees gave out, plopping her back to her ass.

  The Moon Goddess lifted her hand palm up. Gwen floated up to eye level with her and found her feet firmly beneath her again. “If that were the only option, you would have no decision to make, though I must say, your immediate ascension would please me. However, there is an … alternative.” Ixchel's voice wafted with reservation. “You could choose to relinquish the essence Kinich and I gifted to birth you and Arka.” Her voice trembled. “Sacrifice your godhood and return the moon and sunlight back to us. The Sun God and I will unite in effort to destroy the comet.”

  Give up the chance to have a normal mother/daughter relationship? Well, sort of normal. She already felt more love from Ixchel than she'd ever felt with her biological mom. Or give up her chance to live a normal life, have natural children, grow old. She wished with all her heart Arka were here holding her, helping her make the decision that would affect them both.

  Ixchel waited silently, yet Gwen could feel a sense of urgency. “The comet is coming now, isn't it?” Despair filtered in, overwhelming the sense of calm she'd been given when she entered. Ixchel nodded slowly, her eyes reflected the despair Gwen felt. “I can’t make this decision alone.” It was too much. Too overwhelming. Their godhood or their lives … a sob tore through her.

  Ixchel’s expression held sympathy. “Kinich, my torch.” She lifted her chin to the ceiling. “Deliver Arka to me, please.”

  The room shimmered; Arka stepped through an oval-shaped tear with a blast of heat. He blinked at Ixchel, and then his eyes met hers with a loving expression. Gwen dashed to his open arms. His forehead touched to hers. “My life is nothing without you, my godhood means nothing without you, Gwen. Whether we are together in human form or in the heavens makes no difference to me. It is you who had built a life on earth. The world I knew was surrendered upon my Journey. You are my world now.”

  “I feel the same … except—” She felt selfish, but childhood hopes lingered in her mind. “I want children, Arka … your children. I want to leave a legacy. I want to raise them in parental love … break the cycle I was raised in. Yet how can I deny Ixchel and Kinich us as their children?”

  Arka stared into her eyes. “With or without godhood, we will always be their children. I would love to have beautiful babies with your skin and hair and my eyes. Godhood or life … one must be sacrificed.”

  Gwen made the decision in her mind, and Ixchel let out a small sigh. She released her hold on Arka and pulled the Moon Goddess into her arms, hugging her mother for the first and last time. “I know you love me and I'm so sorry, but I want to live.”

  Ixchel squeezed her in return. “Don’t be sorry for following your heart. I understand … my light.” Her voice broke. “I will be watching your life from the night sky. Make me proud, have human children so their generations will carry on, and abo
ve everything else, live a life of worth and joy.” The process for releasing her essence flashed in Gwen’s mind.

  Before Gwen could say anything more, her conscience was propelled back into her body. Her hands, no longer around her mother, pressed to the ground. The skull was cool against her forehead, emanating nothing.

  Arka lifted from his mirrored position, his eyes clashing with hers. Without a word, he opened his arms and Gwen surrendered against his chest, crumbling inside as he held her. “Shhh, it’s going to be okay,” he whispered into her hair. “Let’s finish our duty.”

  She nodded. They stood side-by-side with their skulls and touched the macabre faces to their hearts. Energy surged from her cells to the center of her chest with a force that took her breath away. The skull lit from within and shook in her palms as an intricate part of her she hadn’t known existed left her body feeling bereft and hollow. Glowing brightly, the skull absorbed the last of her goddess essence. The phrase “you don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone” raced through Gwen’s mind. She mourned the essence already. Slowly she lifted the glowing amethyst over her head toward the heavens. Arka raised his a moment later. The skull seemed to open its crystal jaw. White light burst from between the perfect line of crystal teeth, rippling as if it were waving goodbye, and sped away toward the slowly rising moon. Her mouth felt like sandpaper. She swallowed the lump in her throat and looked over in time to see a quivering mass of yellow fire float up from Arka’s clear crystal skull and streak across the horizon toward the sinking sun.

  An instant later, both the sun and moon went dark, as if a switch were turned off in them, plunging the planet earth into an impenetrable blackness. The forest sounds silenced. No wind touched a single leaf in the tress. The very air around her seemed to close in. She’d never suffered from claustrophobia, but this is what she imagined it must feel like. Arka’s arm came around her shoulder, tucking her to his side, relieving her encroaching panic with a touch.