“Uh, yeah,” I said. How the hell could the reincarnation of anything but a huge dork possibly faint and smack her head on a table?
Matt helped me sit up, and I sat there, holding the ice against my head as gracefully as possible while the debate continued.
“I don’t understand what this really means,” Lyssa was saying. “What’s the point?” Damian gave her a look. She tilted her head to the side for a moment and said, “Oooh.”
I couldn’t stand it. “Hey, hey, wait a minute! You can’t do that! Jeez, this is worse than you two babbling in Spanish all the time.”
Matt looked at Damian. “Wait a second. Did you just show her what you know?”
“Yep.”
“That is so awesome,” Matt said.
“Yeah, it’s freakin’ fabulous,” I said.
“Look, honey,” Damian said squeezing in to sit next to me, “I know all this is scary, believe me, I do. I mean, you have no idea how frightening the very thought of having her in my head all the time is—”
“—hey!” Lyss broke in.
“As I was saying,” Damian said, “I think there’s a reason for everything that’s happening. I’m just not sure what that is yet. But we’ll figure it out.”
I could somehow hear, in my soul, Balam telling me that Damian was right. This wasn’t about just individual powers or shape-shifting. I should have been afraid, I guess. How could I be as important as all those Mayas in the book? I couldn’t even vote yet. But there was obviously something happening that was bigger than us. I looked around, thinking about how different we were just two weeks ago. The changes in us were happening fast, as if there was some kind of urgency to it. Damn, my head was killing me, and I was tired of everything running around in it. Well, I guess it was better than having two people running around in it. I couldn’t imagine what the twins were feeling.
“Time for a break,” Matt said, grabbing the remote and sliding down to the floor between my knees. We snacked on Doritos and dip while we channel surfed.
“Hey, go back a channel,” I said.
“The History Channel? Not exactly the kind of relaxation I had in mind, babe.”
“Shh,” I said. He went back, and we watched and listened as the narrator described the end of the Mayan calendar that was set to occur on, according to many researchers, December 21, 2012.
“Isn’t that the end of the world thing?” Lyssa asked.
“My God, it’s only three weeks away,” Matt said, looking up directly into my face. “Maya?”
“This is it,” I said, “I know it, Matt. I can feel it.”
“I think we’re just going to have to trust it,” Damian sighed. “Which sucks. I’m a man of reason, not faith.”
“We’ll figure it out somehow,” I said. “I mean, we’ve made it this far.” I could feel Balam’s strength filling me. “I … I feel like I’m being called to something. We’re on the right path, I know it. This is going to sound crazy, you guys, but I think we’re going to be led to the next step. We just have to wait.”
“I just can’t believe I missed it. It’s been all over the news and the Web,” Damian said.
Matt stood up and pulled me to my feet. “I think I’m gonna take Maya home. She probably shouldn’t drive, just to be on the safe side. Do you guys mind if we leave her car here overnight?”
“No. Lyssa can drive it in to school tomorrow,” Damian said.
“I can speak for myself, thanks,” she snapped.
“Oh, my God,” I said.
~ ~ ~
That evening I somehow managed to catch up on most of my homework, even though my head still hurt. I was just starting to look through the list of topics for our upcoming biology project when the doorbell rang downstairs. I heard voices briefly before Dad called me down.
“Maya,” he said, “there’s a Ms. Mendoza here to see you.”
Aw, crap, crap, crap.
I sighed and walked downstairs, pretty much resigned to my fate. I mean, I’d ditched school. I’d been caught. Now I had to take what was coming to me. It was a little bizarre that my English teacher had bothered to come to my house to see me about it. But there she was, standing in my living room. She was wearing a skirt, jacket, and heels, like she’d just now come from school. And she wasn’t smiling.
“I’ll let you two ladies discuss your business,” Dad said, shooting me a look before closing the door to his office.
“In Lak’ech, Maya,” my teacher said, holding her hand over her heart.
