The Spirit Seducer (The Echo Series Book 1) (9 page)

He stepped back, his face falling into neutral lines that did nothing to diminish the emotions rolling off him and slamming into me.

“I’m sorry. I know it’s a lot to take in.”

“That’s not the problem.” Well, it was the problem. I skittered back, across the living room. The physical space should reduce the intensity of his emotions just as the distance made it harder to connect with my mother.

“I don’t want to make the transition into this world harder for you than it has to be,” he said.

“I don’t think you are. Except when you reject me.” My voice was small and I hunched my shoulders together, trying to stave off further pain. “I-I don’t like that.”

His eyes dimmed, showing the concern now prickling across my awareness. “I don’t mean to do that.”

“You do.” I swallowed with difficulty. “And it hurts.”

“I don’t want to hurt you.”

“The prophecy,” I managed to get out. “There’s more I need to know.”

His lips curved upward but not quite into a smile. “Tenacious, aren’t you? About twenty-five years ago, one of the sacred tablets disappeared.”

“Tablets?”

“Sotuk’s tablets. The four he left are supposed to explain how to live a peaceful, rich life.”

“I read about those,” I said. In my mother’s books. She’d also printed out pages of documentation from various web sites. Her obsession with them finally made sense. “I read the tablets are scattered all over the world. One might be in Tibet or something.”

Zeke blinked a few times. “Hadn’t heard that one. The point is, the tablets are supposed to have a hidden message that will help the true believers purify the Fourth World. But one’s missing.”

“Why?”

“Guardians were chosen to watch over each of the four tablets. A guardian was killed, and a tablet was stolen. We don’t know who took it or why. But without it, we lack balance. There are only three tablets—three elements—working together to keep the Earth in harmony. That can’t last forever. We’re seeing the effects already.”

I sucked my lower lip. “You mean the extreme weather—hurricanes turning into super storms on the east coast, the depth of the drought out in the Southwest.”

Zeke nodded. He looked over my shoulder, his eyes narrowing.

Without a thought, I yanked the knife from the sheath on the other side of his belt and whirled around, holding the knife in front of me.

“Layla,” I said, my arm dropping. I continued to hold the knife, liking the way it fit in my hand.

Her eyes went wide, but then a small smile flitted across her face. “Some draw there, E. Seems like the magic’s already building in you.”

“Maybe it’s just that I’m not completely incapacitated with a migraine.” Pissy, sure, but I had the right to be upset. I rubbed a fist across my aching chest. Had my mother lifted the veil on my magic so I could learn to use it, or was she dying?

“No one wanted you that sick,” Layla said, her eyes full of hurt.

I turned back to Zeke and nearly crashed into him. “I didn’t cut you, did, I?”

He shook his head as he held out his hand. “No. But don’t do that again. Ever.”

“Why—”

Zeke hadn’t taken his eyes off Layla, and my stomach twisted.

“You were supposed to stay here with her,” Zeke said. He sounded angry.

“I got summoned.”

“You should have let me know, Layla.” Displeasure pulled at his mouth, his eyes hot with anger.

“She promised to stay here. I had to go.” Bitterness laced Layla’s words. “You know that.”

I took a step back, an interloper not just to their physical reunion, but their emotional one as well. After I’d found my clothes in his room, I’d thought . . .

“Can you just stop,” I asked, pressing my hands to my temples.

“Stop what?” Layla asked.

“You’re both worrying. It’s pretty much clogging up the air.”

Layla’s mouth popped open, and Zeke’s eyes widened.

Layla’s smile brimmed with possibilities. “Your mother was right. Bringing you to the sacred lands definitely woke up your powers.”

She threw Zeke a look, and I felt him stiffen. “I can’t be here, watching over you while you come into and learn how to use your powers, and out looking for your mom at the same time,” he said. Frustration laced his words.

He was going to stick around? I hoped relief didn’t show on my face.

“Yeah, I’m sticking around. You need constant protection.” He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. “Especially now.”

Crap. I’d said that out loud. I sank onto the couch, still holding my head. Let them think my head hurt. Better than seeing the flush cresting my cheeks.

“Why’s that?” I asked.

Of course, no one answered me. I waited until the tension was so thick I couldn’t stand it anymore.

“I already telegraphed or whatever with those demon dogs.”

“I know,” Zeke snapped. “Your safe house didn’t last long.”

