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Dante and I were the last ones to arrive at the Ortega house.
We didn't know why we were called or even what was going on. All I know is that it was important enough to call me away from the books that Artie had said I should not leave the next four days.
We found everyone in the living room, including Azolata. That was a surprise. No one had seen him in the past day, so to see him casually leaning up against the fireplace and everyone okay with this threw me for a loop. Dante and I exchanged a look and he seemed equally confused.
Eli gestured for me to come to sit by him on the couch and I hurried over to him.
"What's going on?" I asked.
"No idea. They just came back here about twenty minutes ago and that's when everyone else was called home."
I nodded. I had felt something earlier, something like a cold rush of wind in my house. Dante had looked up too but we both passed it off as a draft in the house. I pulled hoodie on and Dante went back to his movie.
Turns out, that it was more than that.
When wasn't it more than that?
Stephen and Billie were also there, and both of them looked just as worried as everyone else present. Stephen kept looking over at Billie but Billie avoided his eyes and kept looking to either Artie or Celia.
Once Dante and I were seated, Artie stood up next to Azolata by the fireplace.
"Billie and I have been researching Azolata’s mythology. It was clear that he wasn't going to answer any questions, which wasn’t unusual, but I knew who he was. Sort of," he said and glanced over at Azolata.
Azolata nodded, encouraging him to go on.
"If I get any of this wrong, will you tell me?" Artie asked.
"I prefer to wait until you are done with your studies and then I will correct you," Azolata said.
Artie took a deep breath and turned back to the rest of us.
“Azolata, well Itztlacoliuhqui-Ixquimilli, is a God."
I stared at him and no one else in the room moved.
Dante was the first to break the silence and he snorted. "A god? No offense, Azolata. But, a god? Come on, Artie. Maybe my dad was right, maybe you can read too many books."
For the first time, Artie seemed unsure of himself. He looked down and shuffled his feet. Billie jumped up and went to Artie’s side.
"He's right. The name that's Azolata gave us last night, that's the name of God. Maybe not the Christian-Judeo God that everyone here is the most familiar with, but a God from a long time ago. In fact, there's a reason for that. There was a reason that he was forgotten."
Billie put her hand on Artie's shoulder and squeezed. He looked over her and she pressed her lips together in a grim smile. "You know you're right. And when they hear everything that we found out and what happened earlier, they'll know you're right too."
Billie sat back down and Artie picked up where he left off.
"Azolata is a God from the Aztec times. There were quite a few of them, but even among them, Azolata was the most powerful. He and his sister were the holy dualities of life and death, with Azolata representing the side of death."
I shifted in my seat. I had so many questions, it felt like I was back in high school and wanted to grill the teacher on everything they were talking about. But I knew should hear the whole story before I launched into my own interrogation.
"Azolata,” Artie paused. “Can I still call you that?" Artie asked.
Azolata smiled and nodded. "Of course. It's what I've been going by for the last four thousand years. My other name is quite a mouthful."
"I'll say," Stephen muttered.
"Among the gods, Azolata was one of the most powerful. In the early days, the gods were like children let out to play with all the toys they could ever want. Azolata led them in their debauchery. He encouraged all sorts of, um, behavior and engaged in it himself more often than not."
It was my turn to hold back laughter. It was hard to picture Azolata; staid, calm, boring Azolata, in the middle of a party having the time of his life. Or if Artie was implying what I think he was implying, to picture Azolata in the mold of a drug and alcohol-fueled orgy. Suddenly, I wanted to ask if they had drugs back then.
Sensing my mind was wandering, Eli elbowed me in the side.
"Azolata was the first of the gods that demanded human sacrifices in his name. There were temples built to him, and every day, they sacrificed humans in his name. Azolata was the God of night, of North, of ice, of what we call sin. But he was also the God of blindfolded justice and objectivity. He demanded human sacrifices if the humans wanted the night to end and the day to begin."
Every question that I had only moments ago was gone. My mouth hung open and I glanced between Artie and Azolata. Azolata didn't look offended or angry. He nodded thoughtfully like Artie was reading him a book report and Azolata found it slightly interesting.
