Shara

Wrapped in blankets from the emergency stash in the Jeep, Rik and I rode back to the house with Mayte and Tepeyollotl. She drove, and he bounced Xochitl on his lap. Now that she was safe, she recovered quickly, eagerly telling her parents about what had happened from her perspective.

I’d tried to convince Tlacel to ride with us, but he’d insisted he was healed enough to fly back with Mehen and Nevarre. He’d torn himself up to keep us from sliding through the portal. Broken bones, shredded muscles, bruised and bleeding organs. I kept a careful touch on his bond, watching for any difficulty or lingering pain, in case he needed another round of healing.

I leaned forward and whispered to Mayte, “When will she be able to call her own Blood? She needs more protection.”

“It varies greatly,” she whispered back. “The more powerful a queen, the earlier her Blood are called, generally speaking. But it depends on many other factors, too. The nest nurtures her power and helps it come in quicker, which will draw Blood to her sooner, but she may not call any until she’s past puberty or even in her early twenties, as you did.”

She glanced at the man beside her and switched to our bond. :I always assumed he’d be enough to protect her from anything, but his powers are limited, too. I never dreamed something would swoop down from the sky and carry her away. I wish I called more than jaguars.:

:You helped call my flying jaguar,: I reminded her. :Intent is everything. She mentioned a ceremony tonight. Maybe you should try sending out a call for another winged jaguar for an extra layer of protection in the sky.:

:Yes. I’m stronger now, thanks to you, my queen. I have the capacity to call another couple of Blood that can help us protect her until she has her own.:

Xochitl turned to her mother, her eyes bright. “Mama, what do you call a flying horse?”

“There was a horse named Pegasus who could fly.”

“Then I’m going to call unicorns that fly like Pegasus. I want Blood who can fly so they can stab any mean bird that tries to get me again with their shiny horns.”

Mayte smiled, though I felt the wrench in her bond. A mother’s fervent wish that her daughter not grow up too quickly. That she never be in such danger ever again, even though she knew pain and fear and disappointment were inevitable.

Goddess, let her have a great deal of unwavering love in her life, too.

“That sounds like a great plan, sweetie.”

I felt the tingle as we passed through the nest, but this time, the energy felt more like a buzzing hive of angry bees. Mayte drove up to the back of the house where a knot of people waited for us. They parted as she parked the Jeep, revealing the consiliarius on her knees. Blood trickled from her mouth and nostrils, her eyes wide and flashing white. She tried to stand as Mayte got out of the Jeep, but flopped and jerked helplessly, unable to rise. Something popped loudly, and her mouth twisted with a grimace of pain.

Mayte’s spell was not something to fuck with.

“My heart, please take Xochitl to get something to eat.”

Tepeyollotl gave their daughter a playful toss, artfully distracting her from the scene unfolding. “What do you think unicorns eat, butterfly? We should ask Sarah to make some special dishes, so they come to your call quickly.”

“Cake!” She squealed with laughter as they headed for the kitchens. “They eat cake, Papa.”

Gina came to my side as I got out of the Jeep, and her eyes were tight with concern. “What happened? One minute we were talking, and the next she let out a horrible cry, fell to her knees, and started crying and begging for help as she crawled out here. I tried to help but…” She shook her head.

“My most trusted confidant,” Mayte said in a flat, hard voice. “My betrayer.”

Gina sucked in a shaking breath. I took her hand firmly in mine to make sure she knew instantly that I didn’t doubt her in the slightest.

“My queen,” Bianca moaned with pain. “I didn’t know they’d use Xochitl. I swear. It was only supposed to be Isador.”

“You betrayed Zaniyah. You brought shame to our house by betraying our new queen to her greatest enemy, and then gave them our only Zaniyah heir. Why? Why would you do this?”

“I was trying to protect us! Protect you! I thought she would take everything, and if I could get rid of her first…” Bianca swallowed hard, blood dripping down her chin. Eyes wild, she turned to me for assistance. “Please, Great One, I had no idea—”

I quivered with rage. Great One. That was Isis’s name. Not mine. The sky darkened. Clouds boiled on the horizon and thunder rumbled. Lightning tore across the sky, opening it up for a deluge of rain that hammered the crowd, drenching us all. But Isis’s rage could not be cooled by rain.

Bianca found her pride and stiffened her spine, raising her voice to be heard over the storm. “You’re unharmed. Xochitl is fine. Besides, you can always have another heir. I was trying to save us all.”

“You would damn a child to Ra’s hell to save your own skin.” My voice echoed with Isis’s thunder. Wind whipped across the plaza, overturning tables, chairs, and even a few potted plants. “There can be no forgiveness for worms like you.”

“There will be no Fire Ceremony tonight.” Mayte didn’t sound like herself any longer. As I gazed at her, I saw a different shape overlaid on her familiar features, like a blurred photograph of someone caught in motion, or old-fashioned double-exposed film. Her goddess hovered over her, long black hair waving around her down to her knees.

No. That wasn’t hair. They were snakes. They hung around her legs, almost like a skirt.

“Perhaps in sacrifice, this worm can find some way to atone for her sins,” Mayte said.

Bianca’s bravado faded quickly. “No, please. We don’t sacrifice any longer.”

Staring at Coatlicue’s avatar and heir to Her power, I felt certainty shifting inside me. Sacrifice was needed. A great deal of blood. But not all of that blood had to be shed in retribution. I wouldn’t interfere with what Mayte needed to do…

But I had a brutal, bloody task to accomplish, too.

The pressure inside me rose, dragging my head to the side. My gaze collided with Itztli’s and I remembered the obsidian blade he’d shown me last night. As soon as I thought of it, he strode forward and knelt in the mud before me to lay the blade on the ground at my feet.

“My queen. Use me as your blade. I’m yours.”