Sun God Seeks...surrogate? (37 page)

“I’m not following,” I said.

“Philippe, who we’d been hunting for eons, was the maker of the Obscuros,” Cimil explained. “Roberto killed him, thereby snuffing out his bloodline, including any Maaskab who’d been turned.”

Philippe?
The
Philippe? My mother’s tormentor was the maker of the Obscuros?
Son of a bitch was lucky to be dead, because what I wanted to do was much, much worse.

And Kinich gave his life to have him killed, to have all of the Obscuros killed.

Holy crap.
The sad irony started to sink in.

Why hadn’t Kinich told anyone? Why keep it a secret?

Because…
you
would have stopped him.

Christ! I would have. And since he had no powers, there would have been nothing he could do to fight me, either. But if he had stayed, we would have lost the battle. We would have lost everything. My mother included.

Now, more than ever, I felt low and unworthy of any affection Kinich held for me. Because he
had
put me first. He’d put us all first. I had just been too blinded by my own selfish desires to see it. I should have trusted him.

I moved out of the way. “Do it. Turn him.”

Roberto leaned over Kinich and made a small gash across his wrist before placing the dripping wound to Kinich mouth.

“There. It is done,” he said.

I saw no movement. “Are you sure?”

“He will awaken tomorrow evening. Have some blood handy; he will be hungry.” Roberto strolled casually over to Cimil and took her by the hand. “Come now. I wish to claim my prize immediately.”

“Really, Roberto. You’re such a horn-dog. Can’t we do this later?”

“Wait!” Emma said. “Did
you
lock the portals?”

With a sinister smile, Roberto replied, “And what will you give me if I answer your question?”

Cimil slapped his cheek. “Oh quit it! You’ve won. I’m marrying you—isn’t that enough?”

“Babies, too?” he asked.

Oh hell, no! If there is any justice in this universe, Cimil will not be allowed to spawn
.
Especially with this evil bastard.

“Whatever. Just leave the girl alone.” Cimil looked directly at me and winked. “Just remember, it ain’t over until the cruise ship returns to port and you hear the theme song.”

Andddd…thank you for those awesome words of wisdom, Cimil.

“Let’s go, leech.” She took Roberto’s hand and disappeared out the front door.

I dropped to my knees and placed my ear to Kinich’s chest. There was no heartbeat, no breath, nothing. I looked up at Emma. “Now what?”

“Get some blood and pray.”

TO BE CONTINUED…

***

A Very Important Public Service Announcement From Guy, God of Death and War

Humans,

I must inform you of some very troubling news: The apocalypse is indeed coming. While most of the gods were off doing our part for humanity, my sister Cimil, true to her useless and reproachable nature, decided that now—yes, now!—would be an excellent time to catch up on her favorite syndicated sitcom from the early 80s.

As a result, she neglected her duties—monitoring the future—thereby giving the Maaskab the opportunity to execute the next steps of their sinister plan. This plan included taking me and Niccolo as their prisoners.

I write you from a very dark and lonely place, hoping that my message may find its way to you. Please tell Emma I am sorry for betraying her. What I did to her grandmother was unforgivable. I am now paying the price.

May the universe take pity on my soul.

GUY

(aka, Votan, God of Death and War)

***

Rebuttal from Cimil, Goddess Delight of the Underworld

Dearest People Pets,

Please disregard my brother’s whiny theatrics. Yes, it is true that I neglected my duties and, because of this, we are all going to cease to exist. But I ask you, what is the purpose of living if one cannot drop everything on a whim to enjoy the fruits of the late 70s and early 80s? Bad perms, Chia Pets, leg warmers, Duran Duran. And surely you must understand the importance of disco dancing and tacky sitcoms with men named Isaac bearing pearly white smiles? Ah yes,
Love Boat
. Is there anything sweeter than something unexpected and new?

Anyhooo, I wouldn’t hit the panic button yet. Suuure, the Maaskab are going to kick our asses, but these things have a way of working themselves out.