Artie flipped open a book he had in his hands. "A lot of what we know of Azolata's early days is hard to decipher. They all agree that he led the gods in their debauchery and their partying, and a lot of them agree on the next part, but after that it gets hazy."
Artie looked over Azolata and Azolata nodded. "I'll help you with the rest."
Artie swallowed. The shadows from the fireplace, which was our only light, danced on his face. The whole thing reminded me of the campfires that Dante and I would sit around and share scary stories until we couldn't sleep.
"Then, one day Azolata was walking among the people. He liked to do that, and if he found someone that caught his eye, he would take them with him to where the gods lived and they would –" Artie looked up and I could see the blush spreading from his cheeks down to his neck.
I was right about the drug-fueled orgies, I realized.
"I think we get it," Celia said dryly.
"So, Azolata went among the people one day. He had the ability to look like any of them and they couldn't tell him from any other regular person. This day he didn't find anyone that caught his eye, so he kept walking. He walked to the outskirts of the city where there was nothing but farmlands. Corn grew as far as the human eye could see. From all accounts, it was spring and everything was in bloom. And that's when Azolata saw him."
"Him?" Savannah asked.
"Turns out that gods are a lot like shifters in that way. Their sexual preferences are fluid," Billie said.
"Oh," Savannah said and nodded.
"You all know how myths are written. Azolata saw him and fell in love. And because he was the God of invisibility, he was able to watch this man for weeks. Azolata learned that his name was Yaotl. He was alone on his farm except for his young daughter, Tlanextli. And Azolata was fascinated. Their lives were not like the gods above them or even the ones in the city. They were simple and each day was pretty much the same, one right after the other. The only thing that was different was that it was filled with love. That was something that Azolata had not come across, not even in the city. Their home and lives were with love. Finally, one day, Azolata approached Yaotl and his daughter. He disguised himself as a peasant. He befriended Yaotl and his daughter," Artie said.
His voice was soft and when I realized I was on the edge of my seat, ready to catch every single word, I tried to relax. When I looked around, I realized that it wasn't just me that was on the edge of my seat. Everyone else was, including Celia.
"One thing that all the books do agree on, was that Yaotl was very beautiful. It's kind of strange, but in all the books that I've read on the Aztecs and the gods, only one other man was written about so extensively as being beautiful.”
“Who?” Dante asked.
“The God of dark love."
"Dark love?" Eli asked.
"It's seen as the more masculine side of love. The side that protects, avenges, obsessives, stalks," Billie said quietly.
"So we knew that Yaotl was very beautiful. And Azolata was surprised to find that he had a daughter and that he kept her with him. Back then, a single man could have given his daughter away, to an orphanage or to a temple and been paid handsomely. It was actually very common. But Yaotl decided that he would keep his daughter and raised her himself. Tlanextli was also very beautiful and kind and welcomed Azolata into their home like he was a long lost relative. Finally, after months of visiting Yaotl and Tlanextli every day, Azolata decided to tell them the truth. He wanted Yaotl to decide for himself if they could be together," Artie said.
"But, Azolata–" Dante said and looked over to him.
Artie nodded. "We thought the same thing. Azolata was a God. How could he stay with a human?"
Dante nodded.
"Well, we figured it out later," Billie said.
"When Azolata decided to tell Yaotl who he really was, he spent the day with him, farming. It was hard manual work and Azolata could have done it all with a wave of his hand, but he chose instead to work the land with Yaotl, side by side. Azolata was in love with Yaotl and he thought that Yaotl felt the same way about him but he wasn't sure. So, as the sunset that day, Azolata explained to Yaotl who he was."
Artie paused and looked over to Azolata. Azolata was looking at the flames and he did not speak. Finally, after a long moment, Azolata muttered, "Your story isn't done yet, Artie."
Eli and I shared a glance. His words sounded like a cruel taunt but it wasn’t directed at Artie it seemed; they seemed more pointed at himself.
Artie hesitated and Billie spoke up. "Azolata told Yaotl and Yaotl was horrified. Yaotl had lost so many to the sacrifices to the gods, so many friends and family. So he stood and banished Azolata from his sight. He swore that he could never love someone who killed so many. How could he? He saw them as murderers."
"Oh, so it's the murders that held them back and not homophobia. Well, that's an upside," I said quietly. When I realized that I said that out loud, I slapped a hand over my own mouth.
