Mayan Blood (12 page)

Chapter Twelve

Zanya

When Zanya walked into the kitchen, Tara was already there, pouring a cup of coffee. Jayden sat at the table. It was the first time she had seen him since that night in the study. She couldn’t even manage a hello.

Zanya hip-bumped Tara. “Hey, coffee is only for upperclassmen.”

Tara dropped her cup to the floor, splashing caramel-colored liquid around her feet. “Zanya!” She threw her arms around Zanya's neck.

Jayden winked at her and then pushed out of his chair before leaving the kitchen. For once he left well enough alone.

“Hey,” Zanya turned her attention back to her teary-eyed friend. “Pull yourself together. I really need a cup of coffee, and I think you spilled the last of it.”

Tara sniffled through a smile. “I’ll make some more.” She filled the pot with water. “How did you sleep? Any pain in your leg?”

“It’s the weirdest thing—I couldn’t feel my leg when I woke up. The tingling wore off, but now I’m a little sore.” Zanya touched the bandaged muscle. “But I slept fine…for the most part.”

“Fine as in—you didn’t have any nightmares? Or, you slept beside a hot Belizean guy, fine?” Zanya tried not to turn bright red, but judging from Tara’s grin, it was an epic fail. Tara set up the rest of the coffee pot and pressed brew. “I went to check on you this morning after I woke up. When you weren’t in the healing room, I found you guys on the couch.”

She didn’t want to worry Tara and tell her about her latest dream. There was no use.

The coffee pot gurgled, infusing the kitchen with an earthy aroma. “It’s done.” Zanya poured herself a mug. “Hey, where’s Peter? I want to thank him for healing me.”

“I’m not sure. I think he’s still asleep. I haven’t seen him yet this…” Her words trailed off as the ground trembled beneath her feet. Dishes in the cupboards rattled. A vase fell over and spilled water and freshly cut wildflowers onto the stone tiles.

Zanya grabbed Tara’s arm. “What’s going on?”

The ceiling rippled, sending dust clouds raining over them.

Arwan sprinted into the kitchen. “Get outside!” He flung open the door, letting Jayden and Renato run outside onto the beach. Zanya and Tara followed, then stood with Arwan, watching the home they had grown to love fall under attack.

It rocked back and forth like a massive earthquake had struck its foundation. Thick trails of churned soil ran along the coast, leaving the rest of the ground undisturbed.

Terracotta shingles slid off the roof and smashed into dozens of pieces around them. Hawa was beside them in a split second. She pointed down the beach. “Sarian’s here.”

Arwan’s fists tightened. “In person?”

Hawa nodded.

Arwan rested his hand on Zanya's shoulder. “Stay out here. I’ll be right back.” He ran inside as Zanya followed the rest of the group toward the jungle. There was no telling how long the house could stand under the attacks, and they couldn’t be anywhere nearby if it collapsed.

Arwan burst out of the door, glaive in his clenched hand. Sarian was closer. Zanya could now smell his bitter scent overtake the crisp, salty air. As tense moments ticked by, his thin figure grew closer until she could see the violet in his eyes.

Tara held onto Zanya's arm, her face paled to stark white. “Peter! Peter’s in the house!” She bolted onto the open beach.

Zanya gasped and reached out for her. “Tara. No! Get back here!”

Sarian’s attention shifted to Tara. He struck the ground and sent a small vibration that threw her to the sand.

Renato ran at Sarian from behind and swung his sword, aiming to kill. The blade cut through the air and came within a wisp of Sarian’s throat before a dark layer of light flashed. The weapon bounced back and Renato stumbled in the sand, the sword ringing from the defensive shield. Jayden rushed to his side.

Sarian sighed, both hands rested on the brass grip of his cane. “You see. That is exactly why I have never felt welcome around your kind. Thankfully, this time I came prepared for such poor hospitality.” He honed in on Zanya. “Young guardian, I knew you wouldn’t be far.”

Arwan stepped beside her, joined by Hawa.

“Leave her,” Renato ordered.

Sarian cupped his fingers around his chin. “You haven’t properly introduced me to your friends, young guardian, although it seems one of them needs no introduction at all.” He bowed to Arwan with his cold eyes trained on him. “It’s been quite some time.”