I grimaced. No wonder Zeke had wanted me to stay inside. “Telling me this was supposed to be my safe house would’ve helped.”

“She’s right.” Layla plopped down next to me, her vanilla citrus scent assaulting my sinuses. Layla loved scents and no matter how many times I’d asked, she insisted on wearing them near me. My sinuses rebelled, and I sneezed.

“Why didn’t you tell her?” Layla demanded.

“Tell me what?” I asked.

“Coyote’s obviously been planning this. He’s just waiting for an opportunity to launch his second assault. If he gets you and your mom, E . . . That’s a lot of extra power.”

“We’re on tribal land,” I said. “That’s good. Right? Wouldn’t Coyote bring my mom here?”

“We don’t think so. We’ve looked on and around all three of the mesas. Those areas are the most sacred, but there are millions of acres within the reservation’s borders.”

“So we search the rest of the reservation,” I said. That was a plan—something tangible I could work with.

“It’s too big, Echo,” Zeke said, his voice gentle.

I shook my head. “I’m not just leaving my mom alone out there somewhere. Being tortured. To what? Get to me? If you’re not going to help me look, I’ll go by myself.”

Zeke sighed as he walked to one of the leather chairs next to the sofa and settled into it. He dropped his head onto his hand, fingers tunneling into his hair.

“You can’t,” Layla said. “That’s what Coyote wants. He won’t let your mom go now that he has her. We need to consider the best plan of attack. Leverage, an alliance. Something.”

“I’ll keep looking,” Zeke said.

“I’m not staying here by myself again,” I folded my arms over my chest. “Not with the scary woman showing up, trying to lure me out to do God knows what.”

“Back up,” Layla said. “What woman?”

I shrugged. “Tall, mean. Scary white eyes.”

Layla’s eyes flashed up to Zeke. Concern clogged the air as they stared at each other.

“She flagged me down,” Layla said, wringing her hands. “I thought she was here to tell me something important about Almira. Or you. I ran out to meet her, but ended up in a conversation with my mother instead.”

Zeke’s head drooped between his shoulders. “I’ll deal with it.”

“Zeke, what if she’s the reason—”

“I’ll deal with it,” he said again. His voice was hard, his emotions solidifying into determination. Better than the anxiety of moments before.

“Want to tell me what this is about?” I asked.

“No.”

They said it in unison. Impressive. I crossed my arms over my chest.

Zeke’s gaze softened. “You’re a threat. Some of the gods fear you and what you may be able to do.”

“Because of who my father is?” I guessed aloud.

“Partly. In Hisatsinom culture, everything, everyone, stems from Sotuk. But your mom has her own powers,” Zeke said. “So instead of balancing your human side with your godly side, you’re mostly god. That’s unusual, potent. Possibly deadly.”

Huh. If only those mean tai chi girls could see me now.

“Are there others?” I asked. “Like me, I mean.”

Layla glanced at Zeke, who blew out a forceful breath. “I’m the other known one,” he said.

Maybe this was why I was so drawn to him—and why he was such a fighting badass. Layla cleared her throat, her eyes fixed firmly on my face. Oh, crap. I didn’t like that look.

“Now that the sharing part of the evening is over,” Layla said, her voice dripping with snark, “my mother told me which
sipapu
Coyote’s using. So that might give us a clue we need to find Almira. Or at least where he’s been hiding out.”

“You know where my mom is?” I hopped up. “Let’s go.”

“Hold on, E. I said my mother suggested we go to a specific location.”

“Knowing your mother, she could very well be sending us into an ambush,” Zeke sighed.

“Would one of the gods like Coyote or Layla’s mom have taken the tablet and set all this up then?” I asked.

Zeke pondered my question. “I don’t see what they gain from destroying the status quo.”

Layla nodded. Her mouth was stiff with worry. “I thought Sussistanako might be using me to get to you two. So I had her take me there. I watched a couple of the demons crawl out. I don’t think Coyote’s figured out how to close the gate behind him.” Layla held up her hand, showing us the raw tips of her fingers. “I took care of the two who came through—they were low level. I think more will cross until we figure out how to close it again.”

Zeke leaned forward to look at her fingers. She pulled her hand away and he let her. I really couldn’t figure out the vibe between them—he seemed to care about her and she, him, but I didn’t get more than that. And I couldn’t understand why. They were both beautiful. Powerful. Capable.

“You think this is where they started?” Zeke asked.

