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have to tell my mom about the whole sludge disaster….
A small smirk tugged at his mouth. What’s the condition?
No god powers.
He thought for a moment, then nodded. No god powers.
I grabbed hold of the rope with both hands, pulling myself up while anchoring my feet against the stone. Hand over hand, I walked up the wall, using both upper and lower body strength. I knew I should pace myself, but I was curious about what Hurakan wanted to show me up top, and I really wanted to get some questions answered.
Hurakan scaled the rock, matching my stride, but let me tell you, without his godly powers, he looked like a regular wall-climbing guy. I take that back. There was nothing “regular” about him, but he for sure didn’t fly up the course like I know he could have. He actually seemed to be having a hard time! (Sorry, if you ever read this, Dad, but it’s totally true.)
“Not easy being human, is it?” I huffed, trying to hide my toothy grin. There was something very satisfying about seeing Hurakan, the great creator god, struggling up a stone wall with nothing but a rope, his muscles, and his will.
He scowled. “You’re cheating.”
“Am not.”
“You’re using your storm runner leg.”
“We said no god tricks,” I reminded him. “No one said no godborn strength.”
“You test my limits, kid,” Hurakan said. But he was smiling a little.
Truth be told, I hadn’t used much of the power that ran through my storm runner leg, thinking I’d wait until I really needed it, which was pretty much about now. I let the power surge through my blood faster than lightning as I raced up the wall.
I gotta give Hurakan credit. He wasn’t going to go down easy. He redoubled his efforts and scrambled over the edge a respectable three seconds behind me.
My heart pounded. My muscles burned. My smile split my face in two. Had I really just beaten the great Hurakan?
I glanced over at my dad, who rolled to his feet. By the time he stood, his godly self had returned. “That was truly terrible.” He wiped his hands together. “I actually feel sorry for humans. On second thought, not really.”
When I stood, I saw that we were at the top of a bluff that overlooked a sea of green trees. Thin mist curled off the canopy, rising into the pale blue sky. On the horizon, there was an intricate column of lights. Wait. I blinked and looked closer. Those lights were on the trunk of a ginormous tree with crisscrossing branches that rose endlessly, as if reaching for the farthest corners of the Milky Way.
“Is that…the World Tree?” I knew the answer before Hurakan confirmed it. And after thinking, That’s so freaking cool, I thought. So THAT’S where Itzamna hangs out all day. No wonder the guy wears shades.
“Welcome to SHIHOM.”
“It’s…it’s amazing!” I turned to him. His grim expression wiped my smile away. “You didn’t bring me up here for the view, did you?”
In the distance, I heard what sounded like rushing waterfalls and a steady pounding of drums. The smell of summer rain floated over the trees.
“About the demon…” he began.
“Ik?” My neck got hot and my cheeks prickly. I wasn’t sure what to say next. I should have seen the signs? Sorry, but she’s a duplicitous, underhanded traitor? Is the Statue of Liberty thing for real?
My dad’s face tightened. “You must always be prepared for the unexpected,” he said sternly. “I will contend with Iktan, and we will unravel our enemies’ plans, but for now,” he went on with a beat of hesitation, “we might need you godborns.”
And there it was. The real reason my dad wanted to get me alone, the real reason he had raced up the wall with me. It had been like a really bad classroom icebreaker. He was buttering me up!
Feeling Fuego’s absence, I called my cane to me. “You guys are all-powerful gods,” I said. “Why would you need a bunch of rookie godborns?”
Hurakan turned his gaze to the forest. I could tell he didn’t want to be here. I don’t mean at the World Tree—I mean in this position. He said, “Akan disappeared yesterday.”
Okay, I for sure wasn’t expecting that. “The god of wine?”
My dad took a slow and steady breath. “He’s dead.”
A tremble gripped me from the soles of my feet all the way up to my neck. “How do you know?”
