A young Mayan woman called Mai, living in Palenque in 812AD is trying to find out the truth about her mother's execution for the alleged murder of her mother's friend's son.

Following rumours in Palenque, Mai finds out that both her mother and her friend also had an affair with the attorney of Palenque who ordered her mother's execution. Her neighbour, Hanab, who also holds the answers to what happened with her mother has put himself forward as a sacrifice in Tikal. Mai's mother's friend has since moved to Flores, so she lies to the attorney and asks for help explaining that she would like to travel to Flores to make peace with her. The attorney puts on a facade of believing her and provides her with an escort and tries to arrange their demise on the way. Not surprisingly, she comes across several obstacles before and during their journey.
Mai also hasn't yet told her escort that she would like to travel further than Flores.

Whilst this story is being told, so in another one, set in the same place but in 2006 AD. A small coach party is touring from Mexico City to Tikal and travelling the same places in order that Mai is travelling.

Unbeknown to the other travellers on the coach, one of the party is a god who's taken human form and made himself look a convincing travelling companion. He is known to others on the coach as Ramiro. His motive is to stop Mai intervening in the sacrifice of Hanab. He is on the coach because if he doesn't succeed, he will have to substitute one of the coach party for Hanab.

Slowly, it becomes clear to some of the other tourists that Ramiro is not all that he seems.