The Storm Runner

by J. C. Cervantes

  At the same moment, the black owl, Muwan, appeared. Her feathers were slick with oil. She turned her enormous eyes toward me.

  A trail of black smoke rose from the bird, and it shifted into a woman with long gray hair. She was wearing some kind of headdress made of red and yellow feathers.

  She kneeled next to Ah-Puch and said with a bad lisp, “My lord, I bring you a thacrifice to give you power.” Her gauzy black skirt swept across the rock.

  She reached into her skirt pocket and pulled out a small clay figurine, but I couldn’t see the details from where I sat. She smashed it against the rim. There was a terrible screech. Then she handed Ah-Puch a creature with two goat heads and a body like a yellow snake. It squirmed and bleated, trying to wriggle its way free. Ah-Puch scrambled to clutch the thing. Bones snapped. Then he brought it to his mouth, bit its neck, and sucked all the blood from it before tossing the drained corpse to the cave floor below like an old orange peel.

  My stomach lurched.

  Ah-Puch’s skin began to bubble. Gray worms emerged and crawled all over the outside of his hunched body, latching onto him and somehow thickening his skin. Ah-Puch rose to his feet slowly, groaning.

  I was glad he wasn’t facing me. I really didn’t want to look this guy in the eyes. But I had to. He’d made me a promise.

  “Zane Obispo.” His voice was deep and gravelly.

  I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. Then, slowly, I looked up at him.

  Whoa! He’d somehow morphed from the gross blood-sucking worm monster into a regular guy dressed in a black suit, crisp white shirt, and dark silk tie. It was an expensive suit, too—not the shiny kind with loose threads like my old history teacher always wore.

  Ah-Puch was at least six foot five, but that’s not what made him so… intimidating. It was his black eyes, chiseled face, and broad shoulders that screamed power. (Sorry, gods who hate Ah-Puch. You said you wanted the truth.)

  He waved his hand, and the ledge I was standing on shimmered. A second later, Brooks materialized, in comatose hawk form. I pulled her in to my chest and held her closely.

  “We had a deal,” I said, feeling her still-faint heartbeat. “You said you’d save her!”

  Ah-Puch’s black eyes found mine. “You risked everything for a nawal?”

  “That’s none of your business. Now wake her up.”

  He ignored my demand and glanced around. Then, with another tiny movement of his hand, the dead space beyond the volcano turned into a bustling city. “That’s much better,” he said. “I’m so weary of silence.”

  Suddenly we were standing on the roof of a skyscraper that overlooked a whole cityscape. Below us, millions of cars inched along the freeways like bugs. I stumbled as I looked around, trying to get my bearings. Where were we? New York? Chicago? Being a non-traveler, I only had movies and books to help me out. To the left was a mountain with big white letters on it: hollywood. We were in Los Angeles?

  Ah-Puch took a deep breath and closed his eyes. “Ahh… such chaos. I can feel its sweetness buzzing all around.”

  “What about Brooks?” I insisted as I scanned the dark rooftop. As a small hawk (who seemed even smaller than she was inside the cave moments ago) she wasn’t heavy, but I needed a place to lay her down for when he made her human again. I spotted some lounge chairs near a lap pool. This was some kind of fancy hotel or apartment building. A small fountain spilled into the pool and there were potted palms in the corners.

  Muwan smiled, except she didn’t have any teeth, which explained her lisp. “The gods don’t know you’ve awakened, my lord. They are too buthy getting fat and lathy to even notice.”

  “You are my most trusted ally, Muwan,” Ah-Puch said, petting her head. “What’s happened to you?”

  “Weak without your power.”

  He continued petting her head and slowly a blackish mist rose, slithering up Muwan’s legs, then body and head, until…

  I blinked.

  Muwan had shed the old-toothless-hag look for a magazine-photo-shoot look. She was about Hondo’s age, with shoulder-length raven hair and bronze skin. She wore a long silver gown that hugged her now-healthy form. And her eyes glinted lilac and green in the light like rare gemstones. She smiled at Ah-Puch, then kissed the back of his hand. “Thank you, my lord.”

  Ah-Puch gave her a barely there nod, then asked, “And the seers?”

