Shadow Visions: Shadow Warriors, Book 2 (14 page)

She jumped back out of reach of the deadly spray. The fire leaped onto the flammable liquid and made a line directly between her legs. He grabbed the canister again to take another swig. This was her chance. She focused her energy and siphoned it down the shaft of the wind stick. Ixa swung the wind stick high into the air and swirled it around, gathering the wind to her. As she’d hoped, Galante ignored the danger, too caught up in his quest to defeat her. He spewed another round of gasoline in her direction. She vacuumed up the chemical brew into her vortex. She reversed her power and flung the gasoline-filled air back at him, coating him in the toxic liquid. The droplets burst into flames, licking their way up his body. Galante whirled and smacked at his clothes. His hands on fire, he wailed and took off running, intent on escape. He screamed a high-pitched squeal that hurt her ears. Before her eyes, the flames consumed him in a fiery ball.

Ixa couldn’t bear to watch. She blew her breath across the top of the wind stick. Air snuffed the blaze out, but it was too late for Galante. He fell to the ground in a heap of charred flesh and bones.

Ixa didn’t have time to contemplate what she’d done.

Shadows jumped along the walls. Flames licked greedily in every direction. Smoke threatened to choke her. Already her eyes were tearing and her chest felt tight with each breath.

“Ixa!” She heard Manuel calling her name. She listened for him. His shouts were coming from the left. There, over in the corner, a section of wall had come free. He stood with his hand outstretched. “The shield is down. Hurry!” he shouted. She waved the wind stick and blew the flames away as she ran toward him.

He grabbed on to her and pulled her through the cracked wall and straight into his arms.

Chapter Ten

Reluctantly, Ixa disengaged from Manuel’s embrace. Too much remained to be done. Smoke curled up from the blackened house behind them. The entire neighborhood looked like a war zone with cars turned over, trees uprooted and roofs blown off. In the distance, sirens wailed from every direction.

Ixa spied her abuelo on the ground and cried out. “He needs a doctor.”

Manuel caught her chin in his hand and forced her to meet his gaze. “Ixa, there is nothing they can do.”

“What about you? Can’t you do something?”

“He was stabbed with an obsidian knife, one steeped in dark magic. It is impossible to counter such a deadly wound. I’m sorry, nohuitzil.”

She shook her head. “No, I won’t believe that,” she choked out. “We have to at least try.” She pulled from his grasp and stumbled over to his supine form.

Gently, she brushed at the dirt sticking to his cheek, aware of his too-pale face and the blood that soaked his chest. Tears pooled in her eyes. “Abuelo,” she whispered.

His eyelids slowly blinked open. “Mi brisita.” His tongue touched his chapped lips. “You make me very proud. You are a fine guardian for our people. My wish has been fulfilled.”

“Don’t say that. Don’t talk like you’re leaving me. You can’t. I need you. Please, you must stay.”

Her abuelo’s lids half closed and his breath grew shallower with each second. “I would have passed on sooner, but you were not ready. I asked the gods for more time with you. Now you are able to stand on your own. You have great power. Use it wisely, my child.” He coughed and blood bubbled at his lips.

“Don’t go,” she repeated. “I need you.” Tears fell freely down her cheeks. Her heart hurt from the pain flooding her. She gathered his limp form to her, cradling him as he so often had cradled her as a little girl. She lifted her head up to the sky and screamed, “Save him for me. You can make him whole. I beg you to save him!”

Air spun and swirled in front of her until it formed a shape and Ehecatl, the wind god, appeared. He was the spitting image of her abuelo as a young man. She felt her abuelo’s body shudder and slacken.

She looked up at the god—her great-grandfather, if the legend was to be believed. “Please,” she whispered brokenly, “can’t you save him?”

“My great-granddaughter, you are a worthy guardian with the spirit of a warrior. You have served your people proudly today.” His face softened and his eyes showed compassion. “Your grandfather, my son, led a full life. He followed the path before him with honor. It is time to let him go.”

“But…but…” She hugged her abuelo closer as if that would prevent him from leaving.