Arwan’s features were as hard as stone.

Sarian shifted his attention to Tara, lying in the sand. “And she must be—ahhh, yes, your friend. I’ve met her in your dreams. I’m sure you remember. I was the one slicing her throat while you screamed her name, always arriving just moments too late to save her.”

Arwan stepped forward, placing himself in front of Zanya.

A deep groan rumbled through the air, making the hairs on her arms stand on edge.

Zanya heard it, felt it, deep in her bones. It must have come from Sarian, but she couldn’t be sure.

One thing was for certain, he had something up his sleeve or he wouldn’t be there. All she could do was swallow the fear bubbling in her chest and try to appear brave.

Sarian laughed, though it sounded more like a hiss. “Poor boy. He thinks he can defend you. He has always played the martyr. Ahh, to be young and in love again.” His eyes darkened with magic. He swung his cane, projecting a dark cloud at Zanya. She threw her hands out to shield herself, and when nothing happened, opened her eyes to see the mass floating in front of her.

Power flickered on her fingertips. It built and spread into her hands, down her arms and to her chest.

Zanya slowly reached out and pressed her fingers against the wavering mass. It was cold and sick—a product of black magic. She peered through its transparent walls to the distorted image of Sarian on the other side.

The light in her chest flickered on. Instinct took over and she threw her hands out, striking the cloud as hard as she could. It projected through the air and struck Sarian to the ground with enough force to send his body skidding along the sand. When he scrambled to his feet, his face was red and his mouth tight.

“You will regret that.” His gaze flickered to Tara with a calculating grin. With a wave of his hand, Tara’s body was dragged across the sand by some invisible force. He grabbed her by her arm and yanked her up.

“No!” Zanya lunged toward Tara, followed by Jayden, who attacked from behind, but Sarian’s shield expanded and encompassed both him and Tara. It flashed deep violet with every pound of Zanya's fists and Jayden’s blows.

She fell to her knees. “Let her go!”

“The time for dreams is over now, guardian.” His eyes narrowed. “Here is where the real fun begins.” He hit the ground with his cane, and with a burst of violet light, they vanished.

Zanya pounded her fists on the sand. “Tara! Where did he take her?” She raked her fingers over the ground where they stood. “Where are they?” She stared desperately up at Jayden, then at Arwan. “We have to get her back! Why are you just standing there?” She stood, sand sticking to her hands and knees. “What the hell’s wrong with you? Why aren’t you doing anything? We have to get her back!” Arwan and Renato didn’t even try to rescue her.

With a solemn expression, Renato rested his hand on her shoulder. “There was nothing we could do, Zanya. His shield is impenetrable.”

Her chest ached with agonizing images of what Tara would soon endure. And she would know, after so many nights spent with that sadistic monster. It was the one thing she kept hidden—how terrible it really was.

Arwan walked to her side. “We will get her back.”

If anyone could help, it was him. Even if he didn’t really care about her at all, he wouldn’t let her best friend die. She was innocent, and the little she knew about Arwan assured her he was better than that. “You. You can go back. You can take us back before he took her. We can save her.”

Arwan and Renato held each other’s gaze, as if they knew something she didn’t. As if neither of them were willing to go after Tara. “No!” Zanya jabbed her finger in the air. “You have to take us back. She’s my best friend. If Sarian kills her…” She couldn’t finish the sentence aloud, but if he killed Tara, he may as well kill her, too. Zanya curled her fingers around Arwan’s cotton T-shirt. “Please.” The single word came out in a trembling whisper.

Arwan wrapped his arms around her and pulled her to his chest. He hovered his lips beside her ear. “Hold your breath.”

Renato leaped forward. “No!”

She did as Arwan said before Renato could stop them. The air churned and ripples formed around them until the beach became distorted and the clear matter pressed on their bodies. It was as if she had jumped into a sinkhole. The immense pressure made the smallest movement difficult, and breathing impossible.

As quickly as the ripples formed, they vanished. Zanya stood beside Arwan on the beach while the house swayed, under attack. Zanya's eyes grew wide. Had they just jumped through time? There was a tiny part of her that still didn’t believe it was possible.