  “Taken care of.”

  “Hold on,” I butted in. “What happened to the seers?”

  Ah-Puch walked to the edge of the pool and stared at his reflection in the water. “Don’t worry, your pathetic protector is alive and unharmed. I thought about killing her—slowly—but realized her divination abilities and knowledge might come in handy.”

  No wonder Ms. Cab hadn’t shown up. This monster had done something to her! I felt myself flush with anger but tamped it down. I had to keep him focused on Brooks.

  “So, um… our deal?” I reminded him.

  “Deal?” He glanced at me.

  My insides collapsed. By the blank look on his fearsome face, I knew he’d already forgotten. “Please.” I didn’t care if I had to beg. “I know you don’t have to keep your end of the bargain. I’m just a weak human… and you’re, well, you’re a super god. The most powerful.”

  “Power…” he mumbled, then squatted and ran his fingers across the pool’s surface. Inky clouds bloomed beneath. “I’m curious,” he said, keeping his gaze on the darkening liquid. “How did a mere boy wake me…?” His eyes darted across the water like there was some kind of magic in it that held all the answers.

  He stood to his full height and let out a long breath. “I see now,” he said, looking at me with a wry smile. “You’re more than a mere human, Zane Obispo.”

  I didn’t know if that was a good or bad thing, or if it would affect his keeping his end of the bargain, so I didn’t say anything. Better to keep him off-balance and guessing. That’s what Hondo always said.

  Tucking a shiny stray hair behind her ear, Muwan said, “He looks like nothing, my lord.”

  Nothing. There was that word again. I struggled to keep my temper in check.

  “Looks can be deceiving, can’t they?” Ah-Puch walked over to me with so much confidence I thought he should run for king or president or something.

  “Zane Obispo.” His mouth turned up. “Such a perfect and unexpected surprise.”

  “Yep, that’s me. One big surprise. Now, our deal.”

  He loosened his tie and took in the cityscape with a deep breath. “I like this city,” he said to Muwan. “A very good hiding space. But they can’t hide from me for long.”

  They? Who was he talking about? I wondered if all gods had this hard a time staying focused.

  Cars zipped below us. Horns honked. Planes flew overhead. The stars were shadowed by the bright lights. I’d never seen anything like it.

  I hated to interrupt his little moment with Muwan and all, but…

  “So, our deal?” I said again.

  Ah-Puch’s brows came together. “I must say, I am impressed with your bravery, and you did set me free from my dreadful prison. Imagine being imprinted onto the World Tree’s paper.”

  “Yeah, imagine,” I muttered under my breath. World Tree’s paper?

  “Being that I’m in a glorious mood,” he said, “I’d say one favor deserves another. See how generous I can be?”

  Okay, so far, so good. “So you’ll heal Brooks?”

  “I say we sweeten the deal. Your girlfriend’s life for a small pledge.”

  Er, pretty sure that wasn’t the deal. “What kind of pledge?”

  “To Xib’alb’a.” His black eyes glistened in the city lights. “To me.”

  It was like a punch in the gut. Yep, I was definitely going to throw up. The pool water began to boil. Black ribbons of steam rose into the smoggy air.

  “Agree to be one of my soldiers of death,” he said, “and I will give you back these worthless souls you seek.”

  Soldier of d
eath? Was he for real? “We already made a deal,” I argued.

  “I’ve changed my mind. And since I’m the one with all the power, I make the rules.”

  “Yeah, well, your rules stink.”

  “Make your decision.”

  I had a feeling he wasn’t going to ask twice. Always the optimist, I asked, “So, a soldier of death is what, like a couple-year gig?”

  “Lifetime appointment.”

  Oh. Well, that officially stank. Gritting my teeth, trying not to think about what being a soldier of death actually meant, I said, “If I did it, I mean, became one of your… soldiers, it would be like, um… later. Like when I die as an old man, right?”

  Muwan sauntered to the roof’s edge, laughing lightly.

  “You have until the third moon,” Ah-Puch said. “When I call, you will answer. I will finish this world and start again. We will have a new order.”

  The third moon… Did he mean three nights? That might give me enough time to figure things out, rally some help. My insides twisted. I was just some thirteen-year-old kid with a bum leg. Not exactly the world-saving type.