My eyes bugged out of my head. “You’re … you’re …” I couldn’t speak.
“A shifter, yes,” she said. “Is there somewhere we could talk?” She looked around the house and changed her mind. “Maybe we could go for a drive?”
My stomach was practically jumping out of my body. “Uh, sure,” I mumbled. “I’ll just let my dad know.” She was only the second adult shifter I’d met, other than Victrixa. What if she was somehow part of all that? That shady group? I knew deep down that it wasn’t Victrixa I feared as much as the others who’d been in my vision. I hadn’t been able to see them. They could be anyone. Maybe I was just being paranoid. I hoped I was. I swallowed hard.
“So, uh,” I said, as I closed the passenger side door of her car, “is this about missing school today? I mean, I’ve never ditched classes before, and I promise it was for a really good cause,” I blurted.
She smiled and started her car. “Not really. Although I did notice that Matt Caldwell and the Vasquez twins were also absent today. Also without permission, I might add.”
“Oh.”
She continued to drive and when she started to leave my neighborhood, my heart rate doubled.
“Relax, Maya,” she said as she pulled into a parking space at the Galleria. “I just didn’t think it would be a good idea to talk about this in your house with your father there.”
“Talk about what?”
“Victrixa Mata.”
God, just the mention of her name gave me the creeps. I could feel goose bumps all up and down my arms. “You know her?”
“Well, we know of each other, let’s put it that way. Maya, my name is Adriana Mendoza. I am a shifter, and I’m also of Mayan ancestry, just like you are. I was asked to take a teaching job at your school so I could watch you and make sure Victrixa kept her distance. Unfortunately, I only just found out that she was mentoring you last week.”
“Who is she, Ms.—”
“Adriana, please. Call me Adriana. Victrixa Mata is a leading member of a group called Toltec. It is Toltec’s mission to make sure that the world, human and shifter, does not transition into the New Age on December 21, 2012.”
“You mean that shit is real?” I said, before I could stop myself. “Oh, I’m sorry.” I felt myself flush.
“No need to apologize, I’m sure it comes as quite a shock,” she said. “But it is indeed very real, and Toltec will do anything they can to stop it.”
“But … why?”
“Well, what we know is this. There are two surviving holy books from the Mayan civilization that existed thousands of years ago. One of these books, the Popol Vuh, contains the Mayan creation story. The second book, the Chilam Balam, holds prophecies based on the famous Mayan calendars. I assume you’ve learned something of those?”
“Yeah. In Spanish class,” I said. (It made total sense. It was the only part of Spanish class that was in English, so I’d actually understood something for once in my sorry life.)
Adriana smiled. “Basically, we believe the Chilam Balam tells us that when the Mayan Long Count calendar ends on December 21st, a New Age will arrive. This New Age will be the opposite of our current times. There will be no war or violence, no greed, no hate. The earth will be cherished as it once was and no longer be destroyed as it now is. All of the peoples of the world will unite, and there will be an end to chaos.”
“That’s it? That’s what all the fuss has been about? All the TV shows and movies?”
“Well,
no one is guaranteeing a smooth transition. There could be some bumps in the road. It would probably take weeks or even months to see the effects. Maybe longer. We can’t be sure.”
“And these Toltec people?”
“Toltec is by far the greatest threat to the change. They want very much to stop this from happening. Its members profit far too much from the fear, hatred, and chaos in the world the way it is now. They value money and power above all else. They are corrupt and evil.”
“But, but…what I don’t get is, what would they want with me, Ms.—Adriana?”
“The events of the 21st won’t just happen by themselves, I’m afraid. Has your grandmother explained to you the meaning of k’ul?”
“Sure, it’s the flow of life. The life force we all have.”
“That’s right. It’s the divine force in everything. It’s energy. Different people have more or less of it. Shifters happen to have quite a lot. That’s how we can identify one another. You see, Maya, this energy runs through everything all over the earth. And, in order to set the transition in motion, the energy must be set in motion.”