Azolata chuckled but it still lacked any humor or warmth.
Artie took a deep breath and turned back to his book.
"The other gods had taken note of Azolata's absence. The next time that he returned to them he demanded that they stop sacrificing the humans. The problem was, human sacrifices were how the gods received and retained their powers. But Azolata knew that if he wanted to be with Yaotl, he had to stop them. The arguments in their paradise grew more and more fierce as the hours passed. Finally, as the most powerful of them all and with his sister at his side, Azolata demanded that there would be no more sacrifices."
"War broke out," Billie said.
"In their paradise, time passes differently. As far as we can tell, for Azolata it was only a few days of fierce battling, but here, two years passed. Azolata was losing. He went back to Yaotl one last time. They spent the night together, and Yaotl forgave Azolata. He saw how tired and weak and beaten Azolata was, fighting this war that Yaotl demanded of him. Yaotl took him into his arms and during that night, Azolata elevated Yaotl to the status of a God. Yaotl was horrified when he realized what Azolata had done, but Azolata explained that when they were finished with him, they would come for Yaotl next. Yaotl begged Azolata to keep his daughter safe, and in a moment of grace or mercy or love, Azolata elevated Yaotl’s daughter to the status of a goddess as well." Artie was staring down at the book in his hands but I was sure he didn't need it.
"Then his siblings came for him. They were furious that he had elevated two humans to their own status and they imprisoned him. They swore that he would never again see his precious night or the humans that he loved. They swore that they would turn Yaotl and his daughter against Azolata and they would hate him forever," Billie whispered.
"Azolata was caught in a prison of light and it weakened him. He lived for the night and the shadows and the stars. He begged for death or just to see Yaotl's face one last time. It took years, but finally, Yaotl was able to break him out. When he did, Azolata was able to put all his siblings back in their own places, and finally, reunited with his love, and their daughter, they lived happily ever after," Artie said. He closed the book and held it to his chest like a shield.
"Or that's what the books tell us," Billie said.
Everyone turned and looked at Azolata. He bared his teeth in a gesture that was supposed to be a smile but he failed. He kept his face turned towards the fireplace. "Most of it was true. You got a lot right, more than I thought you would."
"What happened, what was so different?" Stephen asked quietly.
Azolata's eyes flickered over to him and lingered for a moment. "A few minor details. Yaotl didn't have a daughter, Tlanextli was his sister. Their parents were sacrificed to the God of light, my brother. He was the one you met out in the forest."
Celia, Artie, and Billie nodded. That was obviously part of the story that we hadn't heard yet.
"In the end, Yaotl and his sister were never able to break me free from my prison. They tried. They put forth so much effort, used every bit of power between the two of them, but they fell short. It was no fault of their own. My eldest sister, the one who fought against me, eventually took mercy on me. She took me from my prison of light and gave me a small piece of earth. My brother Huitzilopochtli had grown too powerful. The sun was constantly in the sky and it was killing the people and the crops on earth. I was allowed a small piece of earth so that I could still bring the night and the shadows and the stars. I was confined to a small piece of us, here. Glenwood Lock."
"What happened to Yaotl and his sister?" Celia asked.
"Well, I was right about one thing. Because I had elevated them they couldn't be killed, not in the way that you're thinking. They were banished to earth and forced to come back over and over in new bodies. Usually, humans are granted peace after their time here. They were always together, so that was some relief, but they were forced to wander the earth, looking for me. They were always searching, always traveling, but they never knew what they were looking for. Every time they were reborn, I felt it. Every time they died, I felt it."
"So they are alive? You know where they are?" I asked. I was horrified. This was a punishment that I could not imagine. Then a thought pulled me up short and I saw up straight. I did some quick math from the history that I knew of, the times that they were referring to. "Wait, you've been here for four thousand years?"
Azolata finally turned to face us. He crossed his arms over his chest. "They are alive. I do know where they are. And yes, I have been here for four thousand years."
"But that isn’t all, is it?" Billie asked.
"Your sister, the other aspect, what happened to her? And your brother, Huitzilopochtli, he said that you cannot interfere in human affairs. What was he talking about?" Artie asked.
