Page 65 of Of Shadow and Moon

“What of the prophecy?” Rey Xiuhtecuhtli growls low, his voice dangerous. He looks around at the rest, and a heavy silence falls over the room. For a moment, no one speaks, each weighing their words carefully.

“The girl,” Rey Tezcatlipoca finally says, his tone venomous. “The one born of moonlight and darkness. It's already in motion.”

My breath catches in my throat. The prophecy. The one Alexander hinted at but never gave me any details about. A girl born of moonlight and darkness.

That can't be real.

It's just some old legend, a myth told to scare people into submission. But the kings, they're talking about it like it's not only real, but a threat they can't afford to ignore.

Rey Huehueteotl folds his arms, his expression grim. “If this prophecy is true, if the girl is out there, then she is more dangerous than the Shadow Reaper. If she rises, everything we’ve built, everything we’ve fought for, will be undone.”

“We cannot allow this girl to take power,” Rey Chalchiuhtotolin adds, his voice edged with urgency. “She would unite the kingdoms, bring them under her control. Not after everything we have done to secure power.”

My heart pounds so hard I’m sure they’ll hear it below. A girl who will take power over Tonalli? Who could they be talking about?

“We find her,” Rey Itztli growls, his eyes dark with fury. "And when we do, we end her before she has a chance to fulfill that prophecy.

“We have let Alexander play his games for too long,” Rey Xiuhtecuhtli adds. “But this is larger than him. The girl must be taken care of. The reaper too. The kings will continue to stay in power. We will not allow some moonlit child or a disgruntled, unhinged assassin to take what rightfully belongs to us.”

My hands are shaking. I can't breathe. They're talking about killing her. This girl, whoever she is, is powerfulenough to threaten five kings, and they're afraid of her. They're afraid she'll rise and take everything from them.

And if they're afraid of her, that means they'll do anything in their power to stop her.

I slowly back away from the crevice, my mind spinning. The kings, all of them, are united in this. They’re terrified of losing their power, and they see this girl and the Shadow Reaper as the only things standing between them and complete control of Tonalli, which they already have. They’ll kill her if they find her.

I crawl back across the beams, my heart still racing, trying to make sense of everything I’ve just heard.

The Shadow Reaper. Alexander. The prophecy. The girl born of moonlight and darkness.

Whomever she is, she's in more danger than she knows.

And so am I.

Then, the wood beneath me creaks.

My heart stops.

I freeze mid crawl, my entire body tensing as every muscle locks in place.

Below, through the small crevice, I see the moment the kings’ heads snap up in unison, their eyes darting to the ceiling, to the shadows where I’m hiding. My pulse thunders in my ears, the blood rushing so fast I’m afraid they’ll hear it. Shit.

“Who is there?” Rey Tezcatlipoca’s voice cuts through the tension, low and dangerous.

I don't move. I don't breathe.Don't make a sound, I remind myself. I've been in worse situations. I've trained for moments like this. Just stay quiet, and they won't find me. Will shadows protect me again? Or was that a fluke?

The weight of their gaze is unbearable.Even though I know they can't see me, the darkness hiding me, I feel like I'm exposed, dangling above them like bait.

The kings are silent now, all on high alert, listening, searching the shadows. My hands press against the beams beneath me, my body still as stone, every instinct screaming at me to move, to run. But I can't. Not yet. If I move, they'll hear me. I just have to wait it out.

I glance towards the crack, barely able to see them now that I've pulled back, but I can hear the tension in the room. The rustle of cloaks, the scrape of a chair. They're ready for something, anything. They're paranoid, which makes sense. They're conspiring against the prophecy, and against me.

“Whoever it is, show yourself,” Rey Itztli bellows, his voice cuts with as much sharpness as the knife carried at his belt.

I press my body even flatter against the wood, holding my breath. I slow my heart beat so the vampire king can’t hear my anxiety.

Come on, come on. Stay calm. They won't find you. They can't.

For a few excruciating moments, the room falls deadly silent. The kings paused like wolves poised to strike. Every nerve in my body screams at me to move, to disappear, to get the hell out of here before I am caught. But I know how to stay hidden. I just have to keep it together.

---