by Melissa Frey
“She knew marrying outside the Clan was forbidden, just as it is now, but she just did not care! Somehow she had grown up and was making all the wrong choices while I was busy trying to keep her my little sister.” Na-um’s voice almost cracked.
“Shani also knew the consequences of betrayal, of trying to marry someone outside the Clan. She begged me not to say anything, that she would leave as soon as she packed and never return. I left the room, thinking. How could I turn in my sister? Sentence her to disgrace and servitude for the remainder of her young life? I knew she loved that man—I could see it on her face—and that she would be happy with him. But how could I break the very laws I’d sworn to protect? I didn’t know what to do.”
Na-um paused, trying to decide how much he really wanted to tell Holun. This could get quite dangerous for him. “Shani never came back, and though the Elders questioned me, they decided to let everything remain as it was, thinking that perhaps Shani had just run away.” That wasn’t the whole truth. Holun didn’t need to know that Na-um had lied to the Elders to keep Shani’s secret.
“So . . .” Na-um watched as Holun put it together. “The Elders all got together to discuss Shani, didn’t they?”
Na-um nodded.
“Wow. They must’ve really been worried about her.”
Na-um smiled. “We all were. But they would not be happy if they ever found out the truth about her.” He gazed very pointedly at Holun, his smile fading.
Holun took the hint and nodded furiously. “Of course. I will take this secret to my grave.”
“Good.” Na-um slapped him on the back. “Now I need you to watch for anything out of the ordinary. Especially when it pertains to the Elders. I’m not sure what to tell you to look for . . . just watch for anything that might seem suspicious. Can you do that?”
Holun grinned. “Yes! That’s much easier than trying to keep an eye on the Americans. I can at least see the members of the Clan.”
Na-um smiled back, placing his hand on Holun’s shoulder. “Thanks. You’re doing a great job.”
Holun beamed.
“The Elders suggested we keep an eye on the other locations, in case they turn up there. I’m dispatching some small groups today. You and I will stay here, to keep watch.”
Holun nodded as they both turned and sprinted back toward the village.
CHAPTER 15
Kiss
Somewhere Near the Base of Denali
The four left the pitch blackness of the tunnel behind them and stepped out into the starlit night. Grady had already scouted out a good location for a campsite, for which Kayla was eternally grateful. She was tired, hungry, and her feet hurt. A little relaxation was definitely in order.
But she was too wired to sleep—they all were. After a leisurely snack—dinner was ages ago—they all gathered around the campfire Grady had just built to discuss what they’d found.
Justin posed the first question. “So what does this discovery mean? Who lived in that cave we just found?”
Kayla looked over at Mandy. She would be the one who could best answer that question. When she didn’t, Kayla interjected, glancing over at Justin before answering. “I’m not sure.” She eyed Mandy again, who was staring at the fire with her legs stretched out and her hands tucked between her thighs, before continuing. “But I may have an idea.”
At those words, Mandy’s head came up, her eyes meeting Kayla’s. She leaned forward, drawing her knees up toward her, and rested her elbows on her knees. “What?”
Kayla smiled. “I’ve found some interesting things in the stories we discovered at Lamanai.”
Now Justin leaned in. “Like what?”
Kayla smiled wider as she felt Grady move just a little bit closer to her, as if to lend his support. She took a deep breath, then told them more about the hieroglyphs in the cave and the stories they told of the four Old Ones who had special powers, going into greater detail than she’d had time to before. Then she took a deep breath. “That’s why I think that this is quite possibly the first of four books.”
Mandy’s jaw dropped. “Really? How is that?”
Kayla shrugged. “Well, those four Old Ones—they each had special abilities. They . . .” Kayla took a breath. Were the others really ready for this kind of crazy? “. . . they each had control over one of the four elements.”
“Wow,” Justin breathed.
“Yeah.”
Grady was smiling next to Kayla. “It’s pretty amazing.”
