Lights of Aurora (The Stone Legacy Series Book 3) (12 page)

Chapter Fifteen

Arwan

Arwan stood on the far side of the room, leaning against the wall.

Tara sat on the bed beside Peter with her legs crossed, hugging a pillow to her chest.

Hawa was seated on the floor. With her back rested against the wall, she spun her ring in circles, listening to the conversation.

Arwan noted how pale Zanya was. The bags under her eyes had also gotten worse. Even the guardian needed rest.

“These are pages from the Popol Vuh?” Renato stood from the leather armchair and took the frail papers from Zanya’s hand.

“Yeah, but I don’t know what it says. What’s it about?” Zanya yawned and rubbed her eyes.

“The Popol Vuh means
book of counsel
, or more literally,
book of the people
. It contains not only the original creation story of the Maya, but also information about genealogies that have been kept secret for thousands of years.”

“So you can translate them, right?” Hawa asked.

Renato examined the papers, one after the other. “I recognize the numerical symbols in the corners, but I cannot read the glyphs. It’s a formal dialect from the royal families of the original civilization.”

“I tore out as many as I could. He was still reading when the roots of the tree pulled everyone under.”

Renato looked up from behind the creased pages. “You witnessed that?”

Zanya nodded.

He returned his focus to the strange writing. “That must have been frightening.”

Arwan tried not to cringe, recalling the change as it had torn through him and Zanya’s terrified expression when she’d seen him in his alternate form.

“The ground was completely saturated with blood,” Zanya said. “When Contessa showed up, it was like…” She crossed her arms, stretching her sleeves over her hands—just like she’d done when she first arrived at Renato’s house. “Like she enjoyed watching it happen.”

“So Contessa has the book now?” Peter asked.

Zanya nodded. “She took it after that underworld animal killed Sarian.”

Arwan’s stomach twisted.
That underworld animal.
Those words were all he could focus on.

“She waltzed right up the temple steps and took the book from the altar. She wasn’t even scared.”

“You couldn’t stop her?” Peter said.

“I was a little busy bleeding to death.
Sorry
.”

She was tired and obviously irritable. He closed the distance between them and rested his hand on the small of her back. “You need to get some rest.”

She responded by gesturing to the pages in Renato’s hand. “Can these help us at all?”

“It’s not often one has the opportunity to read even a small passage from the original Popol Vuh, but unfortunately, I’m not entirely sure if these particular scripts can do anything to help us find Contessa or the book.”

“Drina.” Arwan looked at Renato. “She was in Guatemala. She may be able to help.”

“And Cualli said she would help if we needed her,” Zanya added.

“Let’s not bring the middleworld gods into this unless it is completely necessary.” Renato tucked the papers into his jacket pocket. “We should head back to Belize as soon as possible. Marzena recently informed me the workers have finished fixing the damage to the house.” His gaze moved on Arwan. “Also, if Contessa has the book, that means she is undoubtedly planning something. You need to return to training Peter. Zanya needs close-contact combat instruction as well and should learn how to better use her powers.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Zanya said, blinking slowly.

Hawa stood and smoothed down her shirt. “Well, if nobody minds, I’m going to check out some of the nightlife. Now that my leg is all healed up, I want to go dancing.”

She opened the hotel room door and paused. “Anyone else want to come?”

Tara shook her head. “No. I think I’ve had my fill of clubs—forever.”

Peter cracked a smile.

“All right. Well, I’m off.” Hawa walked out and closed the door behind her.

Tara stood up as well. “I’m going to shower.” She waved to Peter. “Come by my room if you want to watch a movie later.”

Peter nodded. “I’ll take you up on that.”

When Tara left the room, Arwan turned to Zanya. “And you should get some sleep.”

She glanced at Renato. “I have to talk to you first.”

Renato stood up straighter. “All right. I’m listening.”

“I just want to make sure everything’s okay with you and Jay.”

Renato’s features sobered. “How so?”

“You know.” She shrugged. “He says you’re acting weird. Like you don’t want him around anymore. I told him you were just stressed and—” She examined Renato’s steely gaze. “It’s not true…right?”

Renato curled his fingers around the lapel of his coat. “Jayden is an unknown. Do you believe we can continue to trust him?”

“Wow.” Her flat tone made Arwan shift his weight. “You know, I stuck up for you. I told him you were just being protective and to cut you some slack. But he was right. You really don’t want him here anymore.”

This conversation wouldn’t end well for anyone. Arwan stepped closer to them both. “Maybe we should all get some rest before talking about this.”

Renato nodded. “I think that’s a—”

“Admit it.” Zanya braced her hands on her hips.

“Very well,” Renato said. “He may be dangerous, and I believe it is for the best if he keeps his distance. At least until we can identify what the cause of his…illness is.”

“You can keep all the distance you want, but don’t expect me to stay away. He’s one of us. You should know that better than anyone.” Her eyes narrowed. “You were the one who hired him to find me in the first place.”

They all knew what she really meant. When she and Jayden grew close, Renato ordered him to stay, aware that when he left, it would break her heart.

Renato’s chest sank with a deep exhale, and he looked away.

Silence filled the room.

Zanya glanced at him and Peter. “I don’t want to talk about this again.” She walked into the hall, leaving Arwan alone with Peter and Renato.

Arwan exhaled, considering his mentor’s undeniable concern. “What do you think this situation with Jayden means? Is he an underworlder now?”

“I have no idea.” Peter shrugged. “It is what it is, whether she wants to face it or not.”