Hawa arrived and pointed down the coast, just as she had done before. “Sarian’s here.”

Zanya searched around them, but Tara was nowhere to be seen. “Where is she?” The bronze tone of Arwan’s skin had paled, sweat trickling down his forehead. “Arwan, what’s happening?”

“I can’t explain it.” He peered down the coast at Sarian’s approach. “We’ve gone back. She should be here.”

Something was terribly wrong.

Sarian walked with a purpose, showing no interest in Renato or the continued attack on the house. “Did you really think that little trick would work?” Sarian said. “Or perhaps you forgot who you’re dealing with.”

Zanya walked toward him, but Arwan reached out, stopping her after just a few paces. “Where is she?”

Sarian studied her with a slight grin. “I didn’t expect such boldness from you. I assumed you took after your mother, a cowardly
whore
.” His gaze flashed to Arwan. “Well, perhaps you do take after her in some ways.”

A deep cooling sensation spread through Zanya's veins and the light in her chest burst to life. A typhoon of inner power crashed through her senses. It was even stronger than before, and she’d take what she could get—especially now. Zanya balled her fists. “My mother was no such thing.”

“You should learn how to speak with respect.”

Zanya's skin burned as if it was on fire.

“Zanya.” Jayden touched her shoulder and quickly recoiled, sucking in a sharp breath through his teeth.

She raised her hands to see a storm of electrical currents flickering over her body. She looked over Sarian’s shoulder at Renato, who lowered his sword and stepped back.

Zanya examined her hands as the bright current sparked between her fingers. She looked Sarian in the eyes. “You will return my friend. Unharmed.”

Sarian held up a limp piece of flesh with locks of blood-soaked curls hanging from his fingers. “Consider that the price for destroying my minion.” He tossed the piece of scalp to the sand. “Next, it will be her head.” He struck the earth with his cane and disappeared in a blast of light.

Chapter Thirteen

Zanya stared down at the tangled mess of flesh covered in blood and sand. Stomach acid rose in her throat. That couldn’t belong to Tara. Red curls shimmered under the sun. She cupped her hand over her mouth and turned away. Good God, it was hers.

Renato draped his arm over her shoulder. “Let’s go inside.” He lead her away. “Our home is still standing. That much we can be thankful for. We will get Tara back. I give you my word.”

Slowly, they reentered the house, stepping over splintered wood and shattered glass. As they walked through the kitchen, broken dishes lay scattered on the floor. The grandfather clock in the foyer had fallen, its weights and chains spilled out onto the hardwood.

“Where’s Marzena?” Hawa asked.

“She left last night. It’s of no consequence. She wouldn’t have been able to help.”

Hawa scoffed. “Maybe she could have kept her little friend from running—” She froze and her eyes widened with a gasped. “Peter!” She disappeared from sight in a streak of color. Zanya dashed to keep up with the rest of the group as they flooded into the west wing.

When she burst through the door, Hawa shouted from the upper floor. “He’s up here. I need help!” She followed Renato up the stairs into Peter’s bedroom to find Hawa yanking on the solid wooden beam with all her might. The color of her face morphed into brighter shades of red as she strained under the immense effort.

The beam was as long as the room, thick, and unbelievably heavy. Renato wrapped a single hand around the wooden slab, and in one mighty heave, lifted it off Peter, allowing Arwan and Jayden to drag him out. Hawa screamed frantically, running her hands over his contorted frame.

“No, Peter, wake up.” Her trembling hands hovering over his chest. “You have to wake up.”

Renato carried their wounded friend to the healing room. Zanya clung to Arwan’s arm, waiting to see if any life still lingered in Peter’s limp body. Peter may not have been her favorite person, but she didn’t want him to die. And with Tara gone, Zanya would give almost anything to take back all the times she’d been so cold and crass. She’d never forgive herself if he didn’t get through this.

Renato laid Peter on the healing bed and tore open his shirt to expose his chest—black, blue, and sunken in from the impact and weight. Bruises formed in front of Zanya's eyes as more blood pooled under his skin.

Jayden winced.

Zanya turned away. Arwan placed his steady hand on her back. The room was deathly quiet.

Hawa sobbed in the corner, falling to pieces. It wasn’t right. She may have been a lot of things, but nobody should watch someone they care about take their final breaths.

