“Other than the bat loser?” he said with a snarl. “I think that’s Ixkakaw, and the other one? Some minor god.”
“Louie will be happy,” Adrik said, then added, “The goddess of chocolate survived the trip.”
“This is terrible,” Pacific said, tightening her grip on the rope.
“Terrible is right.” Ah-Puch shook his head somberly. “First, I am a glorious death god, then a withered old man, and now this? What has the universe come to?”
“Probs destruction,” Adrik muttered.
“Guys,” Marco said, gesturing toward the World Tree, “shouldn’t we figure out our next play before the whole place goes up in smoke?”
“We need to crush Ixkik’,” Ah-Puch said. He waggled his thick eyebrows and added, “But I get dibs on the twins!”
Was that a zit on his chin?
Hondo harrumphed like the god of death was going to have to arm-wrestle him for the honors.
“No offense,” Marco said, “but you’re probably not going to crush anyone without your godly powers.”
Ah-Puch looked like he might lunge for the guy’s throat, but Ren patted his arm and he stood down.
She said, “The gods still have brilliant minds. They can help us strategize.”
“This is why you’re my favorite,” Ah-Puch said with a smile. “But I’d rather kill.”
Ren gave him a hard stare.
“They totally deserve it,” the god of death said defensively.
Pacific began to pace. “We will not win in open battle.”
I considered what moves we had left. I knew my friends would fight even if it meant losing, and I couldn’t let that happen. “Ixkik’ already knows we’re here,” I said.
“So what do you do when your enemy is waiting for you to make the next move?” Adrik asked.
Marco dragged a thumb over his jaw. “You make it.”
The sky darkened and the air trembled.
Everyone froze.
At the same moment, a familiar voice twisted up through the clouds, gentle and quiet like a slithering snake. “Welcome back to SHIHOM, Zane,” Ixkik’ said. “Did you really think you could hide from me?”
“We were hoping,” Adrik mumbled.
“My son Xb’alamkej is now king over all magic, over all the sobrenaturales,” Ixkik’ went on. “And he has a new queen.” She laughed lightly. “Finally, the mighty nawal is his bride, as it was always meant to be.”
Always meant to be? Just because some really bad matchmaker once put Jordan and Quinn together? Didn’t he remember that she joined a spy network just to get away from him?
Hondo sucked in a sharp breath. He looked like he might punch a second hole in the deck, but he just shook his head and whispered, “She’s lying.”
Ren patted his shoulder as my eyes darted around, searching for the source of the voice that seemed to be coming from all sides.
“We will have a new reign,” Ixkik’ went on. “A new era in which the ruthless gods will exist no more. You may choose to run or hide, but we will find you. Or you can meet my terms, and no one has to die.”
Everyone looked stricken. My throat closed up, making it hard to breathe. “We’ll never hide!” I shouted.
“She cannot hear you,” Pacific said. “Not here.”