Choosing Fire: Book Two (The Bone Gatherers 2) Read online

  The drums began to beat again, and a large fat man came out from the temple top, escorting a beautiful young female. She smiled at her escort, showing Xel her hair braided back with silver and jade beads. Her delicate shoulders were covered by a beautiful red-and-yellow tapestry that matched the one wrapping her waist. Xel noticed her ornate sandals, a symbol of nobility. Who was this woman?

  The drums’ beating abruptly stopped. The only sound was the wind blowing through the crack of the temple.

  Before he emerged, Xel knew in her soul who was coming.

  Xi stepped out in full regalia. Xel gasped at the vision portal. The wind blew the parrot feathers of his headdress. Over his eyes, red ochre lined a rectangle from ear to ear, and with the air of true nobility, he scanned the crowed. His tribal tattoos flexed as he took his place at the front of the steps. Each step rattled the shell anklets he wore above jeweled sandals. The spiraled cloak in red and yellow moved with him like it was alive. He threw it back and revealed his muscular and tanned body, covered only by a jaguar-hide loin cloth. Raising a hand, he smiled with a mouthful of red teeth, and his adoring citizens went wild. He was god-incarnate to these people, Xel realized, as she watched the people beneath him screaming his name.

  “Xipilli! Xipilli! Xipilli!”

  The woman beside him was beaming, staring at Xi. She felt an immediate urge to rip her throat out. She took a deep breath and leaned into the vision.

  A man walked out behind Xi. He was a copy of the future Bone Gatherer in an older shell. The man’s headdress stood taller than his son’s, and his chest was so laden with beaded necklaces, it surprised Xel he could stand straight.

  “In preparation of the New Fire Festival,” the man began, “as the proud king and ruler of Teotihuacan, I have a wonderful announcement.”

  Xel’s brows rose. King? Of Teotihuacan? That would make...

  “My beloved eldest son, Prince Xipilli...” the king said with pride.

  Xel’s eyes shifted to Xi, who had a confused look on his face. Whatever declaration his father was about to announce, it appeared Xi was in the dark.

  “Please, son, step forward.”

  Xi fixed his face and stepped beside his father. The king took Xi’s hand and the hand of the young female next to him. “It is my great honor to announce the engagement of my son, Prince Xipilli, and the daughter of High Lord Ilhicamina, Chalchihuitlcue.”

  The crowd erupted into cheers and applause. Xel saw Tupack shift ever so slightly.

  Xi hid his shock well, but Xel could see the vein in his neck pulsing erratically. Placing the newly engaged couple’s hands on the other’s, the king said, “To the future tlahtoani and siua’tlahtoani! King and queen!”

  The young socialite smiled at her future husband, and Xi stared at their hands.

  Once the drum beating ceased, Xi released her hand and fled into the temple.

  ~

  The mists shifted in the portal, and Xel thought the vision was over. Why did Tupack show her that? It didn’t tell her anything about Xi or his mission, or why he was the most infuriating man on the planet. Before Xel could lean away, the mists shifted again, and a large room opened. A dining hall, or some sort of administration room. Xel blinked and pushed farther into the portal, not wanting to miss any of the words spoken.

  “I thought you would be pleased,” the king said to his son, popping a piece of corn cake in his mouth.

  A slave was kneeling before him, platter above his head.

  “How could you spring such a thing on me, Father?” Xi asked, pacing the throne room.

  While the city below celebrated and danced, his father was already back to work in the administration rooms of their grand palace. Merchants and nobles flitted in and out. They all asked favors or permissions for every bit of business that occurred in their city. The king had barely looked up at his frantic son.

  “Can you please stop working and talk to me?”

  The builder presenting a model of a new facility that would house public baths raised an eyebrow. Not daring to interrupt, he froze in place, looking between the two powerful men.

  Xel watched an unknown man enter the chambers. “Father, I have finished meeting with the nobles from the neighboring villages,” the man said. “They will all be in attendance for the New Fire Festival.”

  The well-dressed man looked up. “Brother?” he said with a smile. “What are you doing in the admin hall?”

  The king groaned. “Currently, he is berating me for betrothing him to the most beautiful, and rich, I might add, noble lady in the city.”

