“Ahem,” Strike said drily from behind Dez. “You skipped a couple of steps. Including the ‘I dos’ and the cake.”
She broke away. “There’s cake?”
Dez groaned, then laughed along with the others. “Guess I know where I stand.” But he was still chuckling as the stranger got going again, reading from a simple set of nondenominational vows and prompting them at the appropriate moments.
Her “I do” was a little shaky, his cracked as a single tear leaked down. Then he kissed her, and, as she leaned into him, trembling, he slipped the serpent ring onto the fourth finger of her left hand. It curled around her finger, warming against her skin and shimmering with a faint prickle of magic that said she was done wandering, done being lost. She and Dez had finally, after all these years, come home to each other.
GLOSSARY
Note: Most of these words sound the way they’re spelled, with two tricks: First, the letter “x” takes the “sh” sound. Second, the letter “i” should be read as the “ee” sound. Thus, for example, Xibalba becomes “Shee-bal-buh.” Hope that helps!
Entities
Banol Kax—The lords of the underworld, Xibalba. Driven from the earth by the many times great-ancestors of the modern Nightkeepers, the Banol Kax seek to conquer Earth on the foretold day: December 21, 2012.
itza’at—A female Nightkeeper with visionary powers; a seer. The itza’at talent is often associated with depression, mental instability, and suicide, because the seer can envision the future but not change it.
nahwal—Humanoid spirit entities that exist in the barrier and hold within them all of the accumulated wisdom of each Nightkeeper bloodline. They can be asked for information, but cannot always be trusted.
Nightkeeper—A member of an ancient race sworn to protect mankind from annihilation in the years leading up to December 21, 2012, when the barrier separating the earth and underworld will fall and the Banol Kax will seek to precipitate the apocalypse.
makol—These demon souls are capable of reaching through the barrier to possess evil-natured human hosts. Recognized by their luminous green eyes, a makol-bound human retains his own thoughts and actions in direct proportion to the amount of evil in his soul.
Order of Xibalba—Formed by renegade Nightkeepers around A.D. 600, the order was believed to have been destroyed in the 1520s. However, the order survives, and is now led by a powerful mage named Iago, who has bound his soul to that of the long-dead Aztec god-king, Moctezuma.
winikin—Descended from the conquered Sumerian warriors who served the Nightkeepers back in ancient Egypt, the traditionally raised winikin are blood-bound to act as the servants, protectors, and counselors of the magi. However, some winikin—rebels who mutinied against the king—escaped prior to the massacre. Now, their return threatens to upset the fragile balance of power at Skywatch.
Places
Skywatch—The Nightkeepers’ training compound is located in a box canyon in the Chaco Canyon region of New Mexico, and is protected by magical wards.
Xibalba—The nine-layer underworld home of the Banol Kax, boluntiku, and makol. May be entered through a hellmouth located in the cloud forests of Ecuador, which Iago has hidden.
Things (spells, glyphs, prophecies, etc.)
barrier—A force field of psi energy that separates the earth, sky, and underworld, and powers the Nightkeepers’ magic. The strength of the barrier is decreasing as the end-date approaches; the power of the magi becomes stronger as the barrier weakens.
cardinal days—The Nightkeepers’ powers are strongest during the solstices and equinoxes . . . but so are those of their enemies.
compass artifacts—When assembled together by a mage of the proper bloodline, these artifacts become a powerful—and potentially deadly—force.
hellmouth—An underworld access point that opens only during the cardinal days.
jun tan—The “beloved” glyph that signifies a Nightkeeper’s mated status.
library—Created by far-seeing Nightkeeper leaders, this repository contains all the ancient artifacts and information the magi need to arm themselves for the end-time war. Once hidden deep within the barrier, the library now resides on Earth, within Skywatch’s box canyon.
Solstice Massacre—Following a series of prophetic dreams, the Nightkeepers’ king led them to battle against the Banol Kax in 1984. The magi were slaughtered, with only a scant dozen children surviving to be raised in hiding by their winikin.
skyroad—The celestial avenue connecting the earth and sky planes, allowing contact between the Nightkeepers and the gods. Since Iago’s destruction of the skyroad, the gods have been unable to influence anything happening on earth, giving the demons control.
Triad—The last three years prior to December 21, 2012, are known as the Triad years. During this time, the Nightkeepers are prophesied to need the help of the Triad, a trio of über-powerful magi created through powerful spell casting. However, Brandt is the only functional Triad mage, as Anna is comatose and Dez’s ancestors used up the magic saving his soul.
writs—Written by the First Father, these delineate the duties and codes of the Nightkeepers. Not all of them translate well into modern times.
The Nightkeepers and their winikin
Coyote bloodline—Coyote-Seven, known as Sven, can move objects with his mind and wears the warrior’s mark, but is missing a part of himself. His winikin was the senior-statesman, Carlos, who turned over the responsibility to his daughter, Cara Liu. Cara didn’t want to be anyone’s servant, though, and soon left Skywatch.
Eagle bloodline—A bird bloodline, and therefore connected with the air and flight. The members of this bloodline include Brandt, his wife Patience (who has the talent of invisibility), and their twin sons, Harry and Braden, who are five years old. Patience’s winikin, Hannah, and the former winikin leader, Jox, have taken the twins into hiding.
Harvester bloodline—Typically the holders of passive, healing magic. Jade is a spell caster and warrior, though she spends much of her time with her human mate, Lucius. Together with Natalie and JT, two of the rebel winikin, they form the core of the Nightkeepers’ surveillance and intel capabilities.
Hawk bloodline—Also connected with air and flight, this bloodline can be aloof and unpredictable. Nate Blackhawk, the surviving member of this bloodline, was orphaned young and trusts few. He is a shape-shifter whose destructive power is kept in check by his love for his mate, Alexis.
Jaguar bloodline—The royal house of the Nightkeepers. The members of this bloodline tend to be loyal and fair-minded, but can be stubborn and often struggle between duty and their own personal desires. The current members of the jaguar bloodline include the Nightkeepers’ king, Strike, and his sisters, Anna and Sasha. Strike is a teleporter; Anna is a seer who denies her talents and was struck into a coma by the Triad magic; and Sasha is the Nightkeepers’ healer. Strike’s mate and queen, Leah Daniels, is full human, a former Miami-Dade detective who now leads Strike’s royal council.
Peccary bloodline—The boar bloodline is old and powerful; its members ruled the Nightkeepers before the jaguars came to power. Red-Boar was the only adult mage to survive the Solstice Massacre; he lost his wife and twin sons, and never forgave himself for living. He was killed soon after the Nightkeepers were reunited, giving his life for his king and queen. Red-Boar’s teenage son, Rabbit, lives with the stigma of being a half blood, and commands wildly powerful magic. He is—more or less—kept in check by his love for his human girlfriend, Myrinne.