Skykeepers

Table of Contents

“Raw passion, dark romance, and seat-of-your-pants suspense all set in an astounding paranormal world—I swear ancient Mayan gods and demons walk the modern earth!”

—
New York Times
bestselling author J. R. Ward

“Andersen’s got game when it comes to style and voice. I love [this] kick-ass series . . . a mix of humor, suspense, mythology, and fantasy . . . a series that’s sure to be an instant reader favorite, and will put Andersen’s books on keeper shelves around the world.”—Suzanne Brockmann on
WritersareReaders.com

“I deeply enjoyed the story. It really hooked me!”

—
New York Times
bestselling author Angela Knight

“Part romance, mystery, and fairy tale . . . a captivating book with wide appeal.”—
Booklist

“[A] nonstop, action-intensive plot. . . . Ms. Andersen delivers a story that is . . . [a] solid romance and adventure novel. If you enjoy movies like
Lara Croft
. . . or just want something truly new, you will definitely want this.”

—Huntress Book Reviews

“Intense action, sensuality, and danger abound.”

—
Romantic Times

“If
Nightkeepers
is any indication of her talent, then [Jessica Andersen] will become one of my favorites. . . . [The book] brought tears to my eyes and an ache [to] my heart. I read each word with bated breath.”—Romance Junkies

“[A] terrific romantic fantasy . . . an excellent thriller. Jessica Andersen provides a strong story that . . . fans will cherish.”

Also by Jessica Andersen

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First published by Signet Eclipse, an imprint of New American Library,
a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

First Printing, August 2009

Copyright © Jessica Andersen, 2009

All rights reserved

SIGNET ECLIPSE and logo are trademarks of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise), without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.

PUBLISHER’S NOTE

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party Web sites or their content.

The scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book via the Internet or via any other means without the permission of the publisher is illegal and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated.

eISBN : 978-1-101-10620-4

The Nightkeepers’ world is well hidden within our own; bringing it to light isn’t always an easy process. My heart-felt thanks go to Deidre Knight, Kara Cesare, Claire Zion, Kara Welsh, and Kerry Donovan for helping me take these books from a dream to a reality; to J. R. Ward for critiques and help each step of the way; to Suz Brockmann for being a mentor and an inspiration; to my many e-friends on the Skywatch message board for always being there for a laugh or cyberhug; to Sally Hinkle Russell for keeping me sane; and to Brian Hogan for too many things to name in this small space.

For a full list of references and recommended reading on the ancient Maya and the 2012 doomsday prophecy, and to explore the Nightkeepers’ online community, please visit
www.JessicaAndersen.com
.

 

Aztec
—A complex and warlike Mesoamerican culture that arose as the Mayan Empire lost momentum.The Aztec held sway over much of northern Mesoamerica when the conquistadors arrived in the so-called New World.

Banol Kax
—The lords of the underworld, Xibalba. Driven from the earth and locked behind the barrier after the last Great Conjunction in 24,000 B.C. by the many-times-great-ancestors of the modern Nightkeepers, the
Banol Kax
seek to pierce the barrier and wrest control of the earth from mankind. Their greatest opportunity will come when the barrier falls on December 21, 2012.

boluntiku
—The underworld minions of the
Banol Kax
, the
boluntiku
are lava creatures that draw their energy from the molten mantle of the earth. The creatures are killing machines that can sense magic and royalty; they travel in an insubstantial vapor form and turn solid in the moment they attack.

ch’ulel
—
A rare and powerful Nightkeeper mage who can manipulate the life force of all living things.

First Father
—The only adult survivor of the Nightkeepers’ exodus from Egypt in 1351 B.C. He bound the slaves into
winikin
, led the Nightkeepers and
winikin
to Mesoamerica, and codified their beliefs into the writs and the thirteen prophecies in order to guide his descendants over the millennia until the end-time.

makol
(
ajaw-makol
)
—The earthly minions of the
Banol Kax
, these are demon souls capable of reaching through the barrier to possess an evil-natured human host. An
ajaw-makol
is an extremely powerful
makol
drawn straight from the lowest level of Xibalba, where the truly damned dwell.

Mictlan
—A Nightkeeper capable of wielding the oldest form of magic, with lethal results. (Also see Mictlan under Places.)

nahwal
—Humanoid spirit entities that exist in the barrier and hold within them all of the accumulated wisdom of each Nightkeeper bloodline. They can be asked for information, but cannot be trusted.

Nightkeeper
—A member of an ancient race sworn to protect mankind from annihilation in the years leading up to December 21, 2012, when the barrier separating the earth and the underworld will fall and the
Banol Kax
will seek to precipitate the apocalypse.

Order of Xibalba
—Formed by renegade Nightkeepers, the order courted the powers of the underworld and was wiped out by the conquistadors . . . or so the Nightkeepers believed until the Xibalbans reappeared in modern day with a clear doomsday agenda of their own.

pilli
—The nobility of Aztec society. Among the Xibalbans, it refers to the most powerful members of the red-robed, magic-wielding warrior caste.

winikin
—The
winikin
function as the servants, protectors, and counselors of the magi, and have been instrumental in keeping the bloodlines alive through the centuries.

Mictlan
—The lowest layer of Xibalba, where the most egregious sinners (traitors and murderers) reside, forming the souls of the
ajaw-makol
.

Paxil Mountain
—The ancient stories say that the sacred foods of the Maya, maize and cacao (from which chocolate is made), were trapped within this legendary mountain until released by the gods.

Skywatch
—The Nightkeepers’ training compound is located in the Chaco Canyon region of New Mexico.

Survivor2012 compound
—Located in an unpopular offshoot of the Florida Everglades and built on—and into—a massive landfill, this labyrinthine complex was home to the Survivor2012 doomsday cult. Since the death of cult leader Vincente Rincon and the disbanding of Survivor2012, the compound has sat empty. In theory.

Xibalba
—The nine-layer underworld of the Mayan and Nightkeeper religious systems, home to the
Banol Kax
,
boluntiku
, and
makol
.

barrier
—A force field of psi energy that separates the earth, sky, and underworld, and powers the Nightkeepers’ magic. The strength of the barrier fluctuates with the positions of the stars and planets, and weakens as the 12/21/2012 end date approaches.

chorote
—
A sacred drink that combines both maize and chocolate, two of the most important foodstuffs in Mayan—and Nightkeeper—rituals.

ch’ul
—In Mayan mythology, the life force that runs through all living things. Analogous to the Chinese concept of
chi
.

copan
—The sacred incense of the Nightkeepers. This is a variation of the Mayan incense,
copal
, and is associated with the great ruined city of Copán, located in modern-day Honduras.