Zanya walked to Hawa’s side and took her by the shoulders, turning her away from Peter. “You don’t want to see him like this.”

Hawa’s lips quivered. “He can’t die.” Her voice was broken and cracked. “I love him. He can’t die.”

Zanya's heart ached. Arwan did say Hawa and Peter once dated, but with the girl’s fierce façade, Zanya didn’t peg her as the girlfriend type. Maybe that was why they broke up. Maybe it was something more. Either way, the girl was always so tough, so unreadable. Now, she was broken and sobbing for just one more day. “He’s not going to die. Renato will help him. He’ll be fine.” Zanya spoke with the best sure and steady tone she could, hoping it would mask her uncertainty.

It all made sense—the nasty remarks, the sharp tones, and the I-don’t-give-a-shit attitude. The girl may have not been warm, but she could love, and she loved Peter. More than anyone understood. Jayden took Hawa’s hand and led her toward the exit. He glanced over his shoulder, and in that moment, Zanya couldn’t refuse to acknowledge him. She smiled softly and nodded.

Once they were out of the room, she returned to Arwan’s side, and watched in horror while Renato began to administer CPR.

Renato’s mouth contorted with desperation as he pumped Peter’s chest, pausing only to take his pulse. “Come on, Peter, breathe. Breathe, damn it!” He continued to pound his chest, then pushed several breaths into his lungs. Renato stopped to listen for a heartbeat.

The room fell silent.

So silent.

Zanya cringed when Hawa’s frantic scream echoed through the halls, followed by Jayden’s hushed voice, offering what little comfort he could.

***

There was no laughter, no joking, and no storytelling. They simply sat in the kitchen, each lost in their own thoughts. The rooms seemed colder, less joyful, and less inviting. It was as if the house itself was heartbroken that Tara was gone.

Renato called Marzena home. He insisted she was the most qualified to find Tara after Jayden’s efforts had failed. It took her three days to get back. They were the longest three days of Zanya's life.

When Marzena entered the kitchen, everyone paused. She stood, motionless and brilliant as always, but with a sadness lingering behind her emerald eyes. “I cannot locate Tara. I see only darkness and static.”

“Same for me when I seek her,” Jayden said. “Sarian too. It’s like they’re…nowhere.” He slumped down in a bar chair. It wasn’t often he was so gloomy. Jayden usually took things with a grain of salt. That, or he was strong enough to hide emotion—good, bad or indifferent.

Renato patted Jayden on the shoulder. “You see, you could have done nothing more than you already have.”

“Wherever he is keeping her,” Marzena said, “he has made sure we cannot locate her with our abilities.”

“We have to find her.” Zanya slammed her fist on the table. “We were so close to losing Peter, and I won’t just give up and leave her to die.” She would do whatever it took.
Whatever
it took.

Renato now paced her. “We will find another way.”

None of them could possibly know how important Tara was to her. She wasn’t just Zanya's friend. Tara was her sister, her other half. The idea of losing her forever was more than she could bear.

Jayden rested his hand over hers. “We’ll find her. I’ll keep working at it. She’s my friend too.”

He was right. Spy or not, he’d spent years in that orphanage, just like they had.

Jayden looked at Arwan, who narrowed his eyes at Jay’s hand over hers. Jayden grinned. “What’s the matter, Arnie? Do I intimidate you?”

Arwan scoffed. “Nobody intimidates me.”

Were they seriously fighting at a time like this? “First of all.” Zanya pulled her hand from under Jayden’s. “I’m still pissed at you. Second, I just lost my best friend. I haven’t been able to eat, sleep, or even think coherently. I don’t know where she is, or if she’s even alive.” She pushed out of her chair. “There are bigger things to worry about right now than you two measuring your egos.”

Zanya walked out of the kitchen, and somehow ended up in the music room. She slid down the wall and wrapped her arms around her knees.

There were times she had to be strong. Then there were the times she was by herself and allowed her emotions to break through. So, surrounded by instruments, with a melody swaying in her mind, she broke down, counting all of the
what ifs
.

What if she grew up knowing of her role in this world?

What if she had never met Tara and put her in so much danger?