  As if he could read my mind, Ah-Puch said, “Aren’t you tired of being a weakling? A boy who can’t run? Can’t fight? Can’t do much of anything? You are no warrior, Zane Obispo. But I can make you one.”

  Shame dug its claws into my gut. “I was strong enough to set you free!”

  His eyes glinted with some kind of knowledge I knew he wasn’t about to share.

  Muwan turned and glanced over her tan shoulder. Whatever Ah-Puch knew, she knew it, too.

  “In Xib’alb’a,” he said, eyeing my leg, “you’ll be whole and strong. You’ll be able to do what only gods and kings can do. You’ll have power beyond your wildest dreams.”

  The words raced through me. Strong. Gods. Kings. That all sounded pretty good. And it would save Brooks and Rosie, too….

  Just as I was about to shake on it, another voice whispered in my ear. But it for sure wasn’t Brooks. It belonged to a man. Don’t do it, he said.

  I glanced over at another skyscraper. It was even taller than where we stood, and its windows shimmered, reflecting the full moon. In an instant the building melted, to be replaced by a pyramid with steps on the sides leading to a platform on the top. The image was blurry, barely visible. On the platform stood a tall dark-haired man in a black trench coat, but he was so far away I couldn’t see any details on his face.

  I walked to the edge of the roof to get a better look.

  Ah-Puch followed, his eyes trailing my gaze. I could tell he couldn’t see what I could, because he turned to me, unfazed, and asked, “Do I have your pledge?”

  The man on the pyramid shook his head. Then the image vanished.

  Who was that? I wondered briefly, but I had more pressing things on my mind.

  I swallowed the lump in my throat and looked Ah-Puch in the eyes. It was loco to make a deal with the god of death and darkness. But what choice did I have? “You promise you’ll save them, Brooks and Rosie?”

  Spears of lightning stabbed the sky.

  He nodded.

  “Okay.”

  Ah-Puch adjusted his shirt cuffs. “It’s not that simple, my friend. You must say the words to bind yourself to me.”

  A sudden wind raced across the roof, so fast and violent it caused the pool water to splash over the sides.

  “I, Zane Obispo…” Ah-Puch shouted.

  “I, Zane Obispo…”

  The sky split open and rain poured down on us.

  “Finish it!” Ah-Puch commanded.

  Wiping the rain out of my eyes, I hollered over the storm, “I pledge myself to Ah-Puch and Xib’alb’a as a soldier of death.”

  Ah-Puch tilted his head back and opened his arms wide. “It is done, old friend, and now he’s mine!” Then he smiled, lifted me by my collar, and dangled me over the side of the building.

  “Hey!” I squirmed and kicked. “We had a deal!”

  “Of course,” he said. Then he let go.

  15

  I tumbled through the air in slow motion, so slow I could see myself in the skyscraper’s glass exterior. Then my reflection vanished and instead I saw an image of my mom repeated in every window.

  She was walking on the shore of a forest lake with a tall dark-haired man. They held hands, laughing like a couple of kids. Then they skipped stones. It was kind of embarrassing to watch.

  I’d figured it out by now—the guy was my dad. It was the same man who’d been on top of the pyramid, warning me not to give in to Ah-Puch. And he looked normal, not like a demon runner or monster or anyone I wouldn’t want to be related to. At least not on the outside. They sat near a fire under the stars. I was so lost in the image, I stopped thinking about the skull-busting cement I was plummeting toward. It was as if this vision of my parents was a net that could save me.

  The man put his arm around my mom and whispered in her ear, but I couldn’t hear what he said. All I know is my mom’s face lit up… and in the same instant he was gone, vanished like a puff of smoke.

  “Mom!” I called out.

  She was there in every window, but she couldn’t see me. The world sped up again. I was in free fall. Ah-Puch’s words echoed in my ears: It is done, old friend, and now he’s mine!

  As the ground rose up to meet me, I felt someone shaking me.

  “Zane! Wake up!”

  Brooks!

  I opened my eyes. It was night and I was back in my room, flat out on my bed. Brooks hovered over me. Did I mention her eyes change from amber to chocolate brown when she’s scared?