“Huh,” I said, “I did a report on the Egyptian pyramids once, and it said that they’re supposed to be, like, processors of energy or giant conductors or something. Is that kind of what the Mayan pyramids were built for?”
“Exactly.”
“But you’d still need something to start the whole process off, though. Right? I mean, what’s supposed to get the transition started?”
“You are.”
CHAPTER NINE
“But that’s insane!” I protested. “I’m just a high school junior. Why does everyone think I have anything to do with this?”
But I knew in my heart it was true. It was the reason why my mark was different and why I’d been having visions. It was why my friends were developing crazy powers. My heart was pounding and my arms and legs were going numb.
“Because you have more k’ul than anyone our world has ever seen,” Adriana said. “You’ve been accumulating it for centuries, all for this one day in time.”
“The reincarnations,” I said. “So Damian was right.”
“The Mayan people have always believed in reincarnation. We had been searching for you for years, as had Toltec. But it wasn’t until last summer that you were found.”
“Last summer?” I asked.
“It must have been quite soon after you and Matt got together and all the changes started happening. You had such incredibly strong k’ul that Richard sensed it. Around the same time we also learned that Victrixa had purchased a large piece of property nearby. That also tipped us off.”
All I could do was blink my eyes and try to keep up with all of it. “Who’s Richard?” I asked.
“Richard is my mate. He found you last June. He’s been keeping an eye on you ever since.”
“His second form wouldn’t be an owl by any chance, would it?”
She laughed. “Yes. Tunkuruchu. I’ll have to speak to him about his hooting habits.” She laughed again. “Oh, Maya, you have no idea how very glad we are to have found you … if for nothing else than to keep you safe from Toltec.”
But I knew that wasn’t the only reason. As we talked, the weight on my shoulders was growing heavier.
“I need to talk to my Grandma,” I told her.
“Of course you do,” she said. “I’m sorry. This is a lot. I know it must be very hard for you to take it all in.” She laid one hand on my shoulder. “I can’t even imagine. But you’re not alone in this. You need to know that. And before you say anything, I should tell you that, either way, we are prepared for your answer. If you decide to go, we have everything all arranged. And if not, we will be able to offer you our protection until after solstice on December 21st.”
It was funny how she phrased it that way, as if I really had a choice, because we both knew I didn’t. Plain old history class seemed like a total waste of time when you compared it to actually helping to make the world better. I just wished I believed in myself as much as Adriana seemed to.
“Matt will want to be there with me,” I finally said.
“I would expect nothing less. He is your mate and he has that right.”
“Oh, crap, Adriana—the twins! I can’t believe I forgot about them. Something else has happened. They’ve become telepathic. They can read each other’s minds!”
She nodded. “We wondered if they might phase or some other such thing.”
No, not again. “So I did do that to them? Is it from being around me, like what happened with Matt?”
“First of all, Maya, I want you to understand that although it’s not common for one mate to follow the other into the phase, it does happen. I followed Richard.”
“You did?” Holy crap!
“Yes, I did. So I can tell you with total honesty that it just feels totally natural to me. And I’m sure Matt feels the same way. As for the twins, something tells me that they still have some part to play in this whole thing. I’m just not sure what.”
“Will they need to come with us?”
“So you’ve agreed then!”
“Yes, I…I guess I have.” Sometimes I wished my heart and brain would just shut up for two seconds already.
“I think it would be best if they came,” she said. “And your grandma. I think there’s a chance we’ll need her wisdom.” She smiled warmly. I didn’t know if she was just saying that or if it was actually true, but I couldn’t have cared less.
As we pulled into my driveway, Adriana put the car into park and turned to me.
“Maya, we need to be ready to leave for Mexico no later than the day after tomorrow. I’m going to need you to talk to your father about a trip with your grandmother to spend Christmas with your relatives there. I know it’s not going to be easy, but you’re going to have to be very convincing. It’s important for his safety. We can’t risk him trying to find us or asking any questions. Do you think you can do that?”