Kayla nodded, eyeing Mandy, who was once again silent and staring into the flames. Kayla would have expected her to be excited, or even scared, at Kayla’s revelation, but she seemed to have almost retreated into herself. Kayla was getting a little worried. “Mandy?”
Her friend raised her head ever so slowly. “So I have control over the air?”
Kayla didn’t quite know how to answer that. “Well, maybe not—or maybe not yet? I don’t know. The stories told of the four of them finding one book. Yet this book pertains to air exclusively—you all saw the symbol on the cover. That—plus the fact that the book was completely unreadable—leads me to believe that there are three more books for us to find. One pertaining to each of the other three elements.”
A silence fell over the group. Kayla couldn’t possibly begin to guess what they all were thinking. She knew it sounded crazy—it had sounded crazy in her head—but she knew in her heart that all of it was true.
“What was his name?” Mandy’s soft voice broke the silence.
“I’m sorry?” Kayla asked.
“The name of the guy who controlled air. What was his name?”
Kayla reached for her journal. “His name was Kukulcan. He could control the air, which meant he could control what it did to people. And, surprisingly, he could read minds.”
“What?” Mandy practically yelled. “How is that even possible?”
Kayla shook her head. “I’m not sure. But these accounts seem to be valid. And all the things I’ve seen, heard, and read in the past few weeks have only confirmed that.”
Kayla fell silent, letting her words sink in. She watched as the expressions on her friends’ faces changed as all the pieces fell together.
Finally, Grady let out a low whistle. “Amazing.”
Mandy picked up the book they’d found—which had never left her sight since they’d found it—and clutched it to her chest. The glow of her skin was subtle, but still there. Kayla would’ve missed it if it had been any lighter out here. “What I felt today, the glowing, the vision . . . I think y'all are right. I already feel more . . . well, powerful, for lack of a better word.”
Kayla nodded. “There’s more.”
Justin’s mouth dropped open. “What more could there be after finding out that we might be getting superpowers?”
“Apparently the Old Ones didn’t age.”
Kayla watched silently as Mandy’s expression swiftly matched Justin’s. They stared at her and Grady, mouths open, frozen in place. Kayla had expected their reactions; she knew she would have to wait for her words to sink in. Grady caught her gaze and held it while Mandy and Justin just stared.
Justin characteristically found his voice first. “They didn’t age?”
Kayla shook her head. “Nope, not from what I’ve read, at least initially.” She took a breath. “The stories talk about how their loved ones died and they were powerless to stop it.”
Justin started shaking his head—slowly at first, then speeding up until it was shaking furiously. Mandy placed her hand on his forearm. “Justin, it’s okay. We’re going to be fine.”
“How can you say that?” He practically yelled. “We might get powers, sure, that’s cool and all, but we won’t age? How is that fine? Doesn’t that mean we will essentially no longer be human?”
Grady responded first. “I’m not so sure. The Old Ones seemed to lose their humanity, given the fact that they enslaved and tormented their own people. But I think, on some level, they were still human. They just
let their powers get the best of them.”
Kayla nodded. “Yeah, makes sense to me. The powers just made them a little more than human, able to do more than normal humans can. But still human, all the same.”
Mandy smiled whimsically, letting her eyes fall closed. Kayla was confused. “What is it, Mandy?”
Mandy opened her eyes, gazing around the fire at the rest of them. “I honestly believe we are going to be fine. When I stepped into that room, I instantly felt like . . . well, like I was home. Like this is exactly where I am meant to be. Something like Destiny, I’d imagine. This is what I was—what we all were—created for.”
Justin snorted. “Really? I doubt it. I’ve never been made for more than studying and camping. And given our current surroundings . . .” his arm swept a wide arc, indicating the surrounding foliage, “I think there may not be any hope for me at all.” He winked at Mandy, a smile turning up the corner of his lips.
