“He and his brother were tortured and put to death. But his defeat was part of a greater plan. After the Under Lords decapitated him, they left his head in the crook of a calabash tree to keep trespassers away from Xibalba. But one day, a beautiful woman, Blood Moon, decided to defy the gods and visit the skull tree. She reached out to One Hunahpu’s skull, which magically spit on her hand, impregnating her. Blood Moon escaped, returning to the Middleworld—to Earth—to give birth to the Hero Twins—Hunahpu and Xbalanque.”

“Hunahpu and Xbalanque?”

“Twin sons—the Hero Twins. The boys would grow up to become great warriors. Upon reaching adulthood, they returned to Xibalba to challenge the Lords of the Underworld. Once more, the evil gods attempted to win by using trickery, but this time the Hero Twins prevailed, defeating their enemy, vanquishing evil, and resurrecting their father. One Hunahpu’s resurrection leads to the celestial conception and rebirth of the Mayan nation.”

“Tell me again about this Black Road speaking to One Hunahpu. How can a road speak?”

“I don’t know. According to the Popol Vuh, the entrance to the Black Road was symbolized as being the mouth of a great serpent. The dark rift was also considered to be a celestial serpent.”

Go for it. Push him. “Mick, just hear me out for a second. You’ve spent your entire life chasing Mayan ghosts, absorbing yourself in the legends of the Popol Vuh. Isn’t it remotely possible that you—”

“That I what? That I imagined my father’s voice?”

“Don’t get angry. I’m only asking because the story of One Hunahpu’s journey seems to parallel everything you’ve told me about this subterranean chamber. I also think you have some unresolved issues with your father.”

“Maybe I do, but I didn’t imagine that alien being. I didn’t imagine my father’s voice. It was real.”

“Or maybe it only seemed real.”

“You’re playing psychiatrist again.”

“I’m only trying to be a friend. Paranoid delusions are very powerful things. The first step in helping yourself is to accept the fact that you need help.”

“Dominique, stop—”

“If you let me, I can help you—”

“No!” Mick pushes past her and out the barn door. He closes his eyes, taking deep breaths, warming his face in the midday sun as he struggles to regain control.

That’s far enough. I planted the seed, now I have to regain his confidence. She turns her attention back to the map of Chichén Itza. For some reason, the aerial image of the cenote catches her eye. She thinks back to the previous night, her walk through the jungle.

The cenote walls … glistening in the moonlight. The grooves in the limestone …

“What is it?”

Startled, she looks up, surprised to find him hovering over her. “Uh, nothing, it’s probably nothing.”