Mayan Blood Read Online Free

exhale, her ghostly eyes trained on the mountains below. “I have spent many years wit’ you, boy. Good years. Bad years.” She met his gaze. “T’ere is a balance, even for you. Everyt’ing has balance.”
    He shifted the car into drive. “ Tia …”
    She turned away, staring back out at the jungle. “Until you believe you can find balance, you will never find peace.”
    He shifted the car into drive. At least her intentions were in the right place, even if she could never understand. He would never find peace.
     
    ***
     
    Arwan reached the Punta Gorda Airport just as the sun vanished behind the horizon. The car horns, neon lights, and scent of burnt motor oil in the air all reminded him of why he hated the city. It was too busy, too chaotic, and all of the sights, sounds, and smells assaulted his senses.
    He pulled up to the passenger pick up/drop off area, where he scanned the crowd of people gathered under the tin roof. With only a brief description from Renato, it would be easy to miss the seeker. The people were mostly women of various ages, some with children tugging on their coats. Elderly men, and middle-aged men dressed in business suits. Some teenagers, though they all seemed like locals.
    A guy stepped toward the curb with only a duffle bag hung over his shoulder. His cutoff sleeves showed both of his arms, covered in bold, black tattoos.
    Arwan slowed to a stop, peering out the window at the stranger. “Hey.” Arwan blasted the horn in two short beeps. The guy bobbed his head, staring down at his phone. Arwan honked again, this time leaning on the horn. The stranger lifted his head and met Arwan’s gaze. He stepped forward and flung open the door. “What’s up? Are you my ride?”
    “Depends. How good are you at hide and seek?”
    The stranger grinned. “Pretty damn good.” He tossed his duffle bag in the back and sat and slammed the door behind him.
    Even seated, Arwan was an inch or so taller than the seeker. He extended his hand. “I’m Arwan.”
    The seeker ignored his gesture and kicked his feet up on the dash. “Well, I’m starving. Any chance at getting something to eat around here?”
    Arwan slowly retracted his hand and rested it on the steering wheel. “What’s your name?” He pulled away from the curb.
    “Jayden. Where can we grab some grub? Is there a McDonalds around here?” He snorted. “Maybe a Taco Bell.”
    Arwan worked his jaw. “It’s a long drive. Any stops will slow us down.”
    “That’s why they call it fast food.” He plugged one earbud into his ear and bobbed his head. “Any word from Renato? Did he get Zanya?”
    “Who?” He glanced at the seeker, who stilled from his question.
    “You don’t even know her name?”
    He did now. Arwan veered right, onto the main road through Toledo City. “How do you know her?”
    “I’m a seeker, remember?” He reached in his back pocket and pulled out a beaten, leather wallet. “I can pay for my own food, but seriously, I’m starving.” He opened his wallet and pulled out a twenty-dollar bill. Arwan spied a picture tucked behind the clear, plastic window. A picture of a girl with long, brown hair and wolf-gray eyes. The seeker snapped his wallet shut and shoved it back in his pocket, then held up the bill.
    “You can’t use that here.” Arwan turned left, taking them deeper into the city.
    “What, you guys don’t use dollars?”
    “We use the Belize Dollar. You’ll have to go to a currency exchange.”
    “And where the fuck is that?”
    Arwan ground his teeth. “That would be at your hotel.” He slammed on the brakes, throwing the seeker against the dashboard.
    Jayden pushed away, his features tight.
    “We’ll contact you once Renato decides it’s safe,” Arwan said. The seeker inspected the hotel with stucco walls painted in sky blue and toucans painted on either side of the entrance. “Or you can find a peseros to exchange your money. They’ll do it without a lot of paperwork.”
    “I