Grady wasn’t so sure. How could all of this even be possible? He knew what Kayla had read, all the stories, and she’d told him everything she’d seen in her visions. Sure, all that stuff was weird, and unexplainable, especially the stories about the Old Ones. But who’s to say those stories weren’t just a figment of some ancient Mayan’s imagination?
But she was so sure. And she wouldn’t lie to him, right?
Grady realized then that something was holding him back from believing it—believing her—completely. Doubt? Perhaps, almost certainly. But maybe something else, something deeper . . .
He looked over at Kayla. The instant he met her eyes, he knew exactly what had been holding him back. He had been hurt before—just once had been enough—and he was afraid to let himself trust her. But in that moment, in the split second of time that seemed like an eternity, he felt his heart let go, and knew that he trusted her completely.
Amazingly, he knew that he believed her, too. Everything she’d said that didn’t make any sense to his logical brain became crystal clear to his heart. He knew he didn’t have to understand it—he just had to accept it. And, with the last of his walls crumbling to the ground, he was finally able to admit it to himself: he loved her, completely and undeniably. He’d always loved her, but only now did he see the blinders he’d been wearing all this time. It was only when they were removed that he noticed they’d been there at all.
Kayla reached for his hand, squeezing it. Grady returned her reassuring smile. He desperately wanted to tell her what his brain had just figured out, what his heart had known all along—that he was in love with her, more absolutely than he’d ever thought possible. But he couldn’t let himself hope that she felt the same way. Or could he?
Justin interrupted his thoughts. “So is that everything, Kayla?”
She hesitated. “Well . . .”
Grady gaped at her. “There’s more?”
She chuckled. “Just more for us to figure out. I’m not sure where we’re going next, just that there are more places to go. And what’s really weird . . .” She nodded at the book Mandy was still clutching in her hands. “I think the only way this one will make sense is with the other three. Maybe it’s some sort of code or cipher—where you need all of them together to read the entire message.”
Grady shook his head, grinning. “Of course. I can’t believe I didn’t see that before.”
The group fell silent and Grady stared into the fire, the warmth of Kayla’s hand still in his sending electricity through his body. He felt like a teenage boy. Keep your hormones in check.
Mandy’s voice spared his brain from going where that train of thought was headed. “Well, I think I’m finally tired. Anyone care if I get a few hours of sleep?”
Kayla rose, too, her hand sliding out of Grady’s as naturally as she’d reached for it. “I need to get some sleep, too. You boys okay out here by yourselves?”
Grady rolled his eyes playfully. “I think we’ll manage. Well, I will, at least,” he joked, glancing pointedly at Justin.
Because his eyes were momentarily on Justin, who was blissfully oblivious to both him and Kayla, Grady was completely taken aback when Kayla leaned down, pulling his face toward her with both hands and kissing him squarely on the lips. She didn’t linger, as much as Grady wanted her to. Instead, she straightened up with a quick “good night” then headed off to the tent.
Grady’s mouth was still half-open—he was sure of that—but he couldn’t help it. He was still reeling from her abrupt kiss, trying to figure out what it meant. Surely that wasn’t an I’ll-just-let-him-down-easy-by-telling-him-I-just-wanna-be-friends kiss, was it?
“Yeah, I knew it.”
Grady cringed. Of course Justin had seen the whole thing. “What?” He was never good at feigning innocence. Made him a terrible liar.
“You guys are together, aren’t you?”
Grady shook his head, whispering his response. “No.”
“But you wish you were?”
Grady hesitated, eyeing the nearby tent. “It’s really none of your business, Justin.”
Justin grinned widely. Grady wanted to smack it off his face. “I know. You guys are hilarious. She’s been acting the same way.”
Grady rolled his eyes. “Give it up, Justin. We work together.”
Justin chortled. “Yeah, like that matters. You know, I think she’s into you, too. Why else would she kiss you, and in front of me, no less?”
Grady fell silent. He wouldn’t give Justin any more reason to continue this conversation. Fortunately, Justin took the hint.
