Gods of Jade and Shadow - Silvia Moreno-Garcia Page 0,64

a frown. “Along with his awful handmaiden.”

Vucub-Kamé walked around the chamber. No trace of his brother remained, yet he had been here, and this made him want to let his steps fall in the place where Hun-Kamé’s steps had fallen. They had not seen each other in decades, and now they were but days from again encountering each other.

He allowed himself to picture Hun-Kamé as he’d been, long ago, walking through the jungle with a serpent wrapped around his neck, while Vucub-Kamé shadowed him, an owl on his shoulder. For a moment the memory was sweet. How they had enjoyed their excursions to Middleworld! Until mortals ceased in their worship of the gods and Hun-Kamé in turn ceased to care about the world of men. Vucub-Kamé did not lose his taste for it, though, and in time it dominated his thoughts. He longed for the adoration of the priests and suplicants, and when he told his brother as much, Hun-Kamé chided him for not grasping the ephemeral nature of all things. The chiding became quarrels, and Vucub-Kamé drew inward, the worm of anger gnawing at his heart.

He turned away from the memory, focusing on the now.

“He did not remain long.”

“No.”

“Then your charms proved of no use, no matter how much you may boast of your magic,” Vucub-Kamé concluded.

There had been the possibility his brother would halt or be injured before he reached Tierra Blanca, easing Vucub-Kamé’s triumph. Then again, there was the warring desire that Hun-Kamé should reach Baja California in a robust state, ear and finger and necklace in his possession, making his final downfall more amusing.

“He is the Lord of Xibalba,” she said, her voice sharp around the edges, the emphasis on “the,” reminding Vucub-Kamé who was the firstborn child and who was the pretender, the traitor.

“Watch your pretty tongue,” Vucub-Kamé replied, everything about him sharp, not only his voice. “You wouldn’t want to lose it.”

“Lord, I serve you with every breath of mine, do not look at me with anger. It was but a slip of the tongue,” Xtabay said. “A tongue that I wish to keep.”

“A slip. Or you would rather serve my brother?”

Xtabay turned her head to stare at him.

“I have done as you said. I left behind the jungle to live in this distant city where my power waned—”

“Not waned since you were in possession of Hun-Kamé’s finger. Do not dismiss the might of his essence, nor the baubles and diversions I’ve provided you,” Vucub-Kamé said. He enjoyed when his generosity was acknowledged and bristled when it was not appreciated. He had kept Xtabay in splendor, ensuring her watch would be more than bearable.

“No,” Xtabay admitted. “I will not. But you know well I do not belong here, and it has been an unpleasant chore for me to remain, and yet I’ve done so since you said he would come one day seeking me and you wanted him to follow your route.”

“He must. And knowing this, I feel you might have thought to curry favor again with the Lord,” he said acridly.

She had been an esteemed courtier in the Jade Palace, often attending Hun-Kamé. She could spin a good story, and her malicious antics in Middleworld amused the Lords of Xibalba. Sometimes she dragged a poor, helpless man down the Black Road, to the city. Such mortals could not remain long in Xibalba, but the lords laughed as the man was subjected to terrible sights or feasted like a prince before the food turned to ashes in his mouth.

Vucub-Kamé, of course, suspected Xtabay of treachery even if such treachery was unlikely.

“I am wounded by your accusations,” she said.

Xtabay pressed the tips of her fingers against the god’s mouth, then ran a hand over his brow, as if seeking to smooth the creases there, attempting to erase his frown. He would not allow her such intimacy and stepped away, circling her.

“How did he escape you?” he inquired.

“As you pointed out, my magic was not sufficient,” Xtabay replied.

“Yet you told me it would be. That is why I picked you for this task.”

“I told you I might be able to slow him down, that I might be able to distract him for a while. But he seems distracted enough by the girl he drags around with him.”

Xtabay sounded displeased but not insincere. She looked over her shoulder at him.

“I do your will, Vucub-Kamé. When you hatched your scheme, did I not assist you? I could have courted favor with Hun-Kamé back then and revealed