“He will never be far from you, Ixa. Look, child, look.”

Ixa raised her head, but with her eyes swimming with tears, everything seemed blurry. She wiped her face with her arm and stared at the wind god. Standing beside him, she saw her abuelo, in a semi-transparent form, floating slightly above the ground. In her arms, his body lay still.

“Abuelo, I don’t want you to go.”

“I am always with you, mi brisita. Look in your heart. You will always find me there.”

A tiny sparkle of light bobbed its way toward them. As it neared, it became a hummingbird. For a brief flash, Ixa saw her mother, her father and sister, all holding hands in a clear meadow. Her mother reached a hand out and her abuelo took it. He smiled at Ixa and the four of them were gone, the hummingbird winging away.

Ixa bowed her head and let grief wash over her. Why did the gods keep taking the people she loved? Why was she always left alone?

“Ixa, you are not alone,” the wind god reminded her with a nod in Manuel’s direction.

At first she didn’t understand—her brain and body felt numb, bashed and bruised from all that had taken place, and then his meaning sank in. She had Manuel if she could hang on to him. Carefully, she lay her abuelo back down on the sparse grass and climbed to her feet. She half ran, half staggered over to where Manuel sat on the ground, his body covered in dirt, grime, sweat and blood. She dropped to her knees before him and touched his face with her fingertips. He was real and alive.

He took her hand and placed a kiss in the center of her palm. “I am sorry for your loss, Ixa. I would have done anything to spare you grief.”

“I know that now. I should have trusted you from the beginning.” She bent her head and stared down at the ground. “I should have listened to Abuelo more and learned how to control my powers.”

He pulled her into his embrace and she relaxed against him, feeling safe and comforted. “We all have a path to follow. For some it is straight and smooth. For others it holds many curves and bumps. In the end, you became the warrior you have always been destined to be.”

“You mean the spirit mate I was destined to be,” she said with a soft smile.

“About that, Ixa—” His words were cut off as a blinding light forced both of them to cover their eyes.

When Ixa sensed the light had diminished to a comfortable level, she squinted to see who had joined them. A tall warrior with bronze skin strode toward them with confidence. Waves of power radiated from him. He carried a spear in one hand and a shield in another. He wore ancient Aztec dress and had feathers in his hair.

Ixa sucked in a breath and gasped. “Is that Huitzilopochtli?”

Manuel struggled to his feet. Ixa must have sensed he didn’t want her help, and for that he was grateful. He bowed low before his lord and master.

“You have both done well.” The Aztec sun god’s voice boomed over the area. He turned in a circle, seemingly surveying the destruction, when his gaze lit upon the wind god standing by the body of Ixa’s abuelo.

“Ehecatl, it has been too long.”

“Huitzilopochtli, it has indeed. Many moons ago, I chose to follow the winds. It is a decision I do not regret, for I met my beloved Mayahuel and together we produced children who will stand up and fight for us. I wish you to meet my great-granddaughter Ixa.”

“I have long known of Ixa’s existence. She bears my mark of a huitzil. The mark of a guardian.”

Beside him, Manuel sensed Ixa stiffen though she held her tongue. The two gods continued to speak as if he and Ixa were not present.

“It is time, Ehecatl, for you to return to the pantheon. A war is brewing. Some of the gods are not satisfied and wish a return to the old days when blood and war ruled the day. Already Itzapapotl divides the house and has stirred up much trouble. As you have experienced for yourself, her tzitzimime litter the land spreading their evil. We must not allow it. I ask you to help me prevent the chaos that would erupt on Earth should they succeed.”

The wind god gazed over at Ixa and nodded. “Yes, I believe it is time that I took my place. However, there is still the matter of Metztli. I have gathered all his bones in a vessel of my making, but it is too dangerous to keep it here on this plane of existence.”

“Do not worry,” Huitzilopochtli said in grim tones. “I will see that Metztli is sent to the nine worlds of
Mictlan
. He will feel comfortable in the netherworld, and I will see to it that he will think very carefully before trying such an act of rebellion ever again.” The words were said calmly but Manuel had no doubt that the sun god would exact punishment from the moon god.