  “It’s about time!” Brooks socked me in the arm. “How can you sleep at a time like this?”

  I couldn’t help it—I smiled. “Great to see you, too.”

  She blew a long piece of hair out of her face, clearly annoyed. “How’d we get here? What happened?”

  I swear I could’ve barreled into her and hugged her to death. Okay, bad choice of words, but you wouldn’t believe how happy I was to see her breathing. “You don’t remember?” I sat up, patting my dry chest and legs to make sure nothing was broken.

  “I… I remember you pulling me through the water and…” Her mind was turning. “The eclipse…” She turned back to me with terrified eyes and whispered, “You let him out.”

  I couldn’t lie. “I didn’t have a choice. I had to save you and—”

  Rosie! I jumped up and rushed out to the living room. “Rosie? Come out, girl!” I frantically checked everywhere—under beds, in cabinets, behind the TV. Where was she? Ah-Puch had promised!

  “Zane!” Brooks was right behind me. “What’s wrong with you?”

  “Rosie?”

  I raced outside, whistling for her, but she was nowhere to be seen. “Rosie!”

  Nothing but silence answered me. Heat clawed its way through my chest. “WE HAD A DEAL!” I shouted to the moonlit sky, as if Ah-Puch could hear me.

  Brooks placed her hand on my shoulder. “Zane?”

  I was borderline hysterical. Maybe it was like post-traumatic stress disorder, that moment when the reality of everything hit me. And I wasn’t built for the impact. How could I have been so stupid? But why would Ah-Puch give me back one and not the other?

  “Because he’s a twisted, bitter god who can’t be trusted,” Brooks whispered. Her hands flew to her mouth. “Holy K! I heard your thoughts.”

  “Whoa!” I jumped back. This had happened before, when we were in the pool, but I thought that had been a fluke. I did not want her in my head. It was wrong on so many levels.

  “Can you hear mine?” she asked.

  “No.”

  “How about now?” She took my hand in hers. I’m thinking you’re the biggest idiot on the planet to make a deal with Ah-Puch!

  I jerked my hand free. “How’d you do that?”

  Brooks blinked fast. “It must happen when we’re touching.” She paced nervously. Then she froze and her gaze met mine. “Holy K! I know what your dad is.”
>
  “If it’s something bad, don’t tell me!” I clapped my hands over my ears.

  “It’s not a demon.”

  I lowered my hands. “Yeah, I kinda figured that,” I said, thinking of the man in the vision of my mom. “Is it a magician?”

  “No.”

  “Okay.” I braced myself. “Then what am I?”

  She stared at me, scanning my face, my neck, my chest.

  “Tell me!”

  “It’s not possible.”

  “Brooks!”

  “You’re part god.”

  I almost laughed. Me? Part god? The desert tilted and I felt light-headed. Maybe her brain had gotten fried when she was knocked out. There was a higher chance of that being true than of me equaling one-half god! “No way!”

  “Only gods can do telepathy.”

  My knees buckled and I stumbled. She caught me by the elbow.

  “Are… are you sure?” I asked.

  “A thousand percent. You, Zane Obispo, are the son of a Maya god.”

  Holy smokes. That sounded kind of…cool.

  “Which one?” I asked. “Please don’t say some evil guy like Puke.”

  “I have no idea, but I get it now. No wonder you had the ability to release Ah-Puch. I mean, the prophecy was clear: a powerful innocent with ancient blood.”

  I wasn’t following.

  “Think about it,” she said excitedly. I could see her mind churning as she paced. “The gods put him away, so maybe that meant only a god could let him out.”

  “Whoa! You never mentioned that before.”

  “I didn’t figure it out until just now. I was so focused on the ‘powerful innocent’ part, I didn’t go any further. Plus, a god is never innocent, so it wouldn’t have made sense.” She shook her head. “The gods probably thought their plan was foolproof, because they all hate Ah-Puch. None of them would ever set him free.”

  Okay, so Brooks’s logic sort of made sense. It wasn’t all that different from middle school, where the cool kids band together against someone they can’t stand.

  She took a deep, shaky breath. “They didn’t count on you coming along.”

  (Did you hear that, gods? You got duped!)