What if she were better…stronger…a leader, like Renato was so sure she was.

Zanya searched for the beautiful, mahogany violin, finding it rested on a silk pillow in its case. She lifted it out, running her fingers over its sleek, curvy lines.

She reached for the bow and rested it against the strings. With a single pass, a note stretched into the air. She smiled softly. The bow glided over the strings like ball bearings over marble. Flawlessly.

She tucked the chin rest under her chin and drew in a deep breath. With her fingers pressed over the strings, she pulled the bow across the violin, playing the Romance movement of
The Gadfly Suite
—her favorite movement.

The familiarity of the notes filled the void in her chest, allowing her to breathe. The bow and violin danced in a ballet of suffering and beauty, caressing each other like lovers. They conjured a magic she couldn’t explain. A healing power, maybe. Healing for her heart.

The wooden floor creaked. Zanya opened her eyes and stopped playing.

Jayden leaned against the doorframe.

He crossed the room, his shoulders moving with every stride. The same shoulders she’d cried on, leaned on, depended on. It was the first moment they’d been alone together since he came back. The pain of betrayal stabbed at her.

“You’ve always played so beautifully.” The familiar tone of his voice carried such tenderness. He lifted the violin out of her hands and set it aside. “I was never very good.”

She returned the bow to its case, brushing her fingers over the horsetail and cherry wood one last time. “You were actually pretty terrible.”

Jayden took her hands and turned her palms to the sky. He brushed his thumbs over the creases. Some were scars, others were natural folds of her skin. “You have the hands of a violinist; long fingers and strong wrists. You’ve gotten even better since…”

She wanted to forgive him and put this all behind her, but it wasn’t that easy. Did he think he could put her through hell, then pop back up out of nowhere and not face the consequences? “Go ahead. Say it.” She yanked her hands out of his. “Since you left. Since you vanished, more like it.”

He locked eyes with her. It was so much like him, to not be afraid of anything—even her reaction to his pathetic excuses. Because whatever he had to say wouldn’t be enough.

“I argued with Renato for days to let me stay, but he said it would be safer and easier for you once I was gone. I’ve watched over you. I never forgot…I never forgot about us.” He leaned in to kiss her.

She pushed him back with a scoff. “Are you kidding me? You think you can just come back and make it all right with a kiss? Do I look like some Disney princess in need of being rescued?”

“I know you’re angry, but we’re right for each other. We always have been.”

As heavy as Zanya's heart was, in that moment it somehow became even heavier. “In all the years that we’ve been friends, did I ever hurt you?”

He dropped his gaze and exhaled. “No.”

“You meant more to me than anything. You and Tara were all I had.” Her voice hitched in her throat.

He glided his fingers up her arm. Zanya jerked back. They stood together in silence for a stretched, tense moment before he spoke. “The last time we saw each other…do you remember?”

Zanya didn’t respond, the memory too harsh to recall.

“That night, standing in the cafeteria…” He smirked. “It was all we had. Just our dorm rooms, the hallways, and the gardens, but only during the day. So we went to the cafeteria—”

“You broke in, is more like it.”

He chuckled. “Yeah. You were scared we’d get caught.”

“And we did. I got like twenty hours of psych time for that.”

His smile widened. “But it was worth it.” His crystal blue eyes met hers. “That was the night I was sure you were the guardian. You gave yourself away. The energy built inside you. The light wasn’t there, but the cold that rushed over your skin was enough. When I kissed you…” He leaned in closer. “That’s when it happened. That’s when I knew you loved me. That we belonged together.”

How dare he drag her through this again? She glared. “You knew how much I cared about you and you left anyway. When you said you loved me that night…” Her gaze softened. “Did you even mean it?”

“I meant it, Zanya. I loved you. I still do.”

She winced at his words and stepped back. “I don’t know what you want from me. You’ve been gone for over six months. All I know is that I have to find a way to get Tara back. Nothing else matters right now.”

He nodded, his mouth turned down in a tight-lipped frown. He shoved his hands in his pockets, which immediately reminded her of Peter. Another streak of pain shot through her.

She walked toward the exit. “I’m going to see how Peter’s doing.” She paused at the door. “I’m sure he’s bored all alone in his room.”