“I believe that you will, but should Metztli not heed you, he will have me to deal with. Next time I won’t simply break him into pieces. I will destroy him.” He bent down and picked up his wind stick from the ground and directed his gaze upon Ixa. “You carry my blood, child. Should you ever need me, send word on the wind.” He pointed the wind stick at her. Her hand flew up to her cheek and she appeared startled. The wind god chuckled. He then looked down upon his grandson with pride and sadness. He raised the stick and swirled it. A wind kicked up and lifted Ixa’s abuelo off the ground. The air current flowed around the body, the power so strong that both Manuel and Ixa threw up their arms to protect their faces.

The wind died down suddenly. Manuel lowered his arm to see hundreds of multicolored butterflies take flight. Beside him, Ixa gasped.

“What happened to Abuelo?”

Ehecatl smiled kindly. “His remains will be scattered with the wind to return to earth, fulfilling the cycle of life.”

Ixa nodded and, in a whirl of wind, Ehecatl disappeared from sight.

Huitzilopochtli turned back to the two of them. “Manuel, you have successfully completed your mission. You are wounded. You must return to the home of the shadow warriors and heal. I feel the hunger of your eagle spirit. You must feed as well. Go.”

“No, wait.” Ixa took a step forward and halted. “Can’t he stay?”

“He is a shadow warrior, a soldier. It is his duty to return to his brothers. You, too, have a duty here on Earth to fight as a guardian. You will be tested in many ways in the years to come.”

Inside him, his eagle spirit beat its wings, ready to return to the netherworld and fill its belly. Tired and hurting, he could feel his body weakening, but he did not want to leave Ixa alone. The eagle screeched its protest. With the last of his reserves he tamped the spirit down and stood up tall and bold in front of Huitzilopochtli. “My lord,” Manuel said, “I ask a boon.”

“A boon?”

“Yes, I ask that you allow me to stay. As you say, we are at war. Ixa needs more training. I ask your permission to stay and teach her, to prepare her for the battles to come.”

“You would risk your soul for her?”

“What is he talking about? Manuel? Answer me.” Ixa reached out and grasped his wrist, shaking it. Manuel ignored her, keeping his attention focused on the sun god.

“I know what I risk. It is my choice. For my spirit mate, there is no sacrifice too great.”

“What does he mean?” Ixa demanded of the god.

“You are aware that a shadow warrior loses more and more of his humanity with each demon kill, until one day he becomes one with his animal spirit. Until and unless a shadow warrior finds his spirit mate, a woman willing to bind herself freely, soul to soul, then he is at risk of no longer remaining human. In Manuel’s case, should he stay with you, his eagle spirit will eventually take over.”

“It is my choice,” Manuel stubbornly repeated. He did not want to leave Ixa, and if these were his final days, he’d rather they take place in her company. She needed him. She still had so much to learn.

“How do I bind myself to him?”

“Ixa, no. You do not know what you are saying. You would be tied to your Aztec heritage forever with no escape.”

“I know exactly what I’m saying. All my life I’ve been on the outside, unable to fit in. My abilities scared me, so I tried to ignore them. But I’m not that frightened little girl anymore. I know who I am and what I want. I want you. In your arms, I feel whole. I feel like I belong. I can’t lose you too. I won’t lose you.” She faced Huitzilopochtli. “Whatever has to be done, do it.”

“You are impertinent, but you have spunk and courage. Ehecatl is right to be proud of you.” He raised his spear and shield. “Tell me once more why I should grant you this wish.”

Ixa looked over at him, love blazing from her eyes. Emotions welled up inside Manuel, nearly felling him with their weight. He had feared her choosing him out of obligation, but she wished this because her feelings matched his own.

“I do this,” she said in a loud, clear voice, “because I belong with my spirit mate, my partner in love, life and death.”

The air around her glowed and popped. Energy crackled. Manuel took a step back, pushed aside by a firm breeze. Ixa lifted off the ground, her mouth open in a perfect
O
. She spread her arms and feathers sprang out along them.