  Xi’s brother scratched his neck uncomfortably.

  “Zipactonal! You knew!” Xi said to his brother.

  “What he should do,” the king said to Xi’s younger brother, “is learn how to run a kingdom. Instead of gallivanting around the city like a harlot.”

  Xi gave the king a mocking grin. “Oh, dear Father,” he defied. “I’m not like a harlot. I am a harlot. I hope your new daughter-in-law won’t mind.”

  “Get out, Xipilli! I have work to do,” said the king.

  Xi rolled his eyes, grabbing a piece of corn cake from the slave’s tray. “You’re dismissed,” Xi said to the slave. “If Father eats much more, he may explode. Then I’ll be left with the bore of ruling.”

  “Get out!” the king hollered, throwing a chalice at him.

  Xi turned to leave, and Xel heard the voice of the king. “If only you, Zipactonal, were my firstborn.”

  Alone in the hallway, Xi’s eyes were aflame with rage. He turned to a sculpture of the god of the living, Quetzalcoatl, for whom this temple was erected. Xi grabbed it from its pedestal and chucked it across the hall. It shattered into a thousand pieces, and its broken face stared up at him with a knowing grin.

  ~

  Xel was prepared for the shifting mist and waited, without moving, while the scene morphed and cleared.

  A beautiful bedroom chamber came into view. Woven Aztec tapestries adorned the whitewashed walls. Platters of food lay about, and a large parrot sat tethered to its perch. “Prince?” a voice called.

  “Enter,” Xi’s voice boomed.

  Tupack stepped through the hanging mats. He looked around, and seeing no one about, Tupack relaxed his stance. “You rang, Xipilli?”

  “So formal,” Xi said, walking into view.

  Tupack rolled his eyes, grabbed an orange slice from the platter, and popped it into his mouth.

  “We’re going out,” Xi said, throwing a simple frock at Tupack.

  “Again?” Tupack moaned and lay down on Xi’s large, pillowed bed. He pulled the commoner clothing from his face and looked at it. “We’re going full peasant, huh?”

  “Sure are,” Xi said, undressing.

  Xel’s eyes took in his toned body. She had seen the top half of him a million times, while he was swimming, showing off, or in full warrior mode while battling māpachs. But to see him this bare, she felt herself throb. His stomach cut a perfect V into the most private part of him.

  “We’re going to a brothel!” Xi said, getting semi-erect at the mention.

  Or maybe not so private part, Xel thought, rolling her eyes.

  “Fine,” Tupack surrendered then removed his sandals and struggled to get the too-small dress over his massive body. “But I’m not bailing you out if you get caught.”

  Xi ran and tackled Tupack, still stuck in his dress. “You asshole!” Tupack said, tangled and trying to block Xi’s blows.

  They tumbled and rolled off the bed and into a nearby table, knocking the basin and water jug onto the floor, shattering them everywhere. A house slave ran into the room, eyes wide with worry.

  “Prince!” the man said, bowing deeply. “I wasn’t expecting you yet!”

  The house slave looked fearfully at Tupack. “I didn’t know you had company, Prince. I am ever so sorry.”

  Xi looked at the scene. Pillows and furniture had been thrown everywhere, and shattered pottery covered the floor. The now-pinned Xi look
ed up at Tupack and batted his eyes. “Do you think he knows we’re lovers, Tupack?”

  “Ugh!” Tupack said, launching off him.

  The house slave looked between the men, looking incredibly confused.

  “I’m sorry for the mess,” Tupack said, picking up the shards. “Our prince is a bit of a trickster.”

  The slave ran to grab the pottery from Tupack’s hands.

  “Can you come back in a hand’s time?” Xi asked, leaning up on one arm in the middle of the trashed room.

  “Of course, Prince,” the slave said, bowing, and hurried from the room.

  Tupack reached down and pulled Xi from the floor. “There go the rumors,” he said, grimacing.

  “Oh, please,” Xi said, straightening his peasant frock. “I have better taste than the likes of you.”

  With that, Xi slapped Tupack on the ass and motioned Tupack to follow him from Xi’s chambers.

