The Death RelicBy: Chris Kuzneski Series: Payne & Jones The New World, 1545: Vanquished by the Spanish Empire, little remained of the Aztec and Mayan civilizations. From the ashes of their cities, a unified legend emerged: their conquerors possessed a mysterious object, an artifact so powerfulso deadlythat it came to be known as the Death Relic." Yucatan Peninsula, present day: When Maria Pelatis research team disappears in Mexico, she calls Jonathon Payne and David