Maybe.

Okay…maybe not.

All right! All right. We’re completely hosed. Go live your final days doing the things you’ve only dreamed of: Kick the neighbor’s cat (the one that wakes you at 2:00 a.m.), write a romance novel—make it a funny one, though—buy that really great pair of leather pants you’ve always wanted, or eat that entire box of Twinkies. Oh yes, live the dream! The clock is ticking.

Tootles,

Cimil, Recently Retired Goddess Delight of the Underworld

P.S. Sorry about causing the end of the world, but Roberto is ensuring I pay for my crimes.

***

Note from Mimi J

Hi, Everyone!

If you liked this story, don’t forget to click those happy stars on the retailer’s Web site, write a little review, or send me a note (contact info is below). And if you have helpful critiques (and, no…“Mimi, you suckity-suck for writing another cliffhanger” is not a helpful critique; LOL), don’t hesitate to share. I’d love to hear from you, even if it’s just to chat about our favorite paranormal hunky dudes or e-readers as we often do on my Facebook page.

Hugs,

Mimi

P.S. Hey, Mean People! You STILL suck. Yes, you know you do.

IN THE WORKS

ACCIDENTALLY…EVIL?

Book 3.5

An
Accidentally Yours
Novella

Backlum Chaam, the God of Male Virility, wasn’t always such a bad guy. Before his heart turned black and his biggest goal in life became destroying mankind, he was just like any god. Compassionate, loyal, and dedicated. So where did it all go wrong?

Sometimes broken hearts don’t heal…

Glossary

Black Jade
— Found only in a particular mine located in southern Mexico, this jade has very special supernatural properties, including the ability to absorb supernatural energy—in particular, god energy. When worn by humans, it is possible for them to have physical contact with a god. If injected, it can make a person addicted to doing bad things. If the jade is fueled with dark energy and then released, it can be used as a weapon. Chaam, personally, likes using it to polish his teeth.

The Book of the Oracle of Delphi
—
This mystical text from 1400 BC is said to have been created by one of the great oracles at Delphi and can tell the future. As the events in present time change the future, the book’s pages magically rewrite themselves. The demigods use this book in Book 2 to figure out when and how to kill the Vampire Queen. Helena also reads it, while being their captive, and learns she must sacrifice her mortality to save Niccolo.

Cenote
— Limestone sinkholes connected to a subterranean water system. They are found in Central America and southern Mexico and were once believed by the Maya to be sacred portals to the afterlife. Such smart humans! They were right. Except, cenotes are actually portals to the realm of the gods.

(If you have never seen a cenote, do a quick search on the Internet for “cenote photos,” and you’ll see how freaking cool they are!)

Demilords
— (Spoiler alert for Book 2!) This is a group of immortal badass vampires who’ve been infused with the light of the gods. They are extremely difficult to kill and hate their jobs (killing Obscuros) almost as much as they hate the gods who control them.

Maaskab
— Originally a cult of bloodthirsty Mayan priests who believed in the dark arts. It is rumored they are responsible for bringing down their entire civilization with their obsession for human sacrifices (mainly young female virgins). Once Chaam started making half-human children, he decided all firstborn males would make excellent Maaskab due to their proclivity for evil.

Mocos, Mobscuros, O’scabbies
— Nicknames for when you join Maaskab with Obscuros to create a brand new malevolent treat.

Obscuros
— Evil vampires who do not live by the Pact, and who like to dine on innocent humans since they really do taste the best.

The Pact
— An agreement between the gods and good vampires that dictates the dos and don’ts. There are many parts to it, but the most important rules are: Vampires are not allowed to snack on good people (called Forbiddens), they must keep their existence a secret, and they are responsible for keeping any rogue vampires in check.

Payal
— Though the gods can take humans to their realm and make them immortal, Payals are the true genetic offspring of the gods but are born mortal, just like their human mothers. Only firstborn children inherit the gods’ genes and manifest their traits. If the firstborn happens to be female, she is a Payal. If male, well…then you get something kind of yucky (see definition of Maaskab)!