  ~

  Brothel districts, apparently, didn’t change. Whether it was millennia ago or present-day Bangkok, the look, smell, and feel were all the same. Xel watched an incognito Xi stroll through the streets of the sex trade businesses. Men and women hung from the doorways, catcalling the two handsome men as they took in the sights. “Why do you like this place?” Tupack asked, shaking a small woman off his arm.

  Why did he like this place?

  Xel chewed on the thought.

  “Here!” Xi said and entered through a rugged doorway.

  The aroma of burning incense and low-lit flames gave the brothel a seductive feel. The men walked past several rooms of debauchery. Xel felt her chest tighten at the sounds of pleasure emanating from each room.

  Tupack looked incredibly uncomfortable. Arms crossed tightly, he kept his head down. Two women stopped them at the end of the hallway. “Lucky you two,” one woman said, tossing a long lock of loose hair over her shoulder. “We are available.”

  The beads in her hair jingled as she cocked her head back and forth, looking at the men through long lashes.

  The other woman smiled politely, her tattooed leg bouncing beneath the hem of her red-and-white dress.

  Xi looked at the bouncing woman, whose lips were painted red. “I’ll take you,” Xi said with a devilish grin, teeth now white like a commoner’s.

  “Can you pay?” the bouncing woman snapped.

  Xi raised a brow.

  Her colleague elbowed her and said, “What she means is—”

  “Will this do?” said Xi, tossing a bag of cacao seeds to her.

  The bag of beans was worth a quarter copper axe. Xi leaned on the wall, not taking his eyes from the bold courtesan. The other woman tried to play down her shock. She looked at the men with a sharper eye. But they were dressed as commoners, the lighting was low, and she settled for the funds despite her suspicions.

  Grabbing Tupack by the hand, she said. “Come on, you’re with me.”

  Xi smiled at the bouncing woman, who glared back.

  “Can I just get a massage?” Tupack asked the prostitute as she pushed him into a room.

  “Shall we?” Xi said.

  Xel felt herself get red. From embarrassment or jealousy, she wasn’t ready to admit which.

  Xel watched the woman escort Xi to her room. The bouncing woman was so different from the other women in this place. Her fellow “ladies of the night” smiled and sauntered. This woman looked annoyed and irritated.

  They arrived at her suite, and she lifted the door rug. Xi stepped inside and took in a simple grass mat and a small adobe firepit on the wall. A large hole in the ceiling let out the smoke.

  “So, are you a thief or a liar?” she said, lighting incense.

  Xi laughed. “Your friend didn’t seem to care. Why do you?”

  The woman eyed him. “You’re right,” she said flatly. “Disrobe.”

  “Disrobe?” Xi laughed, sitting on her matting. “That’s it?”

  “That’s all you get for that bag of beans I have to split,” the woman said, dropping her smock.

  Xi rocked back. Even Xel couldn’t deny the beauty that stood before him. Her tanned skin showed her lower caste, but in the firelight her curves were backlit. Her shoulders were strong and held toned arms, not unaccustomed to hard labor. She had large breasts that appeared to defy gravity, they were so perky. Soft skin led to her round thighs and muscular buttocks. Her mound was the only thing delicate on her, covered in a soft carpet of ebony hair.

  Xi sucked in a breath. “You’re beautiful,” he said, as if shocked.

  “You sound surprised,” she chided. “Now lift your hem. Let’s make this quick.”

  She went for his erect member, when his strong hand grabbed her wrist.

  “Wait,” he blurted. “I’m not ready.”

  “You look ready.” She gawked, going for his manhood again.

  “Just wait,” he said, pulled her to sit next to him.

  The woman sighed and rubbed the bridge of her nose. “Look, telpochtli,” she started.

  Boy? Xel liked her more by the minute.

  Xi looked aghast at her tone, something the prince was clearly not used to.

  “I’ve got other customers.” She sighed. “Can we please just get to it?”

  “How much for the night?” Xi said.

  The woman gave him a calculated look. “One copper axe.” She smiled.

  “Done.” He reached into his belted purse and threw it at her feet.

  The cool-headed woman’s mouth fell open. The copper axe was worth eight thousand beans. “Who are you?” she said, scooping up the axe and hiding it beneath her mats.

