Chapter Three #2
“I’ve sent a reaper your way, since Dawn is technically deceased.”
“A reaper?” He thought of the long-legged Mabel. “The one you used before?”
“Mabel the dancer, yes. But I see your point about an esprit. Given the nature of the Hour, it would be best for you to be fully charged, so to speak. Yes, I believe I can help with that, too. Very well, we have a deal. I’ll send out a temporary esprit to help you and Mabel get Dawn out of Xibalba, and once she’s free, I’ll talk to Sasha about overcoming the Clover situation. ”
“Xibalba,” he said, digging into his not very substantial knowledge about the twelve Hours that contained many of the major underworlds.
“It’s early Mesoamerican,” Sally said. “Filled with some fascinating characters, most of whom will want to kill you, but that’s nothing new to you.
Just be aware that the Maya Hero Twins are currently in the mortal world on some skateboarding tour, so the other gods are running the Hour.
Now I really must go and put a few thoughts into the head of a broker, and then all will be well.
Oh, and have a towel ready for Nika. You wouldn’t want your lovely new floors to warp, would you? ”
Hunter frowned at the night. “What on earth does that mean? And how do you know about the lodge’s rebuilding? Did Archer tell you his mate, Thaisa, blew it up when she destroyed the curse binding my twin and me?”
Silence answered him.
He looked at his phone, sighing for a second time when he realized Sally had hung up. “Just what the hell does she mean by having a towel ready? And what broker?”
An owl hooted as it flew overhead, but other than that, there were no answers to his questions.
He called Archer back immediately. “Do you remember Sally, the former Sovereign?” he asked his twin.
“Yes. Why?”
Hunter ignored Archer’s grumpy tone, and summarized the recent call with Sally.
“I’m glad you’ll have an esprit temporarily, but I don’t see why you’re so excited about going to the Eleventh Hour. Unless it’s something to do with seeing Mabel again?”
“I’d have to be dead ten years to not want to see her, but you’re missing the point. I’ll be in one of the Hours, with a fully powered élan vital. I can talk to the lord running the place about getting their ringsel.”
“That again?” It was Archer’s turn to sigh.
“Yes, a ringsel would allow your tribe to join the weyr, but that’s it.
All of the rest of the tribes, my own included, would remain unchanged.
Not to mention Feo told us Xavier talked to all the lords of the various Hours, and none of them would budge on the subject of the ringsels? ”
“Feo said that, but how do we know that’s true?
” Hunter asked, frustrated that Archer didn’t seem to see the possibilities that were facing them.
“Because Xavier told him some tale? You know that lies fall from the sire’s lips like petals off a flower in a hurricane.
Until we talk to the lords themselves, we can’t be sure. ”
“I don’t have time to waste on a wild-goose chase, but if you want to go to the underworld and talk to a Mayan god, knock yourself out. Just treat this esprit a bit better than the last.”
“I never mistreated Clover,” Hunter protested. “I told her when she asked me on a date that I wasn’t interested in a monogamous relationship, and she said that was fine with her.”
Archer repeated more warnings before they hung up.
The following day, Hunter video called Kinil, cousin of a tribe mate, who currently lived in Australia but was from Guatemala.
“There’s not a lot I can tell you about Xibalba, never having been there, myself,” Kinil said, his expression thoughtful.
He was a dark-haired man with startlingly blue eyes, obviously a former blue dragon who had joined Feo’s tribe.
“You know that it’s run by the Hero Twins, yes?
They turned the whole place into a massive skate park, complete with a skateboard version of an ancient ball game called pitz. ”
“That doesn’t sound bad,” Hunter said slowly. “Sally made it sound like it was a place filled with hellish death possibilities.”
“Oh, it is. Or rather, it used to be when run by the former lords, the ones the Hero Twins defeated. They’re quite reasonable, from what I remember, so you might have luck talking to them about borrowing the ringsel.”
“This sounds promising.” Hunter’s hopes rose at the idea that he might be able to resolve the situation with the weyr without waiting for Yrian to find the blood moon. “Sally said they’re out in the mortal world. I’ll talk to them and see what they have to say before I head into the Hour.”
“Yeah, that’s not going to happen,” Kinil said, shaking his head. “It’s not daylight there.”
Hunter eyed the background behind Kinil. He appeared to be sitting on a porch, with the edge of a short palm tree within touching distance. It was most definitely sunny. “What do you mean?”
“The Hero Twins leave the Hour for six months each year to participate in skateboarding competitions in the mortal world, leaving behind the bulk of their powers. During the time they are gone, the reigning gods turn the Hour back to a dangerous maze trapped in perpetual twilight. I’m afraid you’ll have to wait another four months for the Hero Twins to return before you can talk to them about the ringsel. ”
“Then I’ll have to talk to the lord who’s running the place while they’re gone,” he said, looking up when one of the perimeter alarms pinged on his phone. “Thank you for your insights, Kinil, and if ever you wish to switch tribes, we’d be happy to have you in the Shadow Tribe.”
Kinil laughed, giving a little shake of his head.
“I appreciate that offer, but I am content with Feo and the Fire Tribe.” He hesitated before adding in a much more somber tone, “Keep your wits about you when you’re in Xibalba, Hunter.
With the old gods in charge, it is a deadly place. Everyone there fears them.”
Hunter’s attention was focused on the monitor next to the computer, noting the thermal image of a person creeping along the trees that lined the main drive. “They’ve never met a dragon hunter in person, I’ll wager. Something that I suspect the person creeping up on the lodge could also say.”
“What?” Kinil looked confused.
Hunter shook his head and, after thanking the man, hung up, his gaze amused as he watched the person doing a poor job of skulking their way up to the main building.
His fingers automatically started drawing out a spell, but mindful of his attempts to limit the amount of dark power he used, he shook away the spell, instead slipping into the night to go confront the intruder.