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I liked it. It had a nice ring to it, better than Sir Limps-a-Lot or McGimpster. Man, if only the kids at school could see me now. A jaguar, a godborn. The Storm Runner!
“So does that mean I can control storms, too?” I asked, holding my breath, hoping he’d say yes.
But he didn’t. He blinked, hesitated, then said in a low voice, “It’s more complicated than that.”
“I’ve brought wind before,” I growled, thinking about times when I was scared or angry or…
“No, Zane. You didn’t.”
I was about to argue when he added, “Each of those times, that was me trying to help you without drawing the other gods’ attention. The night you killed the demon runner, I brought the rain to help you get away before reinforcements arrived. They hate water. In LA I was trying to stop you from making the deal with Ah-Puch. And on the day of the eclipse, I whipped up the wind to drown out the sounds of the magic, hoping you wouldn’t hear it calling.” He let out a low growl. “All in vain, I admit.”
First I felt deflated. Then hot anger pulsed in my chest. “Well, sorry I don’t speak storm!”
Hurakan stalked closer and looked down at my right front leg. I followed his gaze. Even in my jaguar form, the mark of death was visible. “You belong to him now,” he said. “Do you see? Your life is tied to his unless you can defeat him yourself first.”
I felt dizzy. “Well, maybe you could show me how to use some storm powers!”
A cool wind swept across the pyramid. Hurakan paced. “The storm is a living force, made up of potent elements. As in lightning, thunder, wind. Fire.” His voice grew deeper, shaking with a power I couldn’t even imagine. “You must become one with it.”
“Why would Pacific call me the Storm Runner if…” My heart plummeted all the way to Xib’alb’a. I felt the words form in my mind and heart, but they didn’t make it to my mouth. It was a terrible irony. Cruel. Twisted. A deep and angry snarl came up. “I can’t run!” There. I’d said the stupid words. Heat coursed through every muscle and I wanted to bolt.
“No, you can’t,” Hurakan said matter-of-factly. “Not in the physical sense.”
Gee, thanks for stating the obvious, I thought. I felt a million kinds of terrible. “Which is officially your fault.”
Hurakan’s tail swished through the air. “We Maya gods have many names. One of mine is Serpent Leg.”
“Are you going to tell me I have a snake for a leg, too?”
The muscles in his broad shoulders twitched. “It does indeed appear that you have inherited my serpent leg.”
“Whoa! I am not part snake.” Crap! Was I going to grow scales?
“It’s not what you think, Zane,” he said, and I could hear the impatience in his voice. I guess he wasn’t used to having to explain himself to humans. “It is a sign of strength, not weakness.”
“But how—?”
“You will learn. For now, you must focus on Ah-Puch. He made the deal with you because you’re a great prize to him,” Hurakan said. “He knows you’re my son, and he’ll use it against you.”
“What did you do to the guy to make him hate you so much?”
“I put him in that prison,” he said. “I created the volcano. It’s likely the reason you felt drawn to it.”
Ah-Puch, my mom, the Sacred Oath, the Beast… He had messed up everything! And now I was the one paying for it.
I backed up slowly, filled with a raw energy that needed to be spent. Without warning, my legs sprang me over the edge of the pyramid, down to the staircase. I took three steps at a time in powerful leaps and sprinted toward the cliff that overlooked the sea. I was fast. Wicked fast. The wind clung to me like we were one, and for a second I imagined remaining a jaguar forever.
Hurakan was right behind me. I came to a screeching halt before flying over the edge. Man, it was such a rush to run like that!
Storm Runner. Why did Pacific give me that name if I couldn’t run? It didn’t make sense!
“Ah-Puch tricked me,” I growled.
“You shouldn’t have made the deal.”
I kept my eyes on the ocean below. “I wasn’t about to let people I love get hurt,” I said with a venom I hoped he felt like a barb.
Hurakan turned his gaze back to the jungle. “You need to get back. And it will be an unpleasant journey. I’m sorry about that.”
