The white-haired twin turns to his brother. ‘Say your good-byes, Manny. We have to board the Balam before the eye passes.’

‘I’m not going,’ Immanuel states.

‘You have no choice.’

‘He said he’s not going,’ Lauren says, stepping in between them.

Jacob ignores her. ‘Manny, you must trust me, there’s nothing for you here. Even if you did stay, Lilith Mabus would hunt you down, and all would be lost.’

‘No.’

‘Then you leave me no choice.’ Jacob slips into the nexus and grabs his twin from behind, subduing him in a full nelson as he forcibly drags him toward the starship.

Immanuel enters the zone, struggling against his overpowering foe. ‘Let … me … go—’

‘For once in your life, trust me!’

‘No!’

‘Humanity’s future depends upon you fulfilling your destiny—’

‘You’re wrong! I wasn’t meant to go! Lauren loves me!’

‘Lauren’s as good as dead.’

‘What?’ A tsunami of rage washes over Immanuel, drenching his muscles with adrenaline. Whirling around, he grabs Jacob’s head in his hands, drops to one knee, and flips his brother over his shoulder, slamming him onto the flooded turf.

Both Hunahpu tumble free from the nexus.

Dominique reaches into the fray, separating her two sons. ‘Jacob, stop! Leave him be. Manny … my God, Manny, your eyes!’

Jacob stares at his twin. Immanuel’s irises are radiating a striking azure blue, just like his own. ‘It’s happening. He’s changing—turning full Hunahpu. Manny, everything will become clear to you soon, but we have to hurry if we have any hope of rescuing Mick.’

‘Mick’s alive?’ Dominique grabs Jacob by his shoulders. ‘How do you know? How can you be sure?’

Immanuel takes Lauren’s hand. ‘Jake claims he speaks to him.’

‘You’ve been speaking with your father? How? Why didn’t you tell me?!’

Jacob glances over his shoulder at the approaching eye wall. ‘We don’t have time for this, we have to hurry. The Balam’s force field can’t manipulate the storm much longer.’

‘You hurry, I’m not going anywhere.’

‘Manny, our destiny’s on Xibalba!’

‘Yours, not mine. I was meant to stay behind. Think about it. The Balam should have opened for me, but it didn’t.’

‘You weren’t full Hunahpu then.’

‘Neither was Mick, but it opened for him.’

‘We don’t have time for this nonsense.’ Jacob turns to Kurtz. ‘Salt, stun him!’

Kurtz shakes his head. ‘Manny said he wants to stay. It’s his choice.’

‘Pep—’

‘Back off, Jake. Let the kid choose.’

Jacob approaches his brother, becoming desperate. ‘Manny, listen—please, it takes two people to resurrect our father and save the Nephilim. I can’t do it alone.’

‘Then take me instead,’ Dominique demands.

‘Mother—’

‘I said, take me!’

‘Impossible.’