I nodded. I hated lying to Dad, but I knew he would be worried sick if he knew what was really going on. And if it would keep him safe…
“It will work best if Matt and the twins use the same story. Do you have your cell with you?” I handed her my cell phone and watched as she quickly hit the keys and then handed it back to me. “I’ve programmed three numbers into your cell,” she said. “You have mine and Richard’s. You also have Alma’s. She runs the safe house in Mexico. If you get into trouble, use them, in that order. And, Maya, this is very important. I need you to be very, very careful between now and the time we leave. There will be shifters here, around your property, to keep an eye out. Richard is here now. In Lak’ech, Maya. And be safe.”
“Ala K’in. And thank you.” I got out of the car and, lost in my thoughts, watched her drive away.
I started to walk toward the door when I suddenly felt a strong arm grab me around the waist and a gloved hand go over my mouth. Frantic with terror, I tried to pull away, but the guy was too strong for me. I was being dragged to the back of the house. I knew that if we got that far, I’d never survive. I tried to phase, but I couldn’t calm down long enough to focus. I managed to hook my boot on the corner of the house, but that only slowed us down momentarily. And that’s when I heard it. It sounded like a rabid dog, snarling and growling. I managed to turn my head just enough to see. It was Matt in his gray wolf form! My would-be kidnapper turned and ran toward the trees, phased into an eagle, and flew out of sight. Totally freaked out and exhausted, I fell against the side of the house. Matt trotted over, phased back, and put his warm, human arms around me.
“It’s okay, My, it’s all right. I’m never gonna let anything happen to you.” He held me while I cried. It wasn’t until I finally calmed down, that I began to wonder why he was here.
“What are you doing here?” I asked.
“I’m here with Richard,” he said, to my surprise. “While Adriana was with you, Richard paid me a little visit.”
“Jesus, Matt!”
“I know, I know. It’s a lot. Listen, I’m relieving Richard for the night, so I’ll be here if you need me.”
“I want to meet him,” I said. “Thank him.”
“He’s already gone. We’ll see him tomorrow. Come on, let’s get you inside.”
We walked around to the front of the house where Dad was standing just inside the front door.
“What the hell happened out there?”
“Just some kind of stray dog,” Matt said. “It caught us by surprise.”
“Sounded like a whole pack of stray dogs,” Dad answered.
I noticed Matt couldn’t help but grin at that. I leaned up and squished his cheeks.
“Well,” he said, “I guess I’d better get going. I don’t want Mom worrying about where I’ve got to.”
Thankfully, Dad excused himself and went up to bed after warning us to keep it short.
“You’re gonna be out there alone?” I asked, worry creeping into my chest.
“I’ll be fine, babe. And there’s backup further out if I need it. I’d never forgive myself if something happened to you.”
“Ditto,” I said, leaning up and touching the side of his face. “In Lak’ech,” I said, laying my hand on his heart.
“Ala K’in.” He put his hand on mine and he pulled me into a soft, gentle kiss that made my insides warm.
We said good night and I walked upstairs and knocked on Dad’s door.
“Come in, sweetheart,” he said. He had his glasses on and was lying on his bed reading.
“Dad, could I talk to you about something?”
“Of course. But first tell me why your English teacher was here tonight.”
More lies. I hated this. “Well, she’s been working with me on something for English … an essay contest, and she just told me that I was accepted into the first round. She just bought me a coffee. She wanted to talk about where we were going to go from here.”
“That’s excellent, honey! I knew you’d been working hard lately. I’ve hardly seen you.”
One down. “Uh, I wanted to ask you something, too. Grandma has invited me to go to Mexico with her to celebrate Christmas with her family. I know we usually spend the holidays with your family, but Grandma just thought it would be good for me to meet my other relatives.” I waited while he thought about it.
Jaguar Sun (The Jaguar Sun Series) Page 8