Renato reached in the inner pocket of his jacket and pulled out his pipe. “I will get in touch with Marzena. She may know more about this than I.”

Arwan turned to Renato. “I want to examine him myself.”

“Why?” Peter asked.

“I may be able to sense something you can’t.” Like the inherent darkness of an underworlder. It lingered deep in every being from that realm, and every underworlder could sense it.

“Whatever you want to do,” Peter said. “Zanya already tried to heal him. Now is as good of a time as any.”

Arwan narrowed his eyes. “She’s was with him alone?”

Peter nodded.

Under the circumstances, Arwan sided with Renato. Leaving them alone was risky. Even if she was the guardian.

Arwan walked across the room and flung open the door. He stalked down the hallway and pounded on Jayden’s door, then listened to the line of mumbled curses from the other side.

Jayden cracked open the door and peered out. “What do you want?”

“Can I come in?”

“Thanks, but no thanks.”

The seeker tried to shove the door closed. Arwan planted his hand on it and pushed it open, forcing him to stumble back. “Let me be clear. I’m coming in.”

Jayden leaned on the wall, his chest rising and falling as he struggled to stand up straight. “No. I’m not busy. Come on in.” Sarcasm drenched his tone.

Arwan shut the door and locked it.

Jayden’s gaze flickered to the steel bolt. “What are you doing?”

The seeker appeared much too weak to struggle. “I just want to see something. Hold still.”

When Arwan stepped forward, Jayden staggered back a few steps. Arwan caught him by his shoulders and stared into the seeker’s eyes.

“If you’re here to ask me on a date, you should have just said so.” Jayden’s arms quivered and his heartbeat accelerated.

He was in pain.

“Stop talking.” Arwan hadn’t intentionally tuned in to his dark side in longer than he could remember. If he wasn’t able to control it, he may morph right in the hotel room.

Arwan drew in a deep breath. His inner beast clashed and sparked against his will to keep it caged. He searched Jayden for any hint of underworld energy but found none. He needed to look deeper.

“I’m going to need you to bleed.”

Jayden glared. “
Now
you want a piece of me?”

“I don’t want to hurt you. But I have to.” Arwan removed a small dagger from a sheath in his belt he always carried.

Jayden pulled back, his face contorting under the effort.

“Hold still.” Arwan grabbed Jayden’s wrist and steadied the blade over his forearm. “I just need—”

A punch to his cheekbone cut him off. “Fuck you!” Jayden shouted and doubled over holding his chest.

Arwan clenched his jaw as the darkness clawed its way out. This time he didn’t work as hard to hold it back.

He gripped Jayden’s neck and slammed him against the wall, applying just enough pressure to keep him in place. “I’m not here to kill you,
seeker
. But if you won’t hold still, I just might.”

He let go of Jayden’s neck and nicked Jayden’s arm with the blade.

Jayden flinched.

His blood didn’t flow.

Arwan waited, but there was nothing. “You’re not bleeding.”

Jayden jerked his arm out of Arwan’s grasp and stared at the cut. “I’m not bleeding…”

Arwan grabbed his arm and brought it to his nose. He inhaled, searching for the underworld smell.

A bitter stench shot up his nose and burned his throat.

“What the hell are you doing?” Jayden pulled his arm back, and this time Arwan let him have his way.

The stink of the dark realm ran deep through Jayden’s veins—or what was left of them.

Zanya would be crushed to find out both of the men she cared for were tainted by the underworld.

Arwan cleared his throat and stepped back. “Nothing. I’m not doing anything.”

Jayden’s glare intensified. “Nothing my ass. I know about you.”

Maybe Zanya had told the seeker about him. In that case, everything he had known since he was a boy was about to change, because the seeker would not stay quiet. Peter, Tara, Hawa, and Marzena still weren’t aware of his origins, and he intended to keep it that way. He stepped forward. “What do you know, exactly?”

“I haven’t forgotten what you did at Renato’s house. How you lifted me off the ground. Renato couldn’t even pull you off me. And your eyes.” Jayden held his gaze. “You’re not normal. You’re not human.”

Arwan scoffed. “And you are?”

“More so than you, even as fucked up as I am.” Jayden stood up straight and pushed out his chest. His shoulders quivered, and his lips pursed into a tight line. “I’m better for her than you are, and you know it.”

Arwan clenched his fists. He’d told himself the same thing dozens of times, but hearing the seeker say it to his face made his blood seethe. “She wouldn’t have reached the underworld if I hadn’t gone with her.” Arwan stepped back. “Remember that, seeker.” He turned and opened the hotel room door, then paused in the threshold. “It doesn’t matter who or what you are now. Zanya cares for you. But if you do anything to hurt her, I’ll kill you with my bare hands.”

Arwan walked into the hall, past Renato’s door that still hung open. Renato stepped out and waited for him to speak. Arwan looked his mentor in the eyes and gently shook his head. “I can’t sense anything on him.” The lie tasted better on his tongue than the bitter truth. He took the key card out of his pocket. “I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.”

Renato exhaled and his shoulders relaxed. “That’s certainly good news.”

“What’s good news?” Peter asked from inside the room.

Renato glanced over his shoulder. “Oh.” He patted Arwan on the shoulder, as if telling him to go rest. “There seems to be some improvement with Jayden.” Renato joined Peter into the room before shutting the door, leaving Arwan standing in the hall.

Arwan dropped his head. He’d never lied to his mentor, but Renato would get rid of the seeker the first chance he could if he was even remotely a threat.

Arwan ran his fingers through his hair. If anything did happen, he would be solely responsible.