Uchben
— An ancient society of scholars and warriors who serve as the gods’ eyes and ears in the human world. They also do the books and manage the gods’ earthly assets.

Character Definitions

The Gods

Though every culture around the world has their own names and beliefs related to beings of worship, there are actually only fourteen gods. And since the gods are able to access the human world only through the portals called cenotes, located in the Yucatan, the Maya were big fans.

The gods often refer to each other as brother and sister, but truth is, they are just another species of the Creator.

1.  Acan — God of Wine and Intoxication.
Also known as Belch, Acan has been drunk for a few thousand years. He hopes to someday trade places with Votan because he’s tired of his flabby muscles and beer belly.

2.  Ah-Ciliz — God of Solar Eclipses.
Called A.C. by his brethren, Ah-Ciliz is generally thought of as the party-pooper because of his dark attitude.

3.  Akna — Goddess of Fertility.
You either love her or you hate her.

4.  Backlum Chaam — God of Male Virility.
He’s responsible for discovering black jade, figuring out how to procreate with humans, and kicking off the chain of events that will eventually lead to the Great War. Get your Funyuns and beer! This is gonna be good.

5.  Camaxtli — Goddess of the Hunt.
Also known as Fate, Camaxtli holds a special position among the gods, since no one dares challenge her. When Fate has spoken, that’s the end of the conversation.

6.  Colel Cab — Mistress of Bees.
Because, really, where would we all be without the bees?

7.  Goddess of Forgetfulness.
—
Um…I forget her name. Sorry.

8.  Ixtab — Goddess of Suicide.
Ixtab is generally described as a loner. Could it be those dead critters she carries around? But don’t judge her so hastily. You never know what truly lies behind that veil of black she wears.

9.  K’ak
—
The history books remember him as K’ak Tiliw Chan Yopaat, ruler of Copán in the 700s AD. King K’ak (Don’t you just love that name? Tee hee hee…) is one of Cimil’s favorite brothers. We’re not really sure what he does, but he can throw bolts of lightning.

10.  Kinich Ahau
—
God of the Sun.
Also known by many other names depending on the culture, Kinich likes to go by “Nick” these days. But don’t let the modern name fool you. He’s not so hot about the gods mingling with humans. Although…he’s getting a little curious about what the fuss is all about. Can sleeping with a woman really be all that?

11.  Votan — God of Death and War.
Also known as Odin, Wotan, Wodan, God of Drums (he has no idea how the hell he got that title; he hates the drums), and God of Multiplication (okay, he is pretty darn good at math, so that one makes sense). These days, Votan goes by Guy Santiago (it’s a long story—read Book 1), but despite his deadly tendencies, he’s all heart. He’s now engaged to Emma Keane.

12.  Yum Cimil
—
Goddess of the Underworld
, also known as Ah-Puch by the Maya, Mictlantecuhtli (try saying that one ten times) by the Aztecs, Grim Reaper by the Europeans, Hades by the Greeks…you get the picture! Despite what people say, Cimil is actually a female, adores a good bargain (especially garage sales), and the color pink. She’s also bat-shit crazy.

13.  Zac Cimi — Bacab of the North.
What the heck is a Bacab? According to the gods’ folklore, the Bacabs are the four eldest and most powerful of the gods. Zac, however, has yet to discover his true gifts, although he is physically the strongest. We
think
he may be the god of love.

14.  ??? (I’m not telling.)

Not the Gods

Andrus
—
Ex-demilord (vampire who’s been given the gods’ light), now just a demigod after his maker, the Vampire Queen, died. According to Cimil, his son, who hasn’t been born yet, is destined to marry Helena and Niccolo’s daughter.

Anne
—
Not telling.

Brutus
—
One of Gabrán’s elite Uchben Warriors. He doesn’t speak much, but that’s because he and his team are telepathic. They are also immortal (a gift from the gods) and next in line to be Uchben chiefs.