But his annoying friend’s claims had started him thinking. Did Kayla really feel the same way he did? He had taken her silence on the subject as rejection, or at least indecision. Did it mean something else? Was she really just as interested as he was?
Grady closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. The events of the day were finally catching up with him.
“Do you mind if I get some rest, too? It’s been a really long day.” He yawned, effectively emphasizing his words.
Justin shrugged. “No problem.” He reached down and picked up a hunk of wood. He pulled out a pocketknife and began whittling away at the piece of wood. “See? I’ll have a horse by morning.”
Grady chuckled then grabbed his sleeping bag. “Thanks. Wake me up if you get tired.”
Justin waved energetically. “No problem.” Then he gazed off into the distance, feigning wistful contemplation. “Maybe I’ll do a self-portrait.”
Grady stood, rolling his eyes again. He moved toward the tent then rolled out his sleeping bag in front of it. He was asleep within seconds.
Kayla slept uneasily that night, tossing around in her sleeping bag. She couldn’t shake the eerie feeling she had from what they’d found in the tunnel, and from the odd revelations she’d had this evening.
Yet she knew she was right, knew Mandy was right, knew they all were right. Maybe, just maybe, this was her destiny, to receive these powers. Or perhaps she was just in the right place at the right time, and the others had unwittingly gotten in the way.
No, she didn’t believe that. She had never believed in coincidence—she believed that everything happened for a reason. Everything was predetermined, everything happened on purpose—including this.
But that didn’t mean she wasn’t worried about it.
After only a few hours of restless sleep, Kayla woke with a start. Her body jolted upright without her permission, and her eyes widened. An all-too-familiar feeling swept through her—she knew what was coming.
As soon as the internal slideshow was finished she darted out of the tent, nearly stepping on Mandy in her haste. “Grady!” She hissed, scanning the campsite for him.
Grady rolled out of the way before she could trip over him. “Kayla,” he called, grabbing her hand as she rushed by, “I’m right here. What’s wrong?”
Kayla, yanked to a stop by Grady’s hand, spun and fell to the ground next to him, gasping.
Kayla could see he understood as soon as he saw her face; his n
ext words came out matter-of-factly. “You had another vision.”
Still trying to catch her breath, Kayla nodded furiously. “Yes. I know where we’re going next.”
CHAPTER 16
Attack
Mercenary Camp, Belize Rainforest
Na-um needed a plan. Oh, he’d sent contingency groups to all the locations, scouting platoons designed to keep watch, report back. So far, only the Northern Detachment had reported in with any news, and it hadn’t been good, but the Americans were still far from revealing the Secret.
He needed to do something, to show he was in control, but he didn’t know what to do. Killing the four Americans would be distasteful, and he was nearly certain he couldn’t stomach it, anyway. But he didn’t want to go to that extreme. Perhaps there was another way . . .
Then it came to him.
Kayla couldn’t go back to sleep—and apparently Grady couldn’t either. She hoped it was out of interest in her that he insisted on staying awake, but he still hadn’t mentioned the kiss, so she didn’t know what to think. Either way, it was sweet of him to keep her company.
Her brain was just too wired to sleep. She was starting to believe she might never sleep well again. Which seemed like an utterly exhausting proposition.
After several hours of unabashed flirting with Grady—she just couldn’t help herself—Justin and Mandy woke up, ready to go. The four hurriedly packed, eager to get back to civilization. Once they found their cleverly stashed SUV—Justin apparently had handy camouflage skills; Kayla could barely see the vehicle until they were right on top of it—they started back toward Fairbanks, and hopefully toward a long, hot shower and a soft, warm bed.
The trip back to Fairbanks was mercifully short. After showers and a leisurely lunch surrounded by a variety of luscious foliage in the hotel restaurant—complete with sweeping views of the mountain—the group set to making their travel arrangements before settling in for the night. As Kayla had suspected, their superiors at the university were ecstatic to learn of their discovery and offered them nearly unlimited access to their funds set aside for archeological digs and the like.
