Hondo was still wearing a huge smile. “You said daggerproof, right?”
“These garments are the sole property of the House of Itzel,” she explained. “Consider this a loan.” She gave a loud sniff. “And if anyone asks you where you got them, for the love of all that is couture, do not say I designed them. I would never live it down.”
* * *
After we all got dressed in our private rooms, I met Brooks in the jungle behind the complex. I’d talk to Ren later. Time was running out and I had to get back to Ixtab with my decision soon. I knew I’d have to take her up on the offer of the “death” protection. I also had to find out what Hurakan wanted.
Moonlight glinted off the golden tree Brooks was leaning against, and for half a second, she looked like she was just a normal girl waiting for a bus. Except she was as far from normal as Pluto was from the sun.
“What took you so long with Ixtab?” she said.
“A lot has happened.” I thought about Quinn’s message of doom. “Why didn’t you tell me your powers are fading?”
Brooks stiffened. “Because you’d give me that freaked-out look you’re giving me right now. And I only felt it when we got here. I can’t fly as well as usual, and it takes tons of concentration to stay in hawk form when usually it’s easy.”
“But Rosie seems fine.”
“She’s a hellhound. Quinn said it’s only affecting people born as a sobrenatural, like shape-shifters, seers, magicians….” Her voice trailed off.
“How could all the sobrenaturals be getting weaker at the same time?”
“Sobrenaturales.”
“Huh?”
“You said ‘sobrenaturals.’”
I sucked in a sharp breath. “And why does that even matter right now? Can we get back to the sobrenaturals losing power?”
“I don’t know how we could be getting weaker at the same time. I mean, not even a god could take away all of our powers. Maybe it’s a virus or…” She was grasping at straws.
“There’s a virus that attacks magic?”
“No, but it sounds better than some massively powerful evil monster being behind all this. Anyway, let’s just get to the gateway. Now.”
“There’s, um, some things I need to do first,” I said. I told her what had happened with Ixtab.
Brooks blew out a long breath and frowned. “Abducted? Mexica ghosts?! No way can you let her make you dead, even if it’s only for three days. That’s craziness!”
I poked Fuego into the dirt. “It’s not dead dead…. More like a death spell.”
Brooks looked up at me and for half a second her warm amber eyes softened
, and I thought she might actually hug me. She didn’t. “I can’t let you die, Zane.”
I knew it would be hard to convince her. “Brooks, I owe the godborns. It’s my fault they’re in trouble. Plus, the spell will keep me off the gods’ radar. And, if I’m fast, I can use the death magic to stay undetectable long enough to…” My voice dropped to a whisper. “To still rescue my dad.”
“That’s if you somehow find the godborns and get them out of their prison without anyone noticing in less than three days.” She paced, twisting a curl around her pinkie. “It’s one thing to rescue Hurakan. That’s, like, one person, not ten. And I’d much rather go up against three demons than some unknown army made up of who-knows-what kind of monsters. It’s too risky, Zane.”
She was right. At least I knew the monsters who were holding Hurakan. We needed reinforcements, but where would they come from if all the sobrenaturals were losing their powers?
“Everything is connected,” I said, wishing I had all the pieces to the puzzle. “The mud person, the kidnappings, the sobrenaturals…” I clenched my fist around Fuego.
“You look like your head is about to explode,” Brooks said.
“We need backup to save the godborns.”
“We need a whole plan. No one just marches into battle. I mean, I could lose my powers in the middle of this rescue, Zane. Where would that leave us?”