  “Does it matter?” Xi asked, putting his face into his hands.

  “Nope,” she said, sitting next to him.

  Once again, she went for his member. Gentler this time, he took her hands. “Can we talk?”

  Now the woman looked dumbfounded.

  Xel blinked. Xi looked so forlorn.

  All the bravado gone, he said, “Let’s start with your name.”

  The woman licked her lips and whispered, “Atzi.”

  ~

  Xel watched the two chat into the night. At some point, Xi had handed the woman her smock. Clothed and with knees curled into her chest, she listened to Xi pour his heart out about his life and what pressures his father was putting him under. While he spoke, Atzi poured them water and served mango slices. Soon the sun was cresting the outer edges of the city. Purple and red hues of daylight slipped through the hole in the ceiling.

  “Oh my gods,” Xi said, getting up and falling, legs asleep.

  He landed on Atzi with an oof. Xel watched the two stare at one another for a beat. Blood crept into her cheeks as she witnessed such an intimate moment, but Xel couldn’t turn away from the portal.

  Leaning up, Atzi brushed her lips to his. Hungrily, he kissed back. He was instantly hard again. He slid between her legs and hoisted her hips closer to his. Slipping the shoulder of her dress down, he took her large breast in his hand. Tugging at her nipple left her moaning into his mouth. She tasted like mango. She reached down to stroke him. “Oh gods,” he groaned when her fingers slid down his head.

  “Xi!” Tupack’s voice echoed down the hallways.

  “Fuck,” Xi mumbled, collapsing into Atzi’s neck.

  Atzi giggled.

  “Xi!” Tupack said, bursting through the rugged door.

  The two looked up at Tupack, disheveled, hair a mess.

  “How was your massage?” Xi grinned.

  “Fuck you. Seriously, fuck you!” Tupack hollered, grabbing him by the shirt collar. “I’m supposed to be at work at sunup.”

  Xi and Atzi locked eyes as Tupack dragged him out.

  “See you again?” Atzi smiled. The angry girl from hours before had entirely vanished.

  Xi winked.

  ~

  Xel let out a sigh. It hurt. It hurt to see Xi in all his glory, passionately wanting a woman, acting like a playboy. It made Xel want to scream. It was hard enough to know he was these
things, but to see it play out was awful. But Xel kept watching. And night after night, Xi snuck away to be with Atzi.

  They never made love. Xel could read his thoughts. He needed her for more than sex. He’d pay her a bag of beans, and they’d stay up all night talking.

  One night, Xi leaned up on his elbows and looked at Atzi.

  “What?” she asked, playing with his hair.

  “What do you do with all the money I give you?”

  Atzi licked her lips. Xi look at them hungrily.

  She stood abruptly and extended her hand. He took it and followed her from the brothel.

  They walked through the streets, still abuzz with activity and debauchery. Here, people could be themselves. Here, he felt free.

  Soon, they were out of the night-life streets and into the bowels of the city. The level of poverty here shook Xi. He had seen nothing like it. People were sleeping on the streets, thin, barely alive. Atzi hardly noticed. The smell was indescribable. A mixture of rotting meat, mildew, and feces permeated Xi’s senses. Taken aback by what he saw, Xi slammed into Atzi when she stopped. He caught her before she fell into a stream of excrement. She looked at him with deep brown eyes. He shouldn’t be entertaining these feelings. But Atzi was so different from any woman he had ever met. And in a place that was far from romantic, she enchanted Xi. Pulling her closer to him, he pressed his lips to hers. She stood and grabbed his head, needing him, wanting him. He felt himself harden.

  Atzi pulled him into an alleyway and pulled his smock to the side. “Oh gods, yes,” he moaned into her mouth as she stroked him roughly. Pushing her short hemline to the side, he thumbed the top of her mound. “Oh, I have wanted this, Xi,” she whispered, leaning her head into his chest.

  He thumbed her clit while inserting his finger into her warmth. She rocked on his hand. The wet of her ran down his wrist.

  She spit into her other hand and rubbed his cock, working him back into the wall. The adobe scratched his skin at the force of her. “Oh gods,” she moaned. He could feel the muscles inside clenching.