"With my imprisonment, there came conditions. One of those conditions was that I could not interfere with human affairs. If I did, if I offered aid to the humans that lived here, then I would be forced to watch those people be killed."
Eli turned and looked at Celia. Celia's fists clenched and I could tell that she wanted to say something but was searching for the words to put her question together.
"So that's why you never helped us? That's why when there was a fight here, you were nowhere to be found?" Eli said.
Azolata nodded. "It was the only way to protect you from a fate worse than the Ascendancy or anyone else. But when my brother appeared here and in front of Billie and Artie no less, I was able to step forward. He's not human, or of this earth. He's a God, just like me, and as soon as he came here, that gave me the loophole I have been waiting thousands of years for."
"And the shadows? The wings?" Celia asked.
"Wings?!" Dante and I asked.
"The imprisonment is beginning to break. It's a number of factors, no doubt put into play when Dante was bitten and Lou came into his magic. Huitzilopochtli showing up in the forest didn't help matters either. The wings are just a manifest of the darkness and the shadows that I am able to control. It's one aspect of my power they thought they could control. But I believe the one who imprisoned me is growing weaker and as she does, I'm able to break through the curse more and more. If she grows weaker enough, I'll be able to break through it entirely," Azolata said.
We were all silent for a long moment. I cleared my throat and said, "I don't mean to be a damper on what is already an incredibly lively party, but what do we do with this? What was the point of bringing us all here?"
"When Billie and Artie were on their way home, Azolata's brother approached them. He didn't say what he wanted but I wouldn't say that it was a good thing that he chose now to arrive," Celia said.
"Oh, okay. So on top of the Convocation and the Ascendancy, we have gods to worry about. Literal gods," I said and nodded. "No pressure."
Dante and Eli both looked over at me and their expressions were horrified.
I shrugged.
"I'm not sure there is anything to worry about, at least for now. What Huitzilopochtli did was push against the curse and if he pushes any further, then he might actually break it. If he breaks it, I get all of my powers back. And that's the last thing that he or any of my other siblings want," Azolata said.
I couldn’t place his tone. He sounded dark and full of promise but something that was closer to destruction than redemption.
I didn't know what he was or wasn't saying or what he was even allowed to say. But it seemed like we were missing an important question here.
"Is there a way to break your imprisonment?" I asked.
Azolata remained silent but didn’t look away. His mouth twitched at the corner.
"If we were to find Yaotl and Tlanextli and brought them back here, would that break your imprisonment?" I asked and stood up.
Azolata did not reply or even move. He kept his eyes on me.
"Is that what it is? If we brought them back here, would they be able to break it? Is it something like true love's first kiss?" I asked.
"If it were that easy, I would have told someone thousands of years ago and we wouldn't find ourselves in the situation. But it's not. And I prefer you all alive, so I will excuse myself because your questions are becoming dangerous," he said.
He left out the back door like he always did.
"What did he look like?" Savannah asked suddenly.
We all turned to Artie and Billie and they blinked, realizing they were the center of attention once more.
"Kind of the opposite of Azolata," Artie said.
"Blonde hair, not quite six foot tall, blue eyes, pale skin, he wore a suit and was drinking a glass of wine. But, I honestly don't think it was wine. I think it was blood. He was well spoken and wore a suit. And he was cold," Billie said softly.
"Cold?" Stephen said.
"It's hard to explain. It was like he was burning but instead of giving off heat, he was cold," Billie said and shrugged helplessly.
After that, there wasn't much else to say. We slowly disbanded the meeting and as we left, Eli caught my hand.
We were standing by the front door and I looked back at him. His eyes were concerned and his mouth was pinched.
"What is it?" I said.
He seemed on the verge of saying something, something important. Instead, he shook his and said, "Nothing. Just be careful. If there is someone like Azolata out there, he might be drawn to you. Like everyone else around here."
I smiled. I was touched by his concern. "I will be careful. I promise. You do the same. And if you need me, call. I'll find you."
I went over to him and kissed him deeply and smiled against his lips. He returned it but the concern was still obvious in his eyes when I pulled back.
"Of course you will. Because I found you," he whispered.
Dante and I left but there was something about the concern in Eli's eyes that kept me awake all night, tossing and turning.