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Quinn said, The Sparkstriker saw something evil in her lightning pool, something that scared her. I’ve never seen her frightened. She said the seeds of this evil could only be discovered in the underworld.
Again, the memory faded, and the words whispered across the tunnel: The seeds of this evil could only be discovered in the underworld.
I took another five steps into the tunnel. The flames hissed and groaned. Where were these memories taking me? Why did they matter?
As soon as the images disappeared, I fell against the wall, finding it hard to breathe, like the tunnel was losing air. “Come on, Fuego,” I said with as much strength as I could muster. I had to know where these memories led. I had to follow them to the end.
The last memory gripped me hard, and I swear it was like going back to that awful day all over again. I had just become one with fire and was helping the godborns escape the junkyard prison Zotz had created.
I started for Brooks’s and Hondo’s cages, to set them free, when Ah-Puch grabbed hold of my arm. Do not be fooled by anything you see here, he said. The twins’ mother, Ixkik’, is the master of deception.
Master of deception.
Master of deception.
The memory exploded, forcing me to stumble back. Clutching Fuego, I blinked and saw that I had come to a dead end at a cave wall. A rocky ledge stuck out about waist-high, and it cradled a stone bowl. While I stood there, a blue flame erupted in the bowl, like a match had just been struck.
I ran my hand over the flame, trying to make sense of the memories that had appeared. Of all that I’d been through over the last year, why was I shown those particular moments? Why did they matter the most?
I had started to replay them in my mind, looking for any significance, any connection between them, when I heard:
“ZANE!”
Ah-Puch?
I spun wildly, expecting to see the god of death, but the cave was empty. “Where are you?”
“Literally?” His voice was small and distant. “Floating in utter darkness. Again.”
“Are you with the other gods? I don’t know where you are, or how to save you.” I clenched Fuego with both hands. “How are you even talking to me?”
“I am the god of death, remember? Hard to put me under completely. And you and I are connected, in case you forgot.”
“I didn’t forget.” How could I? Our minds were forever linked the moment I saved his
life with the jade stone.
“But that’s not the point….” His voice trailed off, and I didn’t catch what he said next.
“Talk louder,” I said. “I can barely hear you.”
“Not surprising. I am in terrible shape. The lowest of the low.”
A plump orange-and-black-striped centipede climbed up the rock wall near the bowl of flame until it was at my eye level. Its skinny legs were twitching and 500 percent revolting.
I stared, trying not to get too close. “Wait. Is that you? You’re an insect? How—”
“This is no time to talk about forms and energy, Zane.” The centipede’s head swayed ever so slightly. Did the thing even have eyes?
“Er…okay. What do you want me to do? How do I save you?” I prepared for the god of death to lay out a brilliant multi-point plan.
Instead, he said, “You can’t save me. You can’t save any of us.”
“WHAT?! No! Why…why would you bother coming here if—”
“To say good-bye. To tell you that you really were one of my favorite enemies. And to ask you to give Ren a message from me. Gods don’t feel attachment or love—not like you humans do—but my heart was bigger when she was around. Tell her that.”
“NO! You can give her that message! I just had a bunch of memories about time and magic and evil, and I think they’re connected…. Just tell me where you are.”