Layla touched her fingers and winced. “Probably. It’s out there—not a lot of traffic. Seems like a smart place.”

“Wait. How did you get back here?” I asked.

Layla smiled but there was no affection there. “My mother. She wanted me to see how the world has changed since Masau disappeared.”

Today’s events clicked into place—Mom giving me the amulet at breakfast, Layla’s constant sky watching.

They’d known something was going to happen.

“Coyote can’t control the kachina as he’d hoped,” Zeke said. “Not like Masau can. But with Masau gone, Coyote’s trying to control the gates. There has to be a reason he wanted those access points.”

“For more power?” I asked. I’d never read anything about gods stealing another’s power but Zeke had made the whole group sound Machiavellian.

Layla shrugged. “It’s not easy to take over another god’s expertise. Neither is imprisoning a god. That takes immense power.”

“Which is why I don’t think Coyote’s working alone,” Zeke replied, his hands balled into fists.

“Any ideas on who would help him?” I asked.

“Oh, yeah,” he said. “Especially after you and Layla saw the same goddess tonight.”

Before I thought better of it, I’d reached over and clasped the top of his hand. Anger and anxiety quivered through his flesh and into mine. He glanced down, then back into my face.

“You felt that?” he asked me, his voice hushed. Surprise built with each word.

“Yes.” I leaned into him more, offering the comfort of my body heat. “I don’t know why you’re so upset, but it’s going to be okay.”

He pulled away from my touch. “We can’t promise much of anything these days, especially not that anything is going to be okay.”

Another look passed between Zeke and Layla. Guilt slid from them both, making me dizzy.

“We’ll go look at the
sipapu
,” Zeke offered. It was a peace-making gesture. “The rest of the plan stays the same for now. Let’s see if we can find and free Echo’s mom and then lay low until we figure out just what we’re dealing with.”

“I’m coming with you,” I said.

“Sure,” Zeke said. “You can see some of what we’re facing.”

“Get some shoes and a sweatshirt, E,” Layla said. “It’s going be cold.”

“I don’t have any shoes. Besides the sandals I wore earlier.”

“Look in the closet,” Zeke said, resettling his armor and working on the fastenings running down his sides. He didn’t look at me. Wow, those buckles must be tricky.

I trotted down the hall, back to his bedroom and opened the narrow door I assumed to be a closet. Three pair of shoes, all my size five-and-a-half.

Why would he have clothes and shoes for me here? Especially if he had a girlfriend. I’d thought he and Layla were together since Layla knew him, his house, but . . . I sighed. I would never compete with Layla over a man, even one who fascinated me as much as Zeke did.

I tugged on a pair of black Converse, deciding they were the most versatile of the options.

I pulled out a hoodie too small to be Zeke’s and checked the size to be sure. Yep. Mine. I was ready, just like Layla asked.

Whoa . . . I couldn’t believe how blind I’d been.

Layla was handling me. Again. After she’d promised not to.

I slid my arms into my hoodie, then sat on Zeke’s bed. I knew Layla would get impatient and come find me. That was the one benefit of spending so much time with her—I’d figured out many years ago what made Layla tick.

I heard footsteps down the hall; Layla’s shimmery blond head poked through the doorway. As soon as she walked into the room, I grilled her.

“Who’s your mom?”

She tilted her head back against the doorframe. “Sussistanako.”

The hairs on my arms and even my head rose to attention.

“You mean the creator goddess? Seriously? Holy crap.”

She closed her eyes, her throat convulsing. Pain wafted from her in thick, noxious currents. Deep, dark. Nasty. “We didn’t hit it off the first time we met, and my opinion hasn’t really improved.” Layla opened her eyes, her lashes clinging to each other briefly. “She told me I had a role to play in whatever was coming. She wanted me to be prepared to sacrifice everything to ensure the continuation of the Fourth World.”

“Anything, huh? Like having to hang out with me,” I said, laying the sarcasm on thicker than my aunt Carolina’s flan.

Layla jutted her jaw outward and looked down at me, her gray eyes huge and combustible.

“I already told you, I’ve always been your friend, E. Not just because we’re both part god. You always accepted me, even though I’d never met my mother. You invited me to your house after my dad forgot to leave me a key, remember? I was sitting on the step, tired, hungry, and I had to pee so bad. You saw me from your window and talked your mom into bringing me to your house. You didn’t know about me—I didn’t know about me, my